Complete NCERT-aligned revision for Federalism, covering India's federal structure, power-sharing, language policy, Centre-State relations and decentralisation.
Federalism Class 10 Study Resources
What Is Federalism?
Federalism is a system of government in which power is divided between a central authority and constituent units. Each level has its own sphere of authority, and the constitutional division of powers is protected.
| Feature | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Multiple levels | Two or more levels of government govern the same citizens. |
| Constitutional division | Powers and jurisdictions are clearly specified by the Constitution. |
| Constitutional protection | One level cannot ordinarily alter the basic division of powers unilaterally. |
| Independent judiciary | Courts settle disputes about constitutional powers. |
| Financial arrangements | Each level requires resources to perform its responsibilities. |
Coming-Together and Holding-Together Federations
Independent States come together to form a larger federation. Constituent units generally retain strong powers and tend to have relatively equal status. Examples discussed in the chapter include the USA, Switzerland and Australia.
A large country divides power between the central government and constituent units. The centre is often comparatively stronger. India, Spain and Belgium are examples discussed in the chapter.
What Makes India a Federal Country?
India has constitutionally recognised Union and State levels, a clear distribution of legislative powers and an independent judiciary. Local governments later became a constitutionally recognised third tier.
| List / Power | Main responsibility | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Union List | Subjects of national importance | Defence, foreign affairs, currency, communications |
| State List | State and local matters | Police, agriculture, irrigation |
| Concurrent List | Common-interest subjects | Education, forests, marriage, trade unions |
| Residuary subjects | Subjects outside the three lists | Union Government legislates |
Linguistic States and Language Policy
India's federal practice has accommodated linguistic diversity. Linguistic reorganisation gave political recognition to language identities, while language policy avoided imposing a single national language.
Recognising linguistic identities helped reduce fears of cultural domination and made the federal Union more acceptable to diverse groups.
India has no national language declared by the Constitution. Hindi is the official language of the Union, English continues for official purposes under the legal framework, and multiple scheduled languages are recognised.
Centre-State Relations and Regional Politics
Federalism is not only a constitutional arrangement; it is also practised through politics. The rise of regional parties and coalition governments increased the importance of consultation and bargaining between the Union and States, particularly from the 1990s onward.
| Development | Federal significance |
|---|---|
| Regional parties | Bring State and regional interests into national politics. |
| Coalition governments | Require national parties to negotiate with regional partners. |
| Centre-State consultation | Encourages accommodation rather than excessive centralisation. |
Decentralisation in India
Decentralisation means transferring power and responsibility to lower levels of government. The 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments of 1992 strengthened rural and urban local governments and gave the third tier constitutional recognition.
The Panchayati Raj system includes Gram Panchayats and higher Panchayat bodies. The Gram Sabha provides direct participation by village voters.
Urban areas have local bodies such as municipalities and municipal corporations, with detailed arrangements shaped by constitutional provisions and State laws.
Special-Status States, Union Territories and Other States
India's federal structure does not require every constituent unit to have identical powers. Some States have received special constitutional provisions, while Union Territories have a different constitutional and administrative position from full-fledged States. This distinction is important for understanding power-sharing in India.
Federalism Quick Revision
• Federalism is vertical power-sharing among levels of government.
• India is a holding-together federation with a comparatively strong Union.
• Legislative powers are divided through the Union, State and Concurrent Lists.
• Residuary powers belong to the Union Government.
• Linguistic reorganisation and language accommodation strengthened Indian federalism.
• Regional parties and coalition politics strengthened federalism in practice.
• Decentralisation strengthened the third tier through Panchayats and Municipalities.
• The 73rd and 74th Amendments gave constitutional recognition to rural and urban local government.
How to Prepare Federalism for CBSE
Understand federal versus unitary government, the two forms of federation and the core features of federalism.
Revise the three lists, residuary powers, linguistic States, language policy and Centre-State relations.
Use case-based questions to explain why a situation is federal, unitary, centralised or decentralised.
Know decentralisation, Gram Sabha, Panchayati Raj, municipalities and the 73rd and 74th Amendments.
Federalism Class 10 FAQs
India is a federal country with a comparatively strong Union. It is commonly described in the chapter as a holding-together federation.
Union List, State List and Concurrent List. Residuary subjects fall outside these three lists and are handled by the Union.
It is the transfer of power and responsibility from higher levels of government to lower levels, especially local governments.