Tamil Nadu to Present Landmark State Autonomy Report to Legislative Assembly
The Tamil Nadu government is set to present the comprehensive report of the Justice Kurian Joseph-led three-member committee on state autonomy and Union-state relations to the state legislative assembly on Tuesday. This significant document delves into contemporary federal challenges and provides concrete, actionable recommendations aimed at rebalancing federalism and enhancing cooperative federalism within India's constitutional framework.
Detailed Examination of Federal Issues
Part I of the report is meticulously structured into 10 chapters, covering a wide array of critical topics. These include decentralisation and state autonomy, constitutional amendments, territorial integrity of states, language policies, the role of governors, delimitation processes, elections, education systems, healthcare, and the Goods and Services Tax (GST). In a government statement, it was emphasized that "the objective is not to weaken the Union, but to right-size it, enabling it to focus on genuinely national responsibilities while restoring to the states the autonomy essential for effective governance and aligning authority with responsibility." The statement further added, "A Union that diffuses its energies across functions better performed by states and local bodies risks distraction from the larger national challenges that only it can address."
Extensive Efforts and Historical Context
The compilation of this report involved immense dedication, with sources revealing that it required nearly 120,000 words, spanned 408 printed pages, and demanded 12 to 14 hours of work daily over the last three months. Following its presentation to the assembly, the report will be made accessible on the government portal for public review. This initiative marks the fourth major national-level review of Union-state relations and the second undertaken by Tamil Nadu. It follows the Rajamannar committee, which was constituted by former chief minister M Karunanidhi in 1969. The Rajamannar committee had recommended the creation of an inter-state council for coordination among states and broader devolution of funds from the Centre. It also proposed transferring several subjects, such as oil resources, from the Union list to the state list. Nationally, the Sarkaria and Punchhi commissions have also reviewed Centre-state relations and proposed significant recommendations.
Open Access and Widespread Dissemination
In a pioneering move for the country, the Tamil Nadu government has decided to provide "open access" to the Tamil version of the report. This means any individual or institution can publish the entire book or parts of it, provided they acknowledge the source and do not alter the content. This measure is intended to widely disseminate the report's ideas and recommendations to foster broader public engagement and discussion. Additionally, Bloomsbury, a renowned publishing company, has reportedly agreed to co-publish the English version of the report and market it both within India and internationally. To ensure even wider reach, the state government plans to translate the report into 10 other languages, including Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Gujarati, Odia, Punjabi, and Assamese. Open access will also be granted for these translated versions, promoting inclusivity and accessibility across diverse linguistic communities.
