GK Test - 25

• First schedule contains the list of states and union territories.
• First schedule comprises
• Indian constitution has 12 schedules.

How to remember 12 schedules?

Trick: TEARS OF OLD PM

1^st Schedule: T – Territory

2^nd Schedule: E – Enrolment

3^rd Schedule: A – Affirmations/Oaths

4^th Schedule: R – Rajya Sabha

5^th Schedule: S – Scheduled Areas

6^th Schedule: O – Other Scheduled Areas

7^th Schedule: F – Federal Structure

8^th Schedule: O – Official Languages

9^th Schedule: L – Land Reforms

10^th Schedule: D – Defection

11^th Schedule: P – Panchayats

12^th Schedule: M – Municipality

Confusion Points

• Emergency provisions were included in the Government of India act, 1935. Indian Constitution borrowed these provisions.
• Suspension of Fundamental rights During Emergency: This feature was borrowed from the constitution of Wiemer Germany.

Additional Information

• Sources of the Constitution

Key Points

• Part IV of the Indian constitution is related to the Directive Principles of State Policy. 
• Directive Principles of State Policy(Article 36 to 51): 
  • Dr B.R. Ambedkar who is the father of the constitution said that the Directive Principles of State Policy is a ‘novel feature’ of our Constitution.
  • It was classified into three major segments.that are Gandhian, Socialistic, & liberal intellectual.
  • DPSP were basically introduced to establish a ‘welfare state’ in India.
  • Its vision was to promote the idea of economic & social democracy.

Additional Information

• Part IV A - Deals with Fundamental duties. 
• Part V - Deals with duties & functions of the Prime minister, President, Vice President, etc. 
• Part VI - Deals with duties & functions of Governor, State legislature, High court, etc.

The correct answer is B.N. Rau.

Key Points

• B. N. Rau was appointed as the Constitutional Adviser to the Constituent Assembly during the formulating of the Indian Constitution in 1946.

Additional Information

• He was responsible for the general structure of its democratic framework of the Constitution and prepared its initial draft in February 1948.
• He was also India's representative to the United Nations Security Council from 1950 to 1952.
• He also served as the President of the United Nations Security Council in June 1950.

Key Points

• Single Executive is not a feature of the Parliamentary Government.
• The Single Executive is the feature of the Presidential form of Government.
• In the Parliamentary Government system, the Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the lower house under the leadership of the Prime Minister.
• Every five years, the Lower house is dissolved and fresh elections are held for the new session of Lok Sabha.

Additional Information

• Features of the Parliamentary system  
  • Dual Executive 
  • Majority party rule
  • Collective responsibility
  • Political homogeneity
  • Double membership
  • The leadership of Prime Minister
  • Dissolution of the lower house.

The correct answer is 284.

• The Constitution of India was adopted on 26 November 1949 and the members appended their signatures to it on 24 January 1950.
• In all, 284 members signed the Constitution.

Key Points

• The Constituent Assembly:
  • ​The Constituent Assembly took almost three years (two years, eleven months and Eightteen days to be precise) to complete its historic task of drafting the Constitution for Independent India.
  • During this period, it held eleven sessions covering a total of 165 days.
  • Of these, 114 days were spent on the consideration of the Draft Constitution.
  • As to its composition, members were chosen by indirect election by the members of the Provincial Legislative Assemblies. 
  • According to the scheme recommended by the Cabinet Mission. The arrangement was:
    • 292 members were elected through the Provincial Legislative Assemblies;
    • 93 members represented the Indian Princely States; and
    • 4 members represented the Chief Commissioners' Provinces.
  • The total membership of the Assembly thus was to be 389.
• However, as a result of the partition under the Mountbatten Plan of 3 June 1947, a separate Constituent Assembly was set up for Pakistan.
• As a result, the membership of the Assembly was reduced to 299.

Additional Information

• The Constitution of India came into force on 26 January 1950.
• On that day, the Assembly ceased to exist, transforming itself into the Provisional Parliament of India until a new Parliament was constituted in 1952.
• Sessions of the Constituent Assembly:
  • ​First Session: 9-23 December 1946
  • Eleventh Session: 14-26 November 1949
  • The Assembly met once again on 24 January 1950, when the members appended.

Key Points

• Article 3 of the Indian Constitution deals with the formation of new states and alteration of areas, boundaries, or names of existing states.
• This provision empowers the Parliament to legislate for the formation of new states or the reorganization of existing states without the consent of the states involved.
• The procedure for amending the boundaries or names of states under Article 3 includes a recommendation by the President of India before the bill is presented in the Parliament.
• Article 3 underscores the flexibility and adaptability of the Indian Constitution in responding to changing political, economic, and social conditions.

Additional Information

Key Points

Right to Property:

• The right to property was removed from the list of Fundamental Rights by the 44th Amendment Act, of 1978.
• It is made a legal right under Article 300-A in Part XII of the Constitution. So at present, there are only six Fundamental Rights.
• Article 19 provides to all citizens the right to acquire, hold, and dispose of their property whereas Article 31 provides that "no person shall be deprived of his property save by authority of law."
• Later, in 44thAmendment of 1978 removed the right to property from the list of fundamental rights.
• This amendment was made to prevent the misuse of the right to property by individuals and to ensure that it is used for the welfare of society as a whole.
• Hence, the right to property is no longer a fundamental right, however, it is still a constitutional right.

Additional Information

Fundamental Rights:

• Presently there are 6 fundamental rights.
• Supreme Court is the custodian or protector of fundamental rights.
• It was borrowed from U.S. Constitution.
• Articles:
  • Right to equality (14 - 18)
  • Right to freedom (19 - 22)
  • Right against exploitation (23 - 24)
  • Right to freedom of religion(25 - 28)
  • Cultural and educational rights (29 - 30)
  • Right to constitutional remedies (32)

Key Points

• The Forty-fourth Amendment of the Constitution of India, officially known as the Constitution (Forty-fourth Amendment) Act, 1978, was enacted by the Janata Party.
• Janata Party had won the 1977 general elections campaigning on a promise to "restore the Constitution to the condition it was in before the Emergency".
• In 1978 by the 44th Constitution Amendment Act, the term 'internal disturbance' was replaced by the "armed rebellion".

Additional Information

Some important Amendments in the Constitution:

Key Points

• ​Article 371B of the Constitution of India deals with the special provision with respect to the state of Assam.

Additional Information

• Article 371 to 371-J of Part XXI of the Constitution contain a special provision for 12 States.
• Article 371C of the Constitution of India deals with the special provision with respect to the state of Manipur.
• In the year 1963, the State of Nagaland was formed by taking the Naga Hills and Tuensang area out of the state of Assam.