Objective Indian Polity and Governance For Civil Services Preliminary Examination Second Edition

N D Arora Formerly Associate Professor, PGDAV College, University of Delhi

CL Media (P) Ltd. has obtained the information contained in this work from sources believed to be reliable. CL Media (P) Ltd. nor its authors guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any information published herein, and neither CL Media (P) Ltd. nor its authors shall be responsible for any errors, omissions, or damages arising out of use of this information. CL Media (P) Ltd. and its authors are providing information through the work and are not attempting to offer any professional services.

CL MEDIA (P) LTD. Edition : 2020 Copyright © CL Media (P) Ltd.

No part of this book may be reproduced in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronics, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning and or without the written permission of the publisher.

ISBN

:

978-93-89573-87-9

Typeset by

:

CL Media DTP Unit

Administrative and Production Offices Published by

:

CL Media (P) Ltd.

A-45, Mohan Cooperative Industrial Area, Near Mohan Estate Metro Station, New Delhi - 110044 Marketed by

:

G.K. Publications (P) Ltd.

A-45, Mohan Cooperative Industrial Area, Near Mohan Estate Metro Station, New Delhi - 110044 For product information : Visit www.gkpublications.com or email to [email protected]

Preface to the Second Edition

T

opics related to aspects of polity, constitution, law etc. are very important from any competitive examination point of view. In the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination, a significant portion of the questions are from this topic. It is therefore of utmost importance that aspirants have a good grasp of many basic issues related to our polity such as Constitution, Legislature, Judiciary, Commissions, Amendments, Centre-State Relations, important Supreme Court judgments etc. This updated book Objective Questions: Indian Polity and Governance (a collection of high quality questions on various relevant topics based on the trend and pattern asked in the preliminary examination) will be a handy asset to readers. The Answer Key is supported by explanatory notes. There are nearly 250 practice questions. The book will also be useful for various other competitive examinations like banking, law, UGC etc. where questions from Indian Polity are frequently asked. The last chapter is a compilation of past years’ UPSC questions from prelims with selected explanatory notes. The Publishers

Contents

• Preface to the Second Edition 1. The British Rule and India’s Constitutional Development ........................................................................1 Part A: The English East India Company : Its Regime Part B: The Rule of the British Crown : Its Impact Answer Key with Explanatory Notes

1 9 31

2. Towards India’s National Movement.................................. 37 Part A: British Policy towards India Part B: Rebellion and uprising in India Part C: Socio – Religious Reforms Part D: Moderate Congress and the Pre-Congress Association Part E: Extremist Congress and the Revolution areas Part F: Khilafat and Non-cooperation Part G: Gandhism and Civil Disobedience Answer Key with Explanatory Notes

37 38 39 44 47 48 49 62

3. The Constitution of India An Introduction .......................67  Part A: The Constituent Assembly of India: Discussions and Decisions  Part B: The Preamble of the Constitution of India  Part C: The Constitution of India: Understanding through Articles  Part D: Outstanding Features of the Constitution of India Answer Key with Explanatory Notes

67 75 76 78 88

4. The Constitution of India : Preamble, Territory, Citizenship, Federalism, Parliamentary Democracy ................................................. 95     

Part A: Introduction Part B: Citizenship in India Part C: The Preamble to the Constitution Part D: The Union and the States Part E: Parliamentary System and Federation Answer Key with Explanatory Notes

95 98 99 102 105 115

5. Amending Process and the Basic Structure of the Constitution ........................................................... 121  Part A: Indian Constitution: Method of Amendment Part B: Concept of Basic Structure Part C: Amendment in India Answer Key with Explanatory Notes

121 135 139 143

6. Fundamental Rights, Duties, and Directive Principles .......................................................... 149 Answer Key with Explanatory Notes

171

7. Union Executive: Formal and Real .................................. 177 Answer Key with Explanatory Notes

196

8. National Legislature: Parliament ..................................... 201 Answer Key with Explanatory Notes

223

9. State Government: Executive and Legislature ................. 229 Answer Key with Explanatory Notes

236

10. Indian Judiciary: The Supreme Court and other Subordinate Courts .............................................. 239 Answer Key with Explanatory Notes

250

11. Union Territories, Scheduled and Tribal Areas, Local Administration ............................... 253  Part I : Union Territories  Part II : Scheduled Areas  Part III: Grassroots Democracy: the urban-rural Administration Answer Key with Explanatory Notes

253 254 256 263

12. Commissions and Functionaries ................................... 267            

Part I: Election Commission Part II: Comptroller and Auditor-General of India Part III: Finance Commissions Part IV: Union Public Service Commission Part V: National Human Rights Commissions Part VI: Central Information Commission Part VII: National Commission on Women Part VIII: National Commission for Scheduled Castes Part IX: National Commission for Scheduled Tribes Part X: National Commission of Minorities Part XI: National Backward Classes Commission Part XII: Central Vigilance Commission Part XIII: Competition Commission Part XIV: National Knowledge Commission Part XV: Niti Aayog Part XVI: Lokpal and Lokayukt Answer Key with Explanatory Notes

267 268 269 270 272 274 275 276 277 278 278 279 280 281 281 283 284

13. Policies, Projects, and Schemes ..................................... 289 Answer Key with Explanatory Notes

303

14. Special Provisions ........................................................... 307        

Part I: Jammu and Kashmir Part II: Maharashtra Part III: Gujarat Part IV: Nagaland Part V: Assam and Manipur Part VI: Andhra Pradesh Part VII: Sikkim Part VIII: Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka Answer Key with Explanatory Notes

307 312 312 312 313 314 314 314 315

15. Union–State Relations and Related Commissions ........ 319  Part I: Union-States Relations  Part II: Union-State Relations : Commissions Answer Key with Explanatory Notes

319 324 327

16. Miscellaneous Subjects ................................................... 331  Part I: Emergency Provisions  Part II: Zonal Councils’ Inter-State Water Disputes  Part III: Funds: Consolidated, Contingency and Public Account  Part IV: Public Services  Part V: Foreign Policy  Part VI: Languages in India  Part VII: Political Parties, Electoral Process and Elections Answer Key with Explanatory Notes

331 335 336 337 338 339 340 343

17. Practice Questions .......................................................... 347 Answer Key

397

18. Past Years’ UPSC Questions From Prelims.................... 399 Answer Key Explanation

423 424

1

CHAPTER

The British Rule and India’s Constitutional Development

  PART A:  THE ENGLISH EAST INDIA COMPANY : ITS REGIME

1. The English East India Company, founded in 1600, had certain objectives; which one of the following was not among them? (a) To combat Dutch competition in the Eastern trade (b) To carry on conquests in India (c) To settle scores with the Portuguese (d) To have monopoly of all trade with the Eastern countries 2. Which one of the following was the idea behind establishing the Board of Control through the Pitt’s India Act; 1784? 1. To protect the British possessions in India 2. To promote the trading interests in India Select the correct code: (a) 1 is true but 2 is false. (b) 2 is true but 1 is false. (c) 1 and 2 both are true. (d) 1 and 2 both are false. 3. Which one of the following evolved the policy of ‘Subsidiary Alliance’? (a) Robert Clive (b) Warren Hastings (c) Wellesley (d) Cornwallis 4. Which act of the British Parliament created the office of the Governor General in India? (a) The Regulating Act of 1773 (b) The Pitt’s India Act of 1784 (c) The Charter Act of 1793 (d) The Charter Act of 1813 5. Consider the following with regard to Clive’s ‘double government’ and choose the correct code:

2



Indian Polity and Governance

1. The Nawabs and his officials supervised the criminal justice system. 2. The East India Company controlled the civil and fiscal matters.

Codes: (a) 1 is true but 2 is false. (b) 2 is true but 1 is false. (c) 1 and 2 both are true. (d) 1 and 2 both are false. 6. From whom did the English East India Company obtain the Diwani of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa in 1765? (a) Mir Jaffar (b) The Marathas (c) Shah Alam, the Mughal Emperor (d) Aurangzeb 7. Which one of the following was founded to train the civil servants in Indian languages and tradition? (a) Fort William College, Calcutta (b) The Calcutta Madrassa (c) Asiatic Society of Bengal (d) Sanskrit College in Benaras 8. Who among the following started the telegraph and postal systems in India? (a) Bentinck (b) Ripin (c) Cornwallis (d) Dalhousie 9. Though the Company’s territories in India were taken over in 1858, the Company itself became defunct in: (a) 1859 (b) 1874 (c) 1880 (d) 1882 10. Who among the following founded the Asiatic Society of Bengal? (a) Thomas Macaulay (b) A. B. Keith (c) Charles Grey (d) William Jones 11. Which one of the following trio helped pass the Charter Act of 1833? (a) Gray, Buckingham, Mill (b) Buckingham, Mill, Macaulay (c) Mill, Macaulay, Grey (d) Grey, Macaulay, Buckingham 12. Which one of the following was not the factor responsible for the draining of wealth from India: (a) Home charges



The British Rule and India’s Constitutional Development

3

(b) Interest paid to the British investors (c) Expenditure made on the military for waging wars in India (d) Expenditure made during the floods in the country 13. Which one of the following Acts was the first to regulate the Company’s affairs in India? (a) Pitt’s India Act, 1784 (b) The Regulating Act, 1773 (c) The Charter Act of 1793 (d) The Charter Act of 1813 14. Consider the following statements with regard to the Regulating Act of 1773 and select the correct code: 1. The Act of 1773 regulated the affairs of the East India Company. 2. The Act of 1773 separated judiciary from the executive. Codes: (a) 1 is true but 2 is false. (c) 1 and 2 both are true.

(b) 2 is true but 1 is false. (d) 1 and 2 both are false.

15. Which of the following created the Board of Control to control the East India Company’s affairs in India? (a) The Regulating Act of 1773 (b) The Pitt’s India Act of 1784 (c) The Charter Act of 1793 (d) The Charter Act of 1813 16. Consider the following statements with regard to the Charter Act of 1833 and choose the correct code for statements that are correct: 1. Prevention of shareholders from interfering in the Company’s governance of India. 2. Creation of the office of the Governor-General of India 3. Centralisation of all the powers in the hands of the GovernorGeneral 4. Monopoly of trade in tea and trade with China Codes: (a) 1, 2 and 3 (c) 1 and 4

(b) 2, 3 and 4 (d) 2 and 3

17. The ‘Zamindari system’ introduced by Cornwallis in 1793 was applicable to the following regions: (a) Madras and Bombay (b) Assam and Coorgh (c) Bengal and Bihar (d) Agra and Punjab

4

Indian Polity and Governance

Box 1 Cornwallis Codes–I (of 1787, 1790, 1792) 1787 1.

The Collector was to perform his duties separately in different capacities: Collect revenues as a Magistrate and hear cases as a judge.

1790 1.

Sadar Nizamat Adalat was shifted to Calcutta.

2.

Recommend cases to Governor General-in-Council for mercy

3.

Recommended liberal salaries for public servants.

1793 1.

Revenue courts abolished and all its cadre shifted to civil courts

2.

Servants of the Company made liable before court of justice

3.

Natives allowed to bring cases against British subjects

1 8. The Pitt’s India Act: (a) Deprived the Governor-General as well as Governors of the right to vote in the Council (b) Gave the Governor-General the right to vote but gave no corresponding right to the Governors (c) Gave casting vote to the Governor-General but not to the Governors (d) Gave casting vote to the Governor-General as well as the Governors 19. Which of the following Acts asked the English East-India Company to maintain two separate accounts: commercial transactions and those concerning territorial possessions? (a) The Pitt’s India Act, 1784 (b) The Charter Act of 1813 (c) The Charter Act of 1833 (d) The Charter Act of 1853 20. Through which of the following Act, was general trade opened to British subjects: (a) The Charter Act of 1813 (b) The Charter Act of 1833 (c) The Charter Act of 1853 (d) The Better Government of India Act, 1858



The British Rule and India’s Constitutional Development

5

21. All the services were thrown open to competitive examinations under: (a) The Charter Act of 1833 (b) The Charter Act of 1853 (c) The Better Government of India Act, 1858 (d) The Indian Councils, Act of 1861 22. One of the following is not true with regard to the Regulating Act of 1773. Which one is it ? (a) The status of the Governor of Bengal was raised to the GovernorGeneral (b) All dispatches from India were sent to the Court of Directors through the newly established Supreme Court of India. (c) Presidencies of Bombay and Madras were subordinated to Governor-General-in-Council. (d) The Court of Directors were to submit all communications received from Bengal to the British government. Box 2 Cornwallis Code–II •

The Cornwallis Code introduced some 48 regulations (from 1772 and 1790). Its final shape came in 1793.

• • •

An institutional code of law and an administration system was introduced. Permanent Settlement was a part of the Cornwallis Code. The natives could file a case against government officials.

• •

Professional lawyers could conduct cases in a court. Europeans were prohibited from purchasing land.

• •

No physical torture was permitted to realise revenue. Civil and criminal courts were to try cases according to the laws of the land.

•

The native courts of Qazis were abolished following the establishment of new courts controlled by the Europeans.

23. Consider the following statements regarding the Charter Act of 1833 and choose the correct code given below:

1. The President of the Board of Control became the Minister for Indian affairs.

6

Indian Polity and Governance



2. The Governor-General of Bengal became the Governor-General of India. Codes: (a) 1 is true but 2 is false. (b) 2 is true but 1 is false. (c) 1 and 2 both are true. (d) 1 and 2 both are false. 24. Consider the following statements with regard to the Charter Act of 1813: 1. The Company’s trade monopoly came to an end. 2. The Company’s trade with China remained as its monopoly. 3. The Christian missionaries were allowed to enter India provided they could obtain licence either from the Court of Directors or from the Board of Control. Select the code giving the correct statements. (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 25. Read the two statements relating to the Charter Act of 1853 and choose the correct code: Statement I : The executive and the legislative functions came to be separated. Statement II : The Governor-General in Council together with new members could become a legislative body. Codes: (a) Statement I is correct. (b) Statement II is correct. (c) Statement I and II are correct. (d) Statement I and II are. false 26. Who among the following introduced the farming system to extract as much revenue as possible? (a) Cornwallis (b) Munro (c) Warren Hastings (d) Bentinck 2 7. Arrange the following in chronological order. I. Formation of Dutch East India Company II. Formation of French East India Company III. Formation of Swedish East India Company IV. Formation of English East India Company (a) I, II, III, IV (b) III, II, I, IV (c) II, I, IV, III (d) IV, I, II, III 28. Which one of the following regions was not covered under the Permanent Zamindari system?



The British Rule and India’s Constitutional Development

7

(a) Orissa (b) Banaras (c) Bihar (d) Awadh 29. Which one of the following regions was not covered under the Ryotwari System? (a) Assam (b) Bengal (c) Bombay (d) Madras Box 3 Zamindari System, Ryotwari System and Mahalwari System Zamindari System • The Zamindari System was introduced by Cornwallis in 1793 through the Permanent Settlement Act. • It was introduced in the provinces of Bengal, Bihar, Orissa and Varanasi. • Zamindars were recognized as owners of land; they were given the rights to collect the rent from the peasants. • The realized amount was to be divided into 11 parts. 1/11 of the share belongs to Zamindars and 10/11 of the share belongs to East India Company. Ryotwari System • The Ryotwari System was introduced by Thomas Munro in 1820. • The major areas covered by it included Madras, Bombay, parts of Assam and Coorgh provinces of British India. • The ownership rights were handed over to the peasants. British Government collected taxes directly from the peasants. • The revenue rates of Ryotwari System were 50% where the lands were dry and 60% in irrigated land. Mahalwari System • The Mahalwari system was introduced in 1833 during the period of William Bentick. • It was introduced in Central Provinces, North-West Frontier, Agra, Punjab, Gangetic Valley, etc of British India. • The land was divided into Mahals, each Mahal comprises one or more villages. • Ownership rights were vested with the peasants. • The villages committee was held responsible for collection of the taxes.