Constitutional & Statutory Bodies

* Statement 1 is correct: In India, the Constitution Day is celebrated in India on 26 November every year to commemorate the adoption of the Constitution of India and also it was celebrated to promote constitutional values among the citizens of India. * Statement 2 is incorrect: On 29 August 1947, the Constituent Assembly set up a Drafting Committee under the Chairmanship of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, to prepare a Draft Constitution for India. On 26 November 1949, the Constituent Assembly of India adopted the Constitution of India, and it came into effect on 26 January 1950.

Statement 1 is incorrect. Credit Rating Agencies (CRA) analyse a debtor's ability to repay the debt and also rate their credit risk. All the credit rating agencies in India are regulated by SEBI (Credit Rating Agencies) Regulations, 1999 of the Securities and Exchange Board of India Act, 1992. There are a total of six credit agencies in India viz, CRISIL, CARE, ICRA, SMREA, Brickwork Rating, and India Rating and Research Pvt. Ltd. Statement 2 is correct. ICRA Limited is a public limited company that was set up in 1991 in Gurugram. The company was formerly known as Investment Information and Credit Rating Agency of India Limited. Statement 3 is correct. Brickwork Ratings is recognized as an external credit assessment agency (ECAI) by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to carry out credit ratings in India. Brickwork Rating was established in 2007 and is promoted by Canara Bank. It offers ratings for bank loans, SMEs, corporate governance ratings, municipal corporations, capital market instruments, and financial institutions.

The Coal Controller's Organisation (CCO) is a subordinate office of the Ministry of Coal, having its headquarters at Kolkata and field offices at Dhanbad, Ranchi, Bilaspur, Nagpur, Sambalpur, Kothagudem and Asansol. It collects and maintains coal production data of all private and public sector coal mines in the country. The information is collected every month. Statement 1 is correct. Under the Collection of Statistics Act, 2008 Coal Controller has been made the statistical authority concerning coal and lignite statistics. Entrusted with the responsibility of carrying out the Annual Coal & Lignite survey and publishing of Provisional Coal Statistics and Coal Directory of India. Statement 2 is correct. It is entrusted with the task of monitoring captive mines. Work such as permission for the opening and reopening of coal mines has been entrusted to the CCO. Statement 3 is correct. Under the Coal Bearing Area (Acquisition and Development) Act, 1957- the Coal Controller is the competent authority under this act to hear any objection to the Central Government's Notification relating to the acquisition of coal-bearing land and to furnish his reports to the Central Govt. Statement 4 is incorrect. Ensuring that coal mining companies deliver the coal to end users in the prescribed time is not the function of the Coal Controller's Organization (CCO).

Monazite is a brown crystalline mineral consisting of cerium, lanthanum, other rare earth elements, and thorium. Monazite usually occurs in small, isolated crystals or grains that are resistant to weathering and become concentrated in soils. Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Monazite is a major source of rare earths and thorium. It yields several rare-earth elements, such as neodymium and praseodymium. Both of these are in demand internationally for making high-performance rare-earth magnets (components of power wind turbines, electric vehicles and robotics) Statement 3 is incorrect. Though monazite is found in most coastal areas of India. It is questionable to be found along the entire coast. The main mines are found along the coasts of southern India in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and in Orissa. Statement 4 is correct. Export of monazite without a license from AERB is a violation of the Atomic Energy (Radiation Protection) Rules 2004. Indian Rare Earths Limited (IREL), a wholly owned Public Sector Undertaking of the Government of India (GOI) under DAE, is the only entity that has been permitted to produce and process monazite and handle it for domestic use as well as for export.

Statement 1 is incorrect. Corporate Lawyers, as well as patent attorneys, are too recognized as advocate and there's no prohibition on their recognition as advocates. Statement 2 is correct. The Bar Council of India visits and inspects Universities/Law colleges in the country as part of its statutory function of promoting legal education and laying down standards in consultation with the Universities in India and the State Bar Councils. The Bar Council of India is a statutory body established under section 4 of the Advocates Act 1961 that regulates the legal practice and legal education in India.

Statement 1 is correct: The date of election of the Deputy Speaker is fixed by the Speaker. On the other hand date of election of the Speaker is fixed by the President. Statement 2 is incorrect: There is no mandatory provision that the election of a candidate, as Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha, shall be from either the principal opposition party or the ruling party. It is only by convention that the position of Deputy Speaker is offered to the opposition party in India. Statement 3 is correct: In case of the absence of the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker presides over the sessions of the Lok Sabha and conducts the business in the house. The Deputy Speaker has the same power as the Speaker when presiding over the sitting of the House. Statement 4 is incorrect: The Deputy Speaker is also elected by the Lok Sabha from amongst its members right after the election of the Speaker has taken place. There is no provision and or established practice of moving the motion for his election by the speaker and it is seconded by the prime minister.

The Fifth Schedule of the Constitution deals with the administration and control of Scheduled Areas as well as of Scheduled Tribes residing in any State other than the States of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram. The governor can make regulations for the peace and good government of a scheduled area after consulting the tribes' advisory council. Such regulations may prohibit or restrict the transfer of land by tribal to non tribal members or among members of the scheduled tribes, and regulate the allotment of land to members of the scheduled tribes. Option B is incorrect. According to the provisions of Paragraph 4, under Article 244(1) of the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution of India, the Tribes Advisory Councils (TAC) shall be established in each State having Scheduled Areas therein and, if the President so directs, also in any State having Scheduled Tribes but not Scheduled Areas. The tribal advisory council is an advisory body, not a governing body. Option C is incorrect. Bringing any particular area under the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution of India does not convert the area into a Union Territory. Option D is incorrect. Bringing any particular area under the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution of India does not get declared as a Special Category State.

Statement 1 is incorrect: As per Article 88, Every minister and the Attorney-General of India shall have the right to speak in, and otherwise to take part in the proceedings of, either House, any joint sitting of the Houses and any committee of Parliament of which he may be named a member, but shall not by virtue of this article be entitled to vote. The Solicitor General does not participate in the meetings of Parliament. Statement 2 is incorrect: As per Article 76, the Attorney General shall hold office during the pleasure of the President and shall receive such remuneration as the President may determine Conduct of Government Business. There is no mention in the Indian Constitution of the need for him to submit his resignation when the Government which appointed him resigns.

Pair 1 is incorrectly matched. China has not established any permanent military base in Chad. Pair 2 is correctly matched. Guinean special forces staged a coup, captured President Alpha Conde, replaced governors with the military, and dissolved the constitution and National Assembly. Pair 3 is correctly matched. Lebanon has been experiencing a severe and prolonged economic depression since 2019, driven by political instability, inadequate reforms, and systemic corruption. The economic crisis has affected approximately 74% of the population. Pair 4 is correctly matched. Tunisian President Kais Saied dissolved the suspended parliament after lawmakers held an online meeting and voted to repeal presidential decrees. He called it a failed coup attempt.

Statement 1 is incorrect. The India Sanitation Coalition was launched on June 25, 2015, at FICCI, New Delhi. ISC is a multi-stakeholder platform that brings together the private sector, government, financial institutions, civil society groups, media, donors/bilateral/multilateral, experts, etc., to work in the sanitation space to drive sustainable sanitation through a partnership model. It is not funded by WHO. Statement 2 is incorrect. The National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) is India’s premier urban think tank, shaping the urban narrative since its establishment in 1976, it not an apex body. It is an autonomous body under the Societies Registration Act.