Polity - MCQ Online Test (3) - UPSC MCQ

Answer: a

The Regulating Act, 1773 empowered the crown to establish by Charter a Supreme Court for justice of all subjects in Bengal (1^st Supreme Court was constituted in 1774 with Elijah Impey as Chief Justice).

Charter Act of 1853 ended Company’s monopoly of trade with India but monopoly of tea trade with China was allowed.

Answer: a

• Government of India Act 1861 provided that the Governor’s executive council should include certain additional non-official members. The members were nominated and their functions were confined to a consideration of legislative proposals placed before it by the Governor- General.
• It initiated the process of decentralization by restoring the legislative powers to the Bombay and Madras Presidencies.
• It accorded the statutory recognition to the portfolio system.

Answer: d

Article 155 provides for appointment of Governor. It states that the Governor of a State shall be appointed by the President by warrant under his hand and seal.

Answer: c

Schedule VIII of the Constitution provides for 22 languages and English is not a language specified in the VIII^th schedule.

Answer: b

Charter Act of 1833 provided for:

• Monopoly of tea trade with China was abolished. Company was only to have political functions.
• President of Board of Council became the Minister for Indian affairs.
• A law member without power to vote was added to the Executive Council of Governor general (Lord Macvallay was 1^st law member).
• Competition exams were introduced for recruitment to the coveted services.
• Rs.1 lakh to be spent on education in India.
• It made the Governor-General of Bengal as the Governor-General of India (Lord William Bentinck was the first Governor-General of India).

Answer: a

Cabinet mission was sent who put forward his own proposals on 16 May 1946.The broad features of the scheme were:

1. There would be a union of India comprising both British India and States.
2. The Union would have an Executive and a legislature constituted of representatives of    the provinces and States.
3. The proposal also contained a plan to elect Constituent Assembly by indirect elections, to frame constitution.

For forming the Constituent Assembly election were held which were joined by Muslims League. On 9^th December 1946, first meeting of Constituent Assembly was held which was not attended by Muslim league.

Answer: b

There are 12 Schedules in Indian Constitution. Schedules can be added to the constitution by amendment.

1. States and Union Territories;
2. Emoluments for High-Level Officials;
3. Relates to different forms of Oaths;
4. Allocation of the number of seats in the Rajya Sabha (Council of States - the upper house of Parliament) per State or Union Territory;
5. Provisions for the administration and control of Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes;
6. Provisions for the administration of tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram;
7. Relates to three types of lists: The Union (central government), State, and Concurrent (dual) lists;
8. The Official Languages Recognised under the constitution ( There are 22 languages in this schedule; English is not mentioned in this schedule).
9. Article 31B-Validity excluded from Court’s Review (land and tenure reforms; the association of Sikkim with India). It was added by 1^st Constitution Amendment Act in 1951. It is largest schedule of the constitution.
10. Anti-Defection provisions for Members of Parliament and Members of the State Legislatures (added by 52^nd Constitution Amendment Act in 1985).                         
11. It relates to functions of Panchayats (Rural Development); added by 73^rd Constitution Amendment Act in 1992.
12. It relates to functions of Municipalities (Urban Planning); added by Constitution Amendment Act in 1992.

Answer: c

Procedure established by law has been taken from Japan.

The following are the main functions of the Finance Commission of India: The finance commission is responsible for the distribution of net proceeds of taxes between Center and the States. This distribution is made on the basis of the respective contributions of the States to the taxes.

Article 266 (1) of our Indian constitution,  tells about the consolidated fund of the state. This is a charged expenditure where no voting is required. They have to be paid anyhow. And, the pay is fixed and can only be increased by the consolidated fund. Every state has its own fund.

Answer :d)

  As per the procedure laid down in the Constitution, Constitution Amendment Bills can be of three types viz.,
   (i) requiring simple majority for their passage in each House;
   (ii) requiring special majority for their passage in each House i.e., a majority of the total membership of a House and by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members of that House present and voting (article 368); and
   (iii) requiring special majority for their passage and ratification  by Legislatures of not less than one-half of the States by resolutions to  that effect passed by those Legislatures (proviso to clause (2) of article 368).  A Constitution Amendment Bill under article 368 can be introduced in either House of Parliament and has to be passed by each House by special majority.

(ix)      Under provisions of article 108 of the Constitution, if after a Bill passed by one House and transmitted to the other House:-
(a)    is rejected by the other House; or
(b)    the Houses have finally disagreed as to the amendments to be made in the Bill; or
(c)    more than six months elapse from the date of its receipt by the other House without the Bill being passed by it,   

the President may, unless the Bill has elapsed by reason of a dissolution of the Lok Sabha, summon them to meet in a joint sitting for the purpose of deliberating and voting on the Bill.  If at the joint sitting of the two Houses, the Bill, with such amendments, if any, as are agreed to in joint sitting, is passed by a majority of the total number of members of both Houses present and voting, it shall be deemed to have been passed by both Houses.  However there is no provision of joint sittings on a Money Bill or a Constitution Amending Bill.

Answer: b

The feature of judicial review has been taken from USA.

The duties enumerated in Art. 51-A are statutory duties and are enforceable by law