Question

Consider the following statements regarding Zonal Councils:

1. Zonal Councils were established under the States Reorganisation Act of 1956 to promote cooperation among states.

2. The Home Minister of the Central Government is the common chairman of all Zonal Councils.

3. The North-Eastern Council was created under the same Act as the other Zonal Councils.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

• A. 1 and 2 only
• B. 2 and 3 only
• C. 1 only
• D. All of the above

Answer 1

Answer:

A. 1 and 2 only

Zonal Councils

• The Zonal Councils are statutory bodies, not constitutional bodies. They were established under Part III of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956.

• Their primary objective is to promote inter-state cooperation and coordination. They serve as a forum for discussion and exchange of ideas between states and the Union, aiming to foster national integration.

• Originally, five Zonal Councils were created: the Northern, Central, Eastern, Western, and Southern Zonal Councils.

Composition and Leadership

• The Union Home Minister serves as the common Chairman of all Zonal Councils. This ensures central government's involvement and coordination.

• Each Chief Minister of the states included in a Zone acts as the Vice-Chairman of the respective Zonal Council by rotation, holding office for a period of one year at a time.

• Other members of a Zonal Council include the Chief Ministers of all states in the zone, two other ministers from each state (nominated by the Governor), and administrators of Union Territories in the zone.

• Advisers to the Zonal Council include a member of the Planning Commission (now NITI Aayog), Chief Secretaries of the state governments in the zone, and Development Commissioners of the state governments in the zone. These are non-voting members.

Functions and Objectives

• Zonal Councils discuss matters of common interest to the states and the Union, such as economic and social planning, border disputes, linguistic minorities, inter-state transport, etc.

• They act as advisory bodies, providing recommendations on matters referred to them. They aim to achieve balanced economic and social development within their respective zones.

• These councils help in preventing the growth of acute state consciousness and promote greater cooperation among states.

Distinction of the North-Eastern Council (NEC)

• Unlike the other five Zonal Councils, the North-Eastern Council (NEC) was not established under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956.

• The NEC was created by a separate parliamentary act, the North-Eastern Council Act of 1971.

• Its purpose is to act as an advisory body for the socio-economic development of the eight North-Eastern states: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura.

• The Union Home Minister is also the ex-officio Chairman of the North-Eastern Council, a change implemented in 2018. Before that, the Minister of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) was the Chairman.