Federalism, states & centre–state relations

Answer: (a) 1, 2 and 3 only

Section 3 of the North-Eastern Council Act, 1971, as rewritten by Act 68 of 2002 (in force from 26 June 2003), makes the Council consist of the Governors and the Chief Ministers of the eight north-eastern States, together with three members nominated by the President. The Union Home Minister is not one of the members named in the Act.

• ✓ 1. Section 3(1)(i) puts the Governor(s) of the States on the Council.
• ✓ 2. Section 3(1)(ii) includes the Chief Ministers of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.
• ✓ 3. Section 3(1)(iii) adds three members nominated by the President.
• ✗ 4. The Home Minister has no seat by right. The President may nominate a Union Minister as a member (section 3(2)) and nominates the Chairman (section 3(3)), but the Act does not name the Home Minister.
• • Since then The Council's own website now lists the Union Home Minister as its Chairman and the Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region as Vice-Chairman. The Chairman is named by the President (section 3(3)); the Home Minister still has no seat as of right under section 3(1).

Remember · NEC Act 1971, as amended in 2002: Governors and Chief Ministers of the eight north-eastern States plus three Presidential nominees; the President nominates the Chairman.

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2024, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink · Report an error

Answer: (c) Inter-State quarantine is a Union subject under the Union List.

Entry 81 of the Union List (List I) in the Seventh Schedule reads 'Inter-State migration; inter-State quarantine', so quarantine between States is a Union subject. The other three options wrongly place Union List subjects in the State List.

• ✓ (c) Inter-State quarantine appears in entry 81 of the Union List.
• ✗ (b) Inter-State migration sits in the very same Union List entry 81, so it is not a State subject.
• ✗ (a) Inter-State trade and commerce is entry 42 of the Union List.
• ✗ (d) Corporation tax is entry 85 of the Union List.

Remember · Union List: entry 42 inter-State trade and commerce; entry 81 inter-State migration and quarantine; entry 85 corporation tax.

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2024, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink · Report an error

Answer: (b) 2 only

Under Article 342 it is the President, not the Governor, who specifies the Scheduled Tribes by public notification, consulting the Governor where a State is concerned. The specification is made 'in relation to' a particular State or Union territory, so a community can be a Scheduled Tribe in one State and not in another.

• ✗ 1. Article 342(1) gives the power to the President, who acts by public notification after consulting the Governor of the State. The Governor only gives his views. Once notified, the list can be changed only by Parliament through law (Article 342(2)).
• ✓ 2. A tribe is deemed a Scheduled Tribe 'in relation to that State' (or Union territory). The status is therefore State-specific and does not automatically carry over to another State.

Remember · Scheduled Tribes are specified by the President (after consulting the Governor) under Article 342, State by State. Only Parliament can alter the list; the Governor does not declare them.

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2024, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink · Report an error