- Forged in Partition’s shadow, India’s federalism privileged centralisation; today, a mature democracy demands balanced autonomy and cooperative governance.
Constitutional Framework of Federalism
- Article 1: Declares India as a “Union of States,” ensuring indissoluble unity with constitutionally recognised States.
- Division of Powers: The Seventh Schedule distributes legislative authority into the Union List, the State List, and the Concurrent List.
- Article 246: Clearly demarcates legislative competence between Parliament and State Legislatures.
- Article 254: Establishes Union primacy in case of conflict on Concurrent List subjects.
- Fiscal Federalism (Article 280): Provides for a Finance Commission to recommend tax devolution between the Union and the States.
- Basic Structure Doctrine: Federalism recognised as part of the Constitution’s Basic Structure in S.R. Bommai (1994).
Centralisation Trends
- Historical Centralisation: Power gained under necessity persists beyond crisis, limiting State autonomy. E.g., Single-party dominance after Independence reinforced central control over the States.
- Political Evolution: Coalition and regional parties enabled more balanced federal governance. E.g., Rise of regional parties in the 1990s improved State influence.
- Persistent Overreach: Centralisation hardened into a habitual practice despite strong national unity. E.g., Ministries in New Delhi duplicate State functions such as health and education.
- Legislative Override: Union uses laws and subordinate rules to override State priorities. E.g., Central overrides States in education policy reform.
Need to Restore Federal Balance
- Fiscal Centralisation: Growing reliance on cesses and surcharges reduces States’ tax share. E.g., education and infrastructure cesses are excluded from the divisible pool under Article 270.
- Scheme Rigidity: Uniform CSS guidelines restrict regional flexibility. E.g., MGNREGA fund-use norms limiting drought-specific adaptations in Rajasthan.
- Concurrent Encroachment: Union laws increasingly dominate Concurrent subjects. E.g., NEP 2020 is influencing State curriculum and language policy decisions.
- Executive Overreach: Central agencies intervene in State domains, diluting accountability. E.g., expanded BSF jurisdiction in Punjab beyond the traditional 15 km limit.
- State Innovation: States drive policy breakthroughs through local experimentation. E.g., Tamil Nadu’s Noon Meal Scheme is inspiring the national PM POSHAN programme.
Key Challenges
- Innovation Suppression: Over-centralisation hinders State-led experiments like Tamil Nadu’s noon meal scheme and Kerala’s literacy model.
- Capacity Undermined: Excessive Union control stunts administrative growth, creating dependency and limiting local problem-solving.
- Outcome Gaps: Centralised governance delivers uneven access, low equity, regulatory complexity, and diminished State efficiency.
Way Forward
- Constitutional Juncture: India requires recalibration of Union-State powers to enhance effective governance.
- Right-Sizing Union: Focus the Union on genuinely national responsibilities while restoring State autonomy.
- Unity Through Autonomy: Empowering States strengthens national unity by aligning authority with responsibility.
- Council Strengthening: Empower the Inter-State Council for mandatory consultation on Concurrent List legislation. E.g., coordinated health policy frameworks.
- Governor Reform: Limit discretionary powers and enforce timelines for assent to Bills. E.g., reduce delays in enacting legislation in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
- Delimitation Safeguard: Adjust Lok Sabha seat allocation to protect political parity. E.g., prevent penalising Southern States after the 2026 exercise.
As K. Santhanam observed, ‘Authority is most effective when exercised closest to knowledge and accountability.’ Restoring federal balance empowers States, fostering innovation, efficiency, & a stronger Union.
Reference: The Hindu
UPSC Mains PYQs – Theme – Indian Federalism
- [UPSC 2022 10M] To what extent, in your opinion, as the decentralization of power in India changed the governance landscape at the grassroots?
- [UPSC 2022 15M] While the national political parties in India favour centralisation, the regional parties are in favour of State autonomy.” Comment.
- [UPSC 2020 10M] How far do you think cooperation, competition and confrontation have shaped the nature of federation in India? Cite some recent examples, to validate your answer.
- [UPSC 2015 12.5M] The concept of cooperative federalism has been increasingly emphasized in recent years. Highlight the drawbacks in the existing structure and extent to which cooperative federalism would answer the shortcomings.
- [UPSC 2014 12.5M] Though the federal principle is dominant in our Constitution and that principle is one of its basic features, but it is equally true that federalism under the Indian Constitution leans in favour of a strong Centre, a feature that militates against the concept of strong federalism.
PMF IAS Pathfinder for Mains – Question 552
Approach
- Introduction: Write a brief introduction about Indian federalism.
- Body: Write about the centralising tendency, its impact on state autonomy and fiscal space, and suggest reforms to strengthen cooperative federalism.
- Conclusion: Emphasis on a federal balance empowers States to ensure effective governance.
