In Focus by The Hindu Is a double-engine government crucial for growth?
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Feb 12, 2026 Yamini Aiyar, policy expert on governance and fiscal federalism, and Louise Tillin, scholar of Indian politics and centre–state relations, debate whether aligned Centre and State rule matters for growth. They discuss fiscal centralization, politicized transfers, administrative delays, southern growth drivers, and the need for stronger federal institutions. The conversation focuses on how politics shapes funding and governance.
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Double-Engine As Political Signal
- The 'double-engine' trope signals a political preference for centre-state alignment rather than neutral governance rules.
- Louise Tillin warns this framing creates perverse incentives that push opposition states to resist or compete with the centre.
Formula vs Discretion In Fund Flows
- Formula-based transfers via the Finance Commission are rule-bound and not overtly partisan.
- But discretionary centrally-sponsored transfers leave room for political bias, affecting non-NDA states more visibly.
Federalism Versus Efficiency Framing
- Yamini Aiyar argues double-engine undermines federal accommodation and equates multiplicity with inefficiency.
- She cautions that privileging 'efficiency' risks eroding democratic federalism and legitimizes partisan central actions.
