CHENNAI: The high-level committee – headed by former judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Kurian Joseph – appointed by Tamil Nadu government to recommend suitable measures to secure utmost autonomy to the States, will examine the recommendations of the Rajamannar Committee (1971) and other commissions on union-state relations and also consider various political, social, economic and legal developments in the country since 1971 before furnishing its report.
A comparison with the terms of reference for the Rajamannar Committee showed that the G.O. issued by the then M Karunanidhi-led DMK government on November 15, 1969, had a broader range of subjects for the committee formed to study centre-state relations. The committee was headed by Dr P V Rajamannar, former Chief Justice of the Madras High Court. It submitted its report in 1971.
On the other hand, the terms of reference for the Justice Kurian Joseph Committee state, “The committee shall recommend suitable measures to secure utmost autonomy to the states in the realm of executive, legislative and judicial branches, without prejudice to the unity and integrity of the country.”
The terms of reference also state that the committee shall examine and review the provisions of the Constitution of India and the existing laws, orders, policies and arrangements that bear upon union-state relations in all spheres.
Besides, the committee shall suggest necessary measures for the restoration of subjects to the State List that were gradually transferred to the Concurrent List.
The Rajamannar Committee was required to examine the existing provisions of the Constitution and to suggest measures necessary for augmenting the resources of the state and securing utmost autonomy of the state in the executive, legislative and judicial branches, including the high court, without prejudice to the integrity of the country as a whole, as per the 1969 G.O.
The Rajamannar Committee took up a host of topics for consideration to secure for the states the fullest extent of autonomy within the general framework of the Constitution including the unitary trends in the Constitution and its working – reasons for such trends, provisions of the Constitution affecting the state autonomy in administrative and executive fields; division of taxing powers as between the union and the states, etc.
The committee, in its report, noted: “Soon after the Constitution began to work, there was a growing realisation of the strong domination of the centre not only on general policies but also in the spheres which exclusively belonged to the states and of the tendency on the part of the centre to exercise control over the states, drastically affecting the autonomy of the states.”
The present political scenario indicates that the above statement is no exaggeration, and in fact, this complaint got strengthened with the politicians’ charge that the centre is snatching away the powers of the states.
The Justice Kurian Joseph Committee has been requested to give its interim report to the government by the end of January 2026 and final report, both in English and Tamil, within two years from the date of its assumption.
On states’ autonomy
The Kurian panel has been requested to give its interim report by the end of January 2026 and final report within two years from the date of its assumption