Question

How have the centre state relations been restructured to strengthen federalism

Answer 1

Federalism involves the distribution of power between the Centre and the State. The Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India has three lists, namely the Centre List, the State List and the Concurrent List. These lists provide various legislative heads under which ether the Centre or the State or both have power to legislate and make laws. Therefore for items listed in the State List, the States have sole power to make laws. This is the strongest feature of Indian Federalism.

Apart from this Constituional Amendments can be passed only after obtaining special majority, which means that the amendment needs to be passed by a minimum number of State Legislatures. This prevents the Centre from acting unilaterally and changing the Constitution and thus laws of the country.

Answer 2

Restructuring of the Centre-State relations has helped in strengthening federalism.

# After Independence, there were only few parties which formed governments at the centre and at the state levels.

# When rival parties formed the Government at the state level, the Central Government tried to misuse its powers by dismissing the State Governments. This weakened the

federal spirit of our constitution.

# However, the condition improved after 1990 when many regional parties emerged in different states.

# This also marked the beginning of the coalition government. Two or more parties formed the Government at the centre in the absence of a clear majority. This led to a new era of power sharing and respecting the independent working of the State

Governments.

# This trend was supported by a major judgment of the Supreme Court that made it difficult for the Central Government to dismiss state governments in an arbitrary manner.

# We thus see that, the principle of sharing of power has become more effective today than it was in the earlier years after Independence.