Legislative Relations

Constitutional Provisions

• Article 246: Defines the distribution of legislative powers between the Centre and the States.
• List I (Union List): 100 subjects on which Parliament can legislate.
• List II (State List): 61 subjects on which State Legislatures can legislate.
• List III (Concurrent List): 47 subjects on which both Parliament and State Legislatures can legislate.
• Article 254: Parliament can invalidate State laws if they conflict with Union laws.

Key Acts and Amendments

• 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments (1992): Introduced Panchayati Raj and Municipalities as part of the Concurrent List.
• 11th Schedule (1952): Lists 29 subjects for Panchayats.
• 12th Schedule (1952): Lists 18 subjects for Municipalities.
• 10th Schedule (1955): Prohibits defection of MLAs.

Important Cases

• S.R. Bommai v. Union of India (1994): Established the doctrine of “basic structure” and emphasized the importance of Centre-State relations.
• Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala (1973): Clarified the scope of Parliament’s power to amend the Constitution.

Key Facts for Exams

• Dual Polity: India follows a dual polity system with a balance of power between the Centre and the States.
• Residuary Powers: Remain with the Centre under Article 248.
• Inter-state Disputes: Resolved by the Inter-State Council established under Article 263.

Administrative Relations

Constitutional Provisions

• Article 255: States that the Centre shall not exercise executive power in respect of a State except in cases of emergency or with the consent of the State.
• Article 256: Requires the executive power of the State to be exercised in accordance with the Constitution.
• Article 257: Prohibits the Centre from giving directions to the States in matters of internal administration.

Key Institutions

• State Governments: Exercise executive power within their respective states.
• Union Territories: Administered by the Centre, with some having a legislative assembly (e.g., Delhi, Puducherry).
• President’s Rule: Imposed under Article 356 in case of failure of constitutional machinery in a state.

Important Dates

• 1950: Constitution came into effect, establishing the framework for Centre-State relations.
• 1952: 7th Amendment introduced the Concurrent List.
• 1992: 73rd and 74th Amendments introduced Panchayati Raj and Municipalities.

Key Facts for Exams

• Administrative Autonomy: States have autonomy in internal administration.
• President’s Rule: Can be imposed for up to six months, renewable.
• Inter-state Council: Facilitates coordination between Centre and States.

Financial Relations

Constitutional Provisions

• Article 268-286: Regulates the distribution of financial powers between the Centre and the States.
• Article 280: Establishes the Finance Commission to recommend the distribution of taxes and grants-in-aid.
• Article 282: Empowers the Centre to make grants to States for specific purposes.

Financial Instruments

Finance Commission

• First Finance Commission (1951): Established by the Constitution.
• Twelfth Finance Commission (2010): Recommended 42% share of central taxes to States.
• Thirteenth Finance Commission (2015): Recommended 42.5% share of central taxes to States.
• Fourteenth Finance Commission (2020): Recommended 42.5% share of central taxes to States.

Key Facts for Exams

• Finance Commission: Appointed every 5 years to review financial relations.
• Share in Taxes: States receive a share of central taxes as per the Finance Commission recommendations.
• Grants-in-Aid: Used for specific developmental purposes and are non-recoverable.
• Loans: Repayable with interest and are used for infrastructure and development projects.

Summary Table: Centre-State Relations