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Subhash Kashyap-Revision Questions Chapter 01 - History of Parliament
Subhash Kashyap-Revision Questions Chapter 01 - History of Parliament
Subhash Kashyap-Revision Questions Chapter 01 - History of Parliament
For each of the following acts, analyse against the following counts:
Composition, structure, and numerical strength of the legislature
Elected members, if any
Powers to make legislation, vote on budget etc.- were recommendations
binding on the executive?
Shortcomings
Answers:
1. What was the significance of the Charter Act of 1833?
2. Who was the first Governor-General of India?
3. Who was the first ‘fourth member’ of the GG’s council, a post
established by the 1833 Charter Act? What was the significance of the
post?
EIC’s trade monopoly broken, any English citizen could now reside in
India
Governor-General-in-council now supreme post in India; different
presidencies not to have separate GGs like before (William Bentick first
such GG)
Number of members of GG’s council fixed at 4, with limitations on powers
of 4th member (he could only aid GG in legislating; not sit or vote during
executive meetings; Macaulay first such 4th member)
4. What was the significance of the Charter Act of 1853? (2) (Page 5)
5. What was the significance of the Indian Councils Act of 1861? (2)
6. What was the significance of the Indian Councils Act of 1892? (3)
7. What was the significance of the Indian Councils Act of 1909? (4)
Morley-Minto reforms
Maximum number of LC members raised from 16 to 60 (excluding
executive councillors, who were ex-officio members)
Size of LAs in provinces more than doubled
Some of the members were elected
Now, LAs and LC to include both elected as well as nominated members
Members now had power to move resolutions on budget/ any other
matter of public importance (although GG could veto anything)
Created separate electorates for Muslims, zamindars, chambers of
commerce etc.
9. Describe the Government of India Act of 1935. List one major change
introduced to its provisions by the India Independence Act of 1947.
10. Which of the acts above introduced an element of indirect elections into the
India Councils for the first time? What was one other major reform in the
same act?
11. Which of these introduced separate communal electorates? (Page 9)
12. Which Act first accepted the principle of participation of non-official
members in the legislature? (Page 6)
13. Which of these introduced majority elected members in the central
legislature? What was the other major reform introduced by the same act?
14. What is meant by ‘diarchy’? Which Act introduced it?
15. Did the Act of 1919 succeed in establishing a representative democracy?
16. What was the National Liberation Federation? When was it founded
and by whom?
17. What was the significance of the 1923 Delhi session of the INC? (Page
13)
18. Which Act provisioned freely to admit the natives of India to share in the
administration of the country?
In 1923, Delhi session of INC adopted Motilal Nehru and CR Das’s Swaraj
Plan, where Swaraj Party within the INC would contest elections to
legislatures and oppose Brits from within by parliamentary obstructionism.
In 1923 elections, Swaraj party emerged as the largest party in central
legislature, and inside the parliament, defeated the government on several
measures. The party performed poorly in 1926 elections, and given the lack
of any signs of cooperation by the government, INC asked Swaraj party MPs
to walk out of the legislature, thus ending the experiment.
20. Who was John Simon? (What was the technical name of the commission that
he was to head)?
21. Why was the 1929 Lahore session of the INC historic?
1. On which 2 occasions does the President address both the houses of the
parliament together? (Page 25)
2. By what name is the Budget listed in the constitution?
3. In case of any MP from either house becoming disqualified under provisions
listed in Article 103, whose decision is final? President or SC?
4. What is the maximum sanctioned strength of the Rajya Sabha? Present?
(Page 27)
5. How is the Deputy Chairman of the RS appointed?
6. On which census population figures are the Lok Sabha seats assigned to a
state determined? Till which year is this going to continue? (Page 28)
7. On what basis are seats reserved for SCs/ STs in the Lok Sabha?
8. Under emergency, how long can the normal house of the LS be extended for?
9. Can a vote of no confidence be passed in the RS?
10. Mention 2 extraordinary powers of the RS that the LS does not enjoy.
11. In which case can the President exercise his personal discretion in
appointing the Prime Minister?
12. What does the constitution say about the procedure for impeachment of a
judge? (Page 35)
13. True of False: The Parliament cannot discuss any conduct of a sitting judge,
be it official or private conduct.
14. Can the Parliament make Administrative Tribunals that do not come under
the jurisdiction of any HC? SC? Which Article contains these provisions?
15. With regards to regulating the procedure followed in conducting the
business of either house of parliament, what is the jurisdiction of the courts?
16. Under what conditions can the Parliament legislate on an Article included in
the State List in the 7th Schedule?
17. What is the content of Article 13?
18. Which Articles of the constitution give an individual to approach the SC/ HC
in case a law made by the Parliament/ State Legislature is ultra vires,
unconstitutional, or impinges upon their fundamental rights?
19. Can some laws made by the Union Parliament be applicable only to specific
areas, or do all laws apply equally to all areas?
20. What is meant by ‘extra territorial legislation’? Can the Parliament make
such laws? State legislatures?
21. List 4 ways in which the Parliament can legislate on items included in state
list. (Page 39-40)
22. How are new states created in India/ boundaries of existing states altered?
23. What is the procedure for creation of Legislative Council for a state?
1. Are the elections for the posts of the President and Vice-President under the
jurisdiction of the Election Commission?
2. Describe the composition of the Election Commission.
3. What is the status of the CEC in terms of salaries etc.?
4. For how many years are EC members appointed?
5. Mention four ways in which the independence of the EC is maintained.
6. What is the role of a ‘returning officer’?
7. Who conducts the elections to local bodies? EC or SECs?
8. What is the residence criterion for membership to the Rajya Sabha? Lok
Sabha?
9. Who adjudicates whether the disqualification criteria mentioned in the
constitution apply to a particular MP? (Page 78)
10. Who do the MPs hand their resignation to? (Page 78)
11. In case of any election-related disputes with regards to either House of
Parliament, whom does the first appeal lie to? What is such an appeal called?
12. In case of any election-related disputes with regards to any State Legislature,
whom does the first appeal lie to? What is such an appeal called?
1. What are the three different types of questions that can be asked during the
question hour?
2. How much notice needs to be given in case of ordinary questions?
3. Who decides what category a particular question falls in?
4. What are some of the ground under which a particular question might not be
admissible? (3)
5. What is the maximum number of questions that a member of the Lok Sabha
can ask in a single sitting? (Page 122)
6. What is the maximum number of unstarred questions that can be put forth in
total in a single day in the Lok Sabha? How many starred questions?
7. When can short notice questions be asked? (Page 124)
8. What if a Minister refused to answer a Short-Notice Question? (Page 124)
9. When can questions be asked to private members?
10. What are ‘half an hour discussions?
11. What is the zero hour? What is its importance?
1. What are the 4 devices available to MPs for raising urgent matters of public
importance requiring immediate attention of the government/ Parliament?
2. When is it appropriate to use an adjournment motion?
3. Is the consent of the speaker sufficient to raise an adjournment motion?
(Page 133)
4. Once discussion under an adjournment motion is under way, can the speaker
adjourn the house? If yes, under what circumstances? (Page 134)
5. Is the adjournment motion available to both Houses of Parliament?
6. How is a calling attention notice different from an adjournment motion?
(Page 138, self note)
7. What is the nature of debate under calling-attention notices?
8. Is there a formal motion and voting under a calling-attention notice?
9. How is a short-duration discussion different from a calling attention notice?
10. What is a ‘Mention under Rule 377’? What is its equivalent in the Rajya
Sabha?
11. What are ‘motions’? (Page 140)
12. How many stages does a parliamentary motion pass through? Name them.
13. What are the 3 main kinds of motions? Describe each.
14. Describe the 3 different kinds of subsidiary motions.
15. What is the notice period required before introducing motions? (Page 143)
16. What is the difference between: (an amendment under the subsidiary
motion), and (substitute motions)? (Page 142)
17. List 2 differences between motions and resolutions. (Page 145)
18. What are the 3 main kinds of resolutions?
19. With regards to giving prior notice to the Secretary General, what is the
difference between different kinds of resolutions?
20. Can no-confidence motions be passed against individual ministers?
21. Does a no-confidence motion need to set out specific grounds on which it is
based?
22. What is the procedure for a no-confidence motion?
23. Does a no-confidence motion need to be moved immediately after the leave
of the house to move such a motion is granted?
24. How are censure motions different from no-confidence motions? Can they be
moved against individual ministers? (3) (Page 150)
Aside: PDFs from Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha (answers handwritten on Page
152)
1. What is the difference between the Annual Finance Bill and the
Appropriation Act? (Page 159)
2. True or False: the budget is not discussed on the day that it is presented.
(Page 156)
3. What, if any, is the difference between the role of the Lok Sabha and the
Rajya Sabha when it comes to the budget?
4. Is there a separate budget for the Railways?
5. Who moves the motion for budget demands? (Page 157)
6. What are ‘cut’ motions? How many types exist? Which one is the most
popular?
7. What is meant by the guillotine? (Page 158)
8. What is the one major difference between a regular bill and the
appropriation bill? (Page 159)
9. What is the vote on account? (Page 160)
10. What are supplementary and excess demands for grants?
11. What is a vote of credit?
1. What are the two broad categories of bills, on the basis of who introduces
the bill?
2. What are the 3 categories of bills, based on their content?
3. In which house can a union minister introduce a bill? (Page 166)
4. How much notice does the minister need to give for such a bill?
5. How many readings does a bill pass through before it can become an act?
6. How many bills can a single minister introduce on a given day in Parliament?
(Page 167)
7. When does the leave of the house need not be taken before introducing a
bill?
8. In which reading is a bill referred to a select/ joint committee?
9. In case of a joint committee, what is the ratio of members from the RS and
the LS?
10. How is the Chairman of such a joint committee selected? (Page 168)
11. For bills originating in a house, how long can the other house not take any
action on the bill before ‘deadlock’ is deemed to have happened? (Page 170)
12. Rules and procedures of which house govern a joint sitting? (Page 171)
13. Name 4 provisions that entitle a bill to be deemed a money bill.
14. Are matters related to adding/ deleting an item from the list of items
charged on the Consolidated Fund of India covered under money bills?
15. How long can the Rajya Sabha hold onto a money bill?
16. What is the main difference between finance bills and money bills?
17. List the two broad categories of finance bills. Which ones can be introduced
in the Rajya Sabha?
18. Describe the powers of the Rajya Sabha with respect to finance bills. (Page
174)
19. With regards to President’s recommendation being mandatory for
introduction/ discussion, differentiate between money bills and the two
kinds of finance bills.
20. Can constitutional amendment bills be introduced in the Rajya Sabha? (Page
175)
21. Can such bills be Private Member Bills?
22. Which Article contains the procedure for constitutional amendments?
23. List 4 kinds of constitutional amendments that can be brought in with a
simple majority.
24. Which kinds of constitutional amendments require a special majority?
25. List 6 kinds of constitutional amendments that require ratification by state
legislatures in addition to a special majority in Parliament.
26. For such bills, in how many days/ months do the states have to ratify?
27. Can a bill providing for the formation of new states and for alteration of
areas, boundaries, or names of states, be introduced by private members?
(Page 176)
28. Can the Parliament by itself create a Legislative Council for a state? (Page
176)
29. How much notice does an MP need to give to introduce a Private Members’
Bill/ Resolution? Contrast this with the notice period to be given by
government members. (Page 178)
30. Ordinarily, how many private member bills can a single MP introduce in a
given session?
Chapters 12, 13
1. Why is it important that the secretariats of the two houses of the Parliament
are independent from the executive? How is this independence ensured?
2. In handing out punishments/ rulings for members found to be out of order
in their conduct, does the jurisdiction of the Houses of parliament extend
only to the MP’s conduct within the House, or even outside?