Which of the following constitutional bodies, established in January 1950, has a separate secretariat in New Delhi, consisting of about 550 officials in a hierarchical arrangement?

1. A

   Goods and Services Tax Council

2. B

   National Commission for Scheduled Castes

3. C

   Finance Commission of India

4. D

   Election Commission of India

Appeared in: DSSSB 12 August 2024

Explanation

• The Election Commission of India (ECI) is the only body among the options that was established in January 1950, specifically on January 25, 1950.
• It is a permanent and independent constitutional body established directly by the Constitution of India under Article 324.
• The ECI maintains its own separate secretariat in New Delhi to support its extensive mandate of administering elections at the national and state levels, ensuring its independence from executive interference.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

• Option A: The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council is a much more recent body.
• Option B: The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) was established in its current, separate form in 2004.
• Option C: The Finance Commission of India was established in late 1951, not January 1950.

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Clinical Relevance

• Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Establishment and structure of Indian Constitutional Bodies as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
• For nursing professionals appearing for government job exams, knowledge of general studies, including Indian polity, is often a mandatory component and contributes to the overall merit.
• Understanding the structure and function of key constitutional bodies like the ECI is essential for being an informed citizen and a responsible government employee.
• What if? If the question had asked for a constitutional body established in 1951, the correct answer would have been the Finance Commission of India.

How to Approach the Question

• First, analyze the key requirements in the question stem: 1) a constitutional body, 2) established in 'January 1950', and 3) has a specific secretariat structure.
• The most precise and restrictive clue is the date: 'January 1950'. This is the primary filter to apply.
• Evaluate each option against this date criterion.
• Recall or deduce the establishment year for each body: Goods and Services Tax Council (2016), National Commission for Scheduled Castes (in its separate form, 2004), Finance Commission of India (1951), and Election Commission of India (1950).
• Only the Election Commission of India matches the 'January 1950' timeline, making it the correct answer without needing to verify the secretariat details, although they are also correct.

Concept Tested & Keywords

• Concept Tested: Establishment and structure of Indian Constitutional Bodies
• Stem keywords: constitutional bodies, established in January 1950, separate secretariat
• Lead-in keywords: Which of the following
• Negative lead-in flag: false

Question ID

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