Introduction / Context:
India has made many constitutional amendments to address new political, social, and international needs. The One Hundredth Constitutional Amendment Act of 2015 is particularly significant because it relates to the international boundary between India and Bangladesh. Competitive exams often ask about specific amendment numbers and their subject matter, so it is important to connect the correct amendment with the correct theme, such as land boundary agreements, cooperative societies, or judicial appointments.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- The amendment number is the One Hundredth Constitutional Amendment Act, 2015.
- The options include topics such as cooperative societies, an agreement with Bangladesh, judicial appointments, and anti defection law.
- We assume basic awareness of landmark constitutional amendments.
Concept / Approach:
The One Hundredth Constitutional Amendment implemented the Land Boundary Agreement between India and Bangladesh. This agreement involved the exchange of certain enclaves and the adjustment of portions of the land boundary to resolve long pending disputes. Other topics in the options refer to different amendments: cooperative societies are linked to the Ninety Seventh Amendment, the National Judicial Appointments Commission is linked to the Ninety Ninth Amendment, and anti defection provisions are associated with the Fifty Second Amendment. The correct approach is to match each topic with the known amendment and identify which one belongs to the hundredth amendment.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the Land Boundary Agreement with Bangladesh required constitutional changes because it involved ceding and receiving territory.
Step 2: Remember that the act implementing this settlement is known as the One Hundredth Constitutional Amendment Act, passed in 2015.
Step 3: Match option B, which refers to boundary adjustment and land exchange between India and Bangladesh, with this knowledge.
Step 4: Check other options: cooperative societies were dealt with in the Ninety Seventh Amendment, not the hundredth.
Step 5: The National Judicial Appointments Commission is covered by the Ninety Ninth Amendment, and anti defection measures were introduced earlier through the Fifty Second Amendment.
Step 6: Conclude that only option B correctly describes the subject of the One Hundredth Constitutional Amendment.
Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify this by recalling news coverage from 2015 about the exchange of enclaves along the India Bangladesh border and the celebration of residents who were able to choose citizenship after years of uncertainty. Those reports often cited the One Hundredth Constitutional Amendment as the legal instrument that made the changes effective. Standard polity textbooks also link this amendment directly to the land boundary issue, confirming the answer.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A is incorrect because constitutional changes relating to cooperative societies were made through an earlier amendment, not the hundredth. Option C is wrong since the National Judicial Appointments Commission was introduced by the Ninety Ninth Amendment, which was later struck down by the Supreme Court. Option D is incorrect as the anti defection law was added to the Constitution by the Fifty Second Amendment, inserting the Tenth Schedule, and has nothing to do with the land boundary settlement.
Common Pitfalls:
Exam takers often confuse amendment numbers that are close together, such as the Ninety Seventh, Ninety Ninth, and One Hundredth, especially because they all happened in a relatively recent time frame. A useful memory aid is to link the hundredth amendment with the idea of crossing a boundary or milestone, which in this case literally involved adjusting international boundaries. Making these associations helps you separate similar sounding amendments in your mind.
Final Answer:
The One Hundredth Constitutional Amendment Act of 2015 is primarily related to boundary adjustment and land exchange between India and Bangladesh under the Land Boundary Agreement.
Discussion & Comments