Miscellaneous (Indian Polity)

Democracy refers to a system of government in which the power lies with the citizens who exercise this power by either direct voting or through elected representatives.

Political parties are essential for democracy as they are responsible for voicing public opinions and formulating policies. Also they are essential for the working of parliamentary government and help in recruitment of leaders.

The officer rank does administrative and quasi-judicial and quasi legislative functions.

The Indian Parliamentary Group is an autonomous body formed in the year 1949 in pursuance of a motion adopted by the Constituent Assembly (Legislative) on 16th August, 1948. The Group acts as a link between the Parliament of India and the various Parliaments of the world by exchange of delegations, goodwill missions, correspondence, documents etc. with foreign Parliaments. It also functions as the (a) National Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union and (b) Main Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association in India.

The Chairman of the National Human Rights Com- mission should be a retired Chief Justice of India.

The National Commission for Backward Classes was set up on 14th August 1993. It is a constitutional body (102nd amendment in the constitution makes it a constitutional body). The National Commission for Backward Classes falls under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

The 89th Amendment of the Constitution of India which came into force on 19 February 2004 set up the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes under Article 338A. It is a constitutional body.

Article 244(1) of the Constitution of India deals with provisions related to the administration and control of Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes.

The "Agreement on Trade and Intercourse between the Tibet region of China and India" was signed on 29th April 1954 in Beijing by the then Indian Ambassador N. Raghavan and Chang Hanfu, the then Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister of China. It is know as the Panchsheel Agreement.

India and China signed the Panchsheel Agreement, also known as the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence or The Panchsheel are as follows -

1- Peaceful co-existence.

2- Mutual respect for each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty.

3- Mutual non-interference.

4- Mutual non-aggression.

5- Equality and mutual benefit.

The Planning Commission was nota constitutional body that was defined in Constitution of India. It was set up in March 1950 by an executive resolution of the Government of India, on the recommendation of the Advisory Planning Board constituted in 1946, under the chairman of K C Neogi.