Centre-State relations

In the news

• Op-ed: The Inter-State Council has withered away and must be rebuilt 29 October 2026 · Indian Express

  The Constitution gave the Centre and States a meeting room in Article 263. Why has it not met since 2016?

• Supreme Court says Jharkhand's DGP rule prima facie defies Prakash Singh, widens scrutiny 9 October 2026 · The Hindu

  Police is a State subject. So why must States follow a 2006 court order on choosing their police chief?

• Punjab asks Centre to hold High Court Chief Justice appointment, citing MoP breach 7 September 2026 · Indian Express

  The Constitution says the Governor must be consulted. Does that give a State a say in who heads its High Court?

Key facts

• The Inter-State Council is set up under Article 263 by the President; it was constituted by a Presidential Order of 28 May 1990 on the Sarkaria Commission's recommendation. (29 October 2026)
• The Prime Minister chairs the Council; its Standing Committee is chaired by the Union Home Minister. (29 October 2026)
• On 8 October 2026, the Supreme Court said a Jharkhand rule letting officers with under six months of residual service be considered for DGP was prima facie contrary to Prakash Singh. (9 October 2026)
• Prakash Singh v. Union of India (2006) requires a State's DGP to be chosen from the three senior-most officers empanelled by the UPSC, with a minimum two-year tenure. (9 October 2026)
• Article 217(1) requires the President to consult the Chief Justice of India and the Governor of the State before appointing a High Court judge, and also the High Court's Chief Justice for judges other than the Chief Justice. (7 September 2026)
• For a common High Court, Article 231 makes the reference to the Governor in Article 217 mean the Governors of all the States over which the court has jurisdiction. (7 September 2026)

Previous-year questions

1. 2025 · GS2 · 15 marks Discuss the evolution of collegium system in India. Critically examine the advantages and disadvantages of the system of appointment of the Judges of the Supreme Court of India and that of the USA.
2. 2024 · GS2 · 15 marks What changes has the Union Government recently introduced in the domain of Centre-State relations? Suggest measures to be adopted to build the trust between the Centre and the States and for strengthening federalism.
3. 2021 · GS2 · 15 marks The jurisdiction of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) regarding lodging an FIR and conducting probe within a particular state is being questioned by various States. However, the power of States to withhold…
4. 2017 · GS2 · 10 marks Critically examine the Supreme Court's judgement on 'National Judicial Appointments Commission Act, 2014' with reference to appointment of judges of higher judiciary in India.
5. 2015 · GS2 · 12.5 marks The concept of cooperative federalism has been increasingly emphasised in recent years. Highlight the drawbacks in the existing structure and extent to which cooperative federalism would answer the shortcomings.
6. 2025 · Prelims With reference to India, consider the following: I. The Inter-State Council II. The National Security Council III. Zonal Councils. How many of the above were established as per the provisions of the Constitution of…