Why in news?

• While chairing 31st Northern Zonal conference in Amritsar, Union Home Minister said anti-drone system will be deployed along the international border for strengthening security.

What’s in today’s article?

• Zonal Council
• News Summary

Zonal Council

• The idea of creation of Zonal Councils was mooted by the first PM Nehru in 1956.
• This was suggested during the course of debate on the report of the States Re-organisation Commission
• It was suggested that a high-level advisory forum should be set up:
  • to minimise the impact of linguistic hostilities prevailed at that time;
  • to create healthy inter-State and Centre-State environment.

About

• In the light of the idea promoted by the then PM Nehru, five Zonal Councils were set up under the States Re-organisation Act, 1956.
  • Zonal Councils are the statutory and not the constitutional bodies.
• The five councils are:
  • The Northern Zonal Council; The Central Zonal Council;The Eastern Zonal Council;The Western Zonal Council;The Southern Zonal Council.
• The North Eastern States are not included in the Zonal Councils.
  • Their special problems are looked after by the North Eastern Council, set up under the North Eastern Council Act, 1972.

Objectives

• The main objectives of setting up of Zonal Councils are as under:
  • Bringing out national integration;
  • Arresting the growth of acute State consciousness, regionalism, linguistic 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.

Organisational structure of the zonal councils

• Chairman
  • The Union Home Minister is the Chairman of each of these Councils.
• Vice Chairman
  • The Chief Ministers of the States included in each zone act as Vice-Chairman of the Zonal Council for that zone by rotation, each holding office for a period of one year at a time.
• Members
  • Chief Minister and two other Ministers as nominated by the Governor from each of the States and two members from Union Territories included in the zone.
• Advisers
  • One person nominated by the Planning Commission (now NITI Aayoga) for each of the Zonal Councils,
  • Chief Secretaries and another officer/Development Commissioner nominated by each of the States included in the Zone
• Union Ministers are also invited to participate in the meetings of Zonal Councils depending upon necessity.

Functions

• Each Zonal Council is an advisory body and may discuss any matter in which some or all of the States represented in that Council have a common interest.
• It may advise the Central Government and the Government of each State concerned as to the action to be taken on any such matter.
• In particular, a Zonal Council may discuss, and make recommendations with regard to any matter:
  • of common interest in the field of economic and social planning;
  • concerning border disputes, linguistic minorities or inter-State transport;
  • connected with or arising out of the States Reorganisation Act.

How this council is different from other platforms promoting cooperative federalism?

• There are a large number of other platforms which works on the principle of promoting cooperative federalism.
  • E.g. Inter State Council, Governor’s/Chief Minister’s Conferences and other periodical high-level conferences.
• However, the Zonal Councils are different, both in content and character. They are regional fora of cooperative endeavour for States linked with each other economically, politically and culturally.
• Being compact high-level bodies, specially meant for looking after the interests of respective zones, they are capable of focusing attention on specific issues taking into account regional factors, while keeping the national perspective in view.

News Summary: 31st Northern Zonal conference

Key highlights of speech delivered by Union Home Minister at 31^st Northern Zonal conference

• Anti-drone measures along international borders
  • Dedicated teams who specialise in drone technology and anti-drone measures would be soon be deployed all across border states.
  • This will be done to keep a check on drugs and weapons which are being smuggled to India from Pakistan.
• Major challenges on borders
  • Smuggling of arms, ammunition and narcotics from across the international border to Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir has been a major problem confronting the border guarding forces.
• Highlighted importance of Northern Zonal Council
  • The Northern Zonal Council has an important place from the point of view of development and security of India, being home to 21% of the country’s land and 13% of the population.
  • More than 35% of the food grains are produced in the Northern region.
• Urged member states to pay special attention to collective priority issues such as cooperative movement in the country, dropout rate of schoolchildren and malnutrition.
  • He also urged all member states and UTs to adopt natural and organic farming, as it will be hugely beneficial for the farmers of the country.