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What is the Concurrent List?

In a federal country like India, power is divided between the Central Government and the State Governments. This division of power is clearly written in the Seventh Schedule of the Indian Constitution, which contains three lists: The Union List, The State List, and the Concurrent List.

Question (Click to Flip)

What is the concurrent list?

Answer

It is a constitutional list of subjects on which both the Central and State governments have the power to make laws.

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Key Facts

Location: Seventh Schedule of the Indian Constitution.

Concept borrowed from: The Constitution of Australia.

Current Number of Subjects: 52 items (originally 47).

Power: Both Central and State governments can make laws.

Conflict Resolution: Central law overrules State law.

Meaning of the Concurrent List

The Concurrent List is a list of subjects of common interest to both the Union (Central) Government and the State Governments. Both the Parliament (at the center) and the State Legislatures have the constitutional power to make laws on the subjects mentioned in this list.

What happens if there is a conflict?

Because both the Central and State governments can make laws on the same subject in the Concurrent List, conflicts can arise. If a State law contradicts a Central law on the exact same subject, the Constitution clearly states that the Central law will prevail and the State law will become invalid.

Important Subjects

Currently, there are 52 items on the Concurrent List. Some of the most important subjects include:

  • Education
  • Forests and Protection of wild animals
  • Marriage and Divorce
  • Criminal Law and Procedure
  • Trade Unions

Questions and Answers

What is the concurrent list?+

It is a constitutional list of subjects on which both the Central and State governments have the power to make laws.

Which government's law prevails in a conflict?+

If there is a conflict, the law made by the Central Government (Union Parliament) will prevail over the State law.

Is education in the concurrent list?+

Yes, education was moved from the State List to the Concurrent List by the 42nd Amendment in 1976.

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