Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: Sarkaria Commission
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
The Inter State Council is an important constitutional body meant to facilitate coordination and cooperation between the Union and State Governments in India. It was established under Article 263 of the Constitution, which empowers the President to set up such a council if it appears to be in the public interest. The actual decision to set up the Council in 1990 was influenced by recommendations of a commission on Centre State relations. This question asks which commission made that recommendation.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
The Sarkaria Commission was appointed in the 1980s to review the working of existing arrangements between the Centre and the States and to recommend changes. One of its key recommendations was to activate and effectively use the Inter State Council under Article 263 as a forum for cooperative federalism. Acting on this recommendation, the Inter State Council was set up in 1990 by a Presidential order. The Punchhi Commission was a later commission on Centre State relations. The Rajamannar Commission was a State level commission in Tamil Nadu. The Mungerilal Commission is not connected with the establishment of the Inter State Council.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the Sarkaria Commission was constituted in 1983 and submitted its report in the late 1980s on Centre State relations.
Step 2: Remember that the Commission recommended the activation of the Inter State Council under Article 263 as an institutional mechanism.
Step 3: Note that the Government accepted this recommendation and set up the Inter State Council in 1990 by a Presidential order.
Step 4: Compare this with the Punchhi Commission, which was a later body set up in the 2000s, and thus could not have influenced the 1990 decision.
Step 5: Recognise that the Rajamannar Commission was appointed by the Tamil Nadu Government and focused on State specific demands, not on setting up the Inter State Council for all of India.
Step 6: Note that Mungerilal Commission is not associated in textbooks with the 1990 Inter State Council.
Step 7: Conclude that the correct answer is the Sarkaria Commission.
Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, you can recall that many polity books explicitly state that the Inter State Council was established in 1990 following the recommendations of the Sarkaria Commission. They also often mention that the Punchhi Commission revisited Centre State relations later and made fresh suggestions, including strengthening the Council. This chronological ordering of commissions and reforms confirms that it was Sarkaria, not Punchhi, that directly led to the Councils creation.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
The Punchhi Commission came much later, so it could not have led to a 1990 decision. The Rajamannar Commission was a regional commission set up by a State Government and did not directly cause the nationwide establishment of the Inter State Council. The Mungerilal Commission is not known in polity texts as the source of the recommendation for this body. Each of these options is either temporally or contextually mismatched with the event described in the question.
Common Pitfalls:
Candidates sometimes confuse the roles of different commissions because they all deal with Centre State issues. Another pitfall is to be swayed by recent commissions, like the Punchhi Commission, which may be fresher in memory. To avoid such mistakes, it is helpful to maintain a simple timeline of major commissions and to link each commission to one or two key outcomes, such as Sarkaria with Inter State Council and Punchhi with later suggestions on federal reforms.
Final Answer:
The Inter State Council was set up in 1990 on the recommendation of the Sarkaria Commission.
Discussion & Comments