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@article{192950,
        author = {Anupam Chakroborty and Dr. Paresh Kumar Acharya},
        title = {Railway Infrastructure as a Tool of Cooperative Federalism in India: The Case of Arunachal Pradesh},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {12},
        number = {9},
        pages = {2367-2376},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=192950},
        abstract = {Railway infrastructure in India has historically functioned as far more than a transportation network; it has operated as a powerful instrument of territorial integration, economic transformation, and political consolidation. Within India’s constitutional framework—characterized by a federal structure with a strong Union—railways fall under exclusive Union jurisdiction. Yet, the practical implementation of railway projects, particularly in geographically remote and strategically sensitive regions, necessitates deep and sustained collaboration between the Union and the States. This article examines railway development in Arunachal Pradesh as a case study to explore how infrastructure can serve as a living expression of cooperative federalism in India.
Focusing on the expansion of connectivity through initiatives undertaken by Indian Railways, the article analyzes how constitutional design, fiscal asymmetry, land governance frameworks, environmental regulation, and local customary institutions intersect in the execution of railway projects. It argues that although railways are constitutionally placed within the Union List, their realization on the ground depends upon active State participation in land acquisition, rehabilitation, forest clearance, and community consultation. In frontier regions such as Arunachal Pradesh—marked by difficult terrain, ecological fragility, dispersed tribal populations, and international borders—this intergovernmental coordination becomes both administratively necessary and politically significant.
The study situates railway expansion within broader objectives of national integration, border security, and inclusive development, while simultaneously acknowledging the tensions it generates. These include concerns regarding environmental sustainability, indigenous land rights, cultural preservation, and the risk of centralized decision-making overshadowing local agency. By humanizing the narrative of infrastructure development—highlighting its impact on mobility, access to services, and economic opportunity—the article underscores that cooperative federalism is not merely an institutional arrangement but a lived experience affecting communities on the margins of the Union.
Ultimately, the article contends that railway infrastructure in Arunachal Pradesh demonstrates how cooperative federalism in India operates through negotiation, shared responsibility, and asymmetrical support mechanisms. When pursued through participatory governance and mutual respect between levels of government, infrastructure projects can strengthen both constitutional values and democratic legitimacy. Conversely, without meaningful collaboration, such projects risk reproducing central dominance under the guise of development. The case of Arunachal Pradesh thus offers valuable insight into the evolving practice of federalism in India, where steel tracks become pathways of constitutional cooperation and national belonging.},
        keywords = {Railway infrastructure, Cooperative federalism, Arunachal Pradesh, Indian Railways, Northeast India development, Federal governance, Asymmetrical federalism, Border infrastructure, Act East Policy, Land acquisition, Indigenous rights, Environmental sustainability, National integration, Strategic connectivity, Infrastructure and constitutionalism.},
        month = {February},
        }