INTRODUCTION
The Inter-State Council was established under Article 263 of the Constitution of India through a Presidential Order dated 28.5.1990. The Council is a recommendatory body with the following duties: -
(a) Investigating and discussing such subjects, in which some or all of the States or the Union and one or more of the States have a common interest, as may be brought up before it;
(b) Making recommendations upon any such subject and in particular recommendations for the better coordination of policy and action with respect to that subject; and
(c) Deliberating upon such other matters of general interest to the States as may be referred by the Chairman to the Council.
The Council is headed by the Prime Minister and Chief Ministers of all the States/Union Territories, as also six Union Ministers of Cabinet rank are its Members. The mandate of the Council is to investigate and discuss any subject of common or general interest to the States and the Union, and to make recommendations thereof. The Presidential Order of 1990 has been amended twice vide Orders dated 19.7.1990 and 24.12.1996 providing for Governor of a State under President’s rule to attend the meeting of the Council and nomination by the Chairman of permanent invitees from amongst the other Union Ministers, respectively. The Inter-State Council was last reconstituted on 21.08.2009.
As per a decision taken in the Council’s second meeting held on 15.10.1996, a Standing Committee of the Council was set up on 05.12.1996 under the Chairmanship of Union Home Minister to have continuous consultation and process matters for consideration of the Council. Further, it can consider any matter referred to it by the Chairman /Council. The Standing Committee was last reconstituted on 21.08.2009.
Since its inception the Council has held ten meetings. The first meeting was held on 10.10.1990 and the tenth meeting was held on 09.12.2006 at New Delhi. In its tenth meeting the Council deliberated on the following issue:
1. Atrocities on Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and status of implementation of the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
Details of the Composition of the ISC since its Constitution