Haryana Civil Services Mock Test - 6 - HPSC (Haryana) MCQ

The forest fire in Morni Hills was notably caused by extreme heat conditions, specifically temperatures exceeding 46°C. Such high temperatures, combined with arid conditions, provided a conducive environment for the fire to spread rapidly through the forested areas.

Morni Hills is located in the lower part of the Shivalik Range, which is a part of the larger Himalayan mountain system. This range is known for its diverse flora and fauna and serves as a significant geographical landmark in Haryana.

The High Court declared the socioeconomic criteria set by the Haryana government for additional marks in state government jobs as unconstitutional. This ruling emphasized the violation of Articles 14, 15, and 16 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantee equality before the law and prohibit discrimination.

The Haryana government is set to roll out a significant project funded by the World Bank, amounting to Rs 10,000 crore. This project aims to improve air quality through various initiatives, particularly in districts within the National Capital Region (NCR).

Guru Shikhar, located on Mount Abu, is the highest peak in the Aravalli Range, standing at 1,722 meters. This peak is a popular tourist destination and holds religious significance as well.

The Delhi government accused Haryana of not providing its allocated share of water, leading to an acute water shortage in the capital. This dispute underscores ongoing challenges related to resource allocation and management in the region.

The Haryana government established "Samadhan Prakoshth" in the Chief Secretary’s Office to effectively manage public grievances. This initiative aims to resolve policy issues and implementation bottlenecks through daily sessions known as 'Samadhan Shivir'.

The Old Pension Scheme guarantees a lifelong income after retirement, calculated as 50% of the last drawn salary. This scheme was designed to provide financial security to employees after they retire, and it included provisions for dearness relief and general provident fund benefits.

The project primarily focuses on enhancing Haryana's air quality monitoring infrastructure. This includes establishing advanced laboratories and modernizing existing facilities to better manage air quality and track pollution levels effectively.

The GST Bhawan in Rohtak is designed to facilitate GST taxpayers, providing a central location for tax-related services and improving connectivity for taxpayers across major districts in Haryana.

The ruling against the socioeconomic criteria referenced Articles 14 and 16 of the Indian Constitution. Article 14 guarantees equality before the law, while Article 16 ensures equality of opportunity in matters of public employment, emphasizing the need for fair hiring practices.

The Haryana government lifted the age restriction on the Mukhyamantri Kisan Evam Khetihar Mazdoor Jeevan Suraksha Yojana, allowing children younger than 10 years and individuals older than 65 years to benefit from the scheme, thus expanding its reach.

The Chief Minister's announcement to fill 50,000 vacant posts aims to provide employment opportunities to the youth in Haryana. This initiative reflects the government's commitment to addressing unemployment and supporting the aspirations of its citizens.

By-elections, also known as bypolls, are conducted specifically to fill vacant seats in legislative bodies. This process ensures that constituents continue to have representation in the assembly, maintaining the democratic function of governance.

The Haryana government's project aims to combat air pollution, addressing a significant environmental issue. It includes various strategies targeting transportation, industrial emissions, road dust, and other contributors to air quality degradation.

The main goal of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana is to provide affordable housing for all, particularly targeting rural and urban households that are eligible under the scheme. Launched in 2015, PMAY aims to facilitate the construction of houses with basic amenities, thus contributing to the government's vision of "Housing for All." This initiative is crucial for alleviating poverty and improving living conditions.

The Yamuna River is at the center of the water-sharing dispute between Haryana and Delhi. This river plays a vital role in providing water to several cities and is integral to the region's water supply. The ongoing conflict highlights the complexities of resource management and the need for effective cooperation among states to ensure equitable water distribution.

The Chief Minister of Haryana announced an increase in the annual income limit for the creamy layer of Other Backward Classes (OBC) from ₹6 lakh to ₹8 lakh. This adjustment is aimed at enhancing the welfare of the OBC community and expanding opportunities for government jobs, ensuring that more individuals can benefit from the reservation policies designed to uplift backward classes in society.

The Samarth Vriddh SEWA Ashram Scheme aims to establish old-age homes that provide a safe and comfortable environment for elderly individuals who require assistance and care. This initiative reflects the government's commitment to improving the quality of life for senior citizens by offering necessary amenities and support, ensuring their well-being in their later years.

The Parivar Pehchan Patra (PPP) scheme is designed to create authentic and verified data of all families in Haryana, serving as a single unit for the delivery of various government schemes and benefits. By assigning each family a unique identification number, the scheme aims to streamline access to services such as scholarships, subsidies, and pensions, thus enhancing transparency and efficiency in welfare delivery.

The announcement to declare Gohana as the 23rd district of Haryana reflects the government's initiative to improve administrative efficiency and foster local development. This move is expected to facilitate better governance and resource allocation, thereby enhancing the overall growth of the region.

The pension for freedom fighters and their dependents was raised from ₹25,000 to ₹40,000, recognizing their sacrifices in the national freedom struggle. This increase aims to provide better financial support to these individuals, honoring their contributions and ensuring a dignified living.

The Mukhya Mantri Tirth Yatra Scheme provides assistance for pilgrimages to families with an annual income below ₹1.80 lakh, specifically targeting individuals over 60 years of age. This initiative not only promotes religious tourism but also ensures that senior citizens can experience spiritual journeys without financial burden.

The Yamuna Action Plan is primarily focused on cleaning and restoring the Yamuna River, addressing pollution and improving water quality. This initiative is critical for the health of ecosystems, water supply for millions, and the overall environmental sustainability of the region.

The Haryana government announced an increase in the reservation quota for backward classes in Group-A and Group-B positions from 15% to 27%. This aligns with the central government's policy and aims to enhance representation and opportunities for OBCs in government employment, addressing historical disadvantages faced by these communities.

• Bureaucracy is the executive arm of the government. In traditional classical literature on organs of government, one studied the legislature, the executive and the judiciary with bureaucracy being subsumed under the executive (which comprises the political establishment and the bureaucracy). Now, one finds that bureaucracy is being treated separately and this is indicative of its growing importance.

• Bureaucracy refers to an administrative policy-implementation group, which is a body of non-elected government officials. The major objective of bureaucracy in India has not been Parliamentary democracy’s expansion but rather the implementation of the decisions taken by the executive. With All India Services at the helm of major bureaucratic structure, it cannot be said that strengthening of federal structure is its main characteristic.

• India’s bureaucratic system’s most important function since independence has been implementation of public policy, making the decisions of the government reach a conclusion on the ground level. Parliamentary democracy results often in change at the helm of executive, the static and permanent bureaucracy provides continuity of policies and execution rather than political stability.

In England, the Cabinet system is based on conventions. The framers of our Constitution considered it fit to incorporate the system in the Constitution. The principle of collective responsibility finds place in Art. 75(3) where it is stated that the Council of Ministers shall be collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha. In other words, this provision means that a Ministry which loses confidence of the Lok Sabha is obliged to resign.

The loss of confidence is expressed by rejecting a Money Bill or Finance Bill or any other important policy measure or by passing a motion of no-confidence or rejecting a motion expressing confidence in the Ministry.

When a Minister loses confidence of the Lok Sabha the whole of the Ministry has to resign including those Ministers who are from the Rajya Sabha. The Ministers fall and stand together. In certain cases, the Ministry may advise the President to dissolve the Lok Sabha and call for fresh elections.

• Article 22 grants protection to persons who are arrested or detained. Detention is of two types, namely, punitive and preventive. Punitive detention is to punish a person for an offense committed by him after trial and conviction in a court.

• Preventive detention, on the other hand, means the detention of a person without trial and conviction by a court. Its purpose is not to punish a person for a past offense but to prevent him from committing an offense in the near future.

• Article 22 has two parts–the first part (clauses 1 & 2) deals with the cases of ordinary law and the second part (4, 5, 6, and 7) deals with the cases of preventive detention law.

• The second part of Article 22 grants protection to persons who are arrested or detained under a preventive detention law. This protection is available to both citizens as well as aliens and includes the following:

  • The detention of a person cannot exceed three months unless the advisory board reports sufficient cause for extended detention. The board is to consist of judges of a high court.

  • The grounds of detention should be communicated as soon as possible to the detained or arrested person. However, the facts considered to be against the public interest need not be disclosed. There is no time limit of 24 hours to disclose the reason for his arrest. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

  • The detained person should be afforded an opportunity to make representation against the detention order.

• Article 22 also authorizes the Parliament to prescribe

  • the circumstances and the classes of cases in which a person can be detained for more than three months under a preventive detention law without obtaining the opinion of an advisory board

  • the maximum period for which a person can be detained in any classes of cases under a preventive detention law the procedure to be followed by an advisory board in an inquiry.

• The Constitution has divided the legislative power with regard to preventive detention between the Parliament and the state legislatures.

• The Parliament has exclusive authority to make a law of preventive detention for reasons connected with defense, foreign affairs, and the security of India.

• Both the Parliament as well as the state legislatures can concurrently make a law of preventive detention for reasons connected with the security of a state, the maintenance of public order, and the maintenance of supplies and services essential to the community. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

Statement 2 is correct. Article 20 provides for - No double jeopardy that is no person shall be prosecuted and punished for the same offense more than once. The protection against double jeopardy is available only in proceedings before a court of law or a judicial tribunal. In other words, it is not available in proceedings before departmental or administrative authorities as they are not of judicial nature.

Statement 1 is correct: Article 72 grants President the power to pardon persons who have been tried and convicted of any offence in all cases where:

• Punishment or sentence is for offence against Union Law

• Punishment or sentence is by court martial

• Death Sentence. He can pardon death sentence given under state laws as well.

Statement 2 is correct: Pardoning power of President is independent of Judiciary, it is an executive power.