Railway NTPC/Group D General Awareness PDF

Ultra Bundle PDF Railway Exams – General Awareness Page 1 of 1090 Subscribe The Xpress Video Course & Mock Test Package for Bank & Insurance Exams If there are any suggestions/ erro...

Ultra Bundle PDF Railway Exams – General Awareness Page 1 of 1090 Subscribe The Xpress Video Course & Mock Test Package for Bank & Insurance Exams If there are any suggestions/ errors in our PDFs Feel Free to contact us via this email: [email protected]  Ultra Bundle PDF Railway Exams – General Awareness RAILWAY NTPC /GROUP D GENERAL AWARENESS CAPSULE S.No Contents Page Number 1 Indian Polity and Governance- Constitution and Political System 5 2 History of India and Freedom Struggle 56 General Science and Life Science General Science - Physics 111 3 General Science – Chemistry 160 General Science – Biology 214 4 Physical, Social and Economic Geography of India and World 267 5 Indian Economy 353 6 Art and Culture of India 425 7 Monuments and Places of India 449 8 Games and Sports 491 9 Famous Personalities of India and World 520 10 UN and Other important World Organizations 531 11 Transport Systems in India 541 12 Flora and Fauna of India 549 13 Important Government and Public Sector Organizations of India 568 14 Indian Literature 584 15 General Scientific and Technological Developments including 599 Space and Nuclear Program of India 16 Common Abbreviations 605 17 Basics of Computers and Computer Applications 613 18 Environmental studies 686 Page 2 of 1090 Subscribe The Xpress Video Course & Mock Test Package for Bank & Insurance Exams If there are any suggestions/ errors in our PDFs Feel Free to contact us via this email: [email protected]  Ultra Bundle PDF Railway Exams – General Awareness STATIC GK 19 India And Its Neighbouring Countries 706 20 Important Awards and their Fields 711 21 Rupee Denomination and Features 713 22 Famous Temples in India & it‘s Location 714 23 Symbols of Indian States and Union Territories 715 24 International Summits, Conferences and it‘s Venues 716 25 List of Sports Events and Venues 720 26 Important Indian Cities and their Founders/Architects 724 27 List of countries and their official names 725 28 Indian Cities and Their Famous Industries 733 29 List of Ramsar Sites in India 735 30 List of Countries and their Parliament Names 738 31 Nicknames of famous personalities from India and the world 741 32 Important Signs or Symbols and Their Meanings 744 33 List of Highest Civilian Awards of major countries 745 34 Important Intelligence Agencies of the World 747 35 Official Books/Documents of Major Countries 747 36 Certification marks in India 748 37 List of Fathers of Various Fields 751 38 List of Fathers of Various Fields(India) 753 39 List of Tiger Reserve in India 754 40 List of International Food Festivals 757 41 List of Research & Educational Institutes in India 758 42 Census in India 760 43 Important days 762 Page 3 of 1090 Subscribe The Xpress Video Course & Mock Test Package for Bank & Insurance Exams If there are any suggestions/ errors in our PDFs Feel Free to contact us via this email: [email protected]  Ultra Bundle PDF Railway Exams – General Awareness 44 Important Superlatives in India 770 45 List of First in India 772 46 List of First in World 778 47 List of Important Inventions and Discoveries 780 48 List of Presidents of India from 1950 to 2020 783 49 List of Prime Ministers of India from 1947 to 2020 787 50 List of Important Indian Missiles 791 51 Distribution of Rajya sabha seats in Indian states and union 793 territories 52 Distribution of Lok sabha seats in Indian states and union 795 territories 53 List of Hydro, Thermal & Nuclear Power Plants in India 796 54 List of Famous Indian Cities and their Nicknames 801 CURRENT AFFAIRS 55 Current Events of National and International Importance 807 56 Flagship Government Programs 1058 Page 4 of 1090 Subscribe The Xpress Video Course & Mock Test Package for Bank & Insurance Exams If there are any suggestions/ errors in our PDFs Feel Free to contact us via this email: [email protected]  Ultra Bundle PDF Railway Exams – General Awareness INDIAN POLITY S. No Contents Page No 1 Constituent Assembly 06 2 Salient Features of the Constitution 07 3 Parts of Indian Constitution 09 4 Important Articles of the Constitution 10 5 Schedules of the Constitution 15 6 Sources of the Constitution 17 7 Preamble 18 8 Citizenship 19 9 Fundamental Rights 21 10 Directive Principles of State Policy 22 11 Fundamental Duties 22 12 Emergency Provisions 23 13 Official languages of India 24 14 Amendment of the Constitution 25 15 Union and its Territory 26 16 States and its Formation 26 17 Special Provisions for Some States 27 Page 5 of 1090 Subscribe The Xpress Video Course & Mock Test Package for Bank & Insurance Exams If there are any suggestions/ errors in our PDFs Feel Free to contact us via this email: [email protected]  Ultra Bundle PDF Railway Exams – General Awareness 18 Constitutional Bodies 27 19 Non-Constitutional Bodies 30 20 Central Government 32 21 Supreme Court 39 22 State Government 42 23 Centre-State Relations 45 24 Indian Polity One Liners 46 25 Important Constitutional Amendments 52 CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY  The Constituent Assembly was formed on the recommendation of the cabinet mission in 1946  The Constituent Assembly held its first meeting on December 9, 1946  Dr. Sachchidanand Sinha, the oldest member was elected as the temporary President of the Assembly  Dr. Rajendra Prasad was elected as the First President of the Assembly  On December 13, 1946 Jawaharlal Nehru moved the historic Objectives Resolution in the Assembly  The Preamble to the Indian Constitution is based on the ‗Objectives Resolution‘, drafted and moved by Pandit Nehru, and adopted by the Constituent Assembly  Constituent Assembly as the provisional parliament of India from January 26, 1950 till the formation of new Parliament after the first general elections in 1951–52.  The total expenditure incurred on making the Constitution amounted to 64 lakhs  The Constitution as adopted on November 26, 1949, contained a Preamble, 395 Articles and 8 Schedules and 22 parts.  Dr BR Ambedkar known as chief architect of Indian Constitution  Chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee is Dr BR Ambedkar  Prem Behari Narain Raizada was the calligrapher of the Indian Constitution. The original constitution was handwritten by him in a flowing italic style. FUNCTIONS OF THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY  It ratified the India‘s membership of the Commonwealth in May 1949. Page 6 of 1090 Subscribe The Xpress Video Course & Mock Test Package for Bank & Insurance Exams If there are any suggestions/ errors in our PDFs Feel Free to contact us via this email: [email protected]  Ultra Bundle PDF Railway Exams – General Awareness  It adopted the national flag on July 22, 1947.  It adopted the national anthem on January 24, 1950.  It adopted the national song on January 24, 1950.  It elected Dr Rajendra Prasad as the first President of India on January 24, 1950 MAJOR COMMITTEES AND ITS CHAIRMEN  Union Powers Committee – Jawaharlal Nehru  Union Constitution Committee –Jawaharlal Nehru  Provincial Constitution Committee – Sardar Patel  Drafting Committee – Dr. B.R. Ambedkar  Rules of Procedure Committee – Dr. Rajendra Prasad  States Committee– Jawaharlal Nehru  Steering Committee – Dr. Rajendra Prasad SALIENT FEATURES OF THE CONSTITUTION  Longest Written Constitution: The Indian Constitution is considered to be the longest written constitution in the world. It contains different provisions for states and centre and their inter-relationship. The framers of the Constitution have borrowed provisions from several sources and several other Constitutions of the world.  Single Constitution for both the Centre and the states  A unique blend of rigidity and flexibility: Indian Constitution may be called rigid as well as flexible based on its amending procedure.  Article 368 in part XX of the constitution deals with the powers of parliament to amend the constitution and its procedure  The Supreme Court ruled that the constituent power of Parliament under Article 368 does not enable it to alter the ‗basic structure‘ of the Constitution  The 42nd Amendment Act (1976) known as „Mini-Constitution‟ due to the important and large number of changes made by it in various parts of the Constitution.  The term socialist, secular and integrity added to the Preamble of the Indian Constitution by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1976  Parliamentary System of Government: Parliament controls the functioning of the Council of Ministers, and hence it is called the Parliamentary system.  India has a Parliamentary Form of Government. India has a Bicameral Legislature with two houses named Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Page 7 of 1090 Subscribe The Xpress Video Course & Mock Test Package for Bank & Insurance Exams If there are any suggestions/ errors in our PDFs Feel Free to contact us via this email: [email protected]  Ultra Bundle PDF Railway Exams – General Awareness  Single Citizenship: Indian Constitution has the provision for single citizenship provided by the union and recognized by all the states across India.  The Indian Constitution is federal and envisages a dual polity (Centre and states) it provides for only a single citizenship, that is the Indian citizenship  Universal Adult Franchise: The universal adult franchise, which operates with the principle of ‗one person one vote.‘ All Indians who are eighteen years of age or above is entitled to vote in the elections. There is no discrimination in voting rights for the citizens of India based on caste, religion, gender, race or status.  The voting age was reduced to 18 years from 21 years in 1989 by the 61st Constitutional Amendment Act of 1988  Fundamental Duties: The Fundamental Duties of citizens were added to the Constitution by the 42nd Amendment in 1976 on the recommendation of the Swaran Singh Committee  The Part IV-A of the Constitution (which consists of only one Article—51-A) specifies the eleven Fundamental Duties  Fundamental Rights: The Constitution of India asserts the basic principle that every individual is entitled to enjoy certain essential rights. The provisions for Fundamental Rights are mentioned in Part III of the Indian Constitution.  Part III of the Indian Constitution guarantees six fundamental rights to all the citizens 1. Right to Equality (Articles 14–18), 2. Right to Freedom (Articles 19–22), 3. Right against Exploitation (Articles 23–24), 4. Right to Freedom of Religion (Articles25–28), 5. Cultural and Educational Rights (Articles 29–30) 6. Right to Constitutional Remedies (Article 32)  Fundamental rights can also be suspended during the operation of a National Emergency except the rights guaranteed by Articles 20 and 21  The Supreme Court is a federal court, the highest court of appeal, the guarantor of the fundamental rights of the citizens and the guardian of the Constitution.  Federal or Unitary: India is an indestructible Union with destructible states which means it acquires a unitary character during the time of emergency. The Union is not strictly a federal polity but a quasi-federal polity with some vital elements of unitariness.  Directive Principles of State Policy: One of the unique provisions of the Indian Constitution is the Directive Principles of State Policy. These principles are like directives to the government to implement them for establishing social and economic justice in India. Page 8 of 1090 Subscribe The Xpress Video Course & Mock Test Package for Bank & Insurance Exams If there are any suggestions/ errors in our PDFs Feel Free to contact us via this email: [email protected]  Ultra Bundle PDF Railway Exams – General Awareness  Balancing Parliamentary Supremacy with Judicial Review: Subject to the provisions of any law made by Parliament or any rules made by the Supreme Court under Article 145, the Supreme Court has the power to review any judgment pronounced or made by it. The independent judiciary in India with the power of judicial review is a prominent feature of our constitution Other Important Points  The 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendment Acts (1992) have added a third-tier of government.  The 73rd Amendment Act of 1992 gave constitutional recognition to the panchayats (rural local governments) by adding a new Part IX and a new Schedule 11 to the Constitution.  The 74th Amendment Act of 1992 gave constitutional recognition to the municipalities (urban local governments) by adding a new Part IX-A and a new Schedule 12 to the Constitution  The constitution of India provides for a parliamentary form of government  Article 74 and 75 deals with the parliamentary system at the Centre and article 163 and 164 in the states  In 1947, Indian Civil Service (ICS) was replaced by IAS and the Indian Police (IP) was replaced by IPS and were recognised by the Constitution as All-India Services  In 1966, the Indian Forest Service (IFS) was created as the third All-India Service  Article 312 of the Constitution authorises the Parliament to create new All-India Services on the basis of a Rajya Sabha resolution  Article 280 provides for a Finance Commission as a quasi-judicial body. It is constituted by the President every fifth year or even earlier PARTS OF INDIAN CONSTITUTION Part Contains Articles Covered PART I The union and its territory 1 to 4 PART II Citizenship 5 to 11 Part III Fundamental Rights 12 to 35 Part IV Directive Principles of State Policy 36 to 51 Part IV A Fundamental Duties 51A Part V The Union Government 52 to 151 Part VI The State Governments 152 to 237 Part VIII The Union Territories 239 to 242 Page 9 of 1090 Subscribe The Xpress Video Course & Mock Test Package for Bank & Insurance Exams If there are any suggestions/ errors in our PDFs Feel Free to contact us via this email: [email protected]  Ultra Bundle PDF Railway Exams – General Awareness Part IX The Panchayats 243 to 243-O Part IX A The Municipalities 243-P to 243Z-G Part IX B The Co-operative Societies 243Z-H to 243-ZT Part X The scheduled and Tribal Areas 244 to 244-A Part XI Relations between the Union and the States 245 to 263 Part XII Finance, Property, Contracts and Suits 264 to 300-A Part XIII Trade and Commerce within the territory of India 301 to 307 Part XIV Services Under the Union, the States 308 to 323 Part XIV A Tribunals 323-A to 323-B Part XV Elections 324 to 329-A Part XVI Special Provisions Relating to certain Classes 330 to 342 Part XVII Languages 343 to 351 Part XVIII Emergency Provisions 352 to 360 Part XIX Miscellaneous 361 to 367 Part XX Amendment of the Constitution 368 Part XXI Temporary, Transitional and Special Provisions 369 to 392 Part XXII Short title, Commencement, Authoritative Text in 393 to 395 Hindi and Repeals IMPORTANT ARTICLES OF THE CONSTITUTION Articles Deals with PART I The union and its territory Article 1 Name and territory of the Union Article 2 Formation of new states and alteration of areas, boundaries or names of existing states Page 10 of 1090 Subscribe The Xpress Video Course & Mock Test Package for Bank & Insurance Exams If there are any suggestions/ errors in our PDFs Feel Free to contact us via this email: [email protected]  Ultra Bundle PDF Railway Exams – General Awareness PART II Citizenship Article 5-11 Citizenship PART III Fundamentals Rights Article 13 Laws inconsistent with or in derogation of the fundamental rights Article 14 Equality before law Article 15 The State shall not discriminate against any citizen on the ground of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth Article 16 Equality of opportunity in matters of public employment Article 17 Abolition of untouchability Article 18 Abolition of titles Article 19 Protection of certain rights regarding freedom of speech, etc Article 20 Protection in respect of conviction for offences Article 21 Protection of life and personal liberty Article 21 A Right to elementary education Article 23 Prohibition of traffic human beings and forced labor Article 24 Prohibition of employment of children in factories, Etc. Article 25 Freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion Article 26 Every religious denomination or any of its section shall have the right to manage its religious affairs Article 29 Any section of the citizens shall have the right to conserve its distinct language, script or culture Article 30 Right of minorities to establish and administer educational institutions Article 31 C Saving of laws giving effect to certain directive principles Article 32 Remedies for enforcement of fundamental rights including writs PART IV Directive principles of state policy Page 11 of 1090 Subscribe The Xpress Video Course & Mock Test Package for Bank & Insurance Exams If there are any suggestions/ errors in our PDFs Feel Free to contact us via this email: [email protected]  Ultra Bundle PDF Railway Exams – General Awareness Article 38 State to secure a social order for the promotion of welfare of the people Article 40 Organisation of village panchayats Article 44 Uniform civil code for the citizens Article 45 Provision for early childhood care and education to children below the age of 6 years Article 46 Promotion of educational and economic interests of scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and other weaker sections Article 50 Separation of judiciary from executive Article 51 Promotion of international peace and security PART IV A Article 51 A Fundamental duties PART V The union Article 52 The president of India Article 54 Election of president Article 61 Procedure for impeachment of the president Article 63 The vice president of India Article 64 The vice president of India to be ex officio chairman of the council of states Article 66 Election of vice president Article 74 Council of ministers to aid and advise the president Article 76 Attorney-General for India Article 79 Constitution of parliament Article 80 Composition of the Rajya sabha Article 81 Composition of the Lok sabha Article 83 Duration of houses of parliament Article 86 Right of president to address and sent messages to houses Page 12 of 1090 Subscribe The Xpress Video Course & Mock Test Package for Bank & Insurance Exams If there are any suggestions/ errors in our PDFs Feel Free to contact us via this email: [email protected]  Ultra Bundle PDF Railway Exams – General Awareness Article 87 Special address by the president Article 88 Rights of ministers and attorney general as respects houses Article 93 The speaker and deputy speaker of the lok sabha Article 98 Secretariat of parliament Article 99 Oath of affirmation by members Article 107 Provisions as to introduction and passing of bills Article 108 Joint sitting of both houses in certain cases Article 109 Special procedure in respect of money bills Article 110 Definition of Money Bills Article 111 Assent to bills Article 112 Annual financial statement (Budget) Article 116 Votes of account, votes of credit and exceptional grants Article 117 Special provisions as to financial bills Article 123 Power of president to promulgate ordinances during recess of Parliament Article 124 Establishment and construction of supreme court Article 137 Review of judgments or orders by the supreme court Article 141 Law declared by supreme court to be binding on all courts Article 143 Power of president to consult Supreme Court Article 148 Comptroller and auditor-General of India Article 149 Duties and powers of the comptroller and auditor-general PART VI The states Article 155 Appointment of governor Article 161 Power of governor to grant pardons, etc., and to suspend, remit or commute sentences in certain cases Article 163 Council of ministers to aid and advise the governor Page 13 of 1090 Subscribe The Xpress Video Course & Mock Test Package for Bank & Insurance Exams If there are any suggestions/ errors in our PDFs Feel Free to contact us via this email: [email protected]  Ultra Bundle PDF Railway Exams – General Awareness Article 167 Duties of chief minister with regard to the furnishing of information to governor, etc Article 169 Abolition or creation of legislative councils in states Article 200 Assent to bills by governor (including reservation for President) Article 213 Power of governor to promulgate ordinances during recess of the state legislature Article 226 Power of high courts to issue certain writs Article 239AA Special provisions with respect to Delhi Article 239 to 242 The Union Territories Article 243 to 243-0 The Panchayats Article 243-P to The Municipalities 243-ZG Article 243 K State Election Commission Article 249 Power of Parliament to legislate with respect to a matter in the State List in the national interest Article 262 Adjudication of disputes relating to waters of inter-state rivers or river valleys Article 263 Provisions with respect to an inter-state council Article 265 Taxes not to be imposed save by authority of law Article 275 Grants from the Union to certain states Article 280 Finance Commission Article 300 Suits and proceedings Article 300 A Right to property Article 307 Inter-State Trade and Commerce Commission Article 311 Dismissal, removal or reduction in rank of persons employed in civil capacities under the Union or a state Page 14 of 1090 Subscribe The Xpress Video Course & Mock Test Package for Bank & Insurance Exams If there are any suggestions/ errors in our PDFs Feel Free to contact us via this email: [email protected]  Ultra Bundle PDF Railway Exams – General Awareness Article 312 All-India Services Article 315 Public service commissions for the Union and for the states Article 320 Functions of Public service commissions Article 323 A Administrative tribunals Article 324 Superintendence, direction and control of elections to be vested in an Election Commission Article 330 Reservation of seats for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes in the House of the People Article 335 Claims of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes to services and Posts Article 352 Proclamation of Emergency (National Emergency) Article 356 Provisions in case of failure of constitutional machinery in states (President‘s Rule) Article 360 Provisions as to financial emergency. Article 365 Effect of failure to comply with, or to give effect to, directions given by the Union (President‘s Rule) Article 368 Power of Parliament to amendment the Constitution Article 370 Temporary provisions with respect to the state of Jammu and Kashmir SCHEDULES OF THE CONSTITUTION FIRST SCHEDULE 1. Names of the States and their territorial jurisdiction. 2. Names of the Union Territories and their extent SECOND SCHEDULE  Provisions relating to the emoluments, allowances, privileges and so on of 1. The President of India 2. The Governors of States Page 15 of 1090 Subscribe The Xpress Video Course & Mock Test Package for Bank & Insurance Exams If there are any suggestions/ errors in our PDFs Feel Free to contact us via this email: [email protected]  Ultra Bundle PDF Railway Exams – General Awareness 3. The Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha 4. The Chairman and the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha 5. The Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly in the states 6. The Chairman and the Deputy Chairman of the Legislative Council in the states 7. The Judges of the Supreme Court 8. The Judges of the High Courts THIRD SCHEDULE  Forms of Oaths or Affirmations of members of legislatives, ministers and judges FOURTH SCHEDULE  Allocation of seats in the Rajya Sabha to the states and the union territories FIFTH SCHEDULE  Provisions relating to the administration and control of scheduled areas and scheduled tribes SIXTH SCHEDULE  Administration of tribal areas of north-eastern states SEVENTH SCHEDULE  Distribution of powers between the Union and the States government in terms of Union List, State List and Concurrent List. EIGHTH SCHEDULE  Languages recognized by the Constitution. Originally, it had 14 languages but presently there are 22 languages NINTH SCHEDULE  Validation of certain acts and regulations  This schedule was added by the 1st Amendment (1951) TENTH SCHEDULE  Provisions relating to disqualification of the members of Parliament and State Legislatures on the ground of defection.  This schedule was added by the 52nd Amendment Act of 1985, also known as Anti defection Law ELEVENTH SCHEDULE  Specifies the powers, authority and responsibilities of Panchayats. It has 29 matters.  This schedule was added by the 73rd Amendment Act of 1992 TWELFTH SCHEDULE  Specifies the powers, authority and responsibilities of Municipalities. It has 18 matters  This schedule was added by the 74th Amendment Act of 1992 Page 16 of 1090 Subscribe The Xpress Video Course & Mock Test Package for Bank & Insurance Exams If there are any suggestions/ errors in our PDFs Feel Free to contact us via this email: [email protected]  Ultra Bundle PDF Railway Exams – General Awareness SOURCES OF THE CONSTITUTION Sources Features Borrowed Government of India Act of 1935  Judiciary  Public Service Commissions  Federal Scheme  Office of governor  Emergency provisions  Administrative details Constitution of Britain  Parliamentary government  Rule of Law  Legislative procedure  Single citizenship  Cabinet system  Prerogative writs  Parliamentary privileges and bicameralism  Office of comptroller & auditor general Constitution of USA  Fundamental rights  Independence of judiciary  Judicial review  Impeachment of the president  Removal of Supreme Court and high court judges  Post of vice president Constitution of Ireland  Directive Principles of State Policy  Nomination of members to Rajya Sabha  Method of election of president Constitution of Canada  Federation with a strong Centre  Vesting of residuary powers in the Centre  Appointment of state governors by the Centre  Advisory jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. Australian Constitution  Concurrent List  Freedom of trade, commerce and inter course Page 17 of 1090 Subscribe The Xpress Video Course & Mock Test Package for Bank & Insurance Exams If there are any suggestions/ errors in our PDFs Feel Free to contact us via this email: [email protected]  Ultra Bundle PDF Railway Exams – General Awareness  Joint sitting of the two Houses of Parliament Weimar Constitution of Germany  Suspension of Fundamental Rights during Emergency French Constitution  Republic and the ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity in the Preamble South African Constitution  Procedure for amendment of the Constitution  Election of members of Rajya Sabha Japanese Constitution  Procedure established by Law Constitution of USSR(Russia)  Fundamental duties  The ideal of justice in the Preamble PREAMBLE  The term ‗preamble‟ refers to the introduction or preface to the Constitution. It consists of the ideals, objectives and basic principles of the Constitution. It has great value and has been described as the ‗key to the Constitution‘.  The Preamble to the Indian Constitution is based on the ‗Objective Resolution‟, drafted by Jawaharlal Nehru, which was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on January 22, 1947. It has been amended once by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1976, which added three new words - socialist, secular and integrity.  The Preamble begins with the phrase „We, the People of India‟. Thus, we can say that the people of India are the source of our Constitution.  The Preamble of our Constitution states that India is a Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic. Its aim is to secure to all Indian citizens Social, economic and political justice.  The objectives stated by the Preamble are to secure justice, liberty, equality to all citizens and promote fraternity to maintain unity and integrity of the nation.  The date is mentioned in the preamble when it was adopted i.e. November 26, 1949  The concept of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity in our Preamble was adopted from the French Motto of the French Revolution in 1789. KEY WORDS IN THE PREAMBLE  Key words-Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic, Republic, Justice, Liberty, Equality and Fraternity Sovereign Page 18 of 1090 Subscribe The Xpress Video Course & Mock Test Package for Bank & Insurance Exams If there are any suggestions/ errors in our PDFs Feel Free to contact us via this email: [email protected]  Ultra Bundle PDF Railway Exams – General Awareness  The word ‗sovereign‟ implies that India is neither a dependency nor a dominion of any other nation, but an independent state. There is no authority above it, and it is free to conduct its own affairs (both Internal and external). Socialist  The term Socialist added in the Preamble by 42nd Amendment, 1976. Indian brand of socialism is Democratic Socialism that holds faith in a mixed economy where both the private and public sectors co-exist side by side. Secular  The term Secular was incorporated in the Preamble by 42nd Constitutional Amendment, 1976  The Indian Constitution embodies the positive concept of secularism ie, all religions in our country have the same status and support from the state Democratic  The term implies that the Constitution of India has an established form of Constitution which gets its authority from the will of the people expressed in an election. Republic  The term indicates that the head of the state is elected by the people.  A democratic polity can be classified into two categories 1. Monarchy (Ex: Britain) 2. Republic (Ex: India, USA).  In India, the President is the head of the state and he is elected indirectly by the people of India. CITIZENSHIP  The Constitution of India provides for a single and uniform citizenship for the whole of India.  Articles 5 to 11 under Part II of the Constitution deals with the citizenship.  The Citizenship Act of 1955 provides for acquisition and loss of citizenship after the commencement of the Constitution.  This Act has been amended so far six times by the following Acts: 1. The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 1986. 2. The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 1992. 3. The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2003. 4. The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2005. 5. The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2015. Page 19 of 1090 Subscribe The Xpress Video Course & Mock Test Package for Bank & Insurance Exams If there are any suggestions/ errors in our PDFs Feel Free to contact us via this email: [email protected]  Ultra Bundle PDF Railway Exams – General Awareness 6. The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.  Parliament shall have the power to make any provision with respect to the acquisition and termination of citizenship and all other matters relating to citizenship (Article 11).  Citizens are full members of the Indian State. They enjoy all civil and political rights  Aliens, on the other hand, are the citizens of some other state and hence, do not enjoy all the civil and political rights. They are of two categories—friendly aliens and enemy aliens. Enemy aliens enjoy lesser rights than the friendly aliens, Eg, they do not enjoy protection against arrest and detention (Article 22)  The Constitution confers the following rights and privileges on the citizens of India (and denies the same to aliens): 1. Right against discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth (Article 15). 2. Right to equality of opportunity in the matter of public employment (Article 16). 3. Right to freedom of speech and expression, assembly, association, movement, residence and profession (Article 19). 4. Cultural and educational rights (Articles 29 and 30). 5. Right to contest for the membership of the Parliament and the state legislature. 6. Right to vote in elections to the Lok Sabha and state legislative assembly. Acquisition of Citizenship  According to the Citizenship Act, 1955, the citizenship could be acquired through any of the following methods. 1. By Birth: All persons born in India on or after January 26, 1950 are treated as citizens by birth. 2. By Descent: A person born outside India on or after January 26, 1950 shall be a citizen of India by descent, if his father is a citizen of India at the time of his birth. 3. By Registration: A person can acquire citizenship of India by registration with appropriate authority. 4. By Naturalisation: A foreigners can acquire Indian citizenship, on application for naturalization to the Government of India. 5. By Incorporation of Territory: In the event of a certain territory being added to the territory of India, the Government of India shall specify the persons of that territory who shall be citizen of India Loss of Citizenship  The Citizenship Act of 1955 prescribes three ways of losing citizenship whether acquired under the Act or prior to it under the Constitution, viz, renunciation, termination and deprivation. 1. By Renunciation: It can be voluntarily renounced by a citizen 2. By Termination: When an Indian citizen voluntarily acquires the citizenship of another country, his Indian citizenship automatically terminates. This provision, however, does not apply during a war in which India is engaged. Page 20 of 1090 Subscribe The Xpress Video Course & Mock Test Package for Bank & Insurance Exams If there are any suggestions/ errors in our PDFs Feel Free to contact us via this email: [email protected]  Ultra Bundle PDF Railway Exams – General Awareness 3. By Deprivation: It is a compulsory termination of Indian citizenship by the Central government, if: (i).The citizen has obtained the citizenship by fraud. (ii).The citizen has, within five years after registration or naturalization, been imprisoned in any country for two years. (iii) The citizen has unlawfully traded or communicated with the enemy during a war; FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS  The Fundamental Rights are enshrined in Part III of the Constitution from Articles 12 to 35.  Part III of the Constitution is rightly described as the Magna Carta of India  Originally, the Constitution provided for seven Fundamental Rights. The right to property was deleted from the list of Fundamental Rights So at presently only six Fundamental Rights  The right to property (Article 31) was deleted from the list of Fundamental Rights by the 44th Amendment Act, 1978. It is made a legal right under Article 300-A in Part XII of the Constitution.  Part III of the Indian Constitution guarantees six fundamental rights to all the citizens 1. Right to Equality (Articles 14–18), 2. Right to Freedom (Articles 19–22), 3. Right against Exploitation (Articles 23–24), 4. Right to Freedom of Religion (Articles25–28), 5. Cultural and Educational Rights (Articles 29–30) 6. Right to Constitutional Remedies (Article 32)  Fundamental rights can also be suspended during the operation of a National Emergency except the rights guaranteed by Articles 20 and 21  Article 17 abolishes „untouchability‟ and forbids its practice in any form.  Article 21 A declares that the State shall provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age of six to fourteen years. This provision was added by the 86th Constitutional Amendment Act of 2002  Article 24 prohibits the employment of children below the age of 14 years in any factory, mine or other hazardous activities like construction work or railway  Article 16 provides for equality of opportunity for all citizens in matters of employment or appointment to any office under the state  Article 33 empowers the Parliament to restrict or abrogate the fundamental rights of the members of armed forces, paramilitary forces, police forces, intelligence agencies and analogous forces Right to constitutional remedies (Articles - 32) Page 21 of 1090 Subscribe The Xpress Video Course & Mock Test Package for Bank & Insurance Exams If there are any suggestions/ errors in our PDFs Feel Free to contact us via this email: [email protected]  Ultra Bundle PDF Railway Exams – General Awareness  A writ is an order or command issued by a court in writing under its seal. It is in the nature of a command or prohibition from performing certain acts that are specified in the orders of the court. Both the Supreme Court and the High Courts are empowered to issue five kinds of writs. That is why the Supreme Court is called the “Guardian of the Constitution”. 1. Habeas Corpus: Safeguards people from illegal arrests. 2. Mandamus: It protects the petitioner who requires legal help to get his work done by respective public authorities. 3. Prohibition: It prohibits a subordinate court from acting beyond its jurisdiction. 4. Certiorari: It quashes an order issued by a subordinate court by overstepping its jurisdiction 5. Quo Warranto: It prevents usurpation of public office through illegal manner.  The Supreme Court (under Article 32) and the high courts (under Article 226) can issue the writs of habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition, certiorari and quo-warranto.  According to Dr. Ambedkar, Article 32 is “the heart and soul of the Constitution”. DIRECTIVE PRINCIPLES OF STATE POLICY  The Directive Principles of State Policy are enumerated in Part IV of the Constitution from Articles 36 to 51.  The framers of the Constitution borrowed this idea from the Irish Constitution of 1937, which had copied it from the Spanish Constitution.  The Constitution of India does not contain any classification of Directive Principles. However, on the basis of their content and direction, they can be classified into three broad categories, viz, socialistic, Gandhian and liberal-intellectual. These principles are not enforceable by the courts.  Dr. B.R. Ambedkar described these principles as „novel features‟ of the Indian Constitution.  The 86th Amendment Act of 2002 changed the subject -matter of Article 45 and made elementary education a fundamental right under Article 21 A.  The Parliament can amend the Fundamental Rights for implementing the Directive Principles, so long as the amendment does not damage or destroy the basic structure of the Constitution. FUNDAMENTAL DUTIES  The Fundamental Duties in the Indian Constitution are inspired by the Constitution of former USSR.  In 1976, the Government of India set up the Swaran Singh Committee to make recommendations on fundamental duties. The 42nd Amendment Act of 1976 added some responsibilities of citizens to our Page 22 of 1090 Subscribe The Xpress Video Course & Mock Test Package for Bank & Insurance Exams If there are any suggestions/ errors in our PDFs Feel Free to contact us via this email: [email protected]  Ultra Bundle PDF Railway Exams – General Awareness Constitution called the Fundamental Duties. This amendment added a new part, namely, Part IVA to the Constitution.  The Part IV-A of the Constitution (which consists of only one Article—51-A) specifies the eleven Fundamental Duties LIST OF FUNDAMENTAL DUTIES  According to Article 51 A, it shall be the duty of every citizen of India 1. To abide by the constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag and the National Anthem. 2. To cherish and follow the noble ideals which inspired the national struggle for freedom 3. To uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India 4. To defend the country and render national service when called upon to do so 5. To promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood among all the people of India transcending religious, linguistic and regional or sectional diversities and to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women 6. To value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture 7. To protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife, and to have compassion for living creatures 8. To develop scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform 9. To safeguard public property and to abjure violence 10. To strive towards excellence in all spheres of individual and collective activity, so that the nation constantly rises to higher levels of endeavour and achievement 11. To provide opportunities for education to his child or ward between the age of six and fourteen years. This duty was added by the 86th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2002. EMERGENCY PROVISIONS National Emergency (Article 352)  Emergency due to war, external aggression or armed rebellion (Article 352). This is popularly known as National Emergency.  The proclamation of Emergency must be approved by both the Houses of Parliament within one month from the date of its issue.  Emergency approved by both the Houses of Parliament, the emergency continues for six months, and can be extended to an indefinite period with an approval of the Parliament for every six months Page 23 of 1090 Subscribe The Xpress Video Course & Mock Test Package for Bank & Insurance Exams If there are any suggestions/ errors in our PDFs Feel Free to contact us via this email: [email protected]  Ultra Bundle PDF Railway Exams – General Awareness  A proclamation of emergency may be revoked by the President at any time by a subsequent proclamation. Such a proclamation does not require parliamentary approval.  Articles 358 and 359 describe the effect of a National Emergency on the Fundamental Rights. Article 358 deals with the suspension of the Fundamental Rights guaranteed by Article 19, while Article 359 deals with the suspension of other Fundamental Rights (except those guaranteed by Articles 20 and 21).  This type of emergency has been declared three times so far: in 1962, 1971 and 1975 State emergency (Article 356)  Emergency due to the failure of the constitutional machinery in the states (Article 356). This is popularly known as President‟s Rule  A proclamation imposing President‘s Rule (Article 356) must be approved by both the Houses of Parliament within two months from the date of its issue  President‟s rule (Article 356) approved by both the Houses of Parliament, the President‘s Rule continues for six months. It can be extended for a maximum period of three years with the approval of the Parliament every six months  A proclamation of President‘s Rule may be revoked by the President at any time by a subsequent proclamation. Such a proclamation does not require parliamentary approval.  The State is governed by the Governor on behalf of the President. For the first time, the President‘s Rule was imposed in Punjab in 1951. Financial emergency (Article 360)  Article 360 empowers the president to proclaim a Financial Emergency if he is satisfied that a situation has arisen due to which the financial stability or credit of India or any part of its territory is threatened.  A proclamation declaring financial emergency must be approved by both the Houses of Parliament within two months from the date of its issue.  Once approved by both the Houses of Parliament, the Financial Emergency continues indefinitely till it is revoked.  A proclamation of Financial Emergency may be revoked by the president at any time by a subsequent proclamation. Such a proclamation does not require parliamentary approval.  This type of emergency has not been declared in India so far OFFICIAL LANGUAGES OF INDIA  Part XVII of the Indian Constitution deals with the official languages in Article 343 to 351. Page 24 of 1090 Subscribe The Xpress Video Course & Mock Test Package for Bank & Insurance Exams If there are any suggestions/ errors in our PDFs Feel Free to contact us via this email: [email protected]  Ultra Bundle PDF Railway Exams – General Awareness  Article 343 (1) has mentioned that “The official language of the Union shall be Hindi in Devanagari script. The form of numerals to be used for the official purposes of the Union shall be the international form of Indian numerals.‖  English is an additional official language for union government along with Hindi  The Eighth Schedule to the Indian Constitution contains a list of 22 scheduled languages (Originally 14 languages). These are Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Mathili , Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi,Sanskrit, Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu. Sindhi was added by the 21st Amendment Act of 1967; Konkani, Manipuri and Nepali were added by the 71st Amendment Act of 1992; and Bodo, Dongri, Maithili and Santhali were added by the 92nd Amendment Act of 2003.  The legislature of a state may adopt any one or more of the languages in use in the state or Hindi as the official language of that state. Until that is done, English is to continue as the official language of that state. Under this provision, most of the states have adopted the major regional language as their official language AMENDMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION  Article 368 in Part XX of the Constitution deals with the powers of Parliament to amend the Constitution and its procedure  The Supreme Court ruled that the constituent power of Parliament under Article 368 does not enable it to alter the ‗basic structure‘ of the Constitution (In the 1973, Kesavananda Bharati Case, the Supreme Court ruled that Parliament cannot alter the 'basic structure' of the Constitution)  The procedures for amendment of the constitution are as follows 1. An amendment of the Constitution can be initiated only by the introduction of a bill for the purpose in either House of Parliament and not in the state legislatures. 2. The bill can be introduced either by a minister or by a private member and does not require prior permission of the president. 3. The bill must be passed in each house by a special majority, that is, majority by more than 50 percent of the total membership of the house and a majority of two-thirds of the members of the house present and voting. Each house must pass the bill separately. 4. After duly passed by both the houses of parliament and ratified by the state legislatures wherever necessary, the bill is forwarded to the President for assent. The President must give his assent to the bill. Page 25 of 1090 Subscribe The Xpress Video Course & Mock Test Package for Bank & Insurance Exams If there are any suggestions/ errors in our PDFs Feel Free to contact us via this email: [email protected]  Ultra Bundle PDF Railway Exams – General Awareness He can neither withhold his assent to the bill nor return the bill for reconsideration of the Parliament. After President‘s assent, the bill becomes an Act (i.e., A Constitutional Amendment Act) Types of Amendments  The constitution can be amended in three ways 1. Simple majority of the parliament 2. Special majority of the parliament 3. Special majority of the parliament and the ratification of half of the state legislatures. UNION AND ITS TERRITORY  Article 1 describes India that is Bharat as a Union of States  The 100th Constitutional Amendment Act (2015) was enacted to give effect to the acquiring of certain territories by India and transfer of certain other territories to Bangladesh  Article 3 authorises the Parliament to: form a new state by separation of territory from any state or by uniting two or more states or parts of states or by uniting any territory to a part of any state, increase the area of any state, diminish the area of any state, alter the boundaries of any state, and alter the name of any state  Andhra Pradesh was the first linguistic state in India by separating the Telugu speaking areas from the Madras state  The 36th Constitutional Amendment Act (1975) was enacted to make Sikkim a full-fledged state of the Indian Union  India currently having 28 states and 9 union territories  In 1987 Goa was conferred a statehood and become a 25th state of union of India STATES AND ITS FORMATION YEARS State Formation years Andhra Pradesh 1953 Gujarat 1960 Maharashtra 1960 Kerala 1956 Nagaland 1963 Haryana 1966 Karnataka 1956 Page 26 of 1090 Subscribe The Xpress Video Course & Mock Test Package for Bank & Insurance Exams If there are any suggestions/ errors in our PDFs Feel Free to contact us via this email: [email protected]  Ultra Bundle PDF Railway Exams – General Awareness Himachal Pradesh 1971 Manipur, Tripura 1972 Meghalaya 1972 Sikkim 1975 Mizoram 1987 Arunachal Pradesh 1987 Goa 1987 Uttarakhand 2000 Chhattisgarh 2000 Jharkhand 2000 Telangana 2014 SPECIAL PROVISIONS FOR SOME STATES S.No States Articles 1 Jammu and Kashmir Article 370 2 Maharashtra Article 371 3 Gujarat Article 371 3 Nagaland Article 371-A 4 Assam Article 371-B 5 Manipur Article 371-C 6 Andhra Pradesh Article 371-D and 371-E 7 Sikkim Article 371-F 8 Mizoram Article 371-G 9 Arunachal Pradesh Article 371-H 10 Goa Article 371-I CONSTITUTIONAL BODIES 1. ELECTION COMMISSION  Article 324 of the Constitution provides that the power of superintendence, direction and control of elections to parliament, state legislatures, the office of president of India and the office of vice president of India shall be vested in the election commission. Page 27 of 1090 Subscribe The Xpress Video Course & Mock Test Package for Bank & Insurance Exams If there are any suggestions/ errors in our PDFs Feel Free to contact us via this email: [email protected]  Ultra Bundle PDF Railway Exams – General Awareness  The Election Commission is a permanent and an independent body established by the Constitution of India. It ensures free and fair elections in the country.  The president of India appoints Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners. They hold office for a term of six years or until they attain the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier  The powers and functions of the Election Commission with regard to elections to the Parliament, state legislatures and offices of President and Vice-President can be classified into three categories 1. Administrative 2. Advisory 3. Quasi-Judicial  It must be noted here that the election commission is not concerned with the elections to panchayats and municipalities in the states. For this, the Constitution of India provides for a separate State Election Commission.. It conducts elections to Panchayats Bodies and Urban Local Bodies in accordance with 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments. 2. UNION PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION  Articles 315 to 323 in Part XIV of the Constitution contain elaborate provisions regarding the composition, appointment and removal of members along with the independence, powers and functions of the UPSC  A chairman and other members of UPSC appointed by the president of India  The chairman and members of the Commission hold office for a term of six years or until they attain the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier 3. STATE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION  Articles 315 to 323 in Part XIV of the Constitution deal with the composition, appointment and removal of members, power and functions and independence of a SPSC  A chairman and other members of State Public Service appointed by the governor of the state. They can be removed only by the president  The chairman and members of the Commission hold office for a term of six years or until they attain the age of 62 years.  The Constitution makes a provision for the establishment of a Joint State Public Service Commission (JSPSC) for two or more states. While the UPSC and the SPSC are created directly by the Constitution, a JSPSC can be created by an act of Parliament on the request of the state legislatures concerned.  Article 315 - Public Service Commissions for the Union and for the states  Article 316 - Appointment and term of office of members  Article 317 - Removal and suspension of a member of a Public Service Commission  Article 320 - Functions of Public Service Commissions Page 28 of 1090 Subscribe The Xpress Video Course & Mock Test Package for Bank & Insurance Exams If there are any suggestions/ errors in our PDFs Feel Free to contact us via this email: [email protected]  Ultra Bundle PDF Railway Exams – General Awareness 4. FINANCE COMMISSION  Article 280 of the Constitution of India provides for a Finance Commission as a quasi-judicial body  Chairman and four other members of Finance Commission to be appointed by the president  It is constituted by the president of India every fifth year or at such earlier time as he considers necessary  The constitution of India envisages the Finance commission as the balancing wheel of fiscal federalism in India  Articles Related to Finance Commission Article 280- Finance Commission Article 281- Recommendations of the Finance Commission 5. NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR SCHEDULED CASTES  The National Commission for Scheduled Castes is a constitutional body. It is directly established by Article 338 of the Constitution. 6. NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR SCHEDULES CASTES  The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (STs) is a constitutional body. It is directly established by Article 338-A of the Constitution. 7. SPECIAL OFFICER FOR LINGUISTIC MINORITIES  Article 350-B of the Constitution, the office of the Special Officer for Linguistic Minorities was created in 1957. He is designated as the Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities 8. COMPTROLLER AND AUDITOR GENERAL OF INDIA  The Constitution of India (Article 148) provides for an independent office of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India  He is the guardian of the public purse and controls the entire financial system of the country at both the levels—the Centre and the state  The Comptroller and Auditor General of India is appointed by the president of India 9. ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR INDIA  The Constitution (Article 76) has provided for the office of the Attorney General for India  He is the highest law officer in the country  The Attorney General of India is appointed by the president. He must be a person who is qualified to be appointed a judge of the Supreme Court  He has the right to speak and to take part in the proceedings of both the Houses of Parliament or their joint sitting and any committee of the Parliament of which he may be named a member but without a right to vote Article 88- Rights of Attorney-General as respects the Houses of Parliament and its Committee Page 29 of 1090 Subscribe The Xpress Video Course & Mock Test Package for Bank & Insurance Exams If there are any suggestions/ errors in our PDFs Feel Free to contact us via this email: [email protected]  Ultra Bundle PDF Railway Exams – General Awareness 10. ADVOCATE GENERAL FOR THE STATE  The Constitution (Article 165) has provided for the office of the advocate general for the states  He is the highest law officer in the state  The advocate general of state is appointed by the governor of respective state. He must be a person who is qualified to be appointed a judge of a high court.  He has the right to speak and to take part in the proceedings of both the Houses of the state legislature or any committee of the state legislature of which he may be named a member but without a right to vote NON-CONSTITUTIONAL BODIES 1. NITI Aayog  On the 13th of August, 2014 Government of India scrapped the 65-year-old Planning Commission and announced that it would be replaced by a new body  On January 1, 2015, the NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India) was established  It is a non-constitutional or extra-constitutional body and a non-statutory body  NITI Aayog is the premier policy „Think Tank‟ of the Government of India providing both directional and policy inputs  The Prime Minister of India is ex officio chairman of NITI Aayog  Governing Council comprises the Chief Ministers of all the States, Chief Ministers of Union Territories with Legislatures (Delhi and Puducherry) and Lt. Governors of other Union Territories  Vice-Chairman is appointed by the Prime Minister. He enjoys the rank of a Cabinet Minister 2. NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION  The National Human Rights Commission is a statutory and not a constitutional body  It was established in 1993 under a legislation enacted by the Parliament namely, the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993. This Act was amended in 2006  The chairman and members of National Human Rights Commission are appointed by the president of India.  The chairman and members hold office for a term of five years or until they attain the age of 70 years. Whichever is earlier.  The chairman should be a retired chief justice of India, and members should be serving or retired judges of the Supreme Court 3. STATE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION  The Protection of Human Rights Act of 1993 provides for the creation of State Human Rights Commission at the state level Page 30 of 1090 Subscribe The Xpress Video Course & Mock Test Package for Bank & Insurance Exams If there are any suggestions/ errors in our PDFs Feel Free to contact us via this email: [email protected]  Ultra Bundle PDF Railway Exams – General Awareness  Twenty-five states have constituted the State Human Rights Commissions through Official Gazette Notifications  The chairperson and members hold office for a term of five years or until they attain the age of 70 years whichever is earlier  The chairperson and members of a State Human Rights Commission are appointed by the governor, they can be removed only by the President  The chairperson should be a retired Chief Justice of a High Court 4. CENTRAL INFORMATION COMMISSION  The Central Information Commission was established by the Central Government in 2005  It was constituted through an Official Gazette Notification under the provisions of the Right to Information Act (2005). It is not a constitutional body  The Commission consists of a Chief Information Commissioner and not more than ten Information Commissioners. They are appointed by the President of India.  Right to Information Act (RTI Act) was passed by Parliament of India on 15 June 2005 and came fully into force on 12 October 2005.  The Chief Information Commissioner and an Information Commissioner hold office for a term of 5 years or until they attain the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier 5. STATE INFORMATION COMMISSION  The Right to Information Act of 2005 provides for the creation of a State Information Commission at the state level  All the states have constituted the State Information Commissions through Official Gazette Notifications  The Commission consists of a State Chief Information Commissioner and not more than ten State Information Commissioners. They are appointed by the Governor of respective states  The State Chief Information Commissioner and a State Information Commissioner hold office for a term of 5 years or until they attain the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier 6. CENTRAL VIGILANCE COMMISSION  The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) is the main agency for preventing corruption in the Central government  Its establishment was recommended by the Santhanam Committee and established in 1964  The CVC was neither a constitutional body nor a statutory body. Later in 2003, the Parliament enacted a law conferring statutory status on the CVC  The CVC is a multi-member body consisting of a Central Vigilance Commissioner and not more than two vigilance commissioners. They are appointed by the president of India  They hold office for a term of four years or until they attain the age of sixty-five years, whichever is earlier Page 31 of 1090 Subscribe The Xpress Video Course & Mock Test Package for Bank & Insurance Exams If there are any suggestions/ errors in our PDFs Feel Free to contact us via this email: [email protected]  Ultra Bundle PDF Railway Exams – General Awareness 7. CENTRAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION  The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was set up in 1963 by a resolution of the Ministry of Home Affairs  CBI founded on 1 April 1963  The establishment of the CBI was recommended by the Santhanam Committee on Prevention of Corruption  The CBI is not a statutory body. It derives its powers from the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946  The CBI Academy is located at Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh and started functioning in 1996 8. LOKPAL AND LOKAYUKTAS  The Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) of India (1966–1970) recommended the setting up ‗Lokpal‘and ‗lokayukta‘ for the redressal of citizens‘ grievances  Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act (2013) Bill as passed by both Houses has received the assent of the President on 01.01.2014. The Act has been brought into force with effect from 16th January, 2014  The institution of lokayukta was established first in Maharashtra in 1971 CENTRAL GOVERNMENT PRESIDENT  The Union executive consists of the President, the Vice-President, the Prime Minister, the council of ministers and the attorney general of India  The President is the head of the Indian State. He is the supreme commander of the armed forces.  He is the First Citizen of India and acts as the symbol of Unity, Integrity and Solidarity of the Nation.  According to Article 53 of the constitution, the executive power of the Union shall be vested in the President which shall be exercised by him directly or through officers subordinate to him in accordance with Constitution  A person to be eligible for election as President should fulfill the following qualifications: 1. He should be a citizen of India. 2. He should have completed 35 years of age. 3. He should be qualified for election as a member of the Lok Sabha. 4. He should not hold any office of profit under the Union government or any state government or any local authority or any other public authority  The President is elected by an electoral college in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of single transferable vote.  The President is elected not directly by the people but by members of electoral college consisting of 1. The elected members of both the Houses of Parliament, Page 32 of 1090 Subscribe The Xpress Video Course & Mock Test Package for Bank & Insurance Exams If there are any suggestions/ errors in our PDFs Feel Free to contact us via this email: [email protected]  Ultra Bundle PDF Railway Exams – General Awareness 2. The elected members of the legislative assemblies of the states, 3. The elected members of the legislative assemblies of the Union Territories of Delhi and Puducherry  The President holds office for a term of five years  The oath of office to the President is administered by the Chief Justice of India and in his absence in the presence of the senior most judge of the Supreme Court.  The President can resign from his office at any time by addressing the resignation letter to the Vice- President.  When a vacancy occurs in the office of the President due to his resignation, removal, death or otherwise, the Vice-President acts as the President until a new President is elected.  In case the office of Vice-President is vacant, the Chief Justice of India or if his office is also vacant, the senior most judge of the Supreme Court acts as the President or discharges the functions of the President.  He can declare war or conclude peace, subject to the approval of the Parliament  Article 123 of the Constitution empowers the President to promulgate ordinances during the recess of Parliament  The President has been made only a nominal Executive, the real executive being the council of ministers headed by the prime minister. FUNCTIONS AND POWERS OF THE PRESIDENT EXECUTIVE POWERS  Article 77 requires that every executive action of the Union shall be taken in the name of the President  He appoints the Prime Minister and the other members of the Council of Ministers, distributing portfolios to them on the advice of the Prime Minister.  He is responsible for making a wide variety of appointments. These include the appointment of Governors of States, the Chief Justice and other Judges of the Supreme Court and high Courts, the Attorney General, the Comptroller and Auditor General, the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners the Chairman and other Members of the Union Public Service Commission ,Ambassadors and High Commissioners to other countries  He can declare any area as scheduled area and has powers with respect to the administration of scheduled areas and tribal areas. LEGISLATIVE POWERS  He inaugurates the session of the Parliament by addressing it after the general election and also at the beginning of the first session each year.  He may send messages to either House of the Parliament with respect to a bill pending in the House. Page 33 of 1090 Subscribe The Xpress Video Course & Mock Test Package for Bank & Insurance Exams If there are any suggestions/ errors in our PDFs Feel Free to contact us via this email: [email protected]  Ultra Bundle PDF Railway Exams – General Awareness  A bill passed by the Parliament can become an act only if it receives the assent of the President  President terminates the sessions of both or any of the Houses of Parliament. He can even dissolve the Lok Sabha before the expiry of the term of the House.  He nominates 12 persons who are eminent in literature, science, sports, art and social service to the Rajya Sabha. He can also nominate two persons belonging to Anglo-Indian Community to the Lok Sabha  He can promulgate ordinances when the Parliament is not in session. These ordinances must be approved by the Parliament within six weeks from its reassembly. He can also withdraw an ordinance at any time. FINANCIAL POWER  Annual Budget of the Central Government is presented before the Lok Sabha by the Union Finance Minister only with the permission of the President. He causes to be laid before the Parliament the annual financial statement (the Union Budget)  Money bills can be introduced in the Parliament only with his prior recommendation.  He constitutes a finance commission after every five years.  The Constitution of India places the Contingency Fund of India is at the disposal of the President. No demand for a grant can be made except on his recommendation. He can make advances out of the contingency fund of India to meet any unexpected expenditure. JUDICIAL POWERS  Article 72 confers on the President power to grant pardons, reprieves, respites or remissions of punishment, or to commute the sentence of any person convicted of an offence.  He appoints the Chief Justice and the judges of Supreme Court and high courts. MILITARY POWERS  Article 53(2) lays down that ―the supreme command of the Defence Force of the Union shall be vested in the President and the exercise thereof shall be regulated by law‖. DIPLOMATIC POWERS  The international treaties and agreements are negotiated and concluded on behalf of the President  The President appoints Indian diplomats to other countries and receives foreign diplomats posted to India. EMERGENCY POWERS  The President has been empowered by the Constitution to proclaim National Emergency under Article 352, State Emergency under Article 356 and Financial Emergency under Article 360.  The emergency powers of the President of India are specified in Part XVIII of the Indian Constitution. REMOVAL OF THE PRESIDENT  Article. 61 of the Constitution lays down a detailed procedure for the impeachment of the President. Page 34 of 1090 Subscribe The Xpress Video Course & Mock Test Package for Bank & Insurance Exams If there are any suggestions/ errors in our PDFs Feel Free to contact us via this email: [email protected]  Ultra Bundle PDF Railway Exams – General Awareness  The impeachment charges can be initiated by either House of Parliament. These charges should be signed by one-fourth members of the House (that framed the charges), and a 14 days‟ notice should be given to the President. VICE-PRESIDENT  Article 63 of the constitution provides for a Vice President of India. This office has been created to maintain the political continuity of the state.  The Vice-President of India occupies the second highest office in the country.  Qualification for the election as Vice President 1. He should be a citizen of India. 2. He must have completed the age of 35 years. 3. He must not hold any office of profit under the Union, State or local Government. 4. He should have the other qualifications required to become a member of the Rajya Sabha.  The Vice-President of India is elected by the elected members of both Houses of Parliament by secret ballot on the basis of proportional representation system, by means of the single transferable vote.  The term of office of the Vice President is five years. He is eligible for re-election.  The Vice-President is the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha (Article 64 of the Indian Constitution). He presides over the meetings of the Rajya Sabha.  He acts as President when a vacancy occurs in the office of the President due to his resignation, removal, and death or otherwise. CENTRAL COUNCIL OF MINISTERS  Article 75 says only that the Prime Minister shall be appointed by the president  Prime Minister may be a member of any of the two Houses of parliament Lok shaba or Rajya shaba  Morarji Desai, Charan Singh, V.P. Singh, P.V. Narasimha Rao, H.D. Deve Gowda and Narendra Modi— became Prime Ministers after being Chief Ministers of their respective States  The council of ministers headed by the prime minister  The Prime Minister is appointed by the President, while the other ministers are appointed by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister  A person who is not a member of the Parliament can be appointed as a minister but he has to get himself elected to the Parliament within six months.  A minister who is a member of one House of Parliament has the right to speak and to take part in the proceedings of the other House also, but he can vote only in the House of which he is a member. Page 35 of 1090 Subscribe The Xpress Video Course & Mock Test Package for Bank & Insurance Exams If there are any suggestions/ errors in our PDFs Feel Free to contact us via this email: [email protected]  Ultra Bundle PDF Railway Exams – General Awareness  The total number of ministers, including the Prime Minister, in the Council of Ministers shall not exceed 15% of the total strength of the Lok Sabha. This provision was added by the 91st Amendment Act of 2003  Article 75 clearly states that the council of ministers is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha PARLIAMENT  The parliament is the legislative organ of the Union government.  The Parliament of India consists of three parts, the President, the Council of States (Rajya sabha) and the House of the People(Lok sabha) RAJYA SABHA  The maximum strength of the Rajya Sabha is fixed at 250, out of which, 238 are to be the representatives of the states and union territories and 12 are nominated by the president  Presently the Rajya Sabha has 245 members. Of these, 229 members represent the states, 4 members represent the union territories and 12 members are nominated by the president  Members of Rajya Sabha are elected by the elected members of the „State Legislative Assemblies‟ in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote. This process of election is called “indirect election” as they are not elected by the people directly.  The Constitution lays down the following qualifications for a person to be chosen a member of the Rajya sabha 1. He should be a citizen of India. 2. He should not be less than 30 years of age. 3. He should not hold any office of profit under any Government  The Fourth Schedule of the Constitution of India deals with the allocation of seats in the Rajya Sabha to the states and union territories  The Rajya Sabha (first constituted in 1952) is a continuing chamber, It is a permanent body and not subject to dissolution. However, one-third of its members retire every second year  Representation of the People Act (1951) provided that the term of office of a member of the Rajya Sabha is six years  Rajya sabha cannot reject or amend a money bill  The vice-president of India is the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha  The Deputy Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha is elected by the members of the Rajya Sabha. Page 36 of 1090 Subscribe The Xpress Video Course & Mock Test Package for Bank & Insurance Exams If there are any suggestions/ errors in our PDFs Feel Free to contact us via this email: [email protected]  Ultra Bundle PDF Railway Exams – General Awareness  Rajya sabha authorise the Parliament to create new All-India Services common to both the Centre and states LOK SABHA  The maximum strength of the Lok Sabha is fixed at 552. Out of this, 530 members are to be the representatives of the states, 20 members are to be the representatives of the union territories and 2 members are to be nominated by the president from the Anglo-Indian community.  Presently the Lok Sabha has 545 members. Of these, 530 members represent the states, 13 members represent the union territories and 2 Anglo-Indian members are nominated by the President  Lok Shaba normal term is five years from the date of its first meeting after the general elections, after which it automatically dissolves  The Constitution lays down the following qualifications for a person to be chosen a member of the Lok sabha 1. He should be a citizen of India. 2. He should not be less than 25 years of age. 3. He should not hold any office of profit under the Union or State Government.  The Speaker and deputy speaker of the Lok Sabha is the presiding officer of the Lok Sabha  Lok sabha speaker does not vote in the first instance. But he can exercise a casting vote in the case of a tie. In other words, only when the House is divided equally on any question, the Speaker is entitled to vote. Such vote is called casting vote, and its purpose is to resolve a deadlock  Lok sabha speaker presides over a joint setting of the two Houses of Parliament. Such a sitting is summoned by the President to settle a deadlock between the two Houses on a bill.  Lok sabha speaker appoints the chairman of all the parliamentary committees of the Lok Sabha and supervises their functioning  Lok Sabha is dissolved; the Speaker does not vacate his office and continues till the newly-elected Lok Sabha meets.  In the following cases, a member of Parliament vacates his seat:  House can declare the seat of a member vacant if he is absent from all its meetings for a period of sixty days without its permission  Person cannot be a member of both the Parliament and the state legislature at the same time. If a person is so elected, his seat in Parliament becomes vacant if he does not resign his seat in the state legislature within 14 days.  If a person is elected to both the Houses of Parliament, he must intimate within 10 days in which House he desires to serve. In default of such intimation, his seat in the Rajya Sabha becomes vacant Page 37 of 1090 Subscribe The Xpress Video Course & Mock Test Package for Bank & Insurance Exams If there are any suggestions/ errors in our PDFs Feel Free to contact us via this email: [email protected]  Ultra Bundle PDF Railway Exams – General Awareness ZERO HOUR  The zero hour starts immediately after the question hour and lasts until the agenda for the day  It is an Indian innovation in the field of parliamentary procedures and has been in existence since 1962 IMPORTANT POINTS ABOUT PARLIMENT  The Non confidence motion needs the support of 50 members to be admitted  Ordinary Bill can be introduced either in the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha. It can be introduced either by a minister or by a private member  Money bill can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha and not in the Rajya Sabha. It can be introduced only by a minister  Rajya Sabha cannot amend or reject a Money Bill. It should return the bill to the Lok Sabha within 14 days, either with recommendations or without recommendations  The Speaker of Lok Sabha presides over a joint sitting of the two Houses  The final power to decide whether a particular bill is a Money Bill or not is vested in the Speaker of the Lok Sabha.  The maximum gap between two sessions of Parliament cannot be more than six months. In other words, the Parliament should meet at least twice a year  Parliament Sessions 1. Budget Session- February to May 2. Monsoon Session- July to September 3. Winter Session- November to December  Ganesh Vasudev Mavalanker is first speaker of Lok sabha  Parliament is also vested with powers to impeach the President and to remove Judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts, Chief Election Commissioner and Comptroller and Auditor General of India in accordance with the procedure laid down in the Constitution. COMMITTEES OF THE PARLIAMENT  Broadly, parliamentary Committees are of two kinds - Standing Committee and Ad Hoc Committees. The former are permanent (constituted every year or periodically) and work on a continuous basis, while the latter are temporary and cease to exist on completion of the task assigned to them. STANDING COMMITTEES  On the basis of the nature of functions performed by them, standing Committees can be classified into the following six categories: Page 38 of 1090 Subscribe The Xpress Video Course & Mock Test Package for Bank & Insurance Exams If there are any suggestions/ errors in our PDFs Feel Free to contact us via this email: [email protected]  Ultra Bundle PDF Railway Exams – General Awareness 1. Financial Committees a) Public Accounts Committee b) Estimates Committee