Polity previous year questions

It often happens that we get drawn into the intricacies of the subject or are pushed into it by random classes/test series, while UPSC seldom goes beyond wordings of constitution and very general matters.
I feel that previous year questions are critical for course correction and to instill confidence among those who feel destroyed by ridiculously difficult and factual test papers floating about in the market.
Also, going through massive books on previous year questions gets tedious. So, here is a quick run through of single line mentions of questions from previous years.
It is quite like the scene in Mahabharata. UPSC asks to shoot at the parrot's eye, like Dronacharya. We have to ask ourselves, what we should then focus on. We go about studying the tree, sky, sun etc, and obviously miss out on the parrot. So, let's not miss the parrot at least, if not its eye.

2014

President shall make rules for more convenient transaction of business of GOI and for allocation among ministers of said business[TRUE]---Art 77

All executive actions of GOI shall be expressed to be taken in name prime minister president---Art 77

There is no mention of no confidence motion in Constitution[TRUE], motion of NCM can be introduced only in LS[TRUE]

Power of SC to decide disputes between center and states falls under its-----original jurisdiction

Power to increase number of judges in SC is vested in----parliament

Largest committee in Parliament----Committee on estimates

Schedule containing provisions regarding anti defection --- 10th schedule

In constitution, promotion of international peace and security is included in-----DPSPs

Functions of cabinet secretariat----preparation of agenda for cabinet meetings[OK], Secretarial assistance to cabinet committees, allocation of financial resources to ministries

Constitutional govet is one which---places effective restrictions on individual liberty in interest of state authority, places effective restrictions on authority of state in interest of individual liberty

Discretionary powers given to governor of state---sending report to President for imposing president's rule, appointing ministers, reserving certain bills passed by state legislature for consideration of President of India, making rules to conduct business of state govt

Match---Drought prone area program---min of agri MoRD, desert development program---MOEF MORD, national watershed development project for rainfed areas---MORDMin of Agri

2013

Fundamental to governance--- DPSPs

Economic justice, one of objectives of Constitution, provided in : Preamble, DPSPs(art 38)

Attorney general can----take part in LS, be member of committee, speak, vote [Art 76]

Money bill----what happens if RS amends it

Governors for more than one state----possible? Who appoints SCJ, HJ? In UTs with lgsl, how is CM appointed? [Art 153]

Constitutional Amendment---can be introduced in either house, no joint sitting, need Prez reco? Types of amednments etc Art 368

Constitutional bodies or not---NDC, PC, Zonal councils(none of these are)

Parliament can make laws for whole or any part w/o state consent to fulfill international treaty [Art 253]

PESA 1996 objectives?

NDC members?

Parliament committee on Public accounts---composition? Function?

Council of ministers collectively responsible to LS only not Parliament [Art 75]

Parliamentary form of govt features

Chair and deputy chair of RS are not members of that House, they are members, nominated members cant vote for President election but can for Vice-president election

NALSA functions

2012

PESA 1996, Role of GS

Parliament, purpose of adjournment motion

Identify Gandhian DPSPs(40,43,45,46,47, 48)

UT representation in RS?

Speaker has to be member of house at time of election, resigns giving letter to Deputy speaker

Original jurisdiction of SC----disputes between GOI and states, between states, between GOI and UT, elections to lgsl

Powers to RS

Parliament control over public purse: Art 112-117, 266

Which provisions affect education, DPSP, ULB/PRI, 5th and 6th schedule, 7th schedule

CAG office---functions, importance

PM---doesn’t have to be member, can be elected within 6 months

Delimitation commission----orders cant be challenged in court, cant be modified by legislature

President lays down reports of ----FC, CAG, NS-SC, PAC

Identify FDs in given options

Provisions safeguarding autonomy of SC

2011

73rd CAA 1992 provides for : DPCs SEC, SFC ( DPC was put in by 74th CAA)

Authorization for withdrawal from CFI should come from----Parliament

All revenues = taxes + receipts from govt business---> go to CFI[check what goes into CFI and what goes out of it, how]

Identify FDs

FC functions(tricky options)

Metropolitan Planning committee---constitutional(yes), functions?

Difference between vote-on-account and interim budget?

2010

Provisions fulfilled by NSAP---DPSP(yes art 41), FR, FD

Read art 143, 131 advisory jurisdiction

Lok adalats---can settle even cases pending in court(apart from those in pre-litigative stage), may be civil or criminal case(but not compoundable offence even if both parties agree to any settlement), presided over by sitting/retd judicial person or other person of respect and legal knowledge as chair + 2 other members(usually a lawyer and a social worker)

Responsible for pre and presentation of union budget to Parliament --- dept of economic affairs(process usually involves fin min, secy of dept of revenue, dept of econ affairs, dept of expenditure, chief economic advisor(is an office attached with min of commerce and industry))

2009

Panchayat dissolved or finishes term, elections

Administrators of various UTs

1st municipal corporation set up in India at Madras 1687, next Bombay Calcutta 1726

Award of Lok Adalat is deemed to be a decree of civil court and no appeal lies against it in any court---it is binding on both parties---also covers family disputes, matrimonial disputes

Cabinet secretariat is under direct charge of PM(responsible for admin of GOI rules 1961, facilitates smooth transaction of business in ministries and departments, assists decision making, ensuring ministerial coordination and ironing out differences, keeps president vice-president ministers informed, handles major crises)

Cabinet secy is ex-officos chair of CSB

CAT setup in 1985 when Rajiv Gandhi was PM

Number of ministries on 15 august 1947 was 18, currently 52 (goidirectory.nic.in)

PM chairs NWRC national water resource council

2008

How many HCs in India, there jurisdiction(territory?)

Former vice-presidents

Justice VR Krishna Iyer---considered one of progenitors of PIL in India(along with PN Bhagwati)---was former SCJ, but not CJI

92CAA added 4 more languages to 8th schedule ---total 22

Lgsl assembly---size, qualifications

Dept of border management----is under MHA

2007

Financial emergency --- Art 360-- proclamation will cease to operate at expiry of 2 months, unless approved by both houses, president can reduce salaries of all persons in connection with union affairs including SCJ HCJ

CAA that capped size of Council of ministers in center and state at 15% of total number of members of LS and LA --- 91CAA2003

Chairman of Committee on Public Accounts is appointed by Speaker of LS, has 22 members 15 LS, 7 RS,(LS MP of opposition is usually chair)

Speaker of 1st LS --- GV Mavalankar

Order of formation of state: Nagaland 1963, Haryana 1966, Sikkim 1975, Arunachal Pradesh 1987

Mode of removal of SCJ and HCJ is same(YES), after retirement a permanent HCJ cant plead or act in any court or before any authority in India except SC and other HCs Art 220

Look at subject division under 7th schedule

Constitution of India doesn’t define backward classes

RS alone has power to declare that it would be in national interest for Parl to legislate wrt matter in state list (YES)

Resolutions approving Proclamation of emergency are passed only be Lok Sabha by both houses

Constitution of India provides for a High Court in each state, but every state doesn’t have a high court

104CAA is related to providing quota to SEBCs in private edu instis

Portfolio held by Rajendra Prasad in interim govt 1946 --- Food and agriculture

CJI when PIL was introduced to Indian judicial system ---- PN Bhagwati

24 high courts in the country, Punjab Haryana Chandigarh have common HC at Chandigarh, MH Goa DamanDiu DadraNagarHaveli at Mumbai, WB A&N Is at Calcutta, AP TE at Hyd, ArP AS NG MZ at Gauhati, KE LKDWP at Kochi, TN Pudu at Chennai, NCT has its own HC

Parliament can enlarge jurisdiction of SC, expenses of SC are charged on CFI of HC on CFoS

Part 9 contains provisions for Panchayats as inserted by 73CAA1992

Part 9A contains provisions for municipalities and Art 243Q envisages 3 types of municipalities---Nagar Panchayat, Municipal Council, Municipal Corporation

Constitution has 448 articles, 25 parts, 12 schedules, 5 appendices

9th sched 1st CAA, 10th by 52CAA, 11th by 73CAA and 12th by 74CAA

Chairman of Union Constitution Committee of Constituent Assembly --- JLN

2004

Highest criminal court of district is Court of District headed by Sessions Judge(AKA Sessions court)

District judges are appointed by governor in consultation with high courts

An advocate or a pleader of 7 years is eligible for appointment as District Judge

High Court should confirm Sessions court award of death sentence, before it is carried out

NCM need not state reasons for its adoption in LS, no conditions of admissibility have been laid out in rules for NCM, NCM once admitted has to be taken up within 10d of leave being granted, RS is not empowered to entertain NCM

What is each Schedule about?

Resolution for removing Vice president can be moved in RS alone

Order of precedence: SCJ> Dy chair RS > Attorney Gen > MP

NHRC consists of chair and 4 others, Chair should be retd CJI, others should be serving/retd CJHC and 2 persons having knowledge or practical experience with human rights

Appropriation bill must be passed by both houses before it can be enacted into law

No money shall be withdrawn from CFI except under appropriation made by the Appropriation Act

Finance Bill is required for proposing new taxes but any change suggested there in requires fresh approval of parliament

Art 257 = exective power of states shall be exercised as not to impede or prejudice exercise of executive power of union

2003

9th schedule was added by 1CAA1951, which also added 31A, 31B

Interim cabinet with 12 members announced on 24 August 1946, was headed by Pandit Nehru as Vice president of the council

Art 108 provides for joint sittings, 1st jt sitting in 1961 to pass Dowry prohibition bill, 2nd in Banking Service Commission(repeal) Bill 1978, 3rd for POTA 2002

Nominated members can vote only for Vice-president, not for president

Parliament can regulate the organization and jurisdiction(can expand, not curtail) of SC

Kolkata HC has territorial jurisdiction over A&N Islands

President ordinance power comes from Art 123

President can make reference to SC on constitutional validity under Art 143

Duty of union to protect every state against external aggression and internal disturbance comes from --- Art 355

Borrowed features --- sources

Stamp duties on financial transactions are ---- levied by center, collected and appropriated by states

Functions of FC

Value of MP and MLA votes in president elections

Schedule containing lists of names of states and their territories ---- 1st schedule

2002

Security deposit for LS elections 25k for gen, 12.5k for sc/st | for LA elections 10k for gen, 5k for sc/st[http://eci.nic.in/eci_main1/Contesting.aspx]

Art 16(2),Art 29(2), Art 30(1), Art 31(1)

Salaries and allowances of HCJ are charged to --- CFoS(but pensions are charged to CFI)

Heart and soul of constitution : Art 32

Term of Parliament can be extended by 1 year at a time during emergency by enacting law

44CAA1978 empowered president to send back any matter for reconsideration by Council of ministers

DPSP dealing with international peace and security --- Art 51

Term of EC is 6 years from date he assumes office or till he attains age 62 years

2001

HCJ hold office till age 62 years

Indian parliament exercises control over administration --- thru Parliamentary committees

4th schedule is about allocation of seats in RS

SC tenders advice to President on a matter of law or fact only if he seeks such advice

Article providing that it shall be endeavour of every state to provide adequate facility for instruction in mother tongue at primary state of education --- Art 350A

Art54--election of president, Art75--PM shall be appointed by president and other ministers shall be appointed by president on advice of PM, Art155--appointment of governor, Art164--appointment of CM and council of ministers of a state

RPA1951 provides for registration of political parties

Max seats reserved for ST are in MP(6), max SC reserved are in UP(17), total ST reserved 47, total SC reserved 84[http://eci.nic.in/eci_main1/seats_of_loksabha.aspx]

Primary function of FC in India is to ---- advise the president on financial matters

Order of precedence: CJI> Cabinet minsiter> CEC> Cabinet secy

Art 76: Attorney General of India

Speaker can ask a member of House to stop speaking and let another member speak. This phenomenon is known as ---- yielding the floor

73CAA1992 refers to laying foundation for strong and vibrant PRIs in the country

Parliament can make any law for whole or any part of India for implementing international treaties ---- without consent of any state

1999

British citizen staying in India cant claim Right to ---- freedom of trade and profession

NHRC chair must be a retd CJI

Constitution recognizes --- religious and linguistic minorities

An amendment can be initiated by LS and RS

1998

10th schedule contains provisions regarding anti defection

Indian parliamentary system is different from British in that, India has----judicial review

1997

Principles of Panchsheel

Dinesh Goswami committee 1990 recommended --- state funding of parliamentary elections

In France, in both houses of Parliament, 75% of seats are filled with FPTP and 25% on PR basis

Art 59 : President shall not be a member of either house of Parliament or of a house of legislature of state

Art 79 : Parliament for union shall consist of President and two houses

PM from RS wont be able to vote in his own favor in event of NCM

Concept of PIL originated in USA

State funding of elections takes place in Germany, Austria, Italy, UK, USA, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Netherlands

In Germany, constructive motion of no-confidence is followed---NCM to bring down govt is passed only when legislature is able to fund simultaneously majority to elect successor

1996

Word minority is not defined in Constitution of India, Minorities Commission is not a constitutional body

PM has full discretion in choice of persons who are to serve as ministers in his cabinet(if not MP, can get them elected within 6 months to either house)

PRI system of governance --- is 3 tier structure of local govt at village, block and district levels

Part of electoral college for President but don’t take part in impeachment ---- State Legislative assemblies

As per constitution, 'district judge' shall not include---tribunal judge [see Art 236]

Art 131 : disputes between different units of federation will be exclusive original jurisdiction of SC

1995

Tarkunde committee 1974 on electoral reforms

Art 156 : governor shall hold office during pleasure of president, can resign or can be removed by president at any time

Vice president of executive council during interim govt ---- JLN

States with legislative councils---

Constitutional amendments requiring ratification of legislatures of not less than half of states --- election of president, repn of states in Parl, any list in 7th schedule

Election process starts only when notification is issued by President or Governor, then EC announces schedule, taking into account recos of govt concerned