Establishment Of Inter-State Council

Introduction

The Indian constitution has distributed power among states and unions in every field such as administrative, legislative and financial divisions. In the constitution’s seventeenth schedule, the power of legislation has been classified into state list, union list, and concurrent list. The legislation residuary power was vested into the parliament. To monitor several issues and maintain the power distribution system, the government of the Union takes steps as per time and conducts necessary activities to look at this process. 

 Discussion

 Interstate council

In 1998, the Union government created a commission to monitor the existing arrangement of states and unions under justice R.S Sarkaria Chairmanship. As per the Indian constitution’s Article 263, the interstate council has been constructed as a national forum independently to consult with the mandate. As per the vice-presidential order, this council was structured at 28.05.1990. The structure of this council has been followed according to the recommendation of the vice president. The current composition of this council structure is described. In this composition, the chairman is the prime minister. All state’s chief ministers are the general members of this council. The Union territory’s chief ministers have a legislative assembly and UTs’sadministrators’does not have any legislative assembly. Under the rule of the president, the state’s governors are the members along with all members that have been mentioned above. The members of the prime minister nominate six cabinet rank ministers in the council of Union. Four cabinet rank ministers are invited to this interstate council as permanent members.

 The important thing is to be noted that state ministers or other ministers who have charge independently in this Union government have to be invited as invitees permanently if the council chairman nominates them or any subject which falls under their charges are discussed.    

 Interstate council meaning

The interstate council has been established as a recommendatory body that must discuss and investigate common interest subjects between states and Unions. It may also investigate the interest of subjects among states. The primary duty of this council is to provide recommendations to take action and make policies in a better condition, particularly on these interesting subjects. This council may deliberate on general interest’s other matters which are implied by the chairman of this interstate council. Besides this, this council may also deliberate on general interest matters of several states that are referred by the council chairman. In this interstate council, a standing committee was structured for council consideration matter’s processing and consultation. This committee helps this council in every situation to handle smoothly such as any debating issue between the states and unions and properly maintain them. This committee has been composed of different ministers as its members and conductors. 

The Home Minister has been settled in this committee as the chairman, the cabinet’s rank five ministers and nine state chief ministers as the members of this committee. The Interstate council chairman nominates all these members and distributes their respective positions in this committee. While the Indian constitution was being formed, the inter state council was not considered mandatory to establish. Therefore, the constitution did not construct the ISC itself, but it kept it open for this establishment. In 19901, this option was utilized. After this issue, in 1990, on 28th May, this ISC was structured as a permanent body.     

 Establishment of the interstate council

The Indian constitution’s article 263 contemplates the ISC establishment for providing an effect on the coordination between the states and the centres. The president may construct this type of council at any time to serve the interests of the public. For the duty definition and performance, he was authorised by maintaining and following some procedures. On 28th May 1990, this interstate council was established to maintain the relationships among states and the Union in a proper manner. Certain duties of this council may be defined by the constitution such as advising and inquiring about the arisen disputes among states. They also may discuss and investigate the interesting subjects of both the centre and states. This council may also provide some recommendations for improvement of taken action and policies. In a year, this council conducts three meetings and the consensus makes all questions and decisions about this council. After getting formed, in 1996, a standing committee was constructed to council the consideration matters process and consult about those issues among the state and centre. The Home minister becomes the chairman of this standing committee.        

 Conclusion

In conclusion, this council is a body of recommendations with various duties to discuss and investigate common interest subjects among the states and unions. This also provides recommendations for the betterment of taken action and policies of both the states and the Union. The constitution delivers a polity that discusses the authority spheres between the states and unions to get exercised in their assigned fields. The constitution has also distributed powers among states and monitors this through this council.