North Eastern Council (NEC)

Prelims: Current events of national and international importance | Polity & Governance

Why in News?

The North Eastern Council (NEC) hold its 73rd Plenary Session on 4th June, 2026, in Shillong, Meghalaya.

North Eastern Council – It was constituted as a statutory advisory body under the NEC Act, 1971 and came into being on the 7th November, 1972 at Shillong.
- North Eastern Region (8 States) – Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.
Sikkim's Inclusion – Sikkim was not part of the original 1971 composition, included via an amendment to the NEC Act in 2002.
Nodal Ministry – Ministry of Development Of North Eastern Region (DoNER).
Composition
- Ex-Officio Chairman– Union Home Minister
- Ex-Officio Vice-Chairman – Minister of state, ministry of development of north eastern region (DoNER).
- Members – It comprises governors & chief ministers of constituent states and three members nominated by the President.
Function – It serves as the apex regional planning body for the North Eastern Region & plays a pivotal role in fostering coordinated development and strengthening cooperative federalism in the region.

NEC resembles a Zonal Council in role, but legally it stands apart as a separate statutory institution.

Key Discussions in 73rd Plenary Session

Discuss flagship initiatives – Like Bamboo, Agarwood, and the Ashtalakshmi Darshan, and other issues.
CM Task Forces – Review progress of CM High‑Level Task Forces.
Focus – Includes Tourism, Agriculture & Horticulture, Investment Promotion, Self‑reliance in food, Sports, Economic Corridors, Infrastructure, and Handloom & Handicrafts.
Ministry of DoNER
- Review important initiatives, major schemes and programmes,
- Outcomes of the North East Investment Summit and Bankers’ Conclave,
- Youth-focused initiatives, tourism, logistics, and
- Unique Selling Proposition (USP) projects in the region.
North East Vision Plan 2047 – Further deliberate on the Vision Plan, which seeks to provide a long-term roadmap for transforming the region by India’s centenary year of independence.

References