Federalism Class 10 Notes: Three Lists & Decentralisation

Federalism is Chapter 2 of Class 10 Political Science (NCERT, Democratic Politics II). It follows naturally from Power Sharing: if vertical power sharing means dividing power among levels of government, federalism is how that division actually works in India.

These notes cover the full chapter in simple English, with tables you can revise quickly and the questions that come most often.

Chapter at a glance

Federalism is a system in which power is divided between a central authority and its constituent units.
There are two types: coming together and holding together federations.
The Indian Constitution divides powers into the Union List, State List and Concurrent List.
Linguistic states, language policy and centre-state relations make Indian federalism work.
The 1992 constitutional amendment made local government the third tier of Indian democracy.

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What is federalism?

In a federation, there are two or more levels of government. Both levels govern the same citizens, but each level has its own jurisdiction in specific matters of legislation, taxation and administration. In a unitary system, there is only one level of government, or the sub-units are subordinate to the central government (example: Sri Lanka).

Key features of federalism

There are two or more levels (tiers) of government.
Different tiers govern the same citizens, but each has its own jurisdiction.
The jurisdictions of the tiers are specified in the constitution, so their existence and authority are constitutionally guaranteed.
Fundamental provisions of the constitution cannot be changed by one level of government alone. Changes need the consent of both levels.
Courts have the power to interpret the constitution and the powers of different levels. The highest court acts as an umpire in disputes.
Sources of revenue for each level are clearly specified to ensure financial autonomy.
The federal system has dual objectives: to safeguard the unity of the country and to accommodate regional diversity.

Two kinds of federations

Coming together	Holding together
Independent states come together on their own to form a bigger unit.	A large country decides to divide its power between the constituent states and the national government.
All states usually have equal power.	The central government tends to be more powerful. Units may have unequal powers.
Examples: USA, Switzerland, Australia	Examples: India, Spain, Belgium

What makes India a federal country?

The Constitution declared India a Union of States. It does not use the word “federation”, but it is based on federal principles. Originally there were two tiers: the Union Government and the State Governments. A third tier, Panchayats and Municipalities, was added later.

The three lists

List	What it covers	Who makes laws	Examples
Union List	Subjects of national importance that need a uniform policy	Union Government only	Defence, foreign affairs, banking, communications, currency
State List	Subjects of state and local importance	State Governments only	Police, trade, commerce, agriculture, irrigation
Concurrent List	Subjects of common interest to both	Both. If there is a conflict, the Union law prevails	Education, forest, trade unions, marriage, adoption, succession

Residuary subjects are subjects not in any of the three lists, like computer software, which came up after the Constitution was made. The Union Government has the power to legislate on them.

Not all states have equal powers

Some states enjoy a special status, and some areas are too small to be independent states. These are Union Territories, like Chandigarh, Lakshadweep and the capital city of Delhi. The Central Government has special powers in running them.

Changing the power sharing is not easy

Changes to the power-sharing arrangement need the approval of both Houses of Parliament with at least a two-thirds majority, and then ratification by the legislatures of at least half of the total states. The judiciary plays an important role in overseeing the constitutional provisions.

How is federalism practised?

1. Linguistic states

Many old states were changed in 1956 to create new states based on language, so that people who spoke the same language lived in the same state. Some states were also created on the basis of culture, ethnicity or geography, such as Nagaland, Uttarakhand and Jharkhand. At first, national leaders feared this would lead to disintegration, but experience has shown it made the country more united and administration easier.

2. Language policy

Our Constitution did not give the status of national language to any one language. Hindi is the mother tongue of only about 40% of Indians, so there are many safeguards for other languages. Besides Hindi, there are 21 other languages recognised as Scheduled Languages in the Constitution (22 in total). The use of English for official purposes was to stop in 1965, but many non-Hindi-speaking states demanded that it continue. The Central Government agreed to continue English along with Hindi. This flexible approach helped avoid conflict.

3. Centre-state relations

For a long time, the same party ruled at the centre and in most states, so state governments did not use their rights as federal units. When different parties ruled at the centre and in the states, the centre sometimes misused its powers to dismiss state governments. After 1990, the era of coalition governments at the centre began. Regional parties became partners, which led to a new culture of power sharing and respect for the autonomy of state governments. A Supreme Court judgement also made it difficult for the central government to dismiss state governments arbitrarily.

Decentralisation in India

Decentralisation means taking power away from central and state governments and giving it to local government. The basic idea is that many problems are best settled at the local level, where people know their needs. It also allows people to participate directly in decision-making.

The 1992 constitutional amendment

It is now mandatory to hold regular elections to local government bodies.
Seats are reserved in elected bodies and executive heads of these institutions for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes.
At least one-third of all positions are reserved for women.
An independent institution called the State Election Commission conducts panchayat and municipal elections in each state.
State governments are required to share some powers and revenue with local government bodies.

Structure of local government

Rural: Gram Panchayat (village level, headed by a sarpanch, working under the gram sabha) → Panchayat Samiti (block or mandal level) → Zila Parishad (district level, headed by a chairperson).
Urban: Municipalities in towns and Municipal Corporations in big cities. The political head of a municipality is the municipal chairperson, and of a municipal corporation, the mayor.

The gram sabha is made up of all the voters in the village. It meets at least twice or thrice a year to approve the annual budget and review the performance of the gram panchayat.

Limitations

Gram sabhas are not held regularly in many places, most state governments have not transferred significant powers, and local bodies do not get adequate resources. Still, the system has deepened democracy and brought many women into elected positions.

Important questions

What is federalism? Explain any five key features of federalism. (5 marks)
Distinguish between coming together and holding together federations. (3 marks)
Explain the division of powers between the Union and State governments with examples. (5 marks)
How has language policy strengthened federalism in India? (3 marks)
What is decentralisation? What steps were taken in 1992 to make local government more powerful? (5 marks)
Why did coalition governments after 1990 strengthen federalism? (3 marks)

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FAQs

Is India a coming together or holding together federation?

India is a holding together federation. The country decided to divide power between the centre and the states, and the central government tends to be more powerful.

Which list does education belong to?

Education is in the Concurrent List, so both the Union and State governments can make laws on it. If the laws conflict, the Union law prevails.

What is the difference between power sharing and federalism?

Power sharing is the broad idea of dividing power among organs, levels, social groups and parties. Federalism is one form of it: vertical division of power among levels of government. Revise the Power Sharing notes together with this chapter.

More Class 10 Social Science notes

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