FEDERALISM

What is Federalism?
Federalism is a system of government in
which the power is divided between a
central authority and various constituent
units of the country.

By Preeti Balayan
(TGT SOCIAL SCIENCE )
1. Federalism has two levels of government.
Both these levels of government enjoy
their power independently of the other.
2. One is the government for the entire
country, which is usually responsible for a
few subjects of common national interest.
3. Governments at the level of states, which
look after much of the day-to-day
administering of their state.
 Difference Between Unitary
System and Federal System
Federal system
• There are two or more levels
Unitary System (or tiers) of government.
• There is only one level of • The Central Government
cannot order the state
government. government to do something
• The Central Government
• State Government has
can pass orders to the powers of its own for which
local government. it is not answerable to the
• The central government central government
is supreme.
Key features of
Federalism
1. There are two or more levels (or tiers) of government.
2. Different tiers of government govern the same citizens.
3. The jurisdiction of the respective level of government are specified
in the constitution.
4. The fundamental provision of the constitution cannot be unilaterally
changed by one level of government.
5. Resources of revenue for each level of government are clearly
specified .
6. The federal system has dual object to safeguard and promote unity
of country
 Types of Federalism

Coming together federations

Many independence day coming together to form a
bigger unit
All state usually have equal power example USA
Australia
Holding together federation
A large country decide to divide its power between
constituent state and the central government .
Unequal power sharing between central and state
government.
example : India ,Spain ,Belgium
What makes India are federal
country?

The Constitution provided for a two-tier system of

government:
The Union Government or Central Government and the
State governments. Later Panchayats and Municipalities
were also added.
Since there is a three-tier of government, the
Constitution states three lists:
Union list :
union list include subject of national importance such as
defence ,foreign affair , banking communication and
currency.

state list :
State list include subject of state or local importance such
as police , trade, commerce agriculture and irrigation.
Concurrent List:
Concurrent list includes subjects of
common interest to both the union
government and state government such as
education, forest, marrige. Both the union
as well as State Government can make laws
on the subject mention in the list.
Residuary subjects:
Subject that do not fall in any of three list or
subject like computer software that come after the
constitution was made according to our
constitution the union government has to power
legistate on these subject.
 How is federalism practiced
Major ways in which federalism is practised in
India.
• Linguistic States:
The creation of linguistic States was the first and a
major test for democratic politics in India. From 1947 to
2017, many old States vanished, and many new States
were created. Areas, boundaries and names of the
States have been changed. Some States have been
formed of people who speak the same language. These
states are known as Linguistic States.
• Language Policy
• A second test for the Indian federation is the language policy.
Hindi was identified as the official language. Besides Hindi,
there are 21 other languages recognised as Scheduled
Languages by the Constitution. States, too, have their own
official languages, and government work takes place in the
official language of the concerned State.
• Centre-State relations
• Restructuring the Centre-State relations is one more way in
which federalism has been strengthened in practice. Suppose
no single party gets a clear majority in the Lok Sabha, the major
national parties can alliance with many parties, including
several regional parties, to form a government at the Centre.
This led to a new culture of power sharing and respect for the
autonomy of State Governments.
Decentralisation in India
When power is taken away from Central
and State governments and given to the
local government, it is called
decentralisation.

A major step towards decentralisation was taken in

1992. The Constitution was amended to make the
third tier of democracy more powerful and effective.
Here are the key features of third tier democracy:
2) Seats are reserved in the elected bodies and the
executive heads of these institutions for the
Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other
Backward Classes.
3)At least one-third of all positions are reserved for
women.
4)State Election Commission has been created in
each State to conduct panchayat and municipal
elections.
5)The State governments are required to share
some powers and revenue with local government
bodies. The nature of sharing varies from State to
State.
 Panchayati Raj System
1. Rural local government is popularly known
as Panchayati Raj. Each village, or a group of
villages in some States, has a gram
panchayat.
2. When Gram Panchayat are grouped
together, they form a Panchayat Samiti or
Block or Mandal.
3. All the Panchayat Samitis or Mandals in a
district together constitute the Zilla (district)
Parishad
 Municipalities
we have Municipalities for urban areas.
Big cities are constituted into Municipal
Corporations. Both Municipalities and
Municipal Corporations are controlled
by elected bodies consisting of people’s
representatives.
Questions related
to chapter

पाठ से संबंधित प्रश्न

 Multiple choice question
Q1.Which of the following is a feature of federalism?

A) Single level of government

B) Centralization of power

C) Division of powers between different levels of government

D) None of the above

Q2.In India, the subjects of national importance such as defense and foreign affairs are listed in the:

A) State List

B) Union List

C) Concurrent List

D) Residuary List

Q3.Which country follows the 'coming together' form of federalism?

A) India

B) Belgium

C) USA

D) Spain

Q4.Panchayati Raj is a system of governance in:

A) Urban areas

B) Rural areas

C) Both urban and rural areas

D) Only metropolitan cities

Q5.The Constitution of India provides for a _________ system of government

.A) Unitary
 वस्तुनिष्ठ प्रश्न

Q1.निम्नलिखित में से कौन सा संघवाद की एक विशेषता है?

ए) सरकार का एकल स्तर
बी) बिजली का कें द्रीकरण
सी) सरकार के विभिन्न स्तरों के बीच शक्तियों का विभाजन
डी) उपर्युक्त
Q2.
भारत में से कोई भी, रक्षा और विदेशी मामलों जैसे राष्ट्रीय महत्व के विषयों को सूचीबद्ध किया गया है:
ए) राज्य सूची
बी) संघ सूची
सी) समवर्ती सूची
डी) अवशिष्ट सूची डी
Q3 सूचीबद्ध करें। जो देश संघवाद के 'एक साथ आ रहा है' रूप का पालन करता है?
ए) इंडिया
बी) बेल्जियम
सी) यूएसए
डी) स्पेन
Q4.पंचायती राज एक प्रशासन की एक प्रणाली है:
ए) शहरी क्षेत्र
बी) ग्रामीण क्षेत्रों
सी) दोनों शहरी और ग्रामीण क्षेत्रों
डी) के वल मेट्रोपॉलिटन शहर
Q5. भारत का संविधान _________ प्रणाली प्रदान करता है
a) एकता बी) संघीय सी) संघीय डी) सत्तावादी
Short Answer Types
Q1.Define federalism.
Q2.List any two features of federalism.
Q3.What is the significance of the Concurrent List in the Indian
Constitution?
Q4.Mention two challenges to federalism in India.
Q5.What is meant by 'holding together' federalism? Give an example.
लघु उत्तर प्रकार
Q1 संघवाद को परिभाषित करो।
प्रश्न 2. संघवाद की किसी भी दो विशेषताओं को सूचीबद्ध करें।
प्रश्न 3. भारतीय संविधान में समवर्ती सूची का महत्व क्या है?
प्रश्न 4. भारत में संघवाद के लिए दो चुनौतियां।
प्रश्न 5. संघवाद को 'एक साथ पकड़े' का क्या अर्थ है? एक उदाहरण दें।
Long answer type question
1. Describe any five feature of federal government.
2. Compare the federation of coming together and holding together
type.
3. What is the main difference between a federal government and a
unitary one explain with an example.
4. Under which type of federation India comes? mention any four
features of such federation.
5. Explain the three tyre system of Government of India.
लंबे उत्तर प्रकार प्रश्न
1. संघीय सरकार की किसी भी पांच प्रकार का वर्णन करें।
2. एक साथ आने और एक साथ टाइप करने के संघ की तुलना करें।
3. संघात्मक और एकात्मक शासन प्रणाली में अंतर बताइए ।उदाहरण के साथ।
4. किस प्रकार के फे डरेशन के तहत भारत आता है? ऐसे फे डरेशन की किसी भी चार विशेषताओं का उल्लेख
करें।
5. भारत सरकार की तीन टायर प्रणाली की व्याख्या करें।
Case study base questions:
Federalism is a system of government where power is divided between a central
authority and its constituent states or provinces. This form of governance is a
cornerstone of many democratic nations, allowing for the efficient distribution of
authority and responsibility.
In federal systems, the central government handles national concerns, like defense
and foreign policy, while states or provinces manage local affairs, such as
education and law enforcement. This division of power promotes local autonomy
and ensures that policies can be tailored to regional needs.
Federalism fosters diversity, encouraging experimentation and innovation at the
local level. It also serves as a safeguard against the concentration of power,
promoting checks and balances within a nation.
Federalism, in short, promotes unity, diversity, and stability, making it a vital
element of democratic governance in numerous countries worldwide.
Q1) What do you mean by the term federalism? Mark 2
Q2. In federalism power is divided between ________and constituent States.
Q3. Things that Federalism promotes.
के स स्टडी बेस
प्रश्न: संघवाद सरकार की एक प्रणाली है जहां शक्ति को कें द्रीय प्राधिकरण और उसके घटक राज्यों या प्रांतों के
बीच विभाजित किया जाता है। शासन का यह रूप कई लोकतांत्रिक राष्ट्रों का आधारशिला है, जो अधिकार और
जिम्मेदारी के कु शल वितरण की अनुमति देता है। संघीय प्रणालियों में, कें द्र सरकार रक्षा और विदेशी नीति जैसे
राष्ट्रीय चिंताओं को संभालती है, जबकि राज्य या प्रांत शिक्षा और कानून प्रवर्तन जैसे स्थानीय मामलों का
प्रबंधन करते हैं। शक्ति का यह विभाजन स्थानीय स्वायत्तता को बढ़ावा देता है और यह सुनिश्चित करता है कि
नीतियों को क्षेत्रीय आवश्यकताओं के अनुरूप बनाया जा सके । संघवाद विविधता को बढ़ावा देता है, स्थानीय
स्तर पर प्रयोग और नवाचार को प्रोत्साहित करता है। संघवाद, संक्षेप में, एकता, विविधता, और स्थिरता को
बढ़ावा देता है, जो इसे दुनिया भर के कई देशों में लोकतांत्रिक शासन का एक महत्वपूर्ण तत्व बनाता है।
प्रश्न 1) संघवाद शब्द से आपका क्या मतलब है?
2। संघवाद शक्ति में ________ और घटक राज्यों के बीच बांटा गया है।
प्रश्न 3 संघवाद निम्नलिखित को बढ़ावा देत हैं।
Thank you