UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — House panel questions Centre, States on issues in SC scholarship schemes

Q1. With reference to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Its members are drawn from both Houses, and a member who is appointed a minister during the committee's term may continue to sit on it.
  2. Its members are elected by proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote, which allows smaller parties to be represented on it.
  3. It examines government expenditure mainly after the money has been spent, on the basis of CAG audit reports laid before Parliament.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 3 only
  • D. 2 and 3 only

Q2. Consider the following statements: Which of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

  1. The Comptroller and Auditor-General of India cannot be removed from office merely by an order of the President made on the advice of the Union Council of Ministers.
  2. The Comptroller and Auditor-General of India is appointed by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha as an officer of Parliament.
  • A. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
  • B. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
  • C. Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
  • D. Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

Q3. With reference to the constitutional provisions on the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India (CAG), consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. A CAG audit report relating to the accounts of a State is submitted to the Governor, who causes it to be laid before the State Legislature.
  2. A CAG audit report relating to the accounts of the Union is submitted to the President, who causes it to be laid before each House of Parliament.
  3. Parliament may by law reduce the salary of a serving CAG during his term if it considers the reduction to be in the public interest.
  • A. 2 and 3 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 1 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q4. With reference to parliamentary privileges under Article 105 of the Constitution of India, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The immunity from court proceedings in clause (2) protects a Member of Parliament only for what is said or any vote given in Parliament or its committees, and not for statements made elsewhere.
  2. The Constitution expressly extends the powers, privileges and immunities of each House to its committees as well.
  3. A House may take action for breach of privilege or contempt even against persons who are not Members of Parliament.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 3
  • D. 2 and 3 only

Q5. With reference to the design of the Post-Matric Scholarship for Scheduled Caste students as revised from 2020-21, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. The cost is shared between the Centre and the States in a fixed proportion, instead of the Centre funding only the amount above a State's committed liability.
  2. The North-Eastern States bear a smaller proportion of the cost than the other States.
  3. Although the Union designs the scheme and shares its cost, implementation rests with the States and Union Territories.
  4. Students' caste status and eligibility are verified by the Union Ministry alone through the national portal, with no verification role for the States.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3 only
  • B. 3 and 4 only
  • C. 1 and 2 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q6. Consider the following facts. The Post-Matric Scholarship for SC students is paid only through Direct Benefit Transfer. A CAG audit nevertheless found that over 6,000 non-SC persons received the scholarship, over 5,700 payments were made without verifying income, double and excess payments occurred, and lakhs of eligible students were paid late even though large sums were released each year. Which of the following inferences can validly be drawn from the above facts?

  1. Payments made without income verification point to weak checks before payment rather than to a failure of the money-transfer channel itself.
  2. DBT has increased leakages in scholarship delivery compared with the earlier modes of payment.
  3. The availability of funds by itself does not guarantee that eligible beneficiaries are paid on time.
  4. The lapses establish that the Union, rather than the States, is solely responsible for the failures in implementation.
  • A. 2 and 4 only
  • B. 1, 2, 3 and 4
  • C. 1, 3 and 4 only
  • D. 1 and 3 only

Q7. With reference to constitutional safeguards for Scheduled Castes, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Article 46 confines the State's duty to promote educational and economic interests to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes alone.
  2. While investigating a matter or inquiring into a complaint, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes has all the powers of a civil court trying a suit.
  3. The reports of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes are submitted to the Public Accounts Committee, which lays them before Parliament with a memorandum on action taken.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3