Daily Quiz: UPSC Prelims Marathon – November 22

A Member of Parliament or state legislature can be disqualified on the following grounds:

Statement 1 is correct. When voluntarily resigned from his party or disobeyed the directives of the party leadership on a vote.

When does not vote / abstains as per party’s whip. However, if the member has taken prior permission, or is condoned by the party within 15 days from such voting or abstention, the member shall not be disqualified.

Statement 3 is correct. If a member has been elected as “Independent”, he / she would be disqualified if joined a political party.

Statement 2 is incorrect. Nominated members who were not members of a party could choose to join a party within six months; after that period, they were treated as a party member or independent member.

Both statements are correct.

The Bill amends the Citizenship Act, 1955 to make illegal migrants who are Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, eligible for citizenship.

Under the Act, one of the requirements for citizenship by naturalisation is that the applicant must have resided in India during the last 12 months, and for 11 of the previous 14 years.  The Bill relaxes this 11 year requirement to six years for persons belonging to the same six religions and three countries.

The Bill provides that the registration of Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders may be cancelled if they violate any law.

Key Issues and Analysis

The Bill makes illegal migrants eligible for citizenship on the basis of religion. This may violate Article 14 of the Constitution which guarantees right to equality.

The Bill allows cancellation of OCI registration for violation of any law. This is a wide ground that may cover a range of violations, including minor offences (eg. parking in a no parking zone).

Statement 1 is correct. Inner cabinet (Kitchen cabinet) is an informal body consists of the prime minister and two to four influential colleagues in whom he has faith and with whom he can discuss every problem. It advises the prime minister on important political and administrative issues and assists him in making crucial decisions. It is composed of not only cabinet ministers but also outsiders like friends and family members of the prime minister.

Merits of Kitchen Cabinet

1. It being a small unit, is much more efficient decision-making body than a large cabinet.
2. It can meet more often and deal with business much more expeditiously than the large cabinet

It helps the Prime Minister in maintaining secrecy in making decisions on important political issues.

Demerits of Kitchen Cabinet

It reduces the authority and status of the cabinet as the highest decision-making body. Statement 2 is incorrect.

It circumvents the legal process by allowing outside persons to play an influential role in the government functioning.

A merit system in modern government means a personnel system in which comparative merit or achievement governs each individuals selection and progress in the service and in which the conditions and rewards of performance contribute to the competency and continuity of the service. Under the merit system civil servants remain neutral and promotions take place strictly on the basis of merit. Thus C is the correct Answer.

In India merit principle was established in 1853 on the basis of Macaulay Report. In Britain merit principle was established in 1857 on the recommendations of Northcote- Trevelyan Report. In US, spoil system was replaced by Merit System in 1183 according to Pendleton Act.

UPSC is not only concerned with all India services, but also recruiting many other central services. The function of the UPSC is to advise, not to decide but ‘watch dog of Merit system’, means the institutions which perform merit as the basis of public recruitment. Thus statement a, b and d are Incorrect

Statement 2 is correct . Governor can nominate one member to the state legislature assembly from the Anglo-Indian Community.

Statement 1 is incorrect .There is no provision for the joint sitting of state legislatures.

Like Presidential election, election of vice president is held via system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (indirect election). However, Vice President is elected by Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs. The MLAs or MLCs have no role to play here. This sounds to be an anomaly but it is justified by giving logic that Vice President works as president of the whole country in rare occasions when President is not available. In normal circumstances, his work is to preside the Rajya Sabha.

The Constitution can be amended in three ways:

1. Amendment by simple majority of the Parliament
2. Amendment by special majority of the Parliament
3. Amendment by special majority of the Parliament and the ratification of at least half of the state legislatures.

Amendment by special majority of the Parliament and the ratification of at least half of the state legislatures are

• Election of the President and its manner. Thus statement 2 is correct
• Extent of the executive power of the Union and the states.
• Supreme Court and high courts.
• Distribution of legislative powers between
• The Union and the states.
• Any of the lists in the Seventh Schedule. Thus statement 3 is correct
• Representation of states in Parliament.
• Power of Parliament to amend the Constitution and its procedure (Article 368 itself).

Statement 1 and 4 Only requires simple majority in the parliament. Thus they are incorrect.

The CBI director is appointed by the Centre on the basis of the recommendation of a search committee comprising of the Prime Minister as the chairperson, the Chief Justice of India and the Leader of Opposition. Thus A is the Answer

In the absence of a formal Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, the leader of the floor of the largest opposition party takes part in the search committee meetings.

Earlier, under the DSPE Act, the CBI director was appointed on the basis of the recommendation by a panel comprising the Central Vigilance Commission as chairperson, other vigilance commissioners, Home Secretary and Secretary (Co-ordination and Public Grievances the Cabinet Secretariat).