TEST-18- INSIGHTS IAS REVISION PLAN FOR PRELIMS 2019 – DAILY REVISION TESTS: 01 April 2019

Solution: A

The original Constitution did not contain provisions with respect to tribunals. The 42nd Amendment Act of 1976 added a new Part XIV-A to the Constitution. This part is entitled as ‘Tribunals’ and consists of only two Articles—Article 323 A dealing with administrative tribunals and Article 323 B dealing with tribunals for other matters.

The CAT is not bound by the procedure laid down in the Civil Procedure Code of 1908. It is guided by the principles of natural justice. These principles keep the CAT flexible in approach.

Originally, appeals against the orders of the CAT could be made only in the Supreme Court and not in the high courts. However, in the Chandra Kumar case (1997), the Supreme Court declared this restriction on the jurisdiction of the high courts as unconstitutional, holding that judicial review is a part of the basic structure of the Constitution. It laid down that appeals against the orders of the CAT shall lie before the division bench of the concerned high court. Consequently, now it is not possible for an aggrieved public servant to approach the Supreme Court directly against an order of the CAT, without first going to the concerned high court.

Solution: A

Compulsory Provisions of the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act (1992) or the Part IX of the Constitution:
1. Organisation of Gram Sabha in a village or group of villages.
2. Establishment of panchayats at the village, intermediate and district levels.
3. Direct elections to all seats in panchayats at the village, intermediate and district levels.
4. Indirect elections to the post of chairperson of panchayats at the intermediate and district levels.
5. 21 years to be the minimum age for contesting elections to panchayats.
6. Reservation of seats (both members and chairpersons) for SCs and STs in panchayats at all the three levels.
7. Reservation of one-third seats (both members and chairpersons) for women in panchayats at all the three levels.
8. Fixing tenure of five years for panchayats at all levels and holding fresh elections within six months in the event of supersession of any panchayat.
9. Establishment of a State Election Commission for conducting elections to the panchayats.
10. Constitution of a State Finance Commission after every five years to review the financial position of the panchayats.

Solution: A

The 69th Constitutional Amendment Act of 1991 provided a special status to the Union Territory of Delhi, and redesignated it the National Capital Territory of Delhi and designated the administrator of Delhi as the lieutenant (lt.) governor. It created a legislative assembly and a council of ministers for Delhi. Previously, Delhi had a metropolitan council and an
executive council.

Solution: B

Chief Minister need not to prove her/his majority in state legislative assembly before being appointed as Chief Minister.

Solution: C

Parliament can abolish or create a Legislative Council if the concerned legislative assembly passes a resolution to that effect with special majority.

Solution: D

A person must be not less than 30 years of age to be chosen as a member of the legislative council.

Solution: C

Every state shall constitute at the district level, a district planning committee to consolidate the plans prepared by Panchayat and municipalities in the district.

The state legislature may authorize a municipality to levy, collect and appropriate taxes, duties, tolls and fees.

Solution: D

The act does not apply to the states of Jammu and Kashmir, Nagaland, Meghalaya and Mizoram and certain other areas like

(a) the scheduled areas and the tribal areas in the states;
(b) the hill area of Manipur for which a district council exists; and
(c) Darjeeling district of West Bengal for which Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council exists.

Solution: A

President rule was not imposed in Telangana and Chhattisgarh.

Solution: B

All High courts in India have a territorial jurisdiction not confined to a single state. Union territories jurisdiction would come under different state’s high court.

Solution: B

Originally, the Constitution of India did not make any provision with respect to the Special Officer for Linguistic Minorities. Later, the States Reorganization Commission (1953-55) made a recommendation in this regard.

Accordingly, the Seventh Constitutional Amendment Act of 1956 inserted a new Article 350-B in Part XVII of the Constitution. This article contains the following provisions:

1. There should be a Special Officer for Linguistic Minorities. He is to be
   appointed by the President of India.
2. It would be the duty of the Special Officer to investigate all matters relating to the safeguards provided for linguistic minorities under the Constitution. He would report to the President upon those matters at such intervals as the President may direct. The President should place all such reports before each House of Parliament and send to the governments of
   the states concerned.

Solution: C

Article 356 can be invoked without written recommendation of the cabinet.

Solution: A

1/3 are elected by the members of local bodies in the state like municipalities, district boards, etc

1/3 are elected by the members of the legislative assembly of the state from amongst persons who are not members of the assembly.

1/12 are elected by graduates of three years standing and residing within the state.

Solution: C

Solution: B

The Economic Affairs Committee directs and coordinates the governmental activities in the economic sphere, is chaired by the Prime Minister.

Solution: C

Both the statements are correct.

Solution: A

What is the Antarctic Circumpolar Current?

The Antarctic Circumpolar Current, or ACC, is the strongest ocean current on our planet. It extends from the sea surface to the bottom of the ocean, and encircles Antarctica. It is vital for Earth’s health because it keeps Antarctica cool and frozen.

The ACC is created by the combined effects of strong westerly winds across the Southern Ocean, and the big change in surface temperatures between the Equator and the poles.

Penguins: Considered marine birds, penguins live up to 80 percent of their lives in the ocean, according to the New England Aquarium. All penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere, though it is a common myth that they all live in Antarctica. In fact, penguins can be found on every continent in the Southern Hemisphere. It is also a myth that penguins can only live in cold climates. The Galapagos penguin, for example, lives on tropical islands at the equator.

Solution: C

Sovereign Blue Bond, first of its kind is introduced by Seychelles.

Solution: D

The Sentinelese are a negrito tribe wholive on the North Sentinel Island of theAndamans. The inhabitants areconnected to the Jarawa on the basis ofphysical, as well as linguistic similarities.Their numbers are believed to be lessthan 150 and as low as 40.

Based on carbon dating of kitchen middens by the Anthropological Survey of India, Sentinelese presence was confirmed in the islands to 2,000 years ago. Genome studies indicate that the Andaman. tribes could have been on the islands even 30,000 years ago

Island Development agency (IDA) was constituted in 2017 for the holistic development of islands. It will undertake holistic development in the project islands after giving due consideration to unique maritime and territorial bio-diversity of the islands.  IDA is chaired by Union Home minister and members includes, cabinet secretary, home secretary, secretary (environment, forests and climate change), secretary (tourism) and secretary (tribal welfare).

Solution: A

KBR comprises around 41% of the entire geographical area of Sikkim.

Solution: C

Ganga Gram vision is an integrated approach for holistic development of villages situated on the banks of River Ganga with active participation of the villagers.

The objectives of Ganga Gram Project include solid and liquid waste management, renovation of ponds and water resources, water conservation projects, organic farming, horticulture, and promotion of medicinal plants.

Solution: B

The KONKAN series of exercises commenced in 2004 between India and United Kingdom.

Solution: C

They inhabit the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems of Nepal, India, and Bangladesh.

Solution: B

It was established under the 2017 German presidency, based on the decision adopted in Hangzhou in 2016 under the Chinese Presidency of the G-20.

Solution: A

Hope Island is a part of the Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary, off the coast of Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh.

It is relatively a young island, formed from the sediment outflow carried by the waters of the Koringa River, a distributary of the Godavari.

It acts as natural barrier for storm surges and provides tranquility to the ships anchored in Kakinada Bay which makes Kakinada Port one of the safest natural ports in the Eastern Coast of India.