With reference to India, consider the following:
- I.The Inter-State Council
- II.The National Security Council
- III.Zonal Councils
How many of the above were established as per the provisions of the Constitution of India?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (a) Only one
Only the Inter-State Council was set up as per a provision of the Constitution, namely Article 263. Zonal Councils exist under a law of Parliament, the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, and the National Security Council is an executive body with no place in the Constitution's text.
- ✓ I Article 263 lets the President establish an inter-State Council by order. The Inter-State Council was set up on that basis by a Presidential Order dated 28 May 1990.
- ✗ II The Constitution contains no provision for a National Security Council. It is an apex body headed by the Prime Minister, formed by the Government.
- ✗ III The five Zonal Councils were created under Part III of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, so they are statutory, not constitutional, bodies.
Remember · Inter-State Council: constitutional (Art. 263). Zonal Councils: statutory (States Reorganisation Act, 1956). National Security Council: executive body, not in the Constitution.
Sources
- Constitution of India, Article 263 (Legislative Department, 2024 edition) ↗ “263. Provisions with respect to an inter-State Council.—If at any time it appears to the President that the public interests would be served by the establishment of a Council charged with the duty of—”
- Inter-State Council Secretariat (Ministry of Home Affairs): Inter-State Council Genesis ↗ “Government of India accepted the recommendation of the Sarkaria Commission to set-up an Inter-State Council and notified the establishment of the Inter-State Council vide Presidential Order dated 28.05.1990.”
- Inter-State Council Secretariat (Ministry of Home Affairs): Zonal Councils Genesis ↗ “The Zonal Councils were created vide Part-III of the States Re-Organisation Act, 1956”
- PIB (Ministry of Home Affairs): National Policy on Security ↗ “All aspects of national security are deliberated upon by the National Security Council (NSC), the apex body, headed by the Prime Minister.”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2025, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·