User:Aravind V R/Inter State Council

The Inter-State Council is a recommendatory body of the Government of India set up under Article 263 of Indian constitution, with duties to investigate and discuss the subjects of common interest between the Union and State(s) or among the States, making recommendations particularly for better coordination of policy and action on these subjects and deliberating upon such other matters of general interest to the States which may be referred to it by its Chairman. The Council also deliberates upon such other matters of general interest to the States as may be referred by the Chairman to the Council.

History
The Union Government, constituted a Commission in 1983 under the Chairmanship of Justice R S Sarkaria to review the working of the existing arrangements between the Union and the States. One of the important recommendations of Sarkaria Commission was for establishing a permanent Inter-State Council as an independent national forum for consultation with a mandate well defined in accordance with Article 263 of the Constitution of India. Pursuant to the recommendation, The Inter-State-Council was set up under Article 263 of the Constitution of India vide Presidential Order dated 28.5.1990.

Composition
The present composition of the Council is as follows:
 * 1) Prime Minister (Chairman)
 * 2) Chief Ministers of all States
 * 3) Chief Ministers of Union Territories having a Legislative Assembly and Administrators of UTs not having a Legislative Assembly and Governors of States under President’s Rule (Governor’s Rule in the case of J&K)
 * 4) Six Ministers of Cabinet rank in the Union Council of Ministers to be nominated by the Prime Minister
 * 5) Four Ministers of Cabinet rank as Permanent invitees

Functions
The Council is a recommendatory body with the following duties: -
 * 1) 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;
 * 2) Making recommendations upon any such subject and in particular recommendations for the better coordination of policy and action with respect to that subject; and
 * 3) Deliberating upon such other matters of general interest to the States as may be referred by the Chairman to the Council.