Question Discussion & Solution

The correct answer is 42nd Amendment.

Key Points

• The term "Secular" was added to the Preamble by Indira Gandhi Government in the 42nd amendment.
• Secular means the relationship between the government and the religious groups is defined by constitution and law.
• Under the 42nd Amendment Act, three words were added: Socialist, Secular, and Integrity.
• The Indian Constitution embodies the positive concept of secularism, all the religions in our country have the same status and support from the state.
• However, as the Supreme Court said in 1974, although the words ‘secular state’ was not explicitly mentioned in the Constitution, there can be no doubt that Constitution-makers wanted to establish such a state, and accordingly, Articles 25 to 28 (guaranteeing the fundamental right to freedom of religion) have been included in the constitution.
• On 18 December 1976, during the Emergency in India, the Indira Gandhi government pushed through several changes in the Forty-second Amendment of the constitution.
• Through this amendment, the words "socialist" and "secular" were added between the words "sovereign" and "democratic" and the words "unity of the Nation" were changed to "unity and integrity of the Nation".

The correct answer is directly elected by the people.

Key Points

• Panchayat Samiti:
  • Panchayat Samiti is a rural local government (panchayat) body at the intermediate tehsil (taluka/Mandal) level in India.
  • It works for the villages of the tehsil that together are called a development block.
  • The members of the Panchayat Samiti are elected directly elected by the people.
  • Panchayat Samiti is related to Article 243(c) of the Indian Constitution.
  • According to  Article 243(c) - “intermediate level” means a level between the village and district levels specified by the Governor of a State by public notification to be the intermediate level for the purposes of this Part
  • It has been said to be the "panchayat of panchayats".
  • The 73rd Amendment defines the levels of Panchayati raj institution as:
    • District (or apex) level
    • Intermediate level
    • Base level
  • The Panchayat Samiti is the link between the gram panchayat (village council) and the Zila Parishad (district board).
  • The name varies across states: Mandal Parishad in Andhra Pradesh, taluka panchayat in Gujarat, and Mandal panchayat in Karnataka.

Additional Information

• The most common departments found in a panchayat Samiti are:
  • Administration
  • Finance
  • Public works (especially water and roads)
  • Agriculture
  • Health
• Each department in a panchayat Samiti has its own officer.
• Most often these are state government employees acting as extension officers, but occasionally in more revenue-rich panchayat Samiti, they may be local employees.
• A government-appointed block development officer (BDO) is the supervisor of the extension officers and executive officer to the panchayat Samiti and becomes, in effect, its administrative chief.
• The panchayat Samiti collects all the prospective plans prepared at the Gram Panchayat level and processes them for funding and implementation by evaluating them from the angles of financial constraints, social welfare, and area development.
• It also identifies and prioritizes the issues that should be addressed at the block level.

The correct answer is ​Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.

Key Points

• ENFORCEMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION
  • Some provisions of the Constitution pertaining to citizenship, elections, provisional parliament, temporary and transitional provisions, and short title
  • contained in Articles 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 60, 324, 366, 367, 379, 380, 388, 391, 392 and 393 came into force on November 26, 1949 itself.
  • The remaining provisions (the major part) of the Constitution came into force on January 26, 1950.
  • This day is referred to in the Constitution as the ‘date of its commencement and celebrated as Republic Day.
  • January 26 was specifically chosen as the ‘date of commencement of the Constitution because of its historical importance. Hence Assertion is correct 
  • It was on this day in 1930 that Purna Swaraj day was celebrated, following the resolution of the Lahore Session (December 1929) of the INC. Hence R is the correct explanation of A.
  • Constitution Day or Samvidhan Diwas (26th November) is also known as National Law Day. The day commemorates the adoption of the Constitution in India. On this day in 1949, the Constituent Assembly of India formally adopted the Constitution of India.

The correct answer is  Suryakant.

Key Points

• Suryakant is the Chief Justice of the High Court of Himachal Pradesh from 5 October 2018 to 24 May 2019.
• Suryakant is also a former Judge of Punjab and Haryana High Court.
• He is also a judge of the Supreme court.
• Justice Surya Kant took oath as a judge of the Supreme Court of India on 24 May 2019.

Important Points

• Justice V. Ramasubramanian was the Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh from 22 June 2019 to 22 September 2019.
• From 6 October 2019, Lingappa Narayana Swamy is the chief justice of Himachal Pradesh.
• Himachal Pradesh high court was established in 1971.

The correct answer is All India Services.

Except Option 2, others are Federal features. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

Key Points

Unitary features

• Union of States
• Power to form new States and to change existing boundaries
• Unequal Representation in the Legislature
• Single Constitution
• Single citizenship
• Emergency provisions
• All India Services

Additional Information

 Federal features

• Distribution of Powers
• Supremacy of the Constitution
• Written Constitution
• Rigidity
• Independent Judiciary
• Bicameral Legislature
• Dual Government Polity
• Division of Power