Article 131 — Original Jurisdiction of the Supreme Court

Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, the Supreme Court shall, to the exclusion of any other court, have original jurisdiction in any dispute — (a) between the Government of India and one or more States; or (b) between the Government of India and any State or States on one side and one or more other States on the other; or (c) between two or more States...

Source: Constitution of India, as published by the Ministry of Law and Justice.

The Supreme Court's exclusive jurisdiction over inter-governmental disputes was modelled on the original jurisdiction of the US Supreme Court and the High Court of Australia. The Constituent Assembly recognised that disputes between the Union and states were constitutional matters requiring the highest court's authority to resolve definitively.

• Article 32
• Article 141
• Article 262

Last reviewed: 3 July 2026