Constitutional Bodies

316

Q55. What weight do Central government votes carry in GST Council decision-making?

[Bihar STET PGT Commerce, 9 September 2023 (Shift 1)]

1. One-third of votes cast
2. One-half
3. Two-thirds
4. None

Answer: (A) One-third of votes cast

Explanation: Article 279A(9) gives the Union government a one-third vote weight and States together a two-thirds weight. Important Council decisions require the prescribed weighted majority of votes cast.

Q54. Which Article originally addressed the combined National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes?

[WBCS Mains (Polity and Economy) 2023]

1. Article 337
2. Article 334
3. Article 338
4. Article 339

Answer: (C) Article 338

Explanation: Article 338 originally provided the combined framework for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The 89th Amendment reorganized the institutions, leaving the separate SC commission under Article 338 and adding Article 338A for STs.

Q53. Which are members of the GST Council:
I. Union Finance Minister;
II. Union Minister of State for Finance/Revenue;
III. State-nominated ministers

[SSC GD Constable, 23 January 2023 (Shift 3)]

1. III only
2. I and II only
3. I, II and III
4. I only

Answer: (C) I, II and III

Explanation: All three categories of officials are included in Article 279A’s GST Council composition. The Union Finance Minister chairs it, and State-nominated ministers represent their respective governments in tax-policy deliberations.

Q52. Which Article concerns the National Commission for Scheduled Castes?

[UPSSSC Village Development Officer re-exam, 26 June 2023 (Shift 1)]

1. Article 333
2. Article 338
3. Article 326
4. Article 330

Answer: (B) Article 338

Explanation: The National Commission for Scheduled Castes is established under Article 338. The Commission oversees the implementation of constitutional safeguards and can investigate complaints concerning deprivation of Scheduled Castes’ rights.

Q51. Who holds the chair of the GST Council?

[DDA Junior Secretariat Assistant, 24 September 2023 (Shift 4)]

1. Reserve Bank Governor
2. Union Finance Minister
3. Prime Minister
4. President

Answer: (B) Union Finance Minister

Explanation: The Union Finance Minister presides over the GST Council by virtue of Article 279A. The Council gives coordinated recommendations on indirect taxation to both Union and State governments.

Q50. Assertion: National Commission for Scheduled Castes is constitutional.
Reason: it is created under Article 338A. Choose correct.

[MP Forest Guard and Jail Prahari, 16 June 2023 (Shift 2)]

1. Assertion true; Reason false
2. Both false
3. Both true but unrelated
4. Both true and explanatory

Answer: (A) Assertion true; Reason false

Explanation: The National Commission for Scheduled Castes is indeed a constitutional body, but it is provided under Article 338. Article 338A instead concerns the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, so the stated reason is false.

Q49. Who was appointed Attorney General of India in September 2022?

[SSC CHSL Tier I 2022, held 10 March 2023 (Shift 2)]

1. Mukul Rohatgi
2. Ram Jethmalani
3. R. Venkataramani
4. K. K. Venugopal

Answer: (C) R. Venkataramani

Explanation: R. Venkataramani was appointed Attorney General in September 2022 and assumed office on 1 October 2022. He succeeded K. K. Venugopal. The post, provided under Article 76, serves as the Union Government’s principal legal adviser.

Q48. Assess:
I. Attorney General and Solicitor General are the only government officers entitled to participate in Parliament;
II. the Constitution requires the Attorney General to resign when the appointing ministry resigns.

Which correct?

[UPSC Civil Services Preliminary 2022]

1. I only
2. II only
3. Both
4. Neither

Answer: (D) Neither

Explanation: The Solicitor General lacks the Attorney General’s special constitutional parliamentary participation right, and other persons such as ministers also participate. Resignation on a government change is conventional, not prescribed by the Constitution.

Q47. Which Article requires appointment of a Special Officer for Linguistic Minorities by the President?

[SSC Selection Post Matriculation, 2 February 2022 (Shift 2)]

1. Article 234A
2. Article 167B
3. Article 345
4. Article 350B

Answer: (D) Article 350B

Explanation: Article 350B mandates a Special Officer appointed by the President to examine safeguards for linguistic minorities. The provision was inserted by the Seventh Constitutional Amendment of 1956 following linguistic reorganization debates.

Q46. To whom does the CAG submit Union accounts-related audit reports?

[MPPSC State Service 2021 Preliminary, held 19 June 2022]

1. Chief Justice of India
2. Prime Minister
3. Vice-President
4. None of these

Answer: (D) None of these

Explanation: Article 151 requires the CAG to submit Union audit reports to the President, who causes their presentation before Parliament. Because President was not among the first three listed choices, none of these was correct.