Sarkaria Commission

The Sarkaria Commission was established by the Government of India on 9 June 1983 under the chairmanship of Justice Ranjit Singh Sarkaria, a retired judge of the Supreme Court, with Shri B. Sivaraman and Dr. S.R. Sen as members. Its mandate was to examine and review the working of existing arrangements between the Union and the States in the light of the constitutional scheme — Articles 245 to 263 (legislative and administrative relations), Articles 268 to 293 (financial relations), and the role of institutions such as the Governor (Article 153), the Inter-State Council (Article 263), and All-India Services (Article 312). The Commission was a direct response to growing regional assertiveness and the demand for greater state autonomy articulated by states like Tamil Nadu (Rajamannar Committee), Punjab (Anandpur Sahib Resolution), and West Bengal, against the backdrop of the centralising tendencies that had marked the post-Emergency period. It submitted its report in January 1988, containing 247 recommendations.

The Commission's most significant feature was its broadly pro-Union but cooperative orientation: it rejected radical demands for a weak Centre, holding that a strong Centre was essential for national unity, while urging that federal powers be exercised with restraint and consultation. On the controversial use of Article 356 (President's Rule), it recommended that the provision be used "very sparingly, in extreme cases, as a last resort," that a warning be issued to the errant state, and that the Assembly not be dissolved until Parliament approves the proclamation — recommendations later echoed in the landmark S.R. Bommai v. Union of India (1994) judgment. It advised that Governors be eminent persons from outside the state, not active in politics, and ideally appointed in consultation with the Chief Minister. It strongly recommended the activation of the Inter-State Council under Article 263 as a permanent forum for coordination, and proposed that residuary powers of taxation remain with Parliament while other residuary subjects be placed in the Concurrent List.

The most tangible outcome was the constitution of the Inter-State Council in 1990 (through a Presidential Order under Article 263) by the V.P. Singh government, following the Commission's central recommendation. Several other suggestions — judicious use of Article 356, consultation in Governor appointments, and the deployment of central forces with state consent — informed later constitutional jurisprudence and administrative practice. The Punchhi Commission (2007, report 2010) was subsequently set up to revisit Centre–State relations in changed circumstances, building upon the Sarkaria framework. As of 2026, the Inter-State Council continues to exist, though it meets infrequently, and the Sarkaria recommendations remain the benchmark reference point for federal reform debates.

For the examination, the Sarkaria Commission is a high-frequency topic in UPSC General Studies Paper II (Polity and Governance), tested under federalism, Centre–State relations, and the role of the Governor. Typical question angles include comparing its recommendations on Article 356 with the Bommai verdict, evaluating its impact versus the Punchhi Commission, and assessing the functioning of the Inter-State Council. Candidates should memorise the dates (constituted 1983, reported 1988), the chairman's name, and the linkage to Articles 263 and 356, as these are commonly examined in both prelims factual questions and mains analytical answers on cooperative federalism.