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Which of the following is/are correct regarding the advisors to the Zonal Councils?

i. A person nominated by the NITI Aayog is associated with the Zonal Council as an advisor.

ii. The Development Commissioner of each state in the zone has voting rights in the council meetings.

iii. The Chief Secretary of each state in the zone is an advisor to the Zonal Council.

AOnly i

BOnly i and iii

COnly ii and iii

DAll of the above (i, ii, and iii)

Answer:

B. Only i and iii

Read Explanation:

Zonal Councils and their Advisors

  • The Zonal Councils are advisory bodies established by the States Reorganisation Act, 1956. They are not constitutional bodies.
  • There are five Zonal Councils: Northern, Central, Eastern, Western, and Southern. The North-Eastern Council is a statutory body established by an Act of Parliament in 1971.
  • Each Zonal Council has a Vice-Chairman, who is the Union Minister nominated by the President, and a Secretary.
  • Advisors play a crucial role in the functioning of Zonal Councils.

Key Advisors and their Roles:

  • NITI Aayog Representative: A person nominated by the NITI Aayog serves as an advisor to the Zonal Council. This ensures alignment with national development goals and policies.
  • Chief Secretary: The Chief Secretary of each state included in the zone acts as an advisor to the Zonal Council. This provides valuable state-level administrative perspective.
  • Development Commissioner: The Development Commissioner of each state in the zone also acts as an advisor. They bring expertise on developmental issues and projects.
  • Other Advisors: The Zonal Council may invite other persons to attend its meetings as advisors, based on the agenda and requirements.

Voting Rights:

  • Advisors do not have voting rights in the meetings of the Zonal Council. The primary members, which include the Union Home Minister (ex-officio Chairman for all Zonal Councils), Chief Ministers, and two other ministers from each state in the zone, are the ones who hold voting rights.
  • The Union Home Minister is the ex-officio Chairman of all Zonal Councils.

Related Questions:

With reference to the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, consider the following statements:
i. The CAG’s term of office is 6 years or until the age of 65, whichever is earlier.
ii. The CAG can be removed by the President without parliamentary approval.
iii. The CAG audits the accounts of all government companies as per the Companies Act.
iv. The CAG’s salary is equivalent to that of a Supreme Court judge.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

Which of the following is/are correct regarding the privileges of the Advocate General?

i. The Advocate General enjoys all privileges and immunities available to members of the state legislature.

ii. The Advocate General can vote in the state legislature’s committees.

iii. The Advocate General has the right to appear before any court within the state.

Consider the following pairs matching a Constitutional Article with its relevance to the Advocate General:

  1. Article 165: Advocate General of State

  2. Article 177: Powers, privileges and immunities of Advocate General

  3. Article 194: Rights of Advocate General as respects the houses of state legislature and its committee

How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

Which of the following statements are not associated with the Advocate General’s qualifications?

i. The Advocate General must be a citizen of India.

ii. The Advocate General must have been an advocate for 15 years in a High Court.

iii. The Advocate General must be a resident of the state they serve.

iv. The Advocate General must have held a judicial office for 10 years as an alternative qualification.

Match the following All India Services with their respective controlling ministries:
i. Indian Administrative Service (IAS) – a. Ministry of Home Affairs
ii. Indian Police Service (IPS) – b. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
iii. Indian Forest Service (IFS) – c. Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions