Special Provison for Certain Classes

Total Questions: 22

1. Part XVI (from Art. 330 to 342) of the Indian Constitution deals with : [U.P.P.C.S. (Spl) (Mains) 2004]

(a) Administrative Tribunals
(b) All India Services
(c) Finance Commission 19
(d) Reservation of seats for SC/ST and representation of Anglo-Indian Community in the House of people.

Correct Answer: (d) Reservation of seats for SC/ST and representation of Anglo-Indian Community in the House of people.

Solution:Part XVI of the Constitution containing Articles 330-342A is for the special provisions relating to certain classes. Article 330 provides for the reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the House of People (Lok Sabha), and Article 331 is related to the representation of Anglo-Indian community in the House of People. It is noteworthy that the arrangements of nominating representatives of the Anglo-Indian Community in the House of the People have not been extended beyond the stipulated date (25 January, 2020) by 'the Constitution (One Hundred and Fourth Amendment) Act, 2019. So, currently, this arrangement has ended.

2. Under Indian Constitution, Provision for Scheduled Tribes in Lok Sabha has been made under- [U.P.P.S.C. (GIC) 2010]

(a) Article 330
(b) Article 331
(c) Article 332
(d) Article 333

Correct Answer: (a) Article 330

Solution:The provisions of reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Lok Sabha have been made under Article 330 of the Constitution. The same provision of reservation for the said communities in State Legislative Assemblies has been made under Article 332.

3. The Authority to specify as to which castes shall be deemed to be Scheduled Castes rests with the- [U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2006]

(a) Commission of Scheduled Castes and Tribes
(b) Prime Minister
(c) Governor of the State
(d) President U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2016

Correct Answer: (d) President U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2016

Solution:According to Article 341 of the Constitution, the President may with respect to any State or Union Territory, and where it is a State, after consultation with the Governor thereof, by public notification, specify the castes, races or tribes or parts or groups which shall for the purposes of this Constitution be deemed to be Scheduled Castes to that State or Union Territory, as the case may be.

4. Which statement is not correct? [M.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1994]

(a) The lists of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes have been made by and order of the President issued in 1950 for each State after consultation with the Governor of that State.
(b) Amendments in these lists can only be made by Parliament by framing an Act.
(c) The lists of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes are prepared and amended by the concerned State Governments.
(d) A tribe can be declared as a Scheduled Tribe for only a part of a State.

Correct Answer: (c) The lists of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes are prepared and amended by the concerned State Governments.

Solution:The power to include or exclude any caste, race or, tribe or any group as Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, in the list specifying these communities, is vested in the Parliament. The Parliament may exercise this power by making a law. Such provision for Scheduled Castes is given in Article 341 and for Scheduled Tribes in Article 342.

5. Scheduled Tribe status is - [R.A.S./R.T.S.(Pre) 2010]

(a) Restricted to Hindus.
(b) Religiously neutral.
(c) Restricted to Hindus and Christians.
(d) Restricted to Hindus and Muslims.

Correct Answer: (b) Religiously neutral.

Solution:According to the Constitutional (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950 the status of Scheduled Tribes is religiously neutral.
Follower of any religion can be included in Scheduled Tribe Community, while by para-3 of Constitutional (Scheduled Caste) Order, 1950 only Hindus (which includes Buddhist and Sikh), can be included in the Scheduled Caste Community. The National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities headed by Ranganath Mishra has recommended repealing this para.

6. The specifications required for a community to be declared as a Scheduled Tribe are: [69th B.P.S.C. (Pre) 2023]

1. Indications of primitive traits

2. Distinctive culture

3. Shyness of contact with the community at large

4. Backwardness and geographical isolation

Which of the above are correct?

(a) Only 1 and 2
(b) Only 2, 3 and 4
(c) Only 1, 3 and 4
(d) All of the above

Correct Answer: (d) All of the above

Solution:After the Amendment made by Parliament in 2007, there were total 1206 Scheduled Castes in India. As per 'The Constitution (Scheduled Castes Amendment) Act, 2017' total number of Scheduled Castes in India is 1261. According to the Census-2011 Scheduled Castes form 16.6 percent to the total population.

7. After the Amendment in Indian Constitution by the Parliament on 14 August, 2007 the number of castes in the list of Scheduled Castes is — [48th to 52nd B.P.S.C. (Pre) 2008]

(a) 607
(b) 1206
(c) 1410
(d) 1500

Correct Answer: (b) 1206

8. State having maximum Scheduled Tribes is - [U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1991]

(a) Bihar
(b) Madhya Pradesh
(c) Rajasthan
(d) Andhra Pradesh

Correct Answer: (b) Madhya Pradesh

Solution:The maximum population of Scheduled Tribes is in the state of Madhya Pradesh. The descending order of the states given in the options in terms of their Scheduled Tribes population is — Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar.

9. In which of the following there is no reservation for any caste? [U.P. Lower Sub. (Pre) 1998]

(a) Rajya Sabha
(b) Legislative Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir
(c) State Legislative Council
(d) All of the above
(e) (a) & (c)

Correct Answer: (e) (a) & (c)

Solution:The provision of reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes has been made for Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies under the Constitution. There is no reservation for any caste in the Rajya Sabha and State Legislative Council.

Note: After Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, there is no existence of Legislative council in the Union Territory. According to this Act, seats shall be reserved for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes in the Legislative Assembly of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

10. The Provision of National Commission for Scheduled Tribes is given in which Article of the Constitution? [U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2013, U.P.U.D.A./L.D.A. (Spl) (Mains) 2010, Chhattisgarh P.S.C. (Pre) 2005]

(a) Article 338A
(b) Article 341
(c) Article 16
(d) Article 82

Correct Answer: (a) Article 338A

Solution:The provision of the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes has been made by Article 338-A. Originally, there was only Article 338 for the establishment of a commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (both), but 89. Constitutional Amendment Act, 2003 bifurcated the combined commission into two separate bodies. Article 338A was inserted for a separate commission for Scheduled Tribes. Article 338 now only provides for a commission for Scheduled Castes. The commissions constituted under Article 338 and 338A consist of a Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, and three other members.

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