Why in News?
The North Eastern Council (NEC) is prominently in the news for convening its 73rd Plenary Session on June 4, 2026, in Shillong, Meghalaya.
Core Profile & Legal Status
- The apex regional planning body met to advance the North East Vision Plan 2047 and shift regional governance focus from law and order to citizen rights and technological development.
- Establishment: Conceived as a statutory advisory body under the North Eastern Council Act, 1971, and formally established on November 7, 1972.
- Headquarters: Shillong, Meghalaya.
- Primary Role: Functions as the apex regional planning body to ensure balanced, socio-economic growth and cooperative federalism in Northeast India.
Composition & Governance Framework
- Ex-Officio Chairman: The Union Home Minister of India.
- Vice-Chairman: The Minister of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER).
- Key Members: Governors and Chief Ministers of all member states, alongside three members nominated by the President of India.
- The "Three-C" Strategy: The Ministry of DoNER executes policy via the framework of Connect, Converge, and Catalyse.
Regional Jurisdiction (8 Member States)
- Arunachal Pradesh: Promoting kiwi production under the One State One Product (OSOP) initiative.
- Assam: Expanding geographical exports via native Muga Silk.
- Manipur: Focused on cross-border logistics and security stabilization.
- Meghalaya: Developing the iconic Sohra Tourism Circuit and Lakadong Turmeric exports.
- Mizoram: Upgrading healthcare and digital connection points.
- Nagaland: Advancing international border trade and local craft livelihoods.
- Sikkim: Championing organic farming and resolving critical NH-10 connectivity bottlenecks.
- Tripura: Upgrading infrastructure around the high-yield Matabari Tourism Circuit.
Primary Mandates & Major Initiatives
- Economic Planning: Formulates shared regional strategies across economic sectors rather than working in isolated state corridors.
- Financial Assistance: Recommends and allocates central funding for regional transport networks, connectivity, and power generation schemes.
- Investment Facilitation: Supported the Rising North East Investment Summit, which generated over ₹4.5 lakh crore in regional investment commitments.
- National Integration: Funds the Ashtalakshmi Darshan Student Exchange Programme and exposure tours to ISRO to cultivate scientific temper among northeastern youth.
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