The Government of India Act, 1935 was a significant constitutional document in the history of India. It provided for a federal form of government in India, where the powers were divided between the Centre and the States. The Act provided for three lists - the Federal List, the Provincial List, and the Concurrent List - which enumerated the subjects on which the Centre, the States, and both could make laws, respectively. The Act also provided for the establishment of a federal court, which would adjudicate disputes between the Centre and the States.

When India became independent in 1947, the Constitution of India was drafted, which borrowed heavily from the Government of India Act, 1935. The Constitution provided for a similar distribution of powers between the Centre and the States, and included similar lists of subjects on which each could make laws. The Constitution also established a Supreme Court, which would be the final arbiter of disputes between the Centre and the States. Thus, the scheme of distribution of powers between the Centre and the States in the Indian Constitution is based on the Government of India Act, 1935.