Previous Year Question
The North Eastern Council (NEC) was established by the North Eastern Council Act, 1971. Subsequent to the amendment of the NEC Act in 2002, the Council comprises which of the following members?
Governor of the Constituent State
Chief Minister of the Constituent State
Three members to be nominated by the President of India
The Home Minister of India
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
1, 2 and 3
1, 3 and 4
2 and 4
1, 2, 3 and 4
Correct Answer: A
Detailed Solution
The North Eastern Council is a statutory regional body established under the North Eastern Council Act, 1971. It began functioning in 1972.
Following the North Eastern Council (Amendment) Act, 2002, its basic statutory membership comprises:
The Governors of all eight constituent States.
The Chief Ministers of all eight constituent States.
Three members nominated by the President.
Why is Statement 4 not included?
Under the present administrative arrangement, the Union Home Minister is the ex-officio Chairman of the North Eastern Council, while the Minister for Development of North Eastern Region is its ex-officio Vice-Chairman. However, the amended 2002 Act does not separately list the Union Home Minister, merely by virtue of that office, as an automatic and mandatory category in the Council’s basic statutory composition.
The Act empowers the President to nominate the Chairman and, where considered necessary, nominate a Union Minister as a member of the Council. The Home Minister’s chairmanship is connected with this statutory nomination and the subsequent governmental arrangement. Statement 4 is therefore not treated as an automatic component of the membership expressly prescribed by the amended Act.
Constituent States of the NEC
The Council comprises the following eight States:
Arunachal Pradesh
Assam
Manipur
Meghalaya
Mizoram
Nagaland
Sikkim
Tripura
Sikkim was included in the Council through the 2002 amendment. Before this amendment, the Council covered seven North-Eastern States.
Major functions of the Council
After the 2002 amendment, the NEC was given a broader role as an important regional planning body for the economic and social development of the North-Eastern Region. Its functions include:
Considering regional plans and projects for the North-East.
Promoting projects of common interest to multiple States.
Coordinating inter-State transport, communication, power, health, education and infrastructure.
Advising the Union and State Governments on balanced regional development.
Reviewing the implementation and progress of regional projects.
Considering common security and development-related matters affecting the States.
The Council is headquartered at Shillong, Meghalaya, and functions within the administrative domain of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region.
Difference from Zonal Councils
The NEC is not one of the five Zonal Councils established under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956. It is a separate statutory body established under the North Eastern Council Act, 1971.