[Mission 2023] STATIC QUIZ, 30 November 2022 – Polity

Solution: b)

Only 16 members of the Rajya Sabha attended all the scheduled 361 meetings held in 2020.

Eight committees of the Rajya Sabha and 16 of the Lok Sabha are recast every year by both the Presiding Officers of Parliament in consultation with the respective parties and the government. Each committee has 10 members from Rajya Sabha and 21 from Lok Sabha.

Solution: d)

Telegraph Act, 1885: Under this law, the government can intercept calls only in certain situations — the interests of the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the state, friendly relations with foreign states or public order, or for preventing incitement to the commission of an offence. These are the same restrictions imposed on free speech under Article 19(2) of the Constitution.

Solution: a)

“The Governor shall from time to time summon the House or each House of the Legislature of the State to meet at such time and place as he thinks fit…” says Article 174 of the Constitution. The provision also puts on the Governor the responsibility of ensuring that the House is summoned at least once every six months.

Although it is the Governor’s prerogative to summon the House, according to Article 163, the Governor is required to act on the “aid and advice” of the Cabinet. So when the Governor summons the House under Article 174, this is not of his or her own will but on the aid and advice of the Cabinet.

There are a few instances where the Governor can summon the House despite the refusal of the Chief Minister who heads the Cabinet. When the Chief Minister appears to have lost the majority and the legislative members of the House propose a no-confidence motion against the Chief Minister, then the Governor can decide on his or her own on summoning the House.

But the actions of the Governor, when using his discretionary powers can be challenged in court.

Solution: b)

India does not allow dual citizenship. According to Section 9 of the Indian Citizenship Act, 1955, any Indian citizen who acquires foreign citizenship ceases to be an Indian citizen.

“Any citizen of India who by naturalisation, registration, otherwise voluntarily acquires, or has at any time between the 26th January, 1950 and the commencement of this Act, voluntarily acquired the citizenship of another country shall, upon such acquisition or, as the case may be, such commencement, cease to be a citizen of India,” Section 9 says.

The only exception when this law does not apply is when the two concerned countries are at war with each other.

Neither the Act nor the Citizenship Rules of 2009 specify any procedure required for termination of citizenship in case of acquisition of foreign citizenship. Legal experts say the law is clear that Indian citizenship will cease to exist the moment one acquires foreign citizenship.

Solution: c)

India does not have a fixed parliamentary calendar. By convention, Parliament meets for three sessions in a year.

The summoning of Parliament is specified in Article 85 of the Constitution. Like many other articles, it is based on a provision of The Government of India Act, 1935.