Union Home Minister Amit Shah Chairs 73rd Plenary Session of North Eastern Council (NEC) in Shillong
Summary
Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired the 73rd Plenary Session of the North Eastern Council (NEC) in Shillong, Meghalaya, marking a significant high-level engagement with the development and security architecture of India's Northeast.
●The NEC, established under the North Eastern Council Act, 1971, is the apex-level body for economic and social planning in the eight northeastern states — Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura.
●The session serves as a platform to review ongoing development projects, address inter-state issues, and align regional priorities with national schemes.
●The NEC functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs and plays a critical role in bridging infrastructure, connectivity, and governance gaps in a strategically sensitive border region.
●For UPSC aspirants, this event underscores the importance of statutory regional bodies, cooperative federalism, and India's Act East Policy in the context of Northeast development.
Constitutional & Statutory Bodies
This sub-topic has appeared in 5 UPSC Prelims questions.
Essay Questions
The North Eastern Council (NEC) is a statutory body established under the North Eastern Council Act, 1971, and became operational in 1972.
●It originally comprised seven states but was expanded to include Sikkim in 2002 via the North Eastern Council (Amendment) Act, 2002, making it an eight-state body.
●The NEC functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs and is chaired by the Union Home Minister.
●Its headquarters is in Shillong, Meghalaya.
●The NEC prepares regional plans, coordinates inter-state transport, and advises on security matters.
●It is distinct from the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) and the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), which was carved out separately in 2001.
●The NEC's plenary sessions are the highest decision-making forums of the council and are held periodically to review development priorities.
The NEC is a statutory (not constitutional) body under the NE Council Act, 1971, covering all 8 northeastern states, headquartered in Shillong, and chaired by the Union Home Minister.
◎ In Simple Words
India's Home Minister Amit Shah held a big meeting called the 73rd Plenary Session of the North Eastern Council in Shillong, which is the capital of Meghalaya. Think of the North Eastern Council like a special team meeting for the eight states in India's Northeast — like Assam, Manipur, and Nagaland — where leaders discuss how to build better roads, schools, and bring more development to the region. This council was created by a law in 1971 to make sure these states, which are far from Delhi and share borders with countries like China and Myanmar, get proper attention and resources. The meeting is important because it helps these states work together and solve shared problems like connectivity and security.
Factual Pointers
Practice · 1 question
Consider the following statements about the North Eastern Council (NEC):
1. It was established under the North Eastern Council Act, 1971.
2. It is a constitutional body under the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution.
3. Sikkim was included as a member state through an amendment in 2002.
4. Its headquarters is located in Shillong, Meghalaya.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
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