Question 1

(a) Difference between Unicameral and Bicameral Legislature.
(b) Explain the term Quorum.
(c) Name the Tribunal over which the High Courts do not have the power of Superintendence.
(d) Mention one privilege of a Member of Parliament.
(e) Mention one difference in the election of the Vice-President and that of the President of India, as far as the electorate is concerned.
(f) What is meant by the term Cabinet in a State?
(g) Who appoints the Judges of a High Court ?
(h) Mention one circumstance under which a member of the State Legislative Assembly can be disqualified.
(i) Name the highest Criminal Court in a district.
(j) What is meant by original jurisdiction of the High Court?

Answers

(a) Unicameral Legislature

This is the State legislature having only one house, i.e., Legislative Assembly or Vidhan Sabha, e.g., Haryana, Goa, Sikkim, etc.,

Bicameral Legislature

This is the State legislature having two houses, i.e., Legislative Assembly(Vidhan Sabha) and Legislative Council(Vidhan Parishad), e.g., Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, etc.,

(b) Quorum is the minimum number of the members required to be present in the House before it can transact any business or legal proceedings of the house. It is 10% of the total membership.

(c) High Court have no power of superintendence over any court tribunal constituted by or under any law relating to the Armed Forces.

(d) A Member of Parliament has freedom of speech in which he’s not liable to any proceedings in any court for having said anything or any vote cast by him.

(e) President’s Electorate

It consists of Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and elected members of Legislative Assemblies of all states.

Vice-President’s Electorate

It consists only of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

(f) Cabinet consists of a co-hesive group the Senior Ministers who hold important portfolios. They take part in cabinet meetings and lay down general policies and make important decisions regarding Government.

(g) The Chief Justice and other judges of High Court are appointed by the President in consultation with the Chief Justice of Supreme Court and the Governor of the State concerned. Other Judges are appointed also by the Chief Justice of High Court concerned.

(h) A State Legislative Assembly member is disqualified from his membership, according to Anti-Defection Act, if he joins another political party.

(i) The District Session Court is the highest Criminal Court of the district.

(j) Original jurisdiction implies that certain types of cases can be brought directly to the High court in the first instances; without having been heard in subordinate courts. It has the authority to hear and decide these cases.

Question 2

(a) With reference to the British rule in India, mention two economic factors, which became the causes of the First War of Independence,1857.
(b)What did the British do to foster the policy of Divide and Rule, which gave rise to the formation of the Muslim League?
(c)Name two leaders of the Swaraj Party. Why were they said to be Pro-Changers?
(d)State two reasons given by the Cabinet Mission for rejecting the demand for a separate State of Pakistan.
(e) Mention any two provisions of the Indian Independence Act,1947.
(f) State two underlying principles of Fascism.
(g)Name the signatory countries of the Triple Entente(1907)
(h)Name the permanent member countries of the Security Council.
(i)State any two functions of the UNDP.
(j) State the importance of Articles 1 and 2 of the Human Rights Declaration.

Answers

(a) The two economic factors which became the cause for first war of Independence were:
(i) Exploitation of Economic Resources, buying them at cheap rate in India and selling them at exorbitant prices in foreign.
(ii) Forcing India to accept mill cloth duty free or at normal rate.

(b) The British did the following things to promote formation of Muslim league:
(i) They divided Bengal on communal basis.
(ii) They taught history in such a way that both Hindus and Muslims became suspicious of each other.

(c) The two leaders of Swaraj Party were C.R Das and Motilal Nehru
The Swaraj Party advocated new line of political activity and returned to constitutional agitation. Its leaders held that the congress should contest elections to the legislatures and opposite British Government from within the councils. Hence they were called Pro-Changers.

(d) The two reasons given by the Cabinet Mission for rejecting the demand for Pakistan were:
(i) A small Pakistan would not be viable, particularly when its two parts, i.e. one in the East and the other in the West; would be separated by seven hundred of miles and no interaction would be possible.
(ii) Partition would involve dislocation of communication network and would involve division of armed forces and service personnel’s along communal lines .

(e) The two provisions of the Indian Independence Act,1947 were:
(i) Creation of two new independent dominions of India and Pakistan.
(ii) A Governor-General would be appointed for each dominion.

(f) (i) State worship and leader worship were two underlying principles of Fascism.
(ii) They believed in aggressive nationalism and imperialism.

(g) Russia, England and France were the three signatory countries of Triple Entente(1907).

(h) The permanent members of security council are: China, Russia, U. S. A, England and France.

(i) The two functions of UNDP are:
(i) Help the developing countries to make better use of their natural and human resources.
(ii) To support those countries involved which have high risk ventures and to support such activities for which the funding from other sources available.

(j) Article 1 inspires every human being to live freely and with dignity and that we should encourage the spirit of brotherhood
Article 2 helps in removing restrictions or favors to any human being, thus making them equal with rights and duties.

Question 3

With reference to the Union Parliament, answer the following questions:
(a)Which House is considered to be more powerful-the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha? State two reasons to justify your answer.

(b) How is the Speaker of the Lok Sabha elected? Mention two functions of the Speaker during the session of the Parliament.

(c) Mention four ways in which the Lok Sabha exercises control over the Council of Ministers.

Answers

(a) Out of the two houses, the Lok Sabha is more powerful. The two reasons for Lok Sabha being more powerful are:
(i) Money-bill can only be initiated in Lok Sabha. They are sent to Rajya Sabha only as a constitutional formality. The voice of Lok Sabha only prevails.
(ii) The Union Executive, i.e., Prime Minister and his council of ministers are directly responsible only to Lok Sabha. Rajya Sabha can only ask questions but cannot remove the ruling ministry as Lok Sabha can.

(b) Speaker of Lok Sabha is elected by simple majority from among the members of Lok Sabha only soon after the newly elected House meets for the first time.
The two functions of the Speaker are:
Disciplinary Functions: He maintains order and decorum in the House.
Business of the House: He recognizes members on the floor of the House, i.e., allows members to speak in house.

(c) The four ways in which Lok Sabha exercises control over council of minister are:
(i) Control over Government: Lok Sabha can pass a vote of no confidence against ruling ministry.
(ii) Right of Interpolation: The right of asking questions, through which ministers may be censured for the flaws in their policy.
(iii) Adjournment Motions: It is tabled on serious matters to depict in efficiency of the Government in handling a particular situation.
(iv) Other Motions of Censure: These motions include motion of censure against minister(s), rejection of a Government Bill, and passing of private member’s bill against the wishes of the government.