Tamil Nadu CM moots constitutional amendment for 'structural reset' of federalism

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Wednesday proposed amending the Constitution to bring about a "structural reset" in India’s federalism.

Tabling the Part 1 of the Justice Kurian Joseph committee report on Centre-State relations in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, Stalin emphasised the need for stronger state autonomy and improved trust between the Centre and states.

In April last year, the state 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.

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.

“India’s federalism needs a structural reset. If we wish, we can again amend the Constitution. Meaningful federalism is not about control, but about trust, autonomy, and governance that responds to people's realities,” said Stalin, who is also the president of the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).

He recalled the legacy of DMK founder C.N. Annadurai, who in 1967 highlighted the importance of a strong Union to maintain India’s sovereignty and integrity. Stalin also paid tribute to former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, who advanced the philosophy of “Autonomy for States, and Federalism at the Centre” and established the first independent committee on Union-State relations under Justice P.V. Rajamannar in 1969.

Stalin reaffirmed the DMK’s commitment to this policy, stating that his party continues to advocate for autonomy in the states coupled with federalism at the Centre—a balance crucial for effective governance and addressing the diverse realities of India’s population.

The Justice Kurian Joseph committee is 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,” according to a press release issued by the state government.

(With agency inputs)