CBSE Class 10 Democratic Politics Federalism Worksheet Set A

Answers should not exceed 30 words.

Question. In 1993, what change in the form of government took place in Belgium ? ”
Answer: In 1993, Belgium shifted from a unitary to a federal form of government because the regional governments were given constitutional powers. The regional governments were no longer dependent on the central government.

Question. What is federalism ?
Answer: Federalism is a system of government in which the power is divided between a central authority and various constituent units of the country.

Question. Name any two countries in the west having federal form of government.
Answer: USA and Canada.

Question. What is jurisdiction ?
Answer: Jurisdiction is the area over which someone has legal authority. The area may be defined in terms of geographical boundaries or in terms of certain kinds of subjects.

Question. What is the unitary system of government?
Answer: Under the unitary system, either there is only one level of government or the sub units are subordinate to the central government.

Question. How can the fundamental provisions of the constitution be changed or amended in a federal system of government?
Answer: The fundamental provisions of the constitution cannot be unilaterally changed by one level of government. Such changes require the consent of both the levels of government.

Question. What other factors besides politics keep federations united?
Answer: Mutual trust and agreement to live together are other factors that keep federations together.

Question. What is the nature of Indian federal system?
Answer: Indian federal system is an example of ‘holding together’ type of federation.

Question. Give two examples of ‘coming together’ federation.
Answer: USA, Switzerland and Australia.

Question. State any one feature that makes India a federal country.
Answer: The Constitution divides legislative powers between the Union Government and the State Governments. It has three lists viz Union list, State list and Concurrent list.

Question. State any two subjects included in the Union List.
Answer:
1. Defence of the country.
2. Foreign Affairs.

Question. Which are the subjects included in the State List ? Mention any two.
Answer:
1. Police and
2. Agriculture.

Question. What are residuary subjects? Who can make law on these subjects?
Answer:
1. The residuary subjects are those subjects that are not included in any list.
2. The Union Government has the power to legislate on ‘residuary’ subjects.

Question. Which government can make law on subjects included in the concurrent list ?
Answer: Both the Union and the State Governments can make law on the subjects included in the concurrent list.

Question. In case of any disputes about the division of powers which institution decides it ?
Answer: In case of any dispute about the division of powers, the High Courts and the Supreme Court make a decision.

Question. Which state of the India has its own constitution?
Answer: Jammu and Kashmir.

Question. Name any two Union Territories.
Answer: Chandigarh and Lakshadweep.

Question. What happened in Pokharan ? Where is it?
Answer: Pokharan is the place where India conducted its nuclear tests. It is in Rajasthan.

Question. Which states have been created to recongnise differences based on culture, ethnicity or geography?
Answer: Nagaland, Uttarakhand and Jharkhand.

Question. State one advantage of formation of linguistic states.
Answer: The formation of linguistic states has made the country more united. It has also made administration easier.

Question. How many languages are recognized as scheduled languages by the Indian Constitution?
Answer: 22 languages are recognized as scheduled languages by the Constitution.

Question. What is the status of Hindi in India?
Answer: Hindi was identified as the official language.

Question. What is a coalition government?
Answer: A government formed by the coming together of at least two political parties. Usually partners in a coalition form a political alliance and adopt a common programmer.

Question. When was the report of the States Reorganization Commission was implemented ?
Answer: 1 November 1956.

Question. What is decentralization ?
Answer: When power is taken away from the central and state government and given to local government, it is called decentralization.

Question. What steps have been taken to make the third tier of democracy more powerful and effective ? Mention any two.
Answer:
1. It is constitutionally mandatory to hold regular elections to local government bodies.
2. An independent institution called the State Election Commission has been created in each state to conduct panchayat and municipal elections’

Question. How many seats in the local government bodies are reserved for women ?
Answer: At least one-third of all positions are reserved for Women.

Question. How are rural local government in India popularly known ?
Answer: Rural local government in India is popularly known by the name Panchayati Raj.

Question. Who are members of the Gram Sabha in a village ?
Answer: All the voters in the village are members of the Gram Sabha.

Question. What is the official post for the chair person of a Municipal Corporation ?
Answer: Mayor.

Question. What is the approximate number of elected representatives in the panchayats and municipalities etc. ?
Answer: About 36 lakhs.

Question. Which problems are being faced by the local bodies ? Mention any two.
Answer:
1. Many state governments have not transferred significant powers to the local governments.
2. Adequate resources have not been provided to local bodies.

 

QUESTIONS OF 3/5 MARKS

Answers should be in about 80/100 words.

Question. What are the differences between a federal form of government and a unitary one ? Explain. Or Analyse features of federalism. Or Compare and contrast the federal system of government with unitary system of government. Or How is federal government, different from unitary government. ?
Answer: Two systems of government i.e., federal system and unitary system can be compared as given below :

Question. Distinguish between ‘coming together’ and ‘holding together’ types of federations. India comes under which type of federation ? Or Describe different routes for formation of federations in different countries and their impact.
Answer: (1) There are two routes that have been adopted for formation of federations in the world. The differences between the two are as mentioned below :

(2) India comes under ‘holding together’ federation.

Question. How are legislative powers divided between Union govt, and state govts ? Or Examine what makes India a federal country. Or What are the salient features of federalism in India ?
Answer: The salient features of federalism in India are as mentioned below :
(1) Two-three levels of government : In the beginning, the Constitution provided for a two-tier system of government e., the Union or National government and the State governments. Later, a third-tier of federalism was added in the form of Panchayats and Municipalities. These tiers enjoy separate jurisdiction.
(2)Division of legislative powers : The Constitution clearly provided threefold distribution of legislative powers between the Union Government and the State governments as mentioned below :
1. Union list :
1. It includes subjects of national importance such as defence of the country, foreign affairs, banking,
2. These are included in this list because we need a uniform policy on these matters throughout the country.
3. The Union Government alone can make laws relating to the subjects in the Union list.
2. State list :
1. This list contains subjects of state and local importance such as police, trade commerce, agriculture and irrigation.
2. The State Governments alone can make laws relating to these subjects.
3. Concurrent list :
1. It includes subjects of common interest to both the Union Govt, as well as the State Governments, such as education, forest, trade unions, marriage, adoption and succession.
2. Both the Union as well as the State Governments can make laws on these subjects.
3. In case the laws conflict with each other, the law made by the Union Govt, will prevail.
4. Residuary powers :
1. These include the subjects not included in three lists or subjects like computer software that came up after the Constitution was made.
2. The central government, can make laws on such subjects.
3. Rigid constitution : Amendment to the Constitution is not easy. Sharing of powers or division of powers is basic to the structure of the Constitution and cannot be changed easily. The Parliament has to pass an amendment in both the Houses with at least two-thirds majority. Then it has to be ratified by the legislatures of at least half of the total States.
4. Independent courts and interpretation of the Constitution : The judiciary plays an important role in the implementation of constitutional provisions and procedures. In case of any dispute about the division of powers, the High Courts and the Supreme Court decide the case.
5. Independent resources : The Union and the State Governments can raise their resources by levying taxes in order to carry on the government and the responsibilities assigned to each of them.

Question. “All the States in the Indian union do not have identical powers.” Explain. Or Describe special powers or provisions for some States in India.
Answer: The Constitution of India does not grant equal powers to all States. Some States enjoy special status/powers as given below : (1) Jammu and Kashmir :
● Under Article 370, the concurrence of the state is required for making laws in matters mentioned in thir Union and Concurrent Lists.
● Jammu and Kashmir has its own Constitution,
● Again Indians who are not permanent residents of this State cannot buy land or house there,
● Amendments to the Indian Constitution under Article 368 cannot apply without the concurrence of the J & K government.
(2) North-Eastern and smaller States have been given more representation in the Rajya Sabha. North-Eastern states such as Assam, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram have a sizeable indigenous tribal population with a distinct history and culture which can be retained under Article 371.
(3) There are areas which are too small to become an independent State but which could not be merged with any of the existing States. Such areas are like Chandigarh or Lakshadweep or the Capital city of Delhi. These are known as Union Territories. These territories do not have powers of a state. The central government has special powers in running these areas.

Question. (1) Pokharan, the place where India conducted its nuclear tests, lies in Rajasthan. Suppose the Govt, of Rajasthan was opposed to the Central Government’s nuclear policy, could it prevent the Govt, of India from conducting the nuclear tests ? (2) Suppose the Govt, of Sikkim plans to introduce new textbooks in its schools. But the Union Govt, does not like the style and content of the new textbooks. In that case, does the state govt, need to take permission from the Union Govt, before these . textbooks can be launched ? (3) Suppose the Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Orissa have different policies on how their state police respond to the naxalites. Can the Prime Minister of India intervene and passs an order that all Chief Ministers will have to obey.
Answer:
1. No. Defence is a subject of national importance. Nuclear tests are related to the defence of the country. So the Rajasthan government could not prevent the Govt, of India from conducting the nuclear tests.
2. Education is included in the concurrent list. Both the central and state government can make laws on this subject. According to the Constitution if the central govt, too makes a law, and if their laws conflict with each other, the law made by the Union Govt, will prevail. In this case as no law has been passed by the Central Govt., the State Govt, need not take permission from the Union Govt.
3. Police is a state subject. So the states of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Orissa can follow different policies. Prime Minister cannot intervene and pass orders to be obeyed by all Chief Ministers.

Question. Explain democratic policies adopted by the Government of India which made it a successful federation. Or Why has federalism succeeded in India ? Which three policies adopted by India have ensured this success ? Or Explain how the federal experiment has been successful in the matter of formation of states in India. Or Describe how federalism has been in practice through creation of linguistic states.
Answer: The success of federalism in India can be attributed to the nature of democratic politics in the country. This has ensured that the spirit of federalism, respect for diversity and desire for living together became a shared ideal for all. This has happened in various ways :
1. Linguistic States :
1. The creation of Linguistic states was the first major test for democratic politics in India.
2. In 1947 the boundaries of several states were changed on the basis of several states were changed in order to create new states.
3. Some states were created to recognize differences based on culture, ethnicity or geography. These are Nagaland, Uttarakhand and Jharkhand.
4. State Reorganization Commission (1956) : Under State Reorganisation Commission in 1956, the States were created on the basis of language. Many States vanished and new States came into existence.
5. Creation of Haryana and Punjab: Even after the State Reorganization Commission, the demand for creation of new States continued. In 1966, Haryana was created out of the State of Punjab.
6. States on the basis of culture : Some States like Nagaland, Uttarakhand and Jharkhand were created to recognize the cultural and ethnic differences.
7. Success of federalism :
1. Although there have been some opposition to the creation of states on the basis of language etc., the experience has proved that the country became more united,
2. It has made administration more easier in smaller states,
3. The spirit of federalism, respect for diversity and desire for living together has become a shared ideal.
2. Language Policy : The Constitution of India did not give the status of national language to any one language. According to Constitution, the use of English for official purposes was to stop in 1965. However, many non-Hindi speaking States demanded to continue the use of English, particularly in Tamil Nadu. The leaders adopted a cautious approach to avoid a Sri Lanka type situation. It was, therefore, decided that English would continue along with Hindi for official purposes. Official Language Act provides that English would remain the official language of the country so long as non-Hindi speaking States desire. Thus, this approach has helped in avoiding confrontation with non-Hindi speaking southern states particularly Tamil Nadu. It has also strengthened the spirit of federalism.
3. Center-State Relations : The relations between Center and the States too has strengthened the federalism in India as mentioned below :
1. In the beginning : The Central Government and the State Governments were controlled by one political party e., Congress. The Central Government dominated over the State Governments.
2. After 1967 : When some opposition or different political parties came to power in the States, the relations between center and the states changed. The Central Government misused the powers under Article 356 of the Constitution and dismissed the governments led by the rival parties. This was against the spirit of federalism.
4. After 1990 :
1. Coalition government was formed at the center.
2. Regional parties became powerful in the states,
3. Since no single party was able to secure majority, different parties formed alliance such as NDA and UPA.
4. Under such arrangement, culture of power sharing and respect for autonomy of state governments spread in India,
5. The Supreme Court too made it difficult for the Central Government to dismiss the State Governments in an arbitrary manner. Thus, federal structure has been strengthened by the coming of coalition governments. Federal power sharing has become effective and center-state relations have been strengthened. Respect for the autonomy of the states has increased. Thus all these policies have contributed towards making Indian federalism successful.

Question. State difference between the local government before and after the constitutional amendment in 1992.
Answer: The difference of local government in India before and after 1992 was as mentioned below :

From above it is clear that the government tried to strengthen local governments by the 73rd and 74th amendment in 1992

Question. Explain the major steps taken towards decentralisation for making the third-tier of government more powerful.
Answer: The major steps taken towards decentralisation for making the third-tier of government more powerful as mentioned below :
1. In the beginning panchayats in villages and municipalities in urban areas were setup in all the states. These bodies were, however, directly under the control of state governments. Elections to these bodies were not held regularly. They did not have resources of their own. There was thus need for a drastic step that was taken in 1992. The Constitution was amended to make the third-tier of democracy more powerful and effective.
2. Main features of the provisions of the Constitutional Amendment (1992) were as mentioned below :
1. Constitutionally mandatory to hold elections to local government bodies.
2. Reservation of seats in elected bodies and executive heads for SC/ST/OBCs.
3. Reservation of 1/3 seats for women.
4. Creation of State Election Commission to conduct election of local bodies.
5. State governments to share some powers and revenue with local government bodies. The nature of sharing varies from state to state. Thus third-tier of government has been made more powerful. Now elections are held regularly and financially these bodies have become better equipped.

Question. Explain any five features of Panchayati Raj system in India. Or
Differentiate between Gram Sabha and Gram Panchayat. Or How is rural local government known in India ? What are its different institutions ?
Answer: (1) Rural local government is popularly known by the name panchayati raj. (2) Its different institutions are as mentioned below :
1. Panchayat:
1. There is a panchayat in each village or group of villages.
2. It is a council which has several ward members (panch) and a president (sarpanch).
3. They are directly elected by all the adult population living in that ward or village.
4. Panchayat is a decision-making body for the entire village.
5. It works under the overall supervision of gram sabha.
6. Gram Sabha consists of all the voters and meets twice or thrice in a year to approve the anffual budget of the gram panchayat and to review its performance.
2. Panchayat samiti or block or mandal: A few gram panchayats are grouped together to form a panchayat samiti or block or mandal. The members of this body are elected by all the members of the panchayats in that area.
3. Zilla Parishad : All the panchayat samities or mandals in a district constitute Zilla Parishad, whose members are elected. Members of the Lok Sabha and MLAs of that district and some other officials of other district level bodies are also its members. Zilla Parishad chairperson is the political head of the Zilla Parishad.

Question. Which are the local bodies in the urban areas ? What is their composition ?
Answer:
1. The local bodies in the urban areas are municipalities or municipal committees in towns, municipal corporations in big cities.
o The members of municipal committees and municipal corporations are also elected by the people.
o Municipal Chairperson is the political head of the municipal committee. Chairperson of Municipal Corporation is called the Mayor.

Question. Describe the achievements of the new system of local governments. Also mention the problems that are being faced by these bodies.
Answer: (1) Achievements : It is the largest experiment in a democracy conducted anywhere in the world. Its main achievements are as follows :
1. There are now about 36 lakh elected representatives in the panchayats and municipalities etc. all over the country.
2. Constitutional status for local government has helped to strengthen democracy in the country.
3. There is now uniformity in local bodies across the country.
4. There is a significant number of women in the local bodies.
(2) Problems : There are problems too which are as follows :
1. Elections are held regularly but for gram sabhas are not held regularly.
2. Many State governments have not transferred significant powers to the local governments.
3. Adequate resources have not been given to them. Thus, there is still a long way to achieve the ideal of self government.

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTION

Question. What is Federalism?
Answer: Federalism is a system of government in which power is divided between a central authority and various constituent units of the country.

Question. What are the sects under „Panchayati Raj‟?
Answer: Panchayati Raj system consists of: Gram Panchayat at the village level, Panchayat Samiti at the block level and Zila Parishad at the district level.

Question. What are the functions of Municipality‟?
Answer: 1. Urban planning including town planning.
2. Regulation of land-use and construction of buildings.
3. Planning for economic and social development.
4. Roads and bridges.
5. Water supply for domestic, industrial and commercial purposes.

 

→ Very Short Answer Type Questions

1 The constitution now provides a three-tier system of government. It does not include –

OR

What popular name is used for the three tier Rural local self governments in India?
(a) Central Government      (b) State Government     (c) Panchayats      (d) Taluk

2 Which one of the following will fall under ‘Residuary Subject’?

(a) Police                           (b) Trade                       (c) Banking           (d) Computer Software/ IT

3 Which one of the countries is a coming together federation? (CCE 2010)

(a) Australia                      (b) India                        (c) Spain              (d) Belgium

4 Which one of the following countries is not an example of a holding together federation?

(a) USA                            (b) India                        (c) Spain              (d) Belgium

5 Which of the following is not placed under Union List?

(a) Banking                      (b) Foreign affairs           (c) Currency          (d) Irrigation

6 In which form of government power is shared between two or more political parties?

a. Community govt.          b) Federal govt.              c) Coalition             d) Bicameral

7 Which of the following is not a subject of the Union List? (2016)

a) Foreign                        b) Currency                    c) Banking             d) Law and Order

8 Which type of government does Belgium have?

a. Federal                        b. Unitary                       c. Communist          d. Union of States

9 Which country is an example of coming together federation?

a. Belgium                       b. USA                           c. Sri Lanka             d. India

10 How many languages are included in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution?

a. 15                               b. 18                              c. 20                      d. 22

11 Which language has the status of the National language in India?

a. Tamil                          b. English                       c. Hindi                    d. None of these

12 Who is the Head of the Municipal Corporation?

a. Chairman                   b. Sarpanch                     c. Mayor                  d. Collector

13 Major step towards decentralization in India was taken up in

a. 1990                           b. 1991                           c. 1992                   d. 1993

14 Who has the special power in administering the Union Territories in India?

a. Central Government      b. Chief Minister             c. Governor             d. President

15 When power is taken away from state governments and is given to local governments, it is called:

a. Panchayat Samiti          b. Centralization             c. Decentralization    d. Federalism

16 _________________has the power to interpret the Indian Constitution.

Ans: Judiciary

17 ___________can make laws relating to the subjects mentioned in the Concurrent List. Both Central & State Governments

18 __________state violently demanded that the use of English for official purpose should be continued.

a. Kerala             b. Tamil Nadu                c. Karnataka              d. Andhra Pradesh

19 Which among the following subjects mentioned in the Concurrent List?

a. Agriculture      b. Education                 c. Commerce              d. Police

20 One-third of seats for women is reserved only in ____________ Panchayati Raj

22 Assertion: The subjects which are not included in the Union List, State List and Concurrent List are considered as Residuary subjects.

Reason: The Union Government has the power to legislate on these ‘Residuary’ subjects’.

Options:

a. Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
b. Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
c. A is correct but R is wrong.
d. A is wrong but R is correct.
Answer: b. Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.

23 Match the following items given in column A with those in Column B. Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

COLUMN - A                                   COLUMN - B

A. Municipal Corporation                 1. Agriculture
B. Municipality                                 2. Residuary Subjects
C. Central Government                   3. Mayor
D. State Governments                    4. Chairman

a. A3, B4, C1, D2 b. A4, B3, C1, D2 c. A1, B2, C3, D4 d. A3, B4, C2, D1

24 At which level of government in India, 1/3rd of seats are reserved for women?

25 Name the countries in which the participation of women in public life is very high. 

→ Long Questions and Answers 

26 Explain any five advantages of decentralization of power. (2017) 

27 What do you understand by Federalism?

1. Federalism is a system of government in which the power is divided between a

central authority and various constituent units of the country such as states and local governments.

2. Usually, a federation has two or more levels of government. One is the government for the entire country that is usually responsible for a few subjects of common national interest.

3. The others are governments at the level of provinces or states that look after much of the day-to-day administration of their states.

4. Both these levels of governments enjoy their power independent of the other.

5. Several countries have a third level of government commonly known as Local Self Governments. E.g. Municipalities and Panchayats in India.

28 What fundamental change was brought about in the Belgian system of governance in 1993?

Contrast it with that of Sri Lanka.

1. Before 1993, in Belgium, the powers of the regional governments could be withdrawn by the central government.

2. The change that took place in 1993 was that the regional governments were given constitutional powers that were no longer dependent on the central government. Thus, after this change, Belgium shifted from a unitary government to a federal government.

3. On the other hand, Sri Lanka continues to be for all purposes a unitary system of government where the National government has all the powers.

29 How do you differentiate federalism from a Unitary form of government?

1. Federalism is a system of government in which power is divided between the central authority and various constituent units of the country. Federation may have government for the entire nation and government at the levels of provinces or states.

2. Both these levels of the government enjoy their power independent of the others. Powers of each level is specified in the Constitution. State governments have their own powers, separately answerable to the people. E.g. USA, Australia etc.

3. In a federal system, the central government cannot order the state government to do something.

1. A unitary government has one level of government or the sub- units are subordinate to the central government.

2. The Central government has all the powers and the state government does not have powers of its own.

3. The central government can pass orders to the provincial or the local government. E.g. UK, Sri Lanka, France etc.

30 Describe the main features of Federalism. (Federal state). (CBSE- 2017, 2011,2012)

Refer the page 15 (DP)

31 Give the dual objectives of the federal system. Explain. (CBSE 2009)

1. To safe guard and promote unity of the country.

2. To accommodate regional diversity.

32 What are the two kinds of routes through which federations have been formed? Explain.

OR

Differentiate between ‘coming together’ and ‘holding together’ federations

1. Coming Together Federations: Independent States coming together on their own to form a bigger unit, so that by pooling sovereignty and retaining identity they can increase their security. This type of ‘coming together’ federations includes the US, Switzerland and Australia. In this first category of federations, all the constituent States usually have equal power and are strong vis-à-vis the federal government.

2. Holding Together Federations: A large country decides to divide its power between the constituent States and the national government. India, Spain and Belgium are examples of this kind of ‘holding together’ federations. In this category, the central government tends to be more powerful vis-à-vis the States. Very often different constituent units of the federation have unequal powers. Some units are granted special powers.

33 Evaluate the main features of India which make it a federal country. (CBSE 2015-16)

OR

‘The Constitution of India declared India as a Union of states…..the Indian Union is based on the principles of federalism’. Justify the statement. The following features make India a federal state.

1. India has a three-tier system of government: The Central, the state and the Local Self Government.

2. Indian has the written Constitution. There is a clear division of legislative powers in the constitution among these levels of Government such as the Union list, the State list and the Concurrent list.

3. The Union Parliament cannot make changes in the basic structure of the constitution. Any amendment needs two third majority in the Parliament and also must be ratified by at least half of the states.

4. Judiciary plays an important role in overseeing the implementation of constitutional provisions and procedures. In case of any dispute about the division of power between the central government and the state governments, the High Courts and the Supreme Court make a decision.

5. Both the levels of government have the power to raise resources by levying taxes In order to carry on various responsibilities.

34 What are the Three-fold distribution of legislative powers provided in the Indian Constitution between the Union Government and State Governments?

Explain the following three points in note book from text book page no. 16 &17.

1. Union List of Powers 2. State List of Powers 3. Concurrent List of Powers

35 What do you understand by ‘residuary’ powers?

1. Subjects that do not fall in Union list, State list and the Concurrent list are residuary subjects.

2. According to our constitution, the Union Government has the power to legislate on these residuary subjects.

3. They have come up in the recent years like Computer software/ IT. E.g. IT Act2000.

36 Which are the units of Indian Union that enjoy very little power? Why? (CBSE 2017)

OR

Point out the limitations of Indian Federalism.

1. The Union Territories do not have the powers of the state. The Central government has special power in running these territories.

2. These are areas which are too small to become an independent state but which could not be merged with any of the existing states.

3. These are areas like Chandigarh, Lakshadweep or Capital City of Delhi, etc.

37 Why is it very difficult to make changes to the power sharing arrangement between the Union Government and State Governments? (C.B.S.E.2008)

1. It is not easy to make changes to power sharing arrangement in the Indian Constitution. The Union Parliament cannot change this arrangement on its own.

2. Any change to it has to be first passed by both the Houses of Parliament with at least two-third majority.

3. Then it has to be ratified by the legislatures of at least half of the total States.

38 What are the major tests faced by Indian democratic politics?

OR

‘The real success of federalism in India can be attributed to the nature of democratic politics in our country’. Explain. (CBSE 2011)

1. Linguistic States: The creation of the linguistic states was the first and a major test for the democratic politics in our country. The central Government resisted this idea for some time but the experience has actually made the country more united.

2. Language Policy: A second test for the Indian federation is the language policy. Our constitution did not give status of national language to any one language. 22 languages motioned in the constitution have the national language status. Hindi is

used as the official language of central government.

3. Centre -State Relations: Restructuring the Centre-State relations is one more way in which federalism has been strengthened in India. After 1990, the single party rule in central government came to an end and state parties became significant. This led to a new culture of power sharing and respect for autonomy of state governments.

39 ‘The creation of the linguistic states was the first and major test for democratic politics in our country’. Explain the statement. (CBSE 2010)

OR

Why did some national leaders fear when the demand for the formation of states on language was raised?

Ans: Formation of Linguistic states.

1. After 1947, the boundaries of several old States of India were changed in order to create new States. This was done to ensure that people who spoke the same language lived in the same State.

2. Some States were created not on the basis of language but to recognize differences based on culture, ethnicity or geography. These include States like Nagaland, Uttarakhand and Jharkhand.

3. When the demand for the states on the basis of language was raised, some national leaders feared that it would lead to the disintegration of the country (Eg. Tamil Nadu)

4. The central government resisted the idea of linguistic states for some time.

5. But the creation of linguistic states has actually made the country more united and it also made the administration easier.

40 Describe the language policy adopted in Indian Constitution.

(Refer to page no 20 of Text Book.)

OR

What is the language policy followed by the government of India?

OR

‘A second test for Indian federation is the language policy’. Explain the statement.

1. Our Constitution did not give the status of ‘national language’ to any one language. Hindi was identified as the official language.

2. Promotion of Hindi continuous to be the official policy of the Government of India. Therefore, there were many safeguards to protect other languages.

3. Besides Hindi, there are 21 other languages recognized as Scheduled Languages by the Constitution.

4. A candidate in an examination conducted for the Central government may opt any of these 22 languages to write the examination.

5. States too have their own official languages. Much of the government work takes place in the official language of the concerned State.

 

Please click on below link to download CBSE Class 10 Democratic Politics Federalism Worksheet Set A