Inter-State Council Amendment 2026: Governors, LGs to Attend Meetings During President’s Rule

Inter-State Council Amendment 2026 has introduced new provisions for the participation of Governors and Lieutenant Governors in Council meetings when President’s Rule or corresponding constitutional and statutory provisions are in force. The amendment was issued by President Droupadi Murmu under Article 263 of the Constitution and was notified by the Ministry of Home Affairs on September 9, 2026. It was subsequently published in the Gazette of India on September 18.

The amendment modifies the Inter-State Council Order, 1990, which provides the framework for the functioning and composition of the Inter-State Council. The revised provision specifically addresses the participation of Governors in states and Lieutenant Governors in Delhi, Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir under specified circumstances.

What is the Inter-State Council Amendment 2026?

The Inter-State Council Amendment 2026 replaces the earlier proviso contained in Clause 2 of the Inter-State Council Order, 1990. The new provision sets out four separate situations in which a Governor or Lieutenant Governor shall be invited to attend meetings of the Council.

The amendment has come into force immediately. It retains the existing provision concerning Governors when Article 356 of the Constitution is in operation in a state and adds provisions covering three Union Territories with legislative assemblies.

Governors to Attend During President’s Rule in States
Under the amended order, when a proclamation issued by the President under Article 356 of the Constitution is in force in relation to a state, the Governor of that state shall be invited to attend meetings of the Inter-State Council.

Article 356 provides for the imposition of President’s Rule when the constitutional machinery of a state is considered to have failed.

The new order therefore retains the earlier arrangement for state Governors while updating the framework to reflect the present constitutional and administrative structure.

Lieutenant Governors Covered in Three Union Territories

One of the significant changes introduced by the Inter-State Council Amendment 2026 is the inclusion of Lieutenant Governors of Delhi, Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir in specified circumstances.