This MCQ module is based on: Federalism in India
TOPIC 5 OF 18
Federalism in India
🎓 Class 10
Social Science
CBSE
Theory
Ch 2 — Federalism
⏱ ~15 min
🌐 Language: [gtranslate]
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Federalism in India
NCERT Democratic Politics-II | Chapter 2: Federalism
What Makes India a Federal Country — Constitutional Provisions
India emerged as an independent nation after a painful and bloody partition. Shortly after Independence, several princely states merged into the country. The Constitution? declared India as a Union of States. Although the word "federation" does not appear in the Constitution, the Indian Union is built on the principles of federalism.
Key Point
The Indian Constitution originally provided for a two-tier system: the Union Government (Central Government) and the State Governments. Later, a third tier was added through Panchayats and Municipalities.
The Constitution provides a three-fold distribution of legislative powers between the Union and State Governments through three lists:
Union List
Subjects of national importance — defence, foreign affairs, banking, communications, currency. Only the Union Government can legislate on these. This ensures uniform national policy.
State List
Subjects of state and local importance — police, trade, commerce, agriculture, irrigation. Only State Governments can make laws on these subjects.
Concurrent List
Subjects of common interest — education, forest, trade unions, marriage, adoption, succession. Both Union and State Governments can legislate; if laws conflict, the Union law prevails.
Definition
Residuary Subjects: Subjects that do not fall in any of the three lists, or subjects like computer software that emerged after the Constitution was made. The Union Government has the power to legislate on these residuary subjects.
Distribution of Legislative Powers
L4 Analyse
INDIAN CONSTITUTION
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Three-fold Distribution of Legislative Powers
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Union List
Defence, Foreign Affairs, Banking, Communications, Currency
Only Centre legislates
Defence, Foreign Affairs, Banking, Communications, Currency
Only Centre legislates
State List
Police, Trade, Commerce, Agriculture, Irrigation
Only States legislate
Police, Trade, Commerce, Agriculture, Irrigation
Only States legislate
Concurrent List
Education, Forest, Trade Unions, Marriage, Adoption
Both; Union prevails if conflict
Education, Forest, Trade Unions, Marriage, Adoption
Both; Union prevails if conflict
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Residuary Subjects — Union Government legislates (e.g. cyber laws, space technology)
Figure: How legislative power is distributed among the three lists in the Indian Constitution
Special Status and Union Territories
Not all states in the Indian Union have identical powers, which is common in 'Holding Together' federations. Some states enjoy special status. For example, states like Assam, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, and Mizoram have special provisions under Article 371 of the Constitution, owing to their unique social and historical circumstances. These special powers relate to protection of land rights of indigenous peoples, their culture, and preferential employment in government services.
Certain areas that are too small to become independent states but could not be merged with existing states are designated as Union Territories? — such as Chandigarh, Lakshadweep, and the capital city of Delhi. These territories do not have the full powers of a state; the Central Government exercises special authority in running them.
Important
The power-sharing arrangement between the Union and State Governments is fundamental to the constitutional structure. Parliament alone cannot change this arrangement — any change requires passage by both Houses of Parliament with at least a two-thirds majority, followed by ratification by the legislatures of at least half of all states.
The judiciary plays a critical role in implementing constitutional provisions. In case of disputes about the division of powers, the High Courts and the Supreme Court adjudicate. Both levels of government also have the power to raise revenue through taxes to fund their respective responsibilities.
THINK ABOUT IT — Federal Scenarios
L5 Evaluate
Consider these scenarios from the textbook:
- Pokharan, where India conducted nuclear tests, lies in Rajasthan. If the Rajasthan government opposed the nuclear policy, could it prevent the Government of India from conducting tests?
- If the Sikkim government plans to introduce new textbooks in its schools but the Union Government disapproves of the content, does Sikkim need Central permission?
- If the Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha have differing policies on how state police should respond to naxalites, can the Prime Minister intervene and issue binding orders?
Guidance
(1) No — defence is a Union List subject, so Rajasthan cannot block national defence decisions. (2) No — education is on the Concurrent List, but curriculum decisions at the state level fall within state authority. The Union Government cannot dictate textbook content to states. (3) No — police is a State List subject. The Prime Minister cannot override Chief Ministers on policing matters. Each of these scenarios illustrates the clear demarcation of powers in the Indian federal system.
How Is Federalism Practised in India Today
Constitutional provisions alone are not enough for the success of federalism. If the federal experiment has succeeded in India, it is because the nature of democratic politics ensured that the spirit of federalism — respect for diversity and the desire for living together — became shared ideals. Let us examine the major ways this happened.
1. Creation of Linguistic States
The creation of linguistic states? was the first and a major test for democratic politics in India. After 1947, the boundaries of several old states were redrawn to ensure that people who spoke the same language lived in the same state. Some states were created on the basis of culture, ethnicity, or geography — such as Nagaland, Uttarakhand, and Jharkhand.
Initially, national leaders feared that language-based states would lead to the disintegration of the country, and the Central Government resisted the demand for some time. However, experience showed that the formation of linguistic states actually made the country more united and administration easier.
2. Language Policy
The second test for Indian federalism was the language policy. The Constitution did not grant the status of national language to any single language. Hindi was identified as the official language, but since it is the mother tongue of only about 40 per cent of Indians, many safeguards were put in place to protect other languages. Besides Hindi, 22 other languages are recognised as Scheduled Languages? by the Constitution.
According to the original Constitution, English was to stop being used for official purposes in 1965. However, many non-Hindi-speaking states demanded its continuation. In Tamil Nadu, this movement turned violent. The Central Government responded by agreeing to continue using English alongside Hindi for official purposes. This flexibility helped India avoid the kind of linguistic crisis that Sri Lanka experienced.
Linguistic Diversity of India — Major Scheduled Languages
Source: Census of India 2011 — Proportion of speakers (%). India recorded over 1,300 distinct mother tongues grouped into 121 major languages.
3. Centre-State Relations
Restructuring Centre-State relations has been another important way in which federalism has been strengthened. For a long time, the same party ruled both at the Centre and in most states, which meant state governments did not fully exercise their autonomous federal rights. The Central Government often misused constitutional provisions to dismiss state governments controlled by rival parties, undermining the spirit of federalism.
This changed significantly after 1990 with the rise of regional political parties and the era of coalition governments? at the Centre. Since no single party could secure a clear majority in the Lok Sabha, major national parties had to form alliances with regional parties. This created a new culture of power-sharing and respect for state autonomy. A landmark Supreme Court judgement also made it harder for the Centre to arbitrarily dismiss state governments.
Key Development
Federal power-sharing is more effective today than it was in the early years after the Constitution came into force. The rise of coalition politics and judicial intervention have together strengthened India's federal practice.
LET'S EXPLORE — News Classifying Activity
L3 Apply
Listen to one national and one regional news bulletin broadcast by All India Radio daily for one week. Make a list of news items related to government policies or decisions by classifying these into:
- News items that relate only to the Central Government
- News items that relate only to your or any other State Government
- News items about the relationship between the Central and State Governments
Guidance
Central Government items might include foreign policy decisions, defence announcements, or new national-level schemes. State items might include local police action, agriculture subsidies, or state education policies. Centre-State items might include GST disputes, disaster relief coordination, or the Finance Commission's recommendations on revenue sharing.
THINK ABOUT IT — Linguistic Reorganisation
L5 Evaluate
The NCERT textbook includes an article by historian Ramachandra Guha that discussed linguistic reorganisation of states. Consider your own state or any state that was affected by this reorganisation.
- Has your village, town, or city remained under the same state since Independence? If not, what was the earlier state?
- Can you identify three states from 1947 whose names have since been changed?
- Identify three states that were carved out of bigger states.
- Write a short note for or against the argument that linguistic reorganisation helped national unity.
Guidance
States whose names changed: Madras became Tamil Nadu, Travancore-Cochin became Kerala, Mysore became Karnataka. States carved from bigger ones: Jharkhand (from Bihar), Chhattisgarh (from Madhya Pradesh), Uttarakhand (from Uttar Pradesh). The argument in favour of linguistic reorganisation is that it made administration more efficient and citizens could communicate with their government in their own language, ultimately strengthening democratic participation and national unity.
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Competency-Based Questions
Case Study: State Y has a majority population that speaks Language A, but a significant minority speaks Language B. The state government conducts all official work only in Language A. The Language B speakers demand that their language also be used for official purposes. Some political leaders argue this will weaken national unity.
Q1. Based on India's experience with language policy, which of the following approaches would be most suitable for State Y?
L3 Apply
Q2. Why did the formation of linguistic states strengthen national unity rather than divide India, as some leaders had feared?
L4 Analyse
Q3. Evaluate how the rise of coalition governments after 1990 strengthened Indian federalism.
L5 Evaluate
HOT Q. Imagine you are advising a newly independent country with four major language groups. Design a language policy that balances national unity with linguistic diversity. Explain your reasoning.
L6 Create
⚡ Assertion–Reason Questions
Assertion (A): The Indian Constitution does not use the word "federation" even though India operates as a federal country.
Reason (R): The Constitution describes India as a "Union of States," emphasising that the union is not a result of an agreement among states and that no state has the right to secede.
Reason (R): The Constitution describes India as a "Union of States," emphasising that the union is not a result of an agreement among states and that no state has the right to secede.
Assertion (A): The formation of linguistic states led to the disintegration of India.
Reason (R): Language-based reorganisation strengthened regional identities at the cost of national unity.
Reason (R): Language-based reorganisation strengthened regional identities at the cost of national unity.
Assertion (A): If a law made by a State Government conflicts with a Union Government law on a Concurrent List subject, the state law prevails.
Reason (R): State Governments have greater authority than the Union Government on Concurrent List subjects.
Reason (R): State Governments have greater authority than the Union Government on Concurrent List subjects.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Union State and Concurrent Lists in Indian federalism?
The Indian Constitution divides subjects into three lists under the Seventh Schedule. The Union List contains 97 subjects like defence, foreign affairs, and banking that only the central government can legislate on. The State List has 66 subjects like police, agriculture, and trade that state governments handle. The Concurrent List has 47 subjects like education, marriage, and forests where both can legislate, but central law prevails in case of conflict. Residuary subjects fall under Union jurisdiction.
Why were linguistic states created in India?
Linguistic states were created in India to accommodate the country's enormous language diversity within its federal structure. After independence, many old states were reorganised based on the dominant language of each region. This process began with the creation of Andhra Pradesh for Telugu speakers in 1953 and expanded through the States Reorganisation Act of 1956. Linguistic reorganisation made governance more accessible and strengthened national unity rather than weakening it.
What is India's language policy?
India's language policy is a careful compromise that avoids imposing any single language on the nation. Hindi was designated as the official language, but the Constitution recognises 22 scheduled languages. States have their own official languages for government business. The use of English was to continue alongside Hindi for official purposes. The three-language formula in schools promotes Hindi, English, and a regional language. This flexible policy prevents language-based conflicts.
How have Centre-State relations changed in India?
Centre-State relations in India have significantly shifted since the 1990s. In the early decades, the ruling party at the centre often controlled state governments too, reducing states' autonomy. The rise of regional parties and coalition governments since 1989 has strengthened true federalism. No single party now dominates nationally, requiring power sharing with state-level allies. The era of coalition politics has given states greater bargaining power and made Indian federalism more meaningful in practice.
Is India a federal or unitary country?
India is officially described as a Union of States and combines federal and unitary features. Federal features include constitutional division of powers, independent judiciary, and dual government levels. Unitary features include a strong centre with emergency powers, single citizenship, and the ability to reorganise states. The Indian model is best described as quasi-federal or federalism with a strong centre, designed through a holding together approach to maintain national unity while respecting regional diversity.
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Social Science Class 10 — Democratic Politics II (Civics)
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