{"id":4210,"date":"2026-10-06T09:49:40","date_gmt":"2026-10-06T09:49:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kingmakersiasacademy.com\/current-affairs\/?p=4210"},"modified":"2026-10-07T09:54:45","modified_gmt":"2026-10-07T09:54:45","slug":"asymmetric-federalism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kingmakersiasacademy.com\/current-affairs\/asymmetric-federalism\/","title":{"rendered":"Asymmetric Federalism"},"content":{"rendered":"<table style=\"font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<blockquote><p><b>SYLLABUS: Indian Polity<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>General Studies \u2013 : II <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure, devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><b>IN NEWS:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Why are States divided over the mining amendment?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>QUESTION: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What constitutional mechanisms are available to States to challenge a Union law that they believe encroaches upon their legislative or fiscal domain? Discuss(250 words)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>ANSWER: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Under the scheme of asymmetric Indian federalism, while the Union holds overarching legislative and fiscal dominance, the Constitution provides States with judicial, legislative, deliberative, and political remedies to challenge central legislation that encroaches upon their constitutional domain.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Judicial Mechanisms<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Original Jurisdiction of the Supreme Court (Article 131):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> States can directly file an original suit in the Supreme Court against the Union if a dispute involves a fundamental question of law or legal right concerning federal jurisdiction (e.g., <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">State of West Bengal v. Union of India, 1963<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Judicial Review and Constitutional Doctrines:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> States can challenge Central statutes before the Higher Judiciary invoking specific judicial doctrines:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Doctrine of Pith and Substance:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> To prove that the &#8220;substance&#8221; or true nature of a Union law falls within List II (State List) of the Seventh Schedule, rendering any encroachment impermissible.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Doctrine of Colorable Legislation:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> To demonstrate that Parliament has indirectly legislated on a State subject over which it has no direct competence (&#8220;what cannot be done directly cannot be done indirectly&#8221;).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Writ Jurisdiction under Article 226:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> State instrumentalities or aggrieved bodies can approach High Courts seeking writs of <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Certiorari<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mandamus<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to strike down central statutory notifications or rules that violate legislative competence or fundamental rights.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Fiscal and Statutory Mechanisms<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Challenge to Money Bill Classification:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> States can challenge Parliament\u2019s misuse of <\/span><b>Article 110<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Money Bills) to bypass the Rajya Sabha\u2014the federal chamber representing State interests\u2014on legislations impacting state revenue or administration.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>GST Council Institutional Mechanism (Article 279A):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> For taxation disputes, States can utilize the voting and dispute-resolution framework within the GST Council to contest central tax structures, rate changes, or delayed compensation cesses that erode State fiscal autonomy.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Presidential Assent and Repugnancy Remedies (Article 254(2)):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> On Concurrent List (List III) subjects, if a Central law encroaches on a State&#8217;s legislative domain, a State Assembly can pass a counter-statute. If it receives Presidential assent, the State law prevails over the conflicting Union law within that specific State.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Deliberative and Inter-Governmental Platforms<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Inter-State Council (Article 263):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> States can invoke Article 263 to demand formal discussion and investigation into central laws that undermine cooperative federalism, seeking consensus-based policy amendments.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>NITI Aayog Governing Council:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Provides a platform for Chief Ministers to collectively raise structural grievances regarding Central Sector Schemes (CSCs) and Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSSs) that tie up State revenues or enforce federal mandates without fiscal devolution.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Political and Legislative Safeguards<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Rajya Sabha as the Federal Check:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> States leverage their representatives in the Council of States to vote down, amend, or refer controversial central bills to Parliamentary Select Committees before they become law.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Resolution in State Assemblies:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> State Legislatures can pass official resolutions under Parliamentary conventions rejecting the applicability of central statutes (such as resolution filings against agricultural or central taxation laws) to build constitutional and moral pressure on the Union.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Way Forward<\/b><\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Enforcing Sarkaria and Punchhi Commission Recommendations:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Strengthen the Inter-State Council into a permanent, mandate-driven body to consult States <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">prior<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to introducing legislation on List III (Concurrent List) items.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Clarifying Article 131 Scope:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Establishing specialized federal benches in the Supreme Court for faster adjudication of Article 131 disputes to prevent protracted legislative friction between the Centre and States.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<blockquote><p><b>PYQ REFERENCE UPSC 2020<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Q. &#8220;The Supreme Court of India can exercise its original jurisdiction in any dispute between the Government of India and one or more States. Discuss the significance of Article 131 in maintaining the federal equilibrium in India.&#8221;<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><b style=\"font-style: inherit;\">SOURCE: <a href=\"https:\/\/epaper.thehindu.com\/ccidist-ws\/th\/th_international\/issues\/207747\/OPS\/GS6GJE43I.1+G56GKGOVD.1.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Hindu e-paper &#8211; Why are States divided over the mining amendment?<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SYLLABUS: Indian Polity General Studies \u2013 : II Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues and challenges 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