BharatNotes What is Inter-State Council?
The Inter-State Council (ISC) is a body established under Article 263 of the Constitution to promote coordination between the Union and the States. Article 263 empowers the President — whenever it appears that public interest would be served — to establish such a Council by order, defining its duties, organisation and procedure. The Council was constituted by a Presidential Order dated 28 May 1990, acting on the recommendation of the Sarkaria Commission on Centre-State Relations. Its Secretariat was set up in 1991 and now functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Crucially, the ISC is advisory and recommendatory — its recommendations are not legally enforceable. It is rooted in the Constitution yet is not a permanent "constitutional body" in the way the Election Commission is, since Article 263 only enables, rather than mandates, its creation.
Functions under Article 263
Article 263 lays down three core duties:
- Inquiring into and advising upon disputes that may have arisen between States.
- Investigating and discussing subjects of common interest to the Union and States, or among States.
- Making recommendations for better coordination of policy and action on such subjects.
Composition
| Element | Detail (as of Nov-2024 reconstitution) |
|---|---|
| Chairperson | Prime Minister |
| Members | Chief Ministers of all States; CMs of UTs with a Legislative Assembly; Administrators of UTs without an Assembly |
| Union Ministers | Six Cabinet-rank Union Ministers nominated by the PM |
| Standing Committee | Chaired by the Union Home Minister |
The Council was last reconstituted on 11 November 2024, with the Prime Minister as chairman, all CMs as members, and nine Union ministers; thirteen Union ministers were named permanent invitees. The Standing Committee, chaired by the Home Minister, undertakes continuous consultation and processes matters before they reach the full Council.
Performance and Significance
Despite a recommendation that it meet at least thrice a year, the full Council has met sparingly — only 12 meetings between 1990 and 2022, the twelfth held in July 2022. Its Standing Committee deliberated extensively on the Punchhi Commission report (the Commission was set up in 2005 under Justice M.M. Punchhi and submitted its seven-volume report in 2010), with the Standing Committee's 12th meeting (25 November 2017) considering 118 of its recommendations.
The ISC remains the most authoritative forum for cooperative federalism on politically sensitive Centre-State matters — fiscal relations, internal security, river-water issues and Governor's powers. Critics argue its infrequent sittings and purely advisory mandate limit its impact, and reform proposals seek to make it a permanent, regularly-convened apex body.
UPSC Angle
For Prelims, remember: Article 263, President constitutes it, advisory not binding, born of the Sarkaria Commission (1990). For Mains GS2, deploy it in answers on federalism and on under-used constitutional mechanisms. Distinguish it sharply from the statutory Zonal Councils (States Reorganisation Act, 1956), which are a frequent point of confusion.
Sources: interstatecouncil.gov.in; PIB; constitutionofindia.net (Article 263).
