Question

The Chairman of Zonal Council in India is:
1. Finance Minister
2. Chairman of Rajya Sabha
3. Union Home Minister
4. Speaker of Lok Sabha

Answer 1

Correct Answer - Option 3 : Union Home Minister

The correct answer is Union Home Minister.

• The idea of the creation of Zonal Councils was mooted by the first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru in 1956 when during the course of the debate on the report of the States Re-organisation Commission.
• In the light of the vision of Pandit Nehru, five Zonal Councils were set up vide Part-III of the States Re-organisation Act, 1956. These are-
  • The Northern Zonal Council
  • The Central Zonal Council
  • The Eastern Zonal Council
  • The Western Zonal Council
  • The Southern Zonal Council
• Each Zonal Council has set up a Standing Committee consisting of Chief Secretaries of the member States of their respective Zonal Councils.
• These Standing Committees meet from time to time to resolve the issues or to do the necessary groundwork for further meetings of the Zonal Councils.
• Chairman - The Union Home Minister is the Chairman of each of these Councils.
• Vice-Chairman - The Chief Ministers of the States included in each zone act as Vice-Chairman of the Zonal Council for that zone by rotation, each holding office for a period of one year at a time.
• Union Home Minister- Sh. Amit Shah.