Arrange the following in chronological order: A) Sarkaria Commission report submitted B) Inter-State Council constituted C) Punchhi Commission constituted
- (a)A-B-C
- (b)A-C-B
- (c)B-C-A
- (d)C-B-A
Answer
Why
Correct — A. Put a date on each event.
A) Sarkaria Commission report submitted: January 1988
B) Inter-State Council constituted: 28 May 1990, by Presidential Order
C) Punchhi Commission constituted: 27 April 2007
Cause and effect agree: the Council was set up on the Sarkaria Commission's recommendation, so it must follow the report.
1988 → 1990 → 2007 gives A-B-C → option (a).
Why the others are wrong
- (b)A-C-B — The Council came long before Punchhi. It was notified in 1990, while the Punchhi Commission was constituted only in April 2007, so B must precede C.
- (c)B-C-A — The Council cannot come first. It was set up in 1990 on the recommendation of the Sarkaria report, which was submitted in January 1988.
- (d)C-B-A — This reverses the true order. The Punchhi Commission (2007) is the latest of the three events, and Sarkaria's 1988 report is the earliest.
Concept
Both commissions studied Centre–State relations.
The Sarkaria Commission, under Justice R. S. Sarkaria, was constituted on 9 June 1983 and reported in January 1988. It recommended a permanent Inter-State Council under Article 263.
The government notified that Council by Presidential Order on 28 May 1990. The Punchhi Commission, under former Chief Justice Madan Mohan Punchhi, was constituted on 27 April 2007 and reported on 30 March 2010.
The stem mixes a report submitted with bodies constituted, so date each event as worded. Sarkaria was constituted in 1983 and reported in 1988, and either year still places it before 1990.
Key facts
- The Sarkaria Commission was constituted on 9 June 1983 and submitted its report in January 1988.
- The Inter-State Council was set up by Presidential Order dated 28 May 1990, under Article 263.
- The Punchhi Commission was constituted on 27 April 2007 and presented its report on 30 March 2010.
- The Punchhi report made 273 recommendations in seven volumes.
Study next
Common traps
- Assuming the Inter-State Council dates from 1950 because Article 263 is in the original Constitution: the Council itself was set up only in 1990.
- Dating Sarkaria by its 1983 constitution and then doubting the order: 1983 and 1988 both come before 1990.
The Sarkaria Commission also appears at 15 Sep 2025, 16:00, GA Q.15, where its advice on a Governor's tenure is one of three statements to judge.
Related PYQs
No directly related past PYQ was found.