Union List

Union List is the list of subjects on which only the Union (central) Government has the power to make laws.

• These subjects affect the whole country and need one common policy rather than separate rules in every state.
• Important Union List subjects include defence, foreign affairs, currency, railways, citizenship, and communication.
• For example, India needs one national army to protect its borders. If each state made its own defence laws or army, national security would be difficult to manage.
• The Union List is found in the Seventh Schedule of the Indian Constitution. It helps divide law-making powers clearly between the Union and the states.
• This arrangement supports federalism: states can focus on local matters, while the Union handles issues that concern India as a whole.