Practice MCQ Questions and answers on Indian Politics-GK

Both Public Accounts Committee and Estimates Committee help in strengthening financial control of Parliament over executive. Estimates Committee has a role in budget planning i.e. it has a role before approval of expenditure from Parliament. Whereas Public Accounts Committee play its role when actual expenditure has been done i.e., auditing the expenditure. That is why Public Accounts Committee and Estimates Committee are termed as twin sisters.

Building of Parliament is called as "Sansad Bhavan". It is a circular building designed by British architects Sir Edward Lutyens and Sir Herbert Baker in 1912-1913.

Chairman of Rajya Sabha is not a member of the house. Where as Chairman or presiding officers of Lok Sabha, Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council are elected by the respective houses from among the members.

Closure, Adjournment and Censure, all are types of motion in Parliament which are introduced to achieve the functions of the house. Closure motion is moved by a member to cut short the debate on a matter before the House. Adjournment motion is moved to draw attention of house on matter of public mportance. Whereas censure motion is introduced to seek disapproval of policy of Government. There is no such motion like suspension the Parliament.

Comptroller and Auditor General of India audits all accounts of Government of India and submits a report in this regard to the President, who causes the report to be tabelled in Parliament. This report is then referred to Public Accounts Committee (PAC) which after examining the report, prepares another report. The report prepared by PAC is again placed before Parliament for discussion.

Constitution has provided for Bicameral set-up(two houses) at both state and central level. At central level there are two houses known as Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Lok Sabha is a temporary house which normally dissolves after every five year. On the other hand, Rajya Sabha is a permanent house which can never be dissolved. A similar set up has been provided at State level where State Legislative Assembly is a temporary house and State Legislative Council is a permanent house.

Cut motion is a part of budgetary process which can only be introduced in Lok Sabha. It can be moved when the introducer is in disagreement with demand for grant. If a cut motion is adopted by Parliament and the Government does not have the numbers, it is obligated to resign as per rule Lok Sabha.

Cut motion is classified into 3 categories:- Policy cut, Economy cut and Token cut. Policy cut represents the disapproval of policy underlying demand and it seeks to reduce the amount of demand to Rs.1/- . Whereas Economy cut represents the grievance not against the policy but against the demand for grant and it seeks to reduce the amount of demand by a specific amount. Token cut is introduced to ventilate a specific grievance within the sphere of responsibiliy of Goverment and it is expressed by asking for reducing the amount of demand by Rs.100

Each house has laid down a procedure for the passage of a non-money bill. According to the procedure, a bill has to pass through three stages commonly known as Readings. In the first Reading the bill is introduced and in second Reading bill is discussed clause by clause. In the third Reading general discussion takes place and if required, the bill is put to vote.

Estimates Committee is equally important as Public Accounts Committee as far as financial control of Parliament over executive is concerned. Its main function is to help in budget planning. It consists of 30 members, all from Lok Sabha. Public Accounts Committee and Committee on Pubile Undertakings consist of 22 members each. Whereas Joint Parliamentary Committee is an Ad-hoc Committee which ds formed for a specific task and its number of members from task to task.