UNION-STATE RELATIONS POST-INCEPTION OF NITI AAYOG
AUTHOR – MARIAPPAN VIJAYARANI ARAVIND, STUDENT (LAW) AT, CHRIST (DEEMED TO BE) UNIVERSITY
BEST CITATION – MARIAPPAN VIJAYARANI ARAVIND, UNION-STATE RELATIONS POST-INCEPTION OF NITI AAYOG, INDIAN JOURNAL OF LEGAL REVIEW (IJLR), 6 (2) OF 2026, PG. 887-899, APIS – 3920 – 0001 & ISSN – 2583-2344. https://doi.org/10.65393/LBDE6276
With the 2015 replacement of the Planning Commission by NITI Aayog, Union and State relations in India have entered into a new era characterized by promise to cooperative federalism and fiscal reform. This paper explores whether NITI Aayog has genuinely promoted cooperative federalism or just strengthened union authority in a different form. It explores how the 14th Finance Commission with the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) system, and related constitutional regulations affect the financial independence of states. The function of the Supreme Court in assessing federal balance after 2015 is also examined. With the use of legal research and comparative viewpoints, the paper argues that although NITI Aayog has established a platform for discussion about ongoing issues in fiscal centralization and institutional imbalance impacts true state independence. The research emphasizes the necessity of structural changes to improve cooperative federalism and achieve the constitutional ideal of an equitable federal system.
Key Words – Cooperative Federalism, Centre–State Relations, NITI Aayog, Fiscal Federalism,, Planning Commission