Two important judgments delivered by the same Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court (SC), led by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, could go a long way in strengthening India’s federal structure and limiting the interference of the Union in states and the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCTD). In the Government of NCT of Delhi vs Union of India, the matter before the SC was related to control of “services” in the NCTD. A notification by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs in May 2015 said the lieutenant governor (LG) of the NCTD shall exercise powers and discharge the “functions of the Central Government in respect of matters connected with ‘Public Order’, ‘Police’, ‘Land’ and ‘Services’”. It also noted the LG may seek the views of the chief minister at his or her (LG’s) discretion. The notification was immediately challenged because “services” took away the control of bur