A nine-judge bench, by an 8:1 majority, overrules 1990 SC judgment, giving states the upper hand. Centre says ruling will have implications for its power over all industries.
Consultations ongoing, solutions may be presented at meeting with PM later this year. This comes after impact of similar efforts to bring reforms in land, property records in villages.
Bihar has lowest own tax revenue, Punjab high committed expenditures, while Rajasthan has deviated from fiscal deficit target. Such states need to balance vote bank & fiscal prudence.
States worried over Centre slashing their funds, which could be used for capital creation, by considering liabilities of state entities while determining net borrowing capacity.
Non-BJP chief ministers are retaliating. If Centre can use its agencies to threaten, intimidate and jail its rivals, so can they. The fightback has become an established pattern and will get more intense.
Time has perhaps come to amend All India Services Cadre Rules, and make central posting mandatory for a specified period. But only through spirit of federalism.
States like Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu & West Bengal have said while government’s share in centrally sponsored schemes has reduced over the last few years, that of states has increased.
All samples from hotspots to be genome sequenced. States asked to step up surveillance at airports, but Centre objects to Maharashtra’s decision on testing all passengers.
Who knows the Lamborghini guy escaped the toll on purpose. After all, they could not test the beast by touching the odometer to 200 kmph. Most highways in India do not have the speed limit beyond 120 kmph.
While global corporations setting up GCCs in India continue to express confidence in availability of skilled AI engineers, the panel argued that India’s real challenge lies elsewhere.
Without a Congress revival, there can be no challenge to the BJP pan-nationally. Modi’s party is growing, and almost entirely at the cost of the Congress.
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