SSC CGL 2025 Tier-I · 19 September 2025, Shift 3 · General Awareness · Question 13 of 100

We transcribed this text from the pictures on a candidate's response sheet for this shift; the answer is the key SSC colour-marked on that sheet. Solution last reviewed 11 September 2026.

Where this paper and its answers come from

SSC does not publish CGL question papers or a public answer key. From 2025 the candidate response sheet prints every question and option as a picture, so the text here is transcribed from those pictures for this shift and checked against them independently; where the layout carries meaning, the picture is shown as well. Each answer is the key SSC colour-marked on that sheet. SSC released a tentative key for challenge and later its final one, both only to candidates behind a login, and the sheet does not say which of the two it carries. The solutions are written by UnlockIAS.

Fill in the blanks: The Chairperson of the GST Council is the _________ of India.

(a)Prime Minister
(b)Union Finance Minister
(c)President
(d)Vice-President

Answer

Why

Correct — B. Article 279A(2) of the Constitution names the Union Finance Minister as Chairperson of the GST Council.

The other members are the Union Minister of State in charge of Revenue or Finance and the finance or taxation minister, or another minister nominated, of each state. The state members choose a Vice-Chairperson from among themselves → option (b).

Why the others are wrong

(a)
Prime Minister — The Prime Minister is not a member of the GST Council. Article 279A makes the Union Finance Minister its Chairperson.
(c)
President — The President constitutes the Council by order under Article 279A(1), but does not sit on it or chair it.
(d)
Vice-President — The Vice-President is ex officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha and has no role in the GST Council under Article 279A.

Concept

The GST Council was created by Article 279A, inserted by the Constitution (One Hundred and First Amendment) Act, 2016, which required the President to constitute it within sixty days.

It makes recommendations to the Union and the states on GST rates, exemptions and model laws. A decision needs three-fourths of the weighted votes of members present and voting, with the Centre's vote worth one-third and the states' together two-thirds.

With the Centre holding one-third of the weight and a three-fourths threshold, neither the Centre alone nor the states without the Centre can carry a decision.

Key facts

Article 279A, inserted by the 101st Constitutional Amendment Act, 2016, provides for the GST Council.
The Union Finance Minister is the Chairperson of the GST Council.
The Vice-Chairperson is chosen by the state members from among themselves.
Decisions need three-fourths of the weighted votes, with the Centre holding one-third and the states two-thirds.

Study next

Article 246A and Article 269A: GST powers and inter-state supplyNITI Aayog and its Governing CouncilThe Finance Commission under Article 280

Common traps

Choosing the Prime Minister because the Council is a Union–state body: the PM chairs NITI Aayog, while the Finance Minister chairs the GST Council.
Confusing constituting with chairing: the President constituted the Council by order but is not part of it.

Here the GST Council is tested by its chair. The amendment that created it is asked at 25 Sep 2024, 16:00, GA Q.4 (keyed 101st Constitutional Amendment Act).

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.