The power of the Supreme Court of India to decide disputes between the Centre and the States falls under its
Contents8
- Aadvisory jurisdiction
- Bappellate jurisdiction
- Coriginal jurisdiction
- Dwrit jurisdiction
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Answer: (C) original jurisdiction
The Supreme Court has three types of jurisdiction:
(1) Original Jurisdiction (Article 131) — cases that come DIRECTLY to the SC without going through lower courts.
Centre vs State or State vs State disputes fall here.
(2) Appellate Jurisdiction — appeals from High Courts.
(3) Advisory Jurisdiction (Article 143) — President seeks SC's opinion on legal questions.
(4) Writ Jurisdiction (Article 32) — for enforcing Fundamental Rights.
A Centre-State dispute goes directly to the SC under Original Jurisdiction because no lower court can handle disputes between sovereign entities of the federation.
(Ref: Laxmikanth)
Article 131 gives the Supreme Court exclusive original jurisdiction over disputes between the Centre and States, meaning these cases go directly to the SC without passing through any lower court.
The question tests whether students can distinguish between the four types of SC jurisdiction - original jurisdiction handles inter-governmental disputes because no lower court has authority over sovereign entities of the federation.
Original Jurisdiction of Supreme Court
Indian Polity original jurisdiction disputes between the Centre and the States
Original Jurisdiction: When Cases Go Directly to Supreme Court
Article 131 gives SC exclusive original jurisdiction over Centre-State and State-State disputes
Cases come directly to SC without going through lower courts
Only SC can handle disputes between sovereign entities of the federation
Covers disputes over water, boundaries, constitutional interpretation between governments
What is Original Jurisdiction
Original jurisdiction means cases that start and end at the Supreme Court — no lower court involvement. The SC acts as both trial court and final court for these disputes.
This is different from appellate cases that come to SC after High Court decisions.
Cases Under Original Jurisdiction
Type of Dispute | Parties Involved | Constitutional Basis | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
Centre vs State | Union Government vs Any State | Article 131(a) | Tax disputes, legislative conflicts |
State vs State | One State vs Another State | Article 131(b) | River water sharing, boundary disputes |
Centre + States vs State(s) | Union + Some States vs Other States | Article 131(c) | Multi-party constitutional disputes |
Key Features
Exclusive jurisdiction — no other court can hear these disputes
Mandatory jurisdiction — SC cannot refuse to hear these cases
Both legal and factual disputes are covered under Article 131
Decisions are final and binding on all parties involved
Trap: Don't confuse original (direct cases) with appellate (appeals from lower courts)
Trap: Advisory jurisdiction is when President asks SC's opinion — not for actual disputes
Trap: Writ jurisdiction is for Fundamental Rights violations — not inter-governmental disputes
Trap: Article 131 disputes go directly to SC — they don't start in High Courts first
Types of Supreme Court Jurisdiction
Indian Polity advisory jurisdiction appellate jurisdiction writ jurisdiction
Complete Classification of Supreme Court Jurisdiction
SC has 4 main types of jurisdiction with different constitutional bases
Original = direct cases, Appellate = appeals, Advisory = opinions, Writ = Fundamental Rights
Each type serves different constitutional functions in Indian federalism
Complete Jurisdiction Framework
Type | Constitutional Article | Purpose | Key Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
Original Jurisdiction | Article 131 | Direct disputes between governments | Centre vs State disputes |
Appellate Jurisdiction | Articles 132-136 | Appeals from High Courts | Civil, criminal, constitutional appeals |
Advisory Jurisdiction | Article 143 | Legal advice to President | Opinion on constitutional questions |
Writ Jurisdiction | Article 32 | Enforce Fundamental Rights | Habeas corpus, mandamus, certiorari |
Appellate Jurisdiction Breakdown
# Appellate Jurisdiction
## Constitutional Appeals
- Article 132
- Constitutional law questions
- High Court certificates required
## Civil & Criminal Appeals
- Articles 133-134
- Substantial legal questions
- High Court certificates/SC leave
## Special Leave Petition
- Article 136
- SC's discretion
- Any judgment/order from any courtAdvisory vs Binding Distinction
Advisory jurisdiction opinions are not binding — President can ignore them
Original jurisdiction decisions are final and binding on all parties
Appellate jurisdiction creates binding precedents for lower courts
Writ jurisdiction orders are immediately enforceable by contempt power
Trap: Advisory jurisdiction is non-binding opinion — Original jurisdiction gives binding decisions
Trap: Article 32 (writ) is for individual rights — Article 131 (original) is for government disputes
Trap: Appellate cases come FROM lower courts — Original cases come TO SC directly
Trap: President may refer questions under Article 143 — SC must hear Article 131 disputes