NCERT Solutions For Class 10 Political Science Chapter 2 Federalism
Question 1. Write any five features of federalism that have been incorporated into the Indian Constitution.
Answer:
The Features Of Federalism Are As Follows:
- The jurisdictions of the respective levels of government are specified in the constitution. So, their existence and authority are constitutionally guaranteed.
- There are two or more levels of government. Different tiers govern the same citizen, but each has its own jurisdiction in specific matters of legislation, taxation, and administration.
- The fundamental provisions of the constitution cannot be unilaterally changed by one level of government. Such changes require the consent of both levels of government.
- Courts have the power to interpret the Constitution and the powers of different levels of government. The highest court decides disputes arise among different levels of government in the exercise of their respective powers.
- Dual objectives: safeguard and promote the unity of the country.
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Question 2. Mention the major ways for the success of federalism in India.
Or
How does federalism work in India?
Answer:
Relation Of Centre And State: The center-state relation is one more way in which federalism has been strengthened in practice. The period after 1990 saw the rise of regional political parties in many states of the country. So federal power sharing is more effective today than it was in the early years after the constitution came into force.
Language Policy: A second test for the Indian federation is the language policy. Under this policy, Hindi was identified as the official language. However, there were many safeguards to protect other languages, recognized as “scheduled languages” by the constitution.
Decentralisation Of Power: Power has been decentralized to the grass-roots at the local level. Local body governments have been assigned exclusive areas of responsibilities and functions.
Linguistic State: This was done to ensure that people who spoke the same language lived in the same state. Some states were created not on the basis of language but to recognize differences based on culture, ethnicity, or geography.
Those included states like Nagaland, Uttarakhand, and Jharkhand. The formation of linguistic States has actually made the country more united. It has made administration easier.
Question 3. Describe the language policy of India.
Answer:
The Indian constitution has recognized 21 other languages besides Hindi. After independence, local leaders of different regions demanded the creation of a state on a linguistic basis.
Some of the national leaders feared that the formation of states on a linguistic basis could lead to the disintegration of the country. But states on a linguistic basis were created and it made administrative work easier.
Leaders of our country adopted a very cautious policy in spreading the use of Hindi in all the states. Hindi was made the national language and the use of English as an official language was also started.
In 1965 use of the English language as an official language was banned in Tamil Nadu and it took a violent form. The central government agreed to use English as the official language along with Hindi.
Though the central government wanted to promote Hindi as an official language, it did not want to impose it. Hindi in those states which speak other languages. This was a very flexible approach adopted by the Indian leaders and this approach has maintained national unity, unlike Sri Lanka where a particular language was promoted.
Question 4. Describe the role of the Judiciary in the Indian constitution.
Answer:
Although judges are appointed by the executives, they can check the functioning of executives, or laws made by the legislature. The courts have the power to interpret the constitution and the power of different levels of government.
In federal states, there is a written and rigid constitution that cannot be changed easily. But sometimes, the legislature passes such laws that are contrary to the previous laws of the constitution.
Then judiciary stops the implementation of laws that violate the constitution. In case of any dispute about the division of powers, the High Courts and the Supreme Court make a decision.
The highest court acts as umpire disputes arise between different levels of government in the exercise of their respective powers. The judiciary is also known as the custodian of the constitution.
Question 5. Explain the concept of three tiers of government in Indian Federalism.
Answer:
Federalism is a system in which two or more two tiers of government are there. Generally two tiers of government function at two different levels. The first one is the union Government which runs the administration of the whole of the country.
The second one is the State Government which runs the administration of any particular geographical unit within the country. In federalism either the Union is more powerful or both the Union and the States are equally powerful.
In India, the Union is more powerful than the States. But India is a very vast country where people of diverse cultures live. It’s not possible to administer them through a two-tier system because neither Union nor State Governments are in a position to estimate the local problems.
That’s why a three-tier government has been formed in the Indian federal set up so that power could be shared even up to the grassroots level. Three-tier is known as local self-government.
For urban areas municipalities are there and for rural areas, Panchayati Raj institutions are there. In this way, Indian federalism has three tiers of government, i.e. Union, State, and Local self-government.
Question 6. Are YOU suggesting that regionalism is good for our democracy? Are you serious?
Answer:
No, regionalism is not good for our democracy. It is one of the major challenges, which our country is facing at present.
It is the cause of creating tension among the different communities in the country. Sometimes it leads to violence and demand for secession from the country. It is dangerous to our national unity and integrity.
Question 7. Why has been special status accorded to certain states? Discuss the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.
Answer:
Certain states in India have been accorded special status in the constitution because of diverse populations and regional diversities.
Special status has been accorded to Jammu and Kashmir due to the odd circumstances that made the state join the Indian Union and become its integral part. Non-permanent citizens of the state can’t buy or sell in J&K.
Question 8. The prime minister runs the country. The Chief Minister runs the state. Logically, then, the chairperson of Zila Parishad should run the district. Why does the D.M. or Collector administer the district?
Answer:
The administration of the district cannot be given to the chairman of ZilaParishad as in that case each district will have its own laws and policies which will lead to confusion. In many districts, disputes may arise among many functionaries.
To run the district administration smoothly, its administration is carried out by the D.M. or Collector. Due to this, the state government policies and decisions can be implemented properly.
Question 9. How does the Judiciary play an important role in the Indian federation substantiate’?
Answer:
The Judiciary is an important independent organ of the state of India. It plays a crucial role in the existing power-sharing management of the federal system of government in India.
In case of any dispute about the division of powers, the High Courts and the Supreme Court pass the necessary orders and give directions. Thus Judiciary is the guardian of Indian Federalism.
Question 10. Federation is suitable only for big countries. Do you agree with the statement or not? Why? Why not?
Answer:
Federal means power sharing among the center and its regional units. It is suitable for big countries where the area of the country is large, the population huge and a wide disparity in the language, culture, and religion of the people because it becomes difficult to effectively manage.
It is also suitable for small countries even in a smaller country like Belgium, which has complex diversity in respect to religion, language an culture, federalism works successfully.
The rationale behind the federal system is to share power so that every social group is equally represented in the governance. In short, federalism is suitable for both big and small countries.