Question Discussion & Solution

Option 4 is the correct answer: Parliament can set a condition for employment within the state or union territory under article 16.

• Article 16 comes under part III of our constitution which talks about Fundamental Rights.
• This article deals with equality in the matters of Public Employment.
• It states that no citizen should be discriminated on the grounds of only religion, caste, sex, race, descent or place of birth/ residence.
• However, it also provides three exceptions as follows in this regard:
  • Allows parliament to prescribe residence as a condition for employment in certain cases.
  • Reservations in favour of Backward classes.
  • religion as a condition for appointment to an office related to a religious institution.

The correct answer is President.

Key Points

• Inter-State Council is a constitutional body set up on the basis of provisions in Article 263 of the Constitution of India by a Presidential Order dated 28th May 1990 on the recommendation of the Sarkaria Commission.

Additional Information 

• Article 263 of the Indian Constitution envisages the establishment of an institutional mechanism to facilitate coordination of policies and their implementation between the Union and the State Governments.
• Prime Minister is the Chairman of the Inter-state Council.
• Chief Ministers of all the States and Union Territories having Legislative Assemblies, Administrators of Union Territories not having Legislative Assemblies, Governors of States under President’s rule and six Ministers of Cabinet rank in the Union Council of Ministers (nominated by the Chairman of the Council) are members of the Council.
• Five Ministers of Cabinet rank nominated by the Chairman of the Council are permanent invitees to the Council.

The correct answer is Article 108

Key Points

• Article 108:
  • Article 108 of the Indian Constitution of India provides for Joint sitting of both Houses.
  • The joint sitting of the Parliament is called by the President.
  • It is presided over by the Speaker or, in his absence, by the Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha or in his absence, the Deputy-Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
  • The Chairman doesn't preside over the joint session at any means/cost.
  • The joint sitting of both the houses is also held to resolve the deadlock over the passing of key legislation.
  • Not all bills can be referred to a joint sitting of Parliament.
  • There are two exceptions: The money bill under Article 110 and the Constitution amendment bill under Article 368.
  • The Secretary-General shall issue summons to each member specifying the time and place for a joint sitting.
  • The duration and adjournment of the joint sitting shall be determined by the Speaker.
  • The quorum to constitute a joint sitting shall be one-tenth of the total number of members of the Houses.
  • The procedures of joint sessions are subject to modifications and variations as the Speaker may consider necessary or appropriate.

Additional Information

•  Article 72:
  • Article 72 empowers the President the power to grant pardons, reprieves, respites or remissions of punishment or to suspend, remit or commute the sentence of any person convicted of any offence.
• Article 102:
  • Disqualifications for membership. 
  • The Centre is considering a constitutional amendment to define the term ‘office of profit’ and the exempted categories.
  • The draft amendment proposes to exempt advisors appointed by the Centre or states and those appointed to discharge legislative functions such as the leader of the opposition, chief whips, etc from disqualification related to the ‘office of profit’.
• Article 111:
  • Veto Power of the President of India is guided by Article 111 of the Indian Constitution.
  • Three Types of Veto Power: Absolute veto, Suspensive veto and Pocket veto.
  • Exception: The President has no veto power when it comes to the constitutional amendment bills.
• Absolute Veto:
  • It refers to the power of the President to withhold his assent to a bill passed by the Parliament.
  • The bill then ends and does not become an act.
• Suspensive Veto:
  • The President uses a suspensive veto when he returns the bill to the Indian Parliament for its reconsideration.
  • If the Parliament resends the bill with or without amendment to the President, he has to approve the bill without using any of his veto powers.
• Pocket Veto:
  • The bill is kept pending by the President for an indefinite period when he exercises his pocket veto.
  • He neither rejects the bill nor returns the bill for reconsideration.

The Correct answer is All are True.

Important Points

• The States Reorganisation Commission (SRC) constituted by the Central Government of India on 22 December 1953 to recommend the reorganisation of state boundaries. In 1955, after nearly two years of study, the Commission recommended that India's state boundaries should be reorganised to form 14 states and 6 territories.
• States Reorganisation Commission consisted of Fazal Ali, K. M. Panikkar and H. N. Kunzru. Some of its recommendations were implemented in the States Reorganisation Act of 1956.

1. The three-tier (Part-A/B/C) state system should be abolished
2. The institution of Rajapramukh and special agreement with former princely states should be abolished.
3. The general control vested in the Government of India by Article 371 should be abolished
4. Only the following 3 states should be the Union Territories: Andaman & Nicobar, Delhi and Manipur. The other Part-C/D territories should be merged with the adjoining states.
5. With regard to north India, it sought to divide the huge Hindi - speaking belt into four states: Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
6.  In the East, the existing provinces could stay as they were, with minor adjustments.
7. The Commission rejected the demand for tribal status to be carved out of Bihar and Assam.
8. The Sikh State should not create.

The correct answer is the Right to education.

Important Points

• The right to education was added in the Indian Constitution by the 86th Constitutional amendment in 2002.
  • Right to education was inserted in Article 21A.
  • It included the right to education in the fundamental rights category.
• Equality before the law is a fundamental right.
  • It is given in Article 14.
• The abolition of untouchability and the prohibition of its practice is also a fundamental right.
  • It is given in Article 17.
• The abolition of titles except for military and academic is also a fundamental right.
  • It is given in Article 18.