Which of the following Parts of the Indian Constitution deals with the relations between the Union and the States?
- (a)Part-3
- (b)Part-4
- (c)Part-6
- (d)Part-11
Correct — D, Part-11.
The Constitution groups its Articles into Parts by subject. The Part headed "Relations between the Union and the States" is Part-11 (Part XI), Articles 245 to 263. Its two chapters cover legislative relations (Articles 245–255) and administrative relations (Articles 256–263).
The idea to carry away: Part XI is the Union–State relations Part. The financial side of that relationship is placed separately in Part XII (Finance, Property, Contracts and Suits), and the subject lists themselves sit in the Seventh Schedule.
- (a)Part-3 — Part III is Fundamental Rights, Articles 12 to 35: equality, the freedoms of Article 19, protection against exploitation, freedom of religion, cultural and educational rights, and the right to constitutional remedies under Article 32.
It governs the individual's relationship with the State. The sharing of power between the Union and the States is a different subject, placed much later in the text.
- (b)Part-4 — Part IV is the Directive Principles of State Policy, Articles 36 to 51: non-justiciable goals such as organising village panchayats (Article 40), a uniform civil code (Article 44) and promotion of international peace (Article 51).
It tells governments what to aim at. The division of legislative and administrative power between the two levels of government is settled elsewhere, in Part XI.
- (c)Part-6 — Part VI is The States, Articles 152 to 237: the Governor, the Council of Ministers, the State Legislature, the High Courts and the subordinate courts.
The word "States" in its title refers to the machinery of each state government taken on its own. How that machinery relates to the Union is the separate subject of Part XI, which is why the title match is a false friend.
The Indian Constitution is divided into Parts, each a group of Articles on one subject. Part XI, "Relations between the Union and the States" (Articles 245–263), sets out how legislative and administrative power is shared between the two levels of government in a federation with a strong centre.
Chapter I (Articles 245–255) fixes legislative competence through the three lists of the Seventh Schedule and the situations in which Parliament may legislate on State subjects. Chapter II (Articles 256–263) covers administrative relations, including Union directions to States, inter-State water disputes (Article 262) and the Inter-State Council (Article 263).
Part numbers are a compact way of testing the layout of the Constitution: Part V is the Union, Part VI the States, Part XI their mutual relations, Part XII the finances that flow between them. Knowing this map lets a candidate place an Article quickly.
The same Part is the constitutional home of the Centre–State debates examined by the Sarkaria Commission (report 1988) and the Punchhi Commission (report 2010), and of the Inter-State Council set up in 1990 under Article 263.
- Part XI of the Constitution is titled "Relations between the Union and the States" and runs from Article 245 to Article 263.
- Chapter I of Part XI (Articles 245–255) covers legislative relations; Chapter II (Articles 256–263) covers administrative relations.
- Article 246 read with the Seventh Schedule distributes subjects among the Union List, the State List and the Concurrent List.
- Article 254 resolves repugnancy between a Union law and a State law on a Concurrent List subject, generally in favour of the Union law.
- Article 262 provides for adjudication of inter-State water disputes; Article 263 provides for the Inter-State Council, constituted in 1990.
- Financial relations between the Union and the States, including the Finance Commission under Article 280, are placed in Part XII (Articles 264–300A), not in Part XI.
- Part III is Fundamental Rights (Articles 12–35), Part IV is Directive Principles of State Policy (Articles 36–51), and Part VI is The States (Articles 152–237).
- Tribunals are in Part XIV-A (Articles 323A–323B), inserted by the 42nd Amendment Act, 1976.
- The Sarkaria Commission (constituted 1983, report 1988) and the Punchhi Commission (constituted 2007, report 2010) each examined Centre–State relations.
Part XI holds legislative and administrative relations; the money side of the relationship is in Part XII.
- Reading "The States" in the title of Part VI as Union–State relations; Part VI is about the organs of a state government on their own.
- Placing financial relations in Part XI; they are in Part XII, so a Finance Commission (Article 280) question points to Part XII.
- Mixing up the Seventh Schedule, which lists the subjects, with Part XI, which sets the rules for using those lists.
- Misreading the Arabic numerals: Part-11 is Part XI and Part-6 is Part VI; a hurried match against a Roman-numeral memory table can land on the wrong line.
The Part number can be asked head-on, as here, or as a match-the-pairs or "not correctly matched" set that lines several Parts against their subjects.
The same layout knowledge sits behind Article-range questions (which Articles cover legislative relations?) and behind questions on the Inter-State Council or the Sarkaria and Punchhi Commissions, which are anchored in Part XI.
UPPSC_2023_PRE_GSI_Q12023Same skill: pairing Parts of the Constitution with their subjects. That question is a "not correctly matched" set in which Part XI is wrongly paired with Tribunals (which sit in Part XIV-A); the UKPSC item asks directly which Part holds Union–State relations. Knowing Part XI's true subject answers each of them.
CDS_GK_2021_I_Q642021Same theme, different layer: it tests a Punchhi Commission recommendation on Centre–State relations (disposal of a reserved bill within six months), whereas the UKPSC item tests the constitutional Part in which those relations are placed.
UPSC_2003_GS1_Q522003Touches Union–State relations from the side of sources: one of its items asks which country the Concurrent List in Union–State relations was borrowed from (Australia). The UKPSC item asks where those relations sit in the Constitution, not where the idea came from.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Legislative relations between the Union and the States are covered by which of the following groups of Articles of the Indian Constitution?
- (a)Articles 245 to 255
- (b)Articles 256 to 263
- (c)Articles 264 to 300A
- (d)Articles 152 to 237
Answera — Chapter I of Part XI, Articles 245 to 255, is headed "Legislative Relations".Option (b) is Chapter II of Part XI, Administrative Relations. Option (c) is Part XII, Finance, Property, Contracts and Suits. Option (d) is Part VI, The States.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Which of the following pairs is NOT correctly matched?
- (a)Part V – The Union
- (b)Part VI – The States
- (c)Part XI – Finance, Property, Contracts and Suits
- (d)Part VIII – The Union Territories
Answerc — Part XI is "Relations between the Union and the States"; Finance, Property, Contracts and Suits is Part XII.The other three pairs are correct: Part V is The Union (Articles 52–151), Part VI is The States (Articles 152–237), and Part VIII is The Union Territories (Articles 239–242).
- practice — not a real PYQ
The Inter-State Council is provided for under Article 263. This Article falls in which Part of the Indian Constitution?
- (a)Part XI
- (b)Part XII
- (c)Part XIV
- (d)Part XVIII
Answera — Article 263 is the last Article of Part XI, in Chapter II (Administrative Relations).Part XII begins at Article 264 with finance. Part XIV (Articles 308–323) deals with services under the Union and the States. Part XVIII (Articles 352–360) contains the emergency provisions.