07 September 2024

Q1. To facilitate ‘simultaneous elections’ to the Lok Sabha and the State Assemblies, a constitutional amendment would have to be:

1. introduced in the Rajya Sabha only.
2. introduced in the Lok Sabha only.
3. cleared by both Houses of Parliament by simple majority followed by ratification of half of the state legislatures.

How many of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Ans: (d)

Explanation: 

• A constitution amendment bill can be introduced in either House of Parliament (and not in state legislatures).
• Such a bill (to facilitate simultaneous elections) would have to be cleared by both Houses of Parliament by special majority followed by ratification of half of the state legislatures.

Q2. Consider the following statements:

1. RTI Portal Gateway to the citizens is an initiative taken by the Department of Personnel and Training.
2. Under the RTI law, information commissions are the final appellate authority and are mandated to safeguard and facilitate people’s fundamental right to information.
3. The RTI law mandated that one-third of the posts in the information commissions are to be occupied by women.

How many of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Right to Information Act 2005 mandates timely response to citizen requests for government information. It is an initiative taken by Department of Personnel and Training, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions to provide a– RTI Portal Gateway to the citizens for quick search of information on the details of first Appellate Authorities, PIOs etc. amongst others, besides access to RTI related information / disclosures published on the web by various Public Authorities under the government of India as well as the State Governments
• Under the RTI law, information commissions are the final appellate authority and are mandated to safeguard and facilitate people’s fundamental right to information.
• The report says two out of 29 information commissions across the country are completely defunct, four of them headless at the moment and only 5% of the positions being occupied by women.

Q3. Consider the following statements about Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005:

1. Under the provisions of RTI Act, any citizen of India may request information from public and private authority which is required to reply expeditiously or within thirty days.
2. The Act extends to the whole of India.
3. The Act provides for appointment of Information Commissioners at Central and State level.

How many of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Under the provisions of RTI Act, any citizen of India may request information from a “public authority” (a body of Government or “instrumentality of State”) which is required to reply expeditiously or within thirty days. In case of matter involving a petitioner’s life and liberty, the information has to be provided within 48 hours. The Act also requires every public authority to computerize their records for wide dissemination and to proactively publish certain categories of information so that the citizens need minimum recourse to request for information formally

What is Public Authority?

• “Public authority” means any authority or body or institution of self government established or constituted—
• by or under the Constitution;
• by any other law made by Parliament/State Legislature.
• by notification issued or order made by the appropriate Government, and includes any—
• body owned, controlled or substantially financed;
• non-Government organisation substantially financed, directly or indirectly by funds provided by the appropriate Government.
• The Act extends to the whole of India.
• The Right to information in India is governed by two major bodies:
• Central Information Commission (CIC) – Chief Information commissioner who heads all the central departments and ministries- with their own public Information officers (PIO)s. CICs are directly under the President of India.
• State Information Commissions – State Public Information Officers or SPOs head over all the state department and ministries. The SPIO office is directly under the corresponding State Governor.

Q4. Consider the following statements about Ramon Magsaysay Award:

1. It is Asia’s prestigious honor named after Ramon Magsaysay, Singapore’s third president.
2. It celebrates individuals and organizations in Asia who excel in their fields and contribute generously to others without seeking public recognition.
3. It is often regarded as the Nobel Prize of Asia.

How many of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• It was established in 1957 and is Asia’s prestigious honor named after Ramon Magsaysay, the Philippines’ third president.
• It celebrates individuals and organizations in Asia who excel in their fields and contribute generously to others without seeking public recognition.
• Initially, awards were given in five categories, but since 2009, the foundation has selected awardees for Emergent Leadership. Recipients receive a certificate, a medallion featuring Ramon Magsaysay, and a cash prize.
• This award is often referred to as Asia’s Nobel Prize counterpart, recognizing outstanding contributions across diverse domains.

Q5. Which of the following states has ‘Kokborok’ as one of its official languages?

(a) Manipur

(b) Assam

(c) Arunachal Pradesh

(d) Tripura

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• Kokborok is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken by about 1 million people in the state of Tripura in northeast India.
• Kokborok is one of the official languages of Tripura, along with Bengali.
• Kokborok is a relatively homogenous language with several dialects spoken in Tripura. It is the lingua franca of most of the 19 tribal communities of Tripura.