UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — The committee is nothing but a paper tiger

Q1. In Indian governance discourse the 'paper tiger'/'toothless tiger' label is applied to bodies that possess only recommendatory or advisory powers and cannot bindingly enforce their decisions. Consider the following four bodies: Press Council of India, National Human Rights Commission, Lokpal, and Comptroller and Auditor General of India. How many of these have commonly been described as a 'paper tiger/toothless tiger' owing to a lack of binding enforcement power?

  • A. One
  • B. Two
  • C. Three
  • D. Four

Q2. With reference to the idiom 'paper tiger', consider the following statements: 1. It is the English rendering of a Chinese expression popularised by Mao Zedong. 2. It denotes an entity that appears powerful or threatening but is actually weak or ineffectual. 3. Mao Zedong extended the label to modern advanced weapons, including atom bombs. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. It is the English rendering of a Chinese expression popularised by Mao Zedong.
  2. It denotes an entity that appears powerful or threatening but is actually weak or ineffectual.
  3. Mao Zedong extended the label to modern advanced weapons, including atom bombs.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q3. The Press Council of India is constituted with a Chairman and how many members?

  • A. 20
  • B. 25
  • C. 28
  • D. 30

Q4. The 28 members of the Press Council of India are drawn from several defined categories. Consider the following: 1. Working journalists including editors 2. Owners or managers of newspapers 3. Members of Parliament 4. Sitting judges of the High Courts Which of the above is/are correctly identified as categories represented among the members of the Press Council of India?

  1. Working journalists including editors
  2. Owners or managers of newspapers
  3. Members of Parliament
  4. Sitting judges of the High Courts
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1 and 4
  • C. 2, 3 and 4
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q5. As per the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013, the Lokpal consists of a Chairperson and a maximum of how many members?

  • A. 4
  • B. 6
  • C. 8
  • D. 10

Q6. The recommendation to create a Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayuktas in the States was first made in the 1966 report of the Administrative Reforms Commission chaired by whom?

  • A. Morarji Desai
  • B. Veerappa Moily
  • C. K. Hanumanthaiah
  • D. V. Ramachandran

Q7. Consider the following office-holders: 1. Chairperson, National Commission for Women 2. Chairperson, National Commission for Minorities 3. Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities 4. Central Vigilance Commissioner Which of the above is/are correctly identified as deemed (ex-officio) members of the National Human Rights Commission?

  1. Chairperson, National Commission for Women
  2. Chairperson, National Commission for Minorities
  3. Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities
  4. Central Vigilance Commissioner
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 2 and 4
  • C. 1 and 4
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q8. The National Human Rights Commission, constituted under the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, functions under the administrative aegis of which Union Ministry?

  • A. Ministry of Home Affairs
  • B. Ministry of Law and Justice
  • C. Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
  • D. Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs

Q9. Consider the following bodies: Election Commission of India, Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Union Public Service Commission, and National Human Rights Commission. How many of these are constitutional bodies?

  • A. One
  • B. Two
  • C. Three
  • D. Four

Q10. The Election Commission of India, unlike advisory bodies such as the NHRC or Press Council, derives its authority directly from which Article of the Constitution?

  • A. Article 315
  • B. Article 324
  • C. Article 148
  • D. Article 280

Q11. The Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Act, 2019 revised the composition of the NHRC by fixing the number of members (other than the Chairperson) at how many, of whom at least one must be a woman?

  • A. Two
  • B. Three
  • C. Four
  • D. Five

Q12. Consider the following persons: 1. Veerappa Moily 2. V. Ramachandran 3. Jayaprakash Narayan 4. Morarji Desai Which of the above is/are correctly identified as members (including the Chairman) of the Second Administrative Reforms Commission?

  1. Veerappa Moily
  2. V. Ramachandran
  3. Jayaprakash Narayan
  4. Morarji Desai
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 2 and 4
  • C. 1, 3 and 4
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4