Centre-State Engagement and Cultural Diplomacy MCQ — 30 Practice Questions with Answers

Explanation

The Assertion is true: the Governing Council was first constituted in February 2015 and reconstituted in February 2021. The Reason is also true: it is a platform for cooperative federalism and discussion of federal issues. However, that purpose does not explain the specific two dates of constitution and reconstitution; it states the Council's role, so the explanation relationship is not made out.

Explanation

The sourced GST Council fact identifies New Delhi as the Secretariat's location and says it is manned by officers taken on deputation from both the Central Government and State Governments. Mumbai, Jaipur and Chandigarh are therefore wrong locations here, and staffing only by one level of government or by the Finance Commission does not match the cited fact.

Explanation

The correct pairing is: the first GST Council meeting was held on 22 and 23 September 2016, and the official page records 55 meetings in its current text. The 2017 date is a wrong year, the 16 and 17 September 2016 date is not the recorded first-meeting date, and 50 meetings does not match the official page's recorded count.

Explanation

The Assertion is true because the Union Home Minister is the Chairman of each Zonal Council. The Reason is also true because Chief Ministers of States in the zone act as Vice-Chairman by rotation for one year at a time. However, the rotational Vice-Chairmanship does not explain why the Union Home Minister is Chairman; both are separate institutional rules in the cited fact.

Explanation

The Assertion is true because one-third weighted voting power is below the three-fourths threshold required to pass a GST Council proposal. The Reason is also true and explains the Assertion: the Centre has one-third weight, the States collectively have two-thirds weight, and passage requires at least a three-fourths weighted majority of members present and voting. Claims that the Reason is false ignore the recorded voting weights, and claims that there is no explanation miss the direct arithmetic link.