The return of the centre: Reconfiguration of centre-state relations in Modi's India

This chapter examines the recentralization of political, fiscal, and administrative power in India under Narendra Modi’s leadership, reversing the decentralizing trends of the coalition era (1989–2014). It argues that India’s federal system, which has historically oscillated between centralization and decentralization, has shifted toward greater central control due to three key factors: (1) the ideological orientation of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), (2) the return of one-party dominance, and (3) Modi’s personal leadership style. The chapter highlights key mechanisms of recentralization, including the weakening of federal safeguards, fiscal centralization, and the erosion of state autonomy through administrative control and political interventions. Three case studies—constitutional asymmetry (the revocation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir), fiscal governance (changes to intergovernmental transfers), and crisis management (the COVID-19 response)—illustrate the broader shift toward a unitary political system. While these changes have enabled policy uniformity and central control, they have also undermined state autonomy and exacerbated intergovernmental tensions. The chapter concludes that Modi’s governance marks a departure from cooperative federalism, emphasizing a centralized national vision aligned with the BJP’s ideological and political objectives.