Different tiers of the government govern the same citizens. Justify the statement by
stating the features of federalism
Answers
Answer:
Explanation:
This refers to the existence of more than one level of government in the country. In India, we have governments at the state level and at the centre. Panchayati Raj is the third tier of government. While each state in India enjoys autonomy in exercising powers on certain issues, subjects of national concern require that all of these states follow the laws of the central government. The Constitution contains lists that detail the issues that each tier of government can make laws on.
FEATURES OF FEDERALISM - SHORTCUT
1. There are two or more levels (or tiers) of government.
2. Different tiers of government govern the same citizens, but each tier has its own jurisdiction in specific matters of legislation, taxation and administration.
3. The jurisdictions of the respective levels or tiers of government are specified in the constitution.
4. The fundamental provisions of the constitution require the consent of both the levels of government.
5. Courts have the power to interpret the constitution and the powers of different levels of government.
6. Sources of revenue for each level of government are clearly specified to ensure its financial autonomy.
7. The federal system thus has dual objectives: to safeguard and promote unity of the country, while at the same time accommodate regional diversity.
FEDERALISM IN THE INDIAN CONTEXT - SHORTCUT
In India, we have governments at the state level and at the centre. Panchayati Raj is the third tier of government. These different tiers enjoy separate jurisdiction. The Constitution contains lists that detail the issues that each tier of government can make laws on. Since most federations that are formed by holding together do not give equal power to its constituent units all States in the Indian Union do not have identical powers. Jammu and Kashmir has its own Constitution. All persons in India are governed by laws and policies made by each of these levels of government.
PRACTICE OF FEDERALISM IN INDIA - SHORTCUT
The real success of federalism in India can be attributed to the nature of democratic politics in our country. This ensured that the spirit of federalism, respect for diversity and desire for living together became a shared ideal in our country. The creation of Linguistic States was the first and a major test for democratic politics in our country. Many old States have vanished and many new States have been created. This was done to ensure that people who spoke the same language lived in the same State. A second test for Indian federation is the language policy. Hindi was identified as the official language. Besides Hindi, there are 21 other languages recognised as Scheduled Languages by the Constitution. Restructuring the Centre-State relations was one more way in which federalism has been strengthened in practice. After 1990, the era of coalition government began. Since no single party secured a majority, they made an alliance with regional parties to form a government at the Centre. This led to a new culture of power sharing and respect for the autonomy of State Governments.
DECENTRALISATION IN INDIA - SHORTCUT
When power is taken away from Central and State governments and given to local government, it is called decentralisation. The basic idea behind decentralisation is that there are a large number of problems and issues which are best settled at the local level. Besides, at the local level it is possible for the people to directly participate in decision making. This helps to inculcate a habit of democratic participation. A major step towards decentralisation was taken in 1992. Rural local government is popularly known by the name panchayati raj. The local government structure goes right up to the district level.