ZONAL COUNCILS

• The concept of Zonal Councils was first introduced by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1956. During discussions on the States Reorganisation Commission's report, he proposed grouping the newly reorganized states into four or five zones. These zones would each have an Advisory Council aimed at fostering a spirit of cooperative governance, as per records from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

• In alignment with Nehru’s vision, five Zonal Councils were established under Part III of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956. These councils function as statutory bodies.

• Currently, the Zonal Councils are structured as follows:

  • Eastern Zonal Council: Includes Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, and West Bengal.

  • Northern Zonal Council: Comprises Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Delhi (NCT), and the Union Territories of Chandigarh, Jammu & Kashmir, and Ladakh.

  • Central Zonal Council: Consists of Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh.

  • Western Zonal Council: Encompasses Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and the Union Territory of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu.

  • Southern Zonal Council: Includes Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and the Union Territory of Puducherry.

• Additionally, the North Eastern Council (NEC) was formed as a statutory advisory body through the NEC Act of 1971 and became operational on November 7, 1972, in Shillong. Its members are Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura, Mizoram, Meghalaya, and Nagaland. Sikkim, initially part of the Eastern Zonal Council, was incorporated into the NEC in 2002

(a) The Union Home Minister serves as the Chairperson of each Zonal Council.

(b) The Chief Ministers of the states within a particular zone take turns serving as the Vice-Chairperson of that zone’s Zonal Council. Each holds this position for one year on a rotational basis.

(c) From each member state, the Chief Minister and two other ministers — appointed by the respective Governor — are part of the council. Additionally, two representatives from the Union Territories in that zone also participate.

(d) Each Zonal Council includes a nominee from the Planning Commission (now NITI Aayog), along with the Chief Secretaries and another senior official designated by each participating state.

In 2018, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Union Cabinet gave approval for the Union Home Minister to serve as the ex-officio Chairperson of the North Eastern Council. Meanwhile, the Minister for Development of the North Eastern Region (DoNER) was designated as the Council’s Vice-Chairperson.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has emphasized that Zonal Councils play a crucial role in resolving intergovernmental issues. They offer a valuable platform for open and candid discussions between the Centre and the States, as well as among States themselves. These councils promote regional cooperation among states that are interlinked by shared economic, cultural, and political ties.

4. Organisational structure of Zonal Councils

The Zonal Councils are high-level advisory bodies established under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956. They are designed to promote cooperation and coordination among states and the Centre. Each Zonal Council is headed and represented by key political and administrative leaders

Organisation structure as follows:

• The Union Home Minister acts as the ex-officio Chairperson of all five Zonal Councils
• The Chief Ministers of the states in the zone serve as Vice-Chairperson on a rotational basis, each for a term of one year
• The Secretary of the Inter-State Council Secretariat (ISCS) serves as the Member Secretary of all the Zonal Councils

Members

• The Chief Minister of each member state.

• Two other ministers from each state, nominated by the Governor.

• Two representatives from the Union Territories (UTs) in the zone (if applicable)

5. Interstate Council

• The Inter-State Council was formed under Article 263 of the Indian Constitution, which empowers the President to establish such a body when deemed necessary. Its primary functions include:

(a) Examining and offering advice on disputes that may arise between different states;

(b) Studying and deliberating on topics that involve a shared interest among some or all states, or between the Union and one or more states;

(c) Providing recommendations on such issues, particularly with the aim of improving policy coordination and implementation.

This council acts as a platform for structured dialogue among various levels of government.

• Importantly, the Inter-State Council is not a permanent constitutional institution. In 1988, the Sarkaria Commission, headed by Justice R. S. Sarkaria, was formed to review Centre-State relations. The commission proposed:

(a) Establishing a permanent Inter-State Council, referred to as the Inter-Governmental Council (IGC), under Article 263;

(b) Assigning the IGC the responsibilities mentioned in clauses (b) and (c) of Article 263, excluding matters related to socio-economic planning and development.

• The Council is chaired by the Prime Minister and comprises the Chief Ministers of all states and Union Territories with legislatures, Administrators of other UTs, and six Union Cabinet Ministers nominated by the Prime Minister.

• Since its inception in 1990, the Inter-State Council has convened eleven times. Its most recent meeting occurred in 2016, where key topics such as the Punchhi Commission’s recommendations on Centre-State relations, the use of Aadhaar for identification, and Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) in public service delivery were discussed.

• A Standing Committee supports the Council by facilitating continuous dialogue, reviewing matters for the Council’s consideration, and overseeing the implementation of its recommendations. The most recent formation of this committee took place in November 2024

Source: Indianexpress