In the context of cooperative federalism in India, Chief Ministers of States are ex officio members of which of the following national level bodies?

Introduction / Context:
This question checks understanding of planning and cooperative federal institutions that involve both the Union and the States. Historically, the National Development Council played an important role in approving plans and discussing development issues. It brought together Union ministers, Chief Ministers and other key leaders. Knowing which bodies include Chief Ministers as ex officio members helps students understand how Centre State coordination in planning has been organised in India.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The focus is on a national level body that includes Chief Ministers of States as members.
• Options list Finance Commission, Election Commission, NITI Commission and National Development Council.
• Only one of these bodies was designed as a forum where Chief Ministers participate by virtue of their office.
• The question uses a general description that applies over a long period of time.

Concept / Approach:
The National Development Council was set up to strengthen planning and development coordination. Its membership consisted of the Prime Minister, Union cabinet ministers, Chief Ministers of all States and administrators of union territories. It considered the five year plans and acted as a platform for discussion between the Union and States. Finance Commission, Election Commission and NITI Aayog do not include all Chief Ministers as full members in the same formal way. Therefore, National Development Council is the correct answer.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: List national bodies known for involving State leadership, especially Chief Ministers. Step 2: Recall that National Development Council was created as a development forum with Chief Ministers as key participants. Step 3: Observe that Finance Commission is an expert body with limited membership and not all Chief Ministers. Step 4: Note that Election Commission is an independent constitutional body consisting of Election Commissioners, not heads of State governments. Step 5: Select National Development Council as the body where Chief Ministers are members by virtue of their office.

Verification / Alternative check:
Reading about the planning process before the shift to NITI Aayog shows that National Development Council meetings were attended by all Chief Ministers and were chaired by the Prime Minister. Reports of these meetings invariably list State leaders as participants. In contrast, descriptions of Finance Commission and Election Commission show them as small expert bodies, while NITI Aayog has a Governing Council including Chief Ministers but the question and options refer to the older formulation of National Development Council that is widely used in traditional exam questions. This historical context confirms the answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Finance Commission is a constitutional body whose members are appointed experts; it receives memoranda from State governments but does not include Chief Ministers as members. Election Commission consists of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners and is independent of the executive; Chief Ministers have no seat there. NITI Aayog has a different structure and came later, while the classic exam question on ex officio membership of Chief Ministers refers to National Development Council, which was specifically designed to bring them together at the central forum.

Common Pitfalls:
Candidates may confuse NITI Aayog with National Development Council because both deal with planning and include leaders from States. Others memorise only present institutions and forget that many exam questions still refer to older structures that were active at the time those questions were framed. To avoid such confusion, students should remember that in the conventional planning era, National Development Council was the body where Chief Ministers participated as ex officio members, and this fact still appears in multiple choice questions.

Final Answer:
Chief Ministers of States were ex officio members of the National Development Council in India.