Consider the following features : 1. Consent of the governed 2. Political equality 3. Accountability of the ruled to the ruler Which of the above feature/features outline democratic rule ?
- A.1 and 2 only
- B.2 and 3 only
- C.1, 2 and 3
- D.3 only
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is A, 1 and 2 only. Democracy rests on the consent of the people and their equal political rights, while accountability runs from the rulers to the ruled, not the other way round.
In a democracy the government draws its authority from the people, who give their consent through free and fair elections. Political equality means one person, one vote, one value: every adult citizen has the same right to vote and to contest. Rulers must answer to the people through elections, the legislature, courts and a free press. Statement 3 reverses this: making the ruled answerable to the ruler describes autocratic rule.
B is wrong because it includes statement 3, which turns democratic accountability upside down.
C is wrong for the same reason; only two of the three features hold.
D is wrong because statement 3 alone describes the opposite of democracy.
Exam tip: in a democracy, rulers are accountable to the ruled; watch for reversed statements.
Practice Questions
View allWith reference to the election of the President of India, consider the following statements : 1. The value of the vote of each MLA varies from State to State. 2. The value of the vote of MPs of the Lok Sabha is more than the value of the vote of MPs of the Rajya Sabha. 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
Show answer
An MLA's vote value depends on the State's population, but every elected MP, in either House, has the same vote value.
Read the full explanation →Regarding Money Bill, which of the following statements is not correct ?
- A.A bill shall be deemed to be a Money Bill if it contains only provisions relating to imposition, abolition, remission, alteration or regulation of any tax.
- B.A Money Bill has provisions for the custody of the Consolidated Fund of India or the Contingency Fund of India.
- C.A Money Bill is concerned with the appropriation of moneys out of the Contingency Fund of India.
- D.A Money Bill deals with the regulation of borrowing of money or giving of any guarantee by the Government of India.
Show answer
A Money Bill covers appropriation of money out of the Consolidated Fund of India, not out of the Contingency Fund, so statement C is the incorrect one.
Read the full explanation →With reference to 'Scheduled Areas' in India, consider the following statements : 1. Within a State, the notification of an area as Scheduled Area takes place through an Order of the President. 2. The largest administrative unit forming the Scheduled Area is the District and the lowest is the cluster of villages in the Block. 3. The Chief Ministers of the concerned States are required to submit annual reports to the Union Home Ministry on the administration of Scheduled Areas in the States. How many of the above statements are correct?
- A.Only one
- B.Only two
- C.All three
- D.None
Show answer
Statements 1 and 2 are correct; statement 3 is wrong because the annual report comes from the Governor and goes to the President.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following statements about Section 8 of the RTI Act, 2005 is correct?
- A.It lists the categories of information exempt from disclosure
- B.It provides for the appointment of Public Information Officers
- C.It prescribes the penalty for delay in furnishing information
- D.It establishes the State Information Commissions
Show answer
Section 8(1) lists ten categories of information that a public authority is not obliged to disclose, among them information affecting the sovereignty and integrity of India, strategic and security interests, foreign relations, commercial confidence and trade secrets, information held in a fiduciary relationship, and personal information with no relation to…
Read the full explanation →Who chairs the selection committee that recommends the appointment of the Chairperson of the Lokpal?
- A.The President
- B.The Prime Minister
- C.The Chief Justice of India
- D.The Speaker of the Lok Sabha
Show answer
Under the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 the Chairperson and members of the Lokpal are appointed by the President on the recommendation of a selection committee consisting of the Prime Minister as chairperson, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, the Chief…
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