Daily Quiz #12 UPSC Prelims Marathon – August 14, 2019

Explanation: The principles included in this category represent the ideology of liberalism.
They direct the state:
•To secure for all citizens a uniform civil code throughout the country (Article 44).
•To provide early childhood care and education for all children until they complete the age of six years (Article 45).
•To organize agriculture and animal husbandry on modern and scientific lines (Article 48).
•To protect and improve the environment and to safeguard forests and wild life (Article 48 A).
•To protect monuments, places and objects of artistic or historic interest which are declared to be of national importance (Article 49).
•To separate the judiciary from the executive in the public services of the State (Article 50).
•To promote international peace and security and maintain just and honorable relations between nations; to foster respect for international law and treaty obligations, and to encourage settlement of international disputes by arbitration (Article 51)

Explanation: The framers of the Constitution made the Directive Principles non-justifiable and legally non-enforceable because:
•The country did not possess sufficient financial resources to implement them.
•The presence of vast diversity and backwardness in the country would stand in the way of their implementation.
•The newly born independent Indian State with its many preoccupations might be crushed under the burden unless it was free to decide the order, the time, the place and the mode of fulfilling them.
The Constitution makers, therefore, taking a pragmatic view, refrained from giving teeth to these principles. They believed more in an awakened public opinion rather than in court procedures as the ultimate sanction for the fulfillment of these principles.

Explanation: The features of the American presidential system of government are as follows:
•The American President is both the head of the State and the head of government. As the head of State, he occupies a ceremonial position. As the head of government, he leads the executive organ of government.
•The President is elected by an electoral college for a fixed tenure of four years. He cannot be removed by the Congress except by impeachment for a grave unconstitutional act.
•The President governs with the help of a cabinet or a smaller body called ‘Kitchen Cabinet’. It is only an advisory body and consists of non-elected departmental secretaries. They are selected and appointed by him, are responsible only to him, and can be removed by him any time.
•The President and his secretaries are not responsible to the Congress for their acts. They neither possess membership in the Congress nor attend its sessions.
•The President cannot dissolve the House of Representatives-the lower house of the Congress.
•The doctrine of separation of powers is the basis of the American presidential system. The legislative, executive and judicial powers of the government are separated and vested in the three independent organs of the government.

Explanation: India adopted its nuclear doctrine in 2003. The salient features of this doctrine are as follows:
•Building and maintaining a credible minimum deterrent.
•A posture of “No First Use”-nuclear weapons will only be used in retaliation against a nuclear attack on Indian Territory or on Indian forces anywhere.
•Nuclear retaliation to a first strike will be massive and designed to inflict unacceptable damage.
•Nuclear retaliatory attacks can only be authorized by the civilian political leadership through the Nuclear Command Authority.
•Non-use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear weapon states.
•However, in the event of a major attack against India, or Indian forces anywhere, by biological or chemical weapons, India will retain the option of retaliating with nuclear weapons.
•A continuance of strict controls on export of nuclear and missile related materials and technologies, participation in the Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty negotiations, and continued observance of the moratorium on nuclear tests.
•Continued commitment to the goal of a nuclear-weapon-free world, through global, verifiable and non-discriminatory nuclear disarmament.

Explanation: Minister of External Affairs Smt Sushma Swaraj and Minister of Defence Smt Nirmala Sitharaman welcomed Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo and Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis to India on September 6, 2018 for the inaugural India-U.S. Ministerial 2+2 Dialogue. They welcomed the launch of the 2+2 Dialogue as a reflection of the shared commitment by Prime Minister Modi and President Trump to provide a positive, forward-looking vision for the India-U.S. strategic partnership and to promote synergy in their diplomatic and security efforts. They resolved to continue meetings in this format on an annual basis. India and Japan have agreed to hold a two-plus-two dialogue between the defence and foreign ministers of the two countries. This will take place ahead of the summit-level meeting between Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Shinzo Abe later in the year.