[MISSION 2023] RTM(Revision through MCQs)- 7 Oct 2022

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• The Committee on Public Accounts was first set up in 1921 in the wake of the Montague-Chelmsford Reforms.
• The PAC is formed every year with a strength of not more than 22 members of which 15 are from Lok Sabha and 7 from Rajya Sabha.
• The term of office of the members is one year.
• The Chairman is appointed by the Speaker of Lok Sabha. Since 1967, the chairman of the committee is selected from the opposition.
• Its chief function is to examine the audit report of Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) after it is laid in the Parliament.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2022/10/07/parliamentary-committees-their-leaders-and-their-role-in-law-making/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• Cabinet Committee:
  • They are extra-constitutional in emergence. In other words, they are not mentioned in the Constitution. However, the Rules of Business provide for their establishment.
  • They are of two types—standing and ad hoc. The former are of a permanent nature while the latter are of a temporary nature. The ad hoc committees are constituted from time to time to deal with special problems. They are disbanded after their task is completed.
  • They are set up by the Prime Minister according to the exigencies of the time and requirements of the situation. Hence, their number, nomenclature, and composition varies from time to time.
  • Their membership varies from three to eight. They usually include only Cabinet Ministers. However, the non-cabinet Ministers are not debarred from their membership.
  • They not only include the Ministers in charge of subjects covered by them but also include other senior Ministers.
  • They are mostly headed by the Prime Minister. Sometimes other Cabinet Ministers, particularly the Home Minister or the Finance Minister, also acts as their Chairman. But, in case the Prime Minister is a member of a committee, he invariably presides over it.
• Parliamentary Committee:
  • The Constitution of India makes a mention of these committees at different places, but without making any specific provisions regarding their composition, tenure, functions, etc. All these matters are dealt by the rules of two Houses.
  • Accordingly, a parliamentary committee means a committee that:
  • Is appointed or elected by the House or nominated by the Speaker
  • / Chairman1
  • Works under the direction of the Speaker / Chairman
  • Presents its report to the House or to the Speaker / Chairman
  • Has a secretariat provided by the Lok Sabha / Rajya Sabha

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2022/10/07/parliamentary-committees-their-leaders-and-their-role-in-law-making/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• They are extra-constitutional in emergence. In other words, they are not mentioned in the Constitution. However, the Rules of Business provide for their establishment.
• They not only sort out issues and formulate proposals for the consideration of the Cabinet, but also take decisions. However, the Cabinet can review their decisions.
• They are an organisational device to reduce the enormous workload of the Cabinet. They also facilitate in-depth examination of policy issues and effective coordination.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2022/10/07/parliamentary-committees-their-leaders-and-their-role-in-law-making/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• The Prime Minister constitutes Standing Committees of the Cabinetand sets out the specific functions assigned to them. He can add or reduce the number of committees.
• Parliamentary Affairs: The Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairsdraws the schedule for Parliament sessions and monitors the progress of government business in Parliament. It scrutinises non-government business and decides which official Bills and resolutions are to be presented.
• Political Affairs: The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairsaddresses problems related to Centre-state relations. It also examines economic and political issues that require a wider perspective but have no internal or external security implications.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2022/10/07/parliamentary-committees-their-leaders-and-their-role-in-law-making/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• Standing Committees not only supervise the work of various departments but also their budget, their expenditure and bills that come up in the house relating to the department.
• It is a permanent and regular committeewhich is constituted from time to time according to the provisions of an Act of Parliament or Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business. The work done by the Indian Parliament is not only voluminous but also of a complex nature, hence a good deal of its work is carried out in these Parliamentary Committees. There are two types of Parliamentary Committee, the Standing Committee and the Ad hoc Committee. Public Accounts Committee is an example of Standing Committee. Members of the Standing committees are selected from both Houses, except for Estimates Committee where all the members are from Lok Sabha Only.

Refer:  https://www.insightsonindia.com/2022/10/07/parliamentary-committees-their-leaders-and-their-role-in-law-making/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• The Commission was first formed by an ordinance in October 2020.
  • The erstwhile Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority, or EPCAhad been dissolved to make way for the Commission.
  • The Commission will be a statutory authority.
  • The Commission will supersede bodies such as the central and state pollution control boards of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, UP and Rajasthan.
• Powers and functions:
  • It will have the powers to issue directions to these state governments on issues pertaining to air pollution.
  • It will entertain complaints as it deems necessary for the purpose of protecting and improving the quality of the air in the NCR and adjoining areas.
  • It will also lay down parameters for control of air pollution.
  • It will also be in charge of identifying violators, monitoring factories and industries and any other polluting unit in the region, and will have the powers to shut down such units.
  • It will also have the powers to overrule directives issued by the state governments in the region, that may be in violation of pollution norms.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2022/10/07/graded-response-action-plan/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• What is GRAP?
  • Approved by the Supreme Court in 2016.
  • The plan was prepared by EPCA.
  • It works only as an emergency measure.
• As such, the plan does not include action by various state governments to be taken throughout the year to tackle industrial, vehicular and combustion emissions

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2022/10/07/graded-response-action-plan/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• S1: The Union government then constitutes a Delimitation Commission headed by a retired Supreme Court judge.
• S2: The Delimitation Commissions were set up in 1952, 1963, 1972 and 2002. The number of Lok Sabha constituencies has not been revised since 1972. In 2002, it was frozen at 543 till 2026.

Refer: facts for prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2022/10/07/mission-2023-insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-7-october-2022/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• According to a recent report by World Bank“Poverty and Shared Prosperity 2022: Correcting Course”, both poverty and inequality have gone up sharply.
• Highlights of the report:
  • Reversal of poverty outcomes: The report states that global poverty reduction has been slowing down since 2015 but the Covid pandemic and the war in Ukraine have completely reversed the outcomes.
  • The world is unlikely to meet the goal of ending extreme poverty by 2030.
  • Rise in Poverty level:In 2020 alone, the number of people living below the extreme poverty line rose by over 70 million.
  • Inequalities, too, have risen

Refer: facts for prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2022/10/07/mission-2023-insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-7-october-2022/

Ans; (c)

Explanation:

• The Human Rights Councilis an inter-governmental body within the United Nations system made up of 47 States responsible for the promotion and protection of all human rights around the globe.
• It has the ability to discuss all thematic human rights issuesand situations that require its attention throughout the year. It meets at the UN Office at Geneva.

Refer: facts for prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2022/10/07/mission-2023-insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-7-october-2022/