If you’re getting ready for competitive exams, it’s important to know about how the central government and state governments work together in India. This topic is called Centre-State Relations. It’s a key part of the IAS Exam and the polity syllabus (GS-II). If you’re aiming to become an IAS officer, it’s crucial to understand this topic really well. This article will help you understand all about Centre-State Relations, which is important for both the polity and governance parts of the UPSC syllabus.
Centre-state relations refer to the relationship between the central government of India and the state governments. The Indian Constitution divides power between the centre and the states in a federal system. The centre has control over certain subjects, such as defense, foreign affairs, and currency, while the states have control over other subjects, such as education, agriculture, and health. The centre and the states are supposed to cooperate with each other on matters of common interest. However, there have been tensions between the centre and the states in the past, particularly when the same party does not control the centre and the states.
The Indian Constitution divides the power between the centre and the states in a federal system. There are three types of centre-state relations in India:
The centre and the states are supposed to cooperate with each other on matters of common interest. However, there have been tensions between the centre and the states in the past, particularly when the same party does not control the centre and the states. Here are some of the key challenges in centre-state relations in Indian federalism:
Despite these challenges, centre-state relations in Indian federalism have generally been good. The centre and the states have been able to cooperate on a number of important issues, such as economic development, national security, and disaster management. However, there is always room for improvement, and it is important to address the challenges that exist in order to ensure that centre-state relations remain strong in the future.
Articles 245 to 255 of the Indian Constitution cover the way laws are made by both the central government and state governments. These articles explain how the central and state governments work together in terms of making laws, which is an important aspect of federalism. These articles focus on four different aspects of legislative relations between the Centre and the states.
The President of India possesses the authority to enact laws aimed at maintaining peace, ensuring effective governance, and promoting development in the five union territories: Daman and Diu, Ladakh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Dadra, and Nagar Haveli. The legislative powers exercised by the President hold an equivalent status to those of the Indian Parliament. This grants the President the ability to revoke or modify any legislations established by the Indian Parliament pertaining to these five union territories.
The Indian constitution has established a tripartite allocation of legislative subjects between the central government and the state governments. This allocation is structured into List 1, which pertains to the Union; List 2, covering the states; and List 3, encompassing the concurrent list within the 7th schedule.
In addition to the parliament, the constitution grants the central government the ability to exert certain influence over state-level legislations.
The constitution empowers the Parliament to legislate on matters within the state list in five exceptional situations.
The administrative connections between the Central and State governments in India pertain to the collaborative framework for managing administrative affairs. This framework encompasses the distribution of administrative duties, the process of making decisions, and the execution of policies and initiatives. For a comprehensive understanding of these relations in administrative capacities, explore the detailed elaboration on Centre-State Relations below.
The central government is vested with the authority to instruct the state government to utilize its executive powers under the following circumstances:
The Constitution has imposed limitations on state executive powers to create space for the central government’s unimpeded exercise of their executive authority. As a result, state executive powers need to be exercised in a manner that aligns with the laws enacted by the Indian Parliament. This practice should avoid obstructing the central government’s executive powers within the state.
The division of executive powers between the Central and state governments extends across all of India based on two main principles:
Within a federal nation like India, distinct administrative systems are in place. Both the state and the Central government maintain separate administrative entities to uphold law and order. Nonetheless, the paramount administrative units – the IAS, IPS, IFS, and IES – alternate their service between the state and the Centre.
In 1947, the Indian Civil Services transitioned into the Indian Administrative Services, and the Indian Police were succeeded by the Indian Police Services. A third significant category, the Indian Forest Services, was introduced in 1966.
State-specific Public Service Commissions are established, confining the operational scope of their administrators to their respective states.
As previously mentioned in this article, the Judiciary System lacks provisions for decentralizing powers. However, the Constitution has set up both the Supreme Court at the Union level and high courts at the state level. This move was aimed at minimizing variations in the remedies sought through legal processes.
High Court Judges are appointed by the President of India, following consultations with the Chief Justice of India and the respective State Governor. Interestingly, the Constitution allows for the establishment of a single High Court to serve two or more states. For instance, Maharashtra and Goa, as well as Punjab and Haryana, share common High Courts.
Financial interactions between the Central and State governments in India revolve around the apportionment and supervision of monetary resources. These interactions encompass the allotment of funds, division of revenues, and monetary transfers aimed at bolstering diverse developmental initiatives and social welfare schemes. The financial relationship between the Centre and the States is categorized based on certain criteria, which include:
The division of taxation powers between the Central and state governments operates as follows:
The apportionment of taxes between the Central and state governments is structured as follows:
Read here about the Centre State Relations for non-tax revenues are mentioned below.
For the States
For the Centre
Enacted through the 101st Amendment Act of 2016, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) was introduced to streamline the management of goods and services. Article 279A of the Constitution grants the President of India the authority to establish a GST council. This council serves as a collaborative platform for both the Central and State governments to converge on matters concerning GST.
Under Article 280 of the Constitution, the Finance Commission serves as a constitutional entity. It is established every five years by the President of India, accompanied by specific recommendations. Emphasizing recommendations in each revision is crucial. Within the constitutional framework, the Finance Commission is recognized as a vital component that upholds the equilibrium of fiscal federalism.
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Article 245 to 255 of the constitution deals with the legislative relation between the centre and states.
Centre-state relations can be better understood under the following three heads:
1. Legislative relations.
2. Administrative relations.
3. Financial relations.
Article 245 to 255 [3]of the constitution deals with the legislative relation between the centre and states.
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