ZONAL COUNCIL (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Polity)

Context: Recently, during the Eastern Zonal Council (EZC) meeting in Patna, Union home minister acknowledged the prevailing concerns regarding Bihar's caste-based survey and expressed optimism that the state government would address these issues.

Zonal Councils

• Statutory Body: Five Zonal Councils were established in the year 1957 under Section 15-22 of the States Reorganization Act, 1956. 
• At Present There are 6 Zonal Councils– Northern, Central, Eastern, Western, Southern and North-Eastern.

• Composition: The Union Home Minister is the Chairman of these Zonal Councils, while the Chief Ministers of the States included in the respective Zonal Council and the administrator and lieutenant governor of the union territories are its members.

oTwo more ministers from each state are nominated by the Governor as members of the council.

oEach Zonal Council has also constituted a standing committee at the level of chief secretaries.

Objectives:

• Bringing out national integration
• Arresting the growth of acute State consciousness, regionalism, linguism and particularistic tendencies.
• Enabling the Centre and the States to co-operate and exchange ideas and experiences.
• Establishing a climate of co-operation amongst the States for successful and speedy execution of development projects.