Panel on Union-State relations submits initial report to CM

The Justice Kurian Joseph headed high-level Committee on Union–State relations, constituted by the Tamil Nadu Government, submitted Part I of its report to Chief Minister M.K. Stalin in the Secretariat in Chennai on Monday. The report made out a case for decentralisation and State autonomy and outlined among other things issues relating to amendment of the Constitution; territorial integrity of States, the Governor, and delimitation.

“The report undertakes a detailed examination of contemporary federal challenges and advances concrete; actionable recommendations aimed at restoring federal balance and strengthening genuine cooperative federalism within the constitutional framework. Two further parts, comprising ten chapters each, are under preparation,” an official release issued by the government said.

In April last year, the government had constituted the committee with retired Supreme Court judge Justice Kurian Joseph as its chairperson. Retired IAS officer K. Ashok Vardhan Shetty and former Vice Chairman of the Tamil Nadu Planning Commission M. Naganathan were its members.

An official release from the State government said the submission of Part I of the report marked an important milestone in Tamil Nadu’s continuing engagement with the evolution of India’s federal structure. “The objective is not to weaken the Union, but to right-size it—enabling it to focus on genuinely national responsibilities while restoring to the States the autonomy essential for effective governance and aligning authority with responsibility,” it said.

“A Union that diffuses its energies across functions better performed by States and local bodies risks distraction from the larger national challenges that only it can address. The Government of Tamil Nadu hopes that this report will stimulate informed dialogue and contribute to a more balanced and cooperative federal order,” it added.

Efforts were also on to translate Part I into major Indian languages, including Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi and Telugu to facilitate wider national engagement. It is proposed to extend Open Access to these language versions once finalised.

After the report was placed before the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, the Tamil version of the report would be uploaded on the official website of the Tamil Nadu government. “Any individual or institution may print, reproduce, or distribute the Tamil text, in whole or in part, from the official PDF, provided that the source is duly acknowledged and no alterations are made,” it said.

The committee marked the fourth major national-level review of Union–State relations and the second undertaken by Tamil Nadu, which earlier led the discourse through the Rajamannar Committee (1969–71).

At the national level, the Sarkaria Commission (1983–88) and the Punchhi Commission (2007–10) examined Union–State relations and made significant recommendations. “The passage of time since those inquiries, together with substantial Constitutional, fiscal, and institutional developments, necessitated a fresh and comprehensive review,” the release said.