Chapter – 2

Federalism

In this post we have given the detailed notes of class 10 Social Science (Political Science) Chapter 2 Federalism in English. These notes are useful for the students who are going to appear in class 10 board exams.

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Chapter 2: Federalism

What is Federalism?

Federalism is a system of government in which power is divided between a central authority (the national/Union government) and various constituent units of the country (the states). Under federalism, two or more levels (tiers) of government govern the same set of citizens, but each level has its own jurisdiction in specific matters of legislation, taxation and administration.

Federalism is different from a Unitary System of Government, in which either there is only one level of government, or the sub-units are subordinate to the central government — the central government can pass on orders to the lower levels of government. In a unitary system, all power rests with the central government, and it may choose to delegate powers to lower levels, but this delegation is not a constitutional guarantee.

Key Features of Federalism

• Two or more levels of government: A federal system has governments at more than one level (tier) — usually one for the whole country and one for each constituent state/province.
• Same citizens, different jurisdictions: Different tiers of government govern the same citizens, but each has its own jurisdiction in specific matters of legislation, taxation and administration.
• Constitutionally guaranteed jurisdictions: The jurisdictions of each level of government are specified in the constitution, so the existence and authority of each tier of government is constitutionally guaranteed.
• No unilateral changes: The fundamental provisions of the constitution cannot be unilaterally changed by one level of government alone; such changes require the consent of both levels of government.
• Independent judiciary: Courts have the power to interpret the constitution and the powers of different levels of government, and to adjudicate disputes between different levels of government.
• Financial autonomy: Sources of revenue for each level of government are clearly specified, to ensure its financial autonomy.
• Dual objectives: The federal system serves two purposes — to safeguard and promote the unity of the country, while at the same time accommodate regional diversity.

What Makes India a Federal Country?

The Indian Constitution originally provided for a two-tier system of government — the Union Government (representing the whole nation) and the State Governments. Later, a third tier of federalism was added in the form of Panchayats in villages and Municipalities in urban areas. Today India therefore has three tiers of government — the Union, the State, and the local bodies (Panchayats/Municipalities).

The Constitution clearly provides a three-fold distribution of legislative subjects between the Union Government and the State Governments through three lists —

Subjects that do not fall in any of the three lists are called Residuary Subjects, and the power to make laws on these rests with the Union Government — for example, laws relating to computer software.

How is Federalism Practised in India?

Reorganisation of States on Linguistic Lines

After 1947, the boundaries of several old states were redrawn in order to form new states so that people who spoke the same language lived in the same state. This process is called linguistic reorganisation of states. This did not change the boundaries of the country but gave each state a distinct linguistic and cultural identity, which strengthened the federal system rather than weakening national unity.

Language Policy

The Indian Constitution did not give the status of national language to any one language. Hindi was identified as the official language of India, but Hindi is not the mother tongue of a majority of Indians, so several safeguards were provided — states could have their own official languages, and the Union Government would continue to use English along with Hindi for official purposes with non-Hindi-speaking states. The Constitution currently recognises 22 languages as Scheduled Languages.

Restructuring Centre-State Relations

After 1990, no single party has been able to get a clear majority in the Lok Sabha on its own, leading to an era of coalition governments made up of several regional parties along with one or more national parties. This increased the bargaining power of regional parties and state governments, and forced the Union Government to be more responsive to the demands of individual states, making the sharing of power between the Centre and States more real and effective in practice.

Decentralisation in India

Decentralisation is the process by which power is taken away from the Union and State governments and given to local governments, so that problems and issues can be resolved at the local level itself, where people have better knowledge of local conditions than governments at the state or national level.

73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments (1992)

These amendments were a major step towards effective decentralisation of power in India. Through these amendments —

• It became constitutionally mandatory to hold regular elections to local government bodies, both rural and urban.
• Seats are reserved in the elected bodies of local governments for women, at not less than one-third (1/3) of the total.
• Seats are also reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) in proportion to their population.
• An independent institution called the State Election Commission has been created in each state to conduct elections to the local government bodies.
• State governments are required to share some powers and revenue with local government bodies, based on the recommendations of the State Finance Commission, which is constituted periodically in every state.

Panchayati Raj Structure (Rural Areas)

Urban Local Governance

In towns, local self-government is carried out through Municipalities, and in bigger cities through Municipal Corporations. These bodies too are headed by elected representatives, and reservations for women, SC and ST apply here as well.

Key Points to Remember

• Federalism is a system in which power is divided between two or more levels of government.
• India, USA, Switzerland and Brazil are federal countries; UK, France, China, Japan and Sri Lanka are unitary countries.
• The jurisdiction of each tier of government is guaranteed by the constitution, and the judiciary settles disputes between levels of government.
• India has three tiers of government — the Union, the States, and local bodies (Panchayats/Municipalities).
• The Constitution has three lists — Union List, State List and Concurrent List; residuary powers rest with the Union Government.
• States were reorganised on a linguistic basis after 1947; Hindi is the official language, not the national language.
• Coalition governments after 1990 made power-sharing between the Centre and States more effective in practice.
• The 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments (1992) gave constitutional status to Panchayati Raj and Municipalities, reserved seats for women and SC/ST, and set up the State Election Commission and State Finance Commission.
• Panchayati Raj structure: Gram Sabha → Gram Panchayat → Panchayat Samiti → Zila Parishad.

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