IAS Prelims GS Questions and Answers - June 15, 2016

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:

• Many states have appointed MLAs as Parliamentary Secretaries.
• Sometimes MPs too are appointed as Parliamentary Secretaries.
• There have been PILs filed citing Article 102 of the Constitution of India, which deals with disqualification of members of parliament for holding office of profit.
• The post of Parliamentary secretary has been considered a drain of money.
• Delhi legislative Assembly sought to exclude this post from the list of office of profit, however its proposal has been refused assent by the president.

ANSWER: Only 1

Explanation:

• Many states in the Indian Union have instituted the post of Parliamentary Secretary.
• A Parliament Secretary often holds the rank of Minister of State and has the same entitlements and is assigned to a government department.
• Manipur, HP, Mizoram, Assam, Rajasthan, Punjab, Goa are some of the states where MLAs have been appointed Parliament Secretaries by the Government.
• Various High Courts have deemed the appointment of Parliamentary Secretaries unconstitutional and have ruled against such appointments often in the past.
• The post is also considered as among the ones which are called offices of profit.

ANSWER: Both 1 and 2

Explanation:

• A Parliamentary Secretary is a minister however he/she is not included within the limit of 15% put on the number of Council of Ministers.
• A Parliamentary Secretary, who is not a member of the House, is not entitled to attend its sitting.
• Office of Profit applies to elected persons who derive other financial benefits, over their elected rights.
• Constitutional experts affirm that government salaries or facilities not related to rights, after taking office, would come under the purview of office of profit.

ANSWER: 1, 2, 3

Explanation:

• Polymetallic Sulphides contain three or more metals/elements.
• Polymetallic sulphides have been consistent source of metals like iron, copper, zinc and lead. Apart from these they are also seen as economically viable resources of silver and gold.
• It may occur in magmatic, volcanogenic, or hydrothermal environments.
• Most sites have been located in mid-ocean at the East Pacific Rise, the Southeast Pacific Rise and the Northeast Pacific Rise. Several deposits are also known at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge but only one has so far been located at the ridge system of the Indian Ocean.

ANSWER: 1, 3, 4

Explanation:

• As a part of his three nation visit to Africa, the President visited Ghana, Ivory Coast and Namibia.
• President’s tour of Africa is termed as ‘Outreach for Africa ’.
• President Pranab Mukherjee was awarded the highest national award of Ivory Coast, the 'National Grand Crois'.

ANSWER: 10

Explanation:

• Article 164(1A) specifies that the number of ministers including the Chief Minister has to be within 15% of the total number of members of the Assembly.
• It is 10% in the case of Delhi, which is not a ‘full’ state. This has been mentioned in Article 239AA of the Indian Constitution.

ANSWER: 75(1A)

Explanation:

• Article 75 (1A) states that the total number of Ministers, including the Prime Minister, in the Council of Ministers shall not exceed fifteen per cent. of the total number of members of the House of the People.
• It was inserted by the 91st Constitutional Amendment Act, 2003.
• A similar cap was placed on states too. Here the minimum number of ministers should not be less than 12. For smaller states the minimum number is 7.

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:

• ‘Office of profit’ is not defined in the Constitution. However, in past judgments, the Election Commission has noted “what constitutes an office of profit under the Government is now well established by a catena of judgments of the Supreme Court.”
• Five tests have been laid down: (i) whether the government makes the appointment; (ii) whether the government has the right to remove or dismiss the holder; (iii) whether the government pays remuneration; (iv) what the functions of the holder are; and (v) does the government exercise any control over the performance of these functions.
• Other broad principles have evolved for determining whether an office attracts the constitutional disqualification - Whether the body in which the office is held has government powers (releasing money, allotment of land, granting licences etc.); whether the office enables the holder to influence by way of patronage.
• EC noted that the Supreme Court, in various cases has held that all the five tests “need not co-exist conjointly for determining whether an office is an office of profit under the government.”

ANSWER: Jamaica

Explanation:

• The International Seabed Authority (ISA) is an intergovernmental body based in Kingston, Jamaica, that was established to organize, regulate and control all mineral-related activities in the international seabed area beyond the limits of national jurisdiction, an area underlying most of the world’s oceans.
• It is an organization established by the Law of the Sea Convention (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)).
• The agreement between the Ministry of Earth Sciences and the International Seabed Authority (ISA) will allow India to undertake exploration and other developmental activities related to polymetallic sulphides in the allotted area of 10,000 sq km.