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The concept of the Concurrent List in the Indian Constitution was borrowed from the Constitution of:
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Answer: Option C — Australia
Detailed Solution
The Constitution of India was drafted after studying the constitutions of many countries. The idea of a Concurrent List, a list of subjects on which both the Union and the states can make laws, was taken from the Constitution of Australia.
The Seventh Schedule of the Indian Constitution, read with Article 246, divides legislative powers into three lists:
Union List (List I): subjects of national importance, such as defence, foreign affairs, banking, currency, atomic energy, railways and census. Only Parliament can make laws on them. It originally had 97 subjects and now has about 100.
State List (List II): subjects of local importance, such as police, public order, public health, agriculture, land and local government. Normally only state legislatures can make laws on them. It originally had 66 subjects and now has about 61.
Concurrent List (List III): subjects of common interest, such as criminal law, marriage and divorce, education, forests, economic and social planning, and trade unions. Both Parliament and the state legislatures can make laws on them. It originally had 47 subjects and now has about 52.
If a central law and a state law on a Concurrent List subject conflict, the central law generally prevails (Article 254). Residuary powers, over subjects not in any list, belong to Parliament (Article 248).
The 42nd Amendment (1976) moved five subjects from the State List to the Concurrent List: education, forests, weights and measures, protection of wild animals and birds, and the administration of justice (except the Supreme Court and High Courts).
The Australian Constitution also gave India the ideas of freedom of trade and commerce and the joint sitting of the two Houses of Parliament.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Canada gave the idea of a federation with a strong Centre and residuary powers with the Centre.
- ✗Ireland gave the Directive Principles of State Policy.
- ✗Good to know
- ✗The USA gave Fundamental Rights, judicial review and the impeachment of the President.
Quick tip
Remember: Australia = Concurrent List, freedom of trade and commerce and joint sitting. Canada = strong Centre and residuary powers. Ireland = DPSP.
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Centre-State Relations & Emergency Provisions — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Centre-State Relations & Emergency Provisions, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the distribution of legislative, administrative and financial powers between the Centre and the states, the Union, State and Concurrent Lists, inter-state councils and zonal councils, and the three types of emergency: national emergency (Article 352), President's rule (Article 356) and financial emergency (Article 360). Exams ask which list a subject falls in, which commission examined Centre-state relations (the Sarkaria and Punchhi Commissions), and how often each type of emergency has been declared. Remember that a financial emergency has never been declared in India, and that 'armed rebellion' replaced 'internal disturbance' as a ground for national emergency through the 44th Amendment. Practise the Centre-state relations and emergency provisions questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.