Inter- State Council : Functions and Duties, Composition, Secretariat and latest Meeting

Inter State council is a constitutional body set up on the basis of provisions in Article 263 of the Constitution of India by a Presidential Order dated 28th May, 1990 on recommendation of Sarkaria Commission. Article 263 of the Constitution envisages establishment of an institutional mechanism to facilitate coordination of policies and their implementation between the Union and the State Governments.

Article 263:

Article 263 says that “if at any time it appears to the President that the public interest would be served by the establishment of a Council charged with the duty of –

• inquiring into and advising upon disputes which may have arisen between States;
• investigating and discussing subjects in which some or all of the States, or the Union and one or more of the States, have a common interest; or
• making recommendations upon any such subject and in particular, recommendations for the better co-ordination of policy and action with respect to that subject,

it shall be lawful for the President by order to establish such a Council, and to define the nature of the duties to be performed by it and its organization and procedure.”

Functions and Duties:

• Inter-State Council is a recommendatory body and it investigates and discusses such subjects, in which some  or all of the States or the Union and one or more of the States have a common interest, for better coordination of policy and action with  respect to that subject.
• It also deliberates upon such other matters of general interests to the States as may be referred by the Chairman to the Council.

Composition of Inter-state Council

• Prime Minister is the Chairman of the Inter-state Council.
• Chief Ministers of all the States and Union Territories having Legislative Assemblies, Administrators of Union Territories not having Legislative Assemblies, Governors of States under President’s rule and six Ministers of Cabinet rank in the Union Council of Ministers, nominated by the Chairman of the Council, are members of the Council.
• Five Ministers of Cabinet rank nominated by the Chairman of the Council are permanent invitees to the Council.

Secretariat:

• The Inter-State Council is assisted by Secretariat, which is headed by a Secretary to the Government of India.
• The Inter-State Council Secretariat closely monitors the implementation of the recommendations made by the Inter-State Council, and places the Action Taken Report before the Standing Committee/Council for consideration.
• Inter-State Council Secretariat also works as Secretariat of the Zonal Councils.

11^th Meeting of Inter- State Council Meeting:

PM Narendra Modi chaired the 11th meeting of Inter-State Council held on July 16, 2016. Union Ministers and Chief Minister of all 31 states were in attendance.

Highlights:

• Education should be such that makes students inquisitive, curious.
• Vivekananda had said education was the building of character, enhance your capabilities, to be able to stand on your feet.
• We have to make our youths such that they can think logically, use their minds.
• One of the agendas of today is internal security.
• Our country can't be secured till there is intelligence sharing, cooperation and state of the art facilities.
• Interstate council gives us a chance to listen to various suggestions freely.
• This will not just enshrine the values of cooperative federalism, but will ensure a better future for our citizens.