UPSC Essentials : Daily subject-wise quiz | Polity and Governance MCQs on Special Officer for linguistic minorities, citizenship and more (Week 68)

1. A Vice-President may resign from his office, by writing to the President.

2. A Vice-President may be removed from his office by a resolution of the House of the People passed by a majority of all the members.

3. The resolution for removing the Vice-President of India does not require prior notice.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Explanation

— The office of the Vice-president is a unique feature of India, which follows a parliamentary system, and has no exact parallel in other democratic countries, including the Commonwealth.

— The Vice-President shall hold office for a term of five years from the date on which he enters upon his office:

(a) A vice-president may resign his position in writing, addressed to the President. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

(b) A Vice-President may be removed from his office by a resolution of the Council of States passed by a majority of all the then members of the Council and agreed to by the House of the People; however, no resolution for the purpose of this clause shall be moved unless at least fourteen days’ notice of the intention to move the resolution has been given. Hence, statements 2 and 3 are not correct.

(c) A Vice-President shall, notwithstanding the expiration of his term, continue to hold office until his replacement takes office.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

(Other Source: Constitution of India)

QUESTION 2

The Kerala Assembly unanimously requested the Union Government to take immediate steps under which article of the Constitution of India to change the name of the state to Keralam.

(a) Article 1

(b) Article 2

(c) Article 3

(d) Article 4

Explanation

— The resolution, moved by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan states: “The name of our state in Malayalam is Keralam… However, the name of our state in the first Schedule of the Constitution has been written as Kerala.

— This Assembly is unanimously requesting the Union Government to take immediate steps under Article 3 of the Constitution to change the name of the state to Keralam.”

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 3

Consider the following statements:

1. A person can be prosecuted and punished for the same offence more than once.

2. No person accused of any offence shall be compelled to be a witness against himself.

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

— The Supreme Court ruled that it is enough for the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to orally inform an accused of the grounds of their arrest at the time of arrest. However, the court said that the written grounds of arrest must be supplied to the accused within 24 hours of their arrest.

— Article 20 of the Constitution of India provides for protection in respect of conviction for offences.

— No person shall be convicted of any offence except for violation of a law in force at the time of the commission of the Act charged as an offence, nor be subjected to a penalty greater than that which might have been inflicted under the law in force at the time of the commission of the offence.

— No person shall be prosecuted and punished for the same offence more than once. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

— No person accused of any offence shall be compelled to be a witness against himself. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

(Other Source: Constitution of India)

QUESTION 4

At the commencement of this Constitution, every person shall be a citizen of India who has his domicile in the territory of India and:

1. Who was born in the territory of India

2. Either of whose parents were born in the territory of India

3. Who has been ordinarily resident in the territory of India for not less than five years

4. A person has migrated on or after the nineteenth day of July 1948

5. Whose grand-parents were born in India as defined in the Government of India Act, 1935

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) 1, 2, 4 and 5 only

(b) 2, 3 and 5 only

(c) 1, 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

Explanation

— Article 5 of the Constitution of India provides for citizenship at the commencement of the Constitution.

— At the commencement of this Constitution, every person shall be a citizen of India who has his domicile in the territory of India and—

(a) who was born in the territory of India; or

(b) either of whose parents was born in the territory of India; or

(c) who has been ordinarily resident in the territory of India for not less than five years.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

(Other Source: Constitution of India)

QUESTION 5

With reference to the Special Officer for linguistic minorities, consider the following statements:

1. He/she is appointed by the Prime Minister.

2. It shall be the duty of the Special Officer to investigate all matters relating to the safeguards provided for linguistic minorities.

3. It is a non-constitutional post.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Explanation

— The expression “minorities” appears in some Articles of the Constitution, but is not defined anywhere.

— Article 350(B) says there shall be a Special Officer for linguistic minorities to be appointed by the President. Hence, statements 1 and 3 are not correct.

— “It shall be the duty of the Special Officer to investigate all matters relating to the safeguards provided for linguistic minorities under this Constitution and report to the President upon those matters at such intervals as the President may direct, and the President shall cause all such reports to be laid before each House of Parliament, and sent to the Governments of the States concerned”. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 67)

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 67)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment, Geography, Science and Technology (Week 67)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 67)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 67)

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