Indian Political CompassConstitution · 13 steps · ~66 min
Centre and states: how Indian federalism works
India divides power between the Union and the states, but not evenly. This path traces that division from the constitutional text through money, Governors, and the disputes that keep it contested.
- 1Article 1: India as a Union of States→
Why the framers chose 'Union' over 'Federation', and what that word settles about whether states can leave.
~4 min read - 2Article 3: Formation of new states→
Parliament can redraw state boundaries without a state's consent. How that power has been used, from the 1956 reorganisation onward.
~4 min read - 3Article 246: Who legislates on what→
The Seventh Schedule splits subjects into Union, State, and Concurrent lists. This is the core of the division of powers.
~5 min read - 4Article 249: Parliament legislating on State List subjects→
The route by which the Union can enter state territory when the Rajya Sabha declares a matter of national interest.
~4 min read - 5Article 280: The Finance Commission→
How tax revenue is divided between the Centre and the states, and why the formula is argued over every five years.
~4 min read - 6GST, explained→
A single indirect tax required states to surrender taxation powers to a joint Council. What they gained and what they gave up.
~6 min read - 7The Governor's role in Indian states, explained→
A Union appointee sits at the head of every state government. Where the office's discretion begins and ends, and why assent to bills has become a flashpoint.
~6 min read - 8Article 356: President's Rule→
The provision that lets the Union dismiss a state government, its record of use before 1994, and the Bommai judgment that constrained it.
~6 min read - 9Article 262: Inter-state river water disputes→
Water is a state subject, but rivers cross borders. How the Constitution routes these disputes away from ordinary courts.
~4 min read - 10Special Category States, explained→
Why some states received preferential central funding, what changed after the 14th Finance Commission, and who is still asking for the status.
~5 min read - 11The Delimitation Commission, explained→
Redrawing Lok Sabha seats by population would shift representation between states. The freeze, its expiry, and the arithmetic behind the dispute.
~6 min read - 12Indian federalism, explained→
The full picture: what makes India's federalism asymmetric, and how the balance has shifted across seven decades.
~7 min read - 13How much power should the Union government have?→
The arguments on both sides, from administrative coherence to regional self-government.
~5 min read