Daily MCQs 9 August

Q 1. Which of the following in the Constitution of India correctly and appropriately imply that Right to Privacy is protected as an intrinsic part of Right to Life and Personal Liberty?

A. Article 14 and the provisions under the 42nd Amendment to the Constitution.

B. Article 17 and the Directive Principles of State Policy in Part IV.

C. Article 21 and the freedoms guaranteed in Part III.

D. Article 24 and the provisions under the 44th Amendment to the Constitution.

Answer: (C)

The government of India has withdrawn the Personal Data Protection Bill from Parliament as it considers a “comprehensive legal framework” to regulate the online space to boost innovation in the country through a new bill.

Option (C) is correct: In 2017, a nine-judge bench of the Supreme Court (SC) in its verdict in Justice K.S. Puttaswamy vs. Union of India case unanimously affirmed that the Right to Privacy is a Fundamental Right under the Indian Constitution. The SC bench held that the privacy is a Fundamental Right as it is intrinsic to guarantee of life and personal liberty as provided under Article 21 of the Constitution.

The bench also stated that the elements of privacy also arise in varying contexts from the other facets of freedom and dignity recognised and guaranteed by the Fundamental Rights contained in Part III of the Constitution.

Q 2. Consider the following statements regarding The Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act, (HMGA) 1956:

1. Under the act, the natural guardian of a Hindu minor in respect of the minor’s person or property is the father, and after him, the mother.
2. Mother after the death of the biological father (husband), has no right to decide the surname of the child.

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

Answer: (A)

Statement 1 is correct: Under the religious law of Hindus, or the Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act, (HMGA) 1956, the natural guardian of a Hindu minor in respect of the minor’s person or property “is the father, and after him, the mother. Provided the custody of a minor who has not completed the age of five years shall ordinarily be with the mother.” 

Statement 2 is not correct: Surname is not only indicative of lineage and should not be understood just in the context of history, culture and lineage but more importantly the role it plays with regard to the social reality along with a sense of being for children in their particular environment. Homogeneity of surname emerges as a mode to create, sustain and display ‘family’. The Supreme Court ruled that the mother, being the only natural guardian of the child after the death of the biological father (husband), has the right to decide the surname of the child. The SC also opined that the mother, being the only natural guardian, also has the right to give up the child in adoption.

Q 3. Recently, which of the following countries passed the referendum to approve a new Constitution that would turn the country back into a Presidential System?

A. Egypt

B. Lebanon 

C. Syria

D. Tunisia

Answer: (D)

Option (D) is correct: Recently, protests have erupted in Tunisia after a referendum was passed to approve a new Constitution that would turn the country back into a Presidential System. Turning the country back into a Presidential System will institutionalize the one-man reign of President Kais Saied, who suspended the elected Parliament and awarded more powers to himself in 2021. Protestors have warned that the new Constitution would erase whatever democratic gains Tunisia has made since the 2011 Arab Spring (Jasmine) revolution and push the country back into an authoritarian slide.

Q 4. With reference to Model Tenancy Act, consider the following statements:

1. A written agreement is mandatory between the property owner and the tenant.
2. It establishes an independent authority in every state and UT for registration of tenancy agreements.
3. It limits the tenant’s advance security deposit to a maximum of one months’ rent for residential purposes.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

A. 1 and 2 only

B. 2 and 3 only

C. 1 and 3 only

D. 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (A)

According to Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Model Tenancy Act has been rectified by only four states, i.e., Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and Assam.

The Model Tenancy Act, 2021 is to establish Rent Authority to regulate renting of premises and to protect the interests of landlords and tenants and to provide speedy. adjudication mechanism for resolution of disputes and matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. It aims at creating a vibrant, sustainable, and inclusive rental housing market in the country. 

• Written Agreement is Mandatory: A written agreement is mandatory between the property owner and the tenant. (Statement 1 is correct)

• Establishes Independent Authority and Rent Court: Establishes an independent authority in every state and UT for registration of tenancy agreements and even a separate court to take up tenancy related disputes. (Statement 2 is correct)

• Maximum Limit for Security Deposit: Limit the tenant’s advance security deposit to a maximum of two months’ rent for residential purposes and to a maximum of six months for non-residential purposes. (Statement 3 is not correct)

• Describes Rights and Obligations of both Landlord and Tenant: The landlord will be responsible for activities like structural repairs except those necessitated by damage caused by the tenant, whitewashing of walls and painting of doors and windows, etc.
• 24-hour Prior Notice by the Landlord: A landowner will have to give 24-hour prior notice before entering the rented premises to carry out repairs or replacement.

Q 5. “Food Security and Gender Equality: A synergistic understudied symphony” report was released by which of the following agencies?

A. CARE International

B. Oxfam International

C. Concern Worldwide

D. Institute for Research on Poverty

Answer: (A)

Option (A) is correct: Recently, a report was released named “Food Security and Gender Equality: A synergistic understudied symphony”, which highlighted a global link between Gender Inequality and Food Insecurity. The Report was released by CARE, which is an international humanitarian organization fighting global poverty and world hunger by working alongside women and girls.