UPSC Essentials : Daily subject-wise quiz | Polity and Governance MCQs on chief election commissioner, furlough and more (Week 98)

QUESTION 1

With reference to the parole and furlough, consider the following statements:

1. Both are conditional releases, subject to good behaviour in prison and to not committing specific offences.

2. In Paroles, the sentence continues to run despite the convict being released from prison for a specified period of time while furloughs are granted in short-term imprisonment, to provide relief to prisoners in certain specified exigencies such as illness, sowing and harvesting of crops, and to pursue an appeal against conviction in the SC.

3. Parole is granted by the Divisional Commissioner while furlough is granted by the Deputy Inspector General of Prisons.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Explanation

— Convicts of the Hashimpura massacre have filed a petition in the Delhi High Court challenging a Delhi prison law regarding furloughs. The rule gives the court the authority to grant furlough while the appeal against conviction is pending.

— Furlough and parole are executive decisions based on jail manuals and prison rules. Both are conditional releases, which require excellent prison behaviour and the avoidance of specified charges. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— The sentence continues to run during furlough, even though the offender is freed from prison for a set length of time. For example, if a person is sentenced to 10 years in prison and is released on furlough for 30 days, he will have been in jail for 9 years and 11 months but will be considered to have fulfilled the sentence.

— Paroles are provided for short-term imprisonment to provide respite to inmates in specific specified circumstances such as illness, agricultural sowing and harvesting, and the pursuit of an appeal against conviction in the Supreme Court. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— Furloughs are typically awarded after long periods of incarceration. Its goal is to keep convicts from being alone, to help them to form familial and social bonds, to provide motivation for good behaviour, and to keep them disciplined in jail.

— The Divisional Commissioner grants parole, whereas the Deputy Inspector General of Prisons grants furloughs. Parole requires a specific reason, whereas furlough is intended to break up the monotony of jail. Parole can be given multiple times, while furlough has a time limit. Furloughs are not awarded for specific reasons, therefore they can be revoked in the interest of society. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 2

With reference to the appointment of the chief election commissioner (CEC), consider the following statements:

1. The selection committee comprises the Prime Minister, Leader of Opposition, and a Cabinet Minister nominated by the PM.

2. The CEC is now being appointed under a new law — Chief Election Commissioner And Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service And Term of Office) Act, 2023.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation

— Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi met to select the replacement to Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar.

— The Election Commission (EC) is made up of three members: one Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and two election commissioners. Although all three election commissioners are equal, the CEC, like the Chief Justice of India, ranks first among equals.

— The new CEC is being appointed under a new statute, the Chief Election Commissioner And Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service, and Term of Office) Act of 2023. This law establishes processes for the appointment of both CECs and ECs. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— According to the Act, a search committee chaired by the Law Minister (currently Arjun Ram Meghwal) and consisting of two senior bureaucrats who serve as secretary to the Government of India must first create a shortlist of five candidates. This shortlist is then forwarded to a Selection Committee consisting of the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, and a Cabinet Minister recommended by the PM. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— The current Selection Committee includes Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, and Home Minister Amit Shah.

— Section 8 of the Act empowers this Committee to consider names other than the five shortlisted candidates. This was the same procedure used to select Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu to the Commission in March 2024.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 3

With reference to the law on abortion in India, consider the following statements:

1. As per section 3 of the MTP Act, the termination of pregnancy up to 16 weeks of conception can be undertaken on the advice of one registered medical practitioner.

2. In the case of pregnancy between 20 and 24 weeks, abortion is permitted only after two registered medical practitioners opine for it.

3. The act does not permit abortion of pregnancy for victims of sexual assault or rape and minors.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Explanation

— Providing an exception to the rule, the Bombay High Court on Thursday (February 13) allowed a 35-year-old woman to terminate her 25-week pregnancy at a private hospital in the city of her choice.

— Section 3 of the MTP Act allows for the termination of a pregnancy up to 20 weeks after conception with the advice of one certified medical practitioner. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

— Abortion is legal in pregnancy between 20 and 24 weeks only if two qualified medical practitioners agree. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— Furthermore, Rule 3B of the MTP Rules of 2003, enacted under the MTP Act, allows abortion between 20 and 24 weeks of pregnancy for certain groups of people, including victims of sexual assault or rape, minors, women whose marital status changes during pregnancy, and women with physical disabilities or mental illness. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

— After 24 weeks, the MTP Act compels the state government to establish medical boards of specialist doctors in each district to decide whether to authorise pregnancy termination in the event of a significant foetal abnormality.

— Medical practitioners must also consider if continuing the pregnancy will endanger the pregnant woman’s life or cause “grave injury to her physical or mental health”. They must determine whether there is a “substantial risk that if the child were born, it would suffer from any serious physical or mental abnormality.”

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 4

Consider the following statements:

1. The average annual sitting days have consistently decreased from the first Lok Sabha to the seventeenth Lok Sabha.

2. The number of bills passed during the Lok Sabha sessions has consistently increased from the first Lok Sabha to the seventeenth Lok Sabha.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation

— Data from the PRS Legislative Research, the Lok Sabha, and state legislatures reveal that the number of working days in legislatures has decreased significantly in recent years.

— According to data gathered by PRS Legislative Research, the 17th Lok Sabha (2019-2024) had an annual average of only 55 sitting days, compared to an average of 135 sitting days during the first Lok Sabha’s duration (1952-1957).

— Following the first Lok Sabha, the fourth Lok Sabha’s average yearly session days were 123 from 1967 to 1971, when it was dissolved early due to the shaky position of the then-Congress-led minority government. Since the sixth Lok Sabha (1977-1980), the Lower House has worked no more than 100 days a year on average. The past eleven Lok Sabhas had fewer than 100 sitting days per year. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

Average annual sitting days in Lok Sabha

— The number of Bills approved has, however, varied, with shorter sessions producing more Bills in recent years than somewhat longer sessions in the past. For example, the 17th Lok Sabha enacted 40 more bills than the 14th Lok Sabha (2004–2009), while sitting for 10 fewer days per year on average. Bills are increasingly being passed with little or no debate or referral to committees. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 5

Which of the following articles of the Constitution of India provides for the prohibition of employment of children in factories?

(a) Article 22

(b) Article 23

(c) Article 24

(d) Article 25

Explanation

— Article 24 of the Constitution of India provides for the prohibition of employment of children in factories, etc.

— No child below the age of fourteen years shall be employed to work in any factory or mine or engaged in any other hazardous employment.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

(Source: Constitution of India)

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 98)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 96 and 97)

Daily subject-wise quiz —  Science and Technology (Week 95)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment and Geography (Week 95)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 95)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 95)

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