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NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Political Science – Indian Constitution at Work – Chapter 4 – Executive
Q1 :A parliamentary executive means:
(a) Executive where there is a parliament
(b) Executive elected by the parliament
(c) Where the parliament functions as the Executive
(d) Executive that is dependent on support of the majority in the parliament
Q2 :Read this dialogue. Which argument do you agree with? Why?
Amit: Looking at the constitutional provisions, it seems that the President is only a rubber stamp.
Shama: The President appoints the Prime Minister. So, he must have the powers to remove the Prime Minister as well.
Rajesh: We don't need a President. After the election, the Parliament can meet and elect a leader to be the Prime Minister.
Any answer supported with argument or explanation would solve the purpose. It is strongly recommended that you prepare the solution on your own. However, one sample solution has been provided for your reference:
The argument raised by Amit is correct.Looking at the constitutional provisions, it appears that the President is only a rubber stamp. This is because despite having certain discretionary powers, the President is bound to act according to the advice given by the council of ministers. Even the veto power of the President is limited. For instance, the President has to give assent to the bill which has been rejected by him earlier if it is passed by the parliament again.
Q3 :Match the following
(i) Works within the particular State in which recruited a Indian Foreign Service
(ii) Works in any central government office located either at the national capital or elsewhere in the country b State Civil Services
(iii) Works in a particular State to which allotted; can also be sent on deputation to the centre c All India Services
(iv) Works in Indian missions abroad d Central Services
(i) Works within the particular State in which recruited b State Civil Services
(ii) Works in any central government office located either at the national capital or elsewhere in the country d Central Services
(iv) Works in Indian missions abroad a Indian Foreign Service
Q4 : Identify the ministry which may have released the following news items. Would this be a ministry of the central government or the State government? Why?
(a) An official release said that in 2004-05 the Tamil Nadu Textbooks Corporation would release new versions for standards VII, X and XI.
(b) A new railway loop line bypassing the crowded Tiruvallur-Chennai section to help iron ore exporters. The new line, likely to be about 80 km long, will branch off at Puttur and then reach Athipattu near the port.
(c) The three-member sub-divisional committee formed to verify suicide by farmers in Ramayampet mandal has found that the two farmers who committed suicide this month have had economic problems due to failure of crops.
(a) Ministry of Human Resource Development or Education department, State Government. This is because the textbooks related to the education in a particular state are published by the government of that state.
(b) Ministry of Railways, Central Government. This is because the railway sector is an all India organisation that is managed by the central government.
(c) Ministry of Agriculture, State Government. This is because agriculture at the sub-divisional level is supervised by the agricultural department of the state government.
Q5 : While appointing the Prime Minister, the President selects
(a) Leader of the largest party in the Lok Sabha
(b) Leader of the largest party in the alliance which secures a majority in the Lok Sabha
(c) The leader of the largest party in the Rajya Sabha
(d) Leader of the alliance or party that has the support of the majority in Lok Sabha
Q6 : Read this discussion and say which of these statements applies most to India.
Alok: Prime Minister is like a king, he decides everything in our country.
Shekhar: Prime Minister is only 'first among equals', he does not have any special powers. All ministers and the PM have similar powers.
Bobby: Prime Minister has to consider the expectations of the party members and other supporters of the government. But after all, the Prime Minister has a greater say in policy making and in choosing the ministers.
Prime Minister has to consider the expectations of the party members and other supporters of the government. But after all, the Prime Minister has a greater say in policy making and in choosing the ministers.
The statement by Bobby applies most to India as the Prime Minister of India heads the executive and is accountable to the legislature at the same time.
Q7 :Why do you think is the advice of the Council of Ministers binding on the President? Give your answer in not more than 100 words.
The advice of the Council of Ministers is binding on the President in a parliamentary executive because the Council of Ministers is an elected executive that has the support of the majority in the legislature. It also emphasises the supreme authority of elected representatives in a Republic. This arrangement distinctively projects the President as a ceremonial head and limits the powers vested in him/her to avoid conflict within the executive. Thus, the executive, legislative, judicial and emergency powers of the President are exercised only on the advice of the Council of Ministers.
Q8 : The parliamentary system of executive vests many powers in the legislature for controlling the executive. Why, do you think, is it so necessary to control the executive?
It is necessary to control the executive to ensure its accountability to the elected legislature.
The various mechanisms ensure that the executive is answerable and controlled by the people's representatives so that there is transparency and impartiality.
The control on the executive is must so that it works according to the laws and checks deviation of any kind.
The control of the executive also prevents the domination of personality cult and provides a check to arbitrary functioning and concentration of power into a single source.
Q9 : It is said that there is too much political interference in the working of the administrative machinery. It is suggested that there should be more and more autonomous agencies which do not have to answer to the ministers.
(a) Do you think this will make administration more people-friendly?
(b) Do you think this will make administration more efficient?
(c) Does democracy mean full control of elected representatives over the administration?
(a) This will not make administration more people-friendly as it would function arbitrarily and thus, lose accountability without checks and balances.
(b) This will not make administration more efficient as it would lead to non compliance of bureaucratic executives with government policies. Thus, it would lead to contradiction of the bureaucracy with the objectives of the government. Efficiency in this situation is not valid as social welfare would be compromised.
(c) Democracy does not mean full control of elected representatives over the administration. The task of elected representatives is to make laws and keep the administration accountable. Administration is a specialised task that is best handled by the administrative machinery. Therefore, it requires a certain degree of autonomy to carry out its task.
Q10 : Write an essay of two hundred words on the proposal to have an elected administration instead of an appointed administration.
The proposal says that the administration should be elected instead of being appointed. This proposal would give rise to chaos if implemented. To handle administrative tasks, the executives should have deep knowledge of the nation, its problems, its future prospects and the various perspectives to approach them. Only a person with deep knowledge of the facts and analytical skills can make out the possible consequences of any provision, policies and programmes of the government. Thus, skilled candidates need to be selected to ensure smooth working of the administrative machinery at ground level. This can be done through various written exams that test a broad range of skills as it is not otherwise possible to judge the knowledge and eligibility of a candidate only through the process of election. More money and time would be comparatively required in election of the executives. The selection of criteria to judge the candidates would become very difficult. Electoral process is more suited for legislatures as they give representation to people in law making. The domain of execution needs expertise even though it can be monitored by elected representatives. Elected representatives may succeed in administration at smaller levels but large scale administration at the level of a country requires an appointed administration.
NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Political Science – Indian Constitution at Work – Chapter 3-Election and Representation
NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Political Science – Indian Constitution at Work – Chapter 5- Legislature