Bombay HC (Maharashtra & Goa); Guwahati (Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh); Punjab and Haryana HC (Punjab, Haryana)

Dinesh Goswami Committee (1990) was concerned with electoral reforms. It suggested providing state funding in kind to political parties. It also suggested that a candidate should not be allowed to contest election from more than two constituencies.

Balwant Rai G Mehta Committee submitted its report in November 1957 and recommended the establishment of the scheme of ‘democratic decentralisation’, which ultimately came to be known as Panchayati Raj.

If the Lok Sabha Speaker wants to resign, the letter of his / her resignation has to be addressed to the Deputy Speaker. The Speaker is elected by the Lok- Sabha from amongst its Members. Usually the Speaker remains in office during the life of the Lok-Sabha.

GV Mavalankar (1952-56), Hukum Singh (1962- 67); K.M. Munshi and U.N. Dhebar were never the Speakers of the Lok Sabha.

Each gram Nyayalaya is a court of Judicial Magistrate of the first class and its presiding officer is appointed by the state government in consultation with the High court. Gram Nyayalaya Act; 2008 came into force of Oct, 2, 2009. The objective of this Act is to Provide inexpensive justice to people in rural areas at their doorsteps. • Gram Nyayalaya try criminal cases, civil suits, claims or disputes which are specified in the First Schedule and the Second Schedule of the Gram Nyayalaya Act the Act.The Gram Nyayalaya are supposed to try to settle the disputes as far as possible by bringing about conciliation between the parties and for this purpose, it can make use of the appointed conciliators. • Reference- Page no. 601 of India year book 2016, under heading Judiciary it says- Panchayat Courts also function in some states under various names like Nyaya Panchayat, Panchayat Adalat, Gram Kachehri, etc., to decide civil and criminal disputes of petty and local nature. That means first statement is wrong. • Under this act, District court with consultation of DM, prepares panel of social workers to act as councilors. Hence 2nd statement is right. Ref: Original Act Page no 7; http://doj.gov.in

It is the Parliament which has the power to increase the number of judges in the Supreme Court of India. Parliament increased the number of judges from the original eight in 1950 to eleven in 1956, fourteen in 1960, eighteen in 1978, twenty-six in 1986 and thirty-one in 2008.

Fifth schedule relates to the control and administration of scheduled areas in states other than Tripura, Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram. While Sixth Schedule deals with administration and control of tribal areas in the state of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura.

Directive Principles of State Policy lays down that the State shall take steps to organize village panchayats and endow them with such powers and authority as may be necessary to enable them to function as units of self government. Planning for economic development and social justice is one such power given to village panchayats. There are 52 items in the concurrent list. Economic and social planning is placed under entry no. 20. Article -40 of the constitution of India has the provision for organisation of vilage panchayats Directive Principles of state policy lays down that the state shall take steps to organise village panchayats and endow them with such powers and authority as may be necessary to enable them to function as units of self government. Accordingly village panchayats have been entrusted with the task of preparation of plans for economic development and social justice. The national development council includes members of the planning commission, but it is a separate body.

In Gujarat and Maharashtra the Chief Ministers come under the ambit of Lok Ayukta Act.