Kurian Joseph Committee on Centre
The decision of the Tamil Nadu government to establish a panel on Centre – State relations in April this year consisting of the retired Supreme Court judge justice Kurien Joseph as chairperson along with the retired IAS officer Ashok Vardhan Shetty and former State Planning Commission chairman M Naganathan as members is a significant move to revive and reinvigorate the debate on the Centre – State relations in the country. This high-level committee constituted by the Government of Tamil Nadu is likely to submit its interim report by January 2026, and the final report within two years. The composition of its members, stated objectives and the background to the establishment of this committee are no less significant. The forming of Kurian Joseph committee acquires relevance in context of the changing political, economic and ideological realities in the country given the shift from the era of Congress dominance in Indian politics to the rise of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Hindutva politics and the role of corporate capital in Indian economy.
The mandate of the committee is to review the constitutional provisions, laws, rules and policies with respect to Centre – State relations with an aim of exploring and recommending ways to restore subjects moved from the State List to the Concurrent List. This committee is expected to suggest reforms to ensure maximum autonomy for states without compromising the unity and integrity of the nation besides overcoming the administrative hurdles in the smooth functioning of the Centre – State relations. The core objective of this panel is to study the state of Centre – State relations with a view to safeguard the rights of the states and improve the relations between the Centre and states. The underlying political function of this committee is to defend and thwart the attempts of the centre to overrun and further undermine the powers of the states reflecting the current tension and uneasiness prevailing over this subject between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led government at the centre and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government in Tamil Nadu.
The formation of this committee and its core objectives resemble the circumstances and challenges, though different from another era and extent, surrounding the establishment of the Rajamannar Committee in 1969 by the Tamil Nadu government led by Karunanidhi. The Rajamannar Committee was the first state-level initiative to study and review Centre – State relations. There are other comparable initiatives by the Centre including the Administrative Reforms Commission (1969), Sarkaria Commission (1983) and the Punchhi Commission in 2007. The formation of this committeeagainst the background of the deep erosion of legislative, executive and financial powers by the states and their resistance, including the call of the chief minister of Tamil Nadu MK Stalin for state autonomy cannot be missed. This initiative is seen as a response of the DMK-led government in Tamil Nadu to the BJP's attempts at centralisation of power at the Centre. There is an appeal to consider and expedite the process of implementation of the recommendations of the Rajamannar Committee, Sarkaria Commission and the Punchhi Commission.
The major concerns of the state are such as the implementation of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for medical admissions, the National Education Policy-2020 (NEP) and its insistence on three-language formula, the working of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), the partisan role and interventions of the Governor in state politics and the potential impact of the delimitation process if implemented with an exclusive population criteria alone. There is a sense of being penalised for its success in addressing the above issues keeping what is best for the state and its people. The longstanding dispute over the non-payment of GST dues for the state; the recent flare-up over the withholding of funds meant for Tamil Nadu's education programmes and the routine clashes between the Governor and the government of Tamil Nadu are critical pointers to this effect. The idea of participatory governance and cooperative federalism are indeed becoming distant dreams given the extent of erosion of the rights of the states and the inherent bias towards the centre in the actual working of our federalism.
Though it is not easy to overlook the issues and challenges in the Centre – State relations in India and the brewing conflict(s) on a range of issues over this subject between the DMK and BJP, yet it is important to acknowledge that the establishment of Kurian Joseph Committee is part of a long standing and consistent position of the state to determine the policies for the welfare and wellbeing of the people. The decision of the Tamil Nadu chief minister to move a resolution for more autonomy and the forming of this high-level Kurian Joseph Committee are reflective of the determination of the DMK party and government to revive and restore the debate on Centre – State relations under the present circumstances of prevailing conflicts and distrust between the state and the Centre. There is no doubt that this debate is necessary which, however, requires a more cautious and balanced assessment of the rights and powers of the states against the fears of parochial regionalism and , as a matter of reality, the growing drift towards majoritarianism, excessive centralisation and the exploitation of frenzy nationalism at the centre. Neither augurs well for the unity and integrity of India.
(Prof.Ramu Manivannan is a scholar-social activist in areas of education, human rights and sustainable development through an initiative 'Multiversity.')
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