Question

Which of the following statements are correct regarding the Rajamannar Committee’s recommendations?
(i) The Finance Commission should be made a permanent body.
(ii) The Planning Commission should be replaced by a statutory body.
(iii) The Centre should have the power to deploy armed forces in states without their consent.

• A. Only (i) and (ii)
• B. Only (ii) and (iii)
• C. Only (i) and (iii)
• D. All of the above (i, ii, and iii)

Answer 1

Answer:

A. Only (i) and (ii)

The Rajamannar Committee (1969)

• The Rajamannar Committee was constituted by the Tamil Nadu government in 1969 under the chairmanship of Dr. P.V. Rajamannar.
• Its primary objective was to examine the entire question of Centre-State relations in India and suggest amendments to the Constitution to secure maximum autonomy for the states.
• The committee submitted its report to the Tamil Nadu government in 1971.
• This committee was formed amidst growing demands from various states, particularly in the South, for greater autonomy and decentralization of powers from the Union government.

Key Recommendations of the Rajamannar Committee

1. Making the Finance Commission a Permanent Body

• The committee recommended that the Finance Commission should be made a permanent body.
• Currently, the Finance Commission is constituted every five years (or earlier if needed) by the President under Article 280 of the Indian Constitution.
• The Rajamannar Committee argued that an ad-hoc body could not effectively deal with the continuous and evolving financial needs and complexities of Centre-State financial relations. A permanent body would ensure continuous review and better long-term planning for financial devolution.

2. Replacing the Planning Commission with a Statutory Body

• The committee suggested that the Planning Commission (which was then an extra-constitutional, non-statutory body) should be replaced by a statutory body.
• It proposed that this new body should consist of experts and representatives from the states.
• The committee viewed the Planning Commission as an instrument of central interference in state planning and development, thereby eroding state autonomy.
• It aimed to make the planning process more participatory and reflective of state needs rather than being centrally dictated.
• For competitive exams: The Planning Commission was abolished in 2015 and replaced by NITI Aayog, which also remains a non-constitutional, non-statutory body. NITI Aayog emphasizes cooperative federalism and acts as a 'think tank'.

3. Centre's Power to Deploy Armed Forces in States

• The Rajamannar Committee did not recommend that the Centre should have the power to deploy armed forces in states without their consent.
• In fact, the spirit of the Rajamannar Committee's recommendations was to curb central interference and enhance state autonomy.
• The committee strongly recommended the repeal of Articles 356, 357, and 365, which deal with President's Rule and central control over states, or at least substantial amendments to prevent their misuse.
• It advocated that the Centre should not unilaterally interfere in matters falling under the state list, including law and order, which involves the deployment of armed forces for internal security.
• The deployment of Union armed forces in a state generally occurs upon the request of the state government or under specific constitutional provisions like Article 355 (duty of the Union to protect states against external aggression and internal disturbance) or in cases of national emergency, but unilateral deployment for general law and order without state consent is generally opposed by proponents of strong federalism, like the Rajamannar Committee.