Tamil Nadu: MK Stalin Government Forms High-Level Committee To Review Centre-State Relations

Tamil Nadu government has constituted a three-member high-level committee to study Centre-State relations, Chief Minister MK Stalin announced in the State Assembly on Tuesday. The panel will be chaired by retired Supreme Court Judge Kurien Joseph, with former IAS officer Ashok Varadhan Shetty and former State Planning Commission chairman M Naganathan as members.

The committee is expected to submit its interim report by January 2026, and a comprehensive report within two years. The initiative aims to evaluate the current status of federalism in India, re-examine constitutional provisions, and recommend measures to strengthen cooperative federalism.

Stalin said the move was essential as the Union government continues to encroach upon the powers of state governments. “This high-level committee will help protect the rights of states and recommend steps to ensure balanced federal relations,” he stated.

Tamil Nadu: MK Stalin makes pitch for more autonomy for State, 3 member committe formed to give recomendation

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State policies implementation

Highlighting Tamil Nadu’s significant contribution in areas like education, healthcare, and development, the Chief Minister stressed that the necessary powers to implement state policies are increasingly being centralized by the Union government.

Citing a recent Supreme Court verdict against Governor RN Ravi, Stalin said it reaffirmed the principle of federalism. The SC had ruled that the Governor’s delay in assenting to ten re-enacted bills was “illegal and erroneous,” reinforcing that the Governor must act on the advice of the state Cabinet. Stalin hailed the judgment as a “victory for all states in India.”

Chief Minister clarified that the committee is not only in Tamil Nadu’s interest but also aims to protect the autonomy of all states from Gujarat to the Northeast, and Kashmir to Kerala on the principle of “unity in diversity.”

The announcement comes amid growing tensions between the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government and the Centre. Recently, the state passed several resolutions opposing Union government policies, including on the Waqf Act amendment, NEET exemption, and the retrieval of Katchatheevu island. Stalin called the President’s rejection of the NEET exemption a “dark chapter in federalism.”

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