1) Which of the following is/are true about Parliamentary secretaries?
1) Parliamentary Secretary helps other ministers in their Parliamentary work.
2) Appointing Parliamentary Secretaries is being seen as an attempt to bypass the cap on number of Council of Ministers.
a. Only 1
b. Only 2
c. Both 1 and 2
d. Neither 1 nor 2
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Answer
Explanation
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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.
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2) Which of the following is/are true about Parliamentary Secretary?
1) Parliamentary Secretary is a type of Council of Ministers.
2) Parliamentary Secretary post owes its origin to the Constitution of India.
a. Only 1
b. Only 2
c. Both 1 and 2
d. Neither 1 nor 2
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Answer
Explanation
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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.
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3) Recently there have been debates on office of profit. Which of the following posts are at the centre of those discussions?
1) Parliamentary Secretaries
2) MPs
3) MLAs
a. 1, 2
b. 2, 3
c. 1, 3
d. All of the above
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Answer
Explanation
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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.
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