Copyright infringement not intended

In News

• The Union Home Minister chaired the Southern Zonal Council meeting in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
• The meeting was attended by;
  • The Chief Ministers of Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu.
  • The Lieutenant Governors of Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
  • The Administrator of Lakshadweep.
  • Chief Secretaries of Southern Zonal Council States, Union Home Secretary, Secretary Inter-State Council Secretariat and other Senior officials of State and Central Ministries and Departments.
• The council discussed several issues of common interests in areas of security, road, transport, industries, water, fishing, power, and economic and social planning.

Zonal Councils

• Zonal Councils aim to promote collaboration and coordination among states, UTs, and the Union.
• They discuss and give recommendations on several topics.
• They are only consultative and deliberative bodies.
• The States Reorganization Act of 1956 established these statutory entities.
• The country is divided into 5 zones by the Act:
  • Northern Zone
  • Central Zone
  • Eastern Zone
  • Western Zone
  • Southern Zone
• Each zonal council is made up of
  • The Union Home Minister (who acts as a chairman).
  • CM of all States in Zone + 2 other ministers from the states (Each CM acts as a Vice-Chairman by rotation, holding office for 1 year at a time).
  • Administrators of all UTs in the zone.

North-Eastern Council

• A further Act of Parliament, the North-Eastern Council Act of 1971, established a North-Eastern Council in addition to the previous Zonal Councils.
• Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Sikkim are among its members. Its responsibilities are similar to those of zonal councils, with a few exceptions.
• It is required to examine the actions taken by member states to maintain security and public order in the region regularly.

Significance of Zonal council

• Zonal councils help in designing a collaborative strategy through discussions and exchange of views between the Union and States on important issues.
• It takes up issues involving the Union and states or between many states.
• The zonal councils provide a platform for resolving disputes between the Union and the States and among many States.
• Zonal Meetings are used by the Union, States and Union Territories to share their best practices.
• Zonal councils also discuss a wide range of issues, including;
  • Boundary-related disputes.
  • Infrastructure-related matters like road, transport, industries, water, and power.
  • Forests and environment.
  • Food security
  • Tourism
  • Transport

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1856527

https://t.me/+hJqMV1O0se03Njk9

Download PDF