Who among the following was a member of Sarkaria Commission?

The correct answer is C) Dr. S. R. Sen. The Sarkaria Commission on Centre-State relations was set up in 1983 under Justice R. S. Sarkaria, with Dr. S. R. Sen as a member and B. Sivaraman as Secretary. It submitted its report in 1988.

The core concept here is cooperative federalism and the division of powers under the Seventh Schedule. The commission recommended measures like Inter-State Council under Article 263, wider use of Article 355 and 356 only as a last resort, and consultation with states before appointing governors. These recommendations still shape federal debates, so this is a regular Mains theme under Polity and Governance.

• A) V. Shankar: He was not a member of the Sarkaria Commission.
• B) K. Hanumanthaiah: He was a Karnataka political figure and not a member of this commission.
• D) O. V. Alagesan: He was a Tamil Nadu politician and not a member of the Sarkaria Commission.

Trap: Aspirants mix up the Sarkaria Commission with the Punjab Commission or the Punchhi Commission (2007), which revisited the same subject. Remember Sarkaria is 1983-88, and Dr. S. R. Sen was a member, not the chairman.