Daily Quiz #35 UPSC Prelims Marathon – December 11, 2019

Explanation: Article 280 provides for a Finance Commission as a quasi-judicial body. It is constituted by the President every fifth year or even earlier. It is required to make recommendations to the President on the following matters:
•The distribution of the net proceeds of taxes to be shared between the Centre and the states, and the allocation between the states, the respective shares of such proceeds.
•The principles which should govern the grants-in-aid to the states by the Centre (i.e., out of the Consolidated Fund of India).
•The measures needed to augment the consolidated fund of a state to supplement the resources of the panchayats and the municipalities in the state on the basis of the recommendations made by the State Finance Commission.
•Any other matter referred to it by the President in the interests of sound finance.

Explanation: In 1969, the Tamil Nadu Government (DMK) appointed a three-member committee under the chairmanship of Dr P V Rajamannar to examine the entire question of Centre–state relations and to suggest amendments to the Constitution so as to secure utmost autonomy to the states. The committee submitted its report to the Tamil Nadu Government in 1971.

Explanation: Article 263 contemplates the establishment of an Inter-State Council to effect coordination between the states and between Centre and states. Thus, the President can establish such a council if at any time it appears to him that the public interest would be served by its establishment. He can define the nature of duties to be performed by such a council and its organisation and procedure.

Explanation: India and other members of the SCO condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and called on the international community to promote cooperation in combating the menace. According to the Bishkek Declaration of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s Heads of State Council, the member states stressed that acts of terrorism and extremism cannot be justified.

Explanation: On 4 March 2019, Malaysia acceded to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, becoming the 123rd State Party. Adopted in July 1998, the Rome Statute led to the establishment of the International Criminal Court – the only permanent international judicial mechanism with the objective of investigating and prosecuting genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of aggression – in 2002.