Power Sharing | Class 10 Social Science Notes
By ConceptScroll Team · Published on 17 July 2026 · 5 min read
Power Sharing – this guide gives you a concise, exam-ready overview of Power Sharing from Class 10 Social Science, written by ConceptScroll editors and reviewed against the latest NCERT textbook.
Belgium and Sri Lanka
This section compares the socio-political contexts of Belgium and Sri Lanka to understand the challenges of power-sharing in diverse societies. Belgium is a small European country with a population of about one crore, divided mainly into two linguistic communities: the Dutch-speaking Flemish (59%) in the north (Flanders) and the French-speaking Walloons (40%) in the south (Wallonia), with a small German-speaking minority (1%). The capital Brussels is predominantly French-speaking (80%) but lies within the Flemish region, creating a unique linguistic tension. Historically, the French-speaking minority was economically and politically dominant, which caused resentment among the Dutch-speaking majority, leading to tensions in the 1950s and 1960s.
Sri Lanka, an island nation near Tamil Nadu, India, has about two crore people with two major communities: the Sinhalese majority (74%) who are mostly Buddhists and speak Sinhala, and the Tamil minority (18%) mostly Hindus or Muslims, concentrated in the northern and eastern parts. The Tamils are divided into Sri Lankan Tamils (native) and Indian Tamils (descendants of plantation workers). The Sinhala majority’s dominance led to policies that marginalized Tamils, causing alienation and conflict.
The section explains that in Belgium, the Dutch-speaking majority could have imposed its will on minorities, risking division, while in Sri Lanka, the Sinhalese majority did impose dominance, leading to civil war. These contrasting situations highlight the importance of power-sharing arrangements to maintain national unity and peace.
📊 Diagram: See figure_2: Belgium is a small country in Europe, smaller in area than the state of Haryana. It has borders with France, the Netherlands, Germany and Luxembourg. It has a population of a little over one crore, ab; See figure_3: Look at the maps of Belgium and Sri Lanka. In which region, do you find concentration of different communities?
🧪 Activity: Look at the maps of Belgium and Sri Lanka and identify regions with concentration of different communities.
🔗 Connection: Leads to detailed examination of majoritarianism in Sri Lanka and accommodation in Belgium.
Frequently asked questions
Here are some examples of power sharing. Which of the four types of power sharing do these represent? Who is sharing power with whom? - The Bombay High Court ordered the Maharashtra State Government to immediately take action and improve living conditions for the 2,000-odd children at seven children's homes in Mumbai. - The government of Ontario state in Canada has agreed to a land claim settlement with the aboriginal community. The Minister responsible for Native Affairs announced that the government will work with aboriginal people in a spirit of mutual respect and cooperation. - Russia's two influential political parties, the Union of Right Forces and the Liberal Yabloko Movement, agreed to unite their organisations into a strong right-wing coalition. They propose to have a common list of candidates in the next parliamentary elections. - The finance ministers of various states in Nigeria got together and demanded that the federal government declare its sources of income. They also wanted to know the formula by which the revenue is distributed to various State Governments.
1. Bombay High Court and Maharashtra State Government: This represents power sharing among different organs of government (Judiciary and Executive). 2. Ontario government and aboriginal community: This is power sharing between governments at different levels or between government and social groups, representing community government or federalism. 3. Russia's political parties uniting: This is power sharing among political parties, i.e., coalition government. 4. Finance ministers of Nigerian stat
1. What are the different forms of power sharing in modern democracies? Give an example of each of these.
The different forms of power sharing in modern democracies are:
1. Power sharing among different organs of government (e.g., Legislature, Executive, Judiciary in India). 2. Power sharing among governments at different levels (e.g., Federal government and State governments in India). 3. Power sharing among different social groups (e.g., reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in India). 4. Power sharing among different political parties (e.g., coalition governments formed
2. State one prudential reason and one moral reason for power sharing with an example from the Indian context.
Prudential reason: Power sharing reduces the possibility of conflict among different communities. For example, India's federal system allows different states to have their own governments, reducing tensions among linguistic groups.
Moral reason: Power sharing is the only way to ensure that all groups get a share in power and are treated as equals. For example, reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in legislatures ensures their representation and equality.
3. After reading this chapter, three students drew different conclusions. Which of these do you agree with and why? Give your reasons in about 50 words. Thomman - Power sharing is necessary only in societies which have religious, linguistic or ethnic divisions. Mathayi - Power sharing is suitable only for big countries that have regional divisions. Ouseph - Every society needs some form of power sharing even if it is small or does not have social divisions.
I agree with Ouseph's view that every society needs some form of power sharing even if it is small or does not have social divisions. Power sharing promotes democracy by ensuring participation, reducing arbitrariness, and accommodating diversity in all societies, regardless of size or divisions.
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