In Brief
The Supreme Court upheld the constitutional division of powers between Delhi and the Central Government. The Court held that Entry 41 of the State List (State Public Services and State Public Service Commission) is not available to Delhi's Legislative Assembly because services in Union Territories are Union services, not State services. Consequently, Delhi cannot exercise executive power over services without parliamentary law or presidential delegation. The judgment reaffirmed that despite its special status under Article 239AA, Delhi remains a Union Territory. It clarified that the phrase 'in so far as any such matter is applicable to Union Territories' has restrictive meaning, excluding entries explicitly referring to 'State'. The Court maintained the Lieutenant Governor's constitutional position while affirming the Council of Ministers' role within the democratic scheme.
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