Daily Quiz #17 UPSC Prelims Marathon – August 21, 2019

Explanation: Features of Federal Government
1. Dual Government (that is, national government and regional government)
2. Written Constitution
3. Division of powers between the national and regional government
4. Supremacy of the Constitution
5. Rigid Constitution
6. Independent judiciary
7. Bicameral legislature

Explanation: Both, the Parliament and state legislature can make laws with respect to any of the matters enumerated in the Concurrent List. This list has at present 52 subjects (originally 47 subjects) like criminal law and procedure, civil procedure, marriage and divorce, population control and family planning, electricity, labor welfare, economic and social planning, drugs, newspapers, books and printing press, and others. The 42nd Amendment Act of 1976 transferred five subjects to Concurrent List from State List, that is, (a) education, (b) forests, (c) weights and measures, (d) protection of wild animals and birds, and (e) administration of justice; constitution and organization of all courts except the Supreme Court and the high courts.

Explanation: scheme of distribution of legislative powers between the Centre and the states is to be maintained in normal times. But, in abnormal times, the scheme of distribution is either modified or suspended. In other words, the Constitution empowers the Parliament to make laws on any matter enumerated in the State List under the following five extraordinary circumstances:
•When Rajya Sabha Passes a Resolution: If the Rajya Sabha declares that it is necessary in the national interest that Parliament should make laws on a matter in the State List, then the Parliament becomes competent to make laws on that matter.
•During a National Emergency: The Parliament acquires the power to legislate with respect to matters in the State List, while a proclamation of national emergency is in operation. The laws become inoperative on the expiration of six months after the emergency has ceased to operate.
•When States Make a Request: When the legislatures of two or more states pass resolutions requesting the Parliament to enact laws on a matter in the State List, then the Parliament can make laws for regulating that matter
•To Implement International Agreements: The Parliament can make laws on any matter in the State List for implementing the international treaties, agreements or conventions. This provision enables the Central government to fulfill its international obligations and commitments.
•During President’s Rule: When the President’s rule is imposed in a state, the Parliament becomes empowered to make laws with respect to any matter in the State List in relation to that state.

Explanation: The Delhi meeting with Michael Pompeo and Jim Mattis (USA) on one side and Sushma Swaraj and Nirmala Sitharaman on the other side. The meeting proved to be a substantial step forward in Indo-American relations. The most important agreement signed was the Communication Compatibility and Security Agreement, COMCASA. COMCASA will allow Indian forces to access encrypted US data links that inter-phase communications of US land, sea, air and subsurface platforms. Both Pompeo and Mattis have stated that they would find a way to keep India out of the scope of Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) with the Indian side not ready to give up on either the Russian surface to air S 400 Triumf acquisition or Iranian crude or the Chabahar port.

Explanation: On the sidelines of its campaign for membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), India is likely to ask African countries to relax commitment to the Pelindaba Treaty which controls supply of uranium from key mineral hubs of Africa to the rest of the world. The Pelindaba Treaty signed in 1996, also known as the African Nuclear Weapon Free Zone Treaty, aims at preventing nuclear proliferation and preventing strategic minerals of Africa from being exported freely.