Politics · India · 1 hr ago
Tamil Nadu dissolves Kurian panel on Centre-State relations
The Tamil Nadu government dissolved a committee on Centre-State relations headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Kurian Joseph.
The three-member panel had submitted the first part of its report in February 2026 and was due to finish its work by May 31, 2027.
The government said its work overlapped with the Tamil Nadu State Law Commission, which was reconstituted in August 2026 with a broad mandate that includes Centre-State relations.
DMK leader M.K. Stalin, who formed the panel while chief minister, said the decision was unacceptable and that research for the second part was nearly complete.
He argued that ending the panel would waste its research and experience, while its first report had prompted debate about federalism and states’ rights.
The panel’s records and documents are to be handed over to the State Law Commission.
Tamil Nadu has dissolved the High-Level Committee on Union-State Relations, chaired by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Kurian Joseph.
The government said the committee’s work overlapped with that of the reconstituted Tamil Nadu State Law Commission.
An order issued on November 6 ended the committee’s work before its final report was due on May 31, 2027.
The panel had submitted the first part of its report to then Chief Minister M.K. Stalin in February 2026.
DMK president M.K. Stalin criticised the decision, saying the committee’s research was nearly complete and its work should not have been discontinued.
- Who
- The Tamil Nadu government dissolved the committee chaired by Justice Kurian Joseph. DMK president M.K. Stalin criticised the decision.
- What
- The High-Level Committee on Union-State Relations was discontinued with immediate effect.
- When
- The order was issued on November 6, 2026.
- Where
- Tamil Nadu, India.
- Why
- The government said the committee’s work overlapped with the Tamil Nadu State Law Commission’s mandate.
Tamil Nadu government
M.K. Stalin
Mandate
Tamil Nadu government
The committee’s functions significantly overlapped with those of the reconstituted State Law Commission.
M.K. Stalin
Stalin said the claimed overlap was unacceptable and had been artificially created to justify ending the committee.
Decision
Tamil Nadu government
The government decided to discontinue the panel with immediate effect.
M.K. Stalin
Stalin said disbanding it was unacceptable and wasted research and expertise.
The committee submitted the first part of its report to then Chief Minister M.K. Stalin.
The Tamil Nadu State Law Commission was reconstituted with a broad mandate that included examining Centre-State relations.
An order issued by Public Secretary E. Sundaravalli discontinued the committee with immediate effect.
M.K. Stalin criticised the decision in a letter to committee chairman Justice Kurian Joseph and member K. Ashok Vardhan Shetty.
- Committee chair
- Justice Kurian Joseph
- Committee members
- K. Ashok Vardhan Shetty and M. Naganathan
- Order date
- November 6, 2026
- Final report deadline
- May 31, 2027
- First report part submitted
- February 2026
- State Law Commission reconstituted
- August 7, 2026
2 sources
What people are saying
The High-Level Committee on Union-State Relations is a non-statutory body examining various issues relating to Union-State relations, and has a considerable similarity and overlap in the nature and scope of the functions entrusted to the Tamil Nadu State Law Commission
The differences between the two have been artificially created to dispense with the High-Level Committee
The government may dissolve the committee, but it cannot obliterate its ideas and contribution