1. Consider the following statement with reference to Fundamental rights:

1. Doctrine of Separability is mentioned in Article 13
2. Doctrine of Eclipse applies only to pre-constitutional laws

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

2. Which of the following features of the Indian constitution are correctly matched with their sources of inspiration/borrowing?

Feature	Source
Parliamentary Privileges	Canada
Procedure Established By Law	Japan
Concurrent List and Freedom of Trade	Australia
Suspension of Fundamental Rights during Emergency	Soviet Union

1. Only 1 pair is correctly matched
2. Only 2 pairs are correctly matched
3. Only three pairs are correctly matched 
4. All pairs are correctly matched 

3. Which of the following statements about functions of the speaker of the state legislative assembly is/are correct?

1. Speaker Adjourns the assembly or suspends it during the absence of a quorum.
2. The Speaker has to maintain order and decorum so that the House can function smoothly.
3. He is empowered for revocation of suspension of a member.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

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

4. Which one of the following motions cannot be made while introducing an ordinary bill in the parliament?

1. That the bill be taken into consideration.
2. That the bill be circulated for the purpose of eliciting public opinion.
3. That the bill be referred to a Select Committee
4. That the bill be referred to a Joint Committee of the House without the concurrence of the other house 

5. The Namsai declaration has been signed by which two states to resolve the border dispute among themselves.

1. Assam and Meghalaya
2. Manipur and Meghalaya 
3. Assam and Arunachal Pradesh 
4. Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland

Answers with Explanations

1. Consider the following statement with reference to Fundamental rights:

1. Doctrine of Separability is mentioned in Article 13
2. Doctrine of Eclipse applies only to pre-constitutional laws

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Answer: 3

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct:

• Doctrine of Severability is a doctrine that protects the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution. 
• It is also known as the Doctrine of Separability. 
• It is mentioned in Article 13, according to which all laws that were enforced in India before the commencement of the Constitution, inconsistent with the provisions of fundamental rights shall to the extent of that inconsistency be void. 
• This implies that only the parts of the statute that is inconsistent shall be deemed void and not the whole statue. 
• Only those provisions which are inconsistent with fundamental rights shall be void.

Statement 2 is correct: 

• Doctrine of Eclipse states that any law that violates fundamental rights is not null or void ab initio, but is only non-enforceable, i.e., it is not dead but inactive. 
• This implies that whenever that fundamental right (which was violated by the law) is struck down, the law becomes active again (is revived). 
• Another point to note is that the doctrine of eclipse applies only to pre-constitutional laws (laws that were enacted before the Constitution came into force) and not to post-constitutional laws.
• This means that any post- constitutional law which is violative of a fundamental right is void ab initio.

2. Which of the following features of the Indian constitution are correctly matched with their sources of inspiration/borrowing?

Feature	Source
Parliamentary Privileges	Canada
Procedure Established By Law	Japan
Concurrent List and Freedom of Trade	Australia
Suspension of Fundamental Rights during Emergency	Soviet Union

1. Only 1 pair is correctly matched
2. Only 2 pairs are correctly matched
3. Only three pairs are correctly matched 
4. All pairs are correctly matched 

Answer: 2

Explanation

Canadian Constitution

• Federation with a strong centre
• Vesting of residuary powers in the Centre
• Appointment of state governors by the Centre
• Advisory jurisdiction of the Supreme Court

Japanese Constitution

• Procedure Established by law

Soviet Union (USSR) (now – Russia)

• Fundamental duties
• Ideals of justice (social, economic and political) in the Preamble

Australia

• Concurrent list
• Freedom of trade, commerce and intercourse
• Joint-sitting of the two Houses of Parliament

3. Which of the following statements about functions of the speaker of the state legislative assembly is/are correct?

1. Speaker Adjourns the assembly or suspends it during the absence of a quorum.
2. The Speaker has to maintain order and decorum so that the House can function smoothly.
3. He is empowered for revocation of suspension of a member.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

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

Answer: 1

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct: Speaker Adjourns (or adjournment sine die) the assembly or suspends it during the absence of a quorum. The Governor from time to time summons and prorogues each house of the state legislature. After the speaker adjourns the house or declares adjournment sine die after a few days, the Governor issues notification for the prorogation of the house.

Statement 2 is correct: The Speaker has to maintain order and decorum so that the House can function smoothly. If in the opinion of the speaker the conduct of any Member is grossly disorderly, he may direct such Member to withdraw immediately from the House. He has the final power in this regard.

Statement 3 is not correct: The Speaker is empowered to place a Member under suspension. The authority for revocation of this order is vested in the House. It is for the House if it so desires can pass the motion to revoke the suspension

4. Which one of the following motions cannot be made while introducing an ordinary bill in the parliament?

1. That the bill be taken into consideration.
2. That the bill be circulated for the purpose of eliciting public opinion.
3. That the bill be referred to a Select Committee
4. That the bill be referred to a Joint Committee of the House without the concurrence of the other house 

Answer: 4

Explanation

• India’s Parliament has multiple types of committees. 
• They can be differentiated on the basis of their work, their membership and the length of their tenure.
• First are committees that examine bills, budgets and policies of ministries. These are called departmentally related Standing Committees. 
• There are 24 such committees and between them, they focus on the working of different ministries.
• Each committee has 31 MPs, 21 from Lok Sabha and 10 from Rajya Sabha.
• Departmentally related Standing Committees have a tenure of one year, then they are reconstituted and their work continues throughout the term of a Lok Sabha.
• Ministers are not members; key committees like those related to Finance, Defence, Home etc are usually chaired by Opposition MPs.
• Then there are committees constituted for a specific purpose, with MPs from both Houses.
• The specific purpose could be detailed scrutiny of a subject matter or a Bill. 
• These are Joint Parliamentary Committees (JPC). 
• In 2011 the issue of telecom licences and spectrum was examined by a JPC headed by Congress MP P C Chacko. In 2016, the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was sent to a JPC chaired by BJP MP Rajendra Agarwal.
• And finally, there is a Select Committee on a Bill. 
• This is formed for examining a particular Bill and its membership is limited to MPs from one House. 
• For Example,  Rajya Sabha referred the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2019 to a Select Committee of 23 of its MPs from different parties.

5. The Namsai declaration has been signed by which two states to resolve the border dispute among themselves.

1. Assam and Meghalaya
2. Manipur and Meghalaya 
3. Assam and Arunachal Pradesh 
4. Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland

Answer: 3

Explanation

• IN WHAT has been described as a “significant milestone” in the border talks between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, the two states on Friday signed the “Namsai Declaration” – an agreement to reduce the number of disputed villages from 123 to 86.
• The 800-km-long inter-state border has been the site of many conflicts over the years.
• As per the declaration, both the states will now constitute 12 regional committees, each for the 12 districts where there is a dispute. These committees will jointly verify the concerned villages and thereafter make recommendations to the respective state governments “keeping in view the historical perspective, administrative convenience, contiguity and people’s will”
• The controversy stretches back to the British Empire, when they introduced inner line control in 1873.
• The North-East boundary tracts were eventually referred to the British-delineated planes and frontier Hills in 1915. 
• Today’s Arunachal Pradesh is made up of these Northeastern boundary tracts.
• In 1954, the administrative authority was transferred to Assam, and the frontier tracts were given the new name Northeast Frontier Agency (NEFA).
• However, a subcommittee led by the chief minister of Assam issued several recommendations regarding the management of NEFA in 1951.
• According to the committee’s report, Assam’s Darrang and Lakhimpur districts received 3648 sq. km. of the plain region that had previously been in Arunachal Pradesh. This notification’s rejection by Arunachal Pradesh has become a point of contention.
• In 1954, it was given a new name—North East Frontier Agency—and given to the Central government.
• Arunachal Pradesh, which became a union territory in 1972, has a complaint that Assam was arbitrarily given control over a number of forested tracts on the lowlands that had historically belonged to hill tribal chiefs and clans.
• Present-day The North East Frontier Tract, which became Arunachal Pradesh in February 1987, was governed by the Governor of Assam on behalf of the President of India.
• A tripartite committee was established following the statehood of Arunachal Pradesh in 1987, and it made recommendations for the transfer of several Assamese regions to Arunachal Pradesh.
• The boundary between the two states is 804.1 kilometres long. The Supreme Court is hearing arguments in this case after Assam objected.
• The boundary between Arunachal Pradesh and Assam will be realigned in order to settle a long-running conflict using the line drawn on 29 topo-sheets by a high-powered committee in 1960.

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