<p>In line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s plans to improve Centre-State relations, the Union Home Ministry has decided to revive the Inter-State Council (ISC) that last met eight years ago.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Home Minister Rajnath Singh has directed officials to begin the groundwork for convening meetings of the Zonal Councils and Inter-State Council. The Ministry has set a deadline of October next year for completing the first round of meetings of five Zonal Councils and the ISC.<br /><br />“Inter-State Council Secretariat (ISCS) has been requested to take up the preparatory work (for meetings),” Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State for Home Affairs, informed Lok Sabha in a written reply on Tuesday.<br /><br />The Inter-State Council was established on the recommendations of Justice Sarkaria Commission in 1990 under Article 263 of the Constitution as an independent national forum with the prime minister as chairman.<br /><br />The last time the ISC met was in December 9, 2006. The Council, a recommendatory body assigned to investigate and discuss subjects of common interest, had only met ten times in the past 24 years.<br /><br />The Congress party appeared to be reluctant in convening ISC meetings as only two meetings were held during the 15 years they ruled in two instalments (1991-96 and 2004-14) since the first meeting in 1990.</p>
<p>In line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s plans to improve Centre-State relations, the Union Home Ministry has decided to revive the Inter-State Council (ISC) that last met eight years ago.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Home Minister Rajnath Singh has directed officials to begin the groundwork for convening meetings of the Zonal Councils and Inter-State Council. The Ministry has set a deadline of October next year for completing the first round of meetings of five Zonal Councils and the ISC.<br /><br />“Inter-State Council Secretariat (ISCS) has been requested to take up the preparatory work (for meetings),” Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State for Home Affairs, informed Lok Sabha in a written reply on Tuesday.<br /><br />The Inter-State Council was established on the recommendations of Justice Sarkaria Commission in 1990 under Article 263 of the Constitution as an independent national forum with the prime minister as chairman.<br /><br />The last time the ISC met was in December 9, 2006. The Council, a recommendatory body assigned to investigate and discuss subjects of common interest, had only met ten times in the past 24 years.<br /><br />The Congress party appeared to be reluctant in convening ISC meetings as only two meetings were held during the 15 years they ruled in two instalments (1991-96 and 2004-14) since the first meeting in 1990.</p>
