Tamil Nadu Committee on Union-State Relations Reviews Federalism
Source:The Hindu ↗
Why It Matters
State-appointed committees on federalism underscore ongoing tensions between the Union and states regarding fiscal, legislative, and administrative autonomy. Their recommendations provide crucial case studies for GS2 answers on Centre-State relations, the role of the Governor, and cooperative federalism.
Summary
The high-level committee on Union-State relations, constituted by the Tamil Nadu government and chaired by former Supreme Court Judge Justice Kurian Joseph, met to deliberate on Part II of its report. Having recently submitted Part I to Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, the committee evaluated key friction areas in federalism such as the role of the Governor, GST, delimitation, language policy, education, and health. The exercise echoes historical precedents like the Rajamannar Committee and seeks to stimulate a non-partisan, pan-India discussion on strengthening cooperative and fiscal federalism by releasing its findings in multiple languages.
Key Points
- A high-level committee on Union-State relations constituted by the Tamil Nadu government deliberated on Part II of its report in New Delhi.
- Chaired by former Supreme Court Judge Justice Kurian Joseph, the committee includes former bureaucrats and state planning experts.
- Part I of the report was recently submitted to TN CM M.K. Stalin and covers 10 critical federal issues including the role of the Governor, language policy, delimitation, elections, education, health, and GST.
- The committee aims to conduct a non-partisan review of Centre-State relations, with its reports being made open access in multiple Indian languages to foster broader national discourse on federalism.
Important Terms
Rajamannar Committee
A 1969 committee constituted by the Tamil Nadu government to examine Center-State relations; it recommended greater state autonomy, permanent Inter-State Councils, and the abolition of the Planning Commission.
UPSC context
GS-II: Center-State Relations. Important for understanding historical state-led demands for federal restructuring and autonomy.
Fiscal Federalism
The system of financial resource distribution between the Union and States, involving tax devolution (Article 270), grants-in-aid (Article 275), and the role of the Finance Commission (Article 280).
UPSC context
GS-II/GS-III: Financial relations. Tests knowledge of revenue-sharing disputes, GST impact, and vertical/horizontal imbalances.
Delimitation
The process of redrawing boundaries of Lok Sabha and State Assembly constituencies based on population changes (Articles 82 and 170) to ensure equal representation.
UPSC context
GS-II: Elections and Representation. Relevant due to the 2026 freeze expiry and concerns over regional representation imbalances.
Goods and Services Tax (GST)
A comprehensive destination-based indirect tax (101st Amendment) that unified the Indian market but moved significant taxation powers from States to the GST Council (Article 279A).
UPSC context
GS-III: Economy. Tests understanding of tax reforms and the tension between economic efficiency and state fiscal autonomy.
Role of Governor
The constitutional head of a State (Article 153) acting as a bridge between the Union and States; often a friction point regarding discretionary powers and bill assent (Article 200).
UPSC context
GS-II: Constitutional Offices. Focuses on federal etiquette, neutrality, and judicial rulings (e.g., SR Bommai, Nabam Rebia).
Cooperative Federalism
A federalism model where the Central and State governments interact horizontally and collectively to solve national problems, supported by the Inter-State Council (Article 263).
UPSC context
GS-II: Basic Structure. Evaluates mechanisms like NITI Aayog that foster collaboration over confrontation.
Prelims Trap
"The Justice Kurian Joseph Committee was constituted by the Union Government to review Centre-State relations."
This committee was constituted by the Tamil Nadu state government (echoing the Rajamannar Committee), not by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
Static Concepts Connected
What are the key historical State-sponsored initiatives on federalism?
- Rajamannar Committee (1969): Appointed by the TN government; recommended abolishing Article 356 and the All-India Services (IAS/IPS) to secure state autonomy.
- Anandpur Sahib Resolution (1973): Adopted by the Akali Dal; demanded restricting the Centre's jurisdiction solely to defense, foreign affairs, communications, and currency.
- West Bengal Memorandum (1977): Suggested replacing the word "Union" with "Federation" in the Constitution and demanded a drastic re-evaluation of Centre-State revenue sharing.
What options does a Governor have under Article 200 regarding State Bills?
- Grant or Withhold: The Governor may grant assent or withhold it (though withholding is rarely exercised for ordinary bills passed by a majority).
- Return for Reconsideration: Can return non-Money Bills to the legislature. If passed again, with or without amendments, granting assent becomes mandatory.
- Reserve for President: Mandatory if the Bill endangers the position of the State High Court; optional for certain other matters like constitutional validity.
Cross-Topic Patterns
Delimitation and the Demographic Dividend
The post-2026 delimitation freeze expiration creates a paradox where Southern states fear penalization in Lok Sabha representation for implementing successful population control and family planning policies.
Fiscal Federalism vs. Unshared Cesses
State-level committees repeatedly highlight the Union's increasing reliance on unshared cesses and surcharges (Article 271), which effectively bypass the divisible tax pool mandated by Finance Commissions.
Expect a 2026 Prelims question mapping historical federalism committees (Rajamannar, Punchhi, Sarkaria) to their origins.
Linked PYQs · 3
Linked PYQs · 3
- 2024MainsGS2
What changes has the Union Government recently introduced in the domain of Centre-State relations ? Suggest measures to be adopted to build the trust between the Centre and the States and for strengthening federalism.
- 2025MainsGS2
Examine the evolving pattern of Centre-State financial relations in the context of planned development in India. How far have the recent reforms impacted the fiscal federalism in India?
- 2022MainsGS2
“While the national political parties in India favour centralisation, the regional parties are in favour of State autonomy.” Comment.
