## 1. What Is Federalism?
**Federalism** is a system in which the Constitution divides government powers between a national government and state governments. **Article 1** describes India as a **“Union of States.”**
Key features of Indian federalism include a written Constitution, distribution of powers, supremacy of the Constitution, an independent judiciary, and governments operating within their respective constitutional responsibilities. India has **single citizenship**. The Union also has certain special powers intended to preserve national unity.
**Important distinction:** Federalism does not mean that either level of government can act without limits. Both must follow the Constitution.
## 2. Constitutional Foundation
**Part XI (Articles 245–263):** Legislative and administrative relations between the Union and States.
**Part XII (especially Articles 268–293):** Taxes, distribution of revenues, grants and financial relations.
**Seventh Schedule:** Contains the **Union List, State List and Concurrent List**, which distribute legislative subjects.
**Article 246:** Allocates law-making powers among these lists. **Article 246A:** Creates special legislative powers for Goods and Services Tax (GST).
## 3. The Three Legislative Lists
| List | Usual law-making authority | Examples | |---|---|---| | Union List | Parliament | Defence, foreign affairs, currency, railways | | State List | State legislatures | Police, public order, public health, agriculture | | Concurrent List | Both Parliament and state legislatures | Education, forests, marriage, many labour-related laws |
**Exam fact:** The **42nd Constitutional Amendment (1976)** transferred some subjects, including education and forests, from the State List to the Concurrent List. Old textbooks may contain outdated counts of entries in each list. Use the current official Seventh Schedule instead of memorising an old count.
## 4. Legislative Relations
**Article 245:** Parliament may legislate for India or part of it; a state legislature may legislate for its state.
**Article 246:** Distributes legislative subjects among the three lists.
**Article 248:** Subject to Article 246A, Parliament holds **residuary legislative powers** over subjects not in the State or Concurrent Lists.
**Article 249:** Parliament can legislate on a State List matter in the national interest if the Rajya Sabha passes a resolution supported by at least **two-thirds of members present and voting**.
**Article 250:** During a proclaimed National Emergency, Parliament may legislate on State List matters.
**Article 252:** If two or more states consent, Parliament may make a law for them on a State List subject. Other states may subsequently adopt it.
**Article 253:** Parliament may legislate to implement international agreements.
**Article 254:** If Union and state laws conflict on a Concurrent List matter, the Union law normally prevails. There is a constitutional exception for a state law reserved for and receiving the President's assent; Parliament retains power to legislate later.
## 5. Administrative Relations
**Article 256:** States must exercise their executive powers consistently with applicable Parliamentary laws; the Union may issue appropriate directions under the Constitution.
**Article 257:** State executive power must not impede Union executive power, with provision for specified directions.
**Article 258:** Allows arrangements for Union functions to be entrusted to states in specified circumstances.
**Article 263:** Provides for an **Inter-State Council** to discuss matters of common interest, advise on disputes and recommend better coordination.
**Example:** State departments may help implement a Union law. That does not mean all state powers have been transferred to the Union.
## 6. Financial Relations
The Union and states raise revenue, share specified taxes and receive grants under constitutional rules.
**Article 270:** An important basis for distribution of shareable Union taxes.
**Article 275:** Provides for grants-in-aid to certain states.
**Article 280 – Finance Commission:** The President normally constitutes a Finance Commission every **five years**. It recommends how specified tax proceeds should be shared between the Union and states, how the states' shares should be distributed, and principles for grants-in-aid.
**Article 279A – GST Council:** A joint Union–state body chaired by the Union Finance Minister. It **recommends** GST-related policies, including rates and exemptions. The **101st Constitutional Amendment Act, 2016**, created the constitutional basis for this system.
**Do not confuse:** The Finance Commission (Article 280) and GST Council (Article 279A) are separate constitutional bodies.
## 7. Tamil Nadu Examples
**Police:** A State List subject. The Tamil Nadu government is primarily responsible for administering the Tamil Nadu Police.
**Education:** A Concurrent List subject. Both Union and state laws and policies may be relevant to school education.
**Cauvery water sharing:** Inter-state river-water disputes illustrate the importance of **Article 262** and laws made under it. Federalism requires both cooperation and legal methods for settling disputes.
**GST:** Tamil Nadu and other states participate in the GST Council. This is an example of **co-operative federalism**.
## 8. Important Historical Milestones
| Year | Event | |---|---| | 26 November 1949 | Constitution adopted | | 26 January 1950 | Constitution came into force | | 1956 | States Reorganisation Act | | 1969 | Tamil Nadu established the Rajamannar Committee on Centre–State relations | | 1983 | Sarkaria Commission established | | 1990 | Inter-State Council established | | 2016 | 101st Constitutional Amendment introduced the major constitutional changes for GST |
## 9. Key Institutions and Their Roles
**Finance Commission:** Recommends tax distribution and grants — Article 280.
**GST Council:** Union–state consultation and recommendations on GST — Article 279A.
**Inter-State Council:** Discussion and coordination among states and between the Union and states — Article 263.
**Supreme Court:** Has a constitutional role in specified Union–state disputes, including original jurisdiction under Article 131. Special rules under Article 262 must be considered for inter-state river-water disputes.
## 10. Co-operative Federalism and Challenges
**Co-operative federalism** means the Union and state governments consult and work together to achieve shared national objectives.
**Competitive federalism** refers to states seeking to improve performance in investment, public services and administration.
Disagreements can arise over revenue sharing, legislative authority or river waters. The Constitution, laws, intergovernmental bodies and courts provide mechanisms for addressing these disagreements.
## 11. High-Yield Article Revision List
**1:** Union of States. **245–263:** Union–state relations (Part XI). **246:** Three legislative lists. **246A:** GST legislative powers. **248:** Residuary powers. **249:** National-interest resolution of the Rajya Sabha. **252:** Parliamentary law with consent of states. **254:** Conflict between Union and state laws on Concurrent List subjects. **256–257:** Administrative relations. **262:** Inter-state river-water disputes. **263:** Inter-State Council. **270:** Sharing of specified Union taxes. **275:** Grants-in-aid. **279A:** GST Council. **280:** Finance Commission. **356:** Special provision for failure of constitutional machinery in a state.
## 12. Three Conceptual Examples
**Situation 1:** A law on national defence — a Union List subject, normally legislated on by Parliament.
**Situation 2:** Administration of the Tamil Nadu Police — a State List subject, primarily managed by the state government.
**Situation 3:** School education — a Concurrent List subject. Both levels may legislate; Article 254 is relevant if applicable laws conflict.
## 13. Textbook and Book-Back Progress
**Textbook identified:** Tamil Nadu Samacheer Kalvi, **Class 10 Social Science, Civics, Unit 1: Indian Constitution**, **Section 1.9: Centre–State Relations** (2019 print edition, printed pages 174–175). Related units: Civics Unit 2, Central Government; Unit 3, State Government.
**Book-back exercise identified:** Unit 1 Evaluation, **Section I, Question 14**, concerning commissions/committees on Centre–State relations. Its presence in the original textbook has been checked; the question is **not reproduced or counted as completed**
