UPSC 2008 Polity Questions with Answers

Explanation

Statement 1 is Incorrect: The prohibition of traffic in human beings and forced labour is covered under Article 23, which is part of the Fundamental Rights, not the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP).

Statement 2 is correct: The prohibition of intoxicating drinks and drugs which are injurious to health, except for medicinal purposes, is included in the Directive Principles of State Policy under Article 47, which directs the state to improve public health and to prohibit harmful substances.

Explanation

The Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution lists the officially recognized languages of India. This schedule was expanded in 2003 through the Constitution (Ninety-second Amendment) Act, which added four additional languages: Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, and Santhali. This amendment increased the total number of languages in the Eighth Schedule from 18 to 22. The 93rd Constitutional Amendment Act enables reservations for socially and educationally backward classes in admission to educational institutions including private educational institutions, whether aided or unaided by the State, other than the minority educational institutions. The 91st Constitutional Amendment Act limits the number of ministers in the Council of Ministers, including the Prime Minister, to a maximum of 15% of the total members of the Lok Sabha (House of the People)(Similarly it applies to State CoM also.) 90th Constitutional Amendment Act provided for maintaining the erstwhile representation of the Scheduled Tribes in the Assam legislative assembly from the Bodoland Territorial Areas District (Article-332 (6))

Explanation

The Vice President of India is the second-highest constitutional office in the country, serving as the ex officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. In case of the President’s absence or vacancy, the Vice President assumes the role of acting President. Mohammad Hidayatullah and Shankar Dayal Sharma were Vice-President and later became President of India. Fakhruddin Ali Ahmad and Neelam Sanjiva Reddy were never a vice-President but did become President of India.

Explanation

A PIL lets individuals, NGOs, or groups file lawsuits to protect public interest, tackling significant social, environmental, or economic issues, often involving systematic or structural problems that affect many people.

Statement 1 is incorrect: Justice V R Krishna Iyer served the Supreme Court as a judge but never as Chief Justice.

Statement 2 is correct: Justice V R Krishna Iyer, a pioneer of Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in India, expanded the judiciary’s scope to address public grievances and protect marginalized groups. Along with V R Krishna Iyer, Justice P.N. Bhagwati, a key figure in the development of the PIL movement, significantly contributed to its growth through landmark cases such as S.P. Gupta vs. Union of India (1981), Hussainara Khatoon vs. State of Bihar (1979) expanding access to justice for public grievances.

Explanation

In India, there are three High Courts (excluding UTs) that have jurisdiction over more than one state. These are:

1. Punjab and Haryana High Court - Jurisdiction over Punjab and Haryana.

2. Bombay High Court - Jurisdiction over Maharashtra, Goa, and the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.

3. Guwahati High Court - Jurisdiction over Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Arunachal Pradesh.

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect: The Constitution of India provides under Article 170 that the Legislative Assembly of a State shall consist of not more than 500 members and not less than 60 members. However, there are exceptions for smaller states like Sikkim, Mizoram, and Goa. The limit mentioned in the statement (450 members) is incorrect.

Statement 2 is correct: As per Article 173 of the Constitution of India, a person is eligible to be a member of the Legislative Assembly only if they are at least 25 years of age. This is a constitutional requirement for candidacy in the Legislative Assembly elections.

Explanation

Option (b) is correct: The Fifth Schedule of the Indian Constitution deals with the administration and control of Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes, excluding the states of Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya and Mizoram (ATMM). Options (a), (c) and (d) are incorrect:

The Third Schedule of the Indian Constitution lists the forms of oaths and affirmations for various constitutional posts and offices. The Seventh Schedule of the Indian Constitution outlines the distribution of powers and responsibilities between the Union and State governments through three lists: the Union List, the State List, and the Concurrent List. The Ninth Schedule of the Indian Constitution contains laws that are exempt from judicial review to protect them from being challenged in court.However, the Kesavananda Bharati case (1973) and later the I.R. Coelho case (2007) clarified that laws in the Ninth Schedule are not completely exempt from judicial review if they violate the basic structure of the Constitution.

Explanation

A is matched with 2: Nagender Singh served as the President of the International Court of Justice. B is matched with 3: A. N. Ray held the position of Chief Justice of India. He is well remembered for his controversial elevation as Chief Justice during the tenure of Indira Gandhi’s government, which was perceived as politically motivated. C is matched with 1: R. K. Trivedi was the Chief Election Commissioner of India. D is matched with 4: Ashok Desai served as the Attorney General of India. The Attorney General is the top legal advisor to the government of India and represents the government in the Supreme Court.