Which provision was not one of the ways in which the Centre was made strong?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Many more items were placed under the exclusive State control
The Draft Constitution divided subjects into three lists: Union, State and Concurrent. To make the Centre strong, many more items were placed under exclusive Union control than in other federations, not under State control, so Option (1) turns the fact round.
The other three were real ways in which the Centre was made strong. The Union had control of minerals and key industries; Article 356 gave the Centre the power to take over a state administration on the recommendation of the Governor; and in the case of some taxes, such as customs duties and Company taxes, the Centre retained all the proceeds.
NCERT (2025-26): “4. The Powers of the State … One of the topics most vigorously debated in the Constituent Assembly was the respective rights of the Central Government and the states. Among those arguing for a strong Centre was Jawaharlal Nehru.… The Draft Constitution provided for three lists of subjects: Union, State, and Concurrent. The subjects in the first list were to be the preserve of the Central Government, while those in the second list were vested with the states. As for the third list, here Centre and state shared responsibility. However, many more items were placed under exclusive Union control than in other federations, and more placed on the Concurrent list too than desired by the provinces. The Union also had control of minerals and key industries. Besides, Article 356 gave the Centre the powers to take over a state administration on the recommendation of the Governor. The Constitution also mandated for a complex system of fiscal federalism. In the case of some taxes (for instance, customs duties and Company taxes) the Centre retained all the proceeds; in other cases (such as income tax and excise duties) it shared them with the states; in still other cases (for instance, estate duties) it assigned them wholly to the states.…” |