Previous Year Question
Of the following political features, which is/are common to India and the USA?
Residuary powers vested in the centre.
Residuary powers vested in the states.
The President has the power of pocket veto.
The upper house has some nominated members.
Codes:
3 only
3 and 4 only
2, 3 and 4 only
1, 3 and 4 only
Correct Answer: A
Detailed Solution
Statement 1 is not common. In India, Article 248 gives Parliament the residuary legislative power over matters not enumerated in the Concurrent List or State List. Thus, residuary legislative powers in India vest in the Union.
Statement 2 is also not common. Under the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution and not prohibited to the States are reserved to the States or to the people. Thus, the distribution of residuary powers is not the same in India and the United States.
Statement 3 is common. In India, Article 111 provides for Presidential assent, withholding of assent and return of a non-Money Bill, but prescribes no fixed time limit for initial Presidential action; keeping a Bill pending in this manner is commonly described as a Pocket Veto. The United States also has a constitutional Pocket Veto: if the President does not sign a Bill within 10 days and adjournment of Congress prevents its return, the Bill does not become law.
Statement 4 is not common. Under Article 80, the President of India nominates 12 members to the Rajya Sabha. In contrast, under the Seventeenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, two Senators from each State are elected by the people; the U.S. Senate does not have a nominated-member arrangement comparable to the Rajya Sabha.
Therefore, among the four statements, only the Pocket Veto feature is common to both systems.