Sarkaria Commission

In 1983, the Central government appointed a three-member Commission on Centre-state relations under the chairmanship of R.S. Sarkaria, a retired judge of the Supreme Court to examine and review the working of existing arrangements between the Centre and states.

Recommendations: A permanent Inter-State Council called the Inter-Governmental Council should be set up under Article 263.

• Article 356 (President’s Rule) should be used very sparingly, in extreme cases as a last resort when all the available alternatives fail.
• The institution of All-India Services should be further strengthened and some more such services should be created. The residuary powers of taxation should continue to remain ....