State v. federal power:Navigating Federalism

  • Unique Paper ID: 206259
  • Volume: 13
  • Issue: 2
  • PageNo: 704-716
  • Abstract:
  • The essence of federalism lies in the constitutionally demarcated division of powers between the Centre and the States.” Federalism operates as a constitutional balancing act, dispensing powers between the Centre and the States hold solidarity while respecting local autonomy. The Indian constitution establishes this framework through Articles 245–255 and the 7th time table, which divides legislative authority into Union, country, and Concurrent Lists, with a tilt toward a sturdy Centre. The doctrine of supremacy of Union law, in conjunction with interpretative doctrines inclusive of Pith and Substance, Colourable legislation, Repugnancy, and Territorial Nexus, ensures readability whilst overlaps arise. Residuary powers vested inside the Centre in addition enhance valuable dominance, distinguishing India from classical federations. Administrative members of the family, inclusive of the position of the Governor and All India offerings, replicate an included structure, while financial relations via tax distribution, the Finance fee, presents-in-resource, and the GST regime shape monetary federalism. Emergency provisions under Articles 352, 356, and 360 show the constitution’s ability to convert federalism right into a unitary model at some point of crises, elevating worries approximately misuse, particularly of President’s Rule. The judiciary acts as the constitutional sentinel, keeping federal balance via judicial overview and landmark rulings together with state of West Bengal v. Union of India and S.R. Bommai v. Union of India, whilst asserting federalism as a part of the fundamental shape. contemporary Centre country conflicts, evolving guidelines, and governance challenges highlight tensions within this framework. on the equal time, the shift closer to cooperative and competitive federalism, supported by means of establishments like NITI Aayog, reflects an adaptive method. A comparative attitude with federations together with US and Canada underscores India’s particular quasi federal character. Ultimately, Indian federalism represents a dynamic equilibrium, continuously negotiating among centralized authority and kingdom autonomy, aiming to uphold constitutional beliefs while responding to political and socio-monetary realities.

Copyright & License

Copyright © 2026 Authors retain the copyright of this article. This article is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

BibTeX

@article{206259,
        author = {Maheswari Natesaraja},
        title = {State v. federal power:Navigating Federalism},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {13},
        number = {2},
        pages = {704-716},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=206259},
        abstract = {The essence of federalism lies in the constitutionally demarcated division of powers between the Centre and the States.”
Federalism operates as a constitutional balancing act, dispensing powers between the Centre and the States hold solidarity while respecting local autonomy. The Indian constitution establishes this framework through Articles 245–255 and the 7th time table, which divides legislative authority into Union, country, and Concurrent Lists, with a tilt toward a sturdy Centre. The doctrine of supremacy of Union law, in conjunction with interpretative doctrines inclusive of Pith and Substance, Colourable legislation, Repugnancy, and Territorial Nexus, ensures readability whilst overlaps arise.
Residuary powers vested inside the Centre in addition enhance valuable dominance, distinguishing India from classical federations. Administrative members of the family, inclusive of the position of the Governor and All India offerings, replicate an included structure, while financial relations via tax distribution, the Finance fee, presents-in-resource, and the GST regime shape monetary federalism.
Emergency provisions under Articles 352, 356, and 360 show the constitution’s ability to convert federalism right into a unitary model at some point of crises, elevating worries approximately misuse, particularly of President’s Rule. The judiciary acts as the constitutional sentinel, keeping federal balance via judicial overview and landmark rulings together with   state of West Bengal v. Union of India and S.R. Bommai v. Union of India, whilst asserting federalism as a part of the fundamental shape. contemporary Centre country conflicts, evolving guidelines, and governance challenges highlight tensions within this framework. on the equal time, the shift closer to cooperative and competitive federalism, supported by means of establishments like NITI Aayog, reflects an adaptive method. A comparative attitude with federations together with US and Canada underscores India’s particular quasi federal character.
Ultimately, Indian federalism represents a dynamic equilibrium, continuously negotiating among centralized authority and kingdom autonomy, aiming to uphold constitutional beliefs while responding to political and socio-monetary realities.},
        keywords = {Federalism, Article 245-255, Schedule VII, Doctrine-Pith & Substance, Colourable legislation, Repugnancy, Territorial Nexus, Residuary Power, Harmonius Construction, Emergency Provisions, President Rule, Judicial Review, Basic Structure, Co-operative & Competitive Federalism, Administrative & Financial Relations, Decentralization, State of west Bengal v. UOI, S.R.Bomai v. UOI.},
        month = {July},
        }

Cite This Article

Natesaraja, M. (2026). State v. federal power:Navigating Federalism. International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology (IJIRT), 13(2), 704–716.

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