Question Discussion & Solution

The correct answer is Smriti Irani, Piyush Goyal and Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank.

• The government launched the website of the India Toy Fair- 2021 on 11 February 2021.
• The website was launched jointly by Minister of Textiles Smriti Irani, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank in New Delhi.
• India’s first-ever toy fair will be held from 27 February to 2 March 2021.

The Correct answer is If a party is recognized as a State Party in at least two States.

 Key Points

• For recognition as a NATIONAL PARTY, the conditions specified are:
  • A 6% vote share in the last Assembly polls in each of any four states, as well as four seats in the last Lok Sabha polls; or
  • 2% of all Lok Sabha seats in the last such election, with MPs elected from at least three states; or recognition as a state party in at least four states. Hence Option 4 is not Correct.

 Important Points

• The Election Commission lists political parties as “national party”, “state party” or “registered (unrecognized) party”.
• The conditions for being listed as a national or a state party are specified under the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968.
• A party has to satisfy any one of a number of these conditions.

 Additional Information

• Recently a political party viz. National People’s Party (NPP) in Meghalaya got recognition as a “national party”.
• The NPP is the eighth party to get that recognition — after INC, BJP, BSP, NCP, CPI, CPI(M), and TMC — and the first from the Northeast.

Option 4 is incorrect.

Key Points

• The tenth Schedule contains provisions as to disqualification on the ground of defection.
• It was added by the Constitution (52^nd Amendment) Act, 1985. Hence Option 4 is an incorrect statement.

 Important Points

• India has the world’s lengthiest constitution with 448 articles, 25 parts, and 12 schedules. Hence Option 1 is correct.
• The eleventh Schedule contains the powers, authority, and responsibilities of Panchayats.
• The twelfth Schedule contains the powers, authority, and responsibilities of Municipalities.
• These two were added in 1992 by the 73rd  and 74th Constitution Amendment Act. Hence Option 2 is correct.
• The Ninth Schedule was incorporated in 1951 by the First Amendment to the Constitution to protect land reform laws. Hence Option 3 is correct.

The Correct answer is ​President has refused to give his assent to the Bill.

Key Points

• Joint sitting is not summoned when the president has refused to give his assent to the Bill. Hence it is not a sufficient ground to call joint sitting.

Occasions when Joint Session of Parliament is summoned:

• To resolve deadlock when any house of the Parliament passes a bill and:
• The other House rejects this bill, or
• The Houses do not agree on the amendments made to the bill, or
• More than six months elapsed with the bill being received by the other House without it being passed. Hence Option 1, 2, and 3 are sufficient grounds for join sitting.

​Important Points

• Article 108 of the Indian Constitution provides for a joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament.
• The joint session is summoned by the President.
• It is presided over by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
• The joint sitting is governed by the Rules of Procedure of Lok Sabha and not of Rajya Sabha.
• The quorum to constitute a joint sitting: 1/10th of the total number of members of the House.
• The Bill is passed by a simple majority of the total number of members of both the Houses present and voting in the joint sitting.

The correct answer is 2 only.

Key Points

• The first statement is not correct because it talks about the chairman as well as the deputy chairman.
  • The Vice-President of India is ex-officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha.
  • Rajya Sabha also chooses from amongst its members, a Deputy Chairman.​
  • ​Hence statement 1 is not correct.
• President: Elected members of parliament (MPs from Lok Sabha as well as Rajya Sabha).
  • Elected members of State legislative members, including that of NCT of Delhi and Pondicherry.
• Vice President: Vice President is elected indirectly, by an electoral college consisting of members of both houses of the Parliament.
  • Hence statement 2 is correct.

​​​Additional Information

• Special Powers of Rajya Sabha
  • The Upper House also has some special powers, such as:
    • Power to transfer a subject from the State List to Union List for a specified period (Article 249).
    • To create additional All-India Services (Article 312).
    • To endorse Emergency under Article 352 for a limited period when the Lok Sabha remains dissolved.