HBSE 10th Class Social Science Important Questions Civics Chapter 2 Federalism

Haryana State Board HBSE 10th Class Social Science Important Questions Chapter 2 Federalism Important Questions and Answers.

Haryana Board 10th Class Social Science Important Questions Civics Chapter 2 Federalism

Multiple Choice Questions

Federalism Important Questions HBSE 10th Class Question 1.
Which of the following country, has a Unitary form of government?
(a) Sri Lanka
(b) Belgium
(c) India
(d) Spain.
Answer:
(a) Sri Lanka

Federalism Class 10 Questions And Answers HBSE Question 2.
Which of the following country has not adopted federalism?
(a) India
(b) China
(c) Brazil
(d) U.S.A.
Answer:
(b) China

Chapter 2 Federalism HBSE 10th Class Question 3.
The area over which someone has legal authority is known as
(a) Federalism
(b) Democracy
(c) Jurisdiction
(d) None of these.
Answer:
(c) Jurisdiction

Question 4.
………….. is a coming-together federation.
(a) U.S.A.
(b) India
(c) Pakistan
(d) Sri Lanka.
Answer:
(a) U.S.A.

Question 5.
Question Which of the following country is not an example of ‘holding together1 federation? (a) U.S.A. (b) Spain (c) India (d) Belgium.
Who is more powerful in ‘Holding together federation’?
(a) State
(b) Centre
(c) Both have equal powers
(d) None of these.
Answer:
(a) State

Question 6.
The Constitution declared India as a ‘Union of States’ which is based on the principle of.
(a) Casteism
(b) Federalism
(c) Communism
(d) Feudalism.
Answer:
(b) Federalism

Question 7.
Which of the following is not a subject of the Union List ?
(a) Foreign Affairs
(b) Currency
(c) Banking
(d) Police.
Answer:
(b) Currency

Question 8.
Which one of the following subject is included in the State List?
(a) Agriculture
(b) Foreign affairs
(c) Banking
(d) Currency.
Answer:
(d) Currency.

Question 9.
The subjects that do not fall in any of the three lists come under
(a) Residuary list
(b) Local government
(c) Union list
(d) District Magistrate.
Answer:
(a) Residuary list

Question 10.
Which of the following subjects is included in the concurrent list?
Answer:
(a) Residuary list
(b) Local government
(c) Union list
(d) District Magistrate.
Answer:
(a) Residuary list

Question 11.
Which of the following subjects is included in the concurrent list?
(a) Foreign affairs
(b) Trade
(c) Police
(d) Education.
Answer:
(d) Education.

Question 12.
Indian Federation has :
(a) 25 States and 7 Union Territories
(b) 33 States and 5 Union Territories
(c) 27 States and 11 Union Territories
(d) 28 States and 8 Union Territories.
Answer:
(d) 28 States and 8 Union Territories.

Question 13.
Which is the most diverse country in the world according to language?
(a) U.S.A.
(b) Brazil
(c) India
(d) Australia.
Answer:
(c) India

Question 14.
How many other languages are recognised as scheduled languages by the Constitution of India besides Hindi?
(a) 20
(b) 21
(c) 18
(d) 19.
Answer:
(b) 21

Question 15.
As per language policy of Government of India, which one of the following statements is true regarding the status of Hindi language?
(a) Hindi has been accepted as the mother tongue of all the Indians
(b) Hindi is the official language
(c) Hindi is our national language
(d) None of these.
Answer:
(a) Hindi has been accepted as the mother tongue of all the Indians

Question 16.
Indian Constitution provides tiers of government.
(a) Three
(b) Two
(c) Four
(d) Five.
Answer:
(a) Three

Question 17.
Who is the political head of Gram Panchayat ?
(a) Sarpanch
(b) Panch
(c) Mayor
(d) Chairperson.
Answer:
(a) Sarpanch

Question 18.
Which of these is not a part of three-tier system of Panchayati Raj?
(a) Municipalities
(b) Gram Panchayat
(c) Panchayat Samiti
(d) Zila Parishad.
Answer:
(a) Municipalities

Question 19.
Who is the political head of Municipal Corporation ?
(a) Chairperson
(b) District Magistrate
(c) Mayor
(d) None of these.
Answer:
(c) Mayor

Fill in the blanks
1. …………… is a system of government.
2. The central government can pass on orders to the ………….. or the local government.
3. There are …………. kinds of routes through which federations were formed.
4. …………… includes subjects of national importance such as defence, foreign affairs, banking, communications and currency.
5. The …………… plays an important role in overseeing the implementation of constitutional provisions and procedures.
6. Pokharan is located in …………..
7. The creation of was the first and a major test for democratic politics …………… in our country.
8. A second test for Indian federation is the …………..
9. A major step towords decentralisation was taken in ……………
10. Elections are held regularly for local government but ………….. are not convened regularly.
Answer:
1. Federalism
2. provirbdal
3. twp-4. union list
5. judjciary
6. Rajasthan
7. linguistic states
8. language policy
9. 1992
10. Gram Sabhas

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
Define the term ‘Federalism’?
Federalism is a system of government in which powers are divided between a central authority and various constituent units of the nation.

Question 2.
What type of administrative system is adopted by Belgium?
Answer:
Belgium has adopted the federal type of government instead of the unitary government.

Question 3.
Which type of government has two or more levels?
Answer:
The federal type of government has two or more levels.

Question 4.
How many levels or tiers are there in the unitary type of government?
Answer:
There is only a one-tier system in the unitary type of government.

Question 5.
Give any two features of the Federal Government.
Answer:
(a) It has two or more levels of government.
(b) Power is shared at different levels.

Question 6.
Who resolves the controversy regarding the division of power in India?
Answer:
Judiciary has the right to resolve the controversy regarding the division of power in India.

Question 7.
Give two advantages of Federalism.
Answer:

• Security of unity and integrity of the country.
• Regard for regional diversities.

Question 8.
Name any four countries which have a federal system.
Answer:

• India
• United States of America (USA)
• Belgium
• Australia.

Question 9.
Is India a ‘coming together federation’?
No, India is not a ‘coming together federation’.

Question 10.
Write names of any two countries beside India, which are the examples of ‘holding together federations’.
Answer:
Spain and Belgium are examples of holding together federations.

Question 11.
Give some subjects of union list.
OR
Name any two subjects which are included in the union list.
Answer:

• Defence
• Foreign Affairs
• Banking
• Communication
• Currency.

Question 12.
Which subjects find place in State list?
Answer:

• Police
• Trade
• Commerce
• Agriculture
• Irrigation.

Question 13.
Which subjects belong to Concurrent list?
Answer:

• Education
• Forest
• Marriage
• Adoption
• Succession.

Question 14.
Who enjoys the power to make laws on subjects included in the concurrent list?
Answer:
Both, the Union and State Governments enjoy the power to make laws on the subjects included in the Concurrent list.

Question 15.
Who has jurisdiction over ‘residuary subjects’?
Answer:
The Centre has jurisdiction over residuary subjects.

Question 16.
Give any two examples of ‘Union Territories.
Answer:
Chandigarh and Lakshadweep.

Question 17.
Which was the first and most complicated test of our democratic politics?
Answer:
‘The reorganization of states on the basis of language was the first and most complicated test of our democratic politics.

Question 18.
Name the language which the majority of Indians speak.
Answer:
Hindi.

Question 19.
What percentage of Indians use Hindi as their mother tongue?
Answer:
Around 43.63% of Indians use Hindi as their mother tongue.

Question 20.
How many languages are there in the Indian Constitution under the ‘Scheduled Languages’?
Answer:
There are 22 languages in the Indian Constitution under the ‘Scheduled Languages’.

Question 21.
What status has been given to the Hindi language by the constitution of India?
Answer:
The Hindi language has been given the official language status by the constitution of India.

Question 22.
What is rural local self-government popularly known as?
Answer:
Rural local self-government is popularly known as Panchyati Raj.

Question 23.
Which country in the world has the greatest diversity on the basis of language?
Answer:
India has the greatest diversity on the basis of language.

Question 24.
By what name is the government at the third level known in India?
Answer:
In India, the government at the third level is known as ‘the Local Self-Government’.

Question 25.
What is ‘decentralization of powers’?
Answer:
In this, some powers are taken from the Centre and States and given to the governments at lower levels.

Question 26.
Which name is given to the head of ‘Gram Panchayat’?
Answer:
The head of Gram Panchayat is known as ‘Pradhan’ or ‘Sarpanch’.

Question 27.
What is Panchayat Samiti ?
Answer:
A group of Gram Panchayats is known as ‘Panchayat Samiti’.

Question 28.
Which body controls the working of ‘Gram Panchayats’?
Answer:
Gram Sabha controls the working of Gram Panchayats.

Question 29.
Which local body has the mayor as its head?
Answer:
The Head of a municipal corporation is a mayor.

Short Answer Type Questions – I

Question 1.
What constitutional change took place in Belgium in 1993 regarding the relationship between the Centre and the regions?
Answer:
In 1993, the regional governments were given constitutional powers, so that they were no longer dependent on the Central government. Thus, Belgium was converted from a unitary to a federal type of government.

Question 2.
Define Federalism. Explain the two levels of government found in 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.

The two levels of government are:

• One is the government for the entire country that is usually responsible for a few subjects of common national interest.
• In other level are the governments at the provinces or states that look after the day to day administration of the state.
• Both levels enjoy their power independent of each other.

Question 3.
Give any four characteristics of ‘Federalîsm.
Answer:

• The power is divided between Centre and its constituent units.
• It has two or more levels.
• The jurisdictions of various levels are specifie4 in the Constitution.
• Courts have the power to interpret the Constitution.

Question 4.
What is the role of Judiciary in a federal set-up ?
Answer:

• The courts have the power to interpret the Constitution.
• The courts have the power to interpret the powers at different levels of government.
• The Supreme Court has the right to resolve the disputes which arise between different levels of government.

Question 5.
Why is it not easy to make changes to the power-sharing arrangements between the Centre and the State?
Answer:

• The Parliament (central legislature) alone cannot make any change.
• It has to be passed by both the Houses of Parliament with at least two-thirds majority.
• It has to be approved by at least half of the total State legislatures.

Question 6.
What do you mean by ‘Corning together’ Federation?
Answer:

• In this, independent States come together to form a bigger unit. By pooling sovereignty and retaining identity, they can increase their security and development.
• This type of federation is seen in U.S.A., Australia and Switzerland.

Question 7.
What do you mean by ‘Holding together Federation’?
Answer:
Holding together Federation is a federation where a large country decides to divide the power between the national (Centre) government and the governments of the States, This types of Federation is seen in India, Spain and Belgium.

Question 8.
Why has India adopted Federalism? Give any two reasons.
Answer:

• India has a great diversity of languages, customs and cultures, etc. So, federation is essential to cater to the interests of these diverse groups.
• India has a huge population. therefore, the administration cannot be managed from a single centre.

Question 9.
What are the different levels of Federalism in India?
Answer:
Initially, there was only two-tier system of democracy in India. These two levels were Union Government and State Governments. But through the Constitutional amendment (1992), a third level of ‘Panchayati Rai Institutions’ was introduced.

Question 10.
Explain the threefold distribution of legislative powers between the Union Government and the State Governments.
Answer:
Indian Constitution has divided the powers in three list:

• Union List (Union Government can make laws).
• State List (State Governments can make laws).
• Concurrent List (Both, Union, as well as State Governments can make laws).

Question 11.
What is Union List? What subjects does it contain? Why?
Answer:
The Union Government can make laws on the subjects mentioned in ‘Union List’.
These subjects are of national importance, such as Defence, Foreign Affairs, Banking and Currency, etc. We need a uniform policy on these subjects.

Question 12.
What is a Concurrent List? Which subjects are included in it?
Answer:
it includes the subjects of common interest to both, the Union Government, as well as the State Governments, such as trade unions, education, forest, marriage, succession, and adoption, etc. Both, the Union, as well as the State Governments can make laws on these subjects.

Question 13.
Make a list of Indian Union Territories.
Answer:
(1) Andaman and Nicobar Islands
(2) Chand1garh
(3) Dadra and Nagar Haveli
(4) Delhi
(5) Jammu & Kashmir
(6) Ladakh
(7) Lakshadweep
(8) Puducherry.

Question 14.
Which are the common features of the Indian Federation ?
Answer:
The common features of Indian federation are –

• Division of power between Union Government and State Governments.
• Written, rigid and supreme constitution.
• An independent Judicial System.

Question 15.
Why were the boundaries of several old States of India changed in 1947?
Answer:

• In order to create new states.
• To ensure that people who spoke the same language lived in the same state.
• To recognize differences based on culture, ethnicity, etc.

Question 16.
Why were the linguistic states formed in India?
Answer:
The linguistic states were formed in India to ensure that the people speaking the same language would live in the same territory. It also made administration more convenient.

Question 17.
Explain the three major provisions of the constitutional amendment of 1992 which really strengthen the third tier of democracy in India.
Answer:

• Now it is constitutionally mandated to hold regular elections to local government bodies.
• Seats are reserved in elected bodies for SC, ST and OBCs.
• At least one-third of all positions are reserved for women.

Question 18.
What are the difficulties in proper functioning of local government?
Answer:
Though elections are held regularly, Gram Sabha meetings are not held regularly. Most state governments have not transferred significant powers to the local governments. The local governments are not provided adequate resources.

Question 19.
What do you know about ‘Zila Parishad’?
Answer:
At the district level, it is the top level of the Panchayati Raj. All the Panchayat Samitis in a district constitute Zila Parishad, whose members are elected. Local MPs and MLAs and some other district level bodies are also its members. Zila Parishad Chairperson is the political head of the Zila Parishad.

Question 20.
Describe the structure of urban local government bodies.
Answer:
At the village level, ‘Panchayats’ are formed. Similarly, ‘Municipalities’ are formed in town, and ‘Municipal Corporations’ are constituted in big cities. The political head of Municipality is ‘Municipal Chairperson’ while ‘Mayor’ is the head of Municipal Corporation.

Question 21.
What are scheduled languages?
Answer:
Languages which are listed in the list or schedule of the constitution are called scheduled languages.

Question 22.
What are nonscheduled languages?
Answer:
Apart from scheduled languages some languages which are not listed in the schedule of the constitution are called non-scheduled languages.

Short Answer Type Questions-II

Question 1.
How was Belgium converted from unitary to a federal type of government?
Answer:
Some changes were introduced to reduce the powers of the Central government and these powers were transferred to the Regional Governments. Though regional governments had their powers earlier, but these powers could be withdrawn by\ the Central Government. But, in 1993, the regional governments were given constitutional powers. Now, they were no longer dependent on the Central Government. The amendment of 1993 was an effort to provide autonomy to regional governments. Consequently now, they are no longer dependent on the Central Government. By this transfer of power, Belgium was converted from unitary to a federal type of government.

Question 2.
How is the federal government better than the unitary government? Explain with examples from Sri Lanka and Belgium.
Answer:
The Federal government is better than the unitary government, especially when people of different religions, cultures and castes reside in one and the same country For example, we have known how a unitary form of government has proved a failure in Sri Lanka, while a federal form of government has proved a great success in Belgium. This is so because all types of people have been accommodated in Belgium while majoritarianism has been an assualt upon the people, especially over the minority community in Sri
Lanka.

Question 3.
What are the differences between the Federal and the Unitary Government? Explain it.
OR .
Differentiate between unitary and Federal government. (CBSE2O15,
Answer:
Differences between the Federal and the Unitary government are as following:
(i) In a Federal government, there is one Central government and separate governments in the states, while in the Unitary government, there is only one Central overnment for the whole country.
(ii) In the Federal government, the whole country is divided into a number of political units, while in the Unitary government, the whole country is a single unit.
(iii) In the Federal government the power is divided between a central authority and various constituent units of the country, while in the Unitary government, all the powers are centred in one Central government.
(iv) In the Federal government, the focus is on national and state issues, while in Unitary government, the focus is completely on gaining power.
(v) In the Federal government, mostly the Constitution is written as well as rigid, while it is not so in case of a Unitary government.

Question 4.
Describe any three features of ‘Unitary government’.
Answer:
Following are the three features of unitary government- .
(i) In unitary system, all powers are centralised in the hands the central government and only centre is the reservoir of all state powers.
(ii) Laws of unitary system, unlike federation, are uniform because laws are made only by a single central government for the whole state.
(iii) One of the important features of this system is that it may become despotic when the rulers are not faithful as there is no check upon the exercise of these unlimited powers.

Question 5.
Give the chief features of Federalism.
Answer:
Federalism means sharing powers between Centre and its constituents units. The chief features of Federalism are as mentioned below –

• Power is shared among different levels of government.
• Each level has its own jurisdiction.
• The jurisdiction of each level is specified in Constitution to safeguard the existence and powers of each level.
• The fundamental provisions of the Constitution cannot be changed only by one level, but by the consent of both the levels of the government.
• Courts have the powers to interpret the powers of different levels of government.
• Financial autonomy of each level is also ensured.

Question 6.
India comes under which type of federation? Why ? i CBSE 2014
Answer:
India comes under ‘a holding together’ type Federation. In this type of Federation, a large country divides its power between the constituent states and the National government. There is one government for the entire country and the others are governments at the state level. Both central and state governments enjoy their power independent of the other. The central government tends to be more powerful vis-a-vis the states. Often different constituent units of the Federation have unequal powers. For example; special powers have been granted to Jammu and Kashmir.

Question 7.
Highlight three major distinctions between the federations of ‘coming together’ type ad ‘holding together’ types.
Answer:
Folliwmg are the three major distinctions between the federations of ‘comingn together’ and ‘holding together’ types:
coming together Federation:

• in this type, independent states come together on their own to form a bigger unit.
• They can increase their security by pooling sovereignty and retaining identify.
• Examples of this type are USA, Australia and Switzerland.

holding together Federation:

• In this type, a large country decides to divide power between the constituent states and the national government.
• In this, the central government tends to be more powerful vis-a-vis the states.
• Examples of this type are India, Belgium and Spain.

Question 8.
Explain the vertical division of power by giving examples of India.
Answer:
When power is share among governments at different levels— the union or the central government, the state government and the municipality and panchayat at the lower level, this division of power involving higher and lower levels of government is called the vertical division of power.

Vertical division of power in India:
The constitution declares India as a Union of states. Although the word Federation’ is not used, the Indian union is based on the principles of Federation. The constitution originally provided a two-tier system of government. A third-tier of federation was added in the form of panchayats and municipalities. As in any federation, these tiers enjoy separate jurisdiction. The constitution provides for a three-fold distribution of legislative powers between them.

Question 9.
“In India, the Central government is more powerful than the State governments”. Explain.
Answer:
India has followed the Federal system, which is based on the principle of power sharing. Yet in India, the central government is more powerful than the States. It is due to the following reasons –

• In regard of Concurrent list, both (Centre and States) have the right to enact laws, but, in a case of conflict, the Central law prevails.
• During President’s rule the State administration comes under the Central Government.
• If Rajya Sabha declares by two-third majority a subject of state list to be of national importance, Centre has the right to enact law on it.
• State governments depend on Centre for financial help.

Question 10.
Discuss the controversy over Hindi and English as the official language.
Answer:
The controversy regarding Hindi and English as the official language started, when a clause was added to the Constitution, that the use of English for official purposes was to stop in 1965. Many non-Hindi speakers objected to it. In Tamil Nadu, a movement was started, which demanded that English should be continued as the official language. Gradually, this movement took a violent turn. The Central Government agreed to continue English along with Hindi as the official language. Although, many critics objected to the decision, but. in fact, the decision taken by the Central Government helped the country avoid a civil war.

Question 11.
Throw light on the Centre-State relations in India.
Answer:
Federalism depends on a healthy relationship between Centre and the States. The real working of constitutional arrangements for sharing power depend on how theruling party follows these arrangements. For a long time, the same party ruled at the Centre and in most of the States. During this time, the States ‘put no demand of autonomy.

On the contrary, when the ruling party at the State level is different, the Central power tries to undermine the powers of the States. Many times earlier, the provisions of the constitution were misused to dismiss the State governments. As a result, the demand of state autonomy was raised at many places and Centre-State relations became strained.

Question 12.
What is meant by ‘Decentralisation of Powers’? Analyse the advantages of decentralization.
Answer:
Decentralization:
When some powers are taken from Central and State governments and given to local governments, it is called the Decentralisation of Powers.

Advantages of Decentralisation:

• Sharing of power between the Centre, States and local government reduces conflict.
• People have better knowledge of their own problems and so can solve them better at the local level.
• They know better where to spend money and how to manage things efficiently.
• Large number of problems and issues can be settled at the local level. This reduces unnecessary burden on the central and state governments.

Question 13.
Describe any three steps taken by the Indian government towards decentralisation of power in 1992.
OR
What steps were taken in 1992 in the area of decentralisation in India.
Answer:
Following steps were taken in 1992 in the area of decentralisation in India.

• Holding of elections in local government bodies was made mandatory.
• Responsibility of conducting the election in local bodies like panchayats and municipal corporation was given to state Election Commission.
• State governments were required to share some power and revenue with the local governments. These step taken by way of consitutional amendements helped to strengthen the position of local governments.

Question 14.
What is a Panchayati Raj? Explain its importance.
Answer:
Panchayati Raj is a decentralised form of governance, in which each village is responsible for its own affairs and in which, Gram Panchayats are the basic units of administration.

Importance of Panchayati Raj:

• It helps the people to participate directly in decision-making process.
• It helps in the decentralisation of power.
• It reduces the responsibility of the Central government as well as State governments.

Question 15.
Which features of Panchayati Rai do you like the most and why ? ¿(‘8SF 201.1
Answer:
Solving the local problem effectively and participation of people in decision making are the important features of Panchayati Raj system which I like most. This can be explained in the following ways.

(i) Panchayati Raj is a system of governance in which Gram Panchayats are the basic unit of administration. Gram Panchayat is a council consisting of several ward member women as Panchs and Sarpanch. They are directly elected by all the adult population living in that ward or village. So, this feature of Gram Panchayat is very significant.

(ii) People in a particular village elect their own representatives who are very much acquainted or familiar with the local issues. Thus, they can best resolve these, so I like this feature of Panchayati Raj in our country.

Question 16.
What is Gram Sabha? Describe any four functions of a Gram Sabha.
Answer:
Gram Sabha includes all the adult citizen voters of the village. It is empowered to support the Gram Panchayat body.

The functions of Gram Sabha are:

• It elects the members of the Gram Panchayat.
• it supervises the work of the Gram Panchayat.
• it approves the annual budget of the Gram Panchayat.
• it reviews the performance of the Gram Panchayat.

Question 17.
“Evalute the strengths and limitations of local self-government in a democracy. Local government have made a significant impact an Indian democracy. At the same time there are many difficulties.” Explain.
Answer:
Local self-government have made a significant impact on Indian democracy by its achievements, which are –
(i) The constitutional status for local government has helped to deepen democracy in our country.
(ii) Local government has increased women’s representation and voice in our democracy. At the same time, the local self-government are facing many difficulties.

These are-
‘While elections are held regularly, Gram Sabhas are not held regularly to review the performance of the Gram Panchayat.
(11) Most state governments have not transferred significant powers and adequate resources to the local governments.

Question 18.
In the Panchayati Raj system, one-third of the seats have been reserved for women. Do you feel that the same should be done for state legislature and the Parliament? Support your answer with arguments.
Answer:
In the Panchayati Raj system, one-third of the seats are reserved for women. This reservation should also be done for state legislature and parliament. But, the women reservation bill is a pending bill in India that proposes to amend the constitution of India to reserve 33% of all seats in the Lok Sabha and in all state Legislative Assembly for women. This bill should be passed for the following reasons –

• To increase women’s participation in politics and society.
• To increase opportunity and respect in all for women.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
Define the term Federalism. Give its chief features.
Answer:
Federalism:
A Federal type of government is one that works mainly on the principle of power-sharing. It has a group of states which is controlled by a Central Government. This system provides equal representation to constituent units. Chief Features of Federalism:

Some of the chief features of Federalism are mentioned below:

• Federalism means power sharing at various levels.
• There can be two or more levels (tiers) of power sharing.
• Each level or tier has its own jurisdiction in the fields of legislation, executive and judiciary.
• The jurisdiction or powers of each level are safeguarded by constitutional provisions.
• The fundamental provisions of the constitution cannot be changed only by one level. If any change is necessary, the consent of both the levels is essential.
• The judiciary has the right to interpret the powers of different levels of governments.
• Sources of income are also specified to ensure financial autonomy.
• The main aim of federalism is to safeguard the unity of the country. It also accomodates the regional diversity. India has also followed the Federal system of governance.

Question 2.
What are the power-sharing arrangements in our country?
OR
Describe the division of powers between state and central government in India.
OR
How are the legislative powers distributed between the union government and the state government by the constitution? Explain with an example.
Answer:
The constitution declared India as a union of states based on the principles of federalism. The constitution originally provided for a two-tier system of government, the union or the central government representing union of India and the state governments. Later, a third tier was added in the form of Panchayats and municipalities. As in any federation, these different tiers enjoyed separate juridisction. The constitution provided a three fold distribution of legislative powers.

(i) Union List: Includes subjects of national importance, i.e. defence of the country, foreign affairs, banking communitions and currency.

(ii) Concurrent List: Contains subjects of common interest to both the union government as well as the state governments, i.e. education, forests, trade unions, marriages, adoption and succession. In case of dispute, law made by the union government shall prevail.

(iii) State List: Contains subjects of state and local importance, i.e. police, trade, agriculture, etc.

(iv) Residuary List: Subjects which do not fall in any of the three lists, i.e. computer software etc. Union government has the power to legislate on such subjects.

As India is an example of ‘holding together’ federation, all states in the Indian union do not have idential powers. Some states enjoy special status such as Assam, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram. There are some states too small to become independent like the UTs of Chandigarh and Lakshadweep.

This sharing of powers between the union government and state governments is básic to the structure of the constitution. Any change to it, has to be passed by both the houses of the Parliament with at least 2/3rd majorities. The judiciary plays an important role in the implementation of constitutional procedures. In case of any dispute about division of powers, the Supreme Court makes a decision.

Question 3.
Mention any five main features which make India a Federal country.
Answer:
Following are the five main features which make India a federal country:

• Administration of subjects which are of national importance and require uniformity in administration are given in the hands of the central government, while subjects of local importance or day to day administration are given to the states.
• Both centre and state governments enjoy their power independent of each other. Such a system exists in India, USA, etc.
• The federal system has dual objectives to safeguard and promote unity of the country, and to accommodate regional diversity.
• 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.
• Sources of revenue for each level of government are clearly specified to ensure its financial autonomy.

Question 4.
Why has federalism succeeded in India ? Which policies adopted by India has ensured this success ?
Answer:
Reason for success of federalism in India are:
(i) Clearly laid out constitutional provisions providing a three-fold distribution of powers in the three lists-Union list, state list and concurrent list between the union government and state governments.
(ii) The nature of democratic politics in our country which ensures that the spirit of federalism, respect for diversity and desire for living together become a shared ideal.
(iii) The creation of linguistic states. Boundaries of several old states of India were changed in order to create new states. This was done to ensure that people who spole tne same lauguage lived in the same state. Later some other states were created on cultural and ethnic basis, for example : Nagaland, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Telengana, etc.

(iv) Restructur centre-state relations. The constitutional arrangements for sharing power work depending on how the ruling parties and leaders follow these arrangements. For a long time, the same party ruled both at the centre and in most of states. Post- 1990 saw the rise of regional parties. Since no single party got a clear majority in the Lok Sabha, the national parties had to enter into alliances which led to a new culture of power sharing and respect for autonomy of state governments.

Question 5.
How have the centre-state relations been restructured to strengthen federalism?
Answer:
Restructuring the centre-state relation is a way in which federalism has been strengthened in practice. The way by which constitutional arrangements share power and work in reality depends to a large extent on how the ruling parties and their leaders follow this arrangement. For a long time, in India, the same party ruled both at the centre and in most of the states. Here states did not exercise their autonomous power. When the ruling party at the centre and the states were different, the centre tried to dominate the state. After 1990, the era of coalition government began in India. This resulted in a new culture of power sharing between the states and the centre.

The Supreme Court authorised the autonomy of the state governments and made it difficult for the central government to dismiss state governments in an arbitrary manner. Thus, federal power sharing become more effective than it was before.

Question 6.
“The creation of a linguistic state was the first and major test for democratic politics in our country” Justify the statement.
Answer:
The creation of a linguistic state was the first and major test for democratic politics in our country.

This can be justified in the following ways:
(i) In 1947, the boundaries of several old states were changed in order to create new states. It was done according to the lauguage that people speak. But many national leaders feared that the formation of states according to language would lead to the disintegration of the country.
(ii) In our country, some states were created not on the basis of language but on the basis of culture, ethnicity and geography. These include Nagaland, Uttarakhand and Jharkhand.
(iii) Linguistic states have made the country more united. It has helped to maintain our federal structure.
(iv) Linguistic states made administration easier for the local people. People feel comfortable to work in their mother tongue. It fulfils their expectations from democracy.

Question 7.
What are the basic ideas behind Decentralization of power? Explain the composition of rural local government in India?
Answer:
The basic ideas behind Decentralization are as follows:
(i) It helps in promoting direct participation of people in governance.
(ii) Large number of problems and issues are best settled at the local level, because people have better knowledge of their local problems.
Composition of Rural Local Government . The rural local government in India is popularly known as Panchayati Raj. It consists of Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad.

Brief description of these three bodies is given below:

1. Gram Panchayat:

• There is a Panchayat in each village or group of villages.
• It is a council which has several ward members (Panch) and a President (Sarpanch).
• They are directly elected by all the voters living in that ward or village.
• It works under the overall supervision of Gram Sabha.
• Gram Sabha consists of all the voters.
• Gram Sabha meets twice or thrice in a year to approve the annual budget of the Gram Panchayat and to review its performance.
• Gram Panchayat is the decision-making body for the entire village.

2. Panchayat Samiti:

• It is a block-level local self-government body.
• A few Gram Panchayats are grouped together to form a Panchayat Samiti.
• The members of this body are elected by all the voters of the Panchayats in that area.
• Block Pramukh is the political head of the Panchayat Samiti.

3. Zila Parishad:

•  At the district level, it is the top level of the Panchayati Raj.
• The Block Pramukhs of all the Panchayat Samitis in a district constitute the Zila Parishad, whose members are elected.
• Local MPs and MLAs and some other district level bodies are also its members.
• The Chairperson of Zila Parishad is the political head of the Zila Parishad.

Map Work

Question
In the outline political map of India show the states and their capitals.
Answer: