Union Powers Committee
Topic: Framing the Indian Constitution · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 4 "Framing the Constitution"
Meaning
The Union Powers Committee was a committee of the Constituent Assembly. Jawaharlal Nehru was its president. Its job was to decide which powers should belong to the Union, or central government. At first it planned a limited Centre, to satisfy the Muslim League. Once Partition became certain, it changed course and recommended a strong Centre. Its work shaped the Union List and the Constitution's tilt towards the Centre.
Example
In a letter to the President of the Assembly, Nehru wrote for the committee that "now that partition is a settled fact", a weak central authority would be harmful. Such a Centre could not keep peace or speak for India in the world.
Don't confuse with
- Union Constitution Committee: Nehru headed this one too, but it planned the overall structure of the central government, not the division of powers.
- Provincial Constitution Committee: Vallabhbhai Patel headed it, and it dealt with how the provinces would be governed.
Related concepts
- Strong Centre debate
- N. Gopalaswami Ayyangar
- Balakrishna Sharma
- Provincial autonomy
- Union, State and Concurrent Lists
- Article 356
- Fiscal federalism
- K. Santhanam
- A. Ramaswamy Mudaliar