Which of the following statements regarding the distribution of legislative powers between the Union and State legislatures is correct?

Correct — C. Article 256 obliges every State to use its executive power so as to ensure compliance with laws made by Parliament.

It adds that the Union's executive power extends to giving directions to a State, as the Government of India finds necessary for that purpose. So option (c) states Article 256 accurately.

Why the others are wrong

• (a)
  The State legislature can legislate on matters enumerated in the Union List — List I is Parliament's alone. Article 246(1) gives Parliament exclusive power over the Union List, so a State legislature cannot legislate on those matters.
• (b)
  The Union legislature can legislate on matters in the Concurrent List only with State approval — No State approval is needed. Article 246(2) gives Parliament its own power over the Concurrent List, and under Article 254 a Union law generally prevails over a conflicting State law.
• (d)
  The Union and States have equal powers on matters in the Union List — The powers are not equal. Article 246(1) makes the Union List Parliament's exclusive field; a State legislature has no power there at all.

Article 246 divides law-making power through the three lists of the Seventh Schedule: List I (Union) for Parliament alone, List II (State) for the States, and List III (Concurrent) for both.

Article 254 settles conflicts on Concurrent subjects. The Union law generally prevails, unless a State law reserved for the President has received his assent.

Article 256 sits in the next chapter, on administrative relations. It makes States carry out Union laws and lets the Union issue directions to that end.

Key facts

• Article 246(1): Parliament has exclusive power to make laws on the matters in List I, the Union List.
• Article 254(2): a State law on a Concurrent subject that conflicts with an earlier Union law prevails in that State if it was reserved for the President and received his assent.
• Article 256: every State must exercise its executive power to ensure compliance with laws made by Parliament, and the Union may give directions for that purpose.
• Article 365: if a State fails to comply with Union directions, the President may hold that its government cannot be carried on in accordance with the Constitution.

Common traps

• Rejecting (c) because Article 256 is an administrative provision while the stem says legislative — the other three statements are plainly false.
• Mixing up Article 256 (compliance with Union laws) and Article 257 (not impeding the Union's executive power) — both let the Union give directions.

No directly related past PYQ was found.