Context:

• The 27th meeting of the Western Zonal Council was held on February 22, 2025, in Pune, Maharashtra, chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
• The meeting was hosted by the Maharashtra government and organized by the Inter-State Council Secretariat under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, in collaboration with the Maharashtra government.

Participants in the Meeting:

• Chief Ministers of member states
• Administrators of Union Territories
• Two senior ministers from each state
• Chief Secretaries, Advisors, and senior officials of State Governments and Union Territories
• Union Home Secretary, Secretary of the Inter-State Council, and other senior officials of the Central Government

Key Issues Discussed:

1. Major Regional and National Issues

• Expedited investigation of crimes against women and children
• Implementation of Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs)
• Availability of banking services within 5 km of every village
• Implementation of Emergency Response Support System (ERSS-112)
• Issues related to infrastructure, mining, environment, and food security

2. Key National Topics

• Electricity supply and operations
• Discussion on Urban Master Plans
• Eliminating malnutrition among children under the Poshan Abhiyan
• Measures to reduce the school dropout rate
• Enhancing government hospital participation in the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana
• Strengthening Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS)

Zonal Councils:

• They are statutory (not constitutional) bodies.
• Established under the States Reorganization Act, 1956.
• Formation: 1957
• Total Councils: Five (Northern, Central, Eastern, Western, and Southern)
• Chairperson: Union Home Minister
• Objective: To enhance coordination and cooperation among states and Union Territories.

Objectives of Zonal Councils:

• Facilitating mutual cooperation and resolving disputes between two or more states
• Strengthening the federal structure by improving coordination between states and the center
• Discussing and addressing key developmental issues

Organizational Structure:

• Chairperson: The Union Home Minister serves as the Chairperson of all Zonal Councils.
• Vice-Chairperson: The Chief Ministers of the states included in each zonal council act as the Vice-Chairperson on a rotational basis for one year.
• Members:
  • Chief Ministers and two other ministers nominated by the Governor from each state
  • Two members from the Union Territories included in the council
• Advisors:
  • One advisor nominated by the Planning Commission (now NITI Aayog) for each Zonal Council
  • Chief Secretaries and one additional officer/development commissioner nominated by each state in the zone

Zonal Councils and Their Member States:

North Eastern Council (NEC):

• The North Eastern Council (NEC) was established in 1971 under the North Eastern Council Act, 1971, passed by Parliament.
• It serves as a special regional council for the eight northeastern states of India.
• Member States: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Sikkim (included in 2002).
• Chairperson: The Union Home Minister of India serves as the ex-officio chairperson.