Question

Which of the following is/are correct regarding the composition of Zonal Councils?

i. Each Zonal Council includes the Chief Ministers of all states in the zone and two other ministers from each state.

ii. The Chief Secretary of each state in the zone has voting rights in the Zonal Council meetings.

iii. Administrators of Union Territories in the zone are members of the respective Zonal Council.

• A. Only i
• B. Only i and iii
• C. Only ii and iii
• D. All of the above (i, ii, and iii)

Answer 1

Answer:

B. Only i and iii

Zonal Councils: Composition and Membership

• Zonal Councils are statutory advisory bodies established by the States Reorganisation Act, 1956.
• They are not constitutional bodies.
• There are five Zonal Councils: Northern, Central, Eastern, Western, and Southern.
• The Union Territories of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu, and Puducherry are not part of any Zonal Council. Delhi is part of the Northern Zonal Council.

Composition of Zonal Councils:

• Chairman: The Union Home Minister is the ex-officio Chairman of all Zonal Councils.
• Vice-Chairman: The Chief Minister of the state chosen by the Zonal Council for a year holds the office of Vice-Chairman. The Chief Ministers of the states included in the zone take turns to act as Vice-Chairman.
• Members: Each Zonal Council consists of:
  • Chief Ministers of all the states in the zone.
  • Two other cabinet ministers nominated by the Chief Minister from each state within the zone.
  • Administrators of the Union Territories included in the zone. (Note: This point corresponds to statement iii in the question).
• Advisory capacity: The Union Home Minister may also nominate two more persons of repute from each state to be members of the council.

Voting Rights:

• The Chief Secretary of each state within the zone is a permanent invitee to the Zonal Council meetings. However, they do not have voting rights. (Note: This point clarifies statement ii in the question).
• The Chief Ministers and the nominated cabinet ministers from the states, along with the Administrators of Union Territories, are the members with voting rights.

Key Functions:

• To develop an understanding and cooperation among states on matters of common interest.
• To discuss and make recommendations on economic and social planning, linguistic minorities, border disputes, transport, and related matters.