RAS question
The 5th National Conference of Chief Secretaries aimed to strengthen which type of partnership?
Correct answer: (A) Centre-State partnership.
The 5th National Conference of Chief Secretaries aimed to strengthen Centre-State partnership through cooperative federalism and policy dialogue on national development priorities.
Explanation
The answer is Centre-State partnership because the Prime Minister’s Office describes the 5th National Conference of Chief Secretaries as a step towards strengthening cooperative federalism and deepening the Centre-State partnership for Viksit Bharat. Dialogue on national development priorities was central to the conference format: Chief Secretaries and senior officials from States and Union Territories deliberated with the Centre on governance and implementation. The purpose was not a narrow administrative meeting but a platform where the Centre and States discussed shared priorities, implementation, and outcomes. That is why the phrase “Centre-State partnership” captures both the institutional participants and the governing idea behind the conference.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) Public-Private partnership is wrong because the Prime Minister’s Office frames the conference around cooperative federalism and Centre-State coordination, not collaboration between government and private entities.
- (C) Inter-State partnership is wrong because the emphasis was on the Centre and the States working together, not merely on cooperation among States themselves.
- (D) India-ASEAN partnership is wrong because the conference concerned domestic governance priorities for Viksit Bharat, with Chief Secretaries and officials from States and Union Territories, not an international partnership.
Concept
This tests cooperative federalism in Indian governance, especially how national policy priorities are pursued through Centre-State consultation. RAS often asks such questions because Rajasthan administration operates within this federal implementation structure.