On the recommendation of which Commission/Committee the Inter-State Council was set up in India?

The correct answer is D) Sarkaria Commission. The Inter-State Council under Article 263 of the Constitution was set up in 1990 on the recommendation of the Sarkaria Commission (1983-88), which had studied Centre-State relations and urged a permanent forum for coordination between the Centre and the States.

Why the others are wrong:

• Punchhi Commission (2007-10): It revisited Centre-State relations and urged fuller use of Article 263, but it was not the body that created the Council.
• Rajmannar Committee (1969): Appointed by the Tamil Nadu government, it demanded greater State autonomy. It was a State-level committee, not a central recommendation for the Council.
• Kothari Committee: This name is linked to education (Kothari Commission, 1964-66) and has no role in creating the Inter-State Council.

The core concept is cooperative federalism. Article 263 lets the President set up a body for inquiring into and advising on disputes between States and coordinating policy. For Mains GS-2, it is a useful example of institutional mechanisms for federal coordination, alongside the GST Council and NITI Aayog.

Trap: Aspirants often pick the Punchhi Commission because it is the most recent name. The Council's origin is the Sarkaria Commission, and Punchhi only added later recommendations.