The second chapter of Social Science for Class 10 concentrates on Federalism, its main characteristics and forms, and how they affect the operation of Indian democracy. If you are looking for the chapter summary on this topic, we have gathered the Federalism class 10 notes containing the major concepts and topics addressed in this unit.Check here Free Current Affairs Magazine- DOWNLOAD NOW Recommended: Study for your Exams with Safalta School online to boost your preparations.In addition, you can also check out our CUCET English E-book- download for free.
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Table of content
- Federalism : What is it ?
- Goals of Federalism
- Possibilities of Federalism
- Federation formation
- What Defines India as a Federal State?
- What is the Indian Approach to Federalism?
- What is Decentralization ?
- Principal Elements of Federalism
Federalism : What is it ?
Federalism is a type of government in which the power is divided between the central authority and several other divisions of government, such as states. In a nation with a federal system of government, there are two important levels of government, and each has a number of independent authorities. These are the two tiers of the federal government:
- The nation's central government is in charge of handling matters that affect the whole country.
- The day-to-day management of each state and each province is handled by the state governments.
Goals of Federalism
Here are the goals of federalism :
- to promote and safeguard national unity
- to encourage a nation's geographical variety
Possibilities of Federalism
Important characteristics of federalism are highlighted below:
- There are two or more layers of government in it.
- The same group of people are governed by both the federal and state governments, but their levels of authority differ in matters like administration, taxation, and legislation.
- Each tier's authority is guaranteed by the constitution.
- The fundamental rights and powers guaranteed by the constitution of a federal state cannot be changed unilaterally by any one level of government; instead, both parties must agree to any such modification.
- To guarantee that they do not alter the constitution, the courts have the jurisdiction to interpret the authorities of various levels of government.
- For both levels of government, the constitution stipulates their respective revenue sources. This guarantees that both tiers are financially independent.
Federation formation
Two essential elements are required for federations to succeed: mutual confidence between the various levels of government, as well as a readiness to coexist. Federations have historically been created in one of two ways:
- Independent nations are uniting voluntarily to form a larger nation. Australia, Switzerland, and the USA all founded federations of this kind.
- A sizable nation decides to allocate authority to its federal government and member states. India, Belgium, and Spain are a few examples of this kind of federation.
What Defines India as a Federal State?
According to the Indian constitution, the country divides its legislative authority into three parts. India is a federal nation due to the division of powers between the union and state governments. Between the central and state governments in India, there are three lists, i.e.
- Union List: It comprises matters of major national significance, such as the military, foreign policy, money, banking, and communications. The territories specified in the union list are subject to legislation made by the union government.
- State List: It contains topics with national, regional, and local significance, such as irrigation, police, and the economy. Regarding the issues in this list, only the state government has the authority to enact legislation.
- Concurrent List: It includes topics that interest both the federal government and state governments equally. Trade unions, forestry, education, marriage, succession, and adoption are all included. On these issues, both the centre and the state can pass legislation. The laws created by the centre will take precedence if there is a disagreement.
What is the Indian Approach to Federalism?
Here are a few obstacles that the nation's federalism faces today.
| The Development of Linguistic States | Since India's independence, a number of new states have been created. India's states are overwhelmingly designed to be populated by individuals from the same region and language. These conditions are referred to as linguistic states. Examples include Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. |
| Language Guidelines | The constitutions list 21 other languages in addition to Hindi as Scheduled Languages. States have their own official languages even if the Union government recognises Hindi as the official language. The state's official language is used for all official government business. |
| Center-state Relationships | Major national parties join forces with regional parties to form the union government if no single party wins a majority in the Lok Sabha elections. As a result, state governments' autonomy was respected while the central and states shared power. |
What is Decentralization ?
Federalism also explains the fundamental elements of decentralisation, which are crucial to enhancing local government authority. Decentralization is the process of transferring authority from the federal and state governments to local ones. Devolution has as its goal the realisation that most concerns and problems are best solved locally. Local residents can thereby actively engage in decision-making. The constitution was changed in 1992 to allow for a third level of democracy. According to the constitution, the third tier's primary characteristics are:
- Elections must be held on a regular basis to fill vacancies in the various local governmental organisations.
- Women are only allowed to hold one-third of the posts in municipal government.
- In order to conduct municipal and Panchayat elections, the State Election Commission was established in each state.
- In local elections, a portion of the executive positions are set aside for members of the SC, ST, and other underprivileged groups.
- Local governing bodies and state governments must share resources and authority. Each state has a different revenue sharing formula.
Principal Elements of Federalism
- One of the key features of the federalism system is that there are two or more levels (or tiers) of government.
- Although there are several levels of government overseeing the same population, each level has its own JURISDICTION over particular matters of law, taxes, and administration.
- The constitution guarantees the existence and authority of each level of government.
- The essential principles of the constitution may not be unilaterally changed by any level of government. Such reforms require the consent of both levels of government.
- The courts can interpret the constitution and the power of different governmental levels.
- Specific revenue streams are available to each level of government to ensure its financial independence.
- The federal government's policies are designed to accommodate regional diversity while preserving and advancing national unity.