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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:

With reference to the Attorney General of India, consider the following statements:

i. The Attorney General is appointed by the President and holds office at the pleasure of the President.
ii. The Attorney General is a full-time government servant and is debarred from private legal practice.
iii. The Attorney General has the right of audience in all courts in the territory of India.
iv. The Attorney General is a member of the Central Cabinet and advises the Prime Minister directly.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

Which of the following statements about the composition of the Finance Commission are correct?

  1. The Chairman of the Finance Commission must have experience in public affairs.

  2. One member must be qualified to be a High Court judge.

  3. The President determines the tenure of Finance Commission members.

  4. All members must have specialized knowledge of economics.

Choose the correct statement(s) regarding the Central Finance Commission.

i) The Finance Commission is a quasi-judicial body constituted under Article 280 of the Indian Constitution.

ii) The President appoints the Chairman and four other members, who are not eligible for reappointment.

iii) The Finance Commission submits its recommendations to the Parliament directly.

iv) The recommendations of the Finance Commission are advisory and not binding on the government.

Which of the following statements about the CAG is/are not correct?
i. The CAG is considered one of the bulwarks of the democratic system, alongside the Supreme Court, Election Commission, and UPSC.
ii. The CAG’s salary is equivalent to that of the Chief Justice of India.
iii. The CAG submits audit reports on state accounts to the President of India.

Consider the following statements regarding the appointment and tenure of SFC members:

  1. Members are appointed by the Governor of the state.

  2. The tenure of each member is fixed at five years by the Constitution.

  3. Every member is eligible for re-appointment after their term ends.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?