Justice Kurian Panel Seeks To Strip Governors Of Key Powers In Centre-State Reform Push

Last Updated:February 19, 2026, 09:50 IST

The 387-page Part I of the report recommends significant changes to the appointment, tenure and functioning of governors.

Tamil Nadu on Wednesday sharpened its pitch for stronger federalism as the state assembly tabled the Justice Kurian Joseph committee’s report on Centre-State relations, which proposes curbing several powers of governors and expanding the role of states in constitutional processes.

The 387-page Part I of the report recommends significant changes to the appointment, tenure and functioning of governors. It proposes amending Article 155 to require the President to appoint one of three names approved by a majority of the state assembly.

The panel also suggested a fixed, single, non-renewable five-year term for governors and said they should be barred from holding any further constitutional office except that of President or Vice President.

The committee further recommended that governors should not have held any political office or position in the executive, legislature or judiciary in the five years preceding their appointment.

It also sought amendments to mandate strict timelines for gubernatorial and presidential action on state bills, including deemed assent if deadlines lapse, in line with the Supreme Court’s April 2025 framework.

“Governor shall not reserve state list bills for Presidential consideration and must act within 15 days, while repassed bills must receive assent within a further 15 days, except for limited high court safeguard under Article 200," the report said.

The high-level committee, headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Kurian Joseph, was constituted by Chief Minister M K Stalin on April 15, 2025, to examine contemporary federal challenges and suggest “concrete and actionable" reforms. It submitted Part I of its findings to the Chief Minister earlier this week, with two more volumes under preparation.

The state government described the initiative as a non-partisan exercise aimed at restoring federal balance and strengthening cooperative federalism within the constitutional framework. It follows earlier national-level reviews by the Sarkaria Commission and the Punchhi Commission, as well as Tamil Nadu’s own Rajamannar Committee in the late 1960s.

Tamil Nadu said the objective of the report is not to weaken the Union but to “right-size" it, enabling the Centre to focus on national responsibilities while restoring states’ autonomy for effective governance. The government expressed hope that the recommendations would spark informed debate and contribute to a more balanced federal structure.

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