UPSC Essentials : Daily subject-wise quiz | Polity and Governance (Week 33)

1. Electoral trusts can be donated under section 17CA of the Income-tax Act, 1961.

2. Non-residential Indians (NRIs) cannot contribute to electoral trusts.

3. Electoral bonds are exempt from disclosure requirements.

4. Electoral bonds are available for purchase throughout the year.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) All four

QUESTION 2

With reference to the reservations in India, consider the following statements:

1. Vertical reservations refer to the equal opportunity provided to other categories of beneficiaries, such as women, veterans, transgender people, and people with disabilities, by cutting through the vertical categories.

2. Horizontal reservation refers to reservation for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes.

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 3

With reference to the voter turnout, consider the following statements:

1. It indicates the per cent of eligible voters who actually cast their vote.

2. In India the turnout has either remained stable or it has increased.

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 4

With reference to the Dual-member constituencies, consider the following statements:

1. The dual-member constituencies were introduced by the Government of India Act, 1935.

2. It was introduced to reserve seats with sizeable SC and ST populations.

3. In the 1952 Lok Sabha elections, Uttar Pradesh had the maximum two-member seats.

3. It was discarded through the Two-Member Constituencies (Abolition) Act 1961.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) All four

QUESTION 5

Consider the following:

1. Increase the area of any state.

2. Alter the boundaries of any state.

3. Alter the name of any state.

4. Form a new State by separation of territory from any State or by uniting two or more States

How many of the above can the Parliament legislate on under Article 3?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) All four

ANSWERS TO THE MCQs

1. (b)

FYI:

— The Supreme Court reserved its decision on the challenge to the central government’s Electoral Bonds Scheme after a three-day hearing.

— Before the contentious Electoral Bonds (EB) Scheme was implemented in 2018, there was an Electoral Trusts (ET) Scheme implemented by the UPA government in 2013.

Electoral Trusts

— Any citizen of India, a company registered in India, or a firm, Hindu Undivided Family, or association of persons living in India can donate to an electoral trust under Section 17CA of the Income-tax Act, 1961. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— The electoral trusts have to apply for renewal every three financial years.

— They must donate 95% of contributions received in a financial year to political parties registered under the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

— The contributors’ PAN (in case of a resident) or passport number (in case of an NRI) is required at the time of making contributions. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— The route of electoral trusts is open to both contributors and beneficiaries. When a trust has only one contributor and one beneficiary, the public can be certain who is funding whom. According to the trust’s annual contribution report, the Janhit Electoral Trust received only one contribution of Rs.2.5 crore from Vedanta in 2018-19, and the entire amount was donated to the BJP.

Electoral Bonds

— Electoral bonds are interest-free “bearer instruments”, which means that they are payable to the bearer on demand, similar to a promissory note.

— Electoral bonds, on the other hand, are not required to be disclosed. Parties notify the ECI of the total amount donated through EBs but provide no information about the donors, as required for cash, cheque, or bank transaction donations exceeding Rs.20,000. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

— Electoral bonds allow Indian citizens or a body incorporated in India to purchase bonds, enabling anonymous donations to political parties.

— Usually sold in denominations ranging from Rs1,000 to Rs 1 crore, these bonds can be bought from authorised SBI branches through accounts complying with KYC norms. Following this, the political parties can choose to encash the bonds within 15 days of receiving them and fund their electoral expenses.

— However, they aren’t available for purchase throughout the year and can only be purchased between 10-day windows falling in the months of January, April, July, and October. Hence, statement 4 is not correct.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

2. (d)

FYI:

— Reservation for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes is referred to as vertical reservation. It applies separately for each of the groups specified under the law. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

— Horizontal reservations refer to the equal opportunity provided to other categories of beneficiaries, such as women, veterans, transgender people, and people with disabilities, by cutting through the vertical categories. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— The horizontal quota is applied to each vertical category individually, rather than across the board. For example, if women have a 50% horizontal quota, half of the selected candidates in each vertical quota category must be women — that is, half of all selected SC candidates must be women, half of the unreserved or general category must be women, and so on.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer

3. (c)

FYI:

— Madhya Pradesh had its highest-ever Assembly election turnout in a single phase, while Chhattisgarh’s overall turnout, after voting in the second phase, has decreased from the 2018 election figure.

— In MP, 76.22% of the electorate voted, up from 75.63% in 2018, the previous record high since the state’s inception in 1956. For the first time, turnout exceeded 70% in 2013, reaching 72.07%.

— Chhattisgarh’s overall turnout, however, fell to 76.31% from 76.88% in 2018. The state, which was carved out of MP in 2000, recorded its highest turnout in 2003 with 77.12%. In the five elections held in the state so far, turnout has never dropped below 70%.

— People’s participation in election is usually measured by voter turnout figures. Turnout indicates the per cent of eligible voters who actually cast their vote. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— In India, the turnout has either remained stable or actually gone up. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

(Other Source: ncert.nic.in)

4. (c)

FYI:

— Dual-member constituencies were introduced by the Delimitation Commission Act, of 1952. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

— It was introduced to reserve seats with sizeable SC and ST populations. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— Seats with more than half the population belonging to SCs or STs were single-member constituencies.

— However, after the first two Lok Sabha elections, in 1952 and 1957, the system was discarded through the Two-Member Constituencies (Abolition) Act, 1961. Hence, statement 4 is correct.

— There were 86 two-member seats in the 1952 Lok Sabha elections. Uttar Pradesh had the most, with 17 seats out of a total of 69, while Madhya Pradesh and the former Vindhya Pradesh had the largest percentage, with 50%. West Bengal had the sole three-member seat, with one MP from the general, one from the SC, and one from the ST categories. There were 91 two-member seats in 1957, with UP having the most (18) and Odisha having the largest proportion (50%). In 1951, there were 579 two-member Assembly seats (and one three-member seat in the former Bombay state) and 551 in 1957. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

— Dual-membership faced major criticism after the 1957 election as 20 such constituencies saw winners from the same group, either SC or ST, and did not elect a general candidate.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

5. (d)

FYI:

— 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.

— Except on the recommendation of the President and unless the proposal contained in the Bill affects the area, boundaries, or name of any of the States, no Bill for this purpose shall be introduced in either House of Parliament.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

(Source: Constitution of India)

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

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