UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 14)

Each day, we cover one new subject. Attempt today’s subject quiz on Polity and Governance to check your progress. Come back tomorrow to solve the History, Culture, and Social Issues MCQs. Don’t miss checking the answers and explanations at the end of the quiz.

QUESTION 1

With reference to the Cooperative Societies, consider the following statements:

1. Through the 97th constitutional amendment, Part IXB (The Co-Operative Societies) was inserted into the Constitution, the right to form cooperative societies was included as Right to Freedom under article 19 (1), Part-3 of the Constitution, and Article 43-B (Promotion of Cooperation societies) was also inserted as one of the Directive Principles of State Policy under Part 4 of the Constitution of India.

2. Cooperative societies come under the Concurrent list in the Constitution.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

QUESTION 2

Consider the following statements:

Statement-I:

A defamation suit cannot be filed for a statement made in the House.

Statement-II:

Members of Parliament are exempted from any legal action for any statement made or act done in the course of their duties.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

(a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I

(b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I

(c) Statement-I is correct Statement-II is incorrect

(d) Statement-I is incorrect Statement-II is correct

QUESTION 3

Who decides when there are rival sections or groups of a recognised political party each of whom claims to be that party the Commission?

(a) Law Commission

(b) Supreme Court

(c) Election Commission

(d) Ministry of Law and Justice

QUESTION 4

Which of the following Articles of the Constitution of India deals with special provisions with respect to the State of Manipur?

(a) Article 371

(b) Article 371-B

(c) Article 371-F

(d) Article 371-C

QUESTION 5

Consider the following:

1. Land

2. Power

3. Police

4. PWD

On how many of the above matters can the Delhi government make rules?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

ANSWER TO MCQs

1. (a)

FYI:

— Cooperatives are organisations formed at the grassroots level by people to harness collective bargaining power in the marketplace.

— Through the 97th constitutional amendment, Part IXB (The Co-Operative Societies) was inserted into the Constitution, the right to form cooperative societies was included as Right to Freedom under article 19 (1), Part-3 of the Constitution, and Article 43-B (Promotion of Cooperation societies) was also inserted as one of the Directive Principles of State Policy under Part 4 of the Constitution of India. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— This can mean different kinds of arrangements, such as using a common resource or sharing capital, to derive a common gain that would otherwise be difficult for an individual producer to get.

— In agriculture, cooperative dairies, sugar mills, spinning mills etc. are formed with the pooled resources of farmers who wish to process their produce. For example, Amul from Gujarat is perhaps the best-known cooperative society in India.

— Cooperatives are a state subject under the Constitution, meaning they come under the state governments’ jurisdiction, but there are many societies whose members and areas of operation are spread across more than one state. For example, most sugar mills along the districts on the Karnataka-Maharashtra border procure cane from both states. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

2. (a)

FYI:

— Article 105 of the Constitution deals with “powers, privileges, etc of the Houses of Parliament and of the members and committees thereof”, and has four clauses. It reads:

(1) Subject to the provisions of this Constitution and to the rules and standing orders regulating the procedure of Parliament, there shall be freedom of speech in Parliament.

(2) No member of Parliament shall be liable to any proceedings in any court in respect of any thing said or any vote given by him in Parliament or any committee thereof, and no person shall be so liable in respect of the publication by or under the authority of either House of Parliament of any report, paper, votes or proceedings.

(3) In other respects, the powers, privileges and immunities of each House of Parliament, and of the members and the committees of each House, shall be such as may from time to time be defined by Parliament by law, and, until so defined, shall be those of that House and of its members and committees immediately before the coming into force of section 15 of the Constitution (Forty-fourth Amendment) Act, 1978.

(4) The provisions of clauses (1), (2) and (3) shall apply in relation to persons who by virtue of this Constitution have the right to speak in, and otherwise to take part in the proceedings of, a House of Parliament or any committee thereof as they apply in relation to members of Parliament.

— Members of Parliament are exempted from any legal action for any statement made or act done in the course of their duties. For example, a defamation suit cannot be filed for a statement made in the House.

— This immunity extends non-members as well such as the Attorney General for India or a Minister who may not be a member but speaks in the House.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

3. (c)

FYI:

— On the question of a split in a political party outside the legislature, Para 15 of the Symbols Order, 1968, states: “When the Commission is satisfied…that there are rival sections or groups of a recognised political party each of whom claims to be that party the Commission may, after taking into account all the available facts and circumstances of the case and hearing (their) representatives…decide that one such rival section or group or none of such rival sections or groups is that recognised political party and the decision of the Commission shall be binding on all such rival sections or groups.”

— This applies to disputes in recognised national and state parties (like the Shiv Sena).

— For splits in registered but unrecognised parties, the ECI usually advises the warring factions to resolve their differences internally or to approach the court.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

4. (d)

FYI:

— Articles 371, 371A, 371B, 371C, 371D, 371E, 371F, 371G, 371H, and 371J define special provisions with regard to another state (or states).

Article	State	Article	State
371	Maharashtra and Gujarat	371-A	Nagaland
371-B	Assam	371-C	Manipur
371-D	Andhra Pradesh and Telangana	371-E	Andhra Pradesh
371-F	Sikkim	371-G	Mizoram
371-H	Arunachal Pradesh	371-J	Karnataka

— Article 371I deals with Goa, but it does not include any provision that can be deemed ‘special’.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

5. (b)

FYI:

— Article 246 lays down a three-fold distribution of legislative powers. Subjects in the Union List are those on which only the Union can make laws. The State list includes subjects on which state legislatures alone can legislate. The third list gives Concurrent powers to both, but in case of disagreement, the Union prevails. ‘Full’ states have control over a range of critical areas, such as land, public order and police, health and education.

— Delhi and Puducherry are seen as Union Territories with Assemblies and are called ‘half-states’ even though the term does not technically exist.

— The 69th Amendment Act passed in 1991 — whose Articles 239AA and 239AB provided for a Legislative Assembly and Council of Ministers for the UT of Delhi — kept land, police and public order out of the control of the government of the state. Traffic Police and Licensing too are out.

— Delhi government can make rules related to Jal Board, Power, Transport, PWD, Health (minus health and sanitation, which is with MCD), and Education (minus some primary schools).

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

UPSC CSE Mains 2023 season has begun. Are you ready for it? UPSC Essentials brings to you its new initiative for the practice of Mains answer writing. Mains Answer Writing will cover essential topics of static and dynamic parts of the UPSC Civil Services syllabus covered under various GS papers. This answer-writing practice is designed to help you as a value addition to your UPSC CSE Mains. Try it out!

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