UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah welcomes Union Cabinet’s decision to establish a Bench of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir in Ladakh
Q1. With reference to the Zonal Councils in India, consider the following statements:
1. They were set up under Part-III of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956.
2. They are constitutional bodies, having been inserted into the Constitution by the Seventh Amendment Act, 1956.
3. They came into being as part of the exercise of reorganising States largely along linguistic lines.
4. Recommendations adopted at a meeting of a Zonal Council are binding on the Union Government and on every member State.
Which of the above is/are NOT correct?
- They were set up under Part-III of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956.
- They are constitutional bodies, having been inserted into the Constitution by the Seventh Amendment Act, 1956.
- They came into being as part of the exercise of reorganising States largely along linguistic lines.
- Recommendations adopted at a meeting of a Zonal Council are binding on the Union Government and on every member State.
- A. 1 and 3
- B. 2 only
- C. 2 and 4
- D. 1, 2 and 4
Q2. Consider the following statements comparing the Zonal Councils with the North Eastern Council:
1. The Zonal Councils owe their existence to Part-III of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, whereas the North Eastern Council was created by a separate Act of Parliament.
2. Sikkim was made a member of the North Eastern Council by an amendment Act of 2002.
3. Unlike the Zonal Councils, the North Eastern Council is a constitutional body, and therefore all its decisions are binding on its member States.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- The Zonal Councils owe their existence to Part-III of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, whereas the North Eastern Council was created by a separate Act of Parliament.
- Sikkim was made a member of the North Eastern Council by an amendment Act of 2002.
- Unlike the Zonal Councils, the North Eastern Council is a constitutional body, and therefore all its decisions are binding on its member States.
- A. 1 only
- B. 1 and 2 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q3. Which one of the following is the sole Union Territory that is a constituent unit of the Southern Zonal Council?
- A. The Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands
- B. The Union Territory of Lakshadweep
- C. The Union Territory of Puducherry
- D. The Union Territory of Chandigarh
Q4. The common Secretariat that services the Southern Zonal Council along with the other Zonal Councils functions under the administrative control of which one of the following?
- A. The Ministry of Home Affairs
- B. The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs
- C. The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances
- D. The NITI Aayog
Q5. Consider the following statements about the zone in which certain States are placed:
1. Chhattisgarh is a member of the Central Zonal Council, while Jharkhand is a member of the Eastern Zonal Council.
2. Rajasthan is a member of the Western Zonal Council, while Gujarat is a member of the Northern Zonal Council.
3. The National Capital Territory of Delhi is a member of the Northern Zonal Council, while Uttarakhand is a member of the Central Zonal Council.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- Chhattisgarh is a member of the Central Zonal Council, while Jharkhand is a member of the Eastern Zonal Council.
- Rajasthan is a member of the Western Zonal Council, while Gujarat is a member of the Northern Zonal Council.
- The National Capital Territory of Delhi is a member of the Northern Zonal Council, while Uttarakhand is a member of the Central Zonal Council.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2 only
- C. 1 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q6. Consider the following statements regarding membership of the Zonal Councils:
1. Goa is a member of the Western Zonal Council.
2. Himachal Pradesh is a member of the Northern Zonal Council.
3. Odisha is a member of the Eastern Zonal Council.
4. All the North-Eastern States, including Nagaland and Manipur, are members of the Eastern Zonal Council.
Which of the above is/are correctly identified?
- Goa is a member of the Western Zonal Council.
- Himachal Pradesh is a member of the Northern Zonal Council.
- Odisha is a member of the Eastern Zonal Council.
- All the North-Eastern States, including Nagaland and Manipur, are members of the Eastern Zonal Council.
- A. 1 and 4 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 1, 2, 3 and 4
- D. 1, 2 and 3 only
Q7. With reference to the presiding officers of a Zonal Council, consider the following statements:
1. The Union Home Minister is the ex-officio Chairman of each of the Zonal Councils.
2. The Chief Ministers of the States included in a zone act as Vice-Chairman of that Council by rotation, each holding office for one year at a time.
3. The Vice-Chairmanship of a Zonal Council rotates among the Governors of the member States, each holding office for two years at a time.
4. The Union Home Minister came to preside over the Zonal Councils only by virtue of an amendment made to the States Reorganisation Act in 1963.
Which of the above is/are NOT correct?
- The Union Home Minister is the ex-officio Chairman of each of the Zonal Councils.
- The Chief Ministers of the States included in a zone act as Vice-Chairman of that Council by rotation, each holding office for one year at a time.
- The Vice-Chairmanship of a Zonal Council rotates among the Governors of the member States, each holding office for two years at a time.
- The Union Home Minister came to preside over the Zonal Councils only by virtue of an amendment made to the States Reorganisation Act in 1963.
- A. 1 and 2
- B. 1, 2 and 3
- C. 2 and 3
- D. 3 and 4
Q8. With reference to the composition of a Zonal Council, consider the following pairs of functionary and the capacity in which that functionary is associated with the Council:
1. The Chief Minister and two other Ministers of a member State, the latter nominated by the Governor of that State — Members
2. Two representatives of each Union Territory included in the zone — Members
3. The Chief Secretary of each State included in the zone — Adviser
4. The Union Home Minister — Vice-Chairman
Which of the above is/are correctly identified?
- The Chief Minister and two other Ministers of a member State, the latter nominated by the Governor of that State — Members
- Two representatives of each Union Territory included in the zone — Members
- The Chief Secretary of each State included in the zone — Adviser
- The Union Home Minister — Vice-Chairman
- A. 1, 2 and 3 only
- B. 1 and 4 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q9. With reference to the 31st meeting of the Southern Zonal Council, consider the following statements:
1. It was held at Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu.
2. It was chaired by the Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation.
3. The meeting immediately preceding it, the 30th, was held in Kerala.
4. The 29th meeting of the same Council had been held at Bengaluru in Karnataka.
Which of the above is/are correctly identified?
- It was held at Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu.
- It was chaired by the Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation.
- The meeting immediately preceding it, the 30th, was held in Kerala.
- The 29th meeting of the same Council had been held at Bengaluru in Karnataka.
- A. 1 and 4 only
- B. 1, 2 and 3 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4