Panchayati Raj & Public Policy

Total Questions: 34

11. Under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 who shall be the authority to initiate the process for determining the nature and extent of individual or community forest rights or both? [2013-1]

(a) State Forest Department
(b) District Collector / Deputy Commissioner
(c) Tahsildar/Block Development Officer/Mandal Revenue Officer
(d) Gram Sabha

Correct Answer: (d) Gram Sabha

Solution:Section C of the Forest Dwellers Act provides a transparent three step procedure for deciding on who gets rights.
Firstly, the Gram Sabha makes a recommendation- i.e, who has been cultivating land for how long, which minor forest produce is collected; etc. The Gram Sabha plays this role because it is a public body where all people participate and hence is fully democratic and transparent. The Gram Sabha's recommendation goes through two stages of screening committees- the Taluka and the District levels.

12. The Government enacted the Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act in 1996. Which one of the following is not identified as its objective? [2013-1]

(a) To provide self-governance
(b) To recognize traditional rights
(c) To create autonomous regions in tribal areas
(d) To free tribal people from exploitation

Correct Answer: (c) To create autonomous regions in tribal areas

Solution:The salient feature of the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA) and the modalities worked out to grant rights to tribals in the country are:
(i) Legislation on Panchayats shall be in conformity with the customary law, social and religious practices and traditional management practices of community resources;
(ii) Habitation or a group of habitations or a hamlet or a group of hamlets comprising a community and managing its affairs in accordance with tradiations and customs; and shall have a separate Gram Sabha.
(iii) Every Gram Sabha to safeguard and preserve the traditions and customs of people, their cultural identity, community resources and the customary mode of dispute resolution.

13. The fundamental object of Panchayati Raj system is to ensure which among the following? [2015-1]

(1) People's participation in development

(2) Political accountability

(3) Democratic decentralization

(4) Financial mobilization

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

(a) 1, 2 and 3 only
(b) 2 and 4 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Correct Answer: (c) 1 and 3 only

Solution:The fundamental spirit of the Panchayat Extension Act is that it devolves power and authority to Gram Sabha and Panchayats rather than delegation; hence it paves way for participatory democracy and Democratic Decentralisation. Hence Statements 1 and 3 are correct.

14. Consider the following statements: [2016-1]

1. The minimum age prescribed for any person to be a member of Panchayat is 25 years.

2. A Panchayat reconstituted after premature dissolution continues only for the remainder period.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Correct Answer: (b) 2 only

Solution:Article 243F states that individuals aged 21 or older are eligible to be members of a Panchayat, whereas the minimum age for State Legislature membership is 25 years (Article 173). A Panchayats term is five years from its first meeting, and if prematurely dissolved, it will serve only the remaining term. If this remainder is less than six months, elections are not required. Hence, only Statement 2 is correct.

15. Which of the following are the objectives of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP)? [1999]

1. To stabilize agricultural prices

2. To ensure meaningful real income level to the farmers

3. To protect the interest of the consumers by providing essential agricultural commodities at reasonable rates through public distribution system

4. To ensure maximum price for the farmer

(a) 1, 2 and 3
(b) 1, 2 and 4
(c) 1, 3 and 4
(d) 2, 3 and 4

Correct Answer: (a) 1, 2 and 3

Solution:The objective of the price policy underlying MSP is to bring a balanced and integrated price structure for agricultural commodities and not to ensure maximum price for the farmers.

16. Consider the following statements regarding the National Human Rights Commission of India: [1999]

1. Its Chairman must be a retired Chief Justice of India

2. It exists in each state as State Human Rights Commission

3. Its powers are only recommendatory in nature

4. It is mandatory to appoint a woman as a member of the commission

Which of the above statements are correct?

(a) 1, 2, 3 and 4
(b) 2 and 4
(c) 2 and 3
(d) 3 and 4

Correct Answer: (d) 3 and 4

Solution:The chairperson should be a retired Chief Justice of India or a Supreme Court judge. Members should include a serving or retired Supreme Court judge, a serving or retired Chief Justice of a High Court, and three persons knowledgeable in human rights, with at least one being a woman. Statement 1 is incorrect and Statement 4 is correct. Currently, 26 states have established their State Human Rights Commissions. Therefore, Statement 2 is incorrect. The NHRC can only make recommendations without enforcing decisions, making Statement 3 correct. Hence, no conclusive inference can be drawn from the above explanation.

17. Which one of the following legislations does not deal with the protection of environment? [2001]

(a) The Water (Cess) Act, 1977
(b) The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980
(c) The Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991
(d) The Port Laws Amendment Act, 1997

Correct Answer: (d) The Port Laws Amendment Act, 1997

Solution:The Major Ports Trust Act, 1963, was amended by the Port Laws (Amendment) Act, 1997, to create The Tariff Authority for Major Ports (TAMP). The TAMP was established in April 1997 as an independent body to regulate tariffs for vessels, cargo, and property leases for Major Port Trusts and private operators within these ports. Therefore, Port Laws (Amendment) Act, 1997, does not deal with protection of environment.

18. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists: [2002]

Publisher	Publication
A. Ministry of Industry	1. Report on Currency and Finance
B. Central Statistical Organisation	2. Economic Survey
C. Reserve Bank of India	3. Wholesale Price Index
D. Ministry of Finance	4. National Accounts Statistics

Codes:

	A	B	C	D
(a)	4	3	2	1
(b)	3	4	1	2
(c)	4	3	1	2
(d)	3	4	2	1

Correct Answer: (b)

Solution:

Publisher	Publication
Ministry of Industry	Wholesale Price India
Central statistical	National Accounts Statistics
organization	Report on Currecy and Finance
Reserve Bank of India	Economic Survey

19. The Consultative Committee of Members of Parliament for Railway Zones is constituted by the: [2003]

(a) President of India
(b) Ministry of Railways
(c) Ministry of Parliament Affairs
(d) Ministry of Transport

Correct Answer: (c) Ministry of Parliament Affairs

Solution:Meetings of the Consultative Committees typically take place in Parliament or the Parliament House Annexe in New Delhi, with the committee rooms booked by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.

20. Which one of the following statements is NOT correct? [2003]

(a) The Press Council of India is an autonomous quasi-judicial body established under an Act of the Parliament.
(b) The Press Information Bureau provides accreditation to media person so as to have easy access to information from government sources.
(c) Among all the states of India, Maharashtra publishes the largest number of newspaper.
(d) Press Trust of India is the largest news agency in the country.

Correct Answer: (c) Among all the states of India, Maharashtra publishes the largest number of newspaper.

Solution:Madhya Pradesh publishes largest number of newspapers in India.

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