Federalism | Class 10 Social Science Notes

What makes India a federal country?

India is a federal country based on the principles of federalism, although the Constitution does not explicitly use the term 'federation'. After independence and the integration of princely states, India was declared a Union of States. The Constitution provides for a two-tier system of government: the Union Government (Central Government) and the State Governments. Later, a third tier was added in the form of Panchayats and Municipalities. The Constitution divides legislative powers into three lists: the Union List, State List, and Concurrent List. The Union List includes subjects of national importance like defence, foreign affairs, banking, communications, and currency, where only the Union Government can legislate. The State List includes subjects of state and local importance such as police, trade, commerce, agriculture, and irrigation, where only State Governments can legislate. The Concurrent List includes subjects of common interest like education, forests, trade unions, marriage, adoption, and succession, where both Union and State Governments can legislate; in case of conflict, Union law prevails. Residuary powers, covering subjects not in any list, belong to the Union Government. Some states enjoy special powers under Article 371 due to their unique social and historical circumstances, protecting land rights, culture, and employment preferences. Union Territories like Chandigarh and Delhi have limited powers and are administered by the Central Government. Changing the power-sharing arrangement requires a two-thirds majority in Parliament and ratification by at least half of the State legislatures. The judiciary, especially the Supreme Court, plays a key role in interpreting the Constitution and resolving disputes. Both Union and State Governments have the power to levy taxes for their functions.

📊 Diagram: If agriculture and commerce are state subjects, why do we have ministers of agriculture and commerce in the Union cabinet?; Listen to one national and one regional news bulletin broadcast by All India Radio daily for one week. Make a list of news items related to government policies or decisions by classifying these into the following categories: News items that relate only to the Central Government, News items that relate only to your or any other State Government, News items about the relationship between the Central and State Governments.

🧪 Activity: Listen to national and regional news bulletins broadcast by All India Radio daily for one week. Make a list of news items related to government policies or decisions by classifying these into: (1) Central Government only, (2) State Government only, (3) Relations between Central and State Governments.

🔗 Connection: This section sets the foundation for understanding how federalism is practiced in India, which is discussed in the next section.