Federalism

 

Federalism

Choose the correct option:

1.       The number of seats reserved for women in the panchayats and municipalities is
(a) one-fourth                 (b) one-third     (c) half               (d) one-fifth

2.       ‘Holding together federations are not found in
(a) India                (b) Spain            (c) Belgium         (d) Australia

3.       Subjects like computer software comes in the
(a) Union List          (b) State List       (c) Concurrent List       (d) Residuary List

4.       Which of the following states has been given a special status?
(a) Jammu and Kashmir         (b) Tripura          (c) Bihar        (d) Haryana

5.       The number of Scheduled Languages in India is
(a) 21            (b) 22                (c) 23                 (d) 25

6.       Which one of the following States in India has its own Constitution?
(a) Uttarakhand      (b) Madhya Pradesh     (c) J & K    (d) Nagaland

7.       Which among the following are examples of ‘Coming together federations’?
(a) India, Spain and Belgium                               (b) India, USA and Spain
(c) USA, Switzerland and Australia                  (d) Belgium and Sri Lanka

8.       In India’s federal system, the state governments have the power to legislate on all those subjects which are included in the:
(a) Union list  (b) State list      (c) Concurrent list        (d) Residuary subjects

9.       The Constitution of India
(a) divided powers between centre and states in three lists.
(b) divided powers between centre and states in two lists.
(c) listed the powers of the states and left the undefined powers to the state.
(d) Specified the pow ers of the states and left the residuary powers with the centre.

10.    In case of a clash between the laws made by the centre and a state on a subject in the concurrent list:
(a) the state law prevails.
(b) the central law prevails.
(c) both the laws prevail within their respective jurisdictions.
(d) the Supreme Court has to intervene to decide.

11.    What is the third tier of government known as?
(a) Village Panchayats                                (b) State government
(c) Local self-government                      (d) Zila Parishad

12.    What is true regarding sources of revenue in a federal system?
(a) States have no financial powers or independent sources of revenue.
(b) States are dependent on revenue or funds on the central government.
(c) Sources of revenue for each level of government are clearly specified to ensure its financial autonomy.
(d) States have no financial autonomy.

13.    Which of the following is incorrect regarding a unitary government?
(a) There is either only one level of government or the sub-units are subordinate to the central government.
(b) The central government can pass on orders to the provincial government.
(c) A state government is conservable to central government.
(d) The powers of state governments are guaranteed by the Constitution.

14.    What are the kinds of routes through which federations have been formed?
(a) One route involves independent states coming together on their own to form a bigger unit
(b) The second route is where a large country decides to divide its powers between the states and the national government
(c) Both a and b
(d) None of these

15.    Which period saw the rise of regional political parties in many states of the country?
(a) Period after 1990                      (b) Period after 2000

(c) Period after 1980                         (d) Period after 1970

16.    Which language is recognised as the national language by the Constitution of India?
(a) Hindi        (b) English          (c) Tamil             (d) None of these

17.    Which state of India enjoys a special status and has its own Constitution?
(a) Bihar        (b) Uttar Pradesh         (c) Kerala   (d) Jammu and Kashmir

18.    Which of the following subjects is not included in the Union list?
(a) Defence    (b) Foreign affairs        (c) Police  (d) Banking

19.    Which of the following is not an example of ‘holding together’ federations?
(a) India        (b) Spain    (c) Belgium         (d) Switzerland

20.    Which level of government in India has the power to legislate on the ‘residuary’ subjects?
(a) Union government                    (b) State government
(c) Local self-government                  (d) Both a and b

Picture-based Questions:

Look at the following cartoons taken from NCERT Textbook page 21 and answer the question that follow:

The States Plead for More Powers

Perils of Running a Coalition Government

Question:
The above two cartoons show the relationship between Centre and States. Should the State go to the Centre with a begging bowl? How can the leader of a coalition keep the partners of government satisfied?

Answer:
The State should not go to the Centre in such a manner. Ours is a federal country and the principle of federalism works on the power sharing arrangement. The two levels of government i.e., the Centre and State governments have their own jurisdiction in specific matters of legislation, taxation and administration. Hence, the centre cannot order the State government to do something, nor can it stop them from ensuring their rights as autonomous federal units.

The leader of the coalition should accommodate different groups and factions in his/her party as well as among alliance partners. He/she should heed to the views and positions of the coalition partners and do accordingly.

2016

Very Short Answer Type Questions [1 Mark]

Question 1.
How many seats are reserved for women in the local bodies in India?
Answer:
At least one-third of the seats are reserved for women in the local bodies in India.

Question 2.
What other factors besides politics keep the federations united?
Answer:
Besides politics other factors that keep federations united are:

Power sharing arrangements between the central and state governments

 Independent role of judiciary

 Language ethnicity

 Response to conflicting claims and

 Active participation of the people.

Short Answer Type Question [3 Marks]

Question 3.
Explain the vertical division of power giving example from India.
Answer:
The power shared among the different levels of the government is known as the vertical distribution of power. It involves higher and lower levels of government. These levels are the Union government, the State government and the Local government. In India, the Union government is at the highest level. The government at the provincial or regional level is the State government. The Indian Constitution has further laid down the provision of distribution of power. This division of power is further extended to the levels of the government lower than the state governments. They are also called Municipal Corporations and the Municipalities in urban areas and Panchayati Raj in rural areas.
Each level of the government exercises its power. There is no specification of the system of checks and balances. Each level has its own powers and areas of jurisdiction and no level can interfere in each other’s functioning. Such an arrangement ensures deepening of democracy.

Long Answer Type Question [5 Marks]

Question 4.
Explain democratic policies adopted by Government of India which made it a successful federation.
Answer:
The following democratic policies have helped India to be a successful federation.

The powers of the central and state governments have been clearly seperated under the Union, State and Concurrent Lists. It removes the possibility of any type of interference in the functioning of the central and state governments.

 A three-tier system of governance has been approved under the Union, State and Local governments. They govern the people at their respective levels.

 Some states like Jammu and Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh have been given special status so as to maintain their autonomy.

 The fundamental structure of the Indian Constitution cannot be unilateraly changed by the Parliament. Any amendment in the Constitution needs the approval of both the houses of the Parliament and at least half of the total states.

The sources of income of different levels of the government has been clearly stated in the Constitution to avoid any conflict.

2015

Very Short Answer Type Question [1 Mark]

Question 5.
What is the official post for the chairperson of a municipal corporation?
Answer:
Mayor is the official post for the chairperson of a municipal corporation.

Short Answer Type Question [3 Marks]

Question 6.
Compare the federations of coming together type and holding together type?
Answer:
The following are the differences between coming together type and holding together federations.

Long Answer Type Question [5 Marks]

Question 7.
How are the legislative powers divided between the Union government and the State Governments?
Answer:
The legislative powers are divided between the Union Government and the State Governments by the Constitution of India. The constitution is supreme in the country and the legislative powers are divided into various areas of government jurisdiction into three lists—Union List, State List, Concurrent List.

The Union List: Union List includes subjects like defence, foreign affairs, banking, currency and communications. The Union Government alone can make laws relating to these subjects.

The State List: State list contains subjects like police, trade, commerce, agriculture and irrigation, which come under the jurisdiction of the State Governments. Only the State Legislatures can make laws on these subjects.

The Concurrent list: The Concurrent list contains items like education, forest, trade unions, marriage, adoption and succession, which are of common interest to both the Union government and the State Governments. Both can make laws on these subjects. However, in case of any conflict, the law made by the Union Government will prevail.

2014

Long Answer Type Question [5 Marks]

Question 8.
Which five provisions of Indian Constitution make India a full-fledged federation?
Answer:
A federation is a country in which the powers are divided between the union and its constituents. India is an example of holding together federation, where the country decides to create constituent units, thereby dividing the powers and duties between the centre and the states.
The following are the five provisions that make India a full-fledged federation.

Two or more levels of government: We have a federal system whereby the constitution has more than two tiers of the government, viz. the Union
Government, State Governments and Local Government. This implies that there are more than two levels of government administration among which powers are divided and duties are given.

 Three Lists: The powers are divided between the Centre and the States by three Lists: Union list, State List and Concurrent list.
Union List deals with the issues relating to the Centre, State List deals with the issues relating to the States and Concurrent List deals with the matters of both the Centre and the States.

 Rigid Constitution: The Government of India is governed by the Constitution of India and it is considered the Supreme Power in the Country. It is not an easy task to amend the constitution. For a constitutional provision to be amended, it requires ratification by half of the State Legislatures, failing which the Constitution cannot be amended.

 Bicameral Legislature: India has a bicameral legislature which means that the Parliament consists of two houses, viz, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. One represents the country and the other represents the interest of the constituent states.

Financial Autonomy: The revenue sources of both the Centre and States have been clearly defined, that ensures financial autonomy to both the Centre and the States. In layman’s language, the Centre and the State have different sources of income, which means they are independent of each other when it comes to revenue.

 Independent Judiciary: Independent judiciary is the essence of federal government. Here, courts have the power to interpret the constitution and the powers of the different levels of government. In India, the highest court—the Supreme Court—acts as an umpire if a dispute arises between the different levels of government in the exercise of their respective powers.

2012

Short Answer Type Question [3 Marks]

Question 9.
Explain five changes towards decentralization brought in the Constitution after the amendments made in 1992.
Answer:
The following steps were taken towards decentralization after 1992.

 It was made constitutionally mandatory to hold regular elections to local government bodies.

 Seats were reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other Backward communities (OBCs) in the elected bodies.

 Women were given one-third representation.

An independent institution, called state election commission, was created to conduct local body elections.

State governments were required to share this power and revenue with local bodies.

Long Answer Type Questions [5 Marks]

Question 10.
What is federalism? Distinguish between the federations of come together type and hold together type. Mention two countries each for both the types of federations.
Answer:
Federalism is a system of government in which the power is divided between a central authority and various constituent units of the country. Both these levels of the government—the central and the state—enjoy their power independent of the other.
The following are the differences between coming together type and holding together federations.

Question 11.
How has federalism succeeded in India? What policies adopted by India have ensured this success?
Answer:
A federation is a country in which the powers are divided between the union and its constituents. India is an example of holding together federation, where the country decides to create constituent units, thereby dividing the powers and duties between the centre and the states.
The following are the five provisions that make India a full-fledged federation.

 Two or more levels of government: We have a federal system whereby the constitution has more than two tiers of the government, viz. the Union
Government, State Governments and Local Government. This implies that there are more than two levels of government administration among which powers are divided and duties are given.

 Three Lists: The powers are divided between the Centre and the States by three Lists: Union list, State List and Concurrent list.
Union List deals with the issues relating to the Centre, State List deals with the issues relating to the States and Concurrent List deals with the matters of both the Centre and the States.

Rigid Constitution: The Government of India is governed by the Constitution of India and it is considered the Supreme Power in the Country. It is not an easy task to amend the constitution. For a constitutional provision to be amended, it requires ratification by half of the State Legislatures, failing which the Constitution cannot be amended.

 Bicameral Legislature: India has a bicameral legislature which means that the Parliament consists of two houses, viz, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. One represents the country and the other represents the interest of the constituent states.

 Financial Autonomy: The revenue sources of both the Centre and States have been clearly defined, that ensures financial autonomy to both the Centre and the States. In layman’s language, the Centre and the State have different sources of income, which means they are independent of each other when it comes to revenue.

 Independent Judiciary: Independent judiciary is the essence of federal government. Here, courts have the power to interpret the constitution and the powers of the different levels of government. In India, the highest court—the Supreme Court—acts as an umpire if a dispute arises between the different levels of government in the exercise of their respective powers.

2011

Short Answer Type Question [3 Marks]

Question 12.
Distinguish between coming together and holding together type of federations.
Answer:
The following are the differences between coming together type and holding together federations.

Long Answer Type Question [5 Marks]

Question 13.
The creation of linguistic states was the first and the major test of democratic politics in our country. Justify the statement.
Answer:
The creation of linguistic states was the first and the major test of democratic politics in our country.

 After 1947, the boundaries of several old states of India were proposed to be changed to ensure that people who spoke the same language lived in the same state. It was felt that it would case administrative constraints also.

Some states like Nagaland were not created on the basis of language but because of their distinct culture, ethnicity and geography.

When the demand for the formation of linguistic states rose, some leaders feared that it would again lead to disintegration.

 This idea was thus resisted for some time fearing any further tension or conflict within the country.

 But when the actual creation of states was done on the basis of language, it so proved that the country was more united. This process did away with all fears and tension.

Thus, the framing of the language policy was the test for Indian federation. It inspired the confidence in different language speaking people that no language will be imposed on them. In a way Language policy has strengthened the unity and integrity of India.

2010

Very Short Answer Type Questions [1 Mark]

Question 14.
Define the term federalism.
Answer:
Federalism is a system of government in which the power is divided between a central authority and various constituent units of the country. Both these levels of the government the central and the state—enjoy their powers independent of each other.

Question 15.
Name any two subjects which are included in the Union List.
Answer:
Foreign affairs and defence are included in the Union List.

Short Answer Type Questions [3 Marks]

Question 16.
Explain the threefold distribution of legislative powers between the Union Government and the State Governments.
Answer:
Legislative powers are divided between the Union government and the State Governments by the Constitution of India. The Constitution is the supreme power in the country and the legislative powers are divided into various areas of government jurisdiction into three lists.

 The Union List: The Union List is given in Seventh Schedule in the Constitution of India on which Parliament has exclusive power to legislate. It contains areas like defence, foreign affairs, currency and communications.

 The State List: The State List is also in the Seventh Schedule of the constitution containing subjects like social service, police and Health, which are under the jurisdiction of the state government. Only state legislature can pass laws on these subjects.

 The Concurrent List: The Concurrent List contains items like criminal law, forests, population control in which both parliament and state legislature can pass laws. However, in case of any conflict arising between the laws made by the parliament and the laws made by the state legislature, the laws made by the parliament will prevail.

Question 17.
Explain any four features of federalism.
Answer:
A federation is a country in which the powers are divided between the union and its constituents. India is an example of holding together federation, where the country decides to create constituent units, thereby dividing the powers and duties between the centre and the states.
The following are the five provisions that make India a full-fledged federation.

Two or more levels of government: We have a federal system whereby the constitution has more than two tiers of the government, viz. the Union
Government, State Governments and Local Government. This implies that there are more than two levels of government administration among which powers are divided and duties are given.

 Three Lists: The powers are divided between the Centre and the States by three Lists: Union list, State List and Concurrent list.
Union List deals with the issues relating to the Centre, State List deals with the issues relating to the States and Concurrent List deals with the matters of both the Centre and the States.

Rigid Constitution: The Government of India is governed by the Constitution of India and it is considered the Supreme Power in the Country. It is not an easy task to amend the constitution. For a constitutional provision to be amended, it requires ratification by half of the State Legislatures, failing which the Constitution cannot be amended.

Bicameral Legislature: India has a bicameral legislature which means that the Parliament consists of two houses, viz, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. One represents the country and the other represents the interest of the constituent states.

Financial Autonomy: The revenue sources of both the Centre and States have been clearly defined, that ensures financial autonomy to both the Centre and the States. In layman’s language, the Centre and the State have different sources of income, which means they are independent of each other when it comes to revenue.

 Independent Judiciary: Independent judiciary is the essence of federal government. Here, courts have the power to interpret the constitution and the powers of the different levels of government. In India, the highest court—the Supreme Court—acts as an umpire if a dispute arises between the different levels of government in the exercise of their respective powers.

2009

Short Answer Type Question [3 Marks]

Question 18.
Explain any four features of federalism.
Answer:
A federation is a country in which the powers are divided between the union and its constituents. India is an example of holding together federation, where the country decides to create constituent units, thereby dividing the powers and duties between the centre and the states.
The following are the five provisions that make India a full-fledged federation.

Two or more levels of government: We have a federal system whereby the constitution has more than two tiers of the government, viz. the Union
Government, State Governments and Local Government. This implies that there are more than two levels of government administration among which powers are divided and duties are given.

Three Lists: The powers are divided between the Centre and the States by three Lists: Union list, State List and Concurrent list.
Union List deals with the issues relating to the Centre, State List deals with the issues relating to the States and Concurrent List deals with the matters of both the Centre and the States.

Rigid Constitution: The Government of India is governed by the Constitution of India and it is considered the Supreme Power in the Country. It is not an easy task to amend the constitution. For a constitutional provision to be amended, it requires ratification by half of the State Legislatures, failing which the Constitution cannot be amended.

 Bicameral Legislature: India has a bicameral legislature which means that the Parliament consists of two houses, viz, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. One represents the country and the other represents the interest of the constituent states.

 Financial Autonomy: The revenue sources of both the Centre and States have been clearly defined, that ensures financial autonomy to both the Centre and the States. In layman’s language, the Centre and the State have different sources of income, which means they are independent of each other when it comes to revenue.

Independent Judiciary: Independent judiciary is the essence of federal government. Here, courts have the power to interpret the constitution and the powers of the different levels of government. In India, the highest court—the Supreme Court—acts as an umpire if a dispute arises between the different levels of government in the exercise of their respective powers.

 

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