The Constitution of India established a federal structure in the country, distributing legislative, administrative and executive powers between the Union and various state governments. The federal structure remains important not just for better administration, but also to safeguard the different cultural identities that make up this nation. The idea is simple – there are certain things which only the Union government shall control, few powers rest exclusively with the states, and there are areas where they both have powers and responsibilities. And while every Union government would claim to have respect for the federal structure of the country — including the present one under PM Narendra Modi who has continued to show his enthusiasm for ‘competitive, cooperative federalism’ — rarely have they been forthcoming in sharing power with the states or working towards strengthening the rights of the states.
The Narendra Modi government in 2014 started with a great promise for federalism. The central Planning Commission was replaced with the NITI Aayog, in an apparent step away from the archaic, socialist-era economic planning model. But since then, much has been proposed and done to centralise governance and reduce the power of the states, especially their control over their finances. If murmurs from the GST Council are to be believed, even BJP-run state governments are now privately complaining about the Union’s way of doing business. Regional political parties argue that there is a systematic effort to weaken the states across ministries and areas of governance.
Or, perhaps these parties are just complaining too much? Is “federalism politics” a political ploy by the parties in power at the state level, like DMK, TRS, YSRCP, TMC or BJD? We want to find out, and help you understand these issues better.
How has the new GST regime impacted state finances and their control over their future? Are the NIA and CBI being abused to overrule states’ legitimate control over law and order? Should the Union be the main arbitrator of water-sharing between states? Do we really need a “super-censor board”? And does NEET really create a socially-just, level playing field for all students? Does the Union do enough to safeguard linguistic identities of the states, or is Hindi hegemony impinging our cultural rights?
Welcome to the Cooperative Federalism Project by TNM. Over the next few months, we will ask these questions and find answers to them. Not only are we going to report on these issues from the ground, but we will spark conversations, with interviews with experts, politicians and policy makers. We are going to write stories, produce videos and hold online events – all to make sure that you know what’s going on with your states’ rights. We have started a special reader-fund to back this project. Support this fund, so we can help you and others stay informed about these crucial issues.
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India is a sum of its various states and cultures. Stronger the states, stronger the country. And only if all of us are aware of how various Union government legislations are making states stronger or weaker, can we take appropriate actions as citizens. Click here (Indian residents) or here (NRIs) to support The Cooperative Federalism Project.