Daily Quiz: UPSC Prelims Marathon (Polity & International Relations) – April 22, 2020

Eleventh Schedule It contains the following 29 functional items placed within the purview of panchayats:

• Agriculture, including agricultural extension
• Land improvement, implementation of land reforms, land consolidation and soil conservation
• Minor irrigation, water management and watershed development
• Animal husbandry, dairying and poultry
• Fisheries
• Social forestry and farm forestry
• Minor forest produce
• Small-scale industries, including food processing industries
• Khadi, village and cottage industries
• Rural housing
• Drinking water
• Fuel and fodder
• Roads, culverts, bridges, ferries, waterways and other means of communication
• Rural electrification, including distribution of electricity.

Industries is part of State list.

Statement 1 is incorrect: The advocate general is appointed by the governor. He must be a person who is qualified to be appointed a judge of a high court. In other words, he must be a citizen of India and must have held a judicial office for ten years or been an advocate of a high court for ten years.

Statement 2 is correct: The term of office of the advocate general is not fixed by the Constitution. Further, the Constitution does not contain the procedure and grounds for his removal. He holds office during the pleasure of the governor. This means that he may be removed by the governor at any time.

Both statements are correct.

Statement 1 is correct: The time immediately following the Question Hour and laying of papers and before any listed business is taken up in the House has come to be popularly known as the `Zero Hour’.  As it starts around 12 noon, this period is euphemistically termed as `Zero Hour’.  For raising matters during the ‘Zero Hour’ in Lok Sabha, Members give notice between 8.30 a.m.  and  9.00 a.m. everyday to the Speaker stating clearly the subject which they consider to be important and wish to raise in the House.  It is, of course, for the Speaker to allow or not to allow for raising such matters in the House.  The term `Zero Hour’ is not formally recognised in our parliamentary procedure.

Statement 2 is correct: At present, twenty matters per day as per their priority in the ballot are allowed to be raised during “Zero Hour”.  The order in which the matters will be raised is decided by the Speaker at his/her discretion.  In the first phase, 5 matters of urgent national and international importance, as decided by the Chair, are taken up after Question Hour and laying of papers, etc.  In the second phase, the remaining admitted matters of urgent public importance are taken up after 6.00 P.M. or at the end of the regular business of the House. However, since there is no provision in the rules regarding ‘Zero Hour’, hence there is no maximum limit on the number of matters that can be raised on any given day.

Nigeria’s militant Islamist group Boko Haram – which has caused havoc in Africa’s most populous country through a wave of bombings, assassinations and abductions – is fighting to overthrow the government and create an Islamic state. Boko Haram promotes a version of Islam which makes it “haram”, or forbidden, for Muslims to take part in any political or social activity associated with Western society. This includes voting in elections, wearing shirts and trousers or receiving a secular education.