Daily Quiz: UPSC Prelims Marathon (Polity & International Relations) – 7 October 2020

Features of the Regulating act of 1773:
•It designated the Governor of Bengal as the ‘Governor-General of Bengal’ and created an Executive Council of four members to assist him. The first such Governor-General was Lord Warren Hastings.
•It made the governors of Bombay and Madras presidencies subordinate to the governor-general of Bengal (Centralization), unlike earlier, when the three presidencies were independent of one another.
•It provided for the establishment of a Supreme Court at Calcutta (1774) comprising one chief justice and three other judges.
•It prohibited the servants of the Company from engaging in any private trade or accepting presents or bribes from the ‘natives’.
•It strengthened the control of the British Government over the Company by requiring the Court of Directors (governing body of the Company) to report on its revenue, civil, and military affairs in India.
Source: Laxmikanth

The Constituent Assembly was constituted in November 1946 under the scheme formulated by the Cabinet Mission Plan.
The representatives of princely states were to be nominated by the heads of the princely states.
Source: Laxmikanth

The features borrowed from Australian Constitution are:
•Concurrent List
•Freedom of trade
•Commerce and intercourse
•Joint sitting of the two Houses of Parliament
•The language used in the Preamble
Source: Laxmikanth & Indian Express

The Preamble is called the introduction letter of the Indian Constitution. The preamble was amended by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act in 1976, in which three new words Socialist, Secular, and Integrity were added.
Source: Laxmikanth

Article 3 authorizes the Parliament to:
•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,
•increase the area of any state,
•diminish the area of any state,
•alter the boundaries of any state, and
•alter the name of any state.
Source: Laxmikanth

42nd Amendment Act, 1976 is one of the most important amendments to the Indian Constitution.
•It was enacted by Indian National Congress headed by Indira Gandhi then.
•Due to the large number of amendments this act has brought to the Indian Constitution, it is also known as ‘Mini-Constitution.’
Source: Laxmikanth

Although the chairman and members of a SPSC are appointed by the governor, they can be removed only by the president (and not by the governor).
The chairman and members of the Commission hold office for a term of six years or until they attain the age of 62 years, whichever is earlier (in the case of UPSC, the age limit is 65 years).
Source: Laxmikanth

The term State has been used in different provisions concerning the fundamental rights. Hence, Article 12 has defined the term for the purposes of Part III. According to it, the State includes the following:
•Government and Parliament of India, that is, executive and legislative organs of the Union government.
•Government and legislature of states, that is, executive and legislative organs of state government.
•All local authorities, which is, municipalities, panchayats, district boards, improvement trusts, etc.
•All other authorities, that is, statutory or non-statutory authorities like LIC, ONGC, SAIL, etc.
Source: Laxmikanth

The Right to move freely throughout the territory of India and Right to reside and settle in any part of the territory of India comes under Protection of six rights regarding freedom (Article 19). Right to travel abroad is comes under Protection of life and personal liberty (Article 21).
Source: Laxmikanth

The Indian Constitution also contains a large number of unitary or non-federal features, viz., a strong Centre, single Constitution, single citizenship, flexibility of Constitution, integrated judiciary, appointment of state governor by the Centre, all-India services, emergency provisions, and so on.
Source: Laxmikanth