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What to Study: Which Articles, and which Part of the Constitution, deal with legislative relations between the Centre and the states? Understand how far the laws of Parliament and of a state legislature reach (Article 245), when a state law can apply outside the state ("sufficient nexus"), and which legislature alone can make extra-territorial laws.
What to Study: Parliament's power over the territory of India has three limits. Remember for which union territories the President can make regulations, the special condition for Puducherry, and what force such a regulation has. Also know the Governor's power over Acts of Parliament in Scheduled Areas, and who holds a similar power over tribal areas (autonomous districts) in the North-East.
Asked in UPSC PrelimsUPSC 2004UPSC 2006UPSC 2013UPSC 2021UPSC 2023UPSC 2024
What to Study: What are the three Lists in the Seventh Schedule, and who can make laws on each? Remember how many subjects each List has now and had originally (and why the last entry number differs from the count), and a few typical subjects in each List.
Asked in UPSC PrelimsUPSC 2004UPSC 2006UPSC 2012
What to Study: Which five subjects did the 42nd Amendment Act of 1976 move from the State List to the Concurrent List? Be careful with the exact wording of the entries on courts and on weights and measures, and what each one leaves out.
What to Study: Understand Parliament's power to make laws on State List subjects for any part of India that is not included in a state, and which kinds of territory this covers.
What to Study: Which amendment (and year) created this special provision, and what law-making power on GST does it give to Parliament and to the state legislatures? Also be clear who alone can make GST laws when the supply takes place in the course of inter-state trade or commerce.
What to Study: What are residuary subjects, and who holds the power to make laws on them under Article 248? Understand whether this power also extends to taxes.
What to Study: On what basis is a subject placed in the Union List, the State List or the Concurrent List? You should be able to explain the idea behind each List, and how the Concurrent List allows diversity along with uniformity.
Asked in UPSC PrelimsUPSC 2012
What to Study: How do the USA, Australia and Canada divide powers between the federal government and the units? Know the difference between single and double enumeration, and where residuary powers lie in each country. Also know how the Government of India Act of 1935 divided subjects, who held residuary powers under it, and which country India follows on residuary powers.
What to Study: Understand the order of predominance among the three Lists when their subjects overlap. If a Central law and a state law clash on a Concurrent List subject, which one prevails (Article 254)? Learn the exception for a state law that was reserved for the President and received assent, and whether Parliament can still override such a law.
Asked in UPSC PrelimsUPSC 2006UPSC 2012UPSC 2016
What to Study: What must the Rajya Sabha declare, and with what majority, before Parliament can make laws on a State List matter or on GST? Remember how long the resolution lasts, how often it can be renewed, and when the laws stop having effect. Can the state still make laws on the same matter, and which law wins if the two clash?
What to Study: What power does Parliament gain over State List matters (and GST) while a national emergency is in operation? Remember when such laws stop working after the emergency ends, whether the state can still legislate on the matter, and which law prevails if the two conflict.
Asked in UPSC PrelimsUPSC 2000UPSC 2013
What to Study: When two or more state legislatures ask Parliament to make a law on a State List matter, which states does that law cover, how can another state adopt it later, and who alone can amend or repeal it? What happens to the state legislature's own power over that matter, and how is this different from Articles 249 and 250? Remember the main Acts passed in this way.
Asked in UPSC PrelimsUPSC 2000UPSC 2013
What to Study: Why can Parliament make laws on State List matters to implement international treaties, agreements and conventions? Remember a few Acts passed under this power.
What to Study: During President's Rule in a state, on which matters can Parliament make laws for that state? Does such a law end when President's Rule ends, and who can later repeal or change it?
What to Study: Besides making laws itself in the state field, how can the Centre control state legislation? Understand each of the four ways with its Article: reservation of state bills for the President (Articles 200 and 201) and what the President can do with such a bill, the President's previous sanction for certain bills (Article 304), directions during a financial emergency (Article 360), and the President's instructions for certain ordinances (Article 213). Can courts fix time limits for the Governor or the President to decide on a state bill? Know what the Supreme Court said in its 2025 advisory opinion.
What to Study: Why did the Sarkaria Commission defend the supremacy of Union law over state law? You should be able to explain what problems it said would arise without this rule.