National Integration Council | Indian Constitution Download PDF

National Integration Council | Indian Constitution Download PDF

Another non-constitutional body i.e. National Integration Council, originally was a group of senior politicians and public figures in India that looked for ways to address the problems of communalism ,casteism and regionalism. The then ” Prime Minister, Shri Jawaharlal Nehru, convened National Integration Conference in September-October, 1961 to find ways and means to combat the evils of communalism, casteism, regionalism, linguism and narrow-mindedness, and to formulate definite conclusions in order to give a lead to the country. This Conference decided to set up a National Integration Council (NIC) to review all matters pertaining to national integration and to make recommendations thereon. The NIC was constituted accordingly and held its first meeting in 1962. The National Integration Council has held 15 meetings so far in the year 1962, 1968, 1980, 1984, April 1986, September 1986, April 1990, September 1990, November 1991, December 1991, July 1992, November 1992, August 2005, October 2008, and the latest 15th meeting was held in New Delhi on 10 September 2011.
The 15th meeting of the National Integration Council held in New Delhi on 10th September 2011, was Chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and was attended by its 148 members 128 as on that date. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reiterated the declaration of objectives adopted by National Integration Council in 1968 which was as under:

“The foundation of our national life is common citizenship, unity in diversity, freedom of religions, secularism, equality, justice—social, economic and political, and fraternity among all communities.”

(B) Co-Operation Between the Union and the States
Apart from the agencies of federal control, there are certain provisions which tend towards a smooth working of both the Union and State Governments, without any unnecessary conflict jurisdiction. These are—
(i) Mutual delegation of functions.
(ii) Immunity from mutual taxation.
(a) As explained already our Constitution distributes between the Union and the States not only the legislative power but also the executive power, more or less on the same lines [Arts. 73, 162]