Chapter 2

What is federalism?
Federalism is a system of government in which power is divided between a central
authority and various constituent units of the country.
A federation has two levels of government. Both these levels of governments enjoy
their power independent of the other.

1. One is the government for the entire country that is usually responsible for a
few subjects of common national interest.
2. Governments at the level of provinces or states that look after much of the
day-to-day administering of their state.

Difference Between Unitary System and Federal System

Unitary System Federal System

There is only one level of government or the There are two or more levels
sub-units are subordinate to the Central Government. (or tiers) of government.
The Central Government can pass on orders to the The Central Government
provincial or local government. cannot order the state
government to do something.
The central government is supreme, and the State Government has
administrative divisions exercise only powers that powers of its own for which
the central government has delegated to them. Their it is not answerable to the
powers may be broadened and narrowed by the central government.
central government

Key Features of Federalism

Some of the key features of federalism system are:

1. There are two or more levels (or tiers) of government.

2. Different tiers of government govern the same citizens, but each tier has its
own JURISDICTION in specific matters of legislation, taxation and
administration.
3. The existence and authority of each tier of government is constitutionally
guaranteed.
4. 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.
5. Courts have the power to interpret the constitution and the powers of different
levels of government.
6. Sources of revenue for each level of government are clearly specified to
ensure its financial autonomy.
7. The federal system has dual objectives: i) To safeguard and promote the unity
of the country ii) Accommodate regional diversity.
Different Routes Through Which Federations Can be Formed
Two aspects are crucial for the institutions and practice of federalism: mutual trust
between the government of different levels and agreement to live together. There are
two kinds of routes through which federations have been formed.

1. The first route involves independent States coming together on their own to
form a bigger unit. This kind of “coming together” federations is formed in the
USA, Switzerland and Australia.
2. The second route is that a large country decides to divide its power between
the constituent States and the national government. This kind of ‘holding
together’ federations is followed in India, Spain and Belgium countries.

What Makes India a Federal Country?

All the features of the federal system apply to the provisions of the Indian
Constitution. The Indian Constitution is a three-fold distribution of legislative powers
between the Union Government and the State Governments. The 3 lists are mentioned
below:
1) Union List: It includes subjects of national importance such as the defence of the
country, foreign affairs, banking, communications and currency. The Union
Government alone can make laws relating to the subjects mentioned in this list.
2) State List: It contains subjects of State and local importance such as police, trade,
commerce, agriculture and irrigation. The State Governments alone can make laws
relating to the subjects mentioned in this list.
3) Concurrent List: It includes subjects of common interest to both the Union
Government as well as the State Governments. The list includes education, forest,
trade unions, marriage, adoption and succession. Both the Union as well as the State
Governments can make laws on the subjects mentioned in this list. If their laws
conflict with each other, the law made by the Union Government will be considered.

How is Federalism Practised?

The real success of federalism in India is attributed to its nature of democratic
politics. Have a look at some of the major ways in which federalism is practised in
India.
Linguistic States
The creation of linguistic States was the first and a major test for democratic politics
in India. From 1947 to 2017, many old States have vanished and many new States
have been created. Areas, boundaries and names of the States have been changed.
Some States have been formed of the people who speak the same language. These
states are known as Linguistic States.
Language Policy
A second test for Indian federation is the language policy. Hindi was identified as the
official language. Besides Hindi, there are 21 other languages recognised as
Scheduled Languages by the Constitution. States too have their own official
languages and government work takes place in the official language of the concerned
State.
Centre-State relations
Restructuring the Centre-State relations is one more way in which federalism has been
strengthened in practice. If no single party gets a clear majority in the Lok Sabha, the
major national parties can alliance with many parties including several regional
parties to form a government at the Centre. This led to a new culture of power sharing
and respect for the autonomy of State Governments.

Decentralisation in India
When power is taken away from Central and State governments and given to the local
government, it is called decentralisation. The basic idea behind decentralisation is that
there are a large number of problems and issues which are best settled at the local
level. Local people can also directly participate in the decision making.
A major step towards decentralisation was taken in 1992. The Constitution was
amended to make the third-tier of democracy more powerful and effective. Here are
the key features of 3-tier democracy:

1. It is constitutionally mandatory to hold regular elections to local government

bodies.
2. Seats are reserved in the elected bodies and the executive heads of these
institutions for the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward
Classes.
3. At least one-third of all positions are reserved for women.
4. State Election Commission has been created in each State to conduct
panchayat and municipal elections.
5. The State governments are required to share some powers and revenue with
local government bodies. The nature of sharing varies from State to State.

Panchayati Raj System

Rural local government is popularly known as Panchayati Raj. Each village, or a
group of villages in some States, has a gram panchayat. This is a council consisting of
several ward members, often called panch, and a president or sarpanch. They are
directly elected by all the adult population living in a village or ward. Gram
Panchayat is the decision-making body for the entire village.
The Panchayat works under the overall supervision of the Gram Sabha. All the
voters in the village are its members. It has to meet at least twice or thrice in a year to
approve the annual budget of the gram panchayat and to review the performance of
the Gram Panchayat.
When Gram Panchayat are grouped together, they form a Panchayat
Samiti or Block or Mandal. The member of Panchayat Samiti representative are
elected by all the Panchayat members in that area.
All the Panchayat Samitis or Mandals in a district together constitute the Zilla
(district) Parishad. Members of the Lok Sabha, MLAs of the district, some other
officials of other district-level bodies are the members of Zilla Parishad.
Municipalities
As Gram Panchayat is for Rural areas, similarly we have Municipalities for urban
areas. Big cities are constituted into Municipal Corporations. Both Municipalities and
Municipal Corporations are controlled by elected bodies consisting of people’s
representatives. The Municipal Chairperson is the political head of the Municipality.
In a Municipal Corporation such an officer is called the Mayor.
This new system of local government is the largest experiment in democracy
conducted anywhere in the world. Constitutional status for local government has
helped to deepen democracy in our country. It has also increased women’s
representation and voice in our democracy.
We have compiled History, Geography, Political Science and Geography notes at one
place. You can access them by visiting CBSE Class 10 Social Science Notes at
BYJU’S. Keep learning and stay tuned for further updates on CBSE and other
competitive exams. Download BYJU’S App and subscribe to YouTube channel to
access interactive Maths and Science videos.

Frequently asked Questions on CBSE Class 10 Political Science Notes Chapter 2:

Federalism

What is ‘Federalism’?

Federalism is a system of government in which power is divided between a central

authority and various constituent units of the country.

What are the sects under ‘Panchayati Raj’?

Panchayati Raj system consists of: Gram Panchayat at the village level, Panchayat
Samiti at the block level and Zila Parishad at the district level.

What are the functions of ‘Municipality’?

1. Urban planning including town planning.2. Regulation of land-use and construction

of buildings.3. Planning for economic and social development.4. Roads and bridges.5.
Water supply for domestic, industrial and commercial purposes.