RAS question
Zonal Councils in India were established under which Act?
Correct answer: (D) States Reorganisation Act, 1956.
India's five Zonal Councils were established under Part III of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956.
Explanation
India's five Zonal Councils were set up under Part III of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956; the Ministry of Home Affairs states this statutory basis. These are the Northern, Central, Eastern, Western and Southern Zonal Councils. Their purpose was to create a high-level advisory forum after linguistic reorganisation, so States in a region could cooperate, discuss inter-State and Centre-State issues, and reduce regional friction. The Union Home Minister chairs each of these councils, which underlines their role as consultative bodies within cooperative federalism rather than as local-government or dispute-adjudication institutions. The North-Eastern States are dealt with separately through the North Eastern Council, so they are not counted among these five Zonal Councils.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) The Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 concerns local self-government in Scheduled Areas, not the five regional Zonal Councils created under the States Reorganisation Act.
- (B) The Inter-State Water Disputes Act, 1956 is tied to river-water disputes, whereas Zonal Councils are wider advisory forums for inter-State and Centre-State cooperation.
- (C) The Government of India Act, 1935 predates independent India's post-reorganisation Zonal Councils and is not the statute under which the five councils were set up.
Concept
Cooperative federalism includes statutory institutions linked to Centre-State relations. RAS governance preparation often requires clear links between institutions, their parent Acts and their practical roles.