Indian Polity & Governance·Amendments
Centre-State Relations — Amendments
Constitution VerifiedUPSC Verified
Version 1Updated 5 Mar 2026
| Amendment | Year | Description | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7th Amendment | 1956 | Reorganized states on linguistic basis and amended the Seventh Schedule to accommodate new state boundaries and administrative arrangements. Modified Centre-State relations by creating new states and union territories. | Established the principle of linguistic states, strengthening federal structure by recognizing cultural and linguistic diversity while maintaining national unity. |
| 42nd Amendment | 1976 | Transferred five subjects (education, forests, weights and measures, protection of wild animals and birds, administration of justice) from State List to Concurrent List, expanding Centre's legislative reach. | Significantly altered Centre-State balance by reducing state autonomy in key areas, reflecting the centralization tendency during Emergency period. |
| 44th Amendment | 1978 | Restored some balance in Centre-State relations by making President's Rule more difficult to impose and requiring written advice for Presidential actions, partially reversing 42nd Amendment's centralizing effects. | Strengthened federal principles by providing safeguards against arbitrary use of emergency powers and protecting state autonomy. |
| 80th Amendment | 2000 | Modified Article 269 to include service tax as a tax levied by Union but collected and appropriated by both Union and States, affecting Centre-State financial relations. | Provided states with additional revenue source and established precedent for shared taxation in service sector. |
| 101st Amendment | 2016 | Introduced Goods and Services Tax (GST) by adding Article 246A and establishing GST Council, revolutionizing Centre-State financial relations through cooperative federalism model. | Created unified national market while ensuring states retain significant voice in indirect taxation through GST Council's unique voting structure. |