CBSE Class 10 Social Science Federalism Worksheet Set D

Objective Type Questions

Question. When was States Reorganisation Commission formed?
(a) In 1951
(b) In 1963
(c) In 1997
(d) In 1953
Answer : (d) In 1953

Question. How many union territories are there in the Indian Federation?
(a) 7
(b) 8
(c) 5
(d) 3
Answer : (a) 7

Question. What status has been given to Hindi by the Constitution of India?
(a) Regional language
(b) Official language
(c) National language
(d) Community language
Answer : (b) Official language

Question. Which local body has a ‘Mayor’ as its head?
(a) Zila Parishad
(b) Panchayat
(c) Municipal Corporation
(d) Gram Sabha
Answer : (c) Municipal Corporation.

Question. Which of the following falls under the Concurrent List?
(a) Trade
(b) Adoption
(c) Agriculture
(d) Foreign affairs
Answer : (b) Adoption

Question. In which year a major step was taken towards decentralisation?
(a) In 1994
(b) In 1989
(c) In 1992
(d) In 1997
Answer : (c) In 1992

Short Answer Type Questions

Question. Describe any three provisions of amendment made in ‘Indian Constitution’ in 1992 for making ‘Three-Tier’ government more effective and powerful.
Answer : Amendment in Indian Constitution in 1992 –
(i) It is constitutionally mandatory to hold regular elections to local government bodies.
(ii) Seats reserved for the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes.
(iii) At least one-third of all positions are reserved for women.
(iv) Creation of State Election Commission.
(v) The state governments are required to share some powers and revenue with local government bodies.

Question. Do you take decentralisation as means to minimise the conflicts? Give your view point.
OR
Describe the significance of decentralisation.
OR
Do you take decentralisation as means to minimise the conflicts?
Answer : Yes, it helps in the settlement of a large number of problems and issues at the local level.
(i) It provides a platform for the direct participation of people in decision making.
(ii) In another way, decentralisation in the form of ‘local self government’ is the best way to realise principles of democracy.

Question. What are the three lists given in the Constitution?
OR
Describe the three-fold distribution of legislative power between the Union Government and State Governments of India.
Answer : The three-fold distribution of legislative powers :
(i) Union List: Union list consists of 97 subjects. It includes subjects of national importance such as defence of the country, foreign affairs, banking, communication and currency.
(ii) State List: State list consists of 66 subjects. It contains subjects of state and local importance such as police, trade, commerce, agriculture and irrigation.
(iii) Concurrent List: Concurrent list consists of 47 subjects. It includes subjects of common interest to both the Central and State Governments includes matters such as education, forest, trade unions, marriage, adoption and succession.

Question. Highlight any three steps taken by India towards making it a federation.
Answer : (i) Reorganisation of states on linguistic basis.
(ii) Centre state relations.
(iii) Decentralisation.

Question. “India has a large cultural, regional and religious diversity but there is unity among people”. What factors are responsible for this? Elaborate.
Answer : (i) Right to equality.
(ii) No discrimination on the basis of caste, creed, region or religion.
(iii) SCs and STs have some seats reserved and do get representation.
(iv) Right to freedom of religion and cultural and educational rights.

Question. Highlight three major distinctions between the federations of ‘coming together’ type and ‘holding together’ type.
Answer : Holding Together Federation :
(i) Large country decides to divide its power between states and the centre.
(ii) Central government tends to be more powerful.
(iii) Constituent units of the federation have unequal power.
Countries practising ‘ Holding Together Federation’ are India, Spain and Belgium.
Coming Together Federation :
(i) Independent states coming together on their own to form a bigger unit.
(ii) All the states have equal power and are strong.
(iii) By pooling sovereignty and retaining identity, they increase their security.
Countries practising ‘ Coming Together Federation’ are USA, Switzerland and Australia.

Question. Explain the factors that make federal government in India so attractive.
Answer : (i) Mobilisation.
(ii) Administrative knowledge of the people at all the levels.
(iii) Efficacy to solve all kinds of issues at respective levels.

Question. Describe the three-tier system of Indian federation?
Answer : Three-tier system means three levels of government. The Indian Constitution was originally provided for a two-tier system of government :
(i) The Union Government or the Central Government.
(ii) The State Governments.
(iii) But, later a third-tier of federalism was added in the form of Panchayats at the rural level and municipalities at the urban level. Every level enjoys separate jurisdiction.

Question. How has the Panchayati Raj strengthened the democracy in India? Express your views.
Answer : Panchayati Raj is the best example of decentralisation of power.
(i) People can get most of the problems solved at the local level.
(ii) People can think and plan for themselves.

Question. State any three major steps taken by the Indian Government towards decentralization in 1992.
Answer : Major steps were taken by Indian Government towards decentralization in 1992:
(i) It is constitutionally mandatory to hold regular elections to local government bodies.
(ii) Reservation of seats in the elected bodies and the executive heads of these institutions for the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other Backward Classes.
(iii) Reservation of at least one-third of all positions for women.
(iv) Creation of an independent institution called the State Election Commission in each state to conduct panchayat and municipal elections.
(v) The state governments are required to share some powers and revenue with local government bodies. The nature of sharing varies from state to state.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question. Differentiate between ‘Coming Together Federation’ and ‘Holding Together Federation’, with examples.
Answer : Difference between ‘Coming Together Federation’ and
‘Holding Together Federation’:
(i) Coming Together Federations are formed when independent states come together to form a bigger state and ‘Holding Together Federations’ are formed when a large country decides to divide itself into sub-units.
(ii) In ‘Coming Together Federations’ the state governments are strong, whereas in ‘Holding Together Federations’, the central government is strong.
(iii) In ‘Coming Together Federations’, all states governments have equal powers but in ‘Holding Together Federations, this may not be the case.
(iv) Examples of Coming Together Federations—the USA, Switzerland and Australia.
Examples of Holding Together Federations — India, Spain and Belgium.

Question. What is a Gram Sabha? Describe any four functions of a Gram Sabha.
Answer : Gram Sabha: A body comprising of all adult members of a village or a group of villages.
Functions of Gram Sabha:
(i) It elects the members of the Gram Panchayat.
(ii) The Gram Sabha supervises the work of the village panchayat.
(iii) It approves the annual budget of the panchayat.
(iv) It reviews the performance of the Gram Panchayat.

Question. Analyse the advantages of decentralisation.
OR
Explain any five advantages of decentralisation of power.
Answer : Advantages of Decentralisation :
(i) Sharing of power between centre and states and local government reduces conflicts.
(ii) Large number of problems and issues can be best settled at the local level. People have better knowledge of problems in their localities.
(iii) People have better knowledge of their own problems.
(iv) They know better on where to spend money and how to manage things efficiently.
(v) People at the local level will participate directly in decision making.

Question. Under which type of federation India comes ? Mention any two features of such federation.
Answer : Type of Federation of India:
India comes under ‘Holding federations’
Features:
(i) It decides to divide its power between the constituents the national government.
(ii) In this federation, the Central Government tends to powerful than the states.
(iii) In this system, different constituent units of the federa unequal powers.

Question. How are the powers divided between the states and centre? Explain with examples.
OR
Describe the three-fold distribution of legislative powers between the Union Government and State Governments of India.
OR
Describe the three-fold distribution of legislative powers between the Union Government and the State Governments. Who can make laws on the subjects which are not covered under these lists and what name has been given to such subjects?
OR
Describe the division of powers between the Central and the State Governments in India.
Answer : (i) The three-fold distribution of legislative powers :
(a) Union List: Union list consists of 97 subjects. It includes subjects of national importance such as defence of the country, foreign affairs, banking, communication and currency.
(b) State List: State list consists of 66 subjects. It contains subjects of state and local importance such as police, trade, commerce, agriculture and irrigation.
(c) Concurrent List: Concurrent list consists of 47 subjects It includes subjects of common interest to both the Central and State Government such as education, forest, trade unions, marriage, adoption and succession.
(ii) Union Government can make laws on the subjects which are not covered under these lists. The name has been given to such subjects is residuary subjects.

Question. Explain any five features of Panchayati Raj system in India.
Answer : Rural local government is known as Panchayati Raj.
(i) Panchayati Raj Institution is rural-based.
(ii) Each village has Gram Panchayat.
(iii) It has Panchs and a Sarpanch.
(iv) He/She is directly elected by the adult population living in the village.
(v) Panchayat works under the Gram Sabha.
(vi) All the voters meet at least twice or thrice in a year.
(vii) Few gram panchayats form Panchayat Samiti or Block or Mandal.

Question. How is a federal government different from the unitary form of government? Why are federations preferred these days?
Answer : Differences:
(i) Unitary government has only one level of government whereas, a federal government has two or more levels of government.
(ii) In a unitary government, the sub-units are subordinate to the centre, whereas in a federation, the central government cannot encroach on the rights of state governments.
(iii) In a unitary system, the centre can order the sub-units which cannot happen in the federation.
A federation is preferred because :
(i) It helps in making administration effective and efficient.
(ii) It helps to accommodate all diverse groups.

Question. Why did the makers of our Constitution declare India to be a ‘Union of States’? Why were some sub-political units of India given a special status?
Answer : India became a Union of States because it consisted of both British–ruled territories as well as many princely states. Some sub-political units of India have a special status.
(i) French and Portuguese–ruled territories were given the status of Union Territory.
(ii) Jammu & Kashmir joined India on a special condition.
(iii) Some units were too small to become independent states. They were made Union Territories.
(iv) States in the north-east have been given a special status as they have a large tribal population with a distinct history and culture.

Question. Explain five changes towards decentralisation brought in the Constitution after the amendments made in 1992.
OR
What is the meaning of decentralisation? Explain any four provisions that have been made towards decentralisation in India after the Constitutional Amendment in 1992.
OR
Which five provisions of the Constitutional Amendment of 1992 strengthen the third tier of democracy in India? Explain.
OR
Explain any four provisions that have been made towards decentralisation in India after the Constitutional Amendment in 1992?
OR
What is meant by “decentralisation of powers”? Explain the importance of local self government by the light of decentralisation.
OR
How has the third tier of government in our country been made more effective and powerful by the constitutional amendment of 1992?
OR
Describe any four constitutional steps taken in 1992 towards decentralisation in India.
OR
Explain any five provisions of the Constitutional Amendment of 1992 that strengthened the third tier of government in India.
Answer : (i) Decentralisation : When power is taken from the central and state governments and is given to local government, it is called decentralisation.
The Constitution was amended in 1992 to make the third tier of democracy more powerful and effective.
(ii) Provisions of the Constitutional Amendment of 1992 are :
(a) Now it is mandatory to hold regular elections to local government bodies.
(b) Seats are reserved in the elected bodies and the executive heads of these institutions for SCs, STs and OBCs.
(c) At least one-third of all positions are reserved for women.
(d) An independent institution called State Election Commission has been created in each state to conduct panchayat and municipal elections.
(e) The state governments are required to share some powers and revenue with local government bodies.

Question. “Local government’s have made a significant impact on Indian democracy. At the same time there are many difficulties”. Explain.
Answer : Impact of local self government on Indian democracy :
(i) Constitutional status for local government has helped to deepen democracy.
(ii) It has increased women’s representation and voice in our democracy.
Difficulties :
(i) Gram Sabhas are not held regularly.
(ii) Most state governments have not transferred significant powers to local government.
(iii) State governments do not provide adequate resources.

Question. Why has federalism succeeded in India? Which were the policies adopted by India that ensured this success? Explain.
Answer : Federalism has succeeded in India due to the nature of democratic policies in our country.
The policies adopted by India to ensure this success:
(i) Linguistic States: After independence, the boundaries of several old states were changed in order to create new states. The creation of linguistic states is the first and a major test for democratic politics in our country.
(ii) Language Policy: The second test for the Indian federation is the language policy. The Indian Constitution did not give the status of national language to any one of the language.
(iii) Centre-State Relations: Restructuring the centre-state relations is one more way in which federalism has been strengthened in practice.
(iv) Decentralisation of Power: Power in India has been decentralised to the local government. The local government includes Panchayats in villages and municipalities in urban areas.

Question. What challenges did centre-state relations in India face before the 1990s? Why is power sharing between centre and state more effective today?
OR
Describe the centre-state relations in Indian Federalism?
OR
How have the centre-state relations been restructured to strengthen federalism?
Answer : Challenges before 1990 :
(i) Political scene was dominated by one party both at the Centre and in the States.
(ii) As and when the ruling party at the state level was different from the parties that ruled at the Centre tried to undermine the power of the States.
(iii) The Central Government would often misuse the Constitution to dismiss the State Governments those were controlled by rival parties.
After 1990s:
(i) Now the Centre and the majority of State Governments belong to different political parties in the coalition.
(ii) A number of regional parties have become powerful and play a crucial role at the Centre and States.
(iii) The era of “coalition” government at the Centre has inculcated respect for federal autonomy.

Question. “Holding Together Federations” do not give equal power to its constituent units. Explain the statement with help of examples in context to India.
Answer : (i) All states in the Indian Union do not have identical powers. For example, Jammu and Kashmir enjoys a special status and has its own constitution.
(ii) Many provisions of the Indian Constitution do not apply here.
(iii) Indians who are not the permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir cannot buy land or house there.
(iv) Smaller units called Union Territories do not have the powers of a state. The Central Government has special powers in running these areas.

Question. What is the rationale for decentralisation of power? Explain the structure of Rural local government in India.
Answer : The basic idea behind decentralisation :
(i) Large number of problems and issues are best settled at the local level because people have better knowledge of their local problems.
(ii) It helps in promoting direct participation.
Structure of Rural Local Government :
(i) Zila Parishad: All the mandals in a district together constitute the Zila Parishad. Most of the members are elected and headed by a chairperson.
(ii) Panchayat Samiti or Mandal or Block: The members of this body are elected by the entire panchayat members in that area. A few Gram Panchayats are grouped together to form this government body.
(iii) Gram Panchayat: A council consisting of several ward members often called Panch. The president is called Sarpanch. It is the decision-making body for the entire village.

Question. Assess the need for local government.
Answer : Need for local government :
(i) There are a number of problems and issues that are best settled at the local level because people have a better knowledge of the problems in their localities.
(ii) The local people are aware of their needs and can prioritise.
(iii) It helps to initiate the process of direct decision- making.
(iv) It helps to inculcate the habit of democratic participation.
(v) Local government is the best way to realize one important principle of democracy, namely local self- government.

Question. Explain any five key features of federalism.
OR
Describe the main features of federalism.
OR
Enlist any five features of federalism.
OR
Mention any five main features which make India a federal country.
OR
State any three important features of Federalism.
Answer : Key features of federalism :
i. There are two or more levels (or tiers) of government.
ii. Different tiers of government govern the same citizens, but each tier has its own jurisdiction in specific matters of legislation, taxation and administration.
iii The jurisdictions of the respective levels or tiers of government are specified in the Constitution.
iv. The fundamental provisions of the Constitution cannot be unilaterally changed by one level of government. Such changes require the consent of both the levels of government.
v. 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.