Federalism and Centre-State Relations — Quick Revision

A last-week revision sheet for Centre-State relations. Learn the article numbers cold — Prelims swaps them in and out of statements.

The Map of Parts XI and XII

Article(s)	Provision
245	Territorial extent of Union and State laws
246	Seventh Schedule — Union, State and Concurrent Lists
246A	Power to levy GST (101st Amendment, 2016)
248	Residuary powers with Parliament
249	Parliament on State subject in national interest (Rajya Sabha resolution)
250	Parliament on State subject during National Emergency
252	Parliament on State subject with consent of two or more States
253	Laws to implement international agreements
254	Repugnancy — Union law prevails (exception: 254(2))
256–257	Obligation of States; Union control in certain cases
258 / 258A	Delegation Union → State / State → Union
262	Inter-State river water disputes
263	Inter-State Council
268–272	Distribution of tax revenue
275	Statutory grants-in-aid
279A	GST Council
280	Finance Commission
282	Discretionary grants
293	Borrowing by States
365	Failure to comply with Union directions

Seventh Schedule at a Glance

List	Original entries	Sample subjects
Union	97	Defence, foreign affairs, currency, railways
State	66	Police, public order, public health, agriculture, land
Concurrent	47	Criminal law, marriage, education, forests, economic planning

42nd Amendment (1976) transfers to the Concurrent List: education, forests, weights and measures, protection of wild animals and birds, administration of justice.

High-Yield Facts

Most-tested lines

Residuary powers: Parliament (Article 248) — the Canadian model.
Article 249: Rajya Sabha alone; two-thirds of members present and voting; one year, renewable.
Article 252 laws: Prize Competitions Act 1955, Wild Life (Protection) Act 1972, Water Act 1974.
Inter-State Council: 1990, Presidential order, Prime Minister chairs.
Zonal Councils: five, statutory (States Reorganisation Act 1956), Union Home Minister chairs.
GST Council: Union FM chairs; Union 1/3 vote; States 2/3; decisions 3/4; recommendations persuasive (Mohit Minerals, 2022).
80th Amendment (2000): all Union taxes (subject to exceptions) form the divisible pool.
15th Finance Commission: 41% devolution to States for 2021–26.

Article 356 in Five Lines

Feature	Rule
Parliamentary approval	Within two months, by both Houses (simple majority)
Duration	Six months per approval; maximum three years
Beyond one year	Only with National Emergency in operation + Election Commission certificate
Judicial review	Yes — S.R. Bommai (1994)
Majority test	On the floor of the House

Reform Commissions

Body	Year	Remember for
Rajamannar Committee	1969 (Tamil Nadu)	State autonomy
Sarkaria Commission	1983 (report 1988)	Inter-State Council; Governor from outside the State; Article 356 as last resort
Punchhi Commission	2007 (report 2010)	Fixed tenure for Governors; localised emergency

Traps

“Federation” is not used in the Constitution — “Union of States” is.
Zonal Councils are statutory; the Inter-State Council is constitutional-by-order (Article 263); NITI Aayog is executive.
Article 275 grants are statutory and need Finance Commission advice; Article 282 grants are discretionary.
Police is still a State List subject.