50. Which facts concerning the Estimates Committee are correct:
constituted in 1950 after Mathai’s recommendation;
thirty Lok Sabha members;
ministers ineligible;
recommends administrative economies?
[MPSC Group B ASO Mains 2021 Cycle, held 31 July 2022]
(A) First three only
(B) All four
(C) Last two only
(D) Last three only
Answer: (B) All four
Explanation: All four descriptions are correct. The committee began in 1950, consists of thirty elected Lok Sabha members, excludes ministers and recommends economy and efficiency within approved policy. It scrutinises budgetary estimates but does not itself authorise spending.
49. Assess:
(a) Estimates Committee reflects party strength in Lok Sabha;
(b) PAC is sometimes termed the Estimates Committee’s twin sister.
[MPSC Group B ASO Mains 2021 Cycle, held 31 July 2022]
(A) Only (a)
(B) Only (b)
(C) Both (a) and (b)
(D) Neither
Answer: (C) Both (a) and (b)
Explanation: Estimates Committee elections use proportional representation, allowing party groups to obtain representation broadly reflecting their Lok Sabha strength. PAC and Estimates Committee are complementary financial oversight institutions: one primarily examines past expenditure and accounts, the other proposed estimates.
48. What fraction of Lok Sabha membership constitutes its quorum?
[RRB Group D, 14 September 2022, Shift 1]
(A) One-half
(B) One-tenth
(C) One-fifth
(D) One-fourth
Answer: (B) One-tenth
Explanation: Article 100(3) fixes the quorum for either House of Parliament at one-tenth of total membership. If a quorum is absent, the presiding officer must adjourn or suspend proceedings until the required number is present.
47. By convention, how many regular sessions of Lok Sabha usually occur each year?
[RRB Group D, 26 September 2022, Shift 2]
(A) Three
(B) Five
(C) Four
(D) Two
Answer: (A) Three
Explanation: The conventional sessions are Budget, Monsoon and Winter, making three in a typical year. The Constitution does not require exactly three; Article 85 instead limits the interval between the last sitting of one session and the first sitting of the next.
46. Which Bill accompanying the Budget sets out proposed tax imposition, abolition or changes?
[RRB Group D, 26 September 2022, Shift 1]
(A) Money Bill
(B) Ordinance-Replacement Bill
(C) Ordinary Bill
(D) Finance Bill
Answer: (D) Finance Bill
Explanation: A Finance Bill accompanies the Union Budget and gives legislative effect to proposed tax changes. Its precise constitutional classification depends on its provisions. The Annual Financial Statement is separately prescribed by Article 112, while parliamentary approval authorises revenue and expenditure measures.
45. Who became Union Cabinet Minister for Parliamentary Affairs in 2019?
[RRB Group D, 9 September 2022, Shift 2]
(A) S. Jaishankar
(B) Sarbananda Sonowal
(C) Narayan Rane
(D) Pralhad Joshi
Answer: (D) Pralhad Joshi
Explanation: Pralhad Joshi took charge of the Parliamentary Affairs portfolio in 2019. The ministry coordinates government business in Parliament, engages with party whips and helps schedule legislative work. The question concerns that historical appointment, not the present portfolio holder.
44. The Union Council of Ministers is headed by whom?
[RRB Group D, 15 September 2022, Shift 3]
(A) Prime Minister
(B) Speaker of Lok Sabha
(C) President
(D) Vice-President
Answer: (A) Prime Minister
Explanation: Article 74 places the Prime Minister at the head of the Council of Ministers. The Council aids and advises the President in exercising executive functions. The Speaker and Vice-President primarily perform different parliamentary and constitutional roles.
43. To which institution is the Union Council of Ministers collectively responsible?
[SSC CPO Tier-I, 10 November 2022, Shift 3]
(A) Lok Sabha
(B) Parliament generally
(C) Both Houses separately
(D) President
Answer: (A) Lok Sabha
Explanation: Article 75(3) makes the Union Council of Ministers collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha. Losing its confidence obliges the entire ministry to resign. Rajya Sabha can scrutinise government actions but cannot independently remove the ministry through a confidence vote.
42. Real executive authority is vested in the Council of Ministers with whom as head?
[SSC CGL Tier-I, 6 December 2022, Shift 2]
(A) Prime Minister
(B) Rajya Sabha Speaker
(C) Vice-President
(D) President
Answer: (A) Prime Minister
Explanation: The Prime Minister leads the Union Council of Ministers, which wields effective executive power. The President remains the formal constitutional executive. This arrangement reflects responsible parliamentary government, where the ministry must command confidence in the directly elected Lok Sabha.
41. The term “Parliament” refers to which type of legislature?
[SSC CGL Tier-I, 1 December 2022, Shift 1]
(A) Rajya Sabha alone
(B) Lok Sabha alone
(C) State legislature
(D) National legislature
Answer: (D) National legislature
Explanation: Parliament is the national legislature of the Union of India. It comprises the President and two Houses under Article 79. State legislatures operate within individual states, while Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha are its two parliamentary chambers.
