05 April 2024

Q1. With reference to Parliamentary committees, consider the following statements:

1. All members should be elected by the house.
2. It presents its report to the Speaker or the Chairman of the house.
3. It must have the status of a consultative committee with any Ministry at the Centre.

How many of the above statements are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• Only statement 2 is correct.
• A parliamentary committee means a committee that:
• It is appointed or elected by the House or nominated by the Speaker/Chairman.
• Works under the direction of the Speaker / Chairman
• Presents its report to the House or to the Speaker / Chairman.
• Has a secretariat provided by the Lok Sabha / Rajya Sabha.
• The consultative committees, which also consist of members of Parliament, are not parliamentary committees as they do not fulfill above four conditions.

Q2. Which of the following committees does not have members form the Rajya Sabha?

(a) Committee on Public Undertakings (COPU)

(b) Public Accounts committee (PAC)

(c) Estimates Committee

(d) Committee on the Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• The Estimates Committee (India)is a committee of selected members of parliament, constituted by the Parliament of India (the Lok Sabha), for the purpose of scrutinising the functioning of government ministries and departments in terms of expenditure and utilisation of funds.
• It also suggests alternative policies in order to bring about efficiency and economy in administration.
• It also examines whether the finances are laid out within the limits of the policy implied in the estimates and also to suggest the form in which the estimates shall be presented to Parliament. This committee along with the Public Accounts committee (PAC) and Committee on Public Undertakings (COPU) are the three financial standing committees of the Parliament of India.
• The committee consists of thirty members, all elected from Lok Sabha. There are no members from Rajya Sabha.

Q3. With reference to Parliamentary Standing Committees consider the following statements:

1. Standing Committees not only supervise the work of various departments but also their budget.
2. The Public Accounts Committee is an example of the Standing Committee.
3. Members of all the Standing committees are selected from both Houses.
4. Standing Committees are permanent in nature.
5. Standing Committees are means of parliamentary control over the executive.

How many of the above statements are correct?

(a) Only two

(b) Only three

(c) Only four

(d) All five

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• Statement 3 is incorrect.
• Standing Committees not only supervise the work of various departments but also their budget, their expenditure and bills that come up in the house relating to the department.
• It is a permanent and regular committee which is constituted from time to time according to the provisions of an Act of Parliament or Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business. The work done by the Indian Parliament is not only voluminous but also of a complex nature, hence a good deal of its work is carried out in these Parliamentary Committees. There are two types of Parliamentary Committee, the Standing Committee and the Ad hoc Committee. The Public Accounts Committee is an example of the Standing Committee. Members of the Standing committees are selected from both Houses, except for the Estimates Committee where all the members are from Lok Sabha Only.

Q4. Consider the following statements about Keeladi:

1. It is located along the Vaigai river.
2. The excavations here prove that an urban civilisation existed in Tamil Nadu in the Sangam age.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• Keeladi is a tiny hamlet in the Sivaganga district in south Tamil Nadu. It is about 12 km south-east to the temple city of Madurai and is located along the Vaigai river. The excavations here from 2015 prove that an urban civilisation existed in Tamil Nadu in the Sangam age on the banks of the Vaigai river.
• Context: Excavations in Keeladi have uncovered two carnelian beads, reaffirming the historical trade connections between Tamil Nadu and the western regions of India, specifically Maharashtra and Gujarat.

Q5. Tolkappiyam, the Sangam literature refers to four castes. Accordingly, Vanigars were:

(a) Ruling Class

(b) Priests

(c) Traders

(d) Agriculturalists

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• Tolkappiyam also refers to four castes namely arasar (ruling class), anthanar (priests), vanigar (traders), and vellalar (agriculturalists).