By which one of the following Constitutional Amendment Acts, was the Article 21A (Right to Education) inserted into the Constitution of India?

The correct answer is D, Article 40. Article 40 directs the State to organise village panchayats and give them the powers they need to work as units of self-government. It is a Directive Principle of State Policy in Part IV, based on Gandhiji's idea of gram swaraj, so it guides the government but cannot be enforced in a court. The 73rd Amendment Act of 1992 gave panchayats constitutional status by adding Part IX and the Eleventh Schedule; it came into force on 24 April 1993, now observed as National Panchayati Raj Day. Jawaharlal Nehru started the first Panchayati Raj at Nagaur, Rajasthan, on 2 October 1959. A is wrong because Article 50 asks the State to separate the judiciary from the executive. B is wrong because Article 60 contains the oath of the President. C is wrong because Article 30 gives minorities the right to set up and run educational institutions. Exam tip: Gandhian Directive Principles: Art 40 (village panchayats), Art 43 (cottage industries), Art 46 (weaker sections), Art 47 (prohibition of intoxicants), Art 48 (cow protection).

The correct answer is B, Third Schedule. The Third Schedule of the Constitution gives the forms of oaths or affirmations for important constitutional posts. It covers Union ministers, candidates for election to Parliament, Members of Parliament, judges of the Supreme Court and the Comptroller and Auditor-General, and at the state level ministers, candidates for the legislature, MLAs and High Court judges. The oaths of the President and the Vice-President are not in this Schedule; they are given in Articles 60 and 69. A is wrong because the Eleventh Schedule, added by the 73rd Amendment in 1992, lists the subjects given to Panchayats. C is wrong because the Ninth Schedule, added by the First Amendment in 1951, protects certain land reform and other laws from challenge in court. D is wrong because the First Schedule lists the names of the states and union territories and their territories. Exam tip: 1st = states and UTs, 3rd = oaths, 7th = Union, State and Concurrent Lists, 10th = anti-defection, 11th = Panchayats, 12th = Municipalities.

The correct answer is C, Article 74. Article 74 says there shall be a Council of Ministers with the Prime Minister at the head to aid and advise the President, who shall act according to that advice. The words making the advice binding were added by the 42nd Amendment of 1976. The 44th Amendment of 1978 let the President send the advice back once for reconsideration, but the President must accept the advice given after that. Courts cannot inquire into what advice the ministers gave. Article 75 deals with the appointment of the Prime Minister and other ministers, and Article 78 with the Prime Minister's duty to keep the President informed. A is wrong because Article 70 covers the President's functions in other contingencies. B is wrong because Article 50 is a Directive Principle on separating the judiciary from the executive. D is wrong because Article 84 lays down the qualifications for membership of Parliament. Exam tip: Art 52 = President, Art 63 = Vice-President, Art 74 = Council of Ministers to advise the President, Art 75 = appointment of PM and ministers, Art 78 = PM's duties.

The correct answer is D, 14 years. Article 24 says that no child below the age of 14 years shall be employed to work in any factory or mine or in any other hazardous employment. It is part of the Right against Exploitation (Articles 23 and 24) among the Fundamental Rights in Part III. Article 23 bans trafficking in human beings and forced labour (begar). Article 24 goes with Article 21A, added by the 86th Amendment in 2002, which gives free and compulsory education to children aged 6 to 14. The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2016 bans employing children below 14 in any work and adolescents aged 14 to 18 in hazardous work. A is wrong because 18 is the voting age and the age of adulthood, not the limit in Article 24. B is wrong because the Constitution does not use 16 as the limit. C is wrong because 12 is lower than the age fixed by Article 24. Exam tip: Article 23 = no trafficking or forced labour; Article 24 = no child below 14 in factories, mines or hazardous work; Article 21A = education for ages 6 to 14.

The correct answer is B, Qualification for membership of Parliament. Article 84 lists who can become a Member of Parliament. A candidate must be a citizen of India, must make an oath or affirmation in the form set out in the Third Schedule before a person authorised by the Election Commission, must be at least 30 years old for the Rajya Sabha and at least 25 for the Lok Sabha, and must meet any other qualification that Parliament lays down by law. Parliament did this through the Representation of the People Act, 1951, which also requires the candidate to be a registered voter. A is wrong because disqualifications for membership are in Article 102, with defection covered by the Tenth Schedule. C is wrong because the Annual Financial Statement, or Union Budget, is Article 112. D is wrong because the President's power to issue ordinances is Article 123. Exam tip: 84 qualifications, 102 disqualifications, 112 Budget, 123 ordinance; minimum age 25 for Lok Sabha and 30 for Rajya Sabha.