Question

Why have the subjects like railways, defence and foreign affairs been included in the union list and not in the state List? Give reasons.

Answer 1

1. India follows a federal and unitary form of government. So the states have the power to take care of the state affairs while the Centre takes care of the items which pertain to the entire country.

2. These subjects are strategically important for the security and economy of the country.

3. They require a lot of investment and cannot be taken care of by a single state.

Therefore, the legislative section in the Indian Constitution is divided into three lists. They are the Union List, the State List and the Concurrent List. The Union List or List - 1 has 100 items. It is given in the Seventh Schedule. The Parliament has the exclusive power to legislate regarding these items.

Answer 2

because these are the subject of national importance