Context
The North Eastern Council (NEC) recently convened its plenary meeting in Shillong to deliberate on developmental priorities and regional coordination in the North Eastern Region.
About North Eastern Council (NEC)
- The North Eastern Council (NEC) was established under the North Eastern Council Act, 1971 as the nodal institution for the socio-economic development of the North Eastern Region.
- It comprises the eight North-Eastern States—Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura. Sikkim was inducted as the eighth member state through the North Eastern Council (Amendment) Act, 2002.
- The Union Home Minister serves as the ex-officio Chairperson, while the Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) serves as the ex-officio Vice-Chairperson.
- Its membership includes the Governors and Chief Ministers of the constituent States, along with three members nominated by the President.
- The NEC functions as the apex regional planning and coordination body for the North Eastern Region.
- It facilitates coordinated socio-economic development, strengthens inter-state cooperation, and promotes cooperative federalism in the North-East.
