NITI Aayog constitutes Himalayan State Regional Council for development of Himalayan region

NITI Aayog has constituted Himalayan State Regional Council to ensure sustainable development of Indian Himalayan region. It will be chaired by Dr VK Saraswat, Member, NITI Aayog and will consist of Chief Secretaries of Himalayan States as well as Secretaries of key Central Ministries, senior officers of NITI Aayog as well as special invitees.

Key Facts

The Council has been constituted to review and implement identified action points based on Reports of five Working Groups, which were established along thematic areas to prepare a roadmap for action. It will be nodal agency for Sustainable development in Himalayan Region which consists of 12 States namely Jammu &Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur,  Mizoram, Tripura, two districts of Assam namely Dima Hasao and KarbiAnglong and Darjeeling and Kalimpong in West Bengal.

Terms of reference of Council

It will monitor implementation of action points for Central Ministries, Institutions and 12 Himalayan State Governments in Indian Himalayan Region which include regional cooperation and river basin development, spring mapping and revival across Himalayas in phased manner for water security. It will develop, implement and monitor tourism sector standards as well as bring policy coherence, strengthen skill and entrepreneurship with focus on identified priority sectors, among other action points.

Bacgkround

Earlier in June 2017, NITI Aayog had set up 5 Working Groups to prepare a roadmap for actions in 5 thematic areas that are quite significant for the Himalayas. These areas were Inventory and Revival of Springs in Himalayas for Water Security; Sustainable Tourism in Indian Himalayan Region; Transformative Approach to Shifting Cultivation; Strengthening Skill & Entrepreneurship Landscape in Himalayas; Data/Information for Informed Decision Making.  These working groups were constituted after NITI Aayog recognised that mountains require specific solutions for resilience building that address socio-economic and environmental challenges in the mountain setting.

Month: Current Affairs - November, 2018