[MISSION 2024] RTM(Revision through MCQs)- 30 January 2024

Ans: ( b)

Explanation:

• The Gram Sabha is a meeting of all adults who live in the area covered by a Panchayat. This could be only one village or a few villages. In some states, a village meeting is held for each village.
• Anyone who is 18 years old or more and who has the right to vote is a member of the Gram Sabha. These adults also have a right to vote in Lok Sabha (LS) elections.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/01/30/rbi-report-on-panchayati-raj-institutions-pris/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Rajasthan was the first state to establish Panchayati Raj in 1959. Other states also followed suit.
• Though most of the states created panchayati raj institutions by mid 1960s, there were differences from one state to another with regard to the number of tiers, relative position of samiti and parishad, their tenure, composition, functions, finances and so on.
• The 73^rd Act harmonized all the systems into a common structure and granted PRIs constitutional status.
• Panchayat is elected from area wards, and its size is not fixed by the constitution.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/01/30/rbi-report-on-panchayati-raj-institutions-pris/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• A person of the age 21 is not qualified to fight a state assembly election, but can fight a local body election.
• The State Election Commission is not subordinate to the Central election Commission in the same way as the states are not subordinates to the centre.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/01/30/rbi-report-on-panchayati-raj-institutions-pris/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• Only statement 2 is correct.
• Gram Sabha:
  • The term Gram Sabha is defined in the Constitution of India under Article 243(b).
  • Gram Sabha is the primary body of the Panchayati Raj system and by far the Largest.
  • It is a permanent body.
  • The power to annul a decision of the Gram Sabha rests with the Gram Sabha only.
• Composition:
  • Persons, those who are above 18 years of age.
  • Living in the village.
  • Whose names are included in the electoral rolls for the Panchayat at the village level.
• Powers and functions:
  • Constitution mentions that Gram Sabha exercises such powers and performs such functions at the village level as the Legislature of a State may, by law, provide.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/01/30/rbi-report-on-panchayati-raj-institutions-pris/

Ans: (c )

Explanation:

• The head of the Municipal Corporation is the mayor — but only in name. A mayor is a nominal head of the corporation and has very limited powers, such as calling meetings of the house.
• It is the Standing Committee that effectively manages the corporation, with functions such as giving financial approval to projects, discussing, finalising and implementing policies.
• The standing committee is the main decision-making body of the corporation. It has 18 members.
• The committee has a chairperson and a deputy chairperson, who is elected from among the standing committee members. Having a clear majority in the standing committee is crucial for any political party to have control of policy and financial decisions.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/01/30/rbi-report-on-panchayati-raj-institutions-pris/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• Two awards, the Bharat Ratna and Padma Vibhushan were first instituted in 1954 as India’s highest civilian honours.
• While the Bharat Ratna is treated as an exceptional award with only 46 Bharat Ratnas being handed over till date, the Padma Awards are annually conferred to deserving civilians. Except for interruptions in 1978, 1979 and between 1993 and 1997, every year the names of the recipients are announced on Republic Day eve.
• Typically, not more than 120 awards are given in a year, but this does not include posthumous awards or awards given to NRIs and foreigners. While the award is normally not conferred posthumously, the Government can consider posthumous felicitation in exceptional circumstances.
• The first ever Padma Vibhushan awardees in 1954 were scientist Satyendra Nath Bose, artist Nandalal Bose, educationist and politician Zakir Hussain, social worker and politician Balasaheb Gangadhar Kher, and diplomat and academic V.K. Krishna Menon. The first ever non-Indian Padma Vibhushan awardee was Bhutanese king Jigme Dorji Wangchuk, who also received the award in 1954.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/01/30/padma-awards-2024/

Ans: (c )

Explanation:

• In the 1919 plan for the construction of the Parliament, it was decided to have a council house, comprising a Legislative Assembly Chamber (which later became the Lok Sabha), a Council of States Chamber (which is now the Rajya Sabha) and the Chamber of Princes.
• The Chamber of Princes is the Library Hall in the Old Parliament.
• The Chamber of Princes, also known as Narendra Mandal, was established in 1920 by a Royal Proclamation of King Emperor George V to advocate the common interests of British India and the princely states.
• In 1937, the Federal Court of India began functioning from the Chamber of Princes.
• It was 12 years later that in this building, the Supreme Court of India was inaugurated. “The inaugural proceedings were simple but impressive,” according to the official account of the Supreme Court.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/01/30/initiatives-for-courts-in-india/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• Context: Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have abruptly withdrawn from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), citing it as a “sovereign decision.”
• The military regimes in these Sahel nations, grappling with jihadist violence and economic challenges, have strained relations with ECOWAS since recent coups. Facing suspensions and sanctions, the three nations have solidified their stance and formed an “Alliance of Sahel States.”
• Previously, ECOWAS had suspended members like Mali, Guinea, and Burkina Faso following coups in those countries, refusing to recognize their new governments.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/01/30/ecowas/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• What is acid rain and how does it form? 1) Acid rain is rain with high levels of acidic substances like sulfuric acid or nitric acid. 2) It forms when emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) released from burning fossil fuels, industries, and human activities mix with water vapour and chemicals in the air. 3) These acidic pollutants combine with water droplets in the atmosphere and then fall to the ground as rain, snow, fog, or dry particles. 4) The pH of acid rain is usually between 4.2 and 4.4.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/01/30/acid-rain/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• About Chambal River:
• Originating at Janapav south of Mhow town, the perennial Chambal River flows in a northeastern direction through Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. It converges with five rivers, including the Chambal, Kwari, Yamuna, Sind, and Pahuj, at Pachnada near Bhareh in Uttar Pradesh. The main tributaries are the left-hand Banas and Mej, and the right-hand Parbati, Kali Sindh, and Shipra rivers. Notable dams along its course include Gandhi Sagar, Rana Pratap Sagar, and Jawahar Sagar. The Chambal River is home to the National Chambal Sanctuary, a critical habitat for the endangered Gharial

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/01/30/modified-parbati-kalisindh-chambal-ercp-link-project/