UPSC Essentials brings to you its initiative of daily subject-wise quizzes. These quizzes are designed to help you revise some of the most important topics from the static part of the syllabus. 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. 🚨 The Indian Express UPSC Essentials brings to you the October 2023 issue of its monthly magazine. Click Here to read. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at manas.srivastava@indianexpress.com 🚨 QUESTION 1 With reference to the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), consider the following statements: 1. It is a set of guidelines issued to regulate political parties and candidates prior to elections. 2. The MCC was first introduced in the state assembly elections in Karnataka. 3. It does not contain provisions dealing with election manifestos. How many of the statements given above are correct? (a) Only one (b) Only two (c) All three (d) None QUESTION 2 Consider the following: 1. The salaries and allowances of the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman of the Council of States. 2. The salaries, allowances and pensions payable to or in respect of Judges of the Supreme Court. 3. Any sums required to satisfy any judgment, decree or award of any court or arbitral tribunal. How many of the above shall be expenditures charged on the Consolidated Fund of India? (a) Only one (b) Only two (c) All three (d) None QUESTION 3 The government brought The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-eighth Amendment) Bill, 2023 to provide 33 per cent reservation to women in 1. Parliament 2. Panchayats 3. Municipal Council 4. State Legislative Assemblies How many of the above are covered under One Hundred and Twenty-eighth Amendment Bill? (a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four QUESTION 4 With reference to the no-confidence motion, consider the following statements: 1. Any Member of Parliament (MP), who can garner the support of 100 colleagues, can, at any point of time, introduce a motion of no-confidence against the Council of Ministers. 2. It is mentioned in the constitution. 3. The first motion of no confidence was moved by Acharya J B Kripalani against the government headed by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. How many of the statements given above are correct? (a) Only one (b) Only two (c) All three (d) None QUESTION 5 Consider the following pairs: Article Provision 83 Composition of the Council of States 84 Qualification for membership of Parliament. 98 Secretariat of Parliament. How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched? (a) Only one (b) Only two (c) All three (d) None ANSWERS TO THE MCQs 1. (a) FYI: — The Election Commission’s Model Code of Conduct is a set of guidelines issued to regulate political parties and candidates prior to elections. Hence, statement 1 is correct. — According to the Press Information Bureau, a version of the MCC was first introduced in the state assembly elections in Kerala in 1960. Hence, statement 2 is not correct. — In October 1979, the EC added a section to regulate the ‘party in power’ and prevent it from gaining an unfair advantage at the time of elections. — The MCC comes into force from the date the election schedule is announced until the date that results are out. — The MCC contains eight provisions dealing with general conduct, meetings, processions, polling day, polling booths, observers, the party in power, and election manifestos. Hence, statement 3 is not correct. Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer. 2. (c) FYI: — Article 110 defines a “Money Bill” as one containing provisions dealing with taxes, regulation of the government’s borrowing of money, and expenditure or receipt of money from the Consolidated Fund of India, among others, whereas Article 109 delineates the procedure for the passage of such a Bill and confers an overriding authority on the Lok Sabha in the passage of Money Bills. — The following expenditure shall be expenditure charged on the Consolidated Fund of India— (a) the emoluments and allowances of the President and other expenditure relating to his office; (b) the salaries and allowances of the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman of the Council of States and the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the House of the People; (c) debt charges for which the Government of India is liable including interest, sinking fund charges and redemption charges, and other expenditure relating to the raising of loans and the service and redemption of debt; (d) (i) the salaries, allowances and pensions payable to or in respect of Judges of the Supreme Court; (ii) the pensions payable to or in respect of Judges of the Federal Court; (iii) the pensions payable to or in respect of Judges of any High Court which exercises jurisdiction in relation to any area included in the territory of India or which at any time before the commencement of this Constitution exercised jurisdiction in relation to any area included in Governor's Province of the Dominion of India; (e) the salary, allowances and pension payable to or in respect of the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India; (f) any sums required to satisfy any judgment, decree or award of any court or arbitral tribunal; (g) any other expenditure declared by this Constitution or by Parliament by law to be so charged. Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer. (Other Source: Constitution of India) 3. (b) FYI: — The government brought The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-eighth Amendment) Bill, 2023 to provide 33 per cent reservation to women in Lok Sabha and state Legislative Assemblies. Hence, 1 and 4 are correct. — According to The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-eighth Amendment) Bill 2023, “as nearly as maybe, one-third (including the seats reserved for women belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) of the total number of seats to be filled by direct election to the House of People shall be reserved for women”. — The Bill proposes a similar provision for Assemblies in the states and Delhi. — The 73rd Amendment in 1992 sought to change the framework and established a three-tiered panchayat system with regular elections throughout India. It also mandated that “one-third of the total number of seats reserved under clause (1) shall be reserved for women belonging to Scheduled Castes or, as the case may be, the Scheduled Tribes”. — Additionally, it said that “no less than one-third (including the number of seats reserved for women belonging to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes) of the total number of seats to be filled by direct election in every panchayat shall be reserved for women and such seats may be allotted by rotation to different constituencies in a panchayat.” — The 74th amendment proposed similarly to the case of urban local bodies such as municipal corporations, municipal councils and nagar panchayats. Hence, 2 and 3 are not correct. Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer. 4. (a) FYI: — In a parliamentary democracy, a government can be in power only if it commands a majority in the directly elected House. Article 75(3) of our Constitution embodies this rule by specifying that the Council of Ministers are collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha. — For testing this collective responsibility, the rules of Lok Sabha provide a particular mechanism – a motion of no-confidence. Hence, statement 2 is not correct. — Any Lok Sabha MP, who can garner the support of 50 colleagues, can, at any point of time, introduce a motion of no-confidence against the Council of Ministers. Hence, statement 1 is not correct. — A no confidence motion can only be moved in the Lok Sabha. — However, the no confidence motion has historically been used as a strategic tool to force a discussion on a certain topic or issue. The Opposition knows that it does not have the numbers but still has moved the motion to force the government to address their concerns about the situation in Manipur. — It was during the third Lok Sabha in 1963 that the first motion of no confidence was moved by Acharya J B Kripalani against the government headed by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Hence, statement 3 is correct. Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer. 5. (b) FYI: Article Provision 83 Duration of Houses of Parliament 84 Qualification for membership of Parliament 98 Secretariat of Parliament Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer. (Source: Constitution of India) Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 30) Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 30) Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment, Geography, Science and Technology (Week 30) Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 30) Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 30) Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter and stay updated with the news cues from the past week.
