Inter-State Council Standing Committee

Context:

  • The Standing Committee of the Inter-State Council (ISC) headed by the Union Home Minister completed the onerous task of deliberations on all the 273 recommendations of the Punchhi Commission.

Other details:

  • The Standing Committee examined in detail various recommendations of the Punchhi Commission contained in these two volumes.
  • The recommendations in Volume VI of the Punchhi Commission report are related to Environment, Natural Resources and Infrastructure and cover the subjects on (a) Environment; (b) Water; (c) Forests; (d) Minerals and (e) Infrastructure.
  • The recommendations in Volume VII related to Socio-economic Development, Public Policy and Good Governance and cover the subjects on (a) Public Policy, Constitutional Governance and Public Administration; (b) Socio-political Developments and its Impact on Governance; (c) Basic Needs of People, Directive Principles and State Accountability, Centrally Sponsored Development Schemes and Federal Relations; (d) Migration, Human Development and Challenges to Constitutional Governance; and (e) Good Governance and Delivery of Public Services.

About Punchhi Commission:

  • The Punchhi Commission notified in 2005 submitted its report in 2010. The recommendations of the Punchhi Commission, which are contained in seven Volumes pertain to History of Centre-State Relations in India; Constitutional Governance and Management of Centre-State Relations; Centre-State Financial Relations and Planning; Local Self-Governments and Decentralized Governance; Internal Security, Criminal Justice and Centre-State Co­operation; Environment, Natural Resources & Infrastructure; and Socio-Economic Development, Public Policy and Good Governance. 

About Inter-state council:

The Council is a recommendatory body to investigate and discuss subjects, in which some or all of the states or the union government have a common interest.

Key facts:

  • Article 263 of the Constitution of India provides for the establishment of an Inter-State Council.
  • It considers recommendations for the better coordination of policy and action, and also matters of general interest to the states.
  • The inter-state council is not a permanent constitutional body for coordination between the states and union government. It can be established ‘at any time’ if it appears to the President that the public interests would be served by the establishment of such a council.

The Council shall consist of:

  • Prime minister who is the chairman.
  • Chief ministers of all states who are members.
  • Chief ministers of union territories and administrators of UTs as members.
  • Six union ministers of cabinet rank in the union council of ministers nominated by the prime minister are also members.

Source:PIB

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