50 OTT Platforms Disabled in Last Two Years for Displaying Obscene Content and Violations of IT Act and Other Applicable Laws

Statement 1 is incorrect: The Constitution of India does not classify ministers into four fixed ranks. There are broadly two categories based on parliamentary convention - Cabinet Ministers and Ministers of State (with or without independent charge). The number of ranks can vary based on the specific structure chosen by the government. Statement 2 is correct: The 91st Amendment to the Constitution limits the size of the Council of Ministers. The total number of ministers, including the Prime Minister, cannot exceed 15% of the total strength of the Lok Sabha.

* Statement 1 is incorrect: If the President is satisfied that a grave emergency exists whereby the security of India or of any part of the territory thereof is threatened, whether by war or external aggression or armed rebellion, he may, by Proclamation, make a declaration to that effect in respect of the whole of India or of such part of the territory. * Statement 2 is correct: According to Article 75 of the Indian constitution, the council of ministers shall be collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha. It means that the ministry stays in office so long as it enjoys the confidence of the majority of the members of the Lok Sabha. * Statement 3 is incorrect: When a President is to be impeached for violation of the Constitution, the charge shall be preferred by either House of Parliament.

Statement 1 is not correct: The Council of Ministers in the Centre shall be collectively responsible to Lok Sabha, not parliament. Statement 2 is correct: The Union Ministers shall hold the office during the pleasure of the President of India. Statement 3 is correct: The Prime Minister shall communicate to the President about the proposals for legislation.

(A) is incorrect: Direct election of the lower house is a feature of Representative Democracy. Many Presidential systems (such as the USA) also have directly elected legislatures; therefore, this is not the distinguishing factor of a Parliamentary system. (B) is incorrect: The authority to amend the Constitution is a matter of Constitutional Sovereignty. This power exists in various forms of government, including both Parliamentary and Presidential models. (C) is incorrect: The fact that the Rajya Sabha is a permanent house is a Federal feature intended to maintain the representation of the States. It does not define the relationship between the Executive and the Legislature. (D) is correct: As per Article 75(3) of the Constitution, the Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha. This "Collective Responsibility" is the bedrock of the Parliamentary form of government, as the executive's survival depends on the support of the legislature.

Statement I is correct: President’s pardoning power can be subjected to limited judicial review, especially on grounds like mala fides, irrelevant considerations, or arbitrariness (as held in Kehar Singh, Epuru Sudhakar cases). Statement II is incorrect: President cannot act independently; the power must be exercised on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers under Article 74.

Statement 1 is correct: The dissolution of the State Legislative Assembly is not mandatory. The Assembly may either be dissolved (leading to fresh elections) or kept under suspension (placing it in a state of dormancy until further decisions are made). Statement 2 is incorrect: When President’s Rule is imposed in a state under Article 356, the Council of Ministers is always dismissed, as the state government is suspended and the Governor takes over the executive powers on behalf of the President. Statement 3 is correct: The dissolution of local bodies is not a direct consequence of President’s Rule. Since municipalities and panchayats function independently under the State List (as per the 73rd and 74th Amendments), their existence remains unaffected unless the state government had already initiated their dissolution through legal provisions. Thus, while the removal of the Council of Ministers is automatic, the dissolution of the Legislative Assembly is conditional, and local bodies remain largely unaffected. Hence, the correct answer is option (B) 1 and 3 only.

Statement 1 is incorrect. Under Article 85(2) of the Constitution, the President has the authority to prorogue the Houses, or either House of Parliament, from time to time. The termination of a session of the House by an order from the President under this provision is referred to as 'prorogation.' The President exercises this power of prorogation only upon the recommendation of the Prime Minister or the Cabinet, i.e., the Council of Ministers. Statement 2 is correct. Typically, prorogation follows adjournment sine die, but technically, the President can prorogue a House even while it is in session. Statement 3 is correct. The President usually dissolves the Lok Sabha based on the advice of the Council of Ministers, except in exceptional circumstances such as a vote of no confidence or other political crises.

Statement 1 is correct. India follows a single citizenship system, which means that every Indian is a citizen of India, irrespective of the place of his/her residence within the country. The concept of domicile does not exist in the Indian Constitution. Statement 2 is incorrect. In India, the Head of State is the President, and as per Article 58 of the Indian Constitution, any person who is a citizen of India and is 35 years of age or above is eligible to become the President. It does not matter whether the person is a citizen by birth or by naturalization. Statement 3 is also incorrect. As per the Citizenship Act 1955, the Central Government has the power to deprive a person of his/her citizenship under certain circumstances.

Article 85(1) of the Constitution empowers the President to summon each House of Parliament to meet at such time and place as he thinks fit, but six months shall not intervene between its last sitting in one Session and the date appointed for its first sitting in the next Session. So, the Constitution provides for the maximum gap between two sessions of Parliament, i.e. it cannot be more than six months. In other words, the Parliament should meet at least twice a year. Therefore the constitution prescribes a maximum gap but there is no minimum gap. So, statement 1 and 3 are correct, and 2 is not correct. Therefore the correct answer is (c).

The Constitution outlines specific roles where the Governor can act at his/her own discretion, but it does not allow the President to unilaterally intervene in State legislation without the Governor's involvement. ✅ Statement I: Correct
* The Governor can act in discretion in certain cases (e.g., reserving a bill for the President under Article 200, or appointing a CM in a hung assembly).
* Article 163(2) makes the Governor’s discretion final in such matters. ❌ Statement II: Incorrect
* The President cannot suo motu reserve a State bill. Only the Governor can do this under Article 200.

The article explicitly states, 'Government has notified the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media, Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 on 25.02.2021 under IT Act, 2000 to put in place an institutional mechanism for publishers of current affairs on digital media and publishers of online curated content (OTT Platforms).'

The article states, 'Section 79(3)(b) of IT Act, 2000 provides for notification to the intermediaries for removing/disabling access to unlawful content.' The other sections mentioned are for specific violations or prohibitions, not the enabling provision for notifying intermediaries for content removal.

Statement 1 is correct as the article mentions the action was for 'displaying obscene content and for violation of Section 67 and 67A of the IT Act, Section 294 of the BNS, and Section 4 of the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986.' Statement 2 is incorrect because the information was provided in the Lok Sabha, not the Rajya Sabha.