Centre reconstitutes Inter-State Council

What is the News?

The Inter-State Council has been reconstituted with Prime Minister as Chairman and Chief Ministers of all States and six Union Ministers as members. Ten Union Ministers will be the permanent invitees to the Inter-State Council.

The standing committee of the Inter-State Council has also reconstituted with Union Home Minister.

About Inter-State Council

Article 263 of the Constitution of India provides for the establishment of an Inter-State Council. It is a constitutional body that has representatives of the Union government as well as chief ministers of states.

The Council is not a permanent constitutional body for coordination between the states and the Center. Instead, the President can establish the council at any time if it appears to him that the public interests would be served by the establishment of such a council.

Mandate: To inquire and advise on interstate disputes and to provide recommendations for better policy coordination.

Chaired by: The Prime Minister.

Members: a) Chief Ministers of all the States and Union Territories with Assembly, b) the Administrators of the Union Territories without Assembly, c) the Governors of the States under the rule of the President, d) the six Ministers in the Cabinet, including the home minister, to be nominated by the PM, and e) Five ministers of the cabinet rank are permanent invitees of the council.

Meetings and decisions: The council meeting are supposed to be held thrice a year and its decisions on all questions are decided by consensus.

Formation of Standing committee: A standing committee of the council was set up in 1996 for continuous consultation and processing of matters for the consideration of the council. The chairman of this standing committee is Union Home Minister.

Source: The post is based on the article “Centre reconstitutes Inter-State Council” published in The Hindu on 24th May 2022.