7th Schedule and Interstate Council

  • September 18, 2020
  • Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
  • Category: DPN Topics
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Subject: Polity

Context:

India’s response to Covid-19 reflects the power, problems, potential of federalism

Concept:

Interstate Council

  • Article 263 of the Constitution of India provides for the establishment of an Inter-State Council.
  • The text of the Article reads as under:  “263. Provisions with respect to an inter-State Council – If at any time it appears to the President that the public interests would be served by the establishment of a Council charged with the duty of –
    • inquiring into and advising upon disputes which may have arisen between States;
    • investigating and discussing subjects in which some or all of the States, or the Union and one or more of the States, have a common interest; or
    • making recommendations upon any such subject and, in particular, recommendations for the better co-ordination of policy and action with respect to that subject,
    • it shall be lawful for the President by order to establish such a Council, and to define the nature of the duties to be performed by it and its organization and procedure.”
  • The Commission on Centre-State Relations under the Chairmanship of Justice R. S. Sarkaria in its report in January 1988 recommended that:
    • A permanent Inter-State Council called the Inter-Governmental Council (IGC) should be set up under Article 263.
    • The IGC should be charged with the duties set out in clauses (b) and (c) of Article 263, other than socio-economic planning and development
    • Government of India accepted the recommendation of the Sarkaria Commission to set-up an Inter-State Council and notified the establishment of the Inter-State Council
  • The Inter-State Council was established under Article 263 of the Constitution of India on 1990
  • The Council consists of:-
    • Prime Minister – Chairman
    • Chief Ministers of all States – Members
    • Chief Ministers of Union Territories having a Legislative Assembly and Administrators of UTs not having a Legislative Assembly – Members
    • Six Ministers of Cabinet rank in the Union Council of Ministers to be nominated by the Prime Minister – Members
7th Schedule and Interstate Council Polity