Former SC Judge Kurian Joseph To Head Tamil Nadu's Committee On State Autonomy

Justice Kurian Joseph, former Judge of the Supreme Court, will head the high-level committee formed by the Tamil Nadu Government to study the principles related to State autonomy.

Justice Kurian Joseph agreed to accept the position on an honorary basis without taking any remuneration.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin announced the formation of this committee in his address to the Assembly.

M. Ashok Vardhan Shetty, retired IAS officer; and Professor M. Naganathan, former Vice Chairman of the State Planning Commission are the other members of the committee.

Stalin said that the Committee will examine proposals to protect the legitimate rights of the states as provided in the Constitution of India and to strengthen the relationship between the Union and State governments.

In a post on X, Stalin said that “the formation of this committee seeks to revisit and reassert the principles of State autonomy in today's context.”

The announcement came in the wake of the recent Supreme Court judgment which declared as unconstitutional the Tamil Nadu Governor's withholding of assent for ten bills.

Justice Kurian Joseph retired from the Supremed Court in November 2018 after serving more than five years. Before his elevation to the Supreme Court, he served as the Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court and as a Judge of the Kerala High Court.