Class 10 • Civics • Democratic Politics-II • Chapter 2
Federalism Class 10 Important Questions with Answers
High-priority, NCERT-aligned questions for 2-mark, 3-mark, 5-mark, case-based and rapid-revision preparation.
152-Mark Questions
183-Mark Questions
85-Mark Questions
6 + 4Case & Revision
Federalism Class 10 Important Questions: This page focuses on the most useful exam-preparation questions from the chapter, including features of federalism, coming-together and holding-together federations, India's constitutional division of powers, linguistic States, language policy, Centre-State relations, regional parties, decentralisation and local government.
How to use this page: First revise the 2-mark section for core definitions and distinctions. Then practise the 3-mark and 5-mark sections without looking at the answers. Finish with the case-based questions to test whether you can apply federalism concepts to unfamiliar situations.
SECTION 1
2-Mark Important Questions
15 high-priority questions for concise 2-mark preparation.
1
What is federalism? State two main features of a federal system.
Answer: Federalism is a system in which power is divided between a central authority and constituent units. Its key features include constitutionally divided powers and separate jurisdictions for different levels of government.
2
Differentiate between a federal and a unitary government.
Answer: In a federal system, constitutional powers are divided among different levels of government and each has authority in its own sphere. In a unitary system, sub-units are generally subordinate to the central government.
3
What is meant by jurisdiction in federalism?
Answer: Jurisdiction is the area or field over which a government has legal authority, such as a particular territory or a specified group of subjects.
4
Distinguish between coming-together and holding-together federations.
Answer: In a coming-together federation, independent States join to form a larger federation. In a holding-together federation, a large country divides power between the central government and constituent units.
5
Why is an independent judiciary important in a federal system?
Answer: It interprets the Constitution and settles disputes about the powers of different levels of government, acting as an impartial umpire in federal disputes.
6
Why are sources of revenue important for federal units?
Answer: Clearly specified sources of revenue give different levels of government financial autonomy so that they can perform their constitutional responsibilities.
7
What are the three legislative lists in India?
Answer: They are the Union List, State List and Concurrent List. They divide legislative subjects between the Union and State Governments.
8
What are residuary subjects? Who makes laws on them in India?
Answer: Residuary subjects are matters not included in the Union, State or Concurrent Lists. In India, the Union Government has the power to legislate on them.
9
Why was linguistic reorganisation of States important?
Answer: It recognised linguistic identities and regional diversity. This helped people feel represented and ultimately strengthened national unity rather than weakening it.
10
Does India have a national language? What is the official language of the Union?
Answer: India has no national language declared by the Constitution. Hindi is the official language of the Union, while English continues for official purposes under the legal framework.
11
What is a coalition government?
Answer: It is a government formed when two or more political parties join together to exercise power, often because no single party has a clear majority.
12
What is decentralisation?
Answer: Decentralisation means transferring power and responsibility from higher levels of government to lower levels, especially to local governments.
13
What is a Gram Sabha?
Answer: It is the assembly of all registered voters in a village or group of villages covered by a Panchayat area, providing direct participation in local democracy.
14
Name the two Constitutional Amendments that strengthened local government in India.
Answer: The 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments of 1992 strengthened rural and urban local governments respectively.
15
Why are Union Territories different from States?
Answer: Union Territories do not have the same constitutional powers as States. The Central Government has greater powers in administering them.
SECTION 2
3-Mark Important Questions
18 questions focused on explanation, comparison, application and CBSE-style reasoning.
16
Explain any three features of federalism.
Answer: First, there are two or more levels of government. Second, each level has its own constitutionally specified jurisdiction. Third, an independent judiciary interprets the Constitution and settles disputes between levels.
17
Why must the division of powers in a federation be constitutionally protected?
Answer: Constitutional protection prevents one level from unilaterally taking away the powers of another. It gives each level a secure sphere of authority and makes the federal arrangement stable.
18
Explain the two routes through which federations are formed.
Answer: In the coming-together route, independent States join to form a larger federation, as in the USA, Switzerland and Australia. In the holding-together route, a large country divides power between the central government and constituent units, as in India, Spain and Belgium.
19
Why is India described as a holding-together federation?
Answer: India was a large country that divided power between the Union and States rather than independent States voluntarily merging. The Union is comparatively stronger and some constituent units have unequal powers.
20
How does the Constitution make India a federal country?
Answer: It provides multiple levels of government, constitutionally divides legislative powers through the Union, State and Concurrent Lists, protects jurisdictions, provides an independent judiciary and specifies financial arrangements.
21
Differentiate between the Union List, State List and Concurrent List.
Answer: The Union List contains subjects of national importance on which the Union legislates. The State List contains State and local matters on which States legislate. The Concurrent List contains subjects of common interest on which both can legislate.
22
What happens when Union and State laws conflict on a Concurrent List subject?
Answer: As a general constitutional rule, the Union law prevails in case of conflict. This reflects the stronger position of the Union within India's holding-together federation.
23
Why does India have a strong Union while remaining federal?
Answer: India is a holding-together federation, so the Constitution gives the Union important powers, including residuary powers. At the same time, States have constitutionally protected spheres of authority, so the system remains federal.
24
How did linguistic States strengthen federalism in India?
Answer: They recognised regional linguistic identities instead of forcing all regions into identical administrative units. This accommodation reduced fears of cultural domination and made the Union more acceptable.
25
Explain two features of India's language policy that support federalism.
Answer: India has not imposed a single national language. Hindi is the Union's official language, English continues for official purposes, and multiple scheduled languages are recognised, allowing linguistic diversity to be accommodated.
26
Why did English continue for official purposes after 1965?
Answer: Non-Hindi-speaking States feared that ending English would lead to Hindi domination. Continuing English helped avoid linguistic conflict and supported accommodation among different language groups.
27
How did regional parties contribute to federalism?
Answer: Regional parties represented State and regional interests in national politics. Their growing influence required national parties to negotiate with them, increasing consultation between the Union and States.
28
Why did coalition politics strengthen Centre-State relations after the 1990s?
Answer: Coalition governments at the Centre often depended on regional parties. This increased the bargaining power of States and encouraged negotiation and consultation instead of one-sided central decision-making.
29
Why is decentralisation considered an extension of federalism?
Answer: Federalism divides power among higher levels such as the Union and States. Decentralisation carries the principle further by giving local governments a constitutional role and creating a third tier closer to citizens.
30
State a few major provisions of the 73rd and 74th Amendments.
Answer: They gave constitutional recognition to local governments, required regular elections, provided reservations for disadvantaged groups and women, and created institutional arrangements for local elections and finances.
31
What is the role of the Gram Sabha in local democracy?
Answer: The Gram Sabha brings village voters into direct participation. It provides a forum to discuss local matters, review the work of the Panchayat and strengthen accountability.
32
How are special-status States different from Union Territories?
Answer: Some States receive special provisions because of particular social or historical circumstances. Union Territories are areas that do not have the same powers as States and are administered with greater Central Government involvement.
33
How does federalism balance unity and diversity?
Answer: It keeps the country within a common constitutional framework while allowing different regions and communities to exercise power in their own spheres. This combination of shared rules and regional autonomy supports unity in diversity.
SECTION 3
5-Mark Important Questions
8 high-value questions for detailed board-style answers.
34
Explain the major features of federalism and the objectives it seeks to achieve.
Answer: Federalism has two or more levels of government; each level governs the same citizens but has its own jurisdiction; the division of powers is constitutionally protected; major constitutional changes require the consent of the relevant levels; courts interpret the Constitution; and each level has specified financial resources. Its two broad objectives are to safeguard national unity and to accommodate regional diversity. It therefore depends on both an agreement to share power and mutual trust among the levels of government.
35
Explain why India is a federal country despite the Constitution using the expression 'Union of States'.
Answer: The Constitution establishes Union and State Governments with constitutionally defined powers. Legislative subjects are divided through the Union, State and Concurrent Lists, while residuary powers belong to the Union. An independent judiciary settles disputes over the division of powers. The Constitution also provides financial arrangements and later recognised local governments as a third tier. Thus, even though the Union is comparatively strong and the Constitution calls India a Union of States, the country follows federal principles.
36
Describe the three-fold distribution of legislative powers in India.
Answer: The Union List contains subjects of national importance such as defence, foreign affairs, banking, communications and currency, on which the Union legislates. The State List contains State and local matters such as police, agriculture and irrigation, on which States legislate. The Concurrent List contains common-interest subjects such as education, forests, trade unions, marriage, adoption and succession, on which both can legislate. If Union and State laws conflict on a Concurrent subject, the Union law generally prevails. Residuary subjects are handled by the Union Government.
37
Explain how linguistic reorganisation and language policy strengthened federalism in India.
Answer: After Independence, demands arose for States to be reorganised around linguistic identities. Although leaders initially feared that this might weaken the country, linguistic reorganisation helped people feel that their language and culture were respected. India's language policy also avoided declaring a single national language. Hindi became the official language of the Union, English continued for official purposes, and multiple scheduled languages were recognised. This accommodation reduced linguistic conflict and strengthened the unity of the Union.
38
Explain the changing nature of Centre-State relations in India after the 1990s.
Answer: For a long period, one major party dominated national and State politics, often reducing political competition between the Union and States. Since the 1990s, coalition governments became more common at the Centre and regional parties gained influence. National parties often needed regional partners to form governments. This increased the importance of negotiation, consultation and bargaining over national decisions. As a result, federalism became stronger in practice because State and regional interests gained greater political weight.
39
Explain decentralisation and the major steps taken to strengthen local government in India.
Answer: Decentralisation means transferring power from higher levels to lower levels so that decisions can be made closer to citizens. The 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments gave constitutional recognition to rural and urban local bodies. Regular elections were required, seats were reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and at least one-third of seats were reserved for women. State Election Commissions were created for local elections and provisions were made for State Finance Commissions. These measures strengthened the third tier of government.
40
Compare coming-together and holding-together federations and explain India's position.
Answer: In coming-together federations, independent States voluntarily unite to form a larger federation, usually retaining strong and relatively equal powers; the USA, Switzerland and Australia are examples. In holding-together federations, a large country divides power between the centre and constituent units, with the centre often stronger; India, Spain and Belgium are examples. India therefore belongs to the holding-together type. Its federal system accommodates regional diversity while maintaining a strong Union.
41
How does federalism help India maintain national unity while accommodating diversity?
Answer: India contains many languages, regions and cultural identities. Federalism allows the Union and States to exercise authority in their own spheres rather than concentrating all power at the centre. Linguistic States recognise regional identities, while the language policy accommodates different linguistic groups. Regional parties and coalition politics give regional interests a stronger voice in national decisions. Decentralisation brings government closer to local communities. Together these arrangements help combine national unity with regional diversity and democratic participation.
SECTION 4
Case-Based & Competency Questions
6 application-oriented sets designed for inference and reasoning practice.
42
A State government decides to introduce a new school curriculum. The Union Government disagrees with some parts of it and orders the State to withdraw the curriculum immediately. Is the Union automatically entitled to do this? Explain using federal principles.
Answer: No. Education is a Concurrent List subject, so both Union and State Governments can legislate on it. Federalism gives each level authority within its constitutional sphere. A disagreement does not mean that the Union can simply command a State as if India were a unitary system; the constitutional rules governing the subject must be followed.
43
A newly created country allows its provinces to exercise powers only when the central government permits them and can withdraw those powers at will. Is this a strong example of federalism? Give reasons.
Answer: No. A core feature of federalism is that the powers of different levels are constitutionally guaranteed. If provincial powers depend entirely on the central government's permission and can be withdrawn unilaterally, the arrangement is closer to a unitary system.
44
A multilingual country reorganises some States so that people speaking the same major language are largely administered within the same State. Some citizens initially fear that this will weaken national unity. Based on India's experience, what is the likely federal outcome?
Answer: Linguistic reorganisation can strengthen federalism when it recognises regional identity within a common constitutional framework. India's experience shows that accommodating linguistic identities can reduce fears of cultural domination and make the Union more acceptable.
45
A national coalition government depends on support from several regional parties. Those parties demand greater attention to State-specific issues. What does this situation illustrate about federalism in practice?
Answer: It illustrates how coalition politics and regional parties can strengthen practical federalism. Regional parties bring State interests into national decision-making, while the central government must negotiate and consult rather than relying only on its own political strength.
46
A village wants residents to participate directly in decisions about local development, but all decisions are currently taken by officials at higher levels. Which federal idea can address this problem, and what institution can provide direct participation?
Answer: Decentralisation can address the problem by transferring responsibilities to local government. The Gram Sabha provides direct participation by the village electorate and can strengthen local accountability and democratic decision-making.
47
A constitutional amendment proposes to change the division of powers between the Union and States. Parliament passes it, but the required number of State legislatures does not ratify it. Can the change automatically take effect? Explain.
Answer: No. Changes affecting the federal power-sharing arrangement require more than Parliament acting alone. The constitutional process requires the amendment to be passed by both Houses with the required special majority and then ratified by at least half of the State legislatures. The State ratification requirement protects the federal balance.
FINAL REVISION
Rapid Revision & Application
4 final questions for last-minute recall and concept testing.
48
If a new subject is not included in the Union, State or Concurrent Lists, which level of government generally legislates on it in India?
Answer: The Union Government, because residuary powers are assigned to the Union.
49
If a State wants to make a law on police, which list should it look to first?
Answer: The State List, because police is a State subject.
50
Why can federalism be called vertical power-sharing?
Answer: Because political power is distributed among different levels of government, such as the Union, State and local levels.
51
A student says, 'Federalism means every State must have exactly the same powers.' Is the statement correct?
Answer: No. In a holding-together federation such as India, constituent units may have unequal powers and some States may receive special provisions. Federalism requires a constitutional division of powers, not necessarily identical powers for every unit.