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

Oath or Affirmation by the President.

Before entering upon his office, the President has to make and subscribe to an oath or affirmation. In his oath, the President swears:

• to faithfully execute the office;
• to preserve, protect and defend the Constitutionand the law; and
• to devote himself to the service and well-beingof the people of India.

The President is an integral part of the Parliament of India, and enjoys the following legislative powers.

• He can summon or proroguethe Parliament and dissolve the Lok Sabha. He can also summon a joint sitting of both the Houses of Parliament, which is presided over by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
• He can address the Parliament at the commencement of the first sessionafter each general election and the first session of each year.
• He can send messages to the Houses of Parliament, whether with respect to a bill pending in the Parliament or otherwise.
• He can appoint any member of the Lok Sabha to preside over its proceedingswhen the offices of both the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker fall vacant. Similarly, he can also appoint any member of the Rajya Sabha to preside over its proceedings when the offices of both the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman fall vacant.
• He nominates 12 members of the Rajya Sabhafrom amongst persons having special knowledge or practical experience in literature, science, art and social service.
• He can nominate two members to the Lok Sabhafrom the Anglo-Indian Community.

NOTE: The adjournment is done by presiding officers (speaker / deputy speaker in Lok Sabha and Chairman / Deputy Chairman in Rajya Sabha).

The Prime Minister of India.

Statement 1 is incorrect: The term of the Prime Minister is not fixed and he holds office during the pleasure of the president. However, this does not mean that the president can dismiss the Prime Minister at any time. So long as the Prime Minister enjoys the majority support in the Lok Sabha, he cannot be dismissed by the President.

Statement 2 is incorrect: The Constitution does not contain any specific procedure for the selection and appointment of the Prime Minister. Article 75 says only that the Prime Minister shall be appointed by the president.

The Rajya Sabha.

• The origin of the second Chamber can be traced to the Montague-Chelmsford Reportof 1918.
• The Government of India Act, 1919 provided for the creation of a ‘Council of State’as a second chamber of the then legislature with a restricted franchise which actually came into existence in 1921.
• The Fourth Schedule to the Constitution provides for allocation of seats to the States and Union Territories in Rajya Sabha.
• The allocation of seats is made on the basis of the populationof each State.

The Committees may be classified as Ad-hoc Committees and Standing Committees. Standing Committees may be divided in terms of their functions:

Committees to enquire:

• Committee on Petitions
• Committee on Privileges
• Ethics Committee

Committees to scrutinise and control:

• Committee on Government Assurances
• Committee on Subordinate Legislation and
• Committee on Papers Laid on the Table

Committees relating to day-to-day business of the House:

• Business advisory committee
• Rules Committee

House Keeping Committees:

• House Committee
• General Purpose Committee
• Committee on Provision of Computers to Members of Rajya Sabha

Agreements signed by India and USA.

• India had signed the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) in 2002 and the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) in 2016.
• The last one remaining is the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement for Geo-spatial Cooperation (BECA) is not yet signed by India.
• 

The European Union is based on the rule of law. This means that every action taken by the EU is founded on treaties that have been approved voluntarily and democratically by all EU member countries. A treaty is a binding agreement between EU member countries. It sets out EU objectives, rules for EU institutions, how decisions are made and the relationship between the EU and its member countries. The main treaties are:

Treaty of Lisbon: Signed on 13 December 2007, to make the EU more democratic, more efficient and better able to address global problems, such as climate change, with one voice.

Treaty of Nice: Signed on 26 February 2001, to reform the institutions so that the EU could function efficiently after reaching 25 member countries.

Treaty of Amsterdam: Signed on 2 October 1997, to reform the EU institutions in preparation for the arrival of future member countries.

BASIC group.

Statement 1 is incorrect: The BASIC group was formed as the result of an agreement signed by the four countries on November 28, 2009. They are a bloc of four large newly industrialized countries – Brazil, South Africa, India and China.

Statement 2 is incorrect: The main objective of the BASIC group is to have a broadly common position on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and raising the massive funds that are needed to fight climate change.

Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

• The Eurasian Economic Union is an international organization for regional economic integration. It has international legal personality and is established by the Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union.
• The EAEU provides for free movement of goods, services, capital and labor, pursues coordinated, harmonized and single policyin the sectors determined by the Treaty and international agreements within the Union.
• The Member-States of the Eurasian Economic Union are the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic and the Russian Federation.
• The Union is being created to comprehensively upgrade, raise the competitiveness of and cooperation between the national economies, and to promote stable development in order to raise the living standards of the nations of the Member-States.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) was founded in Baghdad, Iraq, with the signing of an agreement in September 1960 by five countries namely Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. They were to become the Founder Members of the Organization.

• OPEC is a permanent, intergovernmental organization.
• The current OPEC members are the following: Algeria, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, and the Republic of the Congo, Saudi Arabia (the de facto leader), the United Arab Emirates and Venezuela. Ecuador, Indonesia and Qatar are former members.
• OPEC’s objective is to co-ordinate and unify petroleum policies among Member Countries, in order to secure fair and stable prices for petroleum producers; an efficient, economic and regular supply of petroleum to consuming nations; and a fair return on capital to those investing in the industry.
• OPEC membership is open to any country that is a substantial exporter of oil and which shares the ideals of the organization.