Government & Administration (India & World) (Part-III)

Total Questions: 51

1. Local self-government can be best explained as an exercise in: [2017-1]

Correct Answer: (b) Democratic decentralization
Solution:Balwant Rai G Mehta Committee submitted its report in November 1957 and recommended the establishment of the scheme of 'democratic decentralisation', which ultimately came to be known as Panchayati Raj.
Some important committees, which recommended Local Self-Governments, are given below:
• Balwant Rai Mehta Committee (1957): This committee recommended the establishment of PRIs at the village, intermediate, and district levels. It also recommended that PRIs be given financial resources and powers to decide on local issues.
• Ashok Mehta Committee (1977): This committee recommended that PRIs be given more powers and resources and that they be made responsible for planning and implementing development projects at the local level.
• G.V.K. Rao Committee (1985): This committee recommended that PRIs be given greater autonomy and that they be made accountable to the people they serve. It also suggested that PRIs be given the power to levy taxes and fees.
• L.M. Singhvi Committee (1986): The L.M. Singhvi committee recommended the need for constitutional recognition and legal framework for Panchayati Raj Institution and urban local bodies to strengthen the local self-governance in India.
• P.K. Thungon Committee (1989): It recommended constitutional recognition for the local government bodies.
• Second Administrative Reforms Commission (2007): The principle of Subsidiary should be upheld, and there should be a clear delineation of functions for each level of local government.

2. The main advantage of the parliamentary form of government is that: [2017-1]

Correct Answer: (c) the executive remains responsible to the legislature.
Solution:Parliamentary system is also known as Cabinet Government. It provides for collective responsibility of the executive to the legislature. Hence answer "C".

Parliamentary Form of Government Features
• Real and Nominal Executives: The President acts as the formal or nominal executive, while the Prime Minister serves as the actual (de facto) executive. In this arrangement, the President represents the State, whereas the Prime Minister runs the government’s day-to-day affairs.
• Dual Membership: The executive (Prime Minister and Council of Ministers) is drawn from the legislature (Parliament). Members of Parliament elect the Prime Minister and other cabinet ministers, linking the executive and legislative branches closely.
• Collective Responsibility: The Council of Ministers is collectively accountable to the legislature. This principle ensures that all ministers share responsibility for government policies and decisions, even if individual ministers are directly responsible for their departments.
• Secret Procedure: Cabinet discussions and deliberations are conducted in private and are not disclosed publicly, allowing for open and candid decision-making among ministers.
• Leadership under the Prime Minister: The Prime Minister heads the government and exercises leadership over the Council of Ministers, guiding policy and administration.
• Majority Party Rule: The Prime Minister is usually the leader of the party that holds a majority in the lower house of the legislature, ensuring stability and alignment between the executive and legislative branches.
• Bicameral Legislature: Most parliamentary democracies have a bicameral legislature, consisting of two chambers, typically an upper house and a lower house, which provide checks and balances on lawmaking.
• Political Homogeneity: Members of the Council of Ministers usually share similar political ideologies, as they belong to the same party. In coalition governments, ministers are bound by coalition agreements to maintain unity.
• No Fixed Tenure Term: The government’s tenure depends on maintaining the confidence of the lower house. If a motion of no-confidence succeeds, the Council of Ministers must resign, triggering elections and the formation of a new government.

3. Out of the following statements, choose the one that brings out the principle underlying the Cabinet form of Government: [2017-1]

Correct Answer: (c) A mechanism of parliamentary democracy for ensuring collective responsibility of the Government to the people.
Solution:"Since it is not practical for all ministers to meet regularly and discuss everything, (hence) the decisions are taken in Cabinet meetings. That is why parliamentary democracy in most countries is often known as the Cabinet from of government."

Therefore, some expert felt that cabinet from of Government helps in work distribution and thereby speeding up efficiency so B is the right answer. However, other experts went by the interpretation given in M. Laxmikanth's book on Indian Polity:

"Parliamentary system is also known as cabinet Government. It provides for collective responsibility of the executive to the legislature." So should be the answer. UPSC has kept 'C' as the official answer.

4. The Parliament of India exercises control over the functions of the Council of Ministers through. [2017-1]

1. Adjournment motion

2. Question hour

3. Supplementary questions

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Correct Answer: (d) 1, 2 & 3
Solution:The Parliament exercises control over the ministers through various devices like question hour, discussions, adjournment motion, no confidence motion, etc. and Supplementary questions can be asked during the question hour. Therefore, all three are correct.
Adjournment motion: To raise a recent and urgent matter of public importance that has serious consequences, and which has the potential to censure the government. Requires the support of 50 members. The debate must last at least two and a half hours, and it disrupts the normal business of the House. It is not permitted in the Rajya Sabha because it implies censure of the government.
Question hour: The objective is to hold the executive accountable by allowing members to question ministers about government activities. Takes place during the first hour of every sitting. Members can ask "starred questions" for oral answers or "unstarred questions" for written answers.
Supplementary questions: The objective is to further elucidate or clarify any points made in a minister's answer to a starred question. A member can ask these questions with the Chair's permission, immediately after the minister has answered the main question. These are not allowed after an answer to an unstarred question has been given.

5. With reference to the Parliament of India, consider the following statements: [2017-1]

1. A private member's bill is a bill presented by a Member of Parliament who is not elected but only nominated by the President of India.

2. Recently, a private member's bill has been passed in the Parliament of India for the first time in its history.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct Answer: (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Solution:

Private Member's Bill
• About: A Member of Parliament, other than a Minister (both elected and nominated) is known as a Private Member. A bill initiated by any such Member is called a Private Member's Bill (PMB).
• Drafting of such a bill is responsibility of the Member introducing it.
• Mechanism: A one month notice is given before the introduction of the bill with the permission of Speaker (Lok Sabha) or Chairman (Rajya Sabha). If the bill is selected then:
• Lok Sabha allots last two-and-a-half hours of business every Friday for consideration and discussion on the Bill.
• Rajya Sabha allots two and a half hours (from 2.30 p.m. to 5.00 p.m.) on every alternate Friday.
• The first private member bill passed was the Muslim wakfs bill,1952 which was introduced by Syed Mohammed Ahmad Kasmi.
• Only 14 private member bills have become law till date and the last such bill was passed in 1970

6. For election to the Lok Sabha, a nomination paper can be filed by: [2017-1]

Correct Answer: (c) any citizen of India whose name appears in the electoral roll of a constituency.
Solution:For election to the Lok Sabha, a nomination paper can be filed by any citizen of India whose name appears in the electoral roll of a constituency.

Constitutional Qualifications for Members of Lok Sabha
The Indian Constitution lays down the following qualifications for a person to be chosen as a Member of the Lok Sabha:
• He/she must be a citizen of India.
• He/she must make and subscribe to an oath or affirmation before the person authorised by the Election Commission of India (ECI) for this purpose.
• He/she must not be less than 25 years of age.
• He/she must possess other qualifications prescribed by Parliament.
Statutory Qualifications for Members of Lok Sabha
The Parliament has laid down the following additional qualifications for the Member of Lok Sabha in the Representation of People Act of 1951:
• He/she must be registered as an elector for a parliamentary constituency from which he/she is contesting an election.
• He/she must be a member of a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe in any State or Union Territory if he/she wants to contest a seat reserved for them.
o However, a Member of Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes can also contest elections from a non-reserved seat.

7. Consider the following statements: [2017-1]

1. In the election for Lok Sabha or State Assembly, the winning candidate must get at least 50 per cent of the votes polled, to be declared elected.

2. According to the provisions laid down in the Constitution of India, in Lok Sabha, the Speaker's post goes to the majority party and the Deputy Speaker's to the Opposition.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct Answer: (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Solution:India has first past the post system wherein a candidate who wins the election may not (need to) get majority (50%+1) votes. Statement #1 is wrong. Upto the 10th Lok Sabha, both the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker were usually from the ruling party.

Since the 11th Lok Sabha, there has been a consensus that the Speaker comes from the ruling party (or ruling alliance) and the post of Deputy Speaker goes to the main opposition party. Meaning it's an 'informal consensus' among political parties, and not Constitutional provision. Hence, statement 2 is wrong.

8. Right to vote and to be elected in India is a: [2017-1]

Correct Answer: (c) Constitutional Right
Solution:Right to vote in elections is an important constitutional right.
One of the important decisions of the framers of India Constitution was to guarantee every adult citizen in India, the right to vote. [Article 326]
Combining the interpretation of both textbooks, "C" is the answer.
The status of the right to vote has been clarified, and contested, across several landmark judgments:
• N.P. Ponnuswami (1952): The Supreme Court held that the right to vote is purely statutory.
• Jyoti Basu (1982): Reaffirmed that voting is neither a fundamental nor a common law right, but a statutory one.
• PUCL Case (2003): Justice P.V. Reddy observed that even if not fundamental, the right to vote could be considered a constitutional right.
• Kuldip Nayar (2006): The Supreme Court reverted to viewing voting as a statutory right.
• Raj Bala (2015): Recognised it as a constitutional right based on earlier PUCL interpretation.
• Anoop Baranwal (2023): Majority opinion once again concluded that the right to vote is statutory.

9. Consider the following statements: [2017-1]

1. The Election Commission of India is a five-member body.

2. Union Ministry of Home Affairs decides the election schedule for the conduct of both general elections and by-elections.

3. Election Commission resolves the disputes relating to splits/mergers of recognized political parties.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct Answer: (d) 3 only
Solution:Election Commission has three election Commissioners. Election Commission decides the election schedule for the conduct of both general elections and bye-elections. It also decides the disputes relating to splits/mergers of recognized political parties. Hence answer "D" only 3.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) is a constitutional body established under Article 324 of the Indian Constitution. It is a multi-member commission responsible for supervising elections to Parliament, State Legislatures, and the offices of the President and Vice-President. Originally, it had only one Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), but since October 1993, it became a three-member body. The Commission operates as a collegiate body, ensuring collective decision-making. It has a permanent secretariat at Nirvachan Sadan, New Delhi, and functions independently of government control. Its structure ensures autonomy, impartiality, and accountability in the electoral process as mandated by the Constitution.

10. Consider the following statements: [2018-1]

1. In the first Lok Sabha, the single largest party in the opposition was the Swatantra Party.

2. In the Lok Sabha, a "Leader of the Opposition" was recognized for the first time in 1969.

3. In the Lok Sabha, if a party does not have a minimum of 75 members, its leader cannot be recognized as the Leader of the Opposition.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct Answer: (b) 2 only
Solution:2 Only

The results of the first general election did not surprise anyone...Congress party won 364 of the 489 seats in the first Lok Sabha and finished way ahead of any other challenger. The Communist Party of India that came next in terms of seats won only 16 seats.

[NCERT Class12: Politics in India since Independence, p30]. So, statement#1 is wrong
In the remaining options b and c, both contain statement#2, so as such we've to accept it as true, and no need to waste time finding proofs, Nonetheless, to satiate the curiosity: It was Ram Subhag Singh- who became the first leader of opposition in Lok Sabha in 1969. Ref:

Indian Express

In each House of Parliament, there is the Leader of the Opposition'. The leader of the largest Opposition party having not less than one-tenth seats of the total strength of the House is recognized as the leader of the Opposition in that House.

Maximum strength of the Lok Sabha is fixed at 552 so minimum 10% doesn't translate to 75 in any case. Hence statement#3 is wrong, by elimination, we get Answer (b).