HM Amit Shah to chair 32nd Northern Zonal Council meeting in Faridabad on November 17

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will chair the 32nd meeting of the Northern Zonal Council in Faridabad on November 17, bringing together states and Union Territories to review regional issues and strengthen coordination between the Centre and states.

The meeting, hosted by the Haryana government and organised by the Inter-State Council Secretariat of the Home Ministry, will see participation from senior officials across member states and the Centre. The Northern Zonal Council comprises Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Chandigarh.

32nd meeting of the Northern Zonal Council: What will be discussed?

Add Zee Business as a Preferred Source

According to the Home Ministry, the meeting is expected to take up a wide range of issues affecting two or more states, as well as matters requiring Centre–state collaboration. This includes faster investigation of cases of sexual offences against women and children, the implementation of Fast Track Special Courts for quicker disposal of such cases, and reviewing the progress of the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS-112).

The agenda is also expected to cover the expansion of brick-and-mortar banking facilities to every village, and discussions on strengthening essential sectors such as nutrition, education, health, electricity, urban planning and the cooperative framework. These matters often require coordinated planning across states and departments.

How the Zonal Councils function?

The Northern Zonal Council is one of the five councils established under Sections 15 to 22 of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956. Amit Shah serves as its chairperson, while Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini is the vice-chairperson. Each member state is represented by two ministers nominated by the Governor, while a permanent committee comprising Chief Secretaries of each state reviews issues before they reach the council.

Officials said that although the councils are advisory, they have become an important platform for resolving inter-state matters and promoting cooperation. Over the past eleven years, 63 meetings of Zonal Councils and their permanent committees have been held, contributing to smoother coordination between states and the Centre.

Strengthening cooperative federalism

The Home Ministry noted that the councils play a crucial role in advancing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘TEAM BHARAT’ — a framework built on the idea that strong states together create a stronger nation. The Faridabad meeting is expected to carry this approach forward by reviewing pending issues, identifying solutions and helping states progress on shared goals.