Context
Recently, the 31st Southern Zonal Council meeting was held at Mamallapuram, Tamil Nadu, under the chairmanship of the Union Home Minister. Southern States agreed that pending water disputes should be resolved quickly through dialogue, mutual trust and coordination among the concerned governments.
Explanation
- Zonal Councils are statutory advisory bodies under Part III of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956 — not constitutional bodies or courts.
- Proposed by Jawaharlal Nehru after linguistic reorganisation, five councils began in 1957: Northern, Central, Eastern, Western and Southern.
- The Southern Zonal Council covers Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Puducherry, Lakshadweep and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
- The Union Home Minister chairs all five; a Chief Minister of the zone is Vice-Chairperson by annual rotation.
- Each State sends its Chief Minister and two ministers nominated by the Governor; Standing Committees of Chief Secretaries prepare the groundwork, with the secretariat under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
- They discuss inter-State borders, water, power, transport, linguistic minorities and internal security, but their recommendations are not legally binding.
- They differ from the Inter-State Council under Article 263; the north-east has a separate North Eastern Council (1971).
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