Context: Recently, the Inter-State Council, which works to promote and support cooperative federalism in the country, has been reconstituted with PM Modi as Chairman and CMs of all States and six Union Ministers as members.

• The standing committee of the Inter-State Council has also reconstituted with Union Home Minister.

About Inter-State Council(ISC)

• Article 263 of the Constitution of India provides for the establishment of an Inter-State Council. It is a constitutional body that has representatives of the Union government as well as chief ministers of states.

• The Council is not a permanent constitutional body for coordination between the states and the Center. Instead, the President can establish the council at any time if it appears to him that the public interests would be served by the establishment of such a council.

• Mandate: To inquire and advise on interstate disputes and to provide recommendations for better policy coordination.

• Chaired by: The Prime Minister.

Members

• a) Chief Ministers of all the States and Union Territories with Assembly, 
• b) the Administrators of the Union Territories without Assembly, 
• c) the Governors of the States under the rule of the President, 
• d) the six Ministers in the Cabinet, including the home minister, to be nominated by the PM, and 
• e) Five ministers of the cabinet rank are permanent invitees of the council.

Meetings and decisions: The council meeting are supposed to be held thrice a year and its decisions on all questions are decided by consensus.

Formation of Standing committee: A standing committee of the council was set up in 1996 for continuous consultation and processing of matters for the consideration of the council. The chairman of this standing committee is Union Home Minister.

Aims of the ISC

• Decentralisation of powers to the states as much as possible
• More transfer of financial resources to the states
• Arrangements for devolution in such a way that the states can fulfil their obligations
• Advancement of loans to states should be related to as ‘the productive principle’
• Deployment of Central Armed Police Forces in the states either on their request or otherwise