SST Quiz Mixed Bag 5

How did the Panchayati Raj Institutions get political legitimacy?

• by getting constitutional status

• by debating on political matters

• by being a part of the Directive Principles of State Policy

• by getting grants from the central and state governments

Which of the following BEST describes decentralisation in India?

• sharing of equal powers among the three levels of the government

• dissolution of the powers of the state governments to strengthen the centre

• taking some powers from the centre and the state and giving them to the local government

• dissolution of powers of the Centre and strengthening of the state and the local governments

The panchayat has to face a biannual or annual performance review conducted by the gram sabha.

How is this review a good example of democratic governance?

• It helps the panchayat keep tabs on the work the gram sabha does.

• It increases the influence of the gram sabha on the panchayat.

• It makes the panchayat more responsible for its actions.

• It helps the villagers control the panchayat

The message of this comic can be best summarised as __________.

• 'we should take from the rich and give to the poor'

• 'resources must be distributed equally amongst all'

• 'providing equality of opportunity to all is always a good thing'

• 'those who are the most disadvantaged should ideally get the most help'

Read the passage given below and answer the questions 25-29 that follow.

The term labour denotes any physical or mental work done with the object of obtaining consideration. Playing a game is also physical as well as mental work, but it is for the enjoyment, so it cannot come within the purview of labour. The unorganised sector is known by different terms such as informal sector, residual sector. It is also termed as unregulated sector. This implies that informal workers are beyond any regulation or legislations passed by the Government. Hence, their working status is rarely covered by the legal status. The welfare as well as social security benefits available under the countries welfare and social security legislations like Factories Act, 1948, Provident Fund Act, 1952, Employees State Insurance Act, 1948, The Maternity Benefits Act, 1961, The Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972, etc...., do not reach to these unorganized labour. This sector suffers absence of social security and welfare measures, negation of social standards and worker rights, denial of minimum wages and so on. Furthermore, in the recent times, there has been a substantial shift in the structure of the labour force, which can be broadly divided into self employed, regular, and casual workers. It clearly indicates that India's labour market has been undergoing tremendous transformations, including growth of informal sector activities, deterioration in the quality of employment (in terms of job security, terms and conditions at work). The country is currently in a phase of "informalisation of the formal sector", where the increase in the employment in the organised sector has been informal in nature and there has been a gradual decrease in formal employment in the country.

Which of the following is MORE LIKELY to be found in the unorganised sector?

• pensions for retired workers

• longer commute to work

• frequent transfers

• unpaid leaves

The unorganised sector is also called the 'unregulated sector'. This means that the employers __________.

• can employ as many workers as they want

• are mandated to provide paid leaves to the workers

• are not bound by government laws that protect workers

• are allowed to discriminate among the workers as per the law

According to this study, the country is currently in a phase of 'informalisation of the formal sector'.

How can this happen?

• Formal sector workers are boycotting all the benefits provided to them.

• The government is slowly repealing the laws that protect workers.

• The structure of the organised sector employees has diversified.

• The country has seen a fall in the formal employment system.

Which of the following explains the rising importance of the tertiary sector in our country?

• greater demand for services

• decreasing importance of other sectors

• increased formalisation of the service sector

• global pressure to develop the tertiary sector

Which of the following would likely be a part of the unorganised sector?

• street vendor

• hospital nurse

• factory worker

• traffic policeman

Observe the flow chart given below.

What will come in the empty box?

• gram

• maize

• millets

• pulses