01 Feb 2022: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. GS 1 Related
B. GS 2 Related
POLITY
1. The limits of the legislature’s power to suspend a member
C. GS 3 Related
ECONOMY
1. Survey pegs growth at 8-8.5% in ’22-23
D. GS 4 Related
E. Editorials
HEALTH
1. The case for vaccinating children against COVID-19
ECONOMY
1. A hazy picture on employment in India
POLITY
1. The supreme failure
F. Prelims Facts
1. Ethanol blending of 8.1% achieved, target was 10%
G. Tidbits
1. ‘Demand for MGNREGA work softens’
2. India ranks third globally in forest area gain: Survey
3. Railways to see ‘very high’ capex over 10 years: Survey
4. ‘Centre has adopted MSP, but States must facilitate crop shift’
5. Infra push
6. Social spending
7. India calls for ‘quiet diplomacy’ on Ukraine
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

A. GS 1 Related

Nothing here for today!!!

B. GS 2 Related

Category: POLITY
1. The limits of the legislature’s power to suspend a member

Syllabus: Parliament and State Legislatures— Functioning, Conduct of Business, Powers &
Privileges and Issues Arising out of these/Separation of Powers between various organs

Prelims: Representation of the People Act, 1951 - provisions; Article 190(4) of the Constitution

Mains: General principles arising from the case

Context:

• Recently, the Supreme Court declared the suspension of 12 opposition legislators for one year
by the Maharashtra Assembly for disorderly conduct as being irrational and illegal.
o Amid accusations on the opposition legislators of damaging the presiding officer’s
microphone and abusing the Deputy Speaker, a resolution moved by the state
Parliamentary Affairs Minister suspending the 12 opposition MLAs was subsequently
adopted by the Maharashtra Assembly. This barred the suspended MLAs from entering
the legislative premises for 12 months.
o This suspension was challenged in the Supreme Court.

Details:

• A three-judge Bench of the Supreme Court has ruled that the suspension beyond the term of
the particular session in which it was imposed was a nullity in the eyes of the law.

Maharashtra state government’s arguments:

• The main argument from the State government was that there is no limitation on the power of
the legislature to punish for breach of privilege or disorderly conduct in the course of its
proceedings and that there can be no judicial review of the manner in which it is exercised.
• It also contended that when the power to expel a member is available, the power to suspend,
being a lesser punishment than expulsion, is also available to the House at all times.
• Though Rule 53 of the Maharashtra Assembly Rules provides powers for the Speaker to direct
a member to withdraw from the Assembly for disorderly conduct for the day, or the remainder of
the Session, there are no such limitations on the time period of suspension when the whole
House decides to impose suspension.
• The Government also pointed out that in Raja Ram Pal (2007), the Supreme Court had upheld
the expulsion of 12 MPs in the cash-for-questions scandal.

The Bench’s reasoning:

 • Rule 53 allowed for only a ‘graded approach’ to the issue of disorderly behaviour, an initial
suspension for a day, and then for the remainder of the session, but nothing beyond it. The
suspension for 1 year is not in line with the ‘graded approach’ principle.
• Rule 53 has no separate provision for the House to impose a lengthy suspension.
• Suspension for 1 year seemed to have worse consequences than outright expulsion from the
legislature, as a by-election will be held within six months.
o The Representation of the People Act, 1951, states that any vacancy in the House has to
be filled up through a by-election within six months of its occurrence.
• The Bench raised a question as to how any suspension can go beyond 60 days, in the light
of Article 190(4) of the Constitution, which says the House could declare a seat vacant if a
member is absent for 60 days.
• The suspension of an MLA beyond the session duration amounts to punitive action and does
not count as a disciplinary measure.
• A one-year suspension meant that the constituency concerned would go without
representation in the Assembly for a whole year.
• This could be detrimental to democracy, as it could be used to manipulate numbers in the
legislature, and deny the opposition the opportunity to participate effectively in debates.

General principles arising from the case:

• Even though the judiciary will not interfere in the functioning of the legislature, the judiciary is
not deprived of the power of judicial review if there is a violation of the Constitution.
• Despite having no prescribed limits to the privileges of the House, the privileges are subject to
the provisions of the Constitution.

Nut Graf
The Supreme Court ruling in the case indicates that though the judiciary may not interfere in the
functioning of the legislature, it continues to hold the powers of judicial review with respect to
legislature functioning and privileges if there is a violation of the Constitutional provisions.

C. GS 3 Related

Category: ECONOMY

1. Survey pegs growth at 8-8.5% in ’22-23

Syllabus: Indian Economy and issues relating to Planning, Mobilization of Resources, Growth,
Development and Employment

Mains: Economic survey findings - Growth projections; Challenges/concerns for Indian economy

Context:

• Economic Survey for 2021-22 tabled by Union Finance Minister in Parliament.

Details:

• India’s GDP is expected to grow by 9.2% in 2021-22 and 8% to 8.5% in 2022-23.

• The 9.2% growth estimate for 2021-22 suggests a recovery above the pre-pandemic level of
2019-20 by 1.3%.

• The recovery is most significant in exports followed by government consumption and gross
fixed capital formation.
o India’s investment to GDP ratio has hit 29.6% in 2021-22, the highest level in seven
years.
o The Economic Survey attributes the increased capital formation in the economy to the
government’s policy thrust on increased capex and infrastructure spending.
• Despite an overall recovery in the economy, private consumption and segments such as travel,
trade and hotels are yet to fully recover.
 o Private consumption accounts for a large proportion of the GDP.
• The Economic Survey notes India’s macro-economic stability indicators on the external front,
fiscal front as well as financial sector health as being well-placed.
o India has recorded a modest current account deficit of 0.2% in the first half of the
current fiscal year and there have been robust capital inflows in the form of foreign
investment.
o The relatively good position of the financial system would help increase the private
sector investment which along with the government expenditure can play a critical role in
the economic recovery process.
o The survey estimates that the double-digit wholesale price inflation in recent months will
‘even out’.

Assumptions:

• The Economic Survey while making the advance estimates for the GDP mentions the following
caveats for its estimates to hold.
o No more pandemic related economic disruptions
o Normal monsoonal rainfall
o Oil prices will be in the range of $70-$75/barrel
o Global supply chain disruptions will ease out
o Orderly withdrawal of global liquidity by major central banks following the fiscal
stimulus provided during the pandemic

Concerns:

• The Economic Survey raises concerns over the following aspects.

Inflation pressures:

• The wholesale inflation (WPI) remained above 10% for the ninth consecutive month in
December 2021. Retail inflation (CPI) accelerated to a five-month high of 5.6%.
Energy prices:

• The price of crude oil is moving up. It is moving towards the $90/barrel mark.
• The high excise duty has resulted in the retail price of fuel remaining high.
Liquidity woes:

• Expansionary macroeconomic policies were adopted worldwide in response to the crisis

brought out by the pandemic. These policies were aimed at stabilising financial conditions and
fostering economic recovery. The abundant global liquidity led to emerging economies like
India experiencing large capital inflows.
• However, several central banks in both advanced and emerging market economies have begun
unwinding from crisis-time policies as warranted by their own growth-inflation dynamics. There
is considerable uncertainty at this moment on how the growth-inflation dynamics will pan out in
the immediate months. The financial conditions are turning increasingly volatile as a
consequence.
• The tightening of global liquidity poses a challenge to economic recovery in India given that it
might result in large scale capital outflows.

CEA statement:

• The Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) noted that the sharp contraction after the national lockdown
was followed by a sharp revival in the second half of 2020-21 which was followed by disruption
again due to the second COVID wave in April 2021 followed by yet another economic recovery.
This is being described as a sort of W shaped recovery.
• The CEA attributed the economic recovery post the disruptions to the policies pursued by the
government of providing short-term support to vulnerable sectors while keeping in check the
medium-term fiscal health and undertaking process as well as supply-side reforms.
• The CEA stated that the growth estimates for 2022-23 would be supported by widespread
vaccine coverage, gains from supply-side reforms and easing of regulations, robust export
growth, and the availability of fiscal space to increase capital spending.

Nut Graf
The Economic Survey estimates for the Indian economy point towards economic recovery in India.
However, the realization of these estimates would depend on challenges like future COVID-19 variants,
inflation pressures, increasing energy prices and volatile global financial scenarios.

D. GS 4 Related

Nothing here for today!!!

E. Editorials

Category: HEALTH
1. The case for vaccinating children against COVID-19

Syllabus: Issues relating to Health

Mains: Critical evaluation of the need for vaccinating children against COVID-19

Context:

India has decided to administer Covid-19 vaccines to children in the age group of 15-18 years in view of
the recent global surge of coronavirus infections and detection of the new Omicron variant of the virus.

Which Risk Factors Make Children in India Vulnerable to Severe COVID-19?

• Heart Diseases: It is estimated that a higher number of children are born with congenital heart
defects every year in India.
• Cases of Cancer: New cases of cancer in children are about 50,000 per year.
• Neurological Disorders: A huge number of children have neurological disorders.
• Disability: As per a United Nations estimate, about 7% of children in India are disabled due to
various diseases.
• Obesity: India has the second-highest number of obese children in the world.
• Nephrotic Syndrome: The burden of childhood nephrotic syndrome is high. Nephrotic
syndrome is a kidney disorder causing the body to pass too much protein in the urine.
• Sickle Cell Diseases: Sickle cell disease is highly prevalent in tribal children in India.
• Immune Deficiency Disease: Estimates show that over a million children have primary immune
deficiency disease.

Vaccinating Children Against COVID-19

• Arguments in favour:

1. Vaccination of children is being seen as an enabler for the age group and also the rest of society.
2. Vaccination has shown efficiency in reducing the rate of transmission and severity of illness.
3. By vaccinating children we will be able to start schools in full strength and help them lead a
normal life.

• Arguments against:

1. Experts believe that children are extremely unlikely to develop complications, severe disease or
death due to COVID-19. So the need for vaccination is not severe.
 2. Besides, the panic created by any bad outcomes in children's vaccination can in fact be counter-
productive for the entire vaccination process.
3. It does not make sense to vaccinate enormous numbers of children to prevent one rare
complication. We should prioritize children who need vaccines the most.

How vaccination helps prevent post-Covid risks in children?

• Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (MIS):

o Most of the children develop Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (MIS) four to six
weeks after COVID-19.
o Statistics available in India showed 5% mortality among 800 children hospitalized for
MIS; more than half required intensive care. COVID-19 vaccination will be beneficial in
tackling Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (MIS).
• Diabetes:
o Another post-COVID-19 disease in adults and children is diabetes, starting within weeks.
Several reports show that the incidence of post-COVID-19 diabetes is higher in children.
o India already has a heavy burden of diabetes in children. COVID-19 vaccination will
prevent post-COVID-19 diabetes.

Factors to be Considered During Child Vaccination:

Conclusion:
William Wordsworth has famously said, “The child is the father of man.” Vaccinating children would
help control infection spread and return to normalcy faster. Administering a safe vaccine as early as
possible to children elicits the best immune responses and forms a firm foundation for life-long
immunity. All facts considered, rolling out vaccination with vaccine(s) of assured safety is the right way
forward.

Nut Graf
Children, especially those with conditions known to be risk factors for severe covid-19, should be
prioritised for vaccinations. Taking into account all factors for vaccine safety, a step-wise lowering of
the age of eligibility for the covid vaccines should be examined considering the benefits of vaccinations
including protection against the virus and a return to normal schooling.

Category: ECONOMY

1. A hazy picture on employment in India

Syllabus: Issues relating to employment.

Mains: Trends in Employment Pattern in India and need of change in growth model

Context:

Budget 2022-23 was presented amidst concerns of high levels of unemployment in the country.

National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) Surveys:

• The quinquennial Employment and Unemployment surveys of the National Sample Survey
(NSS) are the primary sources of data on various indicators of the labour force at National and
State levels.
• The last available data from the Census are from 2011. Similarly, the quinquennial NSSO data
on employment and unemployment are available up to 2011-12.
• Know more about National Sample Survey Office (NSSO).

Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS):

• The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) was designed with two major objectives for the
measurement of employment and unemployment.
 • Started in 2017-18 on an annual basis, the PLFS data set is now available for three consecutive
years i.e., 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20.
• Issue with PLFS Data: The PLFS data cannot be used to infer an underlying trend, as they are
available only for three years.
• Significance of PLFS Data: They can be used to reveal the effect of various policies and
development regimes as well as to understand and shape the employment scenario based on
concrete statistics.

PLFS vs NSSO:

• The PLFS is based on a different sampling framework and uses a different analytical approach
vis-a-vis NSSO surveys on employment.
• As a result, the time series data on employment and unemployment available from NSSO
surveys are not comparable with PLFS data.

Trends In Employment Pattern In India:

1. Worker to population (WPR) ratio:

a. PLFS data show an increase in the worker to population (WPR) ratio from 34.7% in
2017-18 to 38.2% in 2019-20.
b. This change implies that employment has increased at a much faster rate than the growth
in population.
2. Female WPR ratio:
a. Female WPR ratio increased from 17.5% to 24% between 2017-18 and 2019-20.
b. When this ratio is multiplied by the female population, it shows an annual increase of
17% of women workers.
3. Male and female worker participation rate
a. Another positive indication from PLFS data is that the gap between the male and female
worker participation rate is narrowing down.
b. As against 100 male workers, there were 32 female workers in the workforce in 2017-18.
This number increased to 40 in 2019-20.
4. Unemployment rate in the female labour force
a. Unemployment rate in the female labour force in rural areas is far lower than the male
labour force, whereas the opposite holds true in urban areas.
5. Unemployment Rate
a. PLFS data show that the unemployment rate based on principal status plus subsidiary
status declined from 6.1% in 2017-18 to 4.8% in 2019-20.
b. This shows that the number of jobs increased at a faster rate than the increase in the
number of job seekers between 2017-18 and 2019-20.
6. Sectoral Composition of the workforce
 a. According to PLFS data, the sectoral composition of the workforce shows that 45.6% of
the workers in India are engaged in agriculture and allied activities, 30.8% in services and
23.7% in industry.
b. No increase in the share of industry and services in total employment.
c. Employment in the manufacturing sector showed a meagre increase of 1.8 million in two
years.

Way forward:

• There is an urgent need to generate much more employment in the manufacturing and services
sector compared to the number of jobs they have offered in the recent past.
• India should rethink the strategy of striving for an industry-led growth model and explore a more
relevant agri-centric model of economic transformation to create more attractive, more
remunerative and more satisfying employment in and around agriculture. This should include -
o changes in labour laws that discourage industry to adopt labour-intensive production
o employment-linked production incentives and;
o special assistance for labour-intensive economic activities.

Nut Graf
There is a dichotomy between the rising share of industry and services in national income without a
sizable increase in employment share. This puts a serious question mark on the relevance of
conventional models of economic growth and development on the large-scale shift of the labour force
from agriculture to industry.

Category: POLITY

1. The supreme failure

Syllabus: Structure, organization and functioning of the Judiciary

Context:

The huge pendency of cases, including high profile cases in the Supreme Court.

Concerns associated with high Pendency of cases in the Supreme Court

 • Pendency of cases: As per the Vidhi Centre comprehensive tracker, there are 25 main cases
pending before the five-judge constitution bench and five cases each pending before the seven-
judge and nine-judge benches.
• Interdependent Cases: Related to these pending main cases, there are more than 500 connected
cases. These cases cannot be decided till the legal issues in the main cases before the
constitutional benches are addressed.
• Repercussions on the Fundamental Rights: Pending cases relate to significant constitutional
and other legal matters that can have serious repercussions on the fundamental rights of ordinary
citizens and our core republican values.
• Eroding respect for the law: The huge pendency of cases erodes respect for law among
citizens.

Some of the important cases pending in the Supreme Court are as follows:

• Petitions against Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019: A deluge of petitions challenging the
constitutionality of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 are pending for more than two years.
• Petitions against Article 370: Innumerable petitions have been filed challenging the
Presidential Order that effectively diluted Article 370 of the Constitution and split Jammu and
Kashmir into two Union Territories.
• Petitions against reservation for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS): Petitions
challenging the constitutionality of the Constitution (One Hundred and Third Amendment) Act,
2019 are also languishing in the Supreme Court.
• Petition against Demonetisation: A momentous case known as Vivek Narayan Sharma v.
Union of India, relating to the legality of demonetisation, has been in the Supreme Court for
more than five years.
• Petition against Electoral bonds: The Supreme Court has failed to accord proper hearing in the
last four years to the constitutional challenge to the electoral bonds scheme.

Way Forward:

The Supreme Court should perform its constitutional duty of being a balancing force against the
legislature and executive. The power of judicial review which is critical to democracy should be
exercised assiduously.

Recommendations of Law Commission of India 229th Report:

The Law Commission of India in its 229th Report recommended models to reduce the workload of the
Supreme Court:

• A Constitution Bench be set up at Delhi to deal with constitutional and other allied issues as
aforesaid.
 • Parliament should enact a suitable legislation/Constitutional amendment for this purpose.

Nut Graf
By abjectly failing to decide key constitutional cases in a time-bound manner, the Supreme Court has
not acted as the “sentinel on the qui vive”.

F. Prelims Facts

1. Ethanol blending of 8.1% achieved, target was 10%

Syllabus: Conservation, Environmental Pollution and Degradation - Government Schemes/Initiatives

• According to the Economic Survey 2021-2022, Ethanol supply under the Ethanol Blended
Petrol (EBP) Programme is expected to exceed 302 crore litres by the end of November 2021.
This would help achieve approximately 8.1% blending.
• The ethanol blending target for ESY 2021-22 is 10%. The Centre has set a target of 20%
ethanol blending with petrol to be achieved by 2025.

G. Tidbits

1. ‘Demand for MGNREGA work softens’

• As per the latest Economic Survey findings, the demand for work under the Mahatma Gandhi
National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme has dropped from the
peak of the first lockdown, but is still higher than pre-COVID levels.
• The highest demand for work under the scheme was seen in States which are usually the
destination of migrant workers, rather than source States.

2. India ranks third globally in forest area gain: Survey

 • India has increased its forest area in the past decade and ranks third globally in average
annual net gain in forest area from 2010-2020. India annually added an average 2,66,000
hectares of forest area over the period.
• Forests covered 24% of India’s geographical area, accounting for 2% of the world’s total
forest area in 2020, the department said.

3. Railways to see ‘very high’ capex over 10 years: Survey

• The Economic Survey notes that in the next 10 years, the railway sector will see a ‘very high
level’ of capital expenditure (capex) as capacity growth has to be accelerated such that by 2030
it is ahead of demand.
• The modal share of railways in freight is also likely to rise to 40-45% from the present level
of 26-27%.

4. ‘Centre has adopted MSP, but States must facilitate crop shift’

• The agricultural sector continued to be a major driver of the economy in the pandemic era,
with the sector’s growth rate rising from 3.6% in 2020-21 to 3.9% in 2021-2022.
• The Economic Survey emphasizes the urgent need for crop diversification in view of the
severe water stress in areas where paddy, wheat and sugarcane are grown.
• It also emphasizes the need to increase oilseed production and reduce dependency on imports
of cooking oil.
• The survey urged for an increase in funding for agricultural research noting that “every rupee
spent on agricultural research and development yields better returns compared to returns on
money spent on subsidies or other expenditures on inputs.”

5. Infra push

• According to the Economic Survey, 13,327 km of National Highways or roads were constructed
in 2020-21. This marks a significant increase compared to last fiscal.
• The significant upturn in road construction in 2020-21 was due to the increase in public
expenditure by 29.5% as compared to the previous year.

6. Social spending
 • The combined expenditure of the Centre and the State governments on the social services sector
(education, health and other segments) increased during the financial year 2021-22 and stood
at ₹71.61 lakh crore. This marks an increase of 9.8% compared to the 2020-21 financial year.

7. India calls for ‘quiet diplomacy’ on Ukraine

• India has called for quiet diplomacy and the peaceful resolution of the Russia-Ukraine
tensions through sustained diplomatic efforts.
• India called for the immediate de-escalation of the situation while taking into account the
security interests of all countries and called for measures aiming towards securing long term
peace in the region as well as securing international peace and security.
• India reiterated support for the July 2020 ceasefire, the 2014 Minsk Agreement and the
Normandy Process.
• Apart from close strategic ties with both Russia and Ukraine, India is also concerned about
the wellbeing of a large number of its citizens who are residing in Ukraine.
o More than 20,000 Indian nationals live in Ukraine.

H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions

Q1. Consider the following statements with regards to the National Commission for Protection of
Child Rights:

1. It is a statutory body under the Commissions for Protection of Child Rights (CPCR) Act, 2005
under the administrative control of the Ministry of Women & Child Development, Government
of India.
2. The commission defines a child as a person between the ages of 0 and 18 years.
3. The commission has a chairperson and six members of which at least two should be women.

Choose the correct code:

a. 1 & 2 only
b. 2 & 3 only
c. 1 & 3 only
d. All of the above

Answer: d

Explanation:
 • The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights is an Indian statutory body established
by an Act of Parliament, the Commission for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005. It was set up
in March 2007.
• The Commission's mandate is to ensure that all Laws, Policies, Programmes, and Administrative
Mechanisms are in consonance with the Child Rights perspective as enshrined in the
Constitution of India and also the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Child is
defined as a person in the 0 to 18 years age group.
• The Commission works under the aegis of the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
• The commission consists of the following members namely:
o A chairperson who, is a person of eminence and has done outstanding work for
promoting the welfare of children; and
o Six members, out of which at least two are woman, are appointed by the Central
Government from amongst persons of eminence, ability, integrity, standing and
experience.

Q2. Consider the following statements with regards to the appointment of judges in the higher
judiciary in India:

1. Collegium is the system of appointment and transfer of judges that has evolved through
judgments of the Supreme Court, and not by an Act of Parliament or by a provision of the
Constitution.
2. In the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association Vs Union of India, 1993, a nine-judge
Constitution Bench devised a specific procedure called ‘Collegium System’ for the appointment
and transfer of judges in the higher judiciary.
3. As per the third judges’ case, the sole opinion of the CJI does not constitute the consultation
process.

Choose the correct code:

a. 1 & 2 only
b. 2 & 3 only
c. 1 & 3 only
d. All of the above

Answer: d

Explanation:

• The Collegium system has evolved through judgments of the Supreme Court and is not backed
by an Act of Parliament or by a provision of the Constitution.
 • ‘Collegium System’ for the appointment and transfer of judges in the higher judiciary evolved
from the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association Vs Union of India, 1993 case
judgment.
• As per the SC guidelines in the third judges’ case, the sole, individual opinion of the CJI does not
constitute consultation. The CJI can only make a recommendation to appoint a judge of the
Supreme Court and to transfer a Chief Justice or puisne judge of a High Court in consultation
with the four senior-most judges of the Supreme Court.

Q3. Which of the following nations is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
(NPT)?

a. Iran
b. Syria
c. South Sudan
d. Afghanistan

Answer: c

Explanation:

• The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, commonly known as the Non-
Proliferation Treaty or NPT, is an international treaty whose objective is to prevent the spread of
nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of
nuclear energy, and to further the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament and general and
complete disarmament.
• South Sudan is not a signatory of the NPT. Other non-signatory countries include India and
Pakistan.

Q4. Consider the following statements with respect to the National Clean Air Programme:

1. The NCAP has set a target of reducing key air pollutants PM10 and PM2.5 (ultra-fine particulate
matter) by 20-30% by 2024, taking the pollution levels in 2019 as the base year.
2. The NCAP has identified 132 cities as non-attainment cities as they did not meet the national
ambient air quality standards for 2011-15 under the National Air Quality Monitoring Program.
3. The NCAP was launched in 2019.

Choose the correct code:

a. 1 & 2 only
b. 2 & 3 only
c. 1 & 3 only
 d. All of the above

Answer: b

Explanation:

• The NCAP launched in 2019, has set a target of reducing key air pollutants PM10 and PM2.5
(ultra-fine particulate matter) by 20-30% by 2024, taking the pollution levels in 2017 as the base
year.

Q5. With reference to the provisions contained in Part IV of the Constitution of India, which of
the following statements is/are correct?

1. They shall be enforceable by courts.

2. They shall not be enforceable by any court.
3. The principles laid down in this part are to influence the making of laws by the State.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

a. 1 only
b. 2 only
c. 1 and 3 only
d. 2 and 3 only

Answer: d

Explanation:

• Part IV of the Constitution of India deals with Directive Principles of State Policy.
• ‘Directive Principles of State Policy’ are the constitutional instructions or recommendations to
the State in legislative, executive and administrative matters. The Directive Principles resemble
the ‘Instrument of Instructions’ enumerated in the Government of India Act of 1935. They seek
to establish economic and social democracy in the country.
• The Directive Principles are non-justiciable in nature, that is, they are not legally enforceable by
the courts. Therefore, the government (Central, state and local) cannot be compelled to
implement them. Nevertheless, the Constitution (Article 37) itself says that these principles are
fundamental in the governance of the country and it shall be the duty of the State to apply these
principles in making laws.

I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

1. Illustratively bring out some of the key findings of Economic Survey 2021-22. (250 words; 15
marks)(GS paper 3/Economy)
2. By failing to decide key constitutional cases in a timely way, the apex court has failed in its
constitutional duty. Critically examine. (250 words; 15 marks)(GS Paper 2/Polity)