Daily Static Quiz (Polity) March 10, 2025

Daily Static Quiz (Polity)

1. Consider the following statements regarding the Regulating Act of 1773:

1. It made the Governor of Bengal subordinate to the Governor-General in Council for all matters related to war and peace

2. It subjected the actions of Company officials to the jurisdiction of Supreme Court at Calcutta

3. It required all Company’s correspondence related to civil, military and revenue affairs to be placed before the British Parliament

4. It imposed a prohibition on private trade by senior officials of the Company

Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 and 3 only
(b) 2 and 4 only
(c) 2, 3 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

2. The Amending Act of 1781, sometimes referred to as the Declaratory Act, addressed which of the following controversies that arose after the Regulating Act of 1773?

(a) The jurisdictional conflict between the Supreme Court at Calcutta and the Governor-General’s Council
(b) The payment of tribute by the Company to the Mughal Emperor
(c) The appointment procedure of the Governor-General of Bengal
(d) The right of the Company to acquire new territories in India

3. With reference to the evolution of responsible government in India, which of the following pairs is incorrectly matched?

(a) Diarchy in provinces – Government of India Act, 1919
(b) Collective responsibility of executive to legislature – Government of India Act, 1935
(c) Provincial autonomy – Indian Councils Act, 1892
(d) Individual ministerial responsibility – Government of India Act, 1935

4. Consider the following statements about the progressive centralization of administration in colonial India:

1. The Indian Councils Act of 1861 reversed the centralization trend by introducing non-official elements in the Governor-General’s Council

2. The Charter Act of 1833 ended the commercial functions of the East India Company

3. The Ilbert Bill controversy of 1883 established the principle of equality between Indian and European judges

4. The Minto-Morley Reforms of 1909 introduced separate electorates based on the principle of ‘communal representation’

Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1, 2 and 3 only
(b) 2 and 4 only
(c) 1, 3 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

5. In the context of the formation of the Constituent Assembly of India, consider the following statements:

1. It was constituted according to the Cabinet Mission Plan of 1946

2. The representatives were elected indirectly by the members of the Provincial Legislative Assemblies

3. The princely states were initially not represented but joined later after negotiations

4. The Muslim League members elected to the Assembly boycotted the proceedings initially

Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 3 only
(b) 2 and 4 only
(c) 1, 2 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

6. The Objectives Resolution introduced by Jawaharlal Nehru in the Constituent Assembly contained several foundational principles except:

(a) A federal structure with strong unitary bias as the governing framework
(b) Autonomous units with residuary powers vested in them
(c) Reconciliation of individual liberty with social good through democratic institutions
(d) Territorial integrity of the Republic and its sovereign right to determine domestic and external affairs

7. B.N. Rau’s role as the Constitutional Adviser to the Constituent Assembly influenced the Indian Constitution in which of the following ways?

1. Incorporation of judicial review based on the American model

2. Adoption of the concept of Directive Principles from the Irish Constitution

3. Implementation of the emergency provisions inspired by the Weimar Constitution

4. Introduction of Fundamental Rights with reasonable restrictions

Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 2, 3 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

8. Which of the following constitutional features represents a departure from the Westminster model of parliamentary democracy adopted in India?

(a) The federal distribution of powers between the Union and States
(b) The presence of a nominal head of state and a real executive
(c) The Council of Ministers being collectively responsible to the lower house
(d) The Prime Minister being the head of government but not directly elected by the people

9. Consider the following statements about federal features in the Indian Constitution:

1. The distribution of legislative powers between Union and States draws from the Government of India Act, 1935

2. The provision for an independent judiciary with powers of judicial review is inspired by the US Constitution

3. The Concurrent List is a unique feature not found in classic federal constitutions

4. The emergency provisions significantly alter the federal character during their operation

Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 3 only
(b) 2 and 4 only
(c) 1, 2 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

10. With reference to constitutional amendments in India, consider the following statements:

1. An amendment requiring ratification by states must be passed by a special majority of Parliament

2. Amendments to the provisions dealing with the federal structure require ratification by at least half of the state legislatures

3. The basic structure doctrine was first enunciated in the Kesavananda Bharati case of 1973

4. Parliament’s power to amend the Constitution is derived from Article 368 but is not absolute

Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 3 only
(b) 2 and 4 only
(c) 1, 3 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Answers with Explanations

1. (c) 2, 3 and 4 only

The Regulating Act of 1773 was the first significant parliamentary intervention in the affairs of the East India Company. It established the Supreme Court at Calcutta with jurisdiction over the Company’s servants, prohibited private trade and profiteering by Company officials (statement 4 is correct), and required all Company’s correspondence on revenue, civil, and military affairs to be laid before the British Parliament (statement 3 is correct). The Act subjected Company officials to the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court (statement 2 is correct). However, statement 1 is incorrect because the Act made the Governors of Bombay and Madras subordinate to the Governor-General of Bengal in matters of war and diplomacy, not the other way around.

2. (a) The jurisdictional conflict between the Supreme Court at Calcutta and the Governor-General’s Council

The Amending Act of 1781 (also known as the Declaratory Act) was passed primarily to resolve the jurisdictional conflicts that had arisen between the Supreme Court at Calcutta and the Governor-General’s Council following the implementation of the Regulating Act of 1773. The Supreme Court’s extensive interpretation of its jurisdiction had led to clashes with the Governor-General’s Council, causing administrative difficulties. The Declaratory Act clarified that the Supreme Court had no jurisdiction over revenue matters or over actions of the Governor-General and Council in their official capacity. It also exempted the acts of revenue officers done in their official capacity from the court’s jurisdiction, thus resolving the administrative paralysis that had emerged.

3. (c) Provincial autonomy – Indian Councils Act, 1892

This pair is incorrectly matched. The Indian Councils Act of 1892 did not introduce provincial autonomy; it merely allowed the provincial councils to discuss the budget and address questions to the executive. Provincial autonomy was actually introduced by the Government of India Act of 1935, which granted significant powers to provinces. The Government of India Act, 1919 (Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms) introduced diarchy in provinces, dividing provincial subjects into “transferred” and “reserved” categories. The Government of India Act, 1935 introduced both collective responsibility of the executive to the legislature and individual ministerial responsibility, making the Council of Ministers in provinces responsible to legislative assemblies.

4. (b) 2 and 4 only

Statement 1 is incorrect because while the Indian Councils Act of 1861 did introduce non-official elements to the Governor-General’s Council, this did not reverse the centralization trend but rather formalized it by establishing a more structured legislative system. Statement 2 is correct as the Charter Act of 1833 did end the East India Company’s commercial functions, transforming it into a purely administrative body. Statement 3 is incorrect because the Ilbert Bill controversy of 1883 actually resulted in a compromise that maintained European privilege rather than establishing equality between Indian and European judges. Statement 4 is correct as the Minto-Morley Reforms of 1909 did introduce the principle of communal representation through separate electorates for Muslims.

5. (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

All statements are correct. The Constituent Assembly was formed according to the Cabinet Mission Plan of 1946, with members elected indirectly by the Provincial Legislative Assembly members using proportional representation with single transferable vote (statements 1 and 2 are correct). The princely states were not initially represented but joined later after negotiations following India’s independence (statement 3 is correct). The Muslim League members who were elected to the Assembly boycotted the proceedings initially, as they had accepted the Cabinet Mission Plan but later withdrew their acceptance and called for “Direct Action” to achieve Pakistan (statement 4 is correct).

6. (b) Autonomous units with residuary powers vested in them

The Objectives Resolution moved by Jawaharlal Nehru on December 13, 1946, did not include the provision for autonomous units with residuary powers vested in them. In fact, the Resolution, which later became the basis for the Preamble of the Indian Constitution, provided for a federal structure with strong unitary features, with residuary powers vested in the Centre rather than the units. The Resolution emphasized the sovereignty of India, a democratic framework, justice, equality, and freedom for all citizens, and adequate safeguards for minorities and backward communities.

7. (c) 2, 3 and 4 only

B.N. Rau, as the Constitutional Adviser, played a crucial role in drafting the Indian Constitution. He was particularly influential in recommending the adoption of Directive Principles from the Irish Constitution (statement 2 is correct), the emergency provisions inspired by the Weimar Constitution of Germany (statement 3 is correct), and the incorporation of Fundamental Rights with reasonable restrictions based on his comparative study of various constitutional systems (statement 4 is correct). However, the concept of judicial review in the Indian Constitution, while influenced by the American model, was not primarily due to Rau’s recommendations but was a decision made by the Constituent Assembly based on multiple influences (statement 1 is incorrect).

8. (a) The federal distribution of powers between the Union and States

The federal distribution of powers between the Union and States represents a departure from the Westminster model of parliamentary democracy, which is essentially unitary in character. While India adopted many features of the Westminster model such as a nominal head of state (President) and a real executive (Prime Minister and Council of Ministers), collective responsibility of the Council of Ministers to the lower house, and the Prime Minister as head of government but not directly elected by the people, the federal structure with division of powers between Union and States is a significant deviation from the British system and is influenced more by the Government of India Act, 1935 and federal constitutions like that of the United States.

9. (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

All statements are correct. The distribution of legislative powers between the Union and States in the Indian Constitution draws heavily from the Government of India Act, 1935, which first introduced the three-fold division of legislative powers through the Federal, Provincial, and Concurrent Lists (statement 1 is correct). The provision for an independent judiciary with powers of judicial review is indeed inspired by the US Constitution (statement 2 is correct). The Concurrent List, allowing both the Union and States to legislate on certain subjects, is a unique feature not found in classic federal constitutions like the US (statement 3 is correct). The emergency provisions do significantly alter the federal character during their operation, with the Union government able to assume greater powers and even direct state governments (statement 4 is correct).

10. (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

All statements are correct. Constitutional amendments requiring ratification by states must first be passed by a special majority (a majority of the total membership of each House and a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members present and voting) in Parliament (statement 1 is correct). Amendments to provisions dealing with the federal structure require ratification by legislatures of at least half of the states (statement 2 is correct). The basic structure doctrine was indeed first enunciated by the Supreme Court in the landmark Kesavananda Bharati case of 1973, which held that Parliament cannot amend the basic structure of the Constitution (statement 3 is correct). Parliament’s power to amend the Constitution is derived from Article 368, but this power is not absolute due to the basic structure doctrine established by the Supreme Court (statement 4 is correct).