Question

India has opted for a federal system of government with a strong unitary bias. context answer the following questions: 

1. List any three federal features of government in India.
2. List any two conditions when the Parliament can make laws on Subjects in the State List.
3. Write short notes on any two unitary features of the government in India.

Answer 1

1. Three federal features of government in India are:
   1. The Union and State Governments have separate legislative and administrative powers that cannot exceed the limits outlined in the Constitution. The Supreme Court protects the distribution of powers and prevents actions that violate the Constitution.
   2. States have the right to participate in government operations. India has a bicameral legislature consisting of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. The Rajya Sabha is mostly made up of state MPs.
   3. A successful federation requires the Union and the States to have sufficient financial resources to fulfil their responsibilities. The Indian Constitution specifies how money is distributed between the Centre and States. This distribution ensures an equitable division of financial resources between the two entities.
2. Parliament can legislate on issues listed in the State List.
   1. When the Rajya Sabha passes a resolution with a two-thirds majority, it indicates that a subject on the State List has national importance.
   2. If two or more States agree to legislate on a subject listed in the State List, Parliament may pass an Act that only applies to those States.
3. Two unitary features of the government in India are:
   1. A strong centre: The Indian Constitution establishes a strong central government, a hallmark of unitary governance. The Seventh Schedule of the Indian Constitution explains how powers and functions are allocated between the Union and States. The division of powers includes three lists: the Union List, the State List, and the Concurrent List. The Union government can legislate on Union List topics, whereas State Governments have exclusive power to legislate on State List issues. The Concurrent List allows the Centre and States to legislate, but the Central Government takes precedence.
   2. A single Constitution for Union and States: Indian states do not have the power to create their constitutions. The farmers of the Constitution advocated for one uniform Constitution for both the Centre and the States.