The lack of accountability within the NTA

Consider the following statements:
1. The Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is appointed by the Central Government.
2. Certain provisions in the Constitution of India give the Central Government the right to issue directions to the RBI in public interest.
3. The Governor of the RBI draws his power from the RBI Act.

Which of the above statements are correct?

1. A. 1 and 2 only
2. B. 2 and 3 only
3. C. 1 and 3 only
4. D. 1, 2 and 3

With reference to the National Legal Services Authority, consider the following statements :
1. Its objective is to provide free and competent legal services to the weaker sections of the society on the basis of equal opportunity.
2. It issues guidelines for the State Legal Services Authorities to implement the legal programs and schemes throughout the country.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. A. 1 only
2. B. 2 only
3. C. 1 and 2 only
4. D. None of the above

In India, Legal Services Authorities provide free legal services to which of the following type of citizens?
1. Person with an annual income of less than Rs 1,00,000
2. Transgender with an annual income of less than Rs 2,00,000
3. Member of Other Backward Classes (OBC) with an annual income of less than Rs 3,00,000
4. All Senior Citizens

1. A. 1 and 2 only
2. B. 3 and 4 only
3. C. 2 and 3 only
4. D. 1 and 4 only

With reference to India, consider the following:

I. The Inter-State Council
II. The National Security Council
III. Zonal Councils

How many of the above were established as per the provisions of the Constitution of India?

1. A. Only one
2. B. Only two
3. C. All the three
4. D. None

How many Delimitation Commissions have been constituted by the Government of India till December 2023?

1. A. One
2. B. Two
3. C. Three
4. D. Four

Consider the following statements:

1. It is the Governor of the State who recognizes and declares any community of that State as a Scheduled Tribe.
2. A community declared as a Scheduled Tribe in a State need not be so in another State.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. A. 1 only
2. B. 2 only
3. C. Both 1 and 2
4. D. Neither 1 nor 2

Consider the following statements

1. The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 replaced the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954.
2. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is under the charge of Director General of Health Services in the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. A. 1 only
2. B. 2 only
3. C. Both 1 and 2
4. D. Neither 1 nor 2

With reference to Indian Judiciary, consider the following statements:

1. Any retired judge of the Supreme Court of India can be called back to sit and act as a Supreme Court judge by the Chief Justice of India with prior permission of the President of India.
2. A High Court in India has the power to review its own judgement as the Supreme Court does.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. A. 1 Only
2. B. 2 Only
3. C. Both 1 and 2
4. D. Neither 1 nor 2

Which of the following statements with regard to recommendations of the 15th Finance Commission of India are correct?

I. It has recommended grants of ₹4,800 crores from the year 2022–23 to the year 2025–26 for incentivizing States to enhance educational outcomes.
II. 45% of the net proceeds of Union taxes are to be shared with States.
III. ₹45,000 crores are to be kept as performance-based incentive for all States for carrying out agricultural reforms.
IV. It reintroduced tax effort criteria to reward fiscal performance.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

1. A. I, II and III
2. B. I, II and IV
3. C. I, III and IV
4. D. II, III and IV

Consider the following statements about Lokpal:

I. The power of Lokpal applies to public servants of India, but not to the Indian public servants posted outside India.
II. The Chairperson or a Member shall not be a Member of the Parliament or a Member of the Legislature of any State or Union Territory, and only the Chief Justice of India, whether incumbent or retired, has to be its Chairperson.
III. The Chairperson or a Member shall not be a person of less than forty-five years of age on the date of assuming office as the Chairperson or Member, as the case may be.
IV. Lokpal cannot inquire into the allegations of corruption against a sitting Prime Minister of India.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. A. III only
2. B. II and III
3. C. I and IV
4. D. None of the above statements is correct

Does tribal development in India centre around two axes, those of displacement and of rehabilitation? Give your opinion.

Achieving sustainable growth with emphasis on environmental protection could come into conflict with poor people’s needs in a country like India – Comment.

How do you account for the growing fast food industries given that there are increased health concerns in modern society? Illustrate your answer with the Indian experience.

Examine the evolving pattern of Centre-State financial relations in the context of planned development in India. How far have the recent reforms impacted the fiscal federalism in India?

Indian Constitution has conferred the amending power on the ordinary legislative institutions with a few procedural hurdles. In view of this statement, examine the procedural and substantive limitations on the amending power of the Parliament to change the Constitution.

Mahatma Jotirao Phule’s writings and efforts of social reforms touched issues of almost all subaltern classes. Discuss.

With reference to the National Testing Agency (NTA), consider the following statements: 1. It was established as a statutory body through an Act of Parliament. 2. Its formal obligations to candidates are codified under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024. 3. It operates without a codified liability standard toward the candidates it examines. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. A. 1 only
2. B. 2 and 3 only
3. C. 3 only
4. D. 1, 2 and 3

Which of the following statements accurately describes the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, as per the provided article?

1. A. It primarily focuses on establishing a mandatory compensation mechanism for candidates affected by exam cancellations.
2. B. It introduces a codified liability standard for examining bodies like the NTA.
3. C. It prescribes penalties for organized leak networks but does not create an automatic re-examination right for candidates.
4. D. It mandates the shift of all national-level examinations to Computer-Based Testing (CBT) to prevent paper leaks.

The article argues that the current design of national entrance examinations, which transfers all costs of institutional failure onto candidates, particularly those from weaker sections, violates which of the following constitutional principles/provisions? 1. Article 14 (Equal protection before the law) 2. Article 21 (Protection of life and personal liberty) 3. Article 41 (Right to work, to education and to public assistance in certain cases) 4. Article 46 (Promotion of educational and economic interests of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other weaker sections) Select the correct answer using the code given below:

1. A. 1 and 2 only
2. B. 1, 3 and 4 only
3. C. 2, 3 and 4 only
4. D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

"The recent disruptions in national-level examinations highlight a critical lack of accountability within the National Testing Agency (NTA) and inherent flaws in the examination design." In light of this statement, critically analyze the institutional and structural issues that lead to such widespread disruptions, and explain how they may violate constitutional principles.

Introduce the context of exam disruptions, detail NTA's non-statutory status and the single-sitting, single-paper design, explain how these create an accountability gap and amplify failures, and finally, link these issues to violations of constitutional principles like Article 14 and the Directive Principles (Articles 41, 46).

The article suggests that the current national entrance examination architecture disproportionately impacts candidates from weaker sections. Examine the proposed reforms to the National Testing Agency (NTA) and the examination system, and discuss how their implementation could address issues of social justice and ensure equitable opportunity.

Begin by explaining how the current system disproportionately affects weaker sections, then detail each of the three proposed reforms (statutory NTA, compensation mechanism, multiple exam windows), and elaborate on how each reform would contribute to social justice and equitable opportunity in education.