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Knowledge Nugget: Why are Zonal Councils are important for your UPSC exam
Knowledge Nugget: Why are Zonal Councils are important for your UPSC exam

Indian Express

time12-07-2025

  • Politics
  • Indian Express

Knowledge Nugget: Why are Zonal Councils are important for your UPSC exam

Take a look at the essential concepts, terms, quotes, or phenomena every day and brush up on your knowledge. Here's your UPSC polity current affairs knowledge nugget on the Zonal Councils and Inter-State Council. (Relevance: UPSC has asked questions on statutory and constitutional bodies. In 2013, the UPSC Prelims question was on councils that were not mentioned in the Constitution. Therefore, the understanding of this topic is very important from your exam perspective.) Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired the 27th Eastern Zonal Council on Thursday (10th July) in Ranchi, Jharkhand. The Eastern Zonal Council consists of four eastern states — Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, and West Bengal. Shah said the number of zonal council meetings rose to 63 between 2014 and 2025 as compared to 25 between 2004 and 2014. Highlighting its significance, he said that zonal councils have transformed from being mere discussion forums into 'engines of cooperation', noting that 83% of issues taken up in their meetings have been resolved. 1. The idea of creation of Zonal Councils was mooted by the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1956 when during the course of debate on the report of the States Reorganisation Commission, he suggested that the states proposed to be reorganised may be grouped into four or five zones having an Advisory Council 'to develop the habit of cooperative working' among these states, say the records of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). 2. In the light of the vision of Pandit Nehru, five Zonal Councils were set up as per Part III of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956. They are statutory bodies. 3. The present composition of the Zonal Councils is as follows: ➣ The Eastern Zonal Council, comprising the States of Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, and West Bengal. ➣ The Northern Zonal Council, comprising the States of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, National Capital Territory of Delhi, Union Territory of Chandigarh, Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir and Union Territory of Ladakh. ➣ The Central Zonal Council, comprising the States of Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh; ➣ The Western Zonal Council, comprising the States of Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra and the Union Territory of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu. ➣ The Southern Zonal Council, comprising the States of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and the Union Territory of Puducherry. 4. Along with this, the North Eastern Council (NEC) was constituted as a statutory advisory body under the NEC Act 1971 (84 of 1971) and came into being on the 7th November, 1972 at Shillong. It comprises Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura, Mizoram, Meghalaya and Nagaland as its members. The state of Sikkim, which was earlier in the Eastern Zonal Council was included in the North Eastern Council in 2002. 5. The composition of each council is as follows: (a) The Union Home Minister is the chairman of each of these council. (b) The Chief Ministers of the states included in each zone act as Vice-Chairman of the Zonal Council for that zone by rotation, each holding office for a period of one year at a time. (c) The Chief Minister and two other ministers as nominated by the Governor from each of the states, and two members from Union Territories included in the zone. (d) One person nominated by the planning commission for each of the Zonal Councils, the Chief Secretaries, and another officer nominated by each of the states included in the Zone. 6. In 2018, the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the nomination of the Union Home Minister as ex-officio chairman of the North Eastern Council and the Minister of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) to serve as Vice Chairman of the Council. 7. The MHA has said that the Zonal Councils provide an excellent forum where irritants between the Centre and States and among states can be resolved through free and frank discussions and consultations. The councils act as regional forums of cooperative endeavour for states linked with each other economically, politically and culturally. Constitutional bodies are institutions or authorities whose powers, duties, and structures are explicitly defined in the Constitution. Their roles extend beyond mere administrative functions, as they are designed to serve as checks and balances on governmental power. The Inter-State Council is a constitutional body. Whereas, the Statutory bodies are institutions established by an act of Parliament or state legislatures, deriving their authority from legislation rather than directly from the Constitution. The Zonal Councils are statutory bodies. 1. The Inter-State Council was established under Article 263 of the Constitution, which states that the President may constitute such a body if a need is felt for it. The Council will be charged with the duty of — (a) inquiring into and advising upon disputes which may have arisen between States; (b) investigating and discussing subjects in which some or all of the States, or the Union and one or more of the States, have a common interest; or (c) making recommendations upon any such subject and, in particular, recommendations for the better coordination of policy and action with respect to that subject, The Council is meant to serve as a forum for discussions among various governments. 2. Notably, the Inter-State Council is not a permanent constitutional body. In 1988, a Commission was constituted under the Chairmanship of Justice R. S. Sarkaria on the Centre-State relations. It suggested that — (a) A permanent Inter-State Council called the Inter-Governmental Council (IGC) should be set up under Article 263. (b) The IGC should be charged with the duties set out in clauses (b) and (c) of Article 263, other than socio-economic planning and development. 3. The Prime Minister is the chairman of the Council, whose members include the Chief Ministers of all states and UTs with legislative assemblies, and Administrators of other UTs. Six Ministers of Cabinet rank in the Centre's Council of Ministers, nominated by the Prime Minister, are also its members. 4. The Inter-State Council has met eleven times since 1990. The last meeting was held in 2016, where the recommendations of the Punchhi Commission on Centre-State Relations, use of Aadhaar as an identifier, and use of DBT for providing Subsidies, Benefits, and Public Services were some of the prominent issues that were discussed. 5. The Standing Committee is also constituted to have continuous consultation and process matters for consideration of the Council; process all matters pertaining to Centre-State Relations before they are taken up for consideration in the Inter-State Council, and monitor the implementation of decisions taken on the recommendations of the Council. The Committee was last constituted in November 2024. Which of the following bodies does not/do not find mention in the Constitution? (UPSC CSE 2013) 1. National Development Council 2. Planning Commission 3. Zonal Councils Select the correct answer using the codes given below. (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 (Source: Zonal councils have transformed into engines of cooperation: Amit Shah, Established as 'antidote' to 'linguistic hostility and bitterness': what are zonal councils?, Explained: What is the Inter-State Council?, What are constitutional, statutory, and non-statutory bodies?, Expert Explains: How the Northeast was 'invented', 52 years ago) Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X. 🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for June 2025. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at

Amit Shah to chair Eastern Zonal Council meeting in Ranchi on July 10
Amit Shah to chair Eastern Zonal Council meeting in Ranchi on July 10

Business Standard

time09-07-2025

  • Politics
  • Business Standard

Amit Shah to chair Eastern Zonal Council meeting in Ranchi on July 10

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to chair the Eastern Zonal Council meeting in Ranchi on July 10 in which about 70 representatives from the four eastern states — Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha and West Bengal — are expected to participate, an official said on Wednesday. Security has been beefed up in Ranchi in view of the meeting and Shah is scheduled to arrive in the state capital on Wednesday evening. Under Sections 15 to 22 of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, five zonal councils were established in the country. The Union home minister is the chairperson of these five zonal councils, and the chief ministers/lieutenant governors/administrators of the member states and Union territories are the members. "Massive security arrangements have been made in the state capital in view of the Eastern Zonal Council meeting here tomorrow, to be chaired by the Home Minister," the official said. The zonal councils take up many important issues including discussing broad issues of national importance such as the speedy investigation of cases of sexual offences against women and children, implementation of Fast Track Special Courts (FTSC) for their swift disposal, providing brick-and-mortar banking facilities within the designated area of every village, implementation of the Emergency Response Support System and various regional-level common interest issues such as strengthening nutrition, education, health, electricity, urban planning, and the cooperative system, the official added. From Jharkhand, Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Finance Minister Radhakrishna Kishore, Minister Deepak Birua, Chief Secretary Alka Tiwari, Principal Secretary (Home) Vandana Dadel, and DGP Anurag Gupta are likely to attend the meeting. Bihar is likely to be represented by ministers Vijay Choudhary and Samrat Choudhary, the official said, adding, Odisha's delegation may include Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Deputy CM Parvati Parida while West Bengal is likely to be represented by Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya. Jharkhand, among other matters, is likely to raise the issue of ₹1.36 trillion pending dues from PSUs such as Coal India in view of mining. Ranchi Police have already issued a traffic advisory prohibiting auto-rickshaws between Birsa Chowk and Sujata Chowk on July 10. Besides, the entry of goods vehicles into city limits will remain restricted from 6 am to 10 pm on the day. The meeting was originally scheduled for May 10 but was postponed in view of the India-Pakistan tense situation then. As per the government, the chief minister of one member state (rotating every year) acts as the vice-chairperson while the governor nominates two ministers as members of the council from each member state. Each zonal council has also formed a permanent committee at the level of chief secretaries. Issues proposed by the states are initially presented to the permanent committee of the concerned zonal council for discussion, officials said. After consideration by the permanent committee, the remaining issues are then presented to the zonal council meeting for further deliberation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised the need to leverage cooperative and competitive federalism for the all-round development of the country, they said. With a belief that strong states make a strong nation, the zonal councils provide a structured mechanism for dialogue and discussion on issues affecting two or more states or the Centre and states, and through this, serve as an important platform to enhance mutual cooperation, they added. The role of the zonal councils is advisory; however, over the past few years, these councils have proven to be an important factor in promoting healthy bonds of mutual understanding and cooperation in various fields. More than 60 meetings of the various zonal councils and their permanent committees have been held in the last eleven years. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

NDA held 28 zonal council meets, just 11 in 10 years of UPA: Amit Shah
NDA held 28 zonal council meets, just 11 in 10 years of UPA: Amit Shah

Time of India

time24-06-2025

  • Politics
  • Time of India

NDA held 28 zonal council meets, just 11 in 10 years of UPA: Amit Shah

Union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said that while only 11 meetings of the zonal councils and 14 meetings of the standing committees of the zonal councils were held between 2004 and 2014, a total of 28 zonal council meetings and 33 standing committee meetings have been held between 2014 and 2025 - marking a twofold increase. Shah was chairing the central zonal council meeting in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. The meeting was attended by chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Shah further highlighted that 1,287 issues have been resolved in these meetings so far. On the central zonal council, Shah noted that "it is the only zonal council where no issue or dispute exists between member states, and this is a significant achievement." "A total of 19 issues were discussed in today's meeting, including the implementation of Fast Track Special Courts for the speedy investigation and prompt disposal of rape cases against women and children, provision of brick-and-mortar banking facilities within the designated radius of every village, and implementation of the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS-112), among other key issues," according to a statement from the home ministry. In the meeting, the home minister said that all states of the zonal council should ensure the eradication of child malnutrition, bring the dropout ratio down to zero, and strengthen the cooperative sector. Under Sections 15 to 22 of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, five zonal councils were established.

Devise ways to increase revenue of gram panchayats for a more effective Panchayati Raj system: Amit Shah
Devise ways to increase revenue of gram panchayats for a more effective Panchayati Raj system: Amit Shah

The Hindu

time24-06-2025

  • Politics
  • The Hindu

Devise ways to increase revenue of gram panchayats for a more effective Panchayati Raj system: Amit Shah

Devise ways and formulate rules to increase the revenue of gram panchayats, Union Home Minister Amit Shah urged the Chief Ministers of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh. He said enhancing the revenue of panchayats would make India's three-tier, democratic Panchayati Raj system more effective, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) highlighted in a statement. Mr. Shah on Tuesday (June 24, 2025) chaired the 25th meeting of the Central Zonal Council in Varanasi, attended by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami, Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav, and Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai. Nineteen issues were discussed at the meeting, including several matters of national importance, the MHA said. The implementation of Fast Track Special Courts for the speedy investigation and prompt disposal of cases of rape involving women and children; provision of brick and mortar banking facilities within the designated radius of every village; and the implementation of Emergency Response Support System (ERSS-112) were among the key issues that came up at the gathering. All States should ensure the eradication of child malnutrition, bring the school dropout ratio down to zero, and strengthen the cooperative sector, the Home Minister said. Under Sections 15 to 22 of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, five Zonal Councils were established. The Home Minister is the Chairperson of the Councils. The Zonal Councils serve an advisory role. With the cooperation of all State governments, Central Ministries, and departments, a total of 62 meetings of various Zonal Councils and their permanent committees had been held in the past 11 years, the MHA said.

MP CM Yadav to attend 25th Central Zonal Council meeting chaired by Union Minister Amit Shah in Varanasi today
MP CM Yadav to attend 25th Central Zonal Council meeting chaired by Union Minister Amit Shah in Varanasi today

India Gazette

time24-06-2025

  • Politics
  • India Gazette

MP CM Yadav to attend 25th Central Zonal Council meeting chaired by Union Minister Amit Shah in Varanasi today

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], June 24 (ANI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to chair the 25th meeting of the Central Zonal Council to be held in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi on Tuesday and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav along with CMs of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Chhattisgarh will attend the meeting. During the meeting, key issues including regional security, development, health, administrative coordination, and state-specific concerns will be discussed. The Central Zonal Council aims to strengthen cooperation among states, resolve inter-state disputes through dialogue, deliberate on matters of common interest, ensure equitable utilisation of natural resources, and promote developmental activities in sensitive regions. The Central Zonal Council comprises the states of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh. The meeting is being organised by the Inter-State Council Secretariat under the Ministry of Home Affairs in collaboration with the Uttar Pradesh government. Under Sections 15 to 22 of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, five Zonal Councils were established. The Union Home Minister is the chairperson of these five Zonal Councils, and the Chief Ministers, Lieutenant Governors and Administrators of the member states and Union Territories are their members. Among these members, the Chief Minister of one member state (rotating every year) acts as the vice-chairperson. From each member state, the governor nominates two ministers as council members. Each Zonal Council has also formed a permanent committee at the level of the Chief Secretaries. Issues proposed by the states are initially presented to the permanent committee of the concerned Zonal Council for discussion. After consideration by the permanent committee, the remaining issues are then presented to the Zonal Council meeting for further deliberation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emphasised the need to leverage cooperative and competitive federalism for the country's all-around development. With the belief that strong states make a strong nation, the Zonal Councils provide a structured mechanism for dialogue and discussion on issues affecting two or more states or the Centre and states, and through this, serve as an important platform to enhance cooperation. The role of the Zonal Councils is advisory; however, over the past few years, these councils have proven to be an important factor in promoting healthy bonds of mutual understanding and cooperation in various fields. With the cooperation of all state governments, central ministries, and departments, a total of 61 meetings of the various Zonal Councils and their permanent committees have been held in the last eleven years. The Zonal Councils also discuss broad issues of national importance, including the speedy investigation of cases of sexual offenses against women and children and the implementation of Fast Track Special Courts (FTSC) for their swift disposal; providing brick-and-mortar banking facilities within the designated area of every village; implementation of the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS-112); and various regional-level common interest issues such as strengthening nutrition, education, health, electricity, urban planning, and the cooperative system. (ANI)

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