Q60. Who serves as ex officio President of the Indian Parliamentary Group?
[SSC CGL 2020 (16 August 2021)]
(A) Prime Minister
(B) Speaker of Lok Sabha
(C) President of India
(D) Leader of Opposition
Answer: (B) Speaker of Lok Sabha
Explanation: The Speaker of Lok Sabha acts as ex officio President of the Indian Parliamentary Group. The Group promotes parliamentary cooperation, seminars, goodwill delegations and contacts with legislative institutions outside India.
Q59. Who was President of the Indian Parliamentary Group as of August 2020?
[SSC MTS 2020 (11 October 2021)]
(A) Om Birla
(B) M. Venkaiah Naidu
(C) Narendra Modi
(D) Ram Nath Kovind
Answer: (A) Om Birla
Explanation: Om Birla, as Speaker of the Lok Sabha, was ex officio President of the Indian Parliamentary Group in August 2020. This autonomous organisation brings together parliamentarians to encourage parliamentary exchange and understanding.
Q58. Consider:
1. President may summon Parliament to any place deemed suitable.
2. Constitution mandates three annual sessions.
3. Constitution does not prescribe a minimum annual number of sitting days.
Which statements are correct?
[UPSC CSE Prelims (2020)]
(A) 1 and 2
(B) 2 and 3
(C) 1 and 3
(D) All three
Answer: (C) 1 and 3
Explanation: Article 85 permits presidential summoning of each House; the Constitution does not mandate exactly three sessions or a minimum number of sitting days. It instead limits the permissible interval between successive sessions to six months.
Q57. For which matter does Rajya Sabha have powers equal to Lok Sabha?
[UPSC CSE Prelims (2020)]
(A) No-confidence motion
(B) Demands for Grants
(C) Constitutional amendment
(D) Passing a Money Bill
Answer: (C) Constitutional amendment
Explanation: Both Houses must separately pass a constitutional amendment Bill with the prescribed special majority. Rajya Sabha has no power to vote on demands for grants or pass a no-confidence motion, and Money Bills are subject to special Lok Sabha primacy.
Q56. A parliamentary system of government is one in which:
[UPSC CSE Prelims (2020)]
(A) The government is responsible to the legislature
(B) The judiciary appoints the executive
(C) The head of state always runs the Cabinet
(D) Ministers are independent of Parliament
Answer: (A) The government is responsible to the legislature
Explanation: The defining principle of parliamentary government is executive accountability to the legislature. In India the Council of Ministers is collectively responsible specifically to Lok Sabha, allowing the elected House to withdraw political confidence.
Q55. Which law requires the Union Budget to be accompanied by a Macro-Economic Framework Statement?
[UPSC CSE Prelims (2020)]
(A) Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act, 2003
(B) Banking Regulation Act, 1949
(C) Representation of the People Act, 1951
(D) RBI Act, 1934
Answer: (A) Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act, 2003
Explanation: The Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act, 2003 provides for fiscal transparency and statements associated with the Union Budget, including a macroeconomic framework. These disclosures support legislative examination of fiscal assumptions, public debt and budgetary policy.
Q54. Under Article 108, who can notify an intention to summon a joint sitting of both Houses?
[MPPSC State Service Prelims (2020)]
(A) Prime Minister
(B) President
(C) Lok Sabha Speaker
(D) Vice-President
Answer: (B) President
Explanation: Article 108 empowers the President to notify an intention to summon both Houses for a joint sitting when specified legislative deadlocks occur. The procedure does not apply to Money Bills or constitutional amendment Bills.
Q53. Regarding reservation of Lok Sabha seats, consider:
1. Forty-four seats are reserved for Scheduled Castes.
2. The Delimitation Commission may determine reserved constituencies.
3. The Commission is appointed by the Lok Sabha Speaker.
Which is correct?
[CGPSC State Service Prelims (2020)]
(A) 1 only
(B) 2 only
(C) 2 and 3
(D) All three
Answer: (B) 2 only
Explanation: Only statement 2 is correct. The delimitation process determines which constituencies are reserved as specified by law. The numbers in statement 1 are incorrect, and the Delimitation Commission is constituted by the Union Government, not the Speaker.
Q52. Which Article provides for the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha?
[SSC CHSL (12 October 2020)]
(A) Article 89
(B) Article 93
(C) Article 105
(D) Article 118
Answer: (B) Article 93
Explanation: Article 93 requires Lok Sabha to choose two of its members as Speaker and Deputy Speaker. They preside over the House according to the Constitution and parliamentary rules, supporting orderly legislative business.
Q51. How many Lok Sabha constituencies does Rajasthan have?
[SSC CHSL (19 March 2020)]
(A) 23
(B) 24
(C) 25
(D) 26
Answer: (C) 25
Explanation: Rajasthan has twenty-five Lok Sabha constituencies under the current distribution. Constituencies elect one member each using the first-past-the-post method, with reserved constituencies designated through the statutory delimitation framework.
