CHENNAI: Fifty-six years after the then Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi constituted the P V Rajamannar Committee in 1969—the first such panel in India’s history formed to study centre-state relations—his son and current CM M K Stalin on Tuesday announced the formation of a high-level committee to study the constitutional and legal provisions that impact the centre-state relations.
The committee would make recommendations to protect the legitimate rights of the state while improving relationship between the union and states, the CM said.
The committee will be headed by retired Supreme Court Judge Kurian Joseph. Retired IAS officer Ashok Vardhan Shetty and former vice-chairperson of the State Planning Commission, M Naganathan, will be its members. The panel will submit its interim report in January 2026 and final report in two years.
Announcing the constitution of the committee under Rule 110 of the Assembly, the CM said it will suggest ways to bring back to the State List subjects which were transferred to the Concurrent List over time and for states to function with maximum autonomy in the administrative departments, assemblies and judicial branches, without compromising the unity and integrity of the country. It will also suggest measures to address challenges faced by the states in delivering good governance.
Strong union built by empowering states: CM
Stalin said the committee has been conceived not just for TN but for all states to protect the principle of ‘unity in diversity’. He said such a committee has become an imperative at this critical juncture where states’ rights are continuously being taken away and they are forced to fight with the centre even for the basic rights of the people.
Highlighting that the vast country of India is being protected by the states formed based on linguistic rights, and the country will become stronger only when the states have all necessary powers, Stalin added that this is why TN has been vocal about the philosophy of “autonomy in states and federalism at the centre”.
The CM went on to elaborate on how the powers of states are being “snatched away” through decline in devolution of funds, use of governors to disrupt the functioning of states, non-release of funds for centrally-sponsored schemes like Samagra Shiksha, NEET, and through GST, which has resulted in revenue loss for TN that ranked high in manufacturing.
Stalin recalled that B R Ambedkar had said that “both the union and state governments derive their respective authority from the Constitution. One is not subordinate to the other in its own field; and the authority of one is co-ordinate with that of the other”. Yet, the steady encroachment of the centre into the rightful domains of the states has disrupted this delicate constitutional balance, he said.
Later, in a post on social media, the CM termed the formation of the committee as a defining moment that echoed the uncompromising legacy of the Dravidian movement. “As we complete 50 years of the historic state autonomy resolution moved in this very Assembly by Thalaivar Kalaignar (M Karunanidhi), the formation of this committee seeks to revisit and reassert the principles of state autonomy in today’s context.
A strong union is not built by weakening states. It is built by empowering them.” he said. As AIADMK MLAs had walked out of the House aggrieved over the Speaker’s denial of permission to raise an issue before the CM made the announcement, Stalin expressed concern about the absence of members of the principal opposition party when such a key issue was being discussed.
Law Minister S Regupathy charged that the AIADMK staged a walkout knowing fully well that the state autonomy issue would be discussed. Deputy Leader of the Opposition, R B Udhayakumar, later told reporters that DMK shared power at the centre for 16 years, but did nothing.
BJP floor leader Nainar Nagenthran said states demanding “absolute autonomy” would not augur well for the country that is about to become a superpower. He opposed the decision to form the committee and staged a walkout with his party MLAs. Leaders of all other parties welcomed the announcement.