Class 11 Political Science Chapter 7 Federalism Important Questions with Answers

प्र. What is federalism?

उत्तर: An institutional mechanism that accommodates two levels of government, regional and national, each autonomous in its own sphere.

प्र. What are residuary powers?

उत्तर: All matters not mentioned in the Union, State or Concurrent Lists (such as Cyber Laws), on which only the Union legislature can legislate.

प्र. When is Article 356 used?

उत्तर: When a situation arises in which a State’s government cannot be run according to the Constitution’s provisions, President’s Rule is then imposed.

प्र. When was the Sarkaria Commission set up?

उत्तर: In 1983, it submitted its report in 1988.

प्र. What kind of citizenship does India have?

उत्तर: Only a single citizenship.

प्र. What word does the Constitution’s English text use instead of ‘federation’?

उत्तर: ‘Union’, India is described as a ‘Union of States’ in Article 1.

प्र. When did the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act come into effect?

उत्तर: From 31 October 2019.

प्र. In which year, and from which State, was Telangana created?

उत्तर: In 2014, from Andhra Pradesh.

प्र. State two key ideas shared by federal systems.

उत्तर: 1. Federalism is an institutional mechanism accommodating regional and national polities, each autonomous in its own sphere.
2. People have two sets of identities and loyalties, belonging to both their region and the nation.

प्र. Name the three Lists with one example subject each.

उत्तर: 1. Union List: Defence.
2. State List: Police.
3. Concurrent List: Education.

प्र. State two provisions that create a strong centre.

उत्तर: 1. Parliament can form a new State by uniting or separating States, and can alter its boundary or name.
2. During an emergency, Parliament can also legislate on State List subjects.

प्र. Why is the Governor’s role considered controversial?

उत्तर: The Governor is not an elected office-holder, but is appointed by the central government, so the Governor’s actions are often seen as central interference, especially when different parties are in power at the centre and in the State.

प्र. Explain any two types of autonomy demands with examples.

उत्तर: 1. Financial autonomy: in 1977, West Bengal’s Left Front Government demanded a restructuring of centre-State relations.
2. Cultural/linguistic autonomy: opposition to Hindi’s imposition in Tamil Nadu.

प्र. Using the Kerala 1959 example, explain a controversial use of Article 356.

उत्तर: In 1959, Kerala’s government was dismissed despite holding a clear majority in the legislature, showing that Article 356 can be used for political reasons too, not only when there is genuine constitutional breakdown.

प्र. Give one example each of a border dispute and a river water dispute.

उत्तर: 1. Border dispute: the city of Belgaum, disputed between Maharashtra and Karnataka, mainly a matter of regional sentiment.
2. River water dispute: the Cauvery water dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, considered more serious because it concerns drinking water and agriculture.

प्र. Why was Jammu and Kashmir given special autonomy under Article 370?

उत्तर: J&K was a large princely State that acceded to India under special circumstances (Pakistan’s 1947 tribal infiltration), and unlike other Muslim-majority areas that joined Pakistan, it joined India, so it was given special autonomy requiring the State’s consent for Union and Concurrent list laws.

प्र. Using the examples of the USSR, Czechoslovakia and Canada, explain why adopting a federal constitution alone is not enough for national unity.

उत्तर: 1. The USSR broke up after 1989 due to excessive centralisation and Russia’s domination over other regions.
2. Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia also faced division.
3. Canada came very close to a break-up between its English-speaking and French-speaking regions.
4. All these countries were federations, yet could not remain united, while India has stayed united for seven decades, showing that the nature and practice of a federal system matter as much as adopting one in the first place.

प्र. Explain four provisions in the Constitution that create a strong central government.

उत्तर: 1. Parliament can form a new State by uniting or separating States, and can alter its boundary or name.
2. Emergency provisions can turn the federal polity highly centralised, letting Parliament legislate on State List subjects.
3. The centre has strong financial powers, States mostly depend on central grants and assistance.
4. The Governor can recommend a State government’s dismissal, and can reserve State bills for the President’s assent.

प्र. Explain all four types of autonomy demands with examples.

उत्तर: 1. Division of powers: States like Tamil Nadu, Punjab and West Bengal, and parties like DMK, Akali Dal and CPI-M, have demanded more and more important powers for States.
2. Financial autonomy: in 1977, West Bengal’s Left Front Government demanded a restructuring of centre-State relations.
3. Administrative autonomy: States have resented central control over the administrative machinery.
4. Cultural/linguistic autonomy: opposition to Hindi’s imposition in Tamil Nadu, and the demand to advance Punjabi language and culture in Punjab.

प्र. Why has the role of the Governor and the use of Article 356 remained controversial? Explain in detail.

उत्तर: 1. The Governor is not elected but appointed by the centre, so the Governor’s actions are often seen as central interference, especially controversial when different parties rule the centre and the State.
2. The Sarkaria Commission (1983/1988) recommended that Governor appointments be strictly non-partisan.
3. Under Article 356, State governments were dismissed despite holding a majority (Kerala, 1959), or without their majority being tested at all (several States after 1967).
4. After 1967, when many States had non-Congress governments while Congress held the centre, this provision was often used to dismiss governments or block majority parties/coalitions, for instance in Andhra Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir in the 1980s.

प्र. Explain the process and examples of new State formation in India.

उत्तर: 1. The national movement decided early on that States should, as far as possible, be formed on the basis of common cultural and linguistic identity.
2. The States Reorganisation Commission was set up in December 1953, and 1956 saw the first major reorganisation.
3. Gujarat and Maharashtra separated in 1960, Punjab and Haryana in 1966, then several north-eastern States were created.
4. In 2000, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar were divided to create Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand and Jharkhand, and in 2014 Telangana was formed from Andhra Pradesh.

प्र. Explain the two major types of interstate disputes with examples.

उत्तर: 1. Border disputes: the city of Belgaum is disputed between Maharashtra and Karnataka, Manipur and Nagaland have a border dispute, and Punjab and Haryana dispute Chandigarh (the 1985 Rajiv Gandhi understanding to hand it to Punjab remains unimplemented).
2. River water disputes: the Cauvery water dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka reached the Supreme Court, and Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra dispute the sharing of the Narmada’s waters. River water disputes are considered more serious since they concern drinking water and agriculture.

प्र. Explain Jammu and Kashmir’s special autonomy under Article 370, and how it ended.

उत्तर: 1. Jammu and Kashmir was a large princely State that acceded to India in October 1947 after Pakistan’s tribal infiltration forced Maharaja Hari Singh to seek Indian help.
2. Under Article 370, laws on Union and Concurrent list matters needed the State’s concurrence, unlike other States where such laws applied automatically.
3. J&K had its own constitution and flag, though Parliament’s Union-List lawmaking power was fully accepted.
4. The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act 2019 ended this special status, dividing the State into two Union Territories, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, effective from 31 October 2019.

प्र. Explain in detail the provisions in the Indian Constitution that create a strong central government, and why the framers considered this necessary.

उत्तर: 1. The framers wanted a federal constitution accommodating India’s diversities, but also a strong centre to stem disintegration and drive social/political change, made necessary by over 500 princely states needing integration and problems like poverty, illiteracy and inequality requiring centrally coordinated planning.
2. Parliament can form a new State, or alter any State’s boundary or name.
3. Emergency provisions can turn the polity highly centralised, letting Parliament legislate on State List subjects.
4. The centre has strong financial powers, most revenue is centrally controlled and States depend on grants; the Planning Commission supervises States’ resource management.
5. The Governor can recommend a State government’s dismissal, and reserve State bills for the President’s assent; All-India Service officers remain under Union control regardless of which State they serve in.
6. Articles 33-34 (basis of AFSPA) further strengthen the Union’s powers, though this has at times created tension with the armed forces.

प्र. Describe the three phases of centre-State relations in India in detail.

उत्तर: 1. First phase (1950s-early 1960s): the foundation of Indian federalism was laid under Nehru, with Congress dominant at both the centre and in the States; relations remained largely normal except over new-State formation, and States were hopeful of progress through central grants-in-aid and planned development.
2. Second phase (mid-1960s): Congress’s dominance declined and opposition parties won power in many States, leading to demands for greater State powers and autonomy, and States protested against central interference, giving birth to the autonomy debate.
3. Third phase (since the 1990s): Congress’s dominance largely ended, an era of coalition politics began at the centre, States gained a greater say and diversity gained greater respect, marking a more mature federalism, and it is in this phase that autonomy became most politically significant.
4. This shows that federalism in India has been shaped as much by changing political conditions as by the Constitution itself.

प्र. Explain the role of the Governor, Article 356, and the Sarkaria Commission’s recommendations in detail, with real examples.

उत्तर: 1. The Governor is not elected, often a retired military officer, civil servant or politician, appointed by the centre, so the Governor’s actions are often seen as central interference.
2. Under Article 356, President’s Rule is imposed when a State’s government cannot be run according to the Constitution, and can be extended up to three years.
3. Kerala’s government was dismissed in 1959 despite holding a majority; several States after 1967 saw dismissals without their majority even being tested.
4. Article 356 was used sparingly till 1967, but after 1967, when many States had non-Congress governments while Congress held the centre, it was often used for political reasons, such as removing elected governments in Andhra Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir in the 1980s.
5. The Supreme Court has ruled that the constitutional validity of imposing President’s Rule can be judicially examined.
6. The Sarkaria Commission (appointed 1983, reported 1988) recommended strictly non-partisan Governor appointments, to help reduce this controversy.

प्र. Explain the complete history of new State formation in India and the major interstate conflicts that have arisen.

उत्तर: 1. The national movement created both pan-Indian unity and distinct language/region/culture-based identities, and was itself a movement for democracy, so it was decided that States would as far as possible be formed on linguistic and cultural lines.
2. The States Reorganisation Commission was set up in December 1953, and the first major linguistic reorganisation took place in 1956.
3. Gujarat and Maharashtra separated in 1960, Punjab and Haryana in 1966, and several north-eastern States (Manipur, Tripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh) were created.
4. In 2000, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar were divided to create Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand and Jharkhand, and Telangana was formed from Andhra Pradesh in 2014. Some regions, like Vidarbha, still demand separate statehood.
5. Border disputes: Maharashtra-Karnataka (Belgaum), Manipur-Nagaland, and Punjab-Haryana (Chandigarh, with the 1985 Rajiv Gandhi understanding never implemented).
6. River water disputes: Tamil Nadu-Karnataka (Cauvery, which reached the Supreme Court) and Gujarat-Madhya Pradesh-Maharashtra (Narmada). These disputes are legal as well as political, so they are best resolved through negotiation and mutual understanding.