State PCS - Uttar Pradesh (UP PCS)

• 25 Jun 2025

25th Central Zonal Council Meeting in Varanasi

Why in News?

The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation chaired the 25th Central Zonal Council meeting in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.

• It was organized by the Inter-State Council Secretariat in collaboration with the Uttar Pradesh Government.

Key Points

Key Highlights of the Meeting:

• A resolution praising the Prime Minister's strong willpower and the Indian Armed Forces' bravery was unanimously approved by the Central Zonal Council.
• The Home Minister highlighted that the Central Zonal Council is the only zonal council where no issue or dispute exists between member states, and this is a significant achievement.
• Between 2004 and 2014, only 11 Zonal Council meetings and 14 Standing Committee meetings were held, while between 2014 and 2025, 28 Zonal Council meetings and 33 Standing Committee meetings took place, marking a twofold increase.
  • A total of 1,287 issues have been resolved in these meetings, reflecting a historic and encouraging achievement.
• A total of 19 issues were discussed including the implementation of Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) for the speedy investigation and prompt disposal of rape cases against women and children, provision of brick-and-mortar banking facilities within the designated radius of every village, and implementation of the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS-112), among other key issues. 
  • The Home Minister stressed that all states of the Zonal Council should ensure the eradication of child malnutrition, bring the dropout ratio down to zero, and strengthen the cooperative sector.
  • The Union Home Minister also urged member states to boost Gram Panchayat revenues and create rules to strengthen India's three-tier Panchayati Raj system.

Zonal Councils

• About: Zonal Councils are statutory bodies established under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, as a high-level advisory forum to foster cooperative working among states and to create a healthy inter-State and Centre–State environment.
  • The idea of Zonal Councils was first proposed by former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1956 during debates on the States Reorganisation Commission’s (Fazal Ali Commission, 1953) Report.
  • Under Sections 15 to 22 of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, five Zonal Councils were established.
  • The seven North Eastern States are not included in the Zonal Councils and their special problems are looked after by the North Eastern Council, set up under the North Eastern Council Act, 1972. 
    • The State of Sikkim has also been included in the North Eastern Council vide North Eastern Council (Amendment) Act, 2002.
• Composition:

Zonal Council	States
Central Zonal Council	Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand
Northern Zonal Council	Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Delhi, Chandigarh
Eastern Zonal Council	Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Sikkim
Western Zonal Council	Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, and Daman & Diu
Southern Zonal Council	Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry

• Organizational Structure:
  • Chairman: Union Home Minister (for all 5 Zonal Councils). He is also the ex-officio Chairman of the North Eastern Council (NEC).
  • Vice-Chairman: Chief Minister of one of the member states (by annual rotation).
  • Members: The members include the Chief Ministers, Lieutenant Governors, or Administrators of the member States and Union Territories. 
    • Additionally, from each member state, the Governor nominates two ministers as members of the Council.
  • Advisors: One nominee from NITI Aayog (earlier Planning Commission), Chief Secretaries, and Development Commissioners of the member states.
    • Each Zonal Council has a Permanent Committee comprising the Chief Secretaries of member states. State-proposed issues are first discussed by this committee, and unresolved matters are then placed before the full Zonal Council for further deliberation.

Objectives: 

• Bringing out national integration;
• Arresting the growth of acute State consciousness, regionalism, linguism, and particularistic tendencies;
• Enabling the Centre and the States to co-operate and exchange ideas and experiences;
• Establishing a climate of co-operation amongst the States for the successful and speedy execution of development projects.

• Functions: Each Zonal Council is an advisory body and may discuss and make recommendations about-
  • any matter of common interest in the field of economic and social planning;
  • any matter concerning border disputes, linguistic minorities, or inter-State transport;
  • any matter connected with or arising out of the reorganization of the States under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956.

Gharial Hatchlings Thrive in Chambal River

Why in News?

The National Chambal Sanctuary has seen 1,186 gharial hatchlings born in the Etawah range and 840 in the Bah range, and now they are all frolicking in the Chambal River.

• Gharial eggs incubate for 50 to 60 days, with hatchlings emerging in early June and the hatching phase lasting about a month.

Key Points

Gharials:

• About: The gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) is distinct from other crocodilians due to its long snout.
  • Crocodiles are the largest surviving reptiles, primarily inhabiting freshwater swamps, lakes, and rivers, with one saltwater species.  
    • They are nocturnal and poikilothermic (also known as ectotherms or cold-blooded animals, are characterized by their body temperature fluctuating with the surrounding environment). 
• Distribution: According to the Wildlife Institute of India, gharials were widely distributed in the Brahmaputra, Ganga, Indus, and the Mahanadi-Brahmani-Baitarani river systems of India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan. 
  • Currently, their major populations occur in three tributaries of the Ganga (the Chambal and Girwa in India, and the Rapti-Narayani river in Nepal).
  • Odisha is the only Indian state to host wild populations of all three native crocodilian species (Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus), Mugger crocodile (Crocodylus palustris), and Saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus)).
• Population: India hosts nearly 80% of the global wild gharial population, with around 3,000 individuals across sites like National Chambal Sanctuary, Katarnia Ghat, and Son Gharial Sanctuary.  
• Crocodile Conservation Project: India launched its CCP at Odisha’s Bhitarkanika National Park with support from the United Nations Development Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organisation. 
  • It adopted the “rear and release” method, created protected habitats like Bhitarkanika and Satkosia Tiger Reserve, and promoted captive breeding and community awareness, making it a national model for crocodilian conservation. 
  • On World Crocodile Day (17th June), India commemorates 50 years of its Crocodile Conservation Project (CCP) (1975–2025).

National Chambal Sanctuary

• It was set up in 1979 as a riverine sanctuary along an approximately 425 km length of the Chambal River.
• Its ravines stretch over 2-6 km wide along the Chambal River near the tri-point of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh.
• The National Chambal Sanctuary is listed as an Important Bird Area (IBA) and is a proposed Ramsar site.

UP to Set up Four Modern Rescue Centres

Why in News?

The Uttar Pradesh government is establishing four modern rescue centres to manage the increasing encounters between people and large carnivores.

Key Points

About Rescue Centres

• The forest and wildlife department is establishing four modern rescue centres to address and reduce human-wildlife conflicts, especially involving large carnivores like tigers, leopards, and jackals.
• These rescue centres will be strategically located across key regions: Western UP, Terai, Awadh, and Bundelkhand, to provide safe shelter for wild animals that stray into human settlements.
• The specific locations for these centres include Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary (Meerut), Pilibhit Tiger Reserve, Sohagibarwa Wildlife Sanctuary (Maharajganj), and Ranipur Wildlife Sanctuary (Chitrakoot).
• The state government has allocated Rs 57.2 crore for the establishment of these rescue centres, emphasizing the importance of the initiative.

Human-Animal Conflict

• Definitions: Human-animal conflict refers to situations where human activities, such as agriculture, infrastructure development, or resource extraction, come into conflict with wild animals, leading to negative outcomes for both humans and animals.
• Implications: 
  • Economic Losses: Human-animal conflict leads to financial hardships for farmers and herders due to crop destruction, infrastructure damage, and livestock loss.
  • Safety Risks: Wild animals, especially predators like tigers and lions, pose serious threats to human safety, with the potential for injury or death.
  • Ecological Imbalances: Killing predators disrupts ecosystems by causing prey population surges, leading to environmental harm.
  • Conservation Challenges: Negative perceptions from human-animal conflict hinder conservation efforts and the implementation of protective measures for wildlife.
  • Psychological Impact: The conflict causes fear, anxiety, and trauma, especially among individuals directly affected by animal attacks or property damage.
• Government Measures to Tackle Human-Animal Conflict:
  • The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: The Act establishes legal provisions for hunting prohibition, wildlife habitat protection, and the creation of protected areas.
  • The Biological Diversity Act, 2002: India, as a signatory to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, ensures that the Act aligns with existing forest and wildlife laws.
  • National Wildlife Action Plan (2002-2016): The Plan emphasizes enhancing protected areas, conserving endangered species, controlling wildlife trade, and promoting research and education.
  • National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA): NDMA provides guidelines for integrating disaster prevention and mitigation into development plans and projects across Ministries and Departments.