FEDERALISM

Notes:
Q.1: When did Belgium become Federal?
Ans. The change that took place in 1993 was that the regional governments were given
constitutional powers that were no longer dependent on the central government.
Q.2: Define federalism.
❖ Ans. Federalism is a system of government in which the power is divided
between a central authority and various constituent units of the country.
❖ Federation has two levels of government. One is the government for the entire
country that is usually for responsible for a few subjects of common national
interest. The others are governments at the level of provinces or states that look
after much of the day – to - day administering of their state.
❖ Both these levels of government enjoy their power independent of the other.
Q.3: What is the difference between federalism and unitary government?
Federalism Unitary Government
❖ In the federal system there are ❖ Under the unitary system, either
more than 2 government or the there is only one level of
units are not sub – ordinate to government or the sub – units are
central government. subordinate to the central
❖ The central govt. cannot pass on government.
orders to the state government to ❖ The central gov. can pass on
do something. orders to the provincial or the
❖ State government has power of its local government.
own for which it is not answerable ❖ State government is subordinate
to the central government. to central government
❖ Eg. India, Belgium ❖ Eg. Sri Lanka
Q.4: What are the features of federalism?
- Ans. The key features of federalism are:-
1. There are two or more levels of government
2. Different tiers of government govern the same citizens, but each tier has its own
Jurisdiction in specific matters of legislation, taxation and administration.
3. The existence and authority of each tier of government is constitutionally
guaranteed.
4. The fundamental provisions of the constitution cannot be unilaterally changed
by one level of government.
5. Courts have the power to interpret the constitution and the powers of different
levels of government. The highest court acts as an umpire if disputes arise
between different levels of government in the exercise of their respective
powers.
6. Sources of revenue for each level of government are clearly specified to ensure
its financial autonomy.
7. The federal system thus has dual objectives to safeguard and promote unity
8. accommodate regional diversity. Federal system has both aspects; mutual trust
and agreement to live together.
Q.5: What do you mean ‘coming together’ and ‘holding together federations?
Ans. Coming together Federation –
• there are two kinds of routes through which federation have been formed.
• The first route involves independent states coming together on their own to
form a bigger unit, so that by
pooling sovereignty
and retaining identity
they can increase their security.
• This type of coming together federation includes the USA, Switzerland and
Australia.
• In this first category of federations, all the constituent States usually have equal
power and are strong vis – a –vis the federal government.
Holding Together Federation –
• The second route is where a large country decides to divide its power between
the constituent sates
and the national government.
• India, Spain and Belgium are examples of this kind of holding together
federation.
• In this second category the Central Government tends to be more powerful vis –
a – vis the states. Very often different constituent units of the federation have
unequal powers.
Q.6: What makes India a federal country?
1. The constitution declared India as a Union of states.
❖ The constitution originally provided for a two – tier system of government the
Union government or what we call the central Government the union of India
and the states governments. A third tier of federalism was added in the form of
Panchayats and Municipalities.
2. The constitution provided a threefold distribution of legislative powers between the
Union Government and the state Government. Thus, it contains three lists.
Union List =
❖ Includes subjects of national importance such as defense of the country,
foreign affairs, banking, communication and currency.
❖ We need a uniform policy one these matters throughout the country.
❖ The union government alone can make laws relating to the subjects mentioned
in the union list.
States List =
❖ contains subjects of state and local importance such as police, trade,
commerce, agriculture and irrigation
❖ The states government alone can make laws relating to the subjects
mentioned in the state List.
Concurrent List
Includes subjects of common interest to both the Union Government as well as
the State Government such as education, forest, trade unions, marriage,
adoption and succession
❖ Both the Union as well as the state Governments can makes laws on the
subjects mentioned in this list.
RESIDUARY LIST
3. If their laws conflicts with each other, the law made by the union Government will
prevail.
❖ ‘Holding together’ do not give equal power to its constituent units.
Example: -
Jammu and Kashmir has its own constitution Many provisions of the Indian
Constitution are not applicable to this state without the approval of the state
Assembly. Indians who are not permanent residents of this State cannot buy
land or house here.
4. It is not easy to make changes to this power sharing arrangement. The parliament
cannot alone make amendments in the constitution any change to lit has to be first
constitution. Any change to it has to be first passed by both the Houses of Parliament
with at least two thirds majority. Then it has least ratified by the legislatures of at least
half of the total states.
Example: -
Creation or abolition of the states
5. If any dispute about the division of powers, the High Courts and the Supreme Court
make a decision.
6. The union and state government have the power to raise resources by levying taxes in
order to carry on the government and the responsibilities assigned in India?
Q.7: Why is federalism successful in India?
❖ Ans. The real success to federalism in India can be attributed to the nature
of democratic politics in our country.
❖ This ensured that
the spirit of federalism,
respect for diversity and
desire for living together became a shared ideal in our country.
Q.8: What are Union territories?
Ans. These are areas which are too small to become an independent state but
which could not be merged with any of the existing states.
❖ The territories do not have the power of a state.
Q9. What was the language policy in India?
❖ Ans. Our constitution did not give the status of national language to any
one language
❖ Hindi was identified as the official language. But Hindi was spoken by only
40 per cent of Indians.
❖ Besides Hindi, there is 21 other language recognized as scheduled
languages by the constitution. (For the central government position, the
candidate can attempt the examination in any of these languages).
❖ States have their own official language and all the government work is
done in the official language of the state –
 ❖ According to the constitution, the use of English for official purposes was
to stop in 1965. Many non-Hindi speaking states demanded the use of
English. In Tamil Nadu this movement took a violent form. The Central
Government agreed to continue for the English language with Hindi for the
official purposes.
❖ Promotion of Hindi continues to be the official policy of the Government
of India.
❖ The Central Government can impose Hindi on states where people speak a
different language.
❖ The flexibility shown by Indian political leaders helped our country avoid
the kind of situation that Sri Lanka finds itself in
Q.10: On what basis were the states created?
- Ans. The people who spoke the same language lived in the same state. Some
sates were created not on the basis of language but to recognize differences
based on culture, ethnicity or geography. These include states like Nagaland,
Uttarakhand and Jharkhand.
Q.11: The formation of Linguistic states? Fear and the result
❖ Ans. The leaders feared that it would lead to the disintegration of the country.
❖ But Central Government resisted linguistic States for some time.
❖ But the experience has shown that the formation of linguistic states has actually
made the country, more united.
❖ If has also made administration easier.
Q.12: Write a note on Centre –State Relations.
At the time of independence (1947-1990).
❖ Ans. In 1947, for a long time the same party ruled both at the centre and in most
of these sates the party was congress party.
❖ This means that the state government did not exercise their as autonomous
federal units.
❖ The central government would often misuse the constitution to dismiss the state
governments that were controlled by rival parties.
❖ This undermined the spirit of federalism.
Centre – State Relation After 1990
❖ After 1990 there was rise of regional political parties in many states of the
country.
❖ This was also beginning of the era of Coalition Government at the centre.
❖ No single party got a clear majority in the Lok Sabha; the major parties had to
enter into the alliance with many parties including several regional governments
in the Center.
❖ This led to a new culture of power sharing and respect for the autonomy of the
state government.
❖ This trend was supported by a major judgment of the Supreme Court that made
it difficult for the Central Government to dismiss state governments in an
arbitrary manner.
Decentralization in India
Q1. Why there is need for power sharing within the states?
Ans. India is a Vast Country which
- Cannot be run only by the Centre and the states.
 - There are states which are as large as independent Countries of Europe.
UP is bigger than Russia Maharashtra is as big as Germany.
- Many states are internally very diverse
Therefore power sharing within the states is required.
Q2. What is decentralization?
Ans. When power is taken away from Central and state government and given to local
government, it is called decentralization.
Q3. Basic idea of decentralization
Or
Advantages of decentralization
- There are large number of problems and issues best settled at local level.
- People have better knowledge of problems in their localities.
- They also have better ideas on where to spend money and work more efficiently.
- People directly participate in decision making which develops the principle of
democracy.

Q4. Major steps towards decentralization (1992).

- It is constitutionally mandatory to hold regular elections to local government
bodies.
- Seats are reserved in the elected bodies and
Executive heads
of these institutions for SC, ST and other backward Classes
- 1/3 seats of all positions are reserved for women.
- An independent institution called
State Election Commission has
been created in each state
to conduct panchayat and municipal
Elections.
- The state governments have to
Share powers and
Revenue with local government bodies
Q5. What is Panchayati Raj?
Ans. Rural local government is called Panchayati Raj.
Every village or a group of villages have gram Panchayat
Q6. What is Gram Panchayat and write its functions?
Gram Panchayat – It is a council of several ward members has a president called
Sarpanch.
These members are directly elected by adult population in that
village.
Functions – It is decision making body for the entire village.
 Prepare the annual budget.
Q7. What is Gram sabha and write its function?
Gram Sabha: - All the voters in the village are the member of Gram Sabha
They meet twice or thrice in a year to approve the annual budget.
Functions: - The panchayat works under the supervision of Gram Sabha.
Approves the annual budget
Reviews the performance of gram panchayat
Gram Panchayats are grouped to form
Block or Panchayat Samiti or Mandal
Elected by all the panchayat members
Zilla Parishad – All Panchayat Samitis in a district together form Zilla Parishad.
Some members are elected.
MP, MLA’S of that district are also its members.
Some other officials of that district are also its members.
Head - Chairperson.

URBAN
In towns municipalities are set up .
Big cities - Municipal Corporations
They are elected members.
Head of Municipality – Chairperson
Corporation – Mayor
There are 36 lakh representatives in Panchayats of municipalities.
Advantages
a) Deepened Democracy
b) Increased women’s representatives and voice our democracy.
Difficulties: -
1. Gram Sabha elections are not held regularly
2. Most state governments have not transferred their powers to the local
governments.
3. Local governments do not have adequate resources.
QUESTIONS
Q.1: What was the fundamental change brought about in the Belgian system of
governance in 1993? Contract
Q.2: Centre State relation before 1990 and after 1990.
Q.3: How has the emergence of regional parties and coalition government changed
the Centre – State relations?
Q.4: What are the power arrangements in India?
Q.5: What is the legislative power distributed between state and Central
government? Explain
Q.6: What is the language policy followed by the government?
Q.7: Difference between Unitary and Federation
Federal Unitary
Nature:
Under the federal system there are two In unitary there is only one level of
level of government one at the central government or
level and other at the state level. The subunits are subordinate to the
Function: Central government.
The state government has powers of its
own for which it is not answerable to the State government does have powers of its
Central government. own.
The central government cannot order the
state government to do something
The Central government can pass on
orders to the provincial or the local
government.
Q.8: Coming together Federalism and Holding Together
Coming together Federalism Holding together Federalism
1. It involves independent states It is the second route of the formation of
coming together on their own to federalism where a large power or
form a bigger unit. country decides to divide its power
between the constituent states and
national governance
2. Units try to increase their security
by pooling sovereignty and There is the absence of pooling
retaining identity sovereignty and retaining and. Central
government subordinates over the
constituent units
3. Federations of all constituent units Central government tends to be more
usually have – powerful vis a vis the states.
Equal power and are strong vis – The Constituent units also have unequal
avis the federal government powers some units are granted special
Ex. USA powers
Switzerland India Spain
Australia Belgium
Q.9: What makes India a Federal State: -
- The Constitution declares India as a Union of States.
- Initially the Constitution provided for a two – tier system of government but
later a third tier of federalism was added in the form of Panchayats and
Municipalities.
- The legislative powers have been divided
Union list, State list Concurrent list and residuary subjects
- We have holding together Federation which does not give equal power to its
Constituent Units.
 Some states enjoy special status while some units enjoy very little powers eg.
Union Territories.
- It is not easy to make Charges in the power sharing arrangement made in India.
The Parliament cannot on its own change this arrangement. It has first to be
passed by both the Houses of Parliament with at least two – thirds majority.
Then it has to be ratified by the legislatures of at least half of states.