Indian History, Polity and Economy for the Assam Police Constable Exam
This page brings together the three general-knowledge subjects that the SLPRB Assam Police Constable (AB & UB) paper treats as a single block: the history of India, the working of the Indian Constitution, and the basic facts of the Indian economy. Together they supply a large and dependable share of the General Knowledge marks. The questions in this block are mostly factual and direct, so the candidate who has a clear set of names, dates, articles and definitions wins the marks without any special cleverness. The secret here is not deep study but orderly revision, because the same handful of items is asked again and again in slightly different words. This chapter arranges those items under three headings and gives each one an identifying tag so that the answers do not get mixed up. The facts follow publicly available official sources and the standard reference material used for the Assam recruitment examinations.
How the Indian History Portion Is Set
The history questions are always asked about a fixed set of well-known events, and they usually take one of five forms: the founder of a dynasty, the year of a battle or a law, the author of a text, the capital of a kingdom, or the title of a ruler. A candidate who can attach each of these to its period, ancient, medieval or modern, will almost never be stuck.
Ancient India in Brief
The earliest civilisation to remember is the Indus Valley Civilisation, whose great cities were Harappa and Mohenjodaro, and whose seals and town planning show a highly organised life. The Vedic age followed, and out of the later Vedic society rose the Mahajanapadas and the teachings of Gautama Buddha and Mahavira. The first great empire was the Mauryan empire, founded by Chandragupta Maurya, advised by Kautilya, the author of the Arthashastra, and carried to its height by Ashoka, whose Kalinga war turned him towards the policy of dhamma. The Gupta age is remembered as a golden age of art, science and literature, with Aryabhata in mathematics and astronomy, and the Cholas are remembered in the south for their temples and their local administration.
Medieval India in Brief
The medieval period begins for the examination with the Delhi Sultanate, which passed through the Slave or Mamluk dynasty, the Khilji dynasty under Alauddin Khilji, the Tughlaq dynasty under Muhammad bin Tughlaq, and the Lodi dynasty. In the south, the Vijayanagara empire, founded by Harihara and Bukka and later ruled by Krishnadevaraya, is an important name. The Mughal empire was founded by Babur, who won the First Battle of Panipat in 1526; his grandson Akbar consolidated the empire after the Second Battle of Panipat in 1556. Shah Jahan is remembered for his buildings, and Aurangzeb for the greatest territorial extent. The Battle of Plassey in 1757 is the date that marks the rise of British power in India.
Modern India and the Freedom Struggle
The modern portion is the most heavily asked. The Indian National Congress was founded in 1885 with the help of A. O. Hume, and its early phase is called the age of the Moderates. The partition of Bengal in 1905 gave rise to the Swadeshi and Boycott movements, and the later phase is called the age of the Extremists. Mahatma Gandhi returned to India in 1915 and led the Champaran movement in 1917, the Non-Cooperation Movement from 1920, the Civil Disobedience Movement with the Dandi Salt March in 1930, and the Quit India Movement in 1942. The Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 1919 and the Round Table Conferences of the 1930s are the other milestones. India attained independence on 15 August 1947, and the Constitution came into effect on 26 January 1950.
How the Polity Portion Is Set
The polity questions test the Articles of the Constitution, the powers of the organs of government, and the names of the constitutional bodies. They are easy marks for a candidate who keeps a small table of Articles and bodies ready, because the same few Articles are repeated year after year.
The Making of the Constitution and Its Preamble
The Constitution was framed by the Constituent Assembly, and Dr. B. R. Ambedkar was the chairman of its Drafting Committee. It was adopted on 26 November 1949 and came into force on 26 January 1950, the day now observed as Republic Day. The Preamble describes India as a Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic Republic, and its opening words, "We, the People of India", show that the ultimate authority rests with the people.
Fundamental Rights, Duties and the Directive Principles
The Fundamental Rights are placed in Part III of the Constitution and are given in Articles 12 to 35. They include the Right to Equality, the Right to Freedom, the Right against Exploitation, the Right to Freedom of Religion, the Cultural and Educational Rights, and the Right to Constitutional Remedies. Article 32, which allows a citizen to move the Supreme Court for the enforcement of these rights, was called the heart and soul of the Constitution by Dr. Ambedkar. The Directive Principles of State Policy are in Part IV, and the Fundamental Duties, added by the Forty-second Amendment in 1976, are in Part IV-A under Article 51-A.
The Three Organs of the Union Government
The President of India is the head of the State, and Article 52 provides for the office. The real executive power is exercised by the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers, as provided in Article 74. The legislature is the Parliament, which consists of the President and the two Houses; the Rajya Sabha is the Council of States and the Lok Sabha is the House of the People. The judiciary is headed by the Supreme Court, provided for in Article 124, and the High Courts are provided for in Article 214. The Governor of a state is provided for in Article 155, and the state legislature and the state Council of Ministers work on the same pattern as the Union.
Constitutional Bodies and Articles Worth Remembering
- The Election Commission of India, Article 324.
- The Comptroller and Auditor General, Article 148.
- The Finance Commission, Article 280.
- The Union Public Service Commission, Article 315.
- The Right to Property, once a Fundamental Right, was removed by the Forty-fourth Amendment and is now a legal right under Article 300-A.
- The Seventy-third and Seventy-fourth Amendments gave constitutional status to the Panchayati Raj institutions and to the municipalities.
- The Sixty-first Amendment lowered the voting age from twenty-one to eighteen.
- The Forty-second Amendment, called the mini Constitution, added the words Socialist, Secular and Integrity to the Preamble and added the Fundamental Duties.
- The Hundred and First Amendment introduced the Goods and Services Tax.
How the Economy Portion Is Set
The economy questions are of two kinds: definitions and institutions. A definition question asks for the meaning of a term such as national income or fiscal deficit, and an institution question asks about the Reserve Bank of India, the budget, the tax system or a major scheme. A short glossary and a short list of institutions are enough for this part.
Sectors, National Income and Planning
The economy is divided into the primary sector of agriculture and mining, the secondary sector of manufacturing, and the tertiary or service sector. The main measures of national income are the Gross Domestic Product and the Gross National Product. The Planning Commission, set up in 1950, prepared the Five Year Plans, and it was replaced in 2015 by NITI Aayog, which acts as the government's policy think tank.
Banking, the RBI and Money
The Reserve Bank of India was established in 1935 and nationalised in 1949, and it is the central bank that issues currency and conducts monetary policy. Its main tools are the repo rate, the reverse repo rate, the cash reserve ratio and the statutory liquidity ratio. The major commercial banks were nationalised in 1969 and again in 1980, and they are the main channel through which savings reach investment.
Budget, Taxes and the Goods and Services Tax
The Union Budget is presented every year and shows the estimated receipts and expenditure of the government. Taxes are of two kinds, direct and indirect; income tax is a direct tax, while the Goods and Services Tax is the major indirect tax. The Goods and Services Tax came into force on 1 July 2017 under the Hundred and First Amendment, and it replaced a large number of separate indirect taxes with a single tax on the supply of goods and services.
Key Economic Terms and Institutions
- Inflation is a sustained rise in the general price level, measured by the Consumer Price Index and the Wholesale Price Index.
- The fiscal deficit is the gap between the total expenditure and the total receipts of the government, excluding borrowings.
- The current account deficit is the excess of payments over receipts in the external trade of goods, services and transfers.
- The Green Revolution, associated with M. S. Swaminathan, greatly increased food grain production in the 1960s.
- Global institutions often asked about are the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization.
High-Yield Facts to Memorise
- First Battle of Panipat, 1526, and the Second, 1556.
- Battle of Plassey, 1757.
- Indian National Congress founded in 1885; Jallianwala Bagh in 1919; Dandi March in 1930; Quit India in 1942.
- Constitution adopted on 26 November 1949 and enforced on 26 January 1950.
- Article 32 as the heart and soul of the Constitution, and the Fundamental Duties under Article 51-A.
- Reserve Bank of India established in 1935; GST from 1 July 2017.
Common Traps in This Block
- Mixing up the two Panipat battles and their years.
- Confusing the Directive Principles, which are not enforceable, with the Fundamental Rights, which are.
- Writing Article 51-A for Fundamental Rights, when it is the Article for the Fundamental Duties.
- Giving the date of the adoption of the Constitution instead of the date it came into force.
- Confusing the Planning Commission with NITI Aayog, and the Reserve Bank with the Ministry of Finance.
A Revision Plan for This Block
- Make one timeline for Indian history and mark the ten events that are asked most.
- Learn the Preamble and the six categories of Fundamental Rights in order.
- Make a table of important Articles with the article number next to each name.
- Learn the constitutional bodies with their Articles in a single line each.
- Prepare a small glossary of economic terms and revise the whole block twice a week.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Constitution of India come into force?
It was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 26 November 1949 and came into force on 26 January 1950. The second date is observed as Republic Day, and the first is observed as Constitution Day.
Which Article is called the heart and soul of the Constitution?
Article 32, the Right to Constitutional Remedies, was called the heart and soul of the Constitution by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, because it allows a citizen to approach the Supreme Court directly for the enforcement of the Fundamental Rights.
What is the difference between Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles?
Fundamental Rights, in Part III, are enforceable in a court of law. Directive Principles, in Part IV, are guidelines for the government and are not enforceable by any court, although they are fundamental to the governance of the country.
When did the Goods and Services Tax come into force?
The Goods and Services Tax came into force on 1 July 2017, under the Hundred and First Constitutional Amendment. It replaced many separate indirect taxes with a single tax on the supply of goods and services.
Which are the most important dates of the freedom struggle?
The Indian National Congress was founded in 1885, the Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place in 1919, the Non-Cooperation Movement began in 1920, the Dandi Salt March was in 1930, the Quit India Movement was in 1942, and independence was attained on 15 August 1947.