Seventh Schedule

Definition

The schedule of the Constitution that divides legislative powers between the Union and the States through three lists: the Union List, the State List, and the Concurrent List.

Key points

• Drawn from Article 246; lists the subjects on which the Union Parliament and the State legislatures can make laws.
• Union List: subjects of national importance, originally 97 entries, such as defence, foreign affairs, currency, and railways; only Parliament legislates.
• State List: subjects of local importance, originally 66 entries, such as police, public health, and agriculture; normally only States legislate.
• Concurrent List: originally 47 entries, such as criminal law, marriage, and education; both can legislate, and the Union law prevails on conflict (Article 254).
• Residuary powers (subjects in no list) belong to the Union under Article 248.

Why it matters for CAPF

The three lists, the residuary power resting with the Union, and the Concurrent-List supremacy rule are central federalism facts; police and public order being State subjects is the basis for the security-deployment debate.

Common confusion

Police and public order are State List subjects, which is why the CAPFs are deployed only on Centre-State coordination; education was moved from the State List to the Concurrent List by the 42nd Amendment, 1976.

Parent note

the schedules of the constitution