Tamil Nadu Panel’s Kurian Joseph Report Demands Sweeping Federal Reset After Centralisation Surge
Updated (2 articles)
High‑Level Committee Submits Interim Federalism Report A three‑member high‑level committee on Union‑State relations, appointed by the Tamil Nadu government and chaired by former Supreme Court judge Justice Kurian Joseph, delivered an interim report on 16 Feb 2026 that maps decades of power centralisation and proposes corrective measures [1][2]. The panel, whose members include K. Ashok Vardhan Shetty and M. Naganathan, saw its Part I presented by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin in the Legislative Assembly on 18 Feb 2026 [2].
Report Documents Accelerating Centralisation by Union The committee concludes that centralisation is accelerating and deems it unhealthy for the federation, citing easy constitutional amendments, the 2019 conversion of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories, a push for a single national language, governors acting as Centre instruments, pending inter‑State delimitation of Lok Sabha seats, and the GST regime favouring the Centre over States [1]. These examples illustrate a pattern of Union dominance over elections and fiscal arrangements that the report argues undermines balanced federal democracy [1].
Panel Calls for Structural Reset Comparable to 1991 Reforms The report urges a “structural reset” of Indian federalism comparable in ambition to the 1991 economic reforms, recommending sweeping constitutional and institutional changes to restore full powers to state governments [1][2]. It calls for a new national conversation on federated governance, asserting that such a reset is essential for a country of India’s size and diversity [1].
Chief Minister Stresses Political Consensus on Federal Autonomy M.K. Stalin declared that federalism is a constitutional safeguard, not a concession, and that the slogan “autonomy for the States and federalism at the Centre” transcends party lines [2]. He alleged that the BJP‑led Union is shifting subjects from the State List to the Concurrent List and criticised a funding formula that penalises wealthier states by reducing their share of centrally‑allocated funds [2].
Sources
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1.
The Hindu: Tamil Nadu’s Kurian Joseph Report Calls for Federal Reset: article outlines the committee’s findings on growing centralisation, enumerates specific Union actions, and urges a constitutional overhaul akin to 1991 reforms.
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2.
The Hindu: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Tables High‑Level Panel Report on Union‑State Relations: article focuses on Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s presentation, his claim of BJP‑led Union encroachment, criticism of the funding formula, and call for a nationwide debate on federal autonomy.
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Timeline
1991 – India implements sweeping economic reforms that liberalise trade, deregulate industry and open the economy, a benchmark the Kurian Joseph panel later cites as the scale of change needed for a federal reset [1].
2017 – The Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime launches, shifting major fiscal powers to the Centre and reducing states’ direct tax revenues, a fiscal shift the report flags as evidence of growing centralisation [1].
2019 – The Union government revokes Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and reconstitutes the region as two Union Territories, an action the panel lists among recent constitutional moves that concentrate power in Delhi [1].
16 Feb 2026 – The three‑member High‑Level Committee on Union‑State Relations, chaired by former Supreme Court judge Justice Kurian Joseph, submits its interim report to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, outlining decades of power centralisation and recommending constitutional amendments [2].
18 Feb 2026 – Chief Minister M.K. Stalin tables Part I of the panel’s report in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, declaring that the Union is shifting subjects from the State List to the Concurrent List and that the current funding formula penalises wealthier states, and he urges a constitutional amendment to restore full state powers [2].
20 Feb 2026 – The Kurian Joseph panel releases its interim report, concluding that centralisation is accelerating and calling for a “structural reset comparable in ambition to the economic reforms of 1991,” while citing easy constitutional amendments, the 2019 J&K reorganisation, a push for a single national language, governor‑centric governance, pending Lok Sabha seat delimitation, Union‑dominated elections and the GST fiscal regime as proof points [1].
2026 onward – The report urges a fresh, nationwide conversation on federalism, urging legislators, jurists and citizens to debate and implement legal measures that decentralise power and restore a balanced federation [1].