CBSE Class 10 Social Science Federalism Notes Set 03

These CBSE Class 10 Political Science notes for Chapter 2 Federalism cover the key features of a federal government, the kinds of federations, the features of Indian federalism, how federalism is practised in India, decentralisation and the structure of local government (Panchayati Raj and Municipalities), with important terms defined at the end.

What is Federalism?

Federalism is a system of government in which power is divided between a central authority and various constituent (provincial/state) units, so that a general government and regional governments operate together within a single political system, each with its own area of power.

Key Features of a Federal Government

1. Two or more levels of government. Usually, a federation has at least two levels of government: one for the entire country, responsible for subjects of common national interest, and one at the state/provincial level, responsible for day-to-day state administration. Both levels enjoy powers and responsibilities independent of each other.

2. Supremacy of the judiciary. The judiciary is supreme over the other two organs of government (legislature and executive) in interpreting the constitution, protecting it, and resolving disputes between different levels of government — for example, between the centre and a state, or between two states.

3. Separate jurisdiction. Different tiers of government have authority over the same citizens, but each tier has its own specific jurisdiction in matters of administration, legislation and taxation.

4. Specification of jurisdiction. The jurisdiction of each level of government is specified in the constitution, so the authority and existence of these levels are constitutionally safeguarded.

5. Rigid constitution. The basic provisions of the constitution cannot be changed unilaterally by a single level of government; such changes require the consent of other levels too.

6. Specification of the source of income. Sources of revenue for different levels of government are specified by the Constitution of India, to ensure financial autonomy.

Objectives of Federalism

(i) To safeguard and promote the unity and integrity of the country.
(ii) To accommodate regional diversity within the country.

Kinds of Federations

Federations are formed mainly through two different routes.

Features of Indian Federalism

Division of Powers

The division of power between the Union and State Governments is carried out through a three-fold distribution of legislative powers, laid out in three lists under the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution.

Union List: subjects of national importance, such as national defence, foreign affairs, banking, communication and currency. Only the Central Government can make laws on these subjects. It presently has 100 subjects.

State List: subjects of state and local importance, such as police, trade, commerce, agriculture and irrigation. Only the state governments have the authority to legislate on these subjects. It has 61 subjects.

Concurrent List: subjects of common interest to both the Centre and the states, such as criminal and civil procedure, marriage and divorce, and education. It has 52 subjects; in case of a conflict, the central law prevails.

Residuary Powers: subjects that do not fall under any of the three lists fall solely within the jurisdiction of the Union; Parliament can legislate on any such subject — for example, e-commerce or computer software.

Three-tier System

The government in India is divided into three levels, each with its own jurisdiction:

The Central Government: responsible for, and has jurisdiction over, the entire country, including India's international affairs.
The State Government: has state-level jurisdiction and is responsible for the affairs of its own state.
The Local Self Government: governs at the level of panchayats or municipalities, responsible for local governance, both rural and urban. The 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendment Acts gave local government its constitutional status.

Not Equal Powers for All Administrative Units

Not all constituent units of the Indian federal system have identical powers. For example, some states enjoy special status, such as Nagaland, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh — in some of these states, provisions exist such as restrictions on non-residents acquiring land, intended to protect their distinct culture and language. Union Territories do not have the powers of a state and are administered by the President of India.

Consent of Both Levels of Government

The basic provisions of the federation cannot be altered by a single level of government acting alone. For example, Parliament alone cannot change the federal structure of the constitution — any such change requires approval of both Houses of Parliament with at least a two-thirds majority, along with the consent of at least half the states, as is the case for changes to the manner of electing the President.

Jurisdiction of the Judiciary

In a federation, the judiciary plays an important role in overseeing the implementation of constitutional provisions and procedures.

A Separate Source of Income

The financial powers of the Centre and the states are divided by the Indian Constitution. The Central Government collects income tax, excise duty and corporation tax, among others, while the state governments collect land revenue, stamp duty and building tax, among others.

How is Federalism Practised in India?

Constitutional provisions are necessary for the success of federalism, but they are not enough on their own. The nature of India's democratic politics has also played a vital role.

The Linguistic States

In 1956, the boundaries of several states were redrawn to ensure that people who spoke the same language lived in the same state. Some later states were created to recognise differences based not only on language, but also on culture, ethnicity or geography — for example, Nagaland, Uttarakhand and Jharkhand.

Language Policy

The Constitution does not grant any language the status of a national language. Hindi was identified as the official language, along with English. About 40% of Indians speak Hindi as their first language, so several safeguards were put in place to protect other languages. Besides Hindi, 21 other languages are recognised as Scheduled Languages under the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, making 22 Scheduled Languages in all. The Government of India has also given the status of classical language to six languages: Kannada, Malayalam, Odia, Sanskrit, Tamil and Telugu.

Centre-State Relations

Reworking centre-state relations is another way in which federalism has been strengthened in practice. From 1990 to 2009, coalition governments held office at the centre, since no single party won a clear majority in the Lok Sabha; major national parties had to form alliances with other parties, including several regional parties, to form a government. This led to a new culture of power sharing at the centre and greater respect for the autonomy of state governments. One well-known example: Atal Bihari Vajpayee's government lost a confidence vote in 1996, falling just 16 days after coming to power. To avoid a repeat of this, the BJP formed a pre-election alliance in 1998, known as the National Democratic Alliance (NDA); the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), formed in 2004, is another example.

Decentralisation in India

Decentralisation is a form of power sharing in which day-to-day activities and minor decisions are handed down from higher levels of government to local government. Since India's states are large and internally diverse (some as large as independent European countries), another tier of government below the states — local government — is needed.

Advantages of Decentralisation

Local people understand local issues better: many problems are best addressed by people with direct, local knowledge, who also have a better sense of how to use resources efficiently.
Direct participation of people: decentralisation lets people participate directly in decision-making, building a habit of democratic participation and realising the principle of local self-governance.
Reduces the burden on central/state government: local government lets the central and state governments focus on matters of national or state importance, while local government handles local matters efficiently.
Foundation of democracy: local governments act as training grounds for local leadership and citizens, familiarising people with the electoral process and the use of their vote.

Attempts to Decentralise Power in India

Panchayats were set up in rural areas and municipalities in urban areas across all states. A major step came in 1992, when the Constitution was amended to make this third tier of government more effective and give it constitutional status.

Features of Decentralisation After the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendment Acts

Regular elections: elections must be held regularly, every five years, conducted by the State Election Commission.
Reservation of seats: seats are reserved for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes; one-third of seats are reserved for women, contributing to women's empowerment.
Source of revenue: local taxes, a share from state government revenue, and benefits from central government schemes.

The first panchayat under this system was set up in Nagaur district, Rajasthan, on 2 October 1959. Article 40 of the Directive Principles of State Policy provides for panchayats — an idea Mahatma Gandhi strongly advocated.

Local Governments

Rural local government in India is commonly known as the Panchayati Raj system.

The Gram Panchayat: every village, or group of villages in some states, has a Gram Panchayat — a council of several ward members (called Panch) headed by a president (called Sarpanch or Gram Pradhan), directly elected by the village's adult population (18 years and above). It is the village's decision-making body, with seats reserved for SCs, STs and women in proportion to their population in the village.

The Gram Sabha: the Panchayat functions under the supervision of the Gram Sabha, which includes all adult voters of the village as members. It must meet at least two or three times a year to approve the Gram Panchayat's annual budget and review its performance.

The Block Samiti: the second tier of the Panchayati Raj, also known as the Khand Samiti, Panchayat Samiti or Pradesh Samiti in different states. Its members are elected both directly and indirectly; the Sarpanchs of village panchayats, along with MPs, MLAs and MLCs within the block, elect representatives to the Block Samiti.

Zila Parishad: the highest institution of the Panchayati Raj in rural areas. Its members include Lok Sabha members, MLAs of the district and officials of other district-level bodies, with most members directly elected. The Chairperson of the Zila Parishad is the District Collector.

Municipalities: the urban counterpart of the Gram Panchayat, set up in different types of cities. Municipalities and Municipal Corporations are governed by elected bodies of people's representatives; the Municipal Chairperson is the political head of a Municipality, while in a Municipal Corporation, the Mayor is the nominal head, whose main function is to preside over meetings.

Gram Swaraj

The concept of Gram Swaraj was given by Mahatma Gandhi, with its special emphasis on a self- sufficient, self-ruling village community. He said that if villages perish, India will perish, and advocated that panchayats should have full autonomy and jurisdiction.

Disadvantages of Decentralisation

Irregular elections: in many states, elections to panchayats have not been held regularly, sometimes leading to a monopoly held by previously elected leaders.
Domination by the few: the Panchayati Raj system has often been dominated by rich farmers, moneylenders and upper-caste individuals, which is why the Act provides for reservation for SCs and STs in proportion to their population.
Ignorance, illiteracy and poverty: lack of awareness of rights, along with illiteracy and poverty among villagers, leads to less enthusiasm for participating in the Panchayati Raj system.
Excessive official control: district officials sometimes interfere unnecessarily in the working of panchayats, and in some cases can dissolve them.
Lack of adequate funds: developmental activities require significant funds, but income sources are limited, affecting the functioning of the Panchayati system.
Corruption: among officials, is also cited as a persistent problem.

Important Terms

Autonomy: a region or territory governing itself independently.
Union List: subjects of national importance; only Parliament can legislate on these (100 subjects) — e.g. defence, foreign affairs, finance.
State List: subjects of state-level importance; only state legislatures can legislate on these (61 subjects) — e.g. police, trade, agriculture, commerce.
Concurrent List: subjects of common importance to both Centre and states (52 subjects) — e.g. education, forests, marriage.
Residuary Subjects: subjects not included in any of the three lists; Parliament can legislate on these.
Coming Together Federation: independent states come together to form a bigger unit, pooling sovereignty while retaining their own identity — e.g. USA.
Holding Together Federation: a large country shares its power with constituent states and the national government — e.g. India, Spain, Belgium.
Regionalism: loyalty to a distinct region or territory with a broadly homogeneous population.
Decentralisation: transfer of power from central and state governments to local self-governments.
Tier-System: a system in which power is shared between different levels of government; a country can have a two-tier or three-tier system.
Unitary System: a system with only one level of government, with no subordinate governments.
Federal System: a system of government in which the same territory is governed by two or three levels of government.
Indian Federation: has 28 states and 8 union territories, with its capital at New Delhi.
Jurisdiction: a particular territory or area over which an institution has control.
Scheduled Languages: 22 languages listed under the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
Language Policy: a policy to safeguard languages, with the Eighth Schedule listing the 22 Scheduled Languages.
Linguistic States: states formed after Independence on the basis of the language spoken by people in a region; the first linguistic state was Andhra Pradesh, in 1953.
State Election Commission: a body (under Article 243K) created to conduct and monitor elections at the local level (panchayats and municipalities).
Panchayati Raj Institutions: the local government system in rural areas, with three levels: Gram (village), Block, and Zila (district); the Gram Panchayat is the basic unit of local self-government.
Panchayat Samiti: local government at the block/taluk level, linking the Gram Panchayat and the Zila Parishad.
Gram Sabha: a body of all adult citizens (18 years or above) whose names are on the electoral rolls for a village's Panchayat.
Mayor: the (nominal) head of a Municipal Corporation.
Union Territories: territories without the powers of a state, under the direct control of the central government — e.g. Lakshadweep, Daman and Diu.