Sarkaria Commission

The Indian government constituted the Sarkaria commission to investigate different issues under the constitution of India in 1983. It was mainly created to explore the relationship between the states and the central government. Recommendation of the Sarkaria commission about the establishment of an inter state council and this was generated under article 263.

The Indian governance and polity syllabus includes the Sarkaria commission’s recommendations that were described under article 263. 

Sarkaria Commission 

The Sarkaria Commission was formed by the central government of India and appointed a three-member commission on centre state relations. This commission was asked to review and examine the working of existing arrangements between the state and centre in all spheres and recommended appropriate changes and measures. It was initially given one year to complete its work; however, its term was extended four times. It submitted its report in the year of 1988. 

From the Sarkaria Commission, the politician belonging to any ruling party cannot become a governor in India. The person must be nominated after consultation with the state chief minister and he should be an eminent member in his entire life.

Another necessary condition for becoming governor is that the elected person has no political background and it was necessary to give a logical reason after the termination of any person under the government sector. The Sarkaria Commission declared some conditions on the process of selection of the chief minister by the governor. Any party with huge support in the legislative assembly has a chance to become a government in India. 

Background of Sarkaria Commission 

The Sarkaria Commission has a historical background directly in Indian politics. “The Ministry of Home Affairs constituted the Sarkaria Commission under the Chairmanship of R.S Sarkaria,B. Sivaraman, S.R Sen  in 1983, 9th June. This Commission focuses on economic and social developments by making different constitution frameworks and schemes to protect the independence of India. It is to ensure the integrity and unity of India that is promoting the importance of the welfare of the Indian people.

The commission examines the jurisdiction, role and responsibility of the state and centre in the implementation and planning of different projects with the support of the states while making recommendations. The Indian government made a decision to implement only 180 recommendations from the Sarkaria commission and the advantages of this recommendation were developed in the year of 1990 in the internal state council.

Purpose of Sarkaria Committee 

The Sarkaria Commission is made for review and examines the existing relationships between the states and unions under the Indian constitution for the healthy future of India. The Sarkaria commission did not favour structural changes and regarded the existing constitutional principles and arrangements relating to the instructions as sound. However, it emphasised the need for changes in the functional or operational aspects. It observed that federalism is more a functional arrangement for cooperative action than a static governmental concept. It rejected the command to decrease the power of the state and centre to make the strongest Indian central government. The government proclamation includes several reasons for the state government to use this article in their state. With the help of the Sarkaria Commission, the central government provides essential protection for the country’s integrity and national unity. That has been threatened by fissiparous tendencies in Indian politics.

The main purpose of making this commission is to link different kinds of central assistance with state performance. The impact of the Sarkaria Commission in fiscal relations that discuss the relations between the states and centre by “8th to 12th finance commissions” to maintain the dependence on several funds from the centre. It helps in making the relevance of various taxes on the sale of services and goods from the central government.

Features of Sarkaria commission 

Sarkaria Commission submitted their report to Rajiv Gandhi, the prime minister of India in 1987, in October. This report is mainly based on 247 several types of recommendations that are classified into 19 chapters. This commission mentioned the details of the relationship between the states and the centre. This report is not obligatory, however the court relied on these recommendations several times. The Sarkaria Commission discusses briefly the utilisation of Article 356 and the importance of the Governor in legislative areas of the constitution.

Sarkaria Commission describes the advantages of article 252 and describes the prohibition of the power of the Indian government. Another important suggestion given by this commission was the organisation of a stable council in all states under article 263 and it gives the power to investigate and advise any disputes across the states of India.

Recommendation of Sarkaria   commission 

Recommendations in Sarkaria Commission discuss 247 recommendations that are maintaining national integrity and unity and it was identified as the preventable problems in India. From this commission, the posting of judges of the High court before their permission. By this commission, article 263 stated that the performed duties of councils through the president. The Sarkaria commission suggested the following jurisdiction on the concurrent menu among the state governments before applying the legislation to them.

This commission suggested federalism arrangements as a cooperative activity in administrative manners in the states of India. Some of the recommendations of the Sarkaria commission are mentioned below:

• The zonal councils should be constituted, reactivated and afresh to promote the atmosphere of federalism.

• The central government should have the strength to deploy its armed forces even without the consent of different states while it is desirable that the states should be consulted.
• The governor has no power to dismiss the council of ministers and it commands a majority in the assembly.
• The present division of operation between planning and economic commission is rational.

Conclusion 

The task of the governor is to examine whether the government follows policies made by the governor. If any single party was to win with a majority, the Sarkaria commission instructed the governor that the leader of that party would become a government of India.

 The Sarkaria Committee gets orders to finish their work and submit reports within the two years after their establishment.  The state government in India has to give the rights to legislation; the government should repeal it at any specific time.