Test: Parliament - UPSC MCQ

1. Statement 1 is correct. A simple majority is indeed sufficient for the removal of the Vice-President of India in the Lok Sabha. According to Article 67(b) of the Constitution, the Vice-President can be removed by a resolution passed by a simple majority in the Lok Sabha, which refers to a majority of members present and voting.

2. Statement 2 is correct. The removal of the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha requires an effective majority. An effective majority refers to a majority of the total membership of the House, excluding vacant seats, which aligns with the requirement for such removals.

3. Statement 3 is incorrect. An absolute majority is not required for passing a constitutional amendment bill. Instead, a special majority is needed, which involves a majority of the total membership of each House and a two-thirds majority of the members present and voting, as per Article 368 of the Constitution.

Thus, the correct statements are 1 and 2, making Option B the correct answer.

Simple Majority is required for passing ordinary bills, money bills, and financial bills in the Parliament. This majority is based on the members present and voting during the session. It is a fundamental rule prescribed by the Constitution for the determination of questions in the Parliament, as outlined in Article 100.

The minimum age required to be a member of the Rajya Sabha is 30 years, whereas the minimum age for the Lok Sabha is 25 years.

- Statement 1 is correct. The Rajya Sabha's maximum strength is indeed fixed at 250 members, of which 238 are elected indirectly from the states and union territories, and 12 are nominated by the President. These nominated members are chosen for their expertise in fields such as art, literature, science, and social service.

- Statement 2 is incorrect. Not all union territories have representation in the Rajya Sabha. Only Delhi, Puducherry, and Jammu & Kashmir have representation due to their larger populations. The allocation of seats is based on population, which means smaller union territories may not have representation in the Rajya Sabha.

- Statement 3 is correct. The method of election to the Rajya Sabha from the states is by proportional representation through a single transferable vote. This system allows for a more proportional reflection of party strength in the legislature compared to the first-past-the-post system.

Thus, the correct statements are 1 and 3 only, making Option C the correct answer.

The Parliament of India consists of three parts: (i) The President, (ii) The Council of States (Rajya Sabha), and (iii) The House of the People (Lok Sabha). The Supreme Court is not a part of the Parliament.

Statement-I correctly defines Simple Majority in the Parliament as a majority of the members present and voting in the House. This type of majority is essential for various parliamentary procedures such as passing bills, motions, and making certain decisions.
Statement-II accurately describes Effective Majority, which refers to the majority of the total House membership, excluding vacant seats. This type of majority is required for specific situations like removing certain officials from their positions.
While both statements are factually correct and provide definitions of different types of majorities in the Parliament, Statement-II does not explain Statement-I. They are independent statements providing distinct definitions related to the majority requirements in parliamentary proceedings.

1. The Joint Sitting of Parliament is presided over by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha. If the Speaker is absent, then the Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha or the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, or another member chosen by the members present, presides over the meeting. Therefore, this pair is incorrectly matched.

2. A Money Bill cannot be discussed in a Joint Sitting. Joint Sitting is applicable only to ordinary or financial bills but not to Money Bills or Constitutional Amendment Bills. Therefore, this pair is incorrectly matched.

3. The General Budget does include tax proposals, revenue projections, spending plans, and the introduction of new initiatives. Therefore, this pair is correctly matched.

4. The Railway Budget was indeed merged with the General Budget in 2017. This was done to streamline the process and bring all budgetary allocations under one umbrella, which is now called the Union Budget. Therefore, this pair is correctly matched.

Pairs 3 and 4 are correctly matched, so the correct answer is Option B: Only two pairs.

A joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament in India is primarily convened to resolve deadlocks between the two Houses when they cannot agree on passing a bill. This special provision in the Constitution allows for both Houses to meet together, discuss, and vote on a bill in cases of disagreement or delays. It is a mechanism to break the deadlock and make decisions on important legislative matters.

Statement-I is correct because as per the provisions, a person cannot be a member of both Houses of Parliament simultaneously. Statement-II explains this by detailing the procedure to be followed if a person is elected to both Houses, emphasizing the requirement to intimate within 10 days in which House to serve to avoid the Rajya Sabha seat becoming vacant. Therefore, both statements are correct, and Statement-II logically explains Statement-I.

- Statement 1 is correct. According to the rules, if a sitting member of one House is elected to the other, the seat in the first House becomes vacant. This is to prevent a person from holding seats in both Houses simultaneously.

- Statement 2 is incorrect. While a member can resign by writing to the Chairman of Rajya Sabha or Speaker of Lok Sabha, the resignation must be voluntary and genuine. The Chairman or Speaker may refuse to accept the resignation if it is not deemed voluntary or genuine. Therefore, resignation does not automatically lead to a vacant seat unless accepted.

- Statement 3 is correct. A seat can indeed be declared vacant if a member is absent from all meetings for sixty days without permission, and this excludes periods of adjournment not exceeding four consecutive days. This rule ensures that members are attending and participating in parliamentary duties.

Thus, only statements 1 and 3 are correct. Therefore, the correct answer is Option C: 1 and 3 Only.