Class 11 Political Science Chapter 7 Federalism NCERT Solutions

Q. From the list of following events, which ones would you identify with the functioning of federalism? Why?
(a) Sixth Schedule status granted to the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council, with a tripartite settlement between the Centre, West Bengal and GNLF.
(b) Centre’s action plan for rain-hit States.
(c) New municipal commissioner for Delhi.
(d) Manipur University given Central University status.
(e) Funds released to Arunachal Pradesh under a rural water supply scheme.
(f) Shiv Sainiks disrupting a Mumbai hospital over non-Maharashtrian students.
(g) Demand for dismissal of Nagaland’s DAN government.
(h) Bihar government’s appeal to naxalites to surrender arms.

Answer:
(a), (c), (d) and (e) are good examples of federalism functioning. In (a), a tripartite settlement between the Centre, State and a local body, and granting Sixth Schedule autonomy, shows centre-State-local cooperation. In (c), the transfer of an All-India Service (IAS) officer shows the Centre’s control over the All-India Services. In (d), the Rajya Sabha granting Central University status is a legislative act at the centre affecting a State institution. In (e), central financial assistance to a State is an example of centre-State financial relations.
(b), (g) and (h) are connected to federalism but not direct examples. (b) is routine administrative assistance, (g) is a political demand concerning the Governor, and (h) is a State government’s own law-and-order action.
(f) is not an example of federalism, it is a linguistic-regional tension and law-and-order issue, not directly a centre-State relations matter.

Q. Think which of the following statements would be correct. State why.
(a) Federalism enhances the possibility of people from different regions interacting without fear of one’s culture being imposed by others.
(b) A federal system will hinder easier economic transaction between two regions with distinct resources.
(c) A federal system will ensure that the powers of those at the centre remain limited.

Answer:
(a) and (c) are correct, (b) is incorrect.
(a) is correct, federalism lets each region preserve its own culture and identity, reducing the fear that another region’s culture will be imposed, which encourages interaction.
(c) is correct, the constitutional division of powers between the centre and States naturally limits central power.
(b) is incorrect, a federal system does not mean economic obstruction, it establishes cooperation and a shared market, and can in fact ease trade between regions with different resources rather than hindering it.

Q. Based on the first few articles of the Belgian constitution given below, explain how federalism is visualised in that country. Try and write a similar Article for the Constitution of India.

Answer:
Belgian federalism is built on linguistic and community identity, communities (French, Flemish, German), regions (Walloon, Flemish, Brussels) and linguistic regions all divide the country in different, overlapping ways, meaning several layers of identity operate together within one country.
A possible similar Article for India: “India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union made up of States and Union Territories. India has twenty-eight States and eight Union Territories, each State shall have its own Legislative Assembly and government, while the administration of Union Territories shall be directed by the central government.”

Q. Imagine that you were to rewrite the provisions regarding federalism. Write an essay of not more than 300 words making your suggestions about: (a) division of powers among the centre and the States, (b) distribution of financial resources, (c) methods of resolving inter-State disputes and (d) appointment of Governors.

Answer:
(a) Division of powers: the existing three-List system (Union, State, Concurrent) is broadly sound, but consultation with the States could be made mandatory before legislating on Concurrent List subjects, so central intervention does not feel one-sided.
(b) Financial resources: States should be given more freedom to expand their own revenue sources, and central grants should follow an independent, transparent formula (such as Finance Commission recommendations), relying less on the centre’s discretion.
(c) Resolving inter-State disputes: border and river-water disputes should go through time-bound tribunals whose decisions are binding, with the Supreme Court as the final recourse only when a tribunal’s ruling is not accepted, reducing decades-long delays.
(d) Appointment of Governors: Governors should be recommended by an independent, multi-party committee rather than solely by the central government’s discretion, exactly as the Sarkaria Commission also suggested, so appointments stay free of party politics.
Together, these suggestions aim to build greater centre-State trust and strengthen cooperative federalism, without weakening the centre’s genuinely necessary coordinating role.

Q. Which of the following should be the basis for formation of a State? Why?
(a) Common Language (b) Common economic interests (c) Common religion (d) Administrative convenience

Answer: (a) Common language is the most suitable basis, India’s States have mainly been formed on linguistic identity (as recommended by the States Reorganisation Commission, 1953-56), letting people govern themselves in their own language and culture. Common region (mentioned alongside (a)) and administrative convenience (d) can be supporting factors (for instance, the 2000 creation of Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand and Jharkhand was also driven by administrative convenience), but language remains the most fundamental and historically dominant basis for State formation. Common economic interest (b) alone is not a suitable basis, since economic interests keep changing over time.

Q. Majority of people from the States of north India, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, speak Hindi. If all these States are combined to form one State, would it be in tune with the idea of federalism? Give arguments.

Answer: No, this would not be in tune with the idea of federalism.
1. Despite sharing a common language, these four States have their own distinct regional identities, histories, cultures and administrative needs.
2. Creating such a huge single State would be administratively impractical, weakening the reach of governance at the local level.
3. Federalism is not based on language alone, but also on regional autonomy and respect for diversity, merging all four States would be a kind of forced uniformity, which goes against the spirit of federalism.
4. Therefore, keeping these States separate, even while sharing a common language, better serves federalism.

Q. List four features of the Indian Constitution that give greater power to the central government than the State government.

Answer:
1. Parliament has the power to alter the existence, boundary and name of a State.
2. Under emergency provisions, Parliament can legislate on State List subjects too.
3. The centre controls most revenue sources, and States depend heavily on central grants.
4. The Governor can recommend dismissal of a State government and can reserve State bills for the President’s assent.

Q. Why are many States unhappy about the role of the Governor?

Answer:
1. The Governor is not elected, but appointed by the central government, so the Governor’s decisions are often seen as central interference.
2. This becomes even more controversial when different parties are in power at the centre and in the State.
3. The Governor can recommend a State government’s dismissal and Assembly dissolution, and can also reserve State bills, powers that have at times been misused for political reasons (e.g. Kerala in 1959, or Andhra Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir in the 1980s).
4. This is exactly why the Sarkaria Commission recommended that Governor appointments should be strictly non-partisan.

Q. President’s Rule can be imposed in a State if the government is not being run according to the provisions of the Constitution. State whether any of the following conditions are a fit case for imposition of President’s Rule in the State. Give reasons.
(a) Two opposition MLAs killed by criminals, opposition demanding dismissal.
(b) Rising child kidnapping for ransom and crimes against women.
(c) No party securing a majority, fear of MLAs being lured with money.
(d) Different, bitterly opposed parties ruling the centre and the State.
(e) More than 2000 people killed in communal riots.
(f) A State refusing to follow a Supreme Court order in an interstate water dispute.

Answer:
(a) Not a fit case. This is a law-and-order problem, the State government should get the chance to handle it, dismissal merely on the opposition’s demand is not justified.
(b) Not a fit case. Rising crime is the responsibility of the State police administration, which should be given time to improve, this alone is not a constitutional breakdown.
(c) Not a fit case, but caution is needed. A hung assembly is a normal democratic outcome, sufficient time and opportunity should be given for coalition-building instead of imposing President’s Rule.
(d) Not a fit case. Different, even hostile, parties ruling the centre and the State is not by itself a constitutional breakdown, it is a routine feature of federal democracy.
(e) Possibly a fit case, depending on severity. This would only be worth considering if the State government has completely failed to restore law and order, proving that governance cannot be carried on constitutionally, riots alone are not sufficient ground.
(f) Not a fit case. This is primarily a matter of contempt of court, and should be resolved through the judiciary, not through President’s Rule.

Q. What are the demands raised by States in their quest for greater autonomy?

Answer:
1. Division of powers: States like Tamil Nadu, Punjab and West Bengal have demanded more and more important powers for the States.
2. Financial autonomy: independent revenue sources and greater resource control, as demanded by West Bengal’s Left Front Government in 1977.
3. Administrative autonomy: resentment against central control over the administrative machinery.
4. Cultural/linguistic autonomy: opposition to Hindi’s imposition (Tamil Nadu), demand to promote Punjabi language and culture (Punjab).

Q. Should some States be governed by special provisions? Does this create resentment among other States? Does this help in forging greater unity among the regions of the country?

Answer:
Are special provisions necessary: Yes, given the sizeable tribal populations and distinct historical-cultural identities of north-eastern States like Assam, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram, applying uniform rules everywhere would ignore their genuinely different circumstances.
Does it create resentment: Sometimes yes, States that do not receive similar special provisions may perceive this as discrimination, especially if the basis for the special provisions is not made clear.
Does it forge greater unity: In the long run, yes, because it accommodates diversity and reassures each region that its distinct identity and needs will be respected. However, the chapter itself notes that these provisions alone have not been able to fully stem alienation and insurgency in the north-east, so special provisions alone are not enough, they must be paired with better governance and genuine trust-building.