Polity Current Affairs Archives

North Eastern Council (NEC): 73rd Plenary Session

Why in News

The North Eastern Council (NEC) held its 73rd Plenary Session in Shillong, Meghalaya, chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The session brought together Governors, Chief Ministers, and senior officials from all eight North Eastern states. It deliberated on the North East Vision Plan 2047 — a long-term roadmap to transform the North Eastern Region into a hub of economic growth, connectivity, and cultural prosperity.

About the North Eastern Council (NEC) — Key Facts for Prelims

What is NEC?

The North Eastern Council is the apex statutory regional planning body for the socio-economic and balanced development of India’s eight North Eastern states.

Eight Member States

Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura.

Establishment

Constituted in 1971 under The North Eastern Council Act, 1971 — an Act of Parliament.
Sikkim was added in 2002 through an amendment to the NEC Act.

Composition

Governors and Chief Ministers of all eight member states.
Three members nominated by the President of India.

Key Positions

Chairperson: Union Home Minister (ex-officio)
Vice-Chairperson: Minister of DoNER (Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region)

Nature of Body

Statutory body — created by an Act of Parliament.
NOT a constitutional body.

Secretariat

Located in Shillong, Meghalaya.

Key Functions

Regional planning and inter-state coordination for North Eastern states.
Reviews and recommends projects in transport, education, power, and flood control.
Promotes cooperative federalism across the eight states.

Interconnected Concept: NEC vs. Zonal Councils

Parameter	North Eastern Council	Zonal Councils
Created by	NEC Act, 1971 (Parliament)	States Reorganisation Act, 1956
Nature	Statutory body	Statutory body
Coverage	8 North Eastern States only	Rest of India (5 zones)
Chairperson	Union Home Minister	Union Home Minister
Focus	Planning & development	Advisory — inter-state cooperation
Secretariat	Shillong, Meghalaya	Ministry of Home Affairs, Delhi

⚠️ Key Fact: Both NEC and Zonal Councils are statutory, NOT constitutional bodies.

Quick Revision Table

Fact	Detail
NEC established	1971, by NEC Act of Parliament
Sikkim added	2002 amendment
Chairperson	Union Home Minister
Vice-Chairperson	Minister of DoNER
Member states	8 (includes Sikkim)
Secretariat	Shillong, Meghalaya
Body type	Statutory (NOT constitutional)
73rd Session theme	North East Vision Plan 2047

Trap / Confusing Points

Common Confusion	Correct Fact
NEC is a constitutional body	❌ It is a statutory body under NEC Act, 1971
NEC has 7 member states	❌ It has 8 states (Sikkim added in 2002)
Home Minister is Vice-Chairman	❌ Home Minister is Chairman; DoNER Minister is Vice-Chairman
NEC covers all of India	❌ Covers only the 8 North Eastern states
NEC established in 2002	❌ Established in 1971; 2002 only added Sikkim
NEC and Zonal Councils are same	❌ Different scope and purpose — NEC is for planning; Zonal Councils are advisory

Practice MCQs

1. The North Eastern Council (NEC) was established under which of the following?
a. 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act
b. NEC Act, 1971
c. States Reorganisation Act, 1956
d. North Eastern Areas Reorganisation Act, 1971

Ans: B
The NEC is a statutory body created by the North Eastern Council Act, 1971 — an Act of Parliament. It is not a constitutional body.

2. Which state was added to the North Eastern Council through an amendment in 2002?
a. Tripura
b. Arunachal Pradesh
c. Sikkim
d. Manipur

Ans: C
Sikkim was included in NEC through the NEC (Amendment) Act, 2002. Before that, NEC had only 7 states.

3. Who serves as the Vice-Chairperson of the North Eastern Council?
a. Chief Minister of Assam
b. Union Home Minister
c. Minister of DoNER
d. Governor of Meghalaya

Ans: C
The Minister of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) is the Vice-Chairman. The Union Home Minister is the Chairman — a common trap question.

4. Which of the following statements about NEC is CORRECT?
a. It is a constitutional body under Article 263
b. Its secretariat is in Guwahati
c. It was created by the States Reorganisation Act, 1956
d. It is a statutory apex body for planning in 8 North Eastern states

Ans: D
NEC is a statutory apex body for planning. Its secretariat is in Shillong (not Guwahati). Article 263 deals with the Inter-State Council — a different body.

5. The 73rd Plenary Session of the NEC deliberated on which document/plan?
a. Act East Policy 2047
b. NER Industrial Vision 2030
c. North East Vision Plan 2047
d. DONER Development Plan 2035

Ans: C
The 73rd session focused on the North East Vision Plan 2047 — a long-term roadmap for transforming the North Eastern Region by 2047.

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NITI Aayog 11th Governing Council Meeting: Key Facts for UPSC Prelims 2025

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the 11th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre, New Delhi. The meeting focused on entrepreneurship, skill enhancement, and creating sustainable employment opportunities across the country — key pillars of India’s economic transformation agenda.

Why in News?

PM Modi chaired the 11th NITI Aayog Governing Council Meeting, bringing together Chief Ministers of all states and UTs in a platform of cooperative federalism. The agenda centred on promoting entrepreneurship, skilling, and sustainable employment — critical areas for India’s demographic dividend.

Key Facts for Prelims: NITI Aayog

Full form: National Institution for Transforming India
Nature: Neither constitutional nor statutory — created by an executive (Union Cabinet) resolution
Established: January 1, 2015
Replaced: The Planning Commission (which had functioned for 65 years since 1950)
Key Shift: From Planning Commission’s rigid top-down approach → NITI Aayog’s bottom-up cooperative model giving states a direct voice
Promotes: Cooperative federalism, competitive federalism among states

Composition of NITI Aayog Governing Council

Chairperson: Prime Minister of India
Vice-Chairperson: Dr. Suman Bery
CEO: B.V.R. Subrahmanyam
Full-time Members: Prof. Ramesh Chand, Dr. V.K. Paul, Shri V.K. Saraswat, Dr. Arvind Virmani
Special Invitees: Cabinet Ministers nominated by PM
Governing Council includes: Chief Ministers of all 28 states, Chief Ministers of UTs with legislatures (Delhi, Puducherry, J&K), and Lieutenant Governors of UTs without legislatures

Static/Exam Links: NITI Aayog vs Planning Commission

Aspect	Planning Commission	NITI Aayog
Established	1950 (executive resolution)	2015 (executive resolution)
Approach	Top-down, centralised	Bottom-up, cooperative
Nature	Non-constitutional, non-statutory	Non-constitutional, non-statutory
Fund Allocation	Had power to allocate funds to states	No fund allocation power
State Role	States were consulted minimally	States are equal partners (Governing Council)
Focus	Five-Year Plans	15-year vision, 7-year strategy, 3-year action plan

Key NITI Aayog Initiatives (Exam-relevant)

Atal Innovation Mission (AIM): Promotes innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem
Aspirational Districts Programme: Transforms under-developed districts across India
SATH (Sustainable Action for Transforming Human Capital): Education and health sector reform with states
SDG India Index: Tracks India’s progress on Sustainable Development Goals

Quick Revision Table

Parameter	Detail
Meeting	11th Governing Council Meeting
Chaired by	PM Narendra Modi
Focus Areas	Entrepreneurship, skilling, employment
NITI Aayog Established	January 1, 2015
Nature	Non-constitutional, non-statutory
Replaced	Planning Commission (est. 1950)
Chairperson	Prime Minister of India
Vice-Chairperson	Dr. Suman Bery
CEO	B.V.R. Subrahmanyam
Governing Council	CMs of all states + UTs with legislature + LGs of UTs without legislature

Trap / Confusing Points

❌ Common Trap	✅ Correct Fact
NITI Aayog is a statutory body	NITI Aayog is neither constitutional nor statutory — created by executive (Cabinet) resolution
Planning Commission was a statutory body	Planning Commission was also non-statutory — both created by executive orders
NITI Aayog allocates funds to states like Planning Commission	NITI Aayog has no fund allocation power; funds go via Finance Commission and Union Budget
NITI Aayog was established by Parliament	Established by Union Cabinet resolution, not by Parliament
All LGs attend the Governing Council	Only LGs of UTs without legislature attend; UTs with legislature send their CMs

5 Practice MCQs

1. NITI Aayog was established on which date?
a. August 15, 2014
b. January 1, 2015
c. March 31, 2015
d. November 26, 2014
Ans: B
NITI Aayog was established on January 1, 2015 via a Union Cabinet resolution, replacing the Planning Commission which had existed since 1950.

2. What is the nature of NITI Aayog?
a. Constitutional body
b. Statutory body under an Act of Parliament
c. Non-constitutional, non-statutory executive body
d. Quasi-judicial body
Ans: C
NITI Aayog is created by an executive (Cabinet) resolution, making it neither constitutional nor statutory — same as the Planning Commission it replaced.

3. Who is the ex-officio Chairperson of NITI Aayog?
a. President of India
b. Vice-President of India
c. Prime Minister of India
d. Finance Minister of India
Ans: C
The Prime Minister of India serves as the ex-officio Chairperson of NITI Aayog, reflecting its role as the apex policy-making body for national development.

4. Which key power does NITI Aayog NOT have compared to the Planning Commission?
a. Conducting research on economic policy
b. Providing policy recommendations to states
c. Allocating funds directly to states
d. Monitoring implementation of government schemes
Ans: C
Unlike the Planning Commission, NITI Aayog has no power to allocate funds to states. This was a deliberate design choice to make it an advisory-collaborative body rather than a controlling one.

5. The Governing Council of NITI Aayog includes which of the following?
a. Chief Ministers of states only
b. Chief Ministers of states + LGs of all UTs
c. Chief Ministers of all states + CMs of UTs with legislatures + LGs of UTs without legislatures
d. Only Union Cabinet Ministers
Ans: C
The Governing Council includes CMs of all 28 states, CMs of UTs with legislatures (Delhi, Puducherry, J&K), and Lt. Governors of UTs without legislatures — making it a true federal platform.

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Why is the Supreme Court Judges Increase in News?

Leave a Comment / Daily Current Affairs, Polity Current Affairs / PSC Chronicles Team

The Union Cabinet has approved the Supreme Court Judges Increase proposal, raising the sanctioned strength of judges in the Supreme Court of India from 34 to 38, including the Chief Justice of India (CJI).

The decision was taken to address the growing burden of pending cases in the judiciary. At present, nearly 92,000 cases are pending before the Supreme Court, creating delays in justice delivery.

Key Highlights of Supreme Court Judges Increase

Increase in Judicial Strength

Existing sanctioned strength: 34 judges
New proposed strength: 38 judges
Increase approved by: Union Cabinet
Objective: Faster disposal of pending cases

The move is expected to strengthen the efficiency of the apex court and reduce judicial delays.

Why Was the Increase Needed?

India’s judiciary has been facing a significant backlog of cases for several years. The Supreme Court, being the highest judicial authority, handles:

Constitutional matters
Appeals from High Courts
Public Interest Litigations (PILs)
Centre-State disputes
Fundamental Rights cases

The rising number of litigations and increasing complexity of cases have led to the need for more judges.

Constitutional Basis for Supreme Court Judges Increase

Article 124 of the Constitution

The power to determine the number of judges in the Supreme Court lies with the Parliament of India.

Under Article 124(1) of the Constitution:

The Supreme Court shall consist of a Chief Justice of India and such number of other judges as Parliament may by law prescribe.

This means the Constitution does not permanently fix the number of judges. Parliament can increase or decrease the strength through legislation.

Practice Questions

The strength of Supreme Court judges has been increased from 34 to:
- a) 35
- b) 36
- c) 38
- d) 40
Under which Article does Parliament have the power to determine the number of Supreme Court judges?
- a) Article 32
- b) Article 124
- c) Article 136
- d) Article 143
The Supreme Court of India was established in:
- a) 1947
- b) 1949
- c) 1950
- d) 1952
Which institution approved the increase in Supreme Court judges in 2026?
- a) Parliament
- b) Supreme Court Collegium
- c) Union Cabinet
- d) Law Commission

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Recusal Explained 2026

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Why in News?

Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma of the Delhi High Court rejected a plea filed by Arvind Kejriwal seeking her recusal from the Delhi excise policy case. The issue brings attention to the important judicial concept of recusal.

What is Recusal?

Recusal refers to the voluntary withdrawal of a judge or judicial authority from a case due to a possible conflict of interest, ensuring fairness and impartiality in the judicial process.

Key Features of Recusal

Purpose

Maintain judicial impartiality
Ensure fair trial
Uphold public confidence in courts

Reasons for Recusal

A judge may step aside when:

There is a personal relationship with parties involved
Financial interests are connected to the case
The judge had prior professional involvement

Process & Nature

Voluntary decision by the judge (based on conscience)
Can be requested by parties, but final decision rests with the judge
Not strictly governed by codified law (guided by judicial ethics)

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Parliament Adjourned Sine Die: Key Concepts Explained

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Why in News?

The extended Budget Session of the Indian Parliament was recently adjourned sine die, following the defeat of a key Constitutional Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha. This development highlights important parliamentary procedures frequently asked in competitive exams.

Key Parliamentary Concepts Explained

1. Adjournment Sine Die

Meaning: Termination of a sitting of the House without fixing a date for the next meeting.
Authority:
- In Lok Sabha → Lok Sabha Speaker
- In Rajya Sabha → Rajya Sabha Chairman
Important Point:
- It ends only the sitting, not the entire session.
Effect on Bills:
- Pending Bills and business do NOT lapse.

2. Adjournment

Meaning: Suspension of a sitting for a fixed time (hours, days, or weeks).
Authority: Presiding Officer of the House.
Example: Lunch break or postponement to next day.

3. Prorogation

Meaning: Formal termination of a session of Parliament.
Authority:
- President of India
Key Feature:
- Usually occurs after adjournment sine die.
Effect on Bills:
- Bills do NOT lapse (except certain notices).

Comparison Table: Key Differences

Feature	Adjournment	Adjournment Sine Die	Prorogation
Meaning	Suspension for fixed time	Suspension without date	End of session
Authority	Presiding Officer	Presiding Officer	President of India
Time Period	Specific	Indefinite	Final termination
Effect on Bills	Continue	Continue	Continue

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Rajya Sabha Reconstitutes Panel of Vice-Chairpersons

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Why in News?

The Rajya Sabha has reconstituted its Panel of Vice-Chairpersons, nominating six members from different political parties. This ensures smooth functioning of the House in the absence of regular presiding officers.

What is the Panel of Vice-Chairpersons?

The Panel of Vice-Chairpersons is a group of members nominated to preside over the Rajya Sabha when regular presiding officers are unavailable.

Nominating Authority

Chairman of Rajya Sabha (Vice President of India)

Membership

Selected from among Rajya Sabha members

Size of Panel

Usually not more than 6 members
Sometimes extended to 8 members for broader representation

Political Diversity

Members are chosen from different political parties

Important Limitation

A panel member cannot preside if:
- The offices of Chairman and Deputy Chairman are vacant
In such a case:
- The President of India appoints a member to perform duties until a new presiding officer is elected

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Harivansh Gets Third Term as Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman

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Why in News?

Harivansh Narayan Singh has been elected unopposed as the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha for a third consecutive term. This marks a historic moment as he becomes the first nominated member to hold this position.

Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha

The Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha is a constitutional position established under Article 89 of the Indian Constitution. Unlike the Chairman (the Vice-President), who is an ex-officio presiding officer and not a member of the House, the Deputy Chairman is elected by the Rajya Sabha from amongst its own members

Election: Members of the Rajya Sabha elect the Deputy Chairman from among themselves by a simple majority (majority of members present and voting).
Tenure: The term is generally co-terminus with their membership in the Rajya Sabha (usually 6 years).
Vacation of Office: According to Article 90, the office becomes vacant if the holder:
- Ceases to be a member of the Rajya Sabha.
- Resigns by writing to the Chairman.
- Is removed by a resolution passed by an effective majority (majority of all the then members) after a 14-day notice

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Lok Sabha Rejects 131st Amendment Bill-2026

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Why in News?

The Lok Sabha recently rejected the 131st Amendment Bill, which proposed increasing the strength of the House and implementing 33% reservation for women. The bill failed as it could not secure the required special majority.

Key Highlights of the Bill

Purpose of the Bill
- Increase Lok Sabha strength to 850 seats
- Implement 33% reservation for women before the 2029 general elections
Outcome
- The bill was defeated in Lok Sabha
- Failed to secure the required special majority
Aftermath
- Government withdrew:
  - Delimitation Bill, 2026
  - Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026

What is Special Majority?

A Special Majority in Parliament refers to a higher level of approval required for important decisions, especially constitutional amendments under Article 368.

It refers to any voting requirement other than simple, absolute, or effective majorities, typically requiring at least a two-thirds majority of members present and voting. I

Delimitation Controversy Explained

What is Delimitation?

It is the process of redrawing boundaries of constituencies based on population changes.
Usually based on Census data.

Core Issue in This Case

The bill linked women’s reservation to a new delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census.
Opposition raised concerns that:
- Southern states (with controlled population growth) may lose representation
- Northern states may gain more seats

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Gerrymandering Explained

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Why in New?

Leaders from parties like Congress and the DMK have accused the government of using the Women’s Reservation Act as a “cover” for gerrymandering.

Gerrymandering is the practice of manipulating electoral constituency boundaries to favor a particular political party, group, or candidate.

It distorts fair representation in elections
Often done during the process of delimitation (redrawing constituencies)
Undermines the principle of free and fair elections

Types of Gerrymandering

1. Packing

Concentrating opposition voters into a few constituencies
Example: One party wins overwhelmingly in few seats, wasting votes

2. Cracking

Splitting opposition voters across many constituencies
Prevents them from forming a majority anywhere

3. Kidnapping

Moving a strong opponent’s voters into another constituency
Weakens their electoral base

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Women’s Reservation Act 2026: 33% Quota Comes into Force

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Why in News:

The Women’s Reservation Act, 2023 officially came into force on April 16, 2026, marking a major step toward improving women’s representation in Indian politics. This law provides 33% reservation for women in key legislative bodies.

What is the Women’s Reservation Act?

The Act is formally known as the Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023.
Popularly called the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.
Notified by the Union Ministry of Law and Justice on April 16, 2026.

Key Features of the Act

1. Reservation Provision

Provides 33% reservation for women in: Lok sabha and State Legislative Assemblies

2. Exclusions

Does NOT apply to: Rajya Sabha and State Legislative Councils (Legislative Council/Upper Houses)

3. Rotation of Seats

Reserved seats will rotate after delimitation.
Ensures fair distribution of reservation across constituencies.

4. Duration

Reservation will be in force for 15 years.
Parliament may extend it if required.

5. Implementation Timeline

Act passed in 2023.
Came into effect on April 16, 2026 through official notification.

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