Mock Test-3 (Paper-1) (Question 51-100)

The Council of Ministers has to resign if a no-confidence motion is passed by a majority of members of Lok Sabha. A motion of no confidence is primarily a statement or vote which states that a person in a superior position -  be it government, managerial, etc.

• The Indian Constitution provides the legal framework for a No Confidence Motion under Article 75(3). It states that the Council of Ministers holds office during the pleasure of the President but must maintain the confidence of the Lok Sabha.
• Only Lok Sabha members can move the motion; Rajya Sabha members cannot.
• It is a tool to hold the executive accountable to the legislature.
• Reflects the responsible government system where the government must retain majority support.
• In essence, the motion ensures that the government cannot function without the trust of the people’s representatives, reinforcing democratic governance.

Balwant Rai Mehta Committee had first of all recommended three-tier Panchayati Raj in India in 1957. The Act aims to provide a 3-tier system of Panchayati Raj for all States having a population of over 2 million, to hold Panchayat elections regularly every 5 years.
Recommendations of Balwant Rai Mehta Committee

• Establishment of a three-tier Panchayati raj system: village-level grama panchayats, block-level panchayat samitis, and district-level Zila Parishads. Through a system of indirect elections,
  these tiers should be organically linked.
• The village panchayat should be made up of directly elected members, while the Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad should be made up of members who were indirectly elected.
• These bodies shall be in charge of all planning and development efforts.
• The executive body should be the panchayat Samiti, while the advisory, coordinating, and supervisory body should be the Zila Parishad.
• The chairman of the Zila Parishad shall be the district collector.
• These democratic entities should receive a meaningful transfer of power and duty.

• Following are the features of 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act:
• Gram Sabha (Article 243A): The Gram Sabha consists of people listed in the electoral rolls of a village within a Panchayat’s jurisdiction. It forms the core of the Panchayati Raj system and may exercise powers and perform functions as provided by State legislation.
• Three-Tier System (Article 243B): The Constitution mandates a three-tier Panchayati Raj structure—village, intermediate, and district levels—for all States. However, States with populations below 20 lakhs can skip the intermediate level.
• Election of Members and Chairpersons (Article 243C): Panchayat members at all levels are directly elected. Chairpersons at the intermediate and district levels are elected indirectly from among elected members. The method of electing village-level Chairpersons is determined by the State.
• Reservation of Seats (Article 243D): Seats are reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in proportion to their population in each Panchayat. One-third of all seats are reserved for women. States may provide further reservations for backward classes.
• Duration of Panchayats (Article 243E): The standard term is five years. If dissolved prematurely, elections must be held unless the remainder of the term is less than six months.

The Planning Commission was established in March 1950 by an executive resolution of the Government of India, on the recommendation of the Advisory Planning Board constituted in 1946, under the chairmanship of KC Neogi. Thus the Planning Commission is neither constitutional nor a statutory body. planning commission has been replaced by new institution namely NITI Aayog.

A candidate loses his deposit only when he is polled less than 1/6th of votes. It can only be possible when a very large number of candidates contested the electior.

• According to the Representation of People Act, of 1951, it is mandatory for every candidate contesting a Parliamentary or Assembly election to deposit a certain security amount.
• To contest a Parliamentary election, the amount is Rs 25,000 and in case of an Assembly election, it is Rs 10,000.
• This amount is deposited with the Election Commission and is called a security deposit in the election.
• The deposit amount is mandated to ensure only serious candidates file nominations to contest elections.
• The Election Commission of India takes many steps to conduct free and fair parliamentary and assembly elections in the country. So the deposit of security amount is one of them.
• Now, if the candidate gets fewer than one-sixth of the total number of valid votes cast in the constituency, his security deposit will be lost.
• This means that the candidate who had deposited Rs 25,000 or Rs 10,000 or any other amount would not be refunded by the Election Commission of India.

P.N. Bhagwati was the Chief Justice of India When Public  Interest Litigation was introduced in the Indian Judicial system.

The following are some of the features of Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in India:

• PIL has neither been defined in the Constitution nor in any Indian statute.
• Constitutional provisions: The Supreme Court and the High Court under Articles 32 and 226 (authority to issue writs) of the Constitution, respectively, can hear a PIL petition submitted by any concerned individual.
• Relaxation of locus standi rule: PIL in India was made possible by the relaxation of the requirement of "locus standi”.
• Different from traditional litigation: PIL is different from traditional litigation, which is adversarial in nature and involves disputes between two parties.
• Proactive role of courts: In PIL, the role of the court is more proactive than in traditional actions and requires a more positive attitude in determining acts.
• Flexibility: While PIL allows for greater flexibility in the procedure, it must still adhere to judicial procedure and principles..

''Checks and balance'' is a concept set up in the United States Constitution whereby the various powers of any government are divided into 3 separate branches with no one branch having all powers. This is so that no one of the 3 branches of government (executive, legislative, judicial) becomes so powerful that it becomes a virtual monarchy.

It also ensures that all three will work together in relative harmony since each needs the others to perform its obligation properly.

Vice president is ex-officio chairman of Rajya Sabha. He is elected as Vice president not the member of Rajya Sabha.

• The Vice President of India is the second-highest constitutional office in the country after the President of India.
• The Vice-President is accorded a rank next to the President in the official warrant of precedence. This office is modeled on the lines of the American Vice-President.
• The Vice President's main role is to act as the President if the President cannot perform his or her duties, such as due to death, resignation, or impeachment.
• The Vice President also serves as the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha (Council of States), the upper house of the Indian Parliament.

The purpose of Directive Principle of State Policy is to lay down positive instruction which would guide State Policy contained in part IV , Articles 36-51 of the Indian constitution.

The Directive Principles may be said to contain the philosophy of the constitution. The Directive principles are broad directives given to the state in accordance with which the legislative and executive powers of the state are to be exercised.

When different consumers pay different prices for the same product, this situation is known as price discrimination.

• In pure price discrimination, the seller will charge the buyer the absolute maximum price that he is willing to pay. Companies use price discrimination to make the most revenue possible from every customer.
• Price discrimination is used throughout industries and includes coupons, premium pricing, discounts based on occupation, retail incentives, gender-based discounts, financial aid, and haggling.
• Industries known for using price discrimination to maximize revenue include airlines, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and textbook publishers.
• In a competitive market, price discrimination occurs when identical goods and services are sold at different prices by the same provider.
• In pure price discrimination, the seller will charge the buyer the absolute maximum price that he is willing to pay.
• Companies use price discrimination to make the most revenue possible from every customer.