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

i. Each Zonal Council includes the Chief Ministers of all states in the zone and two other ministers from each state.

ii. The Chief Secretary of each state in the zone has voting rights in the Zonal Council meetings.

iii. Administrators of Union Territories in the zone are members of the respective 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: Composition and Membership

  • Zonal Councils are statutory 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 Union Territories of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu, and Puducherry are not part of any Zonal Council. Delhi is part of the Northern Zonal Council.

Composition of Zonal Councils:

  • Chairman: The Union Home Minister is the ex-officio Chairman of all Zonal Councils.
  • Vice-Chairman: The Chief Minister of the state chosen by the Zonal Council for a year holds the office of Vice-Chairman. The Chief Ministers of the states included in the zone take turns to act as Vice-Chairman.
  • Members: Each Zonal Council consists of:
    • Chief Ministers of all the states in the zone.
    • Two other cabinet ministers nominated by the Chief Minister from each state within the zone.
    • Administrators of the Union Territories included in the zone. (Note: This point corresponds to statement iii in the question).
  • Advisory capacity: The Union Home Minister may also nominate two more persons of repute from each state to be members of the council.

Voting Rights:

  • The Chief Secretary of each state within the zone is a permanent invitee to the Zonal Council meetings. However, they do not have voting rights. (Note: This point clarifies statement ii in the question).
  • The Chief Ministers and the nominated cabinet ministers from the states, along with the Administrators of Union Territories, are the members with voting rights.

Key Functions:

  • To develop an understanding and cooperation among states on matters of common interest.
  • To discuss and make recommendations on economic and social planning, linguistic minorities, border disputes, transport, and related matters.

Related Questions:

Evaluate the following statements about the removal and resignation of the Advocate General:

  1. The Constitution does not specify a removal procedure for the Advocate General.

  2. The Advocate General can be removed by a simple majority vote in the State Legislative Assembly.

  3. Resignation is effected by submitting a letter to the Speaker of the State Legislative Assembly.

  4. The "pleasure of the Governor" clause means the Governor can remove the Advocate General at any time.

How many of the above statements are correct?

With reference to the Finance Commission of India, consider the following statements:

i. The Finance Commission is a quasi-judicial body constituted by the President every five years or earlier if deemed necessary.
ii. The recommendations of the Finance Commission are binding on the Government of India.
iii. The Finance Commission makes recommendations on the distribution of net proceeds of taxes between the Centre and the States.
iv. The Chairman of the Finance Commission must be a person with experience in public affairs.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT)?

i. The CAT was established under the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985.

ii. The CAT has jurisdiction over members of the Defence Forces and secretarial staff of Parliament.

iii. The Principal Bench of the CAT is located in Ernakulam.

iv. The Chairman of the CAT serves a tenure of 4 years or until the age of 70, whichever is earlier.

v. Appeals against CAT orders can now be made to the High Courts following the Chandra Kumar case (1997).


Which of the following statements about the CAG’s powers is/are not correct?

i. The CAG can demand details of secret service expenditure from executive agencies.

ii. The CAG has the authority to question any person in charge of an office under audit.

iii. The CAG’s certificate on the net proceeds of any tax or duty is subject to review by the Parliament.

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