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Polity & Governance GS 2 In the news 4 times

Zonal Councils

Zonal Councils are statutory (not constitutional) advisory bodies created to foster cooperation and resolve inter-state disputes among states grouped by geographic zone, established to ease frictions following the large-scale reorganisation of states along linguistic lines.

Key details
  • Established under Sections 15 to 22 of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956
  • Five Zonal Councils exist: Northern, Central, Eastern, Western, and Southern (a sixth, the North Eastern Council, was created separately under the North Eastern Council Act, 1971)
  • Each council covers a defined group of states and Union Territories; membership is fixed by statute though non-member UTs can be included as special invitees
  • Functions are advisory: promoting cooperation on economic and social planning, border disputes, inter-state transport, and linguistic minority issues
In the news

Tracked since August 19, 2026 · last seen August 20, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes

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