Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Tuesday announced the constitution of a panel under a retired Supreme Court judge on state autonomy. The high-level committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Kurian Joseph will examine in detail the relationship between the Union and state governments to ensure state autonomy.
Stalin told the state Assembly that the committee will submit its interim report in January 2026 and the final report with recommendations will be submitted in two years. The panel will have former bureaucrat, Ashok Vardhan Shetty and former vice-chairman of the State Planning Commission M Naganathan as its members.
"The committee will study, as per the law, to transfer those subjects that went from the State List to the Concurrent List," the Chief Minister said and pointed out that the National Eligibility-cum- Entrance Test (NEET) was out of the purview of states.
He utilised the occasion to flay the present AIADMK leadership after the party MLAs staged a walkout over a different issue. Despite their differences with the DMK, AIADMK stalwarts and late Chief Ministers M G Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa never compromised on state rights.
"But now they (AIADMK) say that principles and alliance are different...the question is what is their stand," Stalin asked, apparently referring to the opposition party stitching up an alliance with the BJP recently.
He stressed that there was a need to strengthen cooperative federalism, laws, and policies related to Centre-state ties by reviewing the provisions of the Constitution when the states' rights were under siege.
He said B R Ambedkar unequivocally stated that "both the Union and the States are created by the Constitution...the one is not subordinate to the other in its own field and the authority of one is co-ordinate with that of the other.” "Yet, the steady encroachment of the Union into the rightful domains of the States has disrupted the delicate constitutional balance...a strong Union is not built by weakening States. It is built by empowering them," Stalin emphasised.
The establishment of the high-level panel, marking half-a-century of DMK government's 'historic' state autonomy resolution moved in the Tamil Nadu Assembly by then Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, was aimed at re-asserting the principles of state autonomy in today’s context, he said while making a statement in the Tamil Nadu Assembly. The move was meant to protect the 'legitimate rights' of states and to improve relations between the Union and the state governments, he claimed in the Assembly.
The announcement aims to press the Centre to ensure that states get more powers, a step towards asserting the state's federal rights. Late CM M Karunanidhi had formed similar such panels in the house. It also follows several others criticising the Centre's policies. The Tamil Nadu Assembly had previously adopted a resolution against the recently passed Waqf (Amendment) Act, urging the central government to repeal the law.
On April 4, CM Stalin informed the Legislative Assembly that the resolution seeking exemption for the state from the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) has been declined by the President. The Chief Minister had criticised the decision to deny the resolution as a "dark chapter in federalism." The TN Assembly has also passed a resolution urging the retrieval of Katchatheevu island, which is currently administered by Sri Lanka.
This resolution to ensure more power to states also comes after the significant development of ten bills passed by the Tamil Nadu assembly, which became law without the Governor's assent after a Supreme Court order. On April 8, the Supreme Court termed Governor RN Ravi's withholding assent to ten bills after they were re-enacted by the State Legislature "illegal and erroneous in law."
A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan said the Governor must act in aid and advice of the State Legislature. The Governor must assent to a bill when it is presented to him after reconsideration by the State assembly, he can only refuse assent when the bill is different, the apex court said. Sharing the "good news" of the SC judgment in the state assembly, CM Stalin had termed it as a "victory to all states in India."
Opposition AIADMK slammed the CM over the announcement, asking what was his DMK that shared power with the Congress-led UPA earlier, did all these years. The move was aimed at "diverting" public attention, the principal opposition party charged.
Tamil Nadu Law Minister S Regupathy slammed the AIADMK for 'intentionally' walking out of the House in a bid to prevent the Chief Minister from making a speech. Speaking to reporters, Regupathy said the state government wanted education to be brought under the state list.
On the BJP's criticism that the announcement was made with an eye on the 2026 Assembly polls, Regupathy replied the DMK would come to power again under Stalin's leadership in the elections.
On NEET exemption, he said "there is no need for us to deceive anyone. We are clear that we can get the Court's nod because the Tamil Nadu Assembly has already passed resolutions. We are confident that we can get exemption from NEET for the state through legal battle."
