UPPSC 2021 Prelims GS Paper-I · Question 26 of 150

Correct — D, Sarkaria Commission. The Inter-State Council was set up on the recommendation of the Sarkaria Commission (appointed 1983 under Justice R.S. Sarkaria to review Centre-State relations). The Commission strongly recommended making the Council a permanent body. Acting on this, the President established the Inter-State Council in 1990 through a Presidential Order under Article 263 of the Constitution, which empowers the President to constitute such a Council in the public interest.

• (a)Punchhi Commission — Wrong — the Punchhi Commission (2007, Justice M.M. Punchhi) was a later commission on Centre-State relations; it made further recommendations but the Inter-State Council already existed (created 1990), so it did not set it up.
• (b)Rajmannar Committee — Wrong — the Rajamannar Committee (1969), set up by the Tamil Nadu government, examined Centre-State relations and favoured greater State autonomy, but the Inter-State Council was not established on its recommendation.
• (c)Kothari Committee — Wrong — the Kothari Commission (1964-66) dealt with education policy, an entirely unrelated subject; it has nothing to do with the Inter-State Council or Centre-State relations.

Article 263 of the Constitution empowers the President to establish an Inter-State Council if it appears that the public interest would be served by coordinating policy and action between the Centre and the States (or among States). Though the provision existed from 1950, no permanent Council was created for decades. The Sarkaria Commission (1983-88), reviewing Centre-State relations, recommended a permanent Inter-State Council; the President accordingly constituted it by order in 1990.

All four options are associated with governance/reform, so the trap is to confuse commissions. Anchor on two facts: the Kothari Commission is about EDUCATION (immediately eliminate it), and the Inter-State Council flows from the Sarkaria Commission's Centre-State review. Rajamannar (state-autonomy demand) and Punchhi (a later Centre-State commission) are distractors that did not create the Council.

• Inter-State Council is a constitutional body under Article 263 of the Constitution.
• It was established in 1990 by a Presidential Order on the recommendation of the Sarkaria Commission.
• The Sarkaria Commission (1983, Justice R.S. Sarkaria) reviewed Centre-State relations.
• The Council is chaired by the Prime Minister; members include Chief Ministers and specified Union Ministers.

• Confusing the Kothari Commission (education) with Centre-State commissions
• Assuming the later Punchhi Commission created the Council — it was already set up in 1990 on Sarkaria's advice

UPPSC & UPSC often pair a reform/institution with the committee that recommended it — remember Inter-State Council = Sarkaria Commission (1990, Article 263).

• practice — not a real PYQ

  Under which Article of the Constitution can the President establish an Inter-State Council?

  • (a)Article 262
  • (b)Article 263
  • (c)Article 280
  • (d)Article 356

  Answer(b) Article 263 — it empowers the President to constitute an Inter-State Council in the public interest.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  The Inter-State Council, established in 1990, is chaired by

  • (a)The President
  • (b)The Vice-President
  • (c)The Prime Minister
  • (d)The Union Home Minister

  Answer(c) The Prime Minister — the PM chairs the Inter-State Council; Chief Ministers and specified Union Ministers are members.