Indian Polity — PPSC previous year questions

The Tenth Schedule holds the anti-defection provisions. The 52nd Amendment Act, 1985 added it. Under it, a legislator may be disqualified for voluntarily giving up party membership or for voting against the party whip. The Second Schedule deals with salaries and allowances. The Fifth covers the administration of Scheduled Areas. The Eighth lists the official languages.

The Drafting Committee of the Constituent Assembly was set up on 29 August 1947 with seven members and Dr B.R. Ambedkar as its chairman. Dr Rajendra Prasad was the permanent President of the Constituent Assembly, Dr Sachchidananda Sinha its temporary (first) chairman, and Nehru moved the Objectives Resolution.

Protecting monuments and places of public importance is not a Fundamental Duty. It is a Directive Principle under Article 49. The other three are Fundamental Duties in Article 51A. Renouncing practices derogatory to the dignity of women is clause (e). Safeguarding public property and abjuring violence is clause (i). Striving towards excellence in all spheres of individual and collective activity is clause (j). The related duty in Article 51A(f) is to value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture.

The Government of India Act, 1919 gave legal shape to the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms. They are named after Secretary of State Edwin Montagu and Viceroy Lord Chelmsford. The Act introduced dyarchy (dual government: subjects split between Governor and ministers) in the provinces and a bicameral central legislature. The Morley-Minto Reforms produced the Act of 1909. The Hunter Commission (1882) dealt with education. The Nehru Report (1928) was an Indian draft constitution.

Fundamental Duties were added by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976 on the recommendation of the Sardar Swaran Singh Committee, as Article 51A in Part IVA. Ten duties were inserted originally; the 11th (duty of parents/guardians to provide education to children aged 6-14) was added by the 86th Amendment, 2002. The Ashok Mehta Committee (1977) dealt with Panchayati Raj, not duties.

Article 51A lists eleven Fundamental Duties: ten added by the 42nd Amendment, 1976 and the eleventh by the 86th Amendment, 2002. Abiding by the Constitution, developing the scientific temper and safeguarding public property are all among them. Voting is a right, given by Article 326 and the Representation of the People Act, and is not a listed duty.

Fundamental Duties are listed in Article 51A of Part IV-A of the Constitution. The 42nd Amendment Act, 1976 added them, on the advice of the Swaran Singh Committee. There were ten duties at first. The 86th Amendment (2002) added the eleventh — the duty of parents to provide education to children aged 6–14. Part III holds the Fundamental Rights and Part IV the Directive Principles.

The Constituent Assembly adopted, enacted and gave to itself the Constitution of India on 26 November 1949, a date observed as Constitution Day (Samvidhan Divas) since 2015. Some provisions such as citizenship and elections came into force immediately, while the bulk of the Constitution commenced on 26 January 1950, celebrated as Republic Day. The Assembly had first met on 9 December 1946.

Statement 1 is correct. The President is the head of state. The Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers head the government. Statement 3 is correct: the Supreme Court, through judicial review, is the guardian of the Constitution. Statement 4 is correct because Article 37 makes the Directive Principles non-enforceable by courts. Statement 2 is wrong. Unlike the British Parliament, the Indian Parliament is not sovereign. It works under a written Constitution, a federal division of powers, Fundamental Rights and judicial review. It also cannot alter the 'basic structure'.

All three statements are correct. The Constituent Assembly was elected indirectly in 1946 by members of the provincial legislative assemblies. Those members were themselves chosen on a restricted franchise based on tax, property and education, not on universal adult franchise. The Congress won 208 of the 296 provincial seats and dominated the body. The Muslim League won 73 seats and boycotted the Assembly. It insisted on a separate Pakistan with its own constituent assembly.