Centre-State Relations: UPSC Previous Year Questions (Polity)

Explanation

Inter-State quarantine is in the Union List (entry 81) of 7th schedule. Options (a), (b) and (d) are incorrect:

Inter-State trade and commerce is a Union subject (entry 42) under the Union List. Inter-State migration is a Union Subject (entry 81) under the Union List. Corporation tax is a Union subject (entry 85) under the Union List.

Explanation

Earlier sales tax was collected by the State Government, and the rate of sales tax varied from state to state. Toothpaste is a consumer good, and under the previous regime, it was subjected to Sales Tax or VAT (Value Added Tax), which was collected by the State Government. However, after the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in 2017, sales tax was largely subsumed under GST, which is a dual taxation system involving both the Centre and the State Governments.

Explanation

Union List in the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India enumerates subjects on which only the Parliament has exclusive legislative powers.

Option (a) is correct: Under the Seventh Schedule, the Union List includes 100 subjects (originally 97), covering matters of national importance. Among the options:

Regulation of labour and safety in mines and oilfields - Falls under the Union List (Entry 55). These industries involve inter-state implications, requiring uniform regulation. Agriculture - Falls under the State List (Entry 14), as it is primarily a state subject. Fisheries - Fisheries in inland and territorial waters are in the State List (Entry 21), while regulation of fisheries in EEZ and beyond territorial waters is in the Union List (Entry 57). Public Health - Falls under the State List (Entry 6)

Explanation

Article 257 states that the executive power of every State must be exercised in a manner that does not impede or prejudice the exercise of the executive power of the Union. This provision ensures the supremacy of Union executive power in matters where coordination or cooperation is required between Union and State governments.

Explanation

Option (b) is incorrect: Stock Exchange is incorrectly matched. It is in the Union List (Entry 48), not the Concurrent List, as it pertains to national economic regulation. Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India, classifies subjects under the Union, State, and Concurrent Lists. Options (a), (c) and (d) are correct:

Forests: Correctly matched. Transferred from the State List to the Concurrent List by the 42nd Amendment Act, 1976. Post Office Savings Bank: Correctly matched. It is in the Union List (Entry 39) as postal services are a central function. Public Health: Correctly matched. It is in the State List (Entry 6), reflecting the state’s responsibility for health-related issues.

Explanation

1st ARC Recommendation (1966): The first ARC recommended the appointment of persons having long experience in public life and administration and non-partisan attitude as governors. Rajamannar Committee (1969): The Rajamannar Committee recommended the provision that the state ministry holds office during the pleasure of the governor should be omitted. Sarkaria Commission (1983): The "Sarkaria Commission" recommended that the Governor should be a distinguished outsider without intense political links, that he should not have recently participated in politics, and that he should not be a member of the ruling party. National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution (2000): The committee recommended that the president should appoint the governor of a state only after consultation with the chief minister of that state.