Q.1  I am confused. What do well call the India government?  Is it Union, Federal or Central?

Since, India is made up of states by ‘holding together,’ so, without any confusion we should call it a federal state and the government at the centre is called the central government.

Intext Question

Textbook Page No. 14

Q.2  Though only 25 of the world’s 192 countries have federal political system, their citizens make up 40 per cent of the world’s  population. Most of the large countries of the world are federations. Can you notice an exception to this rule in this map?

Yes, China, which is the most populous country of the world does not practice the federal system of sharing of power. Instead, it enjoys unitary political system.

Intext Question

Textbook Page No. 15

Q.3  If federalism works only in big countries, why did Belgium adopt it?

Because even though it is a small country, it has diverse population made up of multilingual groups. These linguistic groups have their own intersects which might lead to social conflict. So, to avoid and possible social conflict and political instability, Belgium adopted federal system of power sharing.

Let Us Revise

Textbook Page. No. 16

Q.4 Some Nepalese citizens were discussing the proposals on the adoption of federalism in their new Constitution. This is what some of them said:

Khag Raj :  I don’t like federalism. It would lead to reservation of seats for different caste groups as in India.

Sarita : Ours is not a very big country. We don’t need federalism.

Babu Lal : I am hopeful that Teria areas will get more autonomy if they get their own state government.

Ram Ganesh : I like federalism because it will mean that powers that were earlier enjoyed by the king will now be exercised by our elected representatives.

If you were participating in this conversation what would be your response to each of these? Which of these reflect a wrong understanding of what federalism is?

What makes India a federal country?

(i) Response to Khag Raj : No, you are not true. What different caste groups are being given are their rights, which they have been kept deprived of for years. Federalism truly serves the purpose when it believes in matual trust. This is the spirit of democracy.

Response to Sarita : No Sarita, Nepal is also a diverse country consisting of group of people having different interests. Take the example of Belgium. Though it was a small country, there spread social conflict. This could only be resolved by making a federation. So, we also need a federal system that takes care of its people equally.

Response to Babu Lal : Yes I agree but do not think only about the Terai area. There are other areas as well which need more autonomy. So, the only way is to form a federal system so that each region gets its own share and can live together with mutual trust and contribute to the development of the nation equally.

Response to Ram Ganesh : Yes, I agree. When power is concentrated in one hand, it harms the will of the common people. In a democracy, people rule themselves thorugh institution of self- governance. The decentralization of power will ensure due respect to diverse groups and views that exist in the society, and everyone will have a voice in the shaping of public policy.

(ii)  Of these, Khag Raj and Sarita have a wrong understanding of what federalism is.

(iii) In India there are three levels of government – The central, state and local governments. These have their own jurisdictions. There is a Constitution which declares their powers and duties. There is an apex court under an independent judiciary, which can resolve disputes among them. All the state governments have their own sources of income. Income is also shared with the central government. All these features make India a federal country.

Intext Question

Textbook Page No. 16

Q.5 Isn’t that strange? Did our Constitution makers not known about federalism? Or did they wish to avoid talking about it?

It is not strange. Our Constitution makers where aware of the concenpt of deralism. But, intentionally, they did not talk about it. This was because our democracy was passing through a nascent stage where they had to take steps to consolidate different free princely states. If they had been given more autonomy, we might have faced many divisions of our country. They supposed that with maturity of democracy, proper changes will be brought in the Constitution to make the nation more federal. So they left this issue to the people and future leaders to decide about.

Intext Questions

Textbook Page No. 17

Q.6 If agriculture and commerce are state subjects, why do we have ministers of agriculture and commerce in the Union cabinet?

This is because the states have to deal with each other in commercial and agricultural commodities. There comes chances when a state will act arbitrarily. In that condition, problems will arise regarding prince control, tax getc. Also the country has to deal with other nations in these subjects. So, a separate ministry for agriculture and commerce is necessary in the Union cabinet.

Let us Listen To Radio

Textbook Page No. 17

Q.7 Listen to one national and one regional news bulletin broadcast by All India Radio daily for one week. Make a list of news items related to government policies or decisions by classifying these into the following categories.

News items that relate only to the Central Government.

News items that relate only to your or any other State Government.

News items about the relation – ship between the Central and State Government.

Students do themselves.

[Hinst: While answering these questions, they will keep in mind the subjects contained in the three list – the Union List, the State List and the Concurrent List, and also the residuary subject.]

Let Us Revise

Textbook Page No. 18

Q.8 Pokharan, the place where India conducted its nuclear tests, lies in Rajasthan. Suppose the Government of Rajasthan was opposed to the Central Government’s nuclear policy, could it prevent the Government of India from conducting the nuclear tests?

No, the Government of Rajasthan cannot prevent the Government of India from conducting the nuclear tests.

Q.9 Suppose the Government of Sikkim plans to introduce new textbooks in its schools. But the Union Government does not like the style and content of the new textbooks. In that case, does the state government need to take permission from the Union Government before these textbooks can be launched?

Yes, in this case the Government of Sikkim will have to take permission from the Union Government, because education is a subject of Concurrent list on which both the state and Union governments can make laws And, in case of any conflict of law, only the Union law prevails.

Q.10 Suppose the Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Orissa have different policies on how their state police should respond to the naxalites. An the Prime Minister of India intervene and pass an order that all the Chief Ministers will have to obey?

No, police is a state subject on which only the states can make laws.

Lets Read The Map

Textbook Page No. 19

[Note : See Map in your textbook.]

Q.1 Has your village or town remained under the same state since independence? If not, what was the name of the earlier state?

No, it was earlier Uttar Pradesh.

Q.2  Can you identify three state names in 1947 that have changed later?

(i) Madhya Pradesh was called Central Province

(ii) Punjab was a part of North- West Province

(iii) Rajasthan was a part of Rajputana.

Q.3  Identify any three states which have been carved out of a bigger state.

(i) Jharkhand from Bihar.

(ii) Chhattisgarh from Madhya Pradesh.

(iii) Uttaranchal from Uttar Pradesh.

Intext Question 

Textbook Page No. 20

Q.4  Why Hindi? Why not Bangla or Telugu?

The Government of India, in its Constitution, declares Hindi and English as official  languages. But, being a federal Government, it cannot impose its will on the people who speak a language other than Hindi. The Union Government continues to promote Hindi as the official language because 40% of its population speaks Hindi. This is the flexibility shows by the Union that states have their own official languages. We respect the language and culture of each other. So, people are free to speak in the language of their choices. Each state has its official language.  

Let Us Read The Cartoon

Textbook Page No. 21

Q.5 Here are two cartoons showing the relationship between Centre and State. Should the state go to the Centre with a begging bowl? How can the leader of a coalition keep the partners of government satisfied?

(i) No, state should not go to the Centre with a begging bowl?

(ii) The leader of a coalition can keep the partners of the government satisfied by sharing the power the then and working on a “Common minimum programmes” prepared with the consent of all coalition partners.

Let Us Revise

Textbook Page No. 23

Q.6 Take the example of your own state or any other state what was affected by linguistic reorganization. Write a short note for or against the argument given by the author here on the basis of that example.

As we have seen in Sri Lanka, alienation of the people on the basis of language has led to a social conflict which ruined the country and created a situation of civil war. But, in India, even with about 114 major languages, we live in peace and prosperity with the spirit of togetherness. As we have seen in Tamil Nadu, stopping the use of English has caused a militant movement, so linguistic tolerance is a must for our country. In fact, formation of states on the basis of language has made the country more united and stronger. It has also made administration easier.

Intext Questions

Textbook Page. No. 22

Scheduled Languages of India

Q.1       Make a bar or pie chart on the basis of this information. 

Q.2  Prepare a map of linguistic diversity of India by shading the region where each of these language is spoken on the map of India.

Q.3  Find out about three language that are spoken in India but are not included in this table.

Bhojpuri, Magadhi, Bundel- khandi, Chhattisgarhi, Rajasthani, Bhili.

Intext Question

Textbook Page No. 21

Q.4 Are you suggesting that regionalism is good for our democracy? Are you serious?

In no way regionalism can be good for our democracy. In a country like ours, where we have multicolored cultures, languages and traditions, the colour of India is made of all this. India’s glory lies in its diversity but it does not mean that one region or state is supported and other is kept deprived. We grow and develop when each region grows and develops. We should develop with the spirit of mutual trust and living together. Hence, I am serious while saying that there is no place for regionalism in our democracy.

Intext Question

Textbook Page No. 25

Q.5 Prime Minister runs the country. Chief Minster runs the state. Logically, then the Chairperson of Zilla Parishad should run the district. Why does the D.M. or Collector administer the district?

The president of Zilla Parishad is the political head. All the decisions are made under his leadership. In fact, the DM is the administrative head, who executes the decisions of the Parishad. This is , in fact, an example of sharing of power. We can compare it with sharing of power between the legislative and executive. So it is right that the DM administers the district.

Intext Question

Q.6       What do these newspaper clipping have to say about efforts of decentralization in India?

In these newspaper clippings, the news are related to Panchayats. Panchayats in India are meant for the decentralization of power. These are meant for the self-governance at the grassroots level.

• The clippings show a huge number of women elected to Panchayats i.e., increased participation of women in politics.
• Secondly, justice has been made easily accessible and cheap.
• These also reflect that Panchayats get direct funding from the central

Lets Find Out

Textbook Page No. 26

Q.7  Find out about the local government in the village or town you live in.

If you live in a village find out the names of the following : Your panch or ward member, your sarpanch, your panchayat samiti, the Chairperson of your zilla parishad. Also find out when did the last meeting of the gram sabha take place and how many people took part in that.

If you live in urban areas, find out the name of your Municipal Councillor, and the Municipal Chairperson or Mayor. Also find out about the budget of your municipal corporation, municipality and the major items on which money was spent.

Students do themselves.

Exercises

Q.1  Locate the following states on a blank outline political map of India:

        Manipur , Sikkim, Chhattisgarh and Goa.  

Q.2 Identify and shade three federal countries (other than India) on a blank outline political map of the world.   

Q.3 Point out one feature in the practice of federalism in India that is similar to and one feature that is different from that of Belgium.

(i)  Similar Feature :  Both Belgium and India have a three – tier government.

(ii) Different Feature : In Belgium there is a community government as the third tier, while we have a local self- government (not based on races/castes) in India as the third tier of the government.

Q.4 What is the main difference between a federal  form of government and a unitary one?  Explain with an example.

(i)  In federal form of government, power is shared at different levels, for example, at the organ level, such as among executive, legislative and judiciary at the government level such as state government central government, local government, etc. The examples of federal form of government are India, Belgium, USA, Australia, etc.

(ii) n the other hand, in unitary form of government, the national government has all the powers. If there are other levels of the government, they are either sub-units or subordinate to the national government. The states or provinces have to follow the orders of the national government. The examples of unitary form of government are Sri Lanka, China, etc.

Q.5 State any two differences between the local government before and after the Constitutional amendment in 1992. 

Q.6  Fill in the blanks :

Since the United States is a ________ type of federation, all the constituent States have equal powers and States are ________ vis-à-vis the federal government. But India is ________ type of federation and some States have more power than other. In India the ________ government has more powers.

Coming together,   strong,   holding together central.

Q.7 Here are three reactions to the language policy followed in India. Give an argument and an example to support any of these positions.

Sangeeta : The policy of accommodation has strengthened national unity.

Arman : Language based states have divided us by making everyone conscious of their language.

Harish : This policy has only helped to consolidate the dominance of English  over all other languages.

I agree with the reaction of Sangeeta that the policy of accommodation has strengthened national unity.

Initially, Hindi was made official language of the country and later English was stopped from being used as an official language. This hurt the feelings of many in the southern states of our country. The example was Tamil Nadu, where the resistance took the form of militant movement. We are in fact, a diverse country where more than 114 major languages are spoken. We should have respect for each of these languages. These all make our linguistic heritage rich and we should let them flourish together.

In contrast, we have example of Sri Lanka, where linguistic differences have led the country to a state of civil war. So it is right to say that being flexible and adopting the policy of accommodation has strengthened our national unity.

Q.8 The distinguishing feature of federal government is :

(a) National government gives some powers to the provincial government.

(b) Power is distributed among the legislature, executive and judiciary.

(c) Elected officials exercise supreme power in the government.

(d) Governmental power is divided between different levels of government.

(d) Governmental power is divided between different levels of government.

Q.9 A few subjects in various Lists of the Indian Constitution are given here. Group them under the Union, State and Concurrent Lists as provided in the table below:

A. Defence ;                    B. Polices ;                 C.  Agriculture ;

D. Education ;                E. Banking ;               F. Forests

G. Communication ;     H. Trade ;                   I. Marriages

Q.10 Examine the following pairs that give the level of government in India and the powers of the government at that level to make laws on the subjects mentioned against each. Which of the following pairs is not correctly matched?

(d) Local governments – Residuary powers.

Q.11 Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists :

(C) A, C, D, B

Q.12     Consider the following statements.

1. In a federation the powers of the federal and provincial governments are clearly demarcated.

2. India is a federation because the powers of the Union and State Governments are specified in the Constitution and they have exclusive jurisdiction on their respective subjects.

3. Sri Lanka is a federation because the country is divided into provinces.

4. India is no longer a federation because some powers of the States have been devolved to the local government bodies.

Which of the statements given above are correct.

(a) A, B and C

(b) A, C and D

(c) A and B only

(d) B and C only  

Additional Questions

Q.1  When did Belgium shift from a unitary to a federal form of government? Why?

(i)  In 1993, Belgium shifted from a unitary to a federal form of government.

(ii) It happened because the regional government were given constitutional powers and they were no longer dependent on the central government.

Q.2 What do you mean by a unitary political system? Does Sri Lanka have a federal political system? What is the major demand of Tamil leaders in Sri Lanka?

(i)  In a unitary political system, the national government has all the powers in its hands.

(ii) No, Sri Lanka has a unitary political system.

(iii) Tamil leaders want Sri Lanka to become a truly federal system.

Q.3 What are the levels of government in a federal system.

A federal system has usually two levels of government – one is the government for the entire country, and other are governments at the levels of provinces or states.

Q.4  In a federalism, who resolves the disputes between different level of the government?

The highest court (e.g., Supreme Court in the case of India) acts an an umpire in case disputes arise between different levels of government.

Q.5 What are the dual objectives of the federal political system? What should the governments at different levels do in an ideal federal system?

(i) To safeguard and promote the unity of the country, while at the same time, accommodate regional diversity.

(ii) The government at different levels should trust each other and agree to live together in an ideal federal system.

Q.6 What are the two king routes through which federations have been formed? Give the feature of one of them with the examples of the countries.

(i)  ‘Coming together’ federations and ‘holding together’ federations.

(ii) In ‘coming together’ federations, all the constituent states usually have equal power and are strong vis- a-vis the federal government. Examples, USA, Switzerland, Australia.

Q.7 Give an important feature of ‘holding together’ federation. Which are the countries where it exists?

In this federation, the central government tends to be more powerful vis-à-vis the states. ‘Holding together’ federations exist in the following countries- India, Spain, Belgium.

Q.8   What is meant by federalism? Explain.

(i) Federalism is a system of government in which the power is divided between a central authority and its various constituent units.

(ii) In federalism usually there are two levels of governments – one for the entire country and second at the level of provinces or states.

(iii) Both these levels of government enjoy their power independent of each other.

Q.9 What do you mean by residuary subjects? Who makes law on residuary subjects?

(i)  The subjects which  are not mentioned in any of the three lists are included under the residuary subjects.

(ii)  The Union government has the power to legislate on the residuary subjects.