20 March 2023

Q1.Take into account the following statements about the State Election Commission:

1. The President appoints the State Election Commissioner.
2. The State Election Commissioner is regarded as a High Court Judge.
3. Each of the State Election Commissioners has a separate area of responsibility and operates independently of the Election Commission of India.

Which of the aforementioned statements is true?

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

Explanation:

• The State Election Commission, comprised of a State Election Commissioner, is entrusted by the Indian Constitution with the supervision, guidance, and control of the creation of the electoral rolls and the administration of all elections for Panchayats and Municipalities (Articles 243K, 243ZA).
• The Governor appoints the State Election Commissioner.
• Each of the State Election Commissioners has a separate area of responsibility and operates independently of the Election Commission of India.
• The state election commissioner’s authority and removal:
• The State Election Commissioner is eligible to be removed from office only in the same way and for the same reasons as a Judge of a High Court and has the same status, pay, and benefits as a Judge of a High Court.

Q2.Take into account the following statements regarding the Indian Election Commission:

1. The qualifications of the Election Commission’s members are not specified in the Constitution.
2. The Election Commission members’ terms are outlined in the Constitution.
3. The Constitution forbids the government from appointing the retiring election commissioners again.

Which of the aforementioned statements is true?

1. 1 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

Explanation:

• The Election Commission’s independence and impartiality have been protected and guaranteed by the constitution, yet various shortcomings with regard to the EC members can be observed, including
• The legal, academic, administrative, and judicial requirements for Election Commission members have not been outlined in the Constitution.
• The Election Commission members’ terms are not outlined in the Constitution.
• The Constitution does not prohibit the government from appointing the retiring election commissioners again.

Q3.Take into account the following statements:

1. All election commissioners are given the same protection under Article 324 of the Constitution as the chief election commissioner.
2. Only the same grounds as those used to dismiss a Supreme Court judge may be used to remove the chief election commissioner.

Which of the aforementioned statements is true?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation:

• The CEC and Election Commissioners have terms of office of six years, or until they reach the age of 65, whichever comes first. They are entitled to the same benefits and status as Supreme Court judges, including the same salary and benefits.
• The fact that the CEC and Election Commissioners have the same decision-making authority suggests that their authority is equal to that of the other.
• Election Commissioners are not given a same level of protection under Article 324(5), which merely states that removal from office must be recommended by the CEC.

Q4. Take into account the following statements:

1. The Election Commission of India (ECI) is shielded from governmental intervention while carrying out its duties.
2. Only the Supreme Court of India will hear valid petitions challenging ECI decisions.

Which of the aforementioned statements is true?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation:

• The Indian Constitution’s Article 324 specifies the duties and jurisdiction of the Election Commission, a constitutional body.
• The Election Commission is shielded from intervention by the executive branch.
• The Commission is in charge of setting the election timetables for both general and by-election elections.
• The Commission makes decisions regarding the placement of polling places, the assignment of voters to those places, the location of counting centres, the arrangements to be made in and around polling places and counting centres, as well as all other related issues.
• The High Court and the Supreme Court of India both accept petitions that are appropriate in challenging the Commission’s rulings.
• By long-standing custom and numerous judicial rulings, the judiciary refrains from interfering with the actual conduct of elections after it has begun.

Q5 .Take into account the following statements regarding the Election Commission of India (ECI):

1. Three election commissioners make up the Election Commission, which has had multiple members since its founding.
2. Only on the chief election commissioner’s recommendation can an election commissioner or regional commissioner be removed from their position.
3. They establish the boundaries of the electoral districts around the nation.

Which of the aforementioned statements is true?

1. 1 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

Explanation:

• The Chief Electoral Commissioner served as the sole member of the election commission from the time of its founding in 1950 until 15 October 1989. In order to handle the increased workload of the election commission brought on by the decrease of the voting age from 21 to 18 years old, the president nominated two additional election commissioners on October 16, 1989. Following that, the Election Commission operated as a multi-member entity made up of three election commissioners.
• Except on the chief election commissioner’s advice, no other election commissioner or regional commissioner may be dismissed from their positions.
• On the basis of the Delimitation Commission Act of Parliament, EC determines the territorial boundaries of the electoral constituencies across the nation.

Q6.Take into account the following statements regarding the Indian Election Commission:

1. A permanent constitutional body is the Election Commission of India.
2. Only parliamentary impeachment can allow the Chief Election Commissioner to be removed from his or her position.
3. If only state legislative elections are being held, all costs must be covered by the State in question.

Which of the aforementioned statements is true?

1. 1 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

Explanation:

• According to the Indian Constitution, the Election Commission of India is responsible for overseeing, directing, and controlling the whole election process for the offices of President and Vice-President of India as well as the legislatures of each State. A permanent constitutional body is the Election Commission of India. On January 25, 1950, the Election Commission was constituted in conformity with the Constitution.
• Election commissioners and the chief election commissioner are chosen by the president. They have a six-year term or until they become 65, whichever comes first. They have the same status as Supreme Court of India judges, and they receive the same pay and benefits.
• Only parliamentary impeachment can allow the Chief Election Commissioner to be removed from his or her position. In the case of simultaneous elections to the State Legislature and the Parliament, the Union and State Governments split the costs equally. If only elections are being held for the State Legislature, the State Governments bear all costs. If only elections are being held for the State Legislature, the Union Government bears all costs.
• The cost is split evenly for capital equipment, preparation costs for electoral rolls, and the programme for voter identification cards.

Q7. The region known as the “Lithium Triangle” is located near the boundaries of:

1. Venezuela
2. Bolivia
3. Brazil
4. Chile
5. Argentina

Choose the right answer code:

1. Only 1, 2, and 4
2. Only 2, 3, and 5
3. Only 2, 4, and 5
4. Only 1, 3, and 4

Explanation:

• Around the borders of Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile is the Lithium Triangle, an area of the Andes with abundant lithium reserves. The Atacama Desert and surrounding dry regions are home to a number of salt pans where the lithium in the triangle is concentrated.
• Around 54% of the lithium deposits in the world are believed to be in this region.

Q8. Take into account the following statements about aluminum-air batteries:

1. Air oxygen is used by aluminum-air batteries to generate power.
2. It is a more economical and energy-dense substitute for lithium-ion batteries.
3. Compared to lithium-ion batteries, aluminum-air batteries require less time to recharge.

Which of the aforementioned statements is true?

1. Only 1 and 2
2. Only 2 and 3
3. Only 1 and 3
4. 1, 2 and 3

Explanation:

What exactly is an air-aluminum battery?

• Aluminum-air batteries use oxygen from the air to oxidise aluminium and generate power through a reaction with an aluminium hydroxide solution.

 Benefits:

• Alternatives to lithium-ion batteries, which are now used extensively for electric vehicles in India, are more affordable and energy-dense.
• compared to lithium-ion batteries, which currently have a range of 150–200 kilometres on a single full charge, offer a substantially larger range of 400 kilometres or more per battery.
• Over time, the aluminium plate in an aluminum-air battery transforms into aluminium trihydroxide, which can then be recycled or even exchanged for aluminium directly for industrial usage.

Challenges:

• Unlike lithium-ion batteries, aluminum-air batteries cannot be recharged. Therefore, widespread availability of battery switching stations is necessary for the widespread usage of cars powered by aluminium-air batteries.

Q9. Which of the following states is the location of Ranipur Tiger Reserve?

1.   Karnataka
2. Kerala
3. Uttar Pradesh
4. Bihar

Explanation:

• The 53rd tiger reserve in India is now located in Uttar Pradesh’s Ranipur Tiger Reserve. The RWS in the Chitrakoot district does not currently own any tigers.
• The fourth in the state is the Ranipur Tiger Reserve in the Chitrakoot district.
• In Uttar Pradesh, there are three additional tiger reserves: Dudhwa, Pilibhit, and Amangarh (a buffer of Corbett Tiger Reserve).

Q10. Consider these statements in relation to India’s Mudumalai Tiger Reserve:

1. The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve includes it.
2. It has Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary all around it.
3. The Moyar River is its drainage system.

Which of the aforementioned statements is true?

1. Only 1 and 2
2. Only 2 and 3
3. Only 1 and 3
4. Only 1 and 3

Explanation:

• Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR): The Mudumalai Tiger Reserve is situated in the tri-junction of three states, namely Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, in the Nilgiris District of Tamil Nadu.
• Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala, Bandipur National Park in Karnataka, Mukurthi National Park, and Silent Valley in Tamil Nadu are its neighbours.
• The Moyar River and several of its tributaries, which are home to 38 different fish species, drain it.