The 25th meeting of the Western Zonal Council is set to take place in January 2020, chaired by the Union Home Minister. Marking Maharashtra as the lead coordinator, the state’s Chief Minister will also co-chair the meeting focusing on matters of online safety, particularly for women, and cyberbullying prevention measures. The last council meeting, which was the 24th, happened in Goa in August 2019.
Western Zonal Council Overview
The Western Zonal Council comprises of Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and the Union Territories of Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. As directed, the Maharashtra government will conduct awareness campaigns throughout its districts about issues pertaining to cyberbullying of women, cyber frauds, internet child pornography, and more.
Under the campaign, which they call ‘Cyber Safe Women’, the entire state is expected to participate with goals to secure internet safety for women and children, and minimizing online crimes targeted against them.
Understanding Zonal Councils
Zonal Councils are statutory bodies, not constitutional ones. Established by an Act of the Parliament, specifically the States Reorganisation Act of 1956, these institutions play a significant role in India’s administrative system. The act segmented the entire country into five zones: Northern, Central, Eastern, Western, and Southern, while allocating a zonal council to each zone.
The formation of these zones accounts various factors such as the country’s natural divisions, cultural and linguistic affinity, river systems and means of communication, and the requirements of economic development, security, and law and order. Zonal councils include Home Minister of Central Government, Chief Ministers of all the states in the zone, two other ministers from each state in the zone, and Administrator of each Union Territory in the zone.
Additional Zonal Councils
Along with the basic zonal councils, a North-Eastern Council also exists. Created by a separate Act of Parliament, the North-Eastern Council Act of 1971, its members include Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Sikkim.
Zonal councils primarily function as advisory bodies, making recommendations on any matters of common interest in economic and social planning between the Centre and States, border disputes, linguistic minorities, inter-State transport, or matters associated with the reorganisation of States.
| Zones | States Included |
|---|---|
| Northern Zone | … |
| Central Zone | … |
| Eastern Zone | … |
| Western Zone | Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli |
| Southern Zone | … |
| North-Eastern Zone | Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Tripura, Sikkim |
The Role and Impact of Zonal Councils
Zonal Councils are important pillars of administrative cooperation and coordination. They play a significant role in bringing together states and union territories for discussions on matters of common interest, essentially fostering cooperation and harmony among them. These bodies also provide a platform for resolving disputes or disagreements that may arise between the centre and the states, or among the states themselves.
