Daily Current Affairs (MCQ's) | 05-09-2022

Q1. Consider the following statements

1. The persons with disabilities (PwDs) enjoy 2% reservation in direct recruitment and in promotions
2. The reservation in favour of PwDs is a horizontal reservation under 16(1)

Which of the above is/are correct?

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

Answer (b)

Explanation:

1. Recently the Supreme Court (SC) has upheld that 3% reservation should be given to persons with disabilities (PwDs) both in direct recruitment and in promotions.
2. SC held that Indira Sawhney case which capped reservation at 50% and prohibited reservation in promotions pertain only to Backward Classes (BC), not to PwDs.
3. It held that the ceiling of 50% reservation applies only to the reservation in favour of BCs under Article 16(4) whereas the reservation in favour of PwDs is horizontal, which is under Article 16(1).
4. Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995 provides for reservation in public employment for an identified post for PWD.
5. Vertical reservation is social reservation provided to reserved caste- like SC/ST, OBC etc. whereas horizontal reservations are reservation within reservation like a reservation to female, ex-serviceman etc

Q2. Consider the following statements

1. The Central Government has notified more than 100 linguistic minorities from North-east India
2. Government of India has notified six religious minority communities - Muslim, Sikh, Christian, Buddhist, Jew and Jain

Which of the above is/are correct?

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

Answer (d)

Explanation:

1. No linguistic minority has been notified by the Central Government till date.
2. As per the notification of the Government of India, there are 6 notified religious minority communities - Muslim, Sikh, Christian, Buddhist, Parsis and Jain.

Q3. Consider the following statements

1. The 9th Schedule of the Constitution contains a list of central and state laws
2. It was added with the First amendment in 1951
3. It is not open to judicial scrutiny

Which of the above is/are correct?

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

Answer (a)

Explanation:

1. Recently there was a demand to put the reservation provisions for scheduled caste, scheduled tribe and other backward classes under 9th schedule of the constitution.
2. The 9th Schedule of the Constitution contains a list of central and state laws which cannot be challenged in courts.
3. It was added with the First Amendment in 1951.
4. In the IR Coelho versus State of Tamil Nadu case, the Supreme Court held that laws placed in the 9th Schedule were open to judicial scrutiny.

Q4. Consider the following statements about the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Parliament

1. It is a statutory post
2. LoP enjoys the rank of a Cabinet Minister

Which of the above is/are correct?

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

Answer (c)

Explanation:

1. LoP is a statutory post, drawing its power from Salaries and Allowances of Leaders of Opposition in Parliament (SALOP) Act, 1977.
2. LoP enjoys the rank of a Cabinet Minister and is a member of panels that select candidates for key Constitutional and statutory posts like CVC, CBI Director, Lokpal etc.

Q5. Consider the following statements about North-Eastern Council

1. It is   a   statutory     advisory    body   established    under      the States Reorganisation Act, 1956
2. The Union Home Minister is Ex-officio Chairman of the body
3. Sikkim is not a member of the council

Which of the above is/are incorrect?

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

Answer (c)

Explanation:

1. It is a statutory advisory body established under the North Eastern Council Act, 1971, as amended in 2002.
2. It is the nodal agency for economic and social development of 8 North Eastern Region States of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.
3. Organisation structure includes

• Ex-officio Chairman – Union Home Minister
• Vice-Chairman - Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of DoNER
• Members - Governors and Chief Ministers of all the eight States and 3 members nominated by the President.

      4. It is mandated to function as a Regional Planning Body for the North Eastern

Q6. Consider the following statements

1. The constitution explicitly prohibits regional benches of the Supreme Court
2. A constitutional amendment would be required in order to set up regional benches

Which of the above is/are incorrect?

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

Answer (c)

Explanation:

• Article 130 states that the Supreme Court may sit at place(s) other than Delhi on the order of the Chief Justice of India with the prior approval of the President of India.
• Also, no constitutional amendment would be required in order to set up such benches.
• The Law Commission had recommended the division of the Supreme Court into 1) Constitutional court and 2) National court of appeal.
• The Supreme Court itself, as early as in 1986, had recommended the establishment of a National Court of Appeal with regional Benches at Chennai, Mumbai and Kolkata.