Formation and Zones
The States Reorganisation Act of 1956 divided the country into five Zonal Councils:
- Northern Zone: Comprises Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, National Capital Territory of Delhi, and Chandigarh.
- Central Zone: Comprises Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh.
- Eastern Zone: Comprises Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, and West Bengal.
- Western Zone: Comprises Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.
- Southern Zone: Comprises Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry.
Composition of Each Zonal Council
- Chairman: The Union Home Minister acts as the common Chairman for all Zonal Councils.
- Vice-Chairman: The Chief Ministers of the states in the zone act as Vice-Chairman by rotation, holding office for a period of one year at a time.
- Members:
- Chief Ministers of all the states in the zone.
- Two other ministers from each of the states in the zone nominated by the Governor.
- Administrators of all Union Territories in the zone (if any).
Advisors (without right to vote)
The following individuals can be associated with the Zonal Councils as advisors, but they do not have voting rights:
- One person nominated by the Planning Commission (now NITI Aayog).
- Chief Secretaries of the state governments in the zone.
- Development Commissioner of each state in the zone.
Functions of Zonal Councils
The Zonal Councils are advisory bodies that discuss and make recommendations on common matters of interest to the Centre and states/UTs in the zone. Their primary functions include:
- Promoting emotional integration of the country.
- Helping in arresting the growth of acute state consciousness, regionalism, linguism, and particularistic tendencies.
- Formulating a unified and coordinated regional plan covering matters of common importance.
- Reviewing from time to time the measures taken by the member states for the maintenance of security and public order in the region.
- Achieving a balanced socio-economic development across various regions.
- Cooperating with each other in the successful and speedy execution of development projects.
North-Eastern Council (NEC)
In addition to the five Zonal Councils, a separate statutory body known as the North-Eastern Council (NEC) was created by the North-Eastern Council Act of 1971 (subsequently amended in 2002).
- Members: Its members include the Governors and Chief Ministers of Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Sikkim.
- Functions: The NEC's primary functions are similar to Zonal Councils, focusing on coordinated regional planning and development, and maintaining security and public order in the North-Eastern Region. It acts as an advisory body to the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DONER).
Significance of Zonal Councils for UPSC
- They provide a platform for informal discussions and cooperation between states, fostering a spirit of cooperative federalism.
- They help in resolving inter-state disputes and issues without resorting to confrontational methods.
- They facilitate coordinated policy-making and implementation across states on matters of common interest.
- They promote regional development and integration.
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