Question Discussion & Solution

The correct answer is 172.

• Article 172 of the Indian Constitution relates to the tenure of the state legislature.

Key Points

• State Legislature:
  • Articles 168 to 212 in Part VI of the Constitution deals with the organization, composition, duration, officers, procedures, privileges, powers of the state legislature.
  • States having bicameral legislatures are Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, and Karnataka. 
    • {Trick to Remember- KUMBAT- Karnatak, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana}
  • The legislature's maximum strength is fixed at 500 and minimum strength at 60.
  • Article 172 deals with the Duration of State Legislatures.

Additional Information 

The correct answer is Santhanam Committee.

Key Points

• Central Vigilance Commission:
  • The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) is the main agency for preventing corruption in the Central government.
  • It was established in 1964 by an executive resolution of the Central government.
  • Its establishment was recommended by the Santhanam Committee on Prevention of Corruption (1962-64).
  • Thus, originally the CVC was neither a constitutional body nor a statutory body.
  • Later, in 2003, the Parliament enacted a law conferring statutory status on the CVC.
  • In 2004, the CVC has been designated as the agency to receive and act on complaints or disclosure on any allegation of corruption or misuse of office from whistleblowers under the “Public Interest Disclosure and Protection of Informers’ Resolution” (PIDPI), which is popularly known as “Whistle Blowers” Resolution.
  • The Commission is also empowered as the only designated agency to take action against complainants making motivated or vexatious complaints.
  • The CVC is conceived to be the apex vigilance institution, free of control from any executive authority, monitoring all vigilance activity under the Central Government and advising various authorities in Central Government organizations in planning, executing, reviewing, and reforming their vigilance work.

Additional Information

• Other Committee:
  • In 1957, the National Development Council constituted a committee headed by Balwant Rai Mehta to look into the working of the community development program.
  • The appointment of the Ashok Mehta Committee in 1977 did bring new thinking in the concepts and practice of the Panchayat Raj.
  • The G. V. K. Rao Committee (1985) recommended making the “District” the basic unit of planning and also holding regular elections.
  • The L. M. Singhvi committee recommended providing more financial resources and constitutional status to the panchayats to strengthen them.

The correct answer is Directive Principles of State Policy.

Key Points

• The provisions relating to the promotion of international peace and security are mentioned in the Indian constitution as a part of Directive Principles of State Policy.
• Article 51 of the Constitution which is a Directive Principle of State Policy directs the state to promote international peace and security and maintain just and honourable relations between nations.
  • It further directs the state to respect International law and treaty obligations and settle disputes peacefully.
• Article 51 honourable relations between nations, respect for international law and treaty obligations, as well as settlement of international disputes by arbitration.

Additional Information

• Fundamental Duties :
  • The fundamental duties of citizens were added to the constitution by the 42nd Amendment in 1976, upon the recommendations of the Swaran Singh Committee that was constituted by the government.
  •  The fundamental duties were increased to eleven by the 86th Amendment in 2002, which added a duty on every parent or guardian to ensure that their child or ward was provided opportunities for education between the ages of six and fourteen years.
• Directive Principles of State Policy :
  • The Directive Principles of State Policy, embodied in Part IV of the Constitution, are directions given to the state to guide the establishment of economic and social democracy, as proposed by the Preamble.
  • The Directive Principles may be classified under the following categories: Ideals that the state ought to strive towards achieving; directions for the exercise of legislative and executive power; and rights of the citizens which the State must aim towards securing.

The correct answer is option 1 i.e. Minorities can establish and administer educational institutions of their choice

• Article 30 secures religious and linguistic minorities the right to establish and administer educational institutions.
• Only religious and linguistic minorities find mention in Article 30 not ethnic. Hence, both Options 2 and 3 are NOT correct.
• Article 30 also states that any State shall not, in granting aid to educational institutions, discriminate against any educational institution on the ground that it is under the management of a minority, whether based on religion or language. Hence, Option 4 is NOT correct.

Explanation:

A money bill can only be introduced in the Lok Sabha on the recommendation of the president.

After it is passed by the Lok Sabha, it is transmitted to the Rajya Sabha for its consideration.

The Rajya Sabha cannot reject or amend a money bill. It can only make the recommendations.

It must return the bill to the Lok Sabha within 14 days, with or without recommendations.

The Lok Sabha can either accept/reject all or any of the recommendations of the Rajya Sabha.

If the Lok Sabha accepts any recommendation, the bill is then considered to have been passed by both the Houses

If the Lok Sabha does not accept any recommendation, the bill is then considered to be passed by both the Houses in the form originally approved by the Lok Sabha.

There is no provision of holding a joint sitting in case of disagreement between the two houses.