QUIZ – 2017: Insights Current Affairs Quiz, 10 March 2018

• Solution: a.

  Article 75 clearly states  that  the  council  of  ministers  is collectively  responsible  to the Lok Sabha. This means that

  • all the ministers own joint responsibility to the Lok Sabha for all their acts of ommission and commission. They work as a team and swim or sink together.
  • Cabinet decisions bind all cabinet ministers  (and  other  ministers)  even  if  they  differed  in  the  cabinet    It  is  the  duty  of  every minister to stand by cabinet decisions and support them both within and outside the Parliament. If any minister  disagrees  with  a  cabinet  decision  and  is  not  prepared  to  defend  it,  he  must  resign.

   

  Article 75 also  contains the  principle  of  individual  responsibility. It  states  that  the  ministers  hold office during the pleasure of the president. However, the President  removes  a  minister  only  on  the  advice  of  the  Prime  Minister. In  case  of  a  difference  of opinion  or  dissatisfaction  with  the  performance  of  a  minister,  the  Prime  Minister  can  ask  him  to resign  or  advice  the  President  to  dismiss him.  In  this  context,  Dr  B  R  Ambedkar observed:

  “Collective responsibility can be achieved only through the instrumentality of the Prime Minister. Therefore, unless and until we create that office and endow that office with statutory authority to nominate and dismiss ministers, there can be no collective responsibility.”

   

  Improvisation: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tdp-leaders-meet-modi-resign-from-union-cabinet/article22988691.ece;

  Indian Polity by M Laxmikanth;

Solution: d.

The Lancet began as an independent, international weekly general medical journal founded in 1823 by Thomas Wakley. Since its first issue (October 5, 1823), the journal has strived to make science widely available so that medicine can serve, and transform society, and positively impact the lives of people.

Over the past two centuries, The Lancet has sought to address urgent topics in our society, initiate debate, put science into context, and influence decision makers around the world.

The Lancet has evolved as a family of journals but retains at its core the belief that medicine must serve society, that knowledge must transform society, that the best science must lead to better lives.

In the news (Health savings outweigh costs of limiting global warming): According to The Lancet Planetary Health Journal, “depending on the strategy used to mitigate climate change, estimates suggest that the health savings from reduced air pollution could be between 1.4-2.5 times greater than the costs of climate change mitigation, globally… The countries likely to see the biggest health savings by pursuing measures to limit earth-warming are air pollution-ridden India and China.”

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Solution: c.

The President of India is vested with three veto powers:

• Absolute veto: It refers to the power  of  the  President  to  withhold  his  assent  to  a  bill  passed  by  the    The bill then ends and does not become an act. (This can be exercised in both, the first instance as well as the second in case of a state legislature’s bill reserved for his consideration by the governor.)
• Suspensive veto: The President  exercises  this  veto  when  he  returns  a  bill  for  reconsideration of the Parliament. However, if the bill is passed  again  by  the  Parliament (not state legislature) with  or  without  amendments  and  again presented to the President, it is obligatory for the President to give his assent to the bill.
• Pocket veto: In this case, the President neither ratifies nor rejects nor returns the bill, but  simply  keeps the bill pending for an indefinite period.

All three veto powers can be exercised by the President in the case of a bill of a state legislature reserved for his consideration by the governor too; however, with regard to the given situation – a bill having been returned (exercise of suspensive veto) for the reconsideration of the state legislature by the President, which the state legislature passed again – the president may give or withhold his assent [absolute veto]; Further, the  Constitution  has  not  prescribed  any  time  limit  within  which  the President  has  to  take  decision  with  regard  to  a  bill  reserved  by  the  governor  for  his consideration.  Hence,  the  President  can  exercise  pocket  veto  in  respect  of  state  legislation also.

Improvisation: http://www.livemint.com/Politics/3AA0sIx8mhk87eosdWLulM/Telangana-assembly-passes-bill-increasing-quotas-for-STs-Mu.html;

Indian Polity by M Laxmikanth;

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Solution: b.

The concept of a special category state was first introduced in 1969 when the 5th Finance Commission sought to provide certain disadvantaged states with preferential treatment in the form of central assistance and tax breaks.

The rationale for special status is that certain states, because of inherent features, have a low resource base and cannot mobilize resources for development. Some of the features required for special status are: (i) hilly and difficult terrain; (ii) low population density or sizeable share of tribal population; (iii) strategic location along borders with neighbouring countries; (iv) economic and infrastructural backwardness; and (v) non-viable nature of state finances.

The Centre pays 90 per cent of the funds required in a centrally-sponsored scheme to special category status category states as against 60 per cent in case of normal category states, while the remaining funds are provided by the state governments.

http://indianexpress.com/article/what-is/what-is-special-category-status-5090274/;

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Solution: d.

NNM targets to reduce stunting, under-nutrition, anemia (among young children, women and adolescent girls) and reduce low birth weight by 2%, 2%, 3% and 2% per annum respectively. Although the target to reduce Stunting is atleast 2% p.a., Mission would strive to achieve reduction in Stunting from 38.4% (NFHS-4) to 25% by 2022 (Mission 25 by 2022).

There are a number of schemes directly/indirectly affecting the nutritional status of children (0-6 years age) and pregnant women and lactating mothers. Inspite of these, level of malnutrition and related problems in the country is high. There is no dearth of schemes but lack of creating synergy and linking the schemes with each other to achieve common goal. NNM through robust convergence mechanism and other components would strive to create the synergy.

For features and other information of the NNM, click HERE;

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/female-foeticide-a-shame-modi/article22988600.ece;

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