2006 General Studies, all questions

UPSC Prelims 2006 · General Studies

Question 73: Economy and Social Development

Consider the following statements in respect of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 :

  1. 1.Under the provisions of the Act, 100 days of employment in a year to every household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work has become a fundamental right.
  2. 2.Under the provisions of the Act, women are to get priority to the extent that one-half of persons who are given employment are women who have asked for work.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a1 only
b2 only
cBoth 1 and 2
dNeither 1 nor 2

AnswerThe answer is (d).

NREGA 2005 guarantees 100 days of unskilled manual work a year to every rural household that asks for it, but it is a statutory legal right, not a Fundamental Right, so statement 1 is false. Women must get at least one-third of the work, not one-half, so statement 2 is false. Neither statement is correct.

  • 1. The 100-day guarantee is a statutory right, not a Fundamental Right.
  • 2. The Act asks for at least one-third women, not one-half.

How you could have got this

  1. If you were sure statement 1 is not correct, (a) and (c) go: each of them includes 1.

    What you needed to know: The 100-day guarantee is a statutory right, not a Fundamental Right.

  2. Then, if you were sure statement 2 is not correct, (b) goes: it includes 2.

    What you needed to know: The Act asks for at least one-third women, not one-half.

Only (d) is left. This one needs every statement.

This follows an unofficial answer: UPSC has not published its key for this year, and if that answer is wrong, so is this path.

Which options go is worked out from UPSC’s key and the options, not by a model.

Why each option is right or wrong
  • (a) It is a statutory right, not a Fundamental Right.
  • (b) The women's share is at least one-third, not one-half.
  • (c) Both statements are false.
  • (d) Correct: neither statement holds.

Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.

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Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2006, General Studies. UPSC's own paper isn't online; the words are from a published compilation. The paper on upsc.gov.in.