Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah addresses Press Conference in Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh

1. At a Glance

• Zonal Councils are statutory advisory bodies promoting inter-state cooperation and cooperative federalism under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956 (Sections 15–22) [2].
• The Central Zonal Council (CZC) comprises four states: Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand; chaired by the Union Home Minister [2].
• The 26th CZC meeting was held in Bastar, Chhattisgarh, chaired by Shri Amit Shah, and was framed around the declared Naxal-free Bastar / Naxal-free India milestone [3].
• High UPSC salience: federalism + internal security (LWE) + tribal development converge.

2. Why in the News

• 26th CZC convened in Bastar under Union Home Minister Amit Shah; agenda items centered on monitoring of development works in former LWE-affected areas [3].
• Shah declared the entire Bastar region Naxal-free and the CZC region also "dispute-free" with no pending inter-state or Centre–state disputes [1][3].
• Aligns with the GoI deadline to eliminate Naxalism by 31 March 2026 [3].

3. Background & Evolution

• 1956: Zonal Councils created under States Reorganisation Act, 1956 (Sec. 15–22) on the recommendation of Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru to foster post-reorganisation cooperation [2].
• 5 Zonal Councils: Northern, Central, Eastern, Western, Southern (a sixth, North-Eastern Council, was set up separately under the NEC Act, 1971 — statutorily distinct) [2].
• Standing Committees at Chief Secretary level pre-screen agenda items before Council meetings [2].
• Revived activity post-2014; Shah has chaired multiple Zonal Council meetings (e.g., 25th CZC in Varanasi, 27th Western ZC in Pune) [2].

4. Core Static Facts

• Statutory base: States Reorganisation Act, 1956, Sections 15–22 [2].
• Nature: Advisory (not constitutional, not executive).
• CZC member states: Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand [2].
• Chairperson: Union Home Minister (for all 5 ZCs) [2].
• Vice-Chairperson: Chief Minister of a member state, rotating annually [2].
• Members: CMs/LGs/Administrators of member states/UTs; plus two ministers per state nominated by the Governor [2].
• Advisors: Member from NITI Aayog + Chief Secretaries + one other officer per state [2].
• Parent ministry: Ministry of Home Affairs; Inter-State Council Secretariat services them [2].
• Distinct from Inter-State Council (which is constitutional under Article 263) [2].

5. Multi-Dimensional Analysis

• Legal / Constitutional
• ZCs are statutory, not constitutional; distinct from Article 263 Inter-State Council [2].

• The CZC supplements Article 263's coordination objectives without displacing it [2].

• Administrative / Federal

• "Whole of Government Approach" invoked: convergence of central ministries and state departments for development delivery in cleared LWE zones [1][3].

• Shah's claim of zero pending inter-state / Centre–state disputes in the CZC region cited as a federal-cooperation achievement [1].

• Internal Security

• Declared Bastar Naxal-free prior to the meeting; CZC used as platform to consolidate post-LWE governance [1][3].

• Linked to the GoI target — end Naxalism before 31 March 2026 [3].

• Social / Tribal

• Bastar is a Schedule V tribal region; convergence agenda focuses on bringing former LWE areas "at par" with the rest of India [1].

• Governance

• CZC functions as a forum for development monitoring, not just dispute resolution — a shift visible in the Bastar agenda [3].

6. Recent Developments (last 12–18 months)

• 25th CZC chaired by Shah in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh [2].
• 27th Western Zonal Council held in Pune, Maharashtra (22 Feb 2025) [2].
• 'Bharat Manthan-2025: Naxal Mukt Bharat' valedictory address by Shah, New Delhi [3].
• MHA Year-End Review 2025 highlighted LWE rollback [3].
• Shah met families of CAPF martyrs and Naxal-violence victims in Jagdalpur ahead of the CZC meeting [3].
• 26th CZC, Bastar — declared Bastar Naxal-free; agenda fully development-monitoring [1][3].

7. Prelims Hooks

• Zonal Councils are established under Sections 15–22 of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956 [2].
• They are statutory, not constitutional bodies [2].
• Five Zonal Councils exist; North-Eastern Council is separate, under the NEC Act, 1971 [2].
• Union Home Minister is the common chairperson of all five ZCs [2].
• Vice-Chair is a member-state CM, rotating every year [2].
• CZC = Chhattisgarh + MP + UP + Uttarakhand [2].
• Inter-State Council Secretariat (under MHA) services Zonal Councils [2].
• Article 263 governs the Inter-State Council — not the Zonal Councils [2].
• 26th CZC venue: Bastar, Chhattisgarh [1][3].
• Government target for ending Naxalism: 31 March 2026 [3].
• Each state nominates two ministers (by the Governor) to its Zonal Council [2].
• Standing Committees of ZCs are at Chief Secretary level [2].

8. Mains Relevance

• GS-II: Polity & Governance — Federalism, devolution, inter-state relations, mechanisms for cooperative federalism (Article 263, ZCs, ISC).
• GS-III: Internal Security — Left-Wing Extremism, role of states & CAPFs, development as counter-insurgency.
• Possible question stems: 1. "Zonal Councils have evolved from instruments of dispute resolution to platforms of cooperative federalism." Examine. 2. "Discuss the role of a 'Whole of Government Approach' in addressing Left-Wing Extremism, with reference to the Bastar experience." [1] 3. "Distinguish between the Inter-State Council and Zonal Councils. How complementary are they?"

9. Related Topics to Study Next

• Inter-State Council (Article 263) — constitutional counterpart of ZCs.
• North-Eastern Council (NEC Act, 1971) — parallel statutory body.
• States Reorganisation Act, 1956 & Fazl Ali Commission — historical context.
• SAMADHAN doctrine / LWE strategy — MHA's anti-Naxal framework.
• Schedule V & PESA, 1996 — tribal governance in Bastar.
• Aspirational Districts Programme — development convergence model used in LWE areas.
• Finance Commission & GST Council — other federal coordination bodies.
• Sarkaria & Punchhi Commissions — Centre-State relations.

10. Common Errors / Trap Areas

• Treating Zonal Councils as constitutional — they are statutory (SR Act, 1956). Article 263 is the ISC.
• Including North-Eastern states in any of the 5 ZCs — NEC is separate under the 1971 Act.
• Confusing Central Zonal Council (MP, UP, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand) with Eastern (Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, WB) — Chhattisgarh is Central, not Eastern.
• Assuming PM chairs ZCs — it is the Union Home Minister.
• Mistaking ZCs as decision-making — they are advisory/deliberative only.