Zonal Councils: 31st Southern Zonal Council at Mahabalipuram
Why in the news
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is due to preside over the 31st Southern Zonal Council meeting in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, putting these interstate forums in focus.
Key facts
- Zonal Councils are deliberative bodies for interstate cooperation and joint planning.
- Created in 1956 under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956 (Part III); statutory, not constitutional.
- Five councils: Northern, Central, Eastern, Western, Southern.
- The North-Eastern Council stands apart, created by the North-Eastern Council Act, 1971.
Composition
| Post | Who |
|---|---|
| Chairman | Union Home Minister (all five) |
| Vice-Chairman | A member State’s Chief Minister, by rotation, one-year term |
| Members | Chief Minister and two Ministers per State; Administrator of each UT |
| Advisers | NITI Aayog nominee; Chief Secretary of each member State |
Functions
- Boundary and linguistic minority disputes.
- Joint planning on agriculture, health, education, coastal security, disaster management.
- Coordination on inter-state highways, rail and energy grids; water sharing and canals.
- A Standing Committee of Chief Secretaries screens issues before the council meets.
Exam angle
- Nature: statutory, created in 1956.
- Not a Zonal Council under the 1956 Act: the North-Eastern Council.
- Chair: Union Home Minister; Vice-Chair: rotating Chief Minister.