Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: Concurrent List
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
The Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India divides legislative subjects between the Union and the states through three lists: the Union List, State List and Concurrent List. Over time, some subjects have been shifted through constitutional amendments. This question tests knowledge of the present status of forests as a legislative subject after such changes.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
The State List contains subjects where states have the primary power to legislate. The Union List covers subjects where Parliament has exclusive legislative power. The Concurrent List includes subjects where both Parliament and state legislatures can make laws, but central law prevails in case of conflict. Through the Forty Second Amendment, subjects like forests and education were moved from the State List to the Concurrent List to allow for stronger central coordination in matters of national importance, including environmental protection.
Step-by-Step Solution:
1. Recall that forests were originally placed in the State List, reflecting state control.
2. Recognise that environmental issues and deforestation became national and global concerns over time.
3. The Forty Second Amendment to the Constitution shifted forests to the Concurrent List along with some other subjects.
4. The Concurrent List allows both states and the Union government to make laws, with Union law prevailing in case of conflict.
5. Therefore, the correct current position is that forests are listed in the Concurrent List.
Verification / Alternative check:
You can confirm this by recalling that education, forests, protection of wildlife and birds and several other subjects were transferred to the Concurrent List to permit coordinated national policies. This change is often mentioned in discussions of constitutional amendments and environmental governance in India.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A: If forests were in the Union List, states would have very limited legislative power over them, which is not the current constitutional arrangement.
Option B: This was true before the Forty Second Amendment, but the question asks about the present list after the amendment.
Option C: There is no such category as a Global List in the Indian Constitution; this option is incorrect by definition.
Option E: Environmental subjects are covered within the existing lists, especially the Concurrent List, and there is no separate special schedule solely for them.
Common Pitfalls:
Many students remember only the original allocation and forget about amendments, leading them to pick the State List. Another mistake is to assume that anything related to environment would be purely under the Union List due to international agreements, but the constitutional design balances local, state and national roles through the Concurrent List. Always pay attention to whether the question is about original provisions or current status after amendments.
Final Answer:
Concurrent List
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