1159 extractive question-and-answer pairs built from 6th FC Digitised, published by fincomindia.nic.in. Every answer is a verbatim span of text the source prints, and each row carries the passage it sits in, its offset in that passage, the source quote, the page and the location in the document, so any row can be checked against the original. 703 of the 1159 pairs (60.7%) are explanatory questions and 456 restate a figure. 99.48% of rows pass the corpus quality gate.
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import desidata
df = desidata.load("sixth-finance-commission-report-question-and-answer-dataset")
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Strong coverage with minor gaps in documentation or freshness.
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First 10 of 1,159 rows
| question | answer | context | answer_start | question_type | knowledge_quality_score | source_quote | source_page | source_location | confidence | validation_status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| What is ineffective when there are insufficient hospitals or dispensaries? | not enough hospitals or dispensaries, the mere enhancement of provision for medicine and diet would serve no purpose | It should be remembered that the present wide variations in allocations for medicines and diet in different States may be due both to the constraint on resources and the absence of adequate number of hospitals and dispensaries. Where there are not enough hospitals or dispensaries, the mere enhancement of provision for medicine and diet would serve no purpose. Equalisation of provision for medicine and diet in per capita terms will, therefore, not be a practical proposition. | 244 | definition | 1.000 | Where there are not enough hospitals or dispensaries, the mere enhancement of provision for medicine and diet would serve no purpose. | 50 | page=50,block=0 | 0.850 | valid |
| What is the potential issue with the National Fund in both normal and adverse years? | a risk of the Fund being depleted even in normal years, while in years of adversity it may prove wholly inadequate | At the same time, the States will come to look upon assistance from the National Fund at least to the extent of their contribution as legitimately due to them. Thus there is a risk of the Fund being depleted even in normal years, while in years of adversity it may prove wholly inadequate. The determination of contribution of individual States to the Fund will pose both conceptual and practical difficulties not dissimilar to those now met within the distribution of Central resources among the States. | 174 | definition | 1.000 | Thus there is a risk of the Fund being depleted even in normal years, while in years of adversity it may prove wholly inadequate. | 69 | page=69,block=3 | 0.850 | valid |
| What is considered an important tool for addressing regional imbalances? | fiscal transfers from the Centre to the States | It is in this context that the need for using the mechanism of fiscal transfers from the Centre to the States as a means of redressing regional imbalances acquires special significance. Due to various factors, some of which have been operative even from the period prior to Independence, certain States have forged ahead of the rest in terms of social and economic progress. We should however hasten to point out that these disparities between the different States, adjusted in terms of per capita income, are far less pronounced in our country than in some of the other federations. It may be noted that Punjab has a per capita income of Rs. 953 as compared with Bihar with Rs. 389; the ratio of disparity being less than 2.5:1. But even these disparities, when the absolute levels of per capita income are very low, cannot be ignored. | 63 | definition | 1.000 | It is in this context that the need for using the mechanism of fiscal transfers from the Centre to the States as a means of redressing regional imbalances acquires special significance. | 13 | page=13,block=4 | 0.700 | |
| What goal was identified as an important factor in deciding fiscal transfers within a federation? | rectifying, to the extent possible, regional imbalances | As briefly indicated in the earlier paragraphs, some of the States, of course, have argued before us vigorously that relative backwardness of States cannot or should not be a relevant consideration in the distribution of Central taxes. In their view, the distribution of excise duties should be related exclusively to non-discriminatory criteria such as population or consumption and any special help that may be considered necessary should be extended to the backward States through the mechanism of grants-in-aid under Article 275 of the Constitution. 9. We are unable to accept this point of view. The objective of rectifying, to the extent possible, regional imbalances should be recognised as a distinct criterion in determining the principles of fiscal transfers in any federation. | 618 | definition | 1.000 | The objective of rectifying, to the extent possible, regional imbalances should be recognised as a distinct criterion in determining the principles of fiscal transfers in any federation. | 20 | page=20,block=2 | 0.700 | valid |
| What percentage of rural population was suggested as an indicator of backwardness? | Percentage of rural population to total population of each State | 16 that in view of divergences in trends of prices among States, it would be more relevant to have figures of State Domestic Product reworked at abstract all-India prices. Accordingly, the Central Statistical Organisation has computed figures of State Domestic Product for the years 1967–68 to 1969–70 using abstract all-India prices. 11. Some of the States have contended before us that per capita income by itself would not be a wholly dependable index of the relative economic position of the States. They have urged that the Commission should take into account some other indicators relating to certain specific areas of economic or social significance. The more important indicators of backwardness suggested by the States, some of them identical with those relied on by the Fourth and Fifth Commissions, are as under:— (i) Percentage of rural population to total population of each State. | 829 | definition | 1.000 | The more important indicators of backwardness suggested by the States, some of them identical with those relied on by the Fourth and Fifth Commissions, are as under:— (i) Percentage of rural population to total population of each State. | ||||
| What are additional excise duties on cotton textiles based on? | specific duties levied according to the metreage at varying rates on different varieties of fabrics | We have examined afresh what the most equitable basis would be for allocation of the proceeds of additional excise duties among the States. Theoretically there cannot be any dispute that figures of consumption of these commodities, if available, would be the best possible indicator of what each State could have mobilised if it had retained its power to levy sales tax on these commodities. We therefore examined in the first instance the available statistics of State-wise consumption of the commodities to which additional excise duties are applicable. Additional excise duties on cotton textiles are specific duties levied according to the metreage at varying rates on different varieties of fabrics. The available figures on consumption of textiles are, however, in terms of the value of cloth consumed and even these are confined only to cotton fabrics, rayon and artificial silk fabrics. | 604 | definition | 1.000 | Additional excise duties on cotton textiles are specific duties levied according to the metreage at varying rates on different varieties of fabrics. | 25 | page=25,block=1 | ||
| What is the basis for distributing additional excise duties fairly? | compensation for the loss of revenue from sales tax on these commodities | It is true that compensation for the loss of revenue from sales tax on these commodities is the only equitable criterion for distribution of additional excise duties. But we do not consider revenue from sales tax on other commodities in respect of which the State Governments have retained the power to levy sales tax as providing any basis for determination of the likely receipts from textiles, tobacco and sugar on which they have abstained from levying sales tax. 12. We have, therefore, to look for some better indices of consumption of these commodities. There cannot be serious room for argument that consumption is directly related to levels of income. Latest available data on State Domestic Product may, therefore, be taken to provide a broad indication of the likely consumption of these commodities. | 16 | definition | 1.000 | It is true that compensation for the loss of revenue from sales tax on these commodities is the only equitable criterion for distribution of additional excise duties. | 25 | page=25,block=4 | 0.700 | valid |
| What basis did the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Commissions propose for allocating the ad hoc grant? | on the principle of compensation | It may be relevant to mention here that this was done in pursuance of the recommendations of the Railway Convention Committee before whom the Railway Board had argued that the levy of passenger fares tax had limited the scope for raising passenger fares. Though the levy on passenger fares was thus given up, the Government of India decided to make an ad hoc grant of Rs. 12.5 crores a year to States in lieu of the tax for a period of five years from 1961-62 to 1965-66. The grant was later raised to Rs. 16.25 crores from 1966-67 and has since then continued at the same level. The Third, Fourth and Fifth Commissions, which were asked to deal with the distribution of this ad hoc grant, were of the view that it should be on the principle of compensation so as to place the States broadly on the same footing that prevailed prior to the repeal of the Act. | 725 | definition | 1.000 | The Third, Fourth and Fifth Commissions, which were asked to deal with the distribution of this ad hoc grant, were of the view that it should be on the principle of compensation so as to place the States broadly on the same footing that prevailed prior to the repeal of the Act. | 27 | |||
| What was the purpose of including a tax on railway passenger fares under Article 269 of the Constitution? | to give the States access to a modest share of the growing revenues of the railways | Almost all State Governments have drawn our attention forcefully to the inequity involved in the replacement of tax on railway passenger fares by a fixed grant. In providing for an impost on passenger fares as one of the taxes to be levied by the Centre and assigned to the States under Article 269 of the Constitution, the architects of the Constitution had presumably intended to give the States access to a modest share of the growing revenues of the railways. This objective has been thwarted by the substitution of railway passenger fares tax by a fixed lump sum grant. We are impressed with the force of these arguments put forward by the State Governments. It is difficult to rebut their contention that they have been deprived of a potentially elastic source of revenue by a unilateral decision of the Central Government. | 379 | definition | 1.000 | In providing for an impost on passenger fares as one of the taxes to be levied by the Centre and assigned to the States under Article 269 of the Constitution, the architects of the Constitution had presumably intended to give the States access to a modest share of the growing revenues of the railways. | ||||
| What is used to measure the number of workers in factories? | Number of workers registered in factories per lakh of population. | (ii) Percentage of scheduled castes population. (iii) Percentage of literacy. (iv) Enrolment in primary classes I to V as percentage of population in age group 6–11. (v) Number of workers registered in factories per lakh of population. (vi) Number of registered factories in terms of area. (vii) Value added per capita by manufacture. (viii) Number of hospitals in terms of area or per lakh of population. (ix) Per capita gross value of agricultural production. (x) Net irrigated area per cultivator. (xi) Percentage of villages with public water supply. (xii) Landless agricultural labour in each State. (xiii) Installed capacity for generation of electricity. (xiv) Number of villages electrified. (xv) Percentage of villages electrified. (xvi) Per capita consumption of energy. (xvii) Motor vehicles per lakh of population. (xviii) Length of railways and roads in terms of area. | 170 | definition | 1.000 | (v) Number of workers registered in factories per lakh of population. (vi) Number of registered factories in terms of area. | 21 | page=21,block=0 | 0.700 | valid |
Read straight from the file — download or use the API URL for the full dataset.
| valid |
| 21 |
| page=21,block=0 |
| 0.700 |
| valid |
| 0.700 |
| valid |
| page=27,block=0 |
| 0.700 |
| valid |
| 28 |
| page=28,block=1 |
| 0.700 |
| valid |