.As a federal court, the Supreme Court decides the disputes between different
units of the Indian Federation. More elaborately, any dispute between:
(a) the Centre and one or more states; or
(b) the Centre and any state or states on one side and one or more states on
the other; or
(c) between two or more states.
In the above federal disputes, the Supreme Court has exclusive origin.jurisdiction. Exclusive means, no other court can decide such disputes and
original means, the power to hear such disputes in the first instance, not by
way of appeal.
With regard to the exclusive original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court,
two points should be noted. One, the dispute must involve a question
(whether of law or fact) on which the existence or extent of a legal right
depends. Thus, the questions of political nature are excluded from it. Two,
any suit brought before the Supreme Court by a private citizen against the
Centre or a state cannot be entertained under this