Federalism, Local Self-Government and Centre-State Relations
Federalism questions test the division of powers, centre-state institutions and the 73rd and 74th Amendments, including which Schedule carries which subjects.
Federal design
- Seventh Schedule: Union List (97 subjects originally), State List (66), Concurrent List (47); residuary powers with the Union under Article 248.
- Article 249 (Rajya Sabha resolution), 250 (emergency), 252 (consent of two or more States); Article 254 - in repugnancy, Union law prevails unless the State law has received the President's assent.
- Article 356 and the Sarkaria (1983) and Punchhi (2007) Commission recommendations; Inter-State Council under Article 263; Finance Commission under Article 280; GST Council under Article 279A.
Local self-government
- 73rd Amendment 1992: Part IX, Articles 243-243O, Eleventh Schedule (29 subjects); three tiers; five-year term; reservation for SC/ST and one-third seats for women; State Election Commission (243K); State Finance Commission (243I).
- 74th Amendment 1992: Part IXA, Twelfth Schedule (18 subjects); municipalities, ward committees, District Planning Committees.
Worked example: in the GST Council the Union has one-third of the weighted votes and all States together two-thirds, and decisions need a three-fourths majority under Article 279A(9). Reasoning: the Union cannot carry a motion alone and neither can the States, so consensus is structurally required.
Traps: the Eleventh and Twelfth Schedules are often reversed; Panchayati Raj was first inaugurated at Nagaur, Rajasthan, on 2 October 1959; Article 356 is an exception, not a routine power.