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PART H '''Units by the Constitution. This is the principle''' embodied in our Constitution.” (emphasis supplied)

71. It emerges from the speeches of Dr Ambedkar in the Constituent Assembly that India adopted a federal model, in which the Union and the States were meant to operate within their assigned legislative domains. The States are not subservient to the Union. The legislative domain of the States was exclusive, and cannot be interfered with by the Union. This principle has been reiterated in judgments of this Court.

72. Justice B.P. Jeevan Reddy, in his separate opinion, in S R Bommai v. Union of India, where federalism was held to be part of the basic structure, held that, the States were independent and supreme in the sphere allotted to them, even if the Constitution has a centraizing drift:

“276. The fact that under the scheme of our Constitution, greater power is conferred upon the Centre vis-à-vis the States does not mean that States are mere appendages of the Centre. Within the sphere allotted to them, States are supreme. The Centre cannot tamper with their powers. More particularly, the courts should not adopt an approach, an interpretation, which has the effect of or tends to have the effect of whittling down the powers reserved to the States.”

73. In terms of the above discussion in the Constituent Assembly and the judgment of this Court, it is clear that the Constitution provides States with power to function independently within the area transcribed by the Constitution. The