Federalism & Centre-State Relations

GS Paper: GS Paper II | Subject: Polity

Prelims

(Key facts, data, schemes, laws, organizations — MCQ-ready points)

National Conference (NC) legislative party (met at Dachigam, Srinagar; CM Omar Abdullah) decided to hold a protest in Delhi on the first day of the monsoon session
Demand: restoration of statehood to Jammu & Kashmir and its "constitutional guarantees"
Background: J&K reorganised into two Union Territories (J&K and Ladakh) and Article 370 abrogated in 2019; statehood promised but not yet restored

(Analysis, dimensions, significance, critique, policy angles — for 10/15 mark answers)

Unique constitutional moment: J&K is the first time a full State was downgraded to UT(s) — restoring statehood would reverse that. Raises the federal principle that statehood should not be a reversible, Centre-controlled lever
Democratic-deficit argument: A UT structure concentrates power with the Lieutenant Governor / Centre over an elected State government → NC frames restoration as restoring the people's democratic voice
Supreme Court context: The Court (2023) upheld Art. 370 abrogation but directed restoration of statehood "at the earliest" — giving the demand a constitutional, not just political, basis
Centre's balancing act: Security/normalisation concerns vs. the federal and democratic case for elected self-rule
UPSC angle: Federalism & Union Territories, Article 370, reorganisation of states (Art. 3), centre–state relations, role of L-G vs elected govt