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]

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]

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.

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.

Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) aim to enhance local governance and empower rural communities in India. Their objectives include:

  • To Decentralize Power – Transfer decision-making authority to the grassroots level to promote local self-governance.
  • To Encourage Inclusive Participation – Foster engagement of local populations in governance, ensuring their active involvement in decision-making processes.
  • To Empower Marginalized Groups – Ensure political representation of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and women by reserving seats for them in local governance.
  • To Improve Service Delivery – Enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of public service delivery and development programs by making governance more accessible.
  • To Promote Economic Development – Facilitate local economic growth through community-driven planning and implementation of development initiatives.
  • To Address Social Justice – Tailor welfare schemes and development projects to meet the specific needs of local communities, promoting equity.
  • To Enhance Transparency and Accountability – Increase transparency and accountability in governance by involving local communities in oversight of public works and services.
  • To Nurture Local Leadership – Develop local leaders by empowering them with administrative and managerial roles in governance.
  • To Mobilize Community Resources – Encourage the collective use of community resources for development, fostering self-reliance.
  • To Strengthen Grassroots Democracy – Transform representative democracy into a more participatory form, aligning governance with the aspirations of the local populace.

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?

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.

Duration of Panchayats

  • The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1992 provides for a five-year term of office to the Panchayat at every level from the date of its first meeting.

    • However, it can be dissolved before the completion of its term.

  • Fresh elections to constitute a Panchayat shall be completed:

    • before the expiry of its duration of five years,

    • in case of dissolution, before the expiry of a period of six months from the date of its dissolution.

  • It is to be noted that, where the remainder of the period (for which the dissolved Panchayat would have continued) is less than six months, it shall not be necessary to hold any election for constituting the new Panchayat for such a period.
  • Moreover, a Panchayat constituted upon the dissolution of a Panchayat before the expiration of its duration shall continue only for the remainder of the period for which the dissolved Panchayat would have continued had it not been so dissolved.

    • In other words, a Panchayat reconstituted after premature dissolution does not enjoy the full period of five years but remains in office only for the remainder of the period.

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

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.

Production Costs and CACP

The CACP considers three types of production costs:

  1. A2
  2. A2+FL
  3. C2
  • A2 covers direct costs incurred by farmers, including expenses on seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, labor, and more.
  • A2+FL includes A2 costs and the value of unpaid family labor.
  • C2 is a more comprehensive cost that also considers rentals and forgone interest on owned land and capital assets, on top of A2+FL.

As of now, CACP recommends MSPs of 23 commodities, which comprise 7 cereals (paddy, wheat, maize, sorghum, pearl millet, barley and ragi), 5 pulses (gram, tur, moong, urad, lentil), 7 oilseeds (groundnut, rapeseed-mustard, soyabean, seasmum, sunflower, safflower, nigerseed), and 4 commercial crops (copra, sugarcane, cotton and raw jute).

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?

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]

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 Industry1. Report on Currency and Finance
B. Central Statistical Organisation2. Economic Survey
C. Reserve Bank of India3. Wholesale Price Index
D. Ministry of Finance4. National Accounts Statistics

Codes:

ABCD
(a)4321
(b)3412
(c)4312
(d)3421
Correct Answer: (b)
Solution:
Publisher Publication
Ministry of IndustryWholesale Price India
Central statisticalNational Accounts Statistics
organizationReport on Currecy and Finance
Reserve Bank of IndiaEconomic Survey

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

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.
In a Parliamentary form of Government, the day-to-day working of the Parliamentary system makes large claims on time and resources of the various Ministries/Departments. Over a period of time, Parliamentary programme covers numerous intricate matters-financial, legislative and non-legislative-concerning various Ministries/Departments of the Government. The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, though small in size, is one of the key Ministries of the Union Government. The task of efficiently handling diverse and enormous parliamentary work on behalf of the Government in the Parliament has been assigned to the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs. As such, the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs serves as an important link between the two Houses of Parliament and the Government in respect of Government Business in Parliament. Created in May, 1949 as a Department, it soon became a full-fledged Ministry with the allotment of more responsibilities and functions.

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

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.

Origin of the Press in India

  • The writing on the walls and on stones dating back to several centuries before Christ were the first signs of the origin of the press in India. Emperor Ashoka's edicts renouncing violence after the Kalinga war are available to this day on stone.
  • Later, paper and writing materials were invented, and state records in the form of messages from spies were maintained in a rudimentary form.
  • According to historians, 'newsletters' were the earliest though rough form of a newspaper.
  • The newsletters were published on a regular basis throughout the Mughal era. These "manuscript newspapers" served as the only source of information about historical events.
  • The practice seems to have continued until the East India Company began ruling over India.
  • It is the dissemination of these newsletters that perhaps inspired James Augustus Hickey to start his newspaper Bengal Gazette in 1780