Daily Quiz: UPSC Prelims Marathon – February 28, 2018

Dr. B R Ambedkar described the Directive Principles of State Policy as ‘novel features’ of the Indian Constitution. The Directive Principles of State Policy are enumerated in Part IV of the Constitution from Articles 36 to 511.

The framers of the Constitution borrowed this idea from the Irish Constitution of 1937, which had copied it from the Spanish Constitution.

All the statements are correct.

The framers of the Constitution have modified the true nature of Indian federalism by incorporating certain non-federal features in the Constitution as well. This has lent support to the contention that the Indian Constitution is federal in form but unitary in spirit. Few examples of unitary or non-federal features are

a strong Centre, single Constitution, single citizenship, the flexibility of Constitution, integrated judiciary, appointment of state Governor by the Centre, all-India services, emergency provisions, and so on.

Statement 1 is correct. In India, both a citizen by birth as well as a naturalized citizen are eligible for the office of President.

Statement 2 is correct. The Citizenship Act, 1955, prescribes three ways of losing citizenship whether acquired under the Act or prior to it under the Constitution, viz, renunciation, termination, and deprivation:

By Deprivation, it is a compulsory termination of Indian citizenship by the Central government, if:

(a) the citizen has obtained the citizenship by fraud:

(b) the citizen has shown disloyalty to the Constitution of India:

(c) the citizen has unlawfully traded or communicated with the enemy during a war;

(d) the citizen has, within five years after registration or naturalization, been imprisoned in any country for two years; and

(e) the citizen has been ordinarily resident out of India for seven years continuously.

Statement 1 is incorrect. The Constitution originally provided for internal disturbance as a ground for declaration of National Emergency. Later, the 44th Amendment Act replaced the words “internal disturbance” by armed rebellion.

Statement 2 is incorrect. The Parliament acquires the power to legislate with respect to matters in the State List, while a proclamation of national emergency is in operation. The laws become inoperative on the expiration of six months after the emergency has ceased to operate.

The Government of India act of 1935 provided for the establishment of an All-India Federation consisting of provinces and princely states as units. It divided the powers into three lists: Federal, Provincial and Concurrent.

Statement 1 is incorrect. The president constitutes a finance commission after every five years to recommend the distribution of revenues between the center and the states.
Statement 2 is correct. A money bill can only be introduced in the Lok Sabha and that too on the recommendation of the president. Every such bill is considered to be a government bill and can be introduced only by a minister.

Statement 1 is incorrect. The term ‘untouchability’ has not been defined either in the Constitution or in the Untouchability (offences) Act of 1955. However, the Mysore High Court held that the subject matter of Article 17 is not untouchability in its literal or grammatical sense but the ‘practice as it had developed historically in the country’. It refers to the social disabilities imposed on certain classes of persons by reason of their birth in certain castes.

Statement 2 is correct. Article 17 deals with the abolition of Untouchability. It says “Untouchability” is abolished and its practice in any form is forbidden. The enforcement of any disability arising out of “Untouchability” shall be an offence punishable in accordance with law.