Legislature

: The Act provides for a Legislative Assembly for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Statement 1 is incorrect. The Legislative Assembly may make laws for any part of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir related to: (i) any matters specified in the State List of the Constitution, except “Police” and “Public Order”, and (ii) any matter in the Concurrent List applicable to Union Territories.
Further, Parliament will have the power to make laws in relation to any matter for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Statement 2 is correct.

1 is correct. A Starred Question is one to which a member desires an oral answer in the House and which is distinguished by an asterisk mark. When a question is answered orally, supplementary questions can be asked thereon.
Statement 2 is correct. An Un-starred Question is one which is not called for oral answer in the House and on which no supplementary questions can consequently be asked. To such a question, a written answer is deemed to have been laid on the Table after the Question Hour by the Minister to whom it is addressed.
A Short Notice Question is one which relates to a matter of urgent public importance and can be asked with shorter notice than the period of notice prescribed for an ordinary question. Like a starred question, it is answered orally followed by supplementary questions.
The Question to a Private Member is addressed to the Member himself/herself and it is asked when the subject matter of it pertains to any Bill, Resolution or any matter relating to the Business of the House for which that Member is responsible.

Statement 1 is correct. The President shall from time to time summon each House of Parliament to meet at such time and place as he thinks fit, but six months shall not intervene between its last sitting in one session and the date appointed for its first sitting in the next session. [Article 85(1)]
Statement 2 is incorrect. The President may from time to time— (a) prorogue the Houses or either House; (b) dissolve the House of the People. [Article 85(2)]
The Council of States is not be subject to dissolution, but as nearly as possible one-third of the members thereof retire on the expiration of every second year. [Article 83(1)]
Statement 3 is correct. Every Minister and the Attorney-General of India shall have the right to speak in, and otherwise to take part in the proceedings of, either House, any joint sitting of the Houses, and any committee of Parliament of which he may be named a member, but shall not by virtue of this article be entitled to vote. [Article 88]

Public Debt denotes liabilities payable by the Central Government, which are contracted against the Consolidated Fund of India, as provided under Article 292 of the Constitution of India.
It excludes liabilities contracted against Public Account.
Public Debt has been further classified under two heads, i.e., Internal Debt and External Debt. Internal debt is categorized into marketable and non-marketable securities.
Marketable government securities include G-secs and T-Bills issued through auction. Non-marketable securities include intermediate treasury bills issued to state governments, special securities issued to national Small Savings Fund among others.
Most of the external debt is sourced from multilateral agencies such as International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), Asian Development Bank (ADB), etc. and official bilateral agencies.
Public Account Liabilities include liabilities on account of National Small Saving Fund (NSSF), State Provident Funds, Reserve Funds and Deposits, and Other Accounts.

Constitution mandates that there shall be a Council of Ministers with the Prime Minister at the head to aid and advise the President who shall, in the exercise of his functions, act in accordance with such advice. [Article 74(1)]
Statement 1 is incorrect. The Council of Ministers shall be collectively responsible to the House of the People. [Article 75(3)]
Statement 2 is correct. The Prime Minister shall be appointed by the President and the other Ministers shall be appointed by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister. [Article 75(1)]
Statement 3 is correct. The Ministers shall hold office during the pleasure of the President. [Article 75(2)]

Statement 1 is correct. The Business Advisory Committee of Lok Sabha consists of 15 members including the Speaker who is the ex-officio Chairperson.
The function of the Committee is to recommend the time that should be allotted for the discussion of such government legislative and other business as the Speaker, in consultation with the Leader of the House, may direct to be referred to the Committee.
Statement 2 is incorrect. Almost all sections of the House are represented on the Committee.
The members are nominated by the Speaker. In practice, a new Committee after being nominated by the Speaker is constituted and assumes office in the first week of June every year. Casual vacancies are filled by nomination of new members for the unexpired term of the Committee. The Committee generally meets at the beginning of each Session and thereafter as and when necessary.

Statement 1 is correct. A Starred Question is one to which a member desires an oral answer in the House and which is distinguished by an asterisk mark. When a question is answered orally, supplementary questions can be asked thereon.
Statement 2 is correct. An Un-starred Question is one which is not called for oral answer in the House and on which no supplementary questions can consequently be asked. To such a question, a written answer is deemed to have been laid on the Table after the Question Hour by the Minister to whom it is addressed.
A Short Notice Question is one which relates to a matter of urgent public importance and can be asked with shorter notice than the period of notice prescribed for an ordinary question. Like a starred question, it is answered orally followed by supplementary questions.
The Question to a Private Member is addressed to the Member himself/herself and it is asked when the subject matter of it pertains to any Bill, Resolution or any matter relating to the Business of the House for which that Member is responsible.

Statement 1 is correct. The President shall from time to time summon each House of Parliament to meet at such time and place as he thinks fit, but six months shall not intervene between its last sitting in one session and the date appointed for its first sitting in the next session. [Article 85(1)]
Statement 2 is incorrect. The President may from time to time— (a) prorogue the Houses or either House; (b) dissolve the House of the People. [Article 85(2)]
The Council of States is not be subject to dissolution, but as nearly as possible one-third of the members thereof retire on the expiration of every second year. [Article 83(1)]
Statement 3 is correct. Every Minister and the Attorney-General of India shall have the right to speak in, and otherwise to take part in the proceedings of, either House, any joint sitting of the Houses, and any committee of Parliament of which he may be named a member, but shall not by virtue of this article be entitled to vote. [Article 88]

Constitution mandates that there shall be a Council of Ministers with the Prime Minister at the head to aid and advise the President who shall, in the exercise of his functions, act in accordance with such advice. [Article 74(1)]
Statement 1 is incorrect. The Council of Ministers shall be collectively responsible to the House of the People. [Article 75(3)]
Statement 2 is correct. The Prime Minister shall be appointed by the President and the other Ministers shall be appointed by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister. [Article 75(1)]
Statement 3 is correct. The Ministers shall hold office during the pleasure of the President. [Article 75(2)]

In the parliamentary system, the legislature and the executive are together and inseparable.
• The cabinet acts as the leader of legislature as well as the executive.
• As Bagehot points out, ‘the cabinet is a hyphen that joins the buckle that binds the executive and legislative departments together.’
• Hence, the whole system of government goes against the letter and spirit of the theory of separation of powers. In fact, there is a fusion of powers.

Statement 1 is correct. The Business Advisory Committee of Lok Sabha consists of 15 members including the Speaker who is the ex-officio Chairperson.
The function of the Committee is to recommend the time that should be allotted for the discussion of such government legislative and other business as the Speaker, in consultation with the Leader of the House, may direct to be referred to the Committee.
Statement 2 is incorrect. Almost all sections of the House are represented on the Committee.
The members are nominated by the Speaker. In practice, a new Committee after being nominated by the Speaker is constituted and assumes office in the first week of June every year. Casual vacancies are filled by nomination of new members for the unexpired term of the Committee. The Committee generally meets at the beginning of each Session and thereafter as and when necessary.

Both statements are correct.
As per the provisions of the Constitution under Article 341:
Clause (1); President may with respect to any State or Union territory, and where it is a State, after consultation with the Governor thereof, by public notification, specify the castes, races or tribes or parts of or groups within castes, races or tribes which shall for the purposes of this Constitution be deemed to be Scheduled Castes in relation to that State or Union territory, as the case may be.
Clause (2); Parliament may by law include in or exclude from the list of Scheduled Castes specified in a notification issued under the clause given above any caste, race or tribe or part of or group within any caste, race or tribe, but save as aforesaid a notification issued under the said clause shall not be varied by any subsequent notification.

Under article 75(3) of the Constitution, the Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to Lok Sabha which means Rajya Sabha cannot make or unmake the Government.
• It can, however, exercise control over the Government and this function becomes quite prominent, particularly when the Government does not enjoy majority in Rajya Sabha.
• Ministers may belong to either House of Parliament. The Constitution does not make any distinction between the Houses in this regard.
• Every Minister has the right to speak and take part in the proceedings of either House but he is entitled to vote only in the House of which he is a member.
• Similarly, with regard to powers, privileges and immunities of the Houses of Parliament, their members and committees thereof, the two Houses are placed absolutely on equal footing by the Constitution.
• Other important matters in respect of which both Houses enjoy equal powers are election and impeachment of the President, election of the Vice-President, approving the Proclamation of Emergency, the proclamation regarding failure of constitutional machinery in States and financial emergency. In respect of receiving reports and papers from various statutory authorities, etc., both Houses have equal powers.

In a parliamentary democracy, Parliament has broadly two functions, which are lawmaking and oversight of the executive branch of the government.
• Parliament is the embodiment of the people’s will. Committees (Parliamentary standing committees) are an instrument of Parliament for its own effective functioning.
• Given the volume of legislative business, discussing all Bills under the consideration of Parliament in detail on the floor of the House is impossible.
• Committees are platforms for threadbare discussion on a proposed law.
• At least in principle, the assumption is that the smaller cohort of lawmakers, assembled on the basis of the proportional strength of individual parties and interests and expertise of individual lawmakers, could have more open, intensive and better informed discussions.
• Committee meetings are ‘closed door’ and members are not bound by party whips, which allows them the latitude for a more meaningful exchange of views as against discussions in full and open Houses where grandstanding and party positions invariably take precedence.

The budget goes through the following six stages in the Parliament:
• Presentation of budget.
• General discussion.
• Scrutiny by departmental committees.
• Voting on demands for grants.
• Passing of appropriation bill.
• Passing of finance bill.

The President is an integral part of the Parliament of India, and enjoys the
following legislative powers.
•He can summon or prorogue the 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 session after
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 proceedings
when 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 Sabha from amongst persons having
special knowledge or practical experience in literature, science, art and social
service.
•He can nominate two members to the Lok Sabha from 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 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

The judicial powers and functions of the Parliament include the following:
•It can impeach the President for the violation of the Constitution.
•It can remove the Vice-President from his office.
•It can recommend the removal of judges (including chief justice) of the Supreme
Court and the high courts, chief election commissioner, comptroller and auditor
general to the president.
•It can punish its members or outsiders for the breach of its privileges or its
contempt.

Members have a right to ask questions to elicit information on matters of
public importance within the special cognizance of the Ministers concerned. The questions
are of four types:—
•Starred Questions- A Starred Question is one to which a member desires an oral
answer from the Minister in the House and is required to be distinguished by
him/her with an asterisk. Answer to such a question may be followed by
supplementary questions by members.
•Unstarred Questions- an Unstarred Question is one to which written answer is
desired by the member and is deemed to be laid on the Table of the House by
Minister. Thus it is not called for oral answer in the House and no supplementary
question can be asked thereon.
•Short Notice Questions- A member may give a notice of question on a matter of
public importance and of urgent character for oral answer at a notice less than 10
days prescribed as the minimum period of notice for asking a question in ordinary
course. Such a question is known as ‘Short Notice Question’.
•Questions to Private Members- A Question may also be addressed to a Private
Member (Under Rule 40 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok
Sabha), provided that the subject matter of the question relates to some Bill,
Resolution or other matter connected with the business of the House for which that
Member is responsible. The procedure in regard to such questions is same as that
followed in the case of questions addressed to a Minister with such variations as the
Speaker may consider necessary.

Statement 1 is correct. Constitution under article 155 and 156 provides that
the Governor of a State shall be appointed by the President by warrant under his hand
and seal.
Term of office of Governor: The Governor shall hold office during the pleasure of the
President. The Governor may, by writing under his hand addressed to the President, resign
his office and a Governor shall hold office for a term of five years from the date on which he
enters upon his office:
Provided that a Governor shall, notwithstanding the expiration of his term, continue to hold
office until his successor enters upon his office.
Statement 2 is incorrect. Article 153 states that there shall be a Governor for each State:
Provided that nothing in this article shall prevent the appointment of the same person as
Governor for two or more States.
Statement 3 is incorrect. Article 157 states that no person shall be eligible for appointment
as Governor unless he is a citizen of India and has completed the age of thirty-five years.
Further limitations are provided under article 158: The Governor shall not be a member of
either House of Parliament or of a House of the Legislature and he shall not hold any other office of profit.

Statement 1 is correct. A Starred Question is one to which a member desires
an oral answer in the House and which is distinguished by an asterisk mark. When a
question is answered orally, supplementary questions can be asked thereon.
Statement 2 is correct. An Un-starred Question is one which is not called for oral answer
in the House and on which no supplementary questions can consequently be asked. To
such a question, a written answer is deemed to have been laid on the Table after the
Question Hour by the Minister to whom it is addressed.
A Short Notice Question is one which relates to a matter of urgent public importance and
can be asked with shorter notice than the period of notice prescribed for an ordinary
question. Like a starred question, it is answered orally followed by supplementary
questions.
The Question to a Private Member is addressed to the Member himself/herself and it is
asked when the subject matter of it pertains to any Bill, Resolution or any matter relating to
the Business of the House for which that Member is responsible.

Statement 1 is incorrect. Article 93 states that the House of the People shall,
as soon as may be, choose two members of the House to be respectively Speaker and
Deputy Speaker.
There no provision for the Deputy Speaker to be mandatorily be from the opposition party
members.
Statement 2 is correct. The salaries and allowances of the Chairman and the Deputy
Chairman of the Council of States and the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the House
of the People are the expenditure charged on the Consolidated Fund of India.

Statement 1 is correct. The President shall from time to time summon each
House of Parliament to meet at such time and place as he thinks fit, but six months shall
not intervene between its last sitting in one session and the date appointed for its first
sitting in the next session. [Article 85(1)]
Statement 2 is incorrect. The President may from time to time— (a) prorogue the Houses or
either House; (b) dissolve the House of the People. [Article 85(2)]
The Council of States is not be subject to dissolution, but as nearly as possible one-third
of the members thereof retire on the expiration of every second year. [Article 83(1)]
Statement 3 is correct. Every Minister and the Attorney-General of India shall have the
right to speak in, and otherwise to take part in the proceedings of, either House, any joint
sitting of the Houses, and any committee of Parliament of which he may be named a
member, but shall not by virtue of this article be entitled to vote. [Article 88]

Statement 1 is incorrect. The Department-related Parliamentary Standing
Committee consists of 31 members; 21 members from LokSabha, nominated by the
Speaker, LokSabha and 10 from RajyaSabha nominated by the Chairman, RajyaSabha.
A Minister is not eligible to be nominated as a member of any of the Standing Committees.
Statement 2 is correct. Functions of the Committee:
-to consider the Demands for Grants and make Reports on the same to the Houses;
-to examine such Bills as are referred to the Committee by the Speaker, LokSabha or the
Chairman, RajyaSabha as the case may be, and make Reports thereon;
-to consider Annual Reports of the concerned Ministries/Departments and make Reports
thereon; and
-to consider national basic long-term policy documents presented to the Houses.

Constitution mandates that there shall be a Council of Ministers with the
Prime Minister at the head to aid and advise the President who shall, in the exercise of his
functions, act in accordance with such advice. [Article 74(1)]
Statement 1 is incorrect. The Council of Ministers shall be collectively responsible to the
House of the People. [Article 75(3)]
Statement 2 is correct. The Prime Minister shall be appointed by the President and the
other Ministers shall be appointed by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister.
[Article 75(1)]
Statement 3 is correct. The Ministers shall hold office during the pleasure of the
President. [Article 75(2)]

Statement 1 is correct. The Business Advisory Committee of Lok Sabha
consists of 15 members including the Speaker who is the ex-officio Chairperson.
The function of the Committee is to recommend the time that should be allotted for the
discussion of such government legislative and other business as the Speaker, in
consultation with the Leader of the House, may direct to be referred to the Committee.
Statement 2 is incorrect. Almost all sections of the House are represented on the
Committee.
The members are nominated by the Speaker. In practice, a new Committee after being
nominated by the Speaker is constituted and assumes office in the first week of June every
year. Casual vacancies are filled by nomination of new members for the unexpired term of
the Committee. The Committee generally meets at the beginning of each Session and
thereafter as and when necessary.

Statement 1 is incorrect. Broadly, Parliamentary Committees are of two
kinds – Standing Committees and ad hoc Committees. The Standing Committees are
elected or appointed every year or periodically and their work goes on, more or less, on a
continuous basis. The ad hoc Committees are appointed as need arises and they cease to
exist as soon as they complete the task assigned to them.
Statement 2 is correct. The three Financial Committees – Committees on Estimates,
Public Accounts and Public Undertakings – constitute a distinct group as they keep a vigil
over Government expenditure and performance.
While members of the Rajya Sabha are associated with Committees on Public Accounts and
Public Undertakings, the members of the Committee on Estimates are drawn entirely from
the Lok Sabha.
The Public Accounts Committee scrutinises appropriation and finance accounts of
Government and reports of the Comptroller and Auditor-General. It ensures that public
money is spent in accordance with Parliament’s decision and calls attention to cases of waste, extravagance, loss or nugatory expenditure.

Adjournment of Debate: Adjournment on a motion adopted by the House, of
the debate on a Motion/Resolution/Bill on which the House is then engaged until a future
day or sine die as specified in the motion.
Adjournment of the sitting of the House: Termination of the sitting of the House which
meets again at the time appointed for the next sitting.
Adjournment sine die: Termination of a sitting of the House without any definite date
being fixed for the next sitting.
Prorogation: The termination of a session by an order made by the President under article 85(2)(a) of the Constitution.

Among the Standing Committees, the three Financial Committees –
Committees on Estimates, Public Accounts and Public Undertakings – constitute a distinct
group as they keep an unremitting vigil over Government expenditure and performance.
Statement 1 is incorrect. The Estimates Committee reports on ‘what economies,
improvements in organisation, efficiency or administrative reform consistent with policy
underlying the estimates’ may be affected. It also examines whether the money is well laid
out within limits of the policy implied in the estimates and suggests the form in which
estimates shall be presented to Parliament.
While members of the Rajya Sabha are associated with Committees on Public Accounts and
Public Undertakings, the members of the Committee on Estimates are drawn entirely
from the Lok Sabha
Statement 2 is correct. There are 24 Department Related Standing Committees (DRSCs).
The functions of these Committees are:
-To consider the Demands for Grants of various Ministries/Departments of Government of
India and make reports to the Houses;
-To examine such Bills as are referred to the Committee by the Chairman, Rajya Sabha
or the Speaker, Lok Sabha, as the case may be, and make reports thereon;
-To consider Annual Reports of ministries/departments and make reports thereon; and
-To consider policy documents presented to the Houses, if referred to the Committee by the
Chairman, Rajya Sabha or the Speaker, Lok Sabha, as the case may be, and make reports
thereon.

Most of the business of Parliament is, therefore, transacted in Committees of the House, known as Parliamentary Committees.
Statement 1 is correct. Standing Committees are permanent and regular committees which are constituted from time to time in pursuance of the provisions of an Act of Parliament or Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha/Rajya Sabha. The work of these Committees is of continuous nature. The Financial Committees, DRSCs and some other Committees come under the category of Standing Committees.
Statement 2 is correct. Ad hoc Committees are appointed for a specific purpose and they cease to exist when they finish the task assigned to them and submit a report. The principal Ad hoc Committees are the Select and Joint Committees on Bills.