Class Notes 4 You

1. The Constitution has declared Hindi in Devanagari script as the Official Language of the Parliament.  2. If a member wants to address a house of the Parliament in his mother tongue, he needs the prior consent of the Presiding Officer.  Which of the statements given above is/are correct?  a) 1 only  b) 2 only  c) Both 1 and 2  d) Neither 1 nor 2 Solution:  The Constitution has declared Hindi and English to be the languages for transacting business in the Parliament.  Article 343 states that the official language of the Union shall be Hindi in Devanagari script.  Though English was to be discontinued as a floor language after the expiration of fifteen years from the commencement of the Constitution (that is, in 1965), the Official Languages Act (1963) allowed English to be continued along with Hindi.  The presiding officer can permit a member to address the House in his mother-tongue.  In both the Houses, arrangemen...

1. The corpus of the Contingency Fund of India is Rs 30,000 crore.  2. The fund is held by the Union Finance Secretary on behalf of the President.  3. Any amount withdrawn from the fund is returned to it from the Public Account of India.  Which of the statements given above is/are correct?  a) 1 and 2 only  b) 2 and 3 only  c) 1 and 3 only  d) 1, 2 and 3 Solution:  The Contingency Fund of the Union government has a corpus of Rs 30,000 crore.  Constituted under Article 267(1) of the Indian Constitution, the fund is used at a time when there is a crisis in the nation and money is required to deal with it.  This fund is held by the finance secretary on behalf of the President.  This fund is placed at the disposal of the President, and he can make advances out of it to meet unforeseen expenditure pending its authorisation by the Parliament.  Like the Public Account of India, it is also operated by executive action....

1. While the Finance Bill contains provisions on financial proposals of the government, an Appropriation Bill authorises the payments from the Consolidated Fund of India.  2. Unlike the Appropriation Bill, the amendments seeking to reject or reduce a tax can be moved in the case of finance bill.  3. Both the Appropriation and Finance bills are classified as money bills.  Which of the statements given above is/are correct?  a) 1 and 2 only  b) 2 and 3 only  c) 1 and 3 only d) 1, 2 and 3 Solution:  An appropriation bill is introduced to provide for the appropriation, out of the Consolidated Fund of India.  The Appropriation act authorises the payments from the consolidated Fund of India.  The Finance Bill is introduced to give effect to the financial proposals of the Government of India for the following year.  It is subjected to all the conditions applicable to a Money Bill.  Unlike the Appropriation Bill, the amendmen...

1. A House of Parliament is summoned by the President of India.  2. A House of Parliament is prorogued by the Presiding Officer of the House.  3. Leader of the Opposition does not have any statutory recognition.  4. A Whip regulates behaviour of his/her party members in the House.  Which of the statements given above is/are correct?  a) 1 and 2 only  b) 4 only  c) 1 and 4 only  d) 2, 3 and 4 only Solution:  The President of India from time to time summons each House of Parliament to meet.  But, the maximum gap between two sessions of Parliament cannot be more than six months.  In other words, the Parliament should meet at least twice a year.   Prorogation of the House is done by president and not by the presiding officers of Houses. Prorogation means the termination of a session of the House by an order made by the President under Article 85 of the Constitution.  Prorogation terminates both the sit...

1. It provides a democratic means to bring about social transformation.  2. A fine balance is maintained between parliamentary sovereignty and judicial supremacy by the Indian Constitution.  3. It limits the power of the government.  Which of the statements given above is/are correct?  a) 1 and 2 only  b) 1 and 3 only  c) 2 and 3 only  d) 1, 2 and 3 Solution:  Indian Constitution provides peaceful, democratic means to bring about social transformation.  For a hitherto colonized people, it announces and embodies the first real exercise of political self-determination.  A fine balance has been struck between parliamentary sovereignty and judicial supremacy by the Indian Constitution.  Articles 13, 32 and 136 gives the power of judicial review.  By its power of judicial review, it can strike down any parliamentary law as unconstitutional.  Thus, keeping a check over Parliamentary sovereignty.  On the other h...

1. General Purposes Committee regulates the programme and time table of the House. 2. Rules Committee considers the matters of procedure and conduct of business in the House.  3. Business Advisory Committee advises on matters which do not fall within the jurisdiction of any other Parliamentary Committee.  Which of the statements given above is/are correct?  a) 1 and 3 only  b) 2 only  c) 2 and 3 only  d) 1, 2 and 3  Solution:  General Purposes Committee considers and advises on matters concerning affairs of the House, which do not fall within the jurisdiction of any other parliamentary committee.  In each House, this committee consists of the presiding officer (Speaker / Chairman) as its ex-officio Chairman.  Rules Committee considers the matters of procedure and conduct of business in the House and recommends necessary amendments or additions to the rules of the House.  Business Advisory Committee regulates the prog...

1. If he/she holds any Office of Profit under the Union Government.  2. If he/she is in detention under a preventive detention law.  3. If he/she is an undischarged insolvent.  Which of the statements given above is/are correct?  a) 1 only  b) 2 only  c) 1 and 3 only  d) 1, 2 and 3 Solution:  Under the Constitution, a person shall be disqualified for being elected as a member of Parliament, if he/she holds any office of profit under the Union or state government (except that of a minister or any other office exempted by Parliament).  Under the RPA (1951), a person is disqualified if he/she has been convicted for any offence resulting in imprisonment for two or more years.  But, the detention of a person under a preventive detention law does not lead to disqualification.  Under the constitution, a person is disqualified if he/she is an undischarged insolvent.  Ans: (c)