Daily Current Affair Quiz: 23rd October 2019
1. With reference to the Constitution of India, consider the following statements:
1. No High Court shall have the jurisdiction to declare any central law to be constitutionally invalid.
2. An amendment to the Constitution of India cannot be called into question by the Supreme Court of India.
Which of the statements given above is / are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: d
Explanation: The High Court is not subordinate to the Supreme Court. The power of superintendence is only granted to High Courts and not to the Supreme Court. Under Article 227, the High Courts have the power of superintendence over all the Subordinate Courts and Tribunals. The High Court is thus in charge of the administration of justice in the state. The High Court has the power to examine the constitutionality of legislative and executive orders of both central and state government. On the other hand, the Supreme Court is placed at a superior place in the hierarchy only because is the highest court of appeal; law declared by the apex court is binding on all Courts; it can transfer cases from one High Court to another or to itself.
The amendment of the Indian Constitution is laid down in Article 368, Part XX of the Constitution, which vests power to the Parliament and the state legislatures to make laws within their respective jurisdictions. However, as per the ‘Basic Structure Doctrine’ laid down by the Supreme Court in Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Keralacase, if a law or any amendment to Constitution made by Parliament violates any provision of the Constitution, the Supreme Court has the power to review and strike down constitutional amendments and declare such a law invalid or ultra vires.C
2. Consider the following statements
1. Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) exchange rates are calculated by comparing the prices of the same basket of goods and services in different countries.
2. In terms of PPP dollars, India is the sixth largest economy in the world.
Which of the statements given above is / are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Ans: a
Explanation: The ‘Purchasing Power Parity’ is the exchange rate that allows one to buy the same amount of goods and services in every country. It is a theoretical rate as it is used by no country and is only used by the Government agencies to compare the output of countries that use different exchange rates. It basically describes what would a thing cost, if it was sold in the US Dollars. The World Bank calculates the PPP for each country, depicting a map that shows the PPP ratio compared to the United States. This shows a comparison between the economic productivity and standards of living between all the countries. On the PPP basis, China is the world’s largest economy in 2018, followed by United States at 2nd and India at 3rdposition.
3. With reference to the cultivation of Kharif crops in India in the last five years, consider the following statements:
1. Area under rice cultivation is the highest.
2. Area under the cultivation of jowar is more than that of oilseeds.
3. Area of cotton cultivation is more than that of sugarcane.
4. Area under sugarcane cultivation has steadily decreased.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 3 only
(b) 2, 3 and 4 only
(c) 2 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
Ans: a
Explanation: Rice is one of the most important food crops in India, feeding over 60 percent population of India. The rice is grown in almost all crop seasons like Kharif, Rabi, etc. India has the largest area under rice cultivation. The area under rice cultivation is the highest in India and the area of cotton cultivation is more than that of sugarcane. The rest of the Statements – 2 & 4 are false. Here are the figures of Kharif Crop production of last 3 years as mentioned in the annual report of Department of Agriculture Cooperation & Farmers Welfare:
4. Among the agricultural commodities imported by India, which one of the following accounts for the highest imports in terms of value in the last five years?
(a) Spices
(b) Fresh fruits
(c) Pulses
(d) Vegetable oils
Ans: d
5. In the context of polity, which one of the following would you accept as the most appropriate definition of liberty?
(a) Protection against the tyranny of political rulers
(b) Absence of restraint
(c) Opportunity to do whatever one likes
(d) Opportunity to develop oneself fully.
Ans: b
