NEW DELHI: Alleging that the Centre was steadily encroaching upon the powers of the states, Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin on Tuesday announced the formation of a high-level committee to examine state autonomy, headed by retired Supreme Court judge Kurian Joseph.
The panel will undertake a detailed study of the relationship between the Union and state governments with the aim of safeguarding state autonomy.
It is expected to submit an interim report in January 2026 and a final report with recommendations within two years, Stalin informed the state assembly.

‘Push for greater state powers’
The push for greater state powers also followed a major development in which 10 bills passed by the state legislature were deemed to have become law without the Governor’s nod, after a Supreme Court verdict.
On April 8, the Supreme Court ruled that Governor RN Ravi’s decision to withhold assent to the 10 re-enacted bills was “illegal and erroneous in law.” A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan emphasised that the governor is constitutionally bound to act based on the advice of the state legislature.
The court clarified that once a bill is reconsidered and re-presented by the state assembly, the Governor must grant assent unless the bill is substantially different.
“Action of the Governor to reserve the 10 bills for the President is illegal and arbitrary, and thus the action is set aside. All actions taken by the Governor thereto for the 10 bills are set aside. The 10 bills shall be deemed to be clear from the date it was re-presented to the Governor,” the judgment read.
Some of the bills had been pending since as early as 2020.
Sharing the Supreme Court’s verdict in the Assembly on April 8, Stalin described it as a landmark moment and a collective win for all Indian states.
“I would like to inform this House about good news. Our Tamil Nadu government has got one historical judgment. The governor returned various Bills, which were passed in this Assembly, without giving assent,” he said.
Stalin added, “Tamil Nadu government initiated a case against this before Supreme Court. Supreme Court has said that the Governor withholding Bill is illegal. Supreme Court has given a historical judgement. This is a big victory not only for Tamil Nadu but for all the States in India. This judgment is a victory for all the State governments.”
‘Committee will study, as per the law, to transfer those subjects that went from the State List to the Concurrent List’
On April 4, Stalin informed the Tamil Nadu Legislative assembly that the resolution passed by the state seeking exemption from the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) had been rejected by the President. He strongly criticised the decision, calling it a “dark chapter in federalism.”
The committee will also include former bureaucrat Ashok Vardhan Shetty and former vice-chairman of the State Planning Commission, M Naganathan, as members.
“The committee will study, as per the law, to transfer those subjects that went from the State List to the Concurrent List,” the chief minister said, further highlighting that the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) was outside the jurisdiction of the states.
The newly formed committee, tasked with examining state autonomy, will conduct research and submit an interim report to the state government by January 2026. The final report is expected to be completed by 2028.
“This committee will carry out research and provide recommendations to strengthen the relationship between the state and the Union government,” Stalin said during his address in the state assembly.
Reiterating his opposition to the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) and the three-language formula under the National Education Policy (NEP), the chief minister said NEET had resulted in the loss of many student lives.
“We have lost many students due to NEET exam. We have continuously opposed NEET exam. In the name of the triple language policy, the Union Government is trying to impose Hindi in Tamil Nadu.
Since we have denied NEP, Rs 2500 crore to the state has not been released by the Union Government,” Stalin said.
He also urged that education be made an exclusive subject of the states, calling for the reversal of the 42nd Constitutional Amendment which had moved education to the Concurrent List.
The chief minister’s remarks come in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling that Governor RN Ravi’s decision to withhold assent to ten re-enacted bills was “illegal and erroneous in law.”
On April 8, a bench comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan stated, “Action of the Governor to reserve the 10 bills for the President is illegal and arbitrary, and thus the action is set aside. All actions taken by the Governor thereto for the 10 bills are set aside. The 10 bills shall be deemed to be clear from the date it was re-presented to the Governor.”