Discuss about the Centre-State Relations under …

The relations between the Centre and the States in political, economic, financial and administrative spheres have been periodically reviewed. The Administrative Reforms Commission and the Sarkaria Commission were appointed to review the whole gamut of relations between the Centre and the States and to recommend measures, including changes in the Constitutional provisions, to harmonise the relationship between the Centre and the States. While the Government has accepted and implemented several recommendations of the Administrative Reforms Commission, the recommendations of the Sarkaria Commission are under consideration in the Inter-State Council (ISC) which is trying to reach a consensus on various issues. Out of the 247 recommendations of the Sarkaria Commission, the Inter-State Council has taken a decision on 91 recommendations. These recommendations pertain to All India Services, Administrative Relations, Deployment of Union Armed Forces, Agriculture, Forest, Food, Civil Supplies, Mines and Minerals, Trade, Commerce, Mass Media etc. The re-activisation of ISC has opened a new chapter in the Centre-State relations and provided a useful forum for building a common national approach on various issues.

“Centre-State relations” of Indian Federalism constitute the core of federalism and they are regulated by the provisions of the Constitution.
(i) The division of powers between the Union and the States, as given in the Indian Constitution has a strong bias in favour of the Centre. Various kinds of restrictions are imposed upon the states.
(ii) Administrative relations. The Indian Constitution is based on the principle that the executive power is co-extensive with the Legislative power i.e., Union and state executives can deal with all matters on which legislature legislates.
(iii) In the administrative affairs also the centre acquires control over states through All India Services, Grant-in-Aid etc.
Hence, restructuring of the centre-state relations is one more way in which federalism has been strengthened in practice.