What is the Inter State Council?

Recently Tamil Nadu Chief Minister wrote to Prime Minister asking that at least three meetings of the Inter-State Council should be held every year to "strengthen the spirit of cooperative federalism", and that Bills of national importance be placed before the Council before being tabled in Parliament.

THE COUNCIL

• The Inter-State Council is a mechanism constituted to support Centre-State and Inter-State coordination and cooperation in India".
• It was established under Article 263 of the Constitution, which empowers the President to constitute such a body if the need is felt.
• In 1988, the Sarkaria Commission suggested the Council should exist as a permanent body, and in 1990 it came into existence through a Presidential Order.

Functions

• Its main functions are inquiring into and advising on disputes between states, investigating and discussing subjects in which two states or states and the Union have a common interest, and making recommendations for the better coordination of policy and action.

Members

• The Prime Minister is the Chairman of the Council, whose members include the Chief Ministers of all states and UTs with Legislative Assemblies, and Administrators of other UTS. Six Ministers of Cabinet rank in the Centre's Council of Ministers, nominated by the Prime Minister, are also its members.
• Following a reconstitution last month, the Inter-State Council will now have 10 Union Ministers as permanent invitees.
• Its standing committee has been reconstituted with Home Minister as Chairman Finance Minister and the Chief Ministers of Maharashtra, UP, and Gujarat as some of the other committee members.

STALIN'S LETTER

• Stalin has flagged the lack of regular meetings, saying the Council has met only once in the last six years-and that there has been no meeting since July 2016.
• Since its constitution in 1990, the body has met only 11 times, although its procedure states it should meet at least three times every year.
• Stalin appreciated the recent reconstitution of the Council. Stalin has frequently disagreed with the Centre's policies on matters of taxation, and on the medical entrance examination NEET.

THE LAST MEETING

• In 2016, the Inter-State Council meeting included consideration of the Punchhi Commission's recommendations on Centre-state Relations that were published in 2010. States asked for maintaining the federal structure amid growing "centralisation".
• Article 356 of the Constitution, which deals with the imposition of President's Rule in states, was also discussed.

Prelims Take Away

• Inter State council
• Punchhi commission
• Sarkaria Commission
• Central Council of Ministers
• Fedral Features of Constitution