The 2020 Codex
Questions 11 to 20 (Set A)
A Parliamentary System of Government is one in which
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (b)
The defining bedrock of a Parliamentary system (the Westminster model) is collective responsibility. According to Article 75(3) of the Indian Constitution, the Council of Ministers (the Government) is collectively responsible to the House of the People (the Lok Sabha). This means the executive stays in power only as long as it enjoys the confidence of the legislature. If Parliament passes a motion of no-confidence, the government is immediately removed.
Route: [REALM 08: Parliamentary Government]The Tether of Trust
The Social Blueprint
Which part of the Constitution of India declares the ideal of Welfare State?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (a) Directive Principles of State Policy
While the Preamble sets the philosophical tone of justice, it is Part IV (Directive Principles of State Policy) that explicitly details the blueprint for a Welfare State. Specifically, Article 38 states that the State shall strive to promote the welfare of the people by securing and protecting a social order in which justice—social, economic, and political—shall inform all the institutions of the national life.
Route: [REALM 49: DPSP: Basic Features]Consider the following statements:
1. The Constitution of India defines its 'basic structure' in terms of federalism, secularism, fundamental rights and democracy.
2. The Constitution of India provides for 'judicial review' to safeguard the citizens' liberties and to preserve the ideals on which the Constitution is based.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (d) Neither 1 nor 2
UPSC frequently tests whether certain phrases are explicitly written in the text of the Constitution.
Statement 1 is False: The Constitution absolutely does not define the 'basic structure'. This was a judicial doctrine invented by the Supreme Court in the 1973 Kesavananda Bharati case to limit Parliament's amending powers.
Statement 2 is False: While the Constitution contains articles that enable judicial review (like Articles 13, 32, and 226), the exact phrase "judicial review" and a general provision explicitly defining it to "preserve the ideals on which the Constitution is based" is nowhere written or defined in the Constitution.
Route: [REALM 62: Basic Structure Doctrine] & [REALM 71: Judicial Review]The Missing Text
The Converging Utopias
One common agreement between Gandhism and Marxism is
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (a) the final goal of a stateless society
While Karl Marx and Mahatma Gandhi had radically different methods (Marx believed in violent class struggle, Gandhi believed in non-violence and trusteeship), their ultimate utopian vision was identical: a society where the "State" withers away.
Marx called this the final stage of communism, where the state apparatus is no longer needed to suppress the working class. Gandhi called this "Ramrajya" or "Enlightened Anarchy," a system where every individual is so morally developed and self-governing that no police, military, or centralized state is necessary.
Route: [REALM 57: Communism] & [REALM 62: Mahatma Gandhi]In the context of India, which one of the following is the characteristic appropriate for bureaucracy?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (d) An agency for the implementation of public policy
In political science and public administration, the fundamental role of the bureaucracy (the permanent executive/civil service) is exactly one thing: executing the will of the legislature. While politicians (the temporary executive) formulate and pass laws/policies, it is the sole characteristic role of the bureaucracy to be the agency for the implementation of that public policy on the ground level, ensuring it reaches the citizens.
Route: [REALM 88: Roles of Civil Services]The Transmission Gear
The Interpretive Key
The Preamble to the Constitution of India is
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (d) a part of the Constitution but has no legal effect independently of other parts
This is a brilliant question tracking the evolution of Supreme Court judgments:
- In the Berubari Union case (1960), the SC wrongly said the Preamble is not a part of the Constitution.
- In Kesavananda Bharati (1973) and LIC of India (1995), the SC corrected itself, declaring that the Preamble is an integral part of the Constitution.
- However, it is non-justiciable. You cannot go to court to enforce the Preamble on its own. It only has legal effect when read in conjunction with other specific articles to clarify ambiguities. Thus, it has no legal effect "independently."
"Gold Tranche" (Reserve Tranche) refers to
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (d) a credit system granted by IMF to its members
When a country joins the International Monetary Fund (IMF), it pays a specific "quota". Originally, 25% of this quota had to be paid in gold (hence the name "Gold Tranche"), and the rest in the country's own currency.
Today, this 25% is known as the Reserve Tranche Position (RTP). It is essentially an emergency credit line. An IMF member country can access its Reserve Tranche funds unconditionally at any time without paying fees or facing the strict economic conditions usually attached to IMF bailouts.
Route: [REALM 183: IMF]The IMF Vault
The Guiding Compass
With reference to the provisions contained in Part IV of the Constitution of India, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. They shall be enforceable by courts.
2. They shall not be enforceable by any court.
3. The principles laid down in this part are to influence the making of laws by the State.
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (d) 2 and 3 only
This is a direct reading of Article 37 of the Constitution, which governs the application of the Directive Principles of State Policy (Part IV).
Statement 1 is False and Statement 2 is True: Article 37 explicitly states that the provisions contained in Part IV "shall not be enforceable by any court." You cannot sue the government for not providing equal pay or uniform civil code.
Statement 3 is True: The very same Article 37 continues to say that these principles are "nevertheless fundamental in the governance of the country and it shall be the duty of the State to apply these principles in making laws."
Route: [REALM 49: DPSP: Basic Features]Consider the following statements:
1. According to the Constitution of India, a person who is eligible to vote can be made a minister in a State for six months even if he/she is not a member of the Legislature of that State.
2. According to the Representation of People Act, 1951, a person convicted of a criminal offence and sentenced to imprisonment for five years is permanently disqualified from contesting an election even after his release from prison.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Statement 1 is False: While Article 164(4) allows a non-legislator to become a minister for 6 months, the Supreme Court has ruled they must possess the qualifications required to become an MLA. To be "eligible to vote," you only need to be 18 years old. To be an MLA (and thus a minister), you must be at least 25 years old.
Statement 2 is False: Section 8(3) of the RPA 1951 states that a person sentenced to imprisonment for two years or more is disqualified from the date of conviction and continues to be disqualified for a further period of six years after their release. It is a severe penalty, but it is not permanent.
Route: [REALM 150: Representation of the People Act, 1951] & [REALM 123: Classes of Ministers]The Dual Barriers
The President's Clock
Consider the following statements:
1. The President of India can summon a session of the Parliament at such place as he/she thinks fit.
2. The Constitution of India provides for three sessions of the Parliament in a year, but it is not mandatory to conduct all three sessions.
3. There is no minimum number of days that the Parliament is required to meet in a year.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (c) 1 and 3 only
Statement 1 is True: Under Article 85(1) of the Constitution, the President of India explicitly has the power to summon each House of Parliament to meet at such time and "at such place" as he thinks fit.
Statement 2 is False: The Constitution does not provide for three sessions (Budget, Monsoon, Winter). Those three sessions are merely a parliamentary convention. The only constitutional rule is that six months shall not intervene between the last sitting in one session and the first sitting in the next.
Statement 3 is True: Unlike some modern democratic constitutions, the Indian Constitution does not mandate a minimum number of working days for Parliament in a year.
Route: [REALM 133: Sessions of Parliament]