(a) 31st Amendment Act, 1972

(b) 21st Amendment Act, 1967

(c) 24th Amendment Act, 1971

(d) 25th Amendment Act, 1971

Explanation

— Article 31C protects laws enacted to ensure the “material resources of the community” are distributed to serve the common good (Article 39(b)) and that wealth and the means of production are not “concentrated” to the “common detriment” (Article 39(c)).

— As per Article 31C, these particular directive principles (Articles 39(b) and 39(c)) cannot be challenged by invoking the right to equality (Article 14) or the rights under Article 19 (freedom of speech, right to assemble peacefully, etc).

— Article 31C was introduced by The Constitution (Twenty-fifth) Amendment Act, 1971.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 2

The position of Leader of Opposition is officially described in:

(a) Constitution of India

(b) The Salary and Allowances of Leaders of Opposition in Parliament Act, 1977

(c) Representation of the People Act, 1951

(d) Parliamentary Proceedings (Protection of Publication) Act

Explanation

— Rahul Gandhi, a Rae Bareli MP, is the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, a position that has been vacant for ten years because no party possesses a tenth of the House’s strength, which has traditionally been required to lay claim to the job.

— The Congress, the largest opposition party, won 44 and 52 seats in the 543-member House following the 2014 and 2019 elections, respectively. In this election, the party’s total of 99 seats nearly doubled from 2019.

— The position of Leader of Opposition was officially described in The Salary and Allowances of Leaders of Opposition in Parliament Act, 1977.

— The Act describes the Leader of Opposition as a “member of the Council of States or the House of the People, as the case may be, who is, for the time being, the Leader in that House of the party in opposition to the Government having the greatest numerical strength and recognised as such by the Chairman of the Council of States or the Speaker of the House of the People”.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 3

Which of the following can be done under Article 3 of the Constitution of India?

1. Form a new State

2. Increase the area of any State

3. Alter the boundaries of any State

4. Alter the name of any State

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) 1, 3 and 3 only

(b) 2 and 4 only

(c) 1 and 4 only

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Explanation

— Kerala Assembly unanimously passed a resolution urging the Centre to rename the state as “Keralam’’ in the Constitution. This is the second time in the past year that such a resolution has been passed.

— Article 3 of the constitution of India provides for formation of new States and alteration of areas, boundaries or names of existing States.

— Parliament may by law —

(a) form a new State by separation of territory from any State or by uniting two or more States or parts of States or by uniting any territory to a part of any State;

(b) increase the area of any State;

(c) diminish the area of any State;

(d) alter the boundaries of any State;

(e) alter the name of any State.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

(Other Source: Constitution of India)

QUESTION 4

Who among the following addresses both Houses of Parliament at the commencement of the first session after each general election?

(a) Prime Minister

(b) Speaker of the Lok Sabha

(c) President

(d) Vice-President

Explanation

— Article 87 of the Constitution of India provides for a special address by the President.

— At the commencement of the first session following each general election to the House of the People, and at the start of the first session of each year, the President should address both Houses of Parliament together and inform Parliament of the reasons for its summons.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

(Source: Constitution of India)

QUESTION 5

Which of the following articles of the constitution of India stipulate that courts are not allowed to inquire into proceedings of Parliament?

(a) Article 122

(b) Article 123

(c) Article 120

(d) Article 119

Explanation

— India’s government is parliamentary, similar to the British system. However, it learned from the United States and established the judiciary as the defender of the constitution. As a result, India’s court has the jurisdiction to review legislative and executive actions.

— For instance, Article 53(1) states that the executive power of the Union shall be vested in the President, while Article 154 says that the executive power of the State shall be vested in the Governor, which they may exercise either directly or through their subordinate officers.

— Articles 122 and 212 of the Indian Constitution stipulate that courts are not allowed to inquire into proceedings of Parliament and State Legislatures, respectively. It guarantees that the judiciary would not meddle in legislative matters.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

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