Union Home Minister Chairs 32nd Northern Zonal Council Meeting

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah chaired the 32nd meeting of the Northern Zonal Council (NZC) in Faridabad, Haryana.

Northern Zonal Council: Composition

• States: Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan
• Union Territories: Delhi, Chandigarh, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh
• Vice-Chairmanship: Rotates annually among the Chief Ministers of member states

Background

• Zonal Councils were proposed by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in 1956 during debates on the States Reorganisation Commission report.
• Set up under Part-III of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, with first meetings in 1957.
• Objective: Promote cooperative working among States, strengthen national integration, and resolve irritants between Centre and States or among States themselves.

Exclusion

• North Eastern States (Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland) are not part of Zonal Councils.
• Their special issues are addressed by the North Eastern Council, constituted under the North Eastern Council Act, 1972.

Objectives and Functions

• National Integration: Curtail regionalism, linguistic or particularistic tendencies.
• Cooperation: Facilitate exchange of ideas and experiences between Centre and States.
• Development: Create a conducive environment for successful implementation of development projects.
• Advisory Role: Councils function primarily as advisory bodies under Section 17(1) of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956.