Question Discussion & Solution

The correct answer is State Government.

​Key Points

• State Information Commissions Report:
  • The Commission submits an annual report to the State Government on the implementation of the provisions of this Act.
  • The State Government places this report before the State Legislature.
  • When a public authority does not conform to the provisions of this Act, the Commission may recommend (to the authority) steps that ought to be taken for promoting such conformity.

 Important Points ​

• State Information Commission:
  • The Right to Information Act of 2005 provides for the creation of not only the Central Information Commission but also a State Information Commission at the state level.
  • Accordingly, all the states have constituted the State Information Commissions through Official Gazette Notifications.
  • The State Information Commission is a high-powered independent body which interalia looks into the complaints made to it and decide the appeals.
  • It entertains complaints and appeals pertaining to offices, financial institutions, public sector undertakings.

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 I, II, IV.

Key Points

• Under the purview of enquiry of 'LOKAYUKTA' in Rajasthan
  • Ministers
  • Secretaries
  • Chairpersons of autonomous institutions

Additional Information 

• The Lokayukta has been empowered under Section 7 of the Rajasthan Lokayukta and Sub-Lokayukta Act, 1973 to investigate allegations against ministers and public servants, in certain cases.
• According to the definition of public servant given in section 2 (i) of the Act, the Lokayukta has the jurisdiction to investigate against the following:
  • A member of the Council of Ministers of the State of Rajasthan (other than the Chief Minister and Governor), by whatever name is known, namely, Minister, Minister of State or Deputy Minister,
  • A person appointed to public service or a public post in relation to the activities of the State of Rajasthan,
• Every head and deputy head of the Zilla Parishad, the head and deputy head of the:
  • Panchayat Samiti and the chairman of any standing committee constituted by or under the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj Act.
  • Every Mayor and Deputy Mayor of the Municipal Corporation, each Chairman and Vice- Chairman of the Municipal / Council, the Chairman of the Municipal Board, and the Vice- Chairman and the Chairman of any committee constituted under the Rajasthan Municipal Act.
• Every person who is in the service of the following or has been paid his salary, namely:
  • Any local authority in the State of Rajasthan, to be notified on this behalf by the State Government in the Gazette,
  • Any corporation (not being a local authority), established by or under a State Act and owned or controlled by the State Government.
  • Any Government company under section 617 of the Companies Act, in which twenty-one per cent of the paid-up share capital is held by the State Government or any company which is a subsidiary of any such company in which the State Government is holding fifty-one per cent of the paid-up share capital.

The correct answer is option 4.

Key Points

•  Fundamental Duties:
  • ​They were added to the constitution on the recommendation of the Sardar Swaran Singh Committee.
  • They were added by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act in 1976.
  • This amendment added a new part, namely, Part IVA to the Constitution. This new part consists of only one Article, that is, Article 51A which for the first time specified a code of ten fundamental duties of the citizens. Some of them are:
    • to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife and to have compassion for living creatures; Hence 1 is correct.
    • to uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India;  Hence 2 is correct.
    • to value and preserve the rich heritage of the country’s composite culture;  Hence 3 is correct.
• To protect monuments, places and objects of artistic or historic interest which are declared to be of national importance; This is a directive principle of State Policy under Article 49. Hence 4 is not correct. 

The correct answer is 17.

Key Points

• Untouchability is neither defined in the Constitution nor in the Act.
  • It refers to a social practice that looks down upon certain depressed classes solely on account of their birth and makes any discrimination against them on this ground.
  • In 1976, it was made more stringent and was renamed ‘The Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955.
  • It defines ‘Civil Right’ as ‘any right accruing to a person by reason of the abolition of untouchability by 'Article 17 of the Constitution.’
  • All offenses under the Act have been made non-compoundable. 

Additional Information

• Article 14 of the Indian Constitution states that “The State shall not deny to any person equality before the law or the equal protection of the laws within the territory of India”.
• Article 48 of DPSP in the Indian Constitution directs the State to prohibit the slaughter of cows, calves, and other milch and draught cattle and to improve their breeds.
• Article 22 is one such Fundamental Right that safeguards the rights of individuals who have been arrested and detained for committing an offence.