Question Discussion & Solution

The correct answer is the Preamble and the Directive Principles of State Policy.

PREAMBLE:

1. It is a short introduction to the Indian Constitution.
2. According to the Preamble-

   Ø  The source of authority of the Indian Constitution lies with the Indian people.

   Ø  India is a Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic, and Republic nation.

   Ø  Objectives - to secure justice, liberty, equality to all citizens and promote fraternity so as to maintain unity and integrity of India.

3. The Preamble of the Indian Constitution secures the Social, Economic, and Political Justice of its people.
4. The Preamble of the Indian Constitution gives Liberty of Thought, Expression, Belief, Faith, and Worship to its people.
5. The Preamble of the Indian Constitution gives  Equality of Status and Opportunity to its people.

DIRECTIVE PRINCIPLES OF STATE POLICY (DPSP):

1. These are the 15 guidelines given to the federal institutes governing the State of India that are to be kept under consideration while forming the laws.
2. These are moral obligations and not the legal bindings on the state authorities.
3. Articles 36-51 in Part IV of the Indian Constitution contain the DPSP.
4. Borrowed from the Irish Constitution.
5. As per Article 38 of the DPSP, the state shall strive to promote the welfare of the people of India by securing and protecting their Social, Economic, and Political justice.

The correct answer is B.N. Rao.

Key Points

• BN Rao was elected by the Constituent Assembly as its constitutional advisor.
  • The Constituent Assembly was a partly elected and partly nominated body.
  • The first meeting of the Constituent Assembly was held on 9 December 1946.
  • The Muslim League boycotted the meeting and insisted on a separate state of Pakistan.
  • Thus only 211 members attended the meeting.
  • Later on 11 December 1946 Dr. Rajendra Prasad and H.C. Mukherjee was elected as the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly respectively.
  • Vallabhbhai Patel was the President of the Provincial Constitution Committee
  • Jawaharlal Nehru was the chairman of the Central Constitution Committee.

Additional Information

• In 1934, M N Roy first proposed the idea of a constituent assembly. Under the Cabinet Mission plan of 1946, elections were held for the formation of the constituent assembly.
• On 24 January 1950, The Indian Constituent Assembly adopted "Vande Mataram " as a national song.
• Drafting Committee:
  • The Drafting Committee had seven members:
    • Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar, N. Gopalaswami, B.R. Ambedkar, K.M Munshi, Mohammad Saadulla, B.L. Mitter, and D.P. Khaitan.
  • At its first meeting on 30th August 1947, the Drafting Committee elected B.R Ambedkar as its Chairman. 

The correct answer is 2 and 3 only.

Key Points

• NDC is listed as an advisory body to the Planning commission. Moreover, the plans made by the Planning commission are placed before NDC for its acceptance. Hence statement 1 is not correct.
• Now, the National Development Council (NDC) and Planning Commission (PC) has been abolished now.
  • NDC used to advise PC on planning and included all CMs and union ministers etc.
• The Economic and Social Planning is kept in the Concurrent List in the Constitution of India.
  • Hence statement 2 is correct.
• The Constitution of India prescribes that Panchayats should be assigned the task of preparation of plans for economic development and social justice.
• The 73rd Amendment 1992 added a new Part IX to the constitution titled “The Panchayats” covering provisions from Article 243 to 243(O); and a new Eleventh Schedule covering 29 subjects within the functions of the Panchayats.
  • Hence statement 3 is correct.

​​​Additional Information

• National Development Council is an organ of the Planning Commission
  • Planning Commission was replaced by a new institution – NITI AAYYOG on January 1, 2015, with emphasis on the ‘Bottom –Up’ approach to envisage the vision of Maximum Governance, Minimum Government, echoing the spirit of ‘Cooperative Federalism’.
  • Objectives
    • To foster cooperative federalism through structured support initiatives and mechanisms with the States on a continuous basis, recognizing that strong States make a strong nation.
    • To develop mechanisms to formulate credible plans at the village level and aggregate these progressively at higher levels of government.
    • To ensure, on areas that are specifically referred to it, that the interests of national security are incorporated in economic strategy and policy.
    • To pay special attention to the sections of our society that may be at risk of not benefitting adequately from economic progress.
    • To provide advice and encourage partnerships between key stakeholders and national and international like-minded Think Tanks, as well as educational and policy research institutions.
    • To create a knowledge, innovation and entrepreneurial support system through a collaborative community of national and international experts, practitioners and other partners.
    • To offer a platform for the resolution of inter-sectoral and inter-departmental issues in order to accelerate the implementation of the development agenda.
    • To maintain a state-of-the-art Resource Centre, be a repository of research on good governance and best practices in sustainable and equitable development as well as help their dissemination to stake-holders.

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 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.