​Treatise for federalism, Pg8

Key Highlights:

• A committee led by Justice Kurian Joseph has presented a report to the Tamil Nadu government on Union-State relations, highlighting the increasing centralization of power in India.
• The report critiques the weakening of federal democracy and suggests corrective measures, drawing from various sources including Constituent Assembly debates.
• It argues that the ease with which the Constitution can be amended contributes to a cycle of centralization.
• The report points out several instances of central overreach, including the creation of Union Territories in Jammu and Kashmir and the push for a national language.

Detailed Insights:

• The committee's report suggests that the current state of Indian federalism requires a significant overhaul, similar in scale to the economic reforms of 1991.
• The report argues that centralized governance is not suitable for India's vast size and diversity, emphasizing the necessity of federalized governance for the nation's progress.
• Concerns are raised about the role of Governors as instruments of the Centre's overreach, the impending delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies, and the centralization of key sectors like education and health.
• The GST regime is identified as having restructured India's fiscal landscape, favoring the Union at the expense of the States.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Federalism: A system of government in which power is divided between a central authority and constituent political units.
• Centralization: The concentration of control of an activity or organization under a single authority.
• Constitutional Amendment: A modification or addition to the constitution of a country or state.