Under the Indian Constitution, concentration of wealth violates
- A.the Right to Equality
- B.the Directive Principles of State Policy
- C.the Right to Freedom
- D.the Concept of Welfare
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is B, the Directive Principles of State Policy. Article 39(c), one of the Directive Principles in Part IV, directs the State to ensure that the operation of the economic system does not result in the concentration of wealth and means of production to the common detriment. Article 39(b) adds that the ownership and control of the material resources of the community should be distributed to serve the common good. These principles carry the socialist idea of the Constitution, and laws giving effect to Article 39(b) and (c) were protected by Article 31C, added by the 25th Amendment in 1971. Option A is wrong because the Right to Equality (Articles 14 to 18) deals with equality before law and non-discrimination, not with wealth. Option C is wrong because the Right to Freedom (Articles 19 to 22) protects speech, movement, profession and personal liberty. Option D is wrong because the welfare state is a general idea, not a specific constitutional provision. Exam tip: Article 39(b) = distribution of material resources; Article 39(c) = no concentration of wealth; both are DPSP in Part IV.
Practice Questions
View allA special address by the Governor refers to the address delivered by the Governor
- A.when President's Rule is called for
- B.when a national emergency necessitates dissolution of the Legislative Assembly
- C.at the commencement of the first session after general election and at the first session of each year
- D.whenever he/she has concluded that such is necessary
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Article 176 of the Constitution requires the Governor to give this special address on these two occasions. In the address the Governor tells the legislature why it has been summoned and sets out the policies and programme of the state government, whose council of ministers actually prepares the text.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following Schedules of the Constitution of India has fixed the number of Members of the Rajya Sabha to be elected from each State?
- A.Fifth Schedule
- B.Third Schedule
- C.Sixth Schedule
- D.Fourth Schedule
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The Fourth Schedule allocates seats in the Rajya Sabha to each State and Union Territory, read with Articles 4(1) and 80(2).
Read the full explanation →Which one among the following is not a character of a secular State?
- A.It refuses theocracy.
- B.It separates religion from the State.
- C.A State in order to be secular must be democratic.
- D.It must prevent religious conflict and promote religious harmony.
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Secularism concerns the relation between the State and religion, and being democratic is not part of its definition. A secular State is not run by a religious order, keeps religious institutions and State institutions apart, and does not favour or persecute any religion.
Read the full explanation →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
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In political theory, and in the spirit of the Indian Constitution, liberty means positive freedom: the conditions and opportunities a person needs to develop their personality fully.
Read the full explanation →Constitutional government means
- A.a representative government of a nation with federal structure
- B.a government whose Head enjoys nominal powers
- C.a government whose Head enjoys real powers
- D.a government limited by the terms of the Constitution
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Constitutional government means limited government: those in power can act only within the limits that the constitution lays down. The essence of constitutionalism is that state power is restrained by a higher law, so that rights are protected and authority cannot be used arbitrarily.
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