{"id":3693,"date":"2026-04-08T10:26:03","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T04:56:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/?p=3693"},"modified":"2026-04-10T13:24:18","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T07:54:18","slug":"centre-state-relations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/centre-state-relations\/","title":{"rendered":"Centre-State Relations in India, UPSC Notes"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><strong>How are the Powers and Functions Divided in the Indian Federal Setup?<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n<p>In the Indian federal setup, the Constitution divides the legislative, executive, and financial functions between the Centre and the states. The Constitution established an<strong>\u00a0integrated judicial system<\/strong>\u00a0to uphold federal and state laws.<\/p>\r\n<p>The Centre-state relations cut across the following three subject matters<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>Legislative relations<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Administrative relations<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Financial relations<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><strong>What are the Centre-State Relations on Legislative Matters?<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n<p><strong>Part XI of the Constitution\u00a0<\/strong>deals with the legislative relations between the Centre and the states in\u00a0<strong>Articles 245 to 255.<\/strong>\u00a0Different aspects in the Centre-state relations are as follow:<\/p>\r\n<figure>\r\n<table>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td class=\"tb-color\" colspan=\"2\"><strong>Territorial Extent of Central and State Legislation<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>State legislature<\/td>\r\n<td>Can enact laws that apply to the whole or any part of the state.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Parliament<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p>Authority to enact laws for whole or any part of the territory of India<\/p>\r\n<p>Extra-territorial legislation<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td colspan=\"2\"><strong>Distribution of legislative subjects<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Union List<\/td>\r\n<td>The Union Parliament has exclusive powers to make legislation on the matters included in the Union List.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>State List<\/td>\r\n<td>The State Legislatures have exclusive powers to make legislation on the matters incorporated in the State List.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Concurrent List<\/td>\r\n<td>Both the Centre and states can make laws on the subjects included in the Concurrent list.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Article 248<\/td>\r\n<td>The\u00a0<strong>Residuary powers are given to the Centre<\/strong>, and the Parliament of India alone can make legislation on the subjects not included in any of the above three lists.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td colspan=\"2\"><strong>Parliamentary Legislation in the State Field<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Article 249<\/td>\r\n<td>If the Rajya Sabha passes a resolution by a majority of two-thirds of its members requesting Parliament to make law on a subject of State List.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Article 250<\/td>\r\n<td>Parliament to make laws on any State List subjects during a national emergency. However, the Parliament\u2019s laws under this provision will cease to operate on the expiration of six months of the emergency.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Article 252<\/td>\r\n<td>If\u00a0<strong>two or more States\u2019 legislatures request<\/strong>\u00a0Union Parliament through a resolution to make a law on a particular subject mentioned in the State List.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Article 253<\/td>\r\n<td>Parliament to make law for the whole or any part of India\u2019s territory for implementing any treaty, international agreement or convention with any other country.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Article 356<\/td>\r\n<td>During the\u00a0<strong>proclamation of President\u2019s Rule<\/strong>\u00a0in a State, the Union Parliament makes the laws over the subjects included in the State List.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td colspan=\"2\"><strong>Centre\u2019s Control Over State Legislation<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Article 200<\/td>\r\n<td>The Governor can reserve specific bills passed by the state legislature for the consideration of the President of India.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<h2><strong>What are the Centre-State Relations on Administrative Matters?<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n<p><strong>Articles 256 to 263, Part XI<\/strong>\u00a0of the Constitution, deal with administrative relations between the Centre and the States.<\/p>\r\n<figure>\r\n<table>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td class=\"tb-color\" colspan=\"2\"><strong>Distribution of Executive Powers<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Union Government<\/td>\r\n<td>Executive power extends to all the subjects on which Parliament can make laws<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>State Government<\/td>\r\n<td>Executive power shall be exercised in conformity with the laws made by the Union Parliament.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td colspan=\"2\"><strong>Centre\u2019s directions to the States<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Article 256<\/td>\r\n<td>Every state\u2019s executive power is to be exercised in such a manner as to ensure compliance with the laws made by the Union Parliament.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Article 257<\/td>\r\n<td>Control of the Union over States in certain cases.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td colspan=\"2\"><strong>Relation during emergencies<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>National emergency<\/td>\r\n<td>The Centre has the executive power to direct any state regarding the manner in which the executive power is to be exercised.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>President\u2019s rule<\/td>\r\n<td>The Union Government can take direct control over State machinery. The President (that means the central government) takes over any of the State Government\u2019s functions.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td colspan=\"2\"><strong>Public service commission\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>State public service commission<\/td>\r\n<td>The Governor appoints the state public service commission's chairman and members, but only the president has the authority to remove them.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td colspan=\"2\"><strong>All Indian Services\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Control of Centre and state control<\/td>\r\n<td>The Centre has ultimate control over these services, whereas states exercise immediate and relatively less control.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td colspan=\"2\"><strong>Other Provisions<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Article 355<\/td>\r\n<td>It shall be the duty of the Union to protect every State against external aggression and internal disturbance.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Appointment of Governor<\/td>\r\n<td>The Governor of a State shall be appointed by the President by warrant under his hand and seal. He holds office during the pleasure of the President.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Appointment of State Election Commissioner<\/td>\r\n<td>The state election commissioner is appointed by the Governor but removed only by the President.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<h2><strong>What are the Centre-State Relations on Financial Matters?<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n<p><strong>Articles 268 to 293 contained in Part XII<\/strong>\u00a0of the constitution deal with\u00a0<strong>Centre-state financial relations.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<figure>\r\n<table>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td class=\"tb-color\" colspan=\"2\"><strong>Allocation of Taxing Powers<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Parliament and State legislature<\/td>\r\n<td>The Parliament and State legislature have exclusive power to levy taxes on subjects incorporated in the Union list and state list, respectively.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Residuary powers<\/td>\r\n<td>The residuary power of taxation lies with Parliament only.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td colspan=\"2\"><strong>Grants-in-aid<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Article 275(1)<\/td>\r\n<td>The Parliament can issue grant-in-aid of the revenues to such States as Parliament may determine, and different sums may be fixed for different States.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Article 282<\/td>\r\n<td>The Union or a State may make any grants for any public purpose.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td colspan=\"2\"><strong>Goods and Services Taxes<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>The Constitution (One Hundred and First Amendment) Act 2016<\/td>\r\n<td>To change the tax structure and introduce GST. Such an amendment can empower the Centre and the States to levy and collect GST.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td colspan=\"2\"><strong>Finance Commission<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Article 280<\/td>\r\n<td>It provides for a Finance Commission as a quasi-judicial body. Its responsibility is to recommend the sharing of taxes between them.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<h2><strong>What are the Issues Pertaining to Centre-State Relations in India?<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n<p>These are issues pertaining to Centre-state relations:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Allocation of resources:\u00a0<\/strong>There is often a dispute between the Centre and the states over the allocation of resources, including funds, taxes, and other benefits.\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>With the introduction of the GST, revenue collection and sharing have been streamlined. Yet, there are concerns relating to the revenue-sharing criteria used by the Finance Commission.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Challenging Centre law:<\/strong>\u00a0Kerala has filed a suit in the Supreme Court of India seeking to declare the CAA as unconstitutional. Chhattisgarh has also filed a similar suit, challenging the constitutional validity of the National Investigation Agency Act.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Misuse of article 356:\u00a0<\/strong>It is said that Article 356 was nearly always employed for political purposes rather than a real breakdown of the constitutional machinery. Different cases have been seen in Arunachal Pradesh and then in Uttarakhand.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Office of Governor:<\/strong>\u00a0The initial point of tension is that the Centre appoints the Governor as if he\/she is a representative of the Centre, and the Centre government has found in the office of the Governor an effective instrument to recapture power for itself.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><strong>What Measures Can Ensure Harmonious Centre-State Relations?<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n<p><strong>Sarkaria Commission, 1983<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>The institution of All-India Services should be strengthened, and more such services should be created.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>The Union should occupy only that much field of a concurrent subject on which uniformity of policy is needed and leave the rest for state action.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p><strong>MM Punchhi Commission, 2007<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>The scope of devolution of powers to local bodies to act as institutions of self-government should be constitutionally defined through appropriate amendments.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>The Commission has recommended a fixed five-year tenure for Governors and their removal only through impeachment by the state Assembly along the same lines as that of the President by the Parliament.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p><strong>National Commission to Review the Workings of the Constitution (NCRWC), 2000<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>In accordance with\u00a0<strong>Article 307<\/strong>, the\u00a0<strong>Inter-State Trade and Commerce Commission\u00a0<\/strong>should be established as a legislative body.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Emergency and disaster management should be covered in the Concurrent List of the Seventh Schedule.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p><strong>Other measures<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Centre-state institutions:\u00a0<\/strong>Institutions such as the Inter-State Council, Finance Commission, and Niti Aayog need to be strengthened to ensure a smooth relationship between the Centre and states.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Fiscal Federalism:<\/strong>\u00a0Fiscal federalism ensures the distribution of resources between the Centre and states in a fair and transparent manner. The Centre and states should work towards promoting fiscal federalism to ensure equitable distribution of resources.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Revisit the seventh schedule:\u00a0<\/strong>Some scholars have advocated further decentralization of the Schedule by introducing a<strong>\u00a0local government list.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Innovations at the state level:\u00a0<\/strong>States are important repositories of innovation and change. Hence, States should be encouraged to introduce such innovation.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Power-sharing:<\/strong> The Centre and states have to work together to ensure that power is shared effectively and there is no concentration of power in one entity.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse;width: 84.6682%\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td class=\"tb-color\" style=\"width: 41.2426%;text-align: center\" colspan=\"2\"><strong>Also Check<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"width: 41.2426%;text-align: center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/fiscal-federalism\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Fiscal Federalism<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 43.4267%;text-align: center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/inter-state-council\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Inter State Council<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"width: 41.2426%;text-align: center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/punchhi-commission\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Punchhi Commission<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 43.4267%;text-align: center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/sarkaria-commission\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Sarkaria Commission<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Centre-State relations cut across 3 subjects namely Legislative, Administrative, and Financial relations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":8203,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[173],"tags":[253,40],"class_list":{"0":"post-3693","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-quest-level-3","8":"tag-centre-state-relations","9":"tag-quest"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3693","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3693"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3693\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20370,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3693\/revisions\/20370"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8203"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3693"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3693"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3693"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}