In the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India, trade unions are included in which of the following lists?

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: Concurrent List

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
The Seventh Schedule of the Constitution distributes legislative subjects between the Union and the States through three lists, namely the Union List, State List and Concurrent List. Some subjects appear on the Concurrent List so that both Parliament and State legislatures can make laws. Trade unions are a typical example used to illustrate this shared competence.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • The topic is trade unions.
  • The question asks in which list trade unions appear.
  • The options include Union, State, Concurrent and a distractor called Global List.
  • We must recall the correct entry and its placement in the Seventh Schedule.


Concept / Approach:
Trade unions, industrial disputes and related labour matters are generally placed on the Concurrent List to allow both the Union and the States to legislate. In case of conflict, central law prevails, but States can address local conditions. Remember that labour is a classic concurrent subject in India, reflecting the need for national standards along with State level flexibility.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall the three lists in the Seventh Schedule: Union List, State List and Concurrent List. Step 2: Remember that subjects like defence, foreign affairs and railways are on the Union List, while subjects like police and public order are typically on the State List. Step 3: Labour and trade unions fall under the Concurrent List, allowing both levels of government to legislate. Step 4: Therefore, the correct answer is the Concurrent List.


Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify by recalling standard entries from the Concurrent List in any polity book. The entry relating to trade unions and industrial disputes appears on that list. Another way is to think of how labour laws in India often have both central Acts, such as the Industrial Disputes Act, and State level amendments or rules, which is only possible when the subject is concurrent.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:

  • Union List: If trade unions were exclusively a Union subject, States could not frame their own labour laws or make local modifications, which is not the case in practice.
  • State List: Purely State subjects usually do not allow Parliament to legislate routinely, yet Parliament has passed many major labour laws.
  • Global List: There is no such category in the Constitution of India. It is a distractor.
  • Residuary powers of the Union: Residuary powers refer to subjects not mentioned in any of the three lists. Trade unions are explicitly mentioned and therefore are not residuary.


Common Pitfalls:
Learners sometimes assume that because labour issues are often handled by State departments, the subject must be on the State List. Others think that national level labour codes mean the Union List. The correct understanding is that labour is concurrent. A helpful memory aid is to associate education and labour together as classic concurrent subjects post constitutional amendments.


Final Answer:
Trade unions are included in the Concurrent List of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India.

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