India, June 13 -- PM Modi's call for partnership at the NITI Aayog meet is welcome - but Centre-State fault lines demand structural repair

When Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the 11th NITI Aayog Governing Council meeting, his assertion that "states play a vital role in furthering national progress" resonated with constitutional wisdom. After a long time, Chief Ministers of all 28 states sat together at the Governing Council table - a symbolic moment for cooperative federalism. Yet symbolism and structural reality remain stubbornly apart in India's Centre-State relationship.

The Indian Constitution envisioned a strong Centre with empowered states. Seventy-five years on, that balance remains contested. The grievances of states are n...