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Class 10 Democratic Politics Chapter 2: Federalism - Revision Notes

The vertical division of power between various levels of government is one of the main forms of power-sharing in modern democracies. This Class 10 Social Science Political Science Chapter 2 Federalism focuses on that very type of power-sharing. It is usually known as federalism. The chapter starts by explaining federalism in general terms, the principles and methods of federalism in India. The discussion of federal constitutional provisions is followed by a discussion of politics and policies that have reinforced federalism in practice. Our local government, a unique and third level of Indian federalism is also discussed here.

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Access Class 10 Social Science (Political Science) Chapter 2 Federalism

Introduction:.

Discover concise and comprehensive revision notes for Class 10 Democratic Politics Chapter 2 on federalism.

Gain a deep understanding of the key concepts and principles underlying Federalism.

Key Points:

Definition of federalism: explore the concept of federalism, a system of government that divides power between a central authority and regional governments. understand how this division of power maintains a balance between a strong central government and the autonomy of regional governments..

Powers and Responsibilities:

Delve into the powers and responsibilities of the central government, such as defense, foreign affairs and currency regulation.

Explore the areas where regional governments exercise authority, such as education, public health and local infrastructure development.

Importance of a Written Constitution:

Discover the significance of a written constitution in federalism, as it defines the powers and limitations of both the central and regional governments.

Understand how a written constitution protects the rights and liberties of citizens and provides a legal framework for governance.

Advantages of Federalism:

Explore the benefits of federalism, including the participation of diverse regional interests, local self-governance and accommodation of regional needs.

Understand how federalism fosters unity and stability by preventing the concentration of power in one central authority.

Two Levels of Government Exist:

One exists at the national or the central level that is usually responsible for the entire country. They take care of few subjects that are of national interest.

Others exist at the level of state or divisional provinces and look after the administration on daily basis.

In a unitary system of government, only one level holds political power or authority. If other levels of government are present they work as subordinates or under the central government.

A federal government, in contrast, cannot order the state or the local government to follow the guidelines generated by the central government. 

Key Features of Federalism Are:

Learn about the division of power, where specific responsibilities and authorities are allocated to the central government and regional governments.

Understand the concept of dual government, where both the central and regional governments coexist and have their own distinct areas of jurisdiction.

What Makes India a Federal Country?

The Constitution provided for a two-tier system of government: the Union Government or Central Government and the State governments. Later Panchayats and Municipalities were also added.

 Since there is a three-tier of government, the Constitution states three lists:

Union List:

Subjects like defense, foreign affairs, currency, etc. are included in the list.

These subjects are of national importance.

Laws related to this list are made by the Union List.

State List:

Subjects like police, commerce, irrigation, etc. are covered under this list.

These subjects are of State and local importance.

Laws related to this subject are made by the state government.

Concurrent List: 

Contains subjects of common interest to both the Union as well as the States such as education, forest, trade unions, marriage, adoption, and succession. 

Both the Central and the state governments can make laws in the Concurrent List.

Some States enjoy a special status such as Assam, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, and Mizoram under Article 371 due to their peculiar social and historical circumstances. 

Chandigarh, Lakshadweep, the capital city of Delhi, is called Union Territories and the Central Government has special powers in running these areas.

How is Federalism Practiced?

Linguistic states.

The creation of linguistic States was a significant step for democratic politics in our country.

In 1947, the boundaries of several old States of India were changed to ensure that people who spoke the same language lived in the same State. Some states like Nagaland, Uttarakhand, and Jharkhand were created to recognize differences based on culture, ethnicity, or geography.

It helped to make the country more united and the administration was easier.

Language Policy

Hindi was identified as the official language but no language was given the status of the national language. Besides Hindi, there are 21 other languages recognized as Scheduled Languages by the Constitution. 

Center-State Relations

Restructuring the relationship between the Center and the State is yet another way in which federalism was strengthened in practice. If no single party has a clear majority in the Lok Sabha, major national parties could join forces with other parties, along with several regional parties, to form a coalition in the Centre.

Decentralization in India

The process in which the power is taken from the Central and State government and distributed in the hands of local governments is called decentralization.

This idea was brought into account as there are many problems and issues that are better resolved and taken care of at the local level than state or central level. Hence several local institutes were set up to take care of them.

This initiative was taken by the Indian government in 1992 and the Constitution was amended to create a third-tier of government. This made Indian democracy more powerful and effective.

To bring this to power effectively, the following steps were taken:

Regular elections for these local bodies were made mandatory.

Seats were reserved for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward classes to ensure their representation.

Women had one-third of the seats reserved for them.

State Election Commission was also established to conduct these elections.

Some share of power and revenue that the state government had was given to these local bodies.

Panchayati raj is the local government that is present in each village. A gram panchayat is also present in some groups of villages in some states.

Big cities and urban areas are taken care of by the municipalities.

Important Questions for Class 10 Political Science Chapter 2

1. State the dual objective of a federal system.

Ans: The federal system thus has dual objectives: to safeguard and promote the unity of the country, and accommodate regional diversity. These aspects are crucial for the institutions and practice of federalism. Governments at different levels should agree to some rules of power-sharing and trust that each would abide by its part of the agreement.

2. What are the factors that make the Indian federal government so attractive?

Ans: The following are the factors:

The powers are distributed and mobilized among center, state, and local governments.

The effective legal system and organized steps to make decisions make the process transparent and more trustworthy.

3. What steps were taken to make India into a federation?

Ans: The following were the steps:

Linguistic States: In 1947, the boundaries of several old States of India were changed to ensure that people who spoke the same language lived in the same State. Some states like Nagaland, Uttarakhand, and Jharkhand were created to recognize differences based on culture, ethnicity, or geography. It helped to make the country more united and the administration was easier.

Decentralization in India: The process in which the power is taken from the Central and State government and distributed in the hands of local governments is called decentralization. This idea was brought into account as there are many problems and issues that are better resolved and taken care of at the local level than state or central level. Hence several local institutes were set up to take care of them. This initiative was taken by the Indian government in 1992 and the Constitution was amended to create a third-tier of government. This made Indian democracy more powerful and effective.

4. What is Union List?

Ans: Subjects like defense, foreign affairs, currency, etc. are included in the list. These subjects are of national importance. Laws related to this list are made by the Union List.

5. What is the State List?

Ans: Subjects like police, commerce, irrigation, etc. are covered under this list. These subjects are of State and local importance. Laws related to this subject are made by the state government.

6. What is a concurrent list?

Ans: Contains subjects of common interest to both the Union as well as the States such as education, forest, trade unions, marriage, adoption, and succession. Both the Central and the state governments can make laws in the Concurrent List.

7. What level of government can legislate on the residuary subjects?

Ans: India has a federal government and hence has its power divided between the state, central and local governments. The Union government has the power to legislate on the residuary subjects.

Difference between Unitary System and Federal System

The difference between the unitary system and the federal system has been mentioned in the table below:

Did You Know?

The 2011 census recorded more than 1,300 distinct languages which people claimed as their mother tongues.

Hindi, is the mother tongue of only about 44 percent of Indians and is the most widespread language in India.

Although the constitution did not use the word federation, the Indian Union is founded on the principles of federalism.

We hope that these notes helped you in getting a clear understanding of Federalism and how it is different from the Unitary system of government. These revision notes serve to be very useful during the last-minute exam preparation as it includes all the necessary points and concepts that are required for the examination. Students can download CBSE Class 10 Political Science Revision Notes for all the other chapters that are available on our website. Download free PDFs of CBSE Class 10 Revision Notes and kickstart your exam preparation smartly.

CBSE Class 10 Political Science Other Chapter Notes 

Chapter 1 - Power Sharing

Chapter 3 - Democracy and Diversity

Chapter 4 - Gender, Religion and Caste

Chapter 5 - Popular Struggles and Movements

Chapter 6 - Political Parties

Chapter 7 - Outcomes of Democracy

Chapter 8 - Challenges to Democracy

Conclusion:

Access comprehensive revision notes for class 10 democratic politics chapter 2 on federalism, providing a thorough understanding of the concept, division of powers, and advantages of federalism. enhance your exam preparation and grasp the key concepts effortlessly with these concise and vedantu’s revision notes..

FAQs on Federalism Class 10 Notes CBSE Political Science Chapter 2 (Free PDF Download)

1. Describe India as a Federal Nation.

India is a federal state. But the word "federation" is never mentioned in the constitution once. Instead, what is mentioned is that India is a "Union of States." Many experts also believe India is a quasi-federal country. It means that it is a federal state with certain characteristics of a unitary government.

The constitution of India has effectively established a federal state of government. We have various levels of government, the government in the center, which is the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. Then there are the various state governments, the Vidhan Sabhas and the Vidhan Parishad. And finally, there are the Municipal Corporations and the Panchayats, which are forms of local governance.

2. How are Federations Formed?

Two factors are essential for the institutions that practice federalism: mutual trust between various levels of government and a consensus to live together. There are two ways primarily through which federations have been formed.

The first way involves independent states grouping together on their own to form a larger unit. This kind of "coming together" federation is established in the USA, Switzerland, and Australia.

The second way is that a large country chooses to divide its powers between the constituent national government and the states. This kind of 'holding together' federations is implemented in the countries of India, Spain, and Belgium.

3. What is Federalism in Class 10 Chapter 2 notes?

Federalism is a form of governance in which two levels of government control the same area. Both the central government and the lesser political subdivisions have the authority to create laws, and they have some autonomy from one another. Federalism explains why each state has its own constitution and rights, such as the ability to determine the type of votes used in national elections. The United States of America is the most prominent example of a country having a Federalist political system. To know more about Federalism, refer to the notes by visiting the link NCERT notes for Class 10 Social Science .

4. What are the key features of federalism in Class 10 Chapter 2?

The key features of federalism are -

Two or more tiers of government: Federalism is a kind of governance in which power is shared between a central authority and its constituent entities.

Separate jurisdiction: Different levels of government control the same people, yet each has its own jurisdiction.

Constitutional superiority 

Rigid Constitution

The supreme authority of the courts: Courts have the ability to interpret the Constitution and the functions of various levels of government. The Supreme Court serves as a referee between different levels of government.

5. What makes India a federal country study rank?

The Constitution initially called for a two-tiered form of governance, with the Central Government representing the Union of India and the State Governments representing the states. Panchayats and Municipalities were later introduced as the third layer of federalism. All the significant characteristics of a federal government and their proper implementation make India a federal country. The hierarchy of the governments and the courts’ roles in maintaining law and solving disputes among these levels also play a crucial role. Download the Vedantu app and learn more about the federal country.

6. How can I download the PDF version of Solutions of Class 10  Political Science Chapter 2?

If you wish to avail of the Notes of NCERT Class 10 Social Studies Chapter 2, then -

Visit the page-NCERT notes for Class 10 Social Science.

The webpage with Vedantu’s Notes for Class 10 Social Studies Chapter 2 will open.

To download this free of cost, click on the Download PDF button and you can view the notes offline or print out the notes to have a physical copy for your reference.

Students can visit the Vedantu website or app to download the notes free of cost.

7. Do I need to practice all the questions of Class 10 Social Studies Chapter 2?

Yes, it is essential to practice and answer all questions since they span a wide variety of events and concepts and will provide you with a strong knowledge of the kind of questions that may be asked in those areas from an examination point of view. These questions will also help you learn how different questions on the same topic may be set and will familiarise you with the paper. You must be well-versed in all the definitions and events.

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Revision Notes for Chapter 2 Federalism Class 10 Civics

Ncert solutions for chapter 4 the age of industrialisation class 10 history, related chapters.

• Power Sharing
• Democracy and Diversity
• Gender, Religion and Caste
• Popular Struggles and Movements

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• NCERT Solutions for Chapter 2 Federalism Class 10 Civics
• Important Questions for Chapter 2 Federalism Class 10 Political Science

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• NCERT Solutions For Class 10 Political Science (Civics) Social Science Chapter 1 : Power-sharing
• NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Political Science (Civics) Social Science Chapter 5 : Popular Struggles and Movements
• NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Political Science Chapter 8 : Challenges to Democracy
• Why do we need Political Parties?
• Case Studies of Belgium and Sri Lanka
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NCERT Solutions Class 10 Social Science Civics Chapter 2 : Federalism

NCERT Solutions For Class 10 Political Science (Civics) Social Science Chapter 2 :  Federalism explores how power might be dispersed to take into account regional and linguistic diversity. The NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Civics Chapter 2 covers all the crucial elements of this chapter. Students may have a greater knowledge of the ideas discussed in Chapter 2 of Federalism with the aid of these NCERT Solutions. Your knowledge of democracy and politics will be essential to building a solid foundation in law, politics, and different democratic concepts. All of the concepts covered in Chapter 2 of the Social Science Civics textbook for Class 10 are well explained in the NCERT Solutions.

NCERT Solutions Political Science Chapter 2 Federalism

Chapter 2: Federalism

Q 1. locate the following states on a blank outline political map of india: manipur, sikkim, chhattisgarh, and goa. .

India Map with Solutions

Q 2. Identify and shade three federal countries (other than India) on a blank outline political map of the world.

• South Africa

World Map Solutions

Q 3. Point out one feature in the practice of federalism in India that is similar to and one feature that is different from that of Belgium.

The similarity between India and Belgium: The union government and state governments share authority in India as well as in Belgium. Difference between India and Belgium: Belgium has a community government, but India does not have community government.

Q 4. What is the main difference between a federal form of government and a unitary one? Explain with an example.

Federal Form of Government Unitary Form of Government In the federal form of government, there is power-sharing between the union and state government. In the case of a unitary form of government, the power is centralized with the union government and the role of state government is not present. Example: India is a federal country with a union government at the center and state governments at the level of state and Panchayati Rule at the local level of governance. Example: Sri Lank is a good example of a unitary form of government, where power is with the national government.

Q 5. State any two differences between the local government before and after the Constitutional amendment in 1992.

Local Government Pre-1992 Local Government Post Constitutional Amendment 1992 The elections were not held regularly by the local governments. It was now constitutionally mandated for holding elections regularly for local government bodies. Local governments do not have the powers or even resources of their own. The State governments are required to share some of their powers and also revenues with that of local government bodies and the nature to share power can vary from state to state.

Q 6. Fill in the blanks:

Since the united states is a ___________________ type of federation, all the constituent states have equal powers and states are ______________vis-à-vis the federal government. but india is a _____________________ type of federation and some states have more power than others. in india, the ____________ government has more powers..

Since the United States is a coming-together type of federation, all the constituent States have equal powers and States are strong vis-à-vis the federal government. But India is a holding-together type of federation and some States have more power than others. In India, the central government has more power.

Q 7. Here are three reactions to the language policy followed in India. Give an argument and an example to support any of these positions.

• Sangeeta: The policy of accommodation has strengthened national unity.
• Arman: Language-based States have divided us by making everyone conscious of their language.
• Harish: This policy has only helped to consolidate the dominance of English over all other languages.

I admit to Sangeeta’s response. There would have been a second partition of India if the accommodation policy had not been implemented and linguistic bases for states had not been established.  For example, making Hindi the official language would have caused Tamil Nadu to secede from India and the South to secede from the North.

Q 8. The distinguishing feature of a federal government is:

• National government gives some powers to the provincial governments.
• Power is distributed among the legislature, executive, and judiciary.
• Elected officials exercise supreme power in the government.
• Governmental power is divided between different levels of government.

4. Governmental power is divided between different levels of government.

Q 9. A few subjects in various Lists of the Indian Constitution are given here. Group them under the Union, State, and Concurrent Lists as provided in the table below.

A. Defense B. Police C. Agriculture  D. Education E. Banking F. Forests G. Communications H. Trade I. Marriages

Q 10. Examine the following pairs that give the level of government in India and the powers of the government at that level to make laws on the subjects mentioned against each. Which of the following pairs is not correctly matched?

Q 11. match list i with list ii and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists:, q 12. consider the following two statements..

• In a federation, the powers of the federal and provincial governments are clearly demarcated. 
• India is a federation because the powers of the Union and State Governments are specified in the Constitution, and they have exclusive jurisdiction over their respective subjects. 
• Sri Lanka is a federation because the country is divided into provinces. 
• India is no longer a federation because some powers of the States have been devolved to the local government bodies.

Which of the statements given above is correct?

• A, B, and C 
• A, C, and D 
• A and B only 
• B and C only

3. A and B only

Federalism Summary

Chapter 2 of the NCERT Social Science Civics textbook- Democratic Politics-II introduces the students to the concept of federalism, the power-sharing system between two or more levels of the government. Power is divided into three levels of union, state, and local government. The local government in India is known as Panchayat Raj.

The book “Democratic Politics-II” is one of the important books for Class 10 Social Science and apart from this chapter, full set of NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Social Science is present.

Important Topics Discussed in the Chapter

• What is federalism?
• What makes India a federal country?
• How is federalism practiced?
• Decentralization in India

CBSE Notes Class 10 Political Science Notes Chapter 2: Federalism

Frequently Asked Questions on NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Political Science Chapter 2 

Q 1. why is chapter 2 of political science in class 10 ncert solutions important for the cbse exam.

The purpose of the NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Political Science Chapter 2 is to help students comprehend the proper writing style for the various questions that will be asked during the exam. Students will be able to study for the CBSE exam and do well by using these solutions. The solution contains the explanations in a detailed format and also elaborately, for helping the students to obtain better score. Students can refer to the solutions from Geeksforgeeks anywhere and at any given time, without any difficulties.

Q 2. What are the important topics covered in Chapter 2 of NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Political Science?

The important concepts which are covered in NCERT Solutions Class 10 Political Science are as follows: What is federalism? What makes India a federal country? How is federalism practiced? Decentralization in India For more clearer and better understanding, students can refer to the NCERT Solutions provided by Geeksforgeeks and help students to better answer the questions.

Q 3. What are the benefits of utilizing these Political Science Chapter 2 Solutions for Class 10?

The following are the benefits of utilizing NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Political Science Chapter 2: To aid students in their test preparation, the solutions are given in simple language. The material is organised so that students may effectively relate to the topics. The NCERT Solutions show to save students time during review. Accurate solutions based on the most recent CBSE syllabus and regulations are provided.

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Case Based Questions Test: Federalism - Class 10 MCQ

15 questions mcq test - case based questions test: federalism, read the given extract and answer the questions that follows: what about subjects that do not fall in any of the three lists or subjects like computer software that came up after the constitution was made according to our constitution, the union government has the power to legislate on these 'residuary' subjects. we noted above that most federations that are formed by 'holding together' do not give equal power to its constituent units. thus, all states in the indian union do not have identical powers. some states enjoy a special status. jammu and kashmir has its own constitution. many provisions of the indian constitution are not applicable to this state without the approval of the state assembly. indians who are not permanent residents of this state cannot buy land or house here. similar special provisions exist for some other states of india as well. q. who has the power to legislate on 'residuary' subjects.

• A. Union Government
• B. State government
• C. Community government
• D. Local government

Read the given extract and answer the questions that follows: What about subjects that do not fall in any of the three lists? Or subjects like computer software that came up after the constitution was made? According to our Constitution, the Union Government has the power to legislate on these 'residuary' subjects. We noted above that most federations that are formed by 'holding together' do not give equal power to its constituent units. Thus, all States in the Indian Union do not have identical powers. Some States enjoy a special status. Jammu and Kashmir has its own Constitution. Many provisions of the Indian Constitution are not applicable to this State without the approval of the State Assembly. Indians who are not permanent residents of this State cannot buy land or house here. Similar special provisions exist for some other States of India as well. Q. Which of the following subjects comes under 'residuary' subjects?

• A. Education
• D. Computer software

Read the given extract and answer the questions that follows: What about subjects that do not fall in any of the three lists? Or subjects like computer software that came up after the constitution was made? According to our Constitution, the Union Government has the power to legislate on these 'residuary' subjects. We noted above that most federations that are formed by 'holding together' do not give equal power to its constituent units. Thus, all States in the Indian Union do not have identical powers. Some States enjoy a special status. Jammu and Kashmir has its own Constitution. Many provisions of the Indian Constitution are not applicable to this State without the approval of the State Assembly. Indians who are not permanent residents of this State cannot buy land or house here. Similar special provisions exist for some other States of India as well. Q. Indians who are not permanent residents of ________ cannot buy land or house here.

• C. Jammu & Kashmir

Read the given extract and answer the questions that follows:

What about subjects that do not fall in any of the three lists? Or subjects like computer software that came up after the constitution was made? According to our Constitution, the Union Government has the power to legislate on these 'residuary' subjects. We noted above that most federations that are formed by 'holding together' do not give equal power to its constituent units. Thus, all States in the Indian Union do not have identical powers. Some States enjoy a special status. Jammu and Kashmir has its own Constitution. Many provisions of the Indian Constitution are not applicable to this State without the approval of the State Assembly. Indians who are not permanent residents of this State cannot buy land or house here. Similar special provisions exist for some other States of India as well.

Q. Which of the following states has its own Constitution?

• A. Uttar Pradesh
• B. Jammu & Kashmir
• C. Andhra Pradesh

A second test for Indian federation is the language policy. Our Constitution did not give the status of national language to any one language. Hindi was identified as the official language. But Hindi is the mother tongue of only about 40 percent of Indians. Therefore, there were many safeguards to protect other languages. Besides Hindi, there are 21 other languages recognised as Scheduled Languages by the Constitution. A candidate in an examination conducted for the Central Government positions may opt to take the examination in any of these languages. States too have their own official languages. Much of the government work takes place in the official language of the concerned State. Unlike Sri Lanka, the leaders of our country adopted a very cautious attitude in spreading the use of Hindi. According to the Constitution, the use of English for official purposes was stopped in 1965. However, many non- Hindi speaking States demanded that the use of English should continue. In Tamil Nadu, this movement took a violent form. The Central Government responded by agreeing to continue the use of English along with Hindi for official purposes. Many critics think that this solution favoured the English-speaking elites. Promotion of Hindi continues to be the official policy of the Government of India. Promotion does not mean that the Central Government can impose Hindi on States where people speak a different language. The flexibility shown by Indian political leaders helped our country avoid the kind of situation that Sri Lanka finds itself in.

Q. A candidate in an examination conducted for the central government positions has to opt for which language?

• C. Both Hindi and English
• D. Any of the 21 languages recognised as Scheduled Languages by the Constitution

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

• A. 21 languages
• B. 20 languages
• C. 25 languages
• D. 22 languages

Q. What was the first and major test for democratic Politics in our country?

• A. The creation of linguistic states
• B. The creation of the language policy
• C. The creation of new federal states
• D. The creation of new federal territories

These include States like Nagaland, Uttarakhand and Jharkhand. When the demand for the formation of States on the basis of language was raised, some national leaders feared that it would lead to the disintegration of the country. The Central Government resisted linguistic States for some time. But the experience has shown that the formation of linguistic States has actually made the country, more united. It has also made administration easier.

Q. Which non- Hindi speaking State demanded that the use of English should continue after 1965?

• A. Hyderabad
• C. Tamil Nadu

How many languages do we have in India? The answer depends on how one counts it. The latest information that we have is from the Census of India held in 2001. This census recorded more than 1500 distinct languages which people mentioned as their mother tongues. These languages were grouped together under some major languages. For example, languages like Bhojpuri, Magadhi, Bundelkhandi, Chhattisgarhi, Rajasthani, Bhili and many others were grouped together under 'Hindi'. Even after this grouping, the Census found 114 major languages. Of these 22 languages are now included in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution and are therefore, called 'Scheduled Languages'. Others are called 'non- Scheduled Languages'. In terms of languages, India is perhaps the most diverse country in the world.

Q. In terms of __________, India is perhaps the most diverse country in the world.

• A. population
• B. languages
• D. religions

How many languages do we have in India? The answer depends on how one counts it. The latest information that we have is from the Census of India held in 2001. This census recorded more than 1500 distinct languages which people mentioned as their mother tongues. These languages were grouped together under some major languages. For example, languages like Bhojpuri, Magadhi, Bundelkhandi, Chhattisgarhi, Rajasthani, Bhili and many others were grouped together under 'Hindi'. Even after this grouping, the Census found 114 major languages. Of these 22 languages are now included in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution and are therefore, called 'Scheduled Languages'. Others are called 'non- Scheduled Languages'. In terms of languages, India is perhaps the most diverse country in the world.

Q. How many languages are spoken in India?

More than 1200

More than 1100

More than 1000

More than 1300

Press Trust of India More than 19,500 languages or dialects are spoken in India as mother tongues, according to the latest analysis of a census released this week. There are 121 languages which are spoken by 10,000 or more people in India, which has a population of 121 crore, it said.

Q. Bhojpuri, Magadhi, ____________ , Rajasthani and many others were grouped under 'Hindi'.

• A. B undelkhandi
• C. Kashmiri

Federalism is a system of government in which the power is divided between a central authority and various constituent units of the country. Usually, a federation has two levels of government. One is the government for the entire country that is usually responsible for a few subjects of common national interest. The others are governments at the level of provinces or states that look after much of the day-to-day administering of their state. Both these levels of governments enjoy their power independent of the other. In this sense, federations are contrasted with unitary governments. Under the unitary system, either there is only one level of government or the sub-units are subordinate to the central government. The central government can pass on orders to the provincial or the local government. But in a federal system, the central government cannot order the state government to do something. State government has powers of its own for which it is not answerable to the central government. Both these governments are separately answerable to the people.

Q. Central and state governments are separately answerable to the _______.

• C. each other
• D. president

Q. Usually, a federation has _________ levels of government.

Q. Under which of the following systems, the central government can pass on orders to the provincial government?

• A. Federal system
• B. Monarchy
• C. Unitary system
• D. Dictatorship

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Federalism Class 10 Social Science Notes and Questions

Please refer to Federalism Class 10 Social Science notes and questions with solutions below. These revision notes and important examination questions have been prepared based on the latest Social Science books for  Class 10 . You can go through the questions and solutions below which will help you to get better marks in your examinations.

Class 10 Social Science Federalism Notes and Questions

Question. Mention the dual objective of federal system of government.

Federal System has dual objectives.

Question. What is the official post for the chairperson of a Municipal Corporation?

Question. What do you understand by ‘coming together’ federations?

The independent states which come together on their own to form a bigger unit so that they could increase their  security, while maintaining their sovereignty are called the ‘coming together federations.’ Examples-USA, Switzerland and Australia.

Question. Which subjects are included in the Union List?

Subjects included in the union  list include defense of the country, foreign affairs, banking, etc.

Question. Describe any three features of ‘federalism’.

Important aspects of federalism are

Governments  at different levels should agree to some rules of power sharing. They should also trust that each would abide by its part of the agreement. An ideal federal system has both aspects: mutual trust and agreement to live together. The key features are as follows  

There are two or more levels (or tiers) of government.

• Different  tiers  of  government  govern  the same citizens, but each tier has its own jurisdiction in specific matters of legislation, taxation and administration.

The jurisdictions of the respective levels or tiers of government are specified in the constitution. So, the existence and authority of each tier of government is constitutionally guaranteed.

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.

Courts have the power to interpret the constitution and the powers of different levels of government. The highest court acts as an umpire  if disputes arise between different levels of government in the exercise of their respective powers.

Sources of revenue for each level of government are clearly specified to ensure its financial autonomy.

The federal system thus  has dual objectives: to safeguard and promote unity of the country, while at the same time accommodate regional diversity.

Question. Enumerate the features of federalism.

Features of federalism:

(i)   There are two or  more  levels (or  tiers) of government. We have three levels in India.

(ii)  Different  tiers  of  government  govern  the same citizens, but each tier has its own jurisdiction in specific matters of legislation, taxation and administration.

(iii) The  jurisdictions  of  the  respective  levels or tiers of government are specified in the constitution.  Thus  the  existence and  authority of each tier of government is constitutionally guaranteed.

(iv) 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.

(v)  The high court and the Supreme court acts as an umpire if disputes arise between different levels of government in the exercise of their respective powers.

(vi) Sources  of  revenue  for  each  level  of government are clearly specified to ensure its financial autonomy.

(vii) The federal system thus has dual objectives: to safeguard and promote unity of the country, while at the same time accommodate regional diversity.

Question. Highlight three major distinctions between the federations of ‘coming together’ type and ‘holding together’ type.

  Holding together federation :

(i)   Large countries  decide to  divide its power between states and the centre.

(ii) Central  government  tends  to  be more powerful.

(iii) Federating units have unequal power. (iv) India, Spain, Belgium are examples. Coming together federation :

(i)   Independent states coming together on their own to form a bigger unit.

(ii)  All the states have equal power and are strong. (iii) By pooling sovereignty and retaining identity, they increase their security. (iv) U.S.A, Switzerland, Australia are examples

Question. Differentiate between ‘Coming Together Federation’ and ‘Holding Together Federation’, with examples.

Holding together federation :

(ii)  All the states have equal power and are strong. (iii) By pooling sovereignty and retaining identity, they increase their security.

(iv) U.S.A, Switzerland, Australia are examples

Question. How is a federal government different from the unitary form of government? Why are federations preferred these days? What Make India a Federal Country?

Difference between federal and unitary forms of government:

(i)   Unitary  government  has only one  level of government  whereas a  federal government  has two or more levels of government.

(ii) In unitary government, the sub-units are subordinate to the centre, whereas in a federation, central government cannot encroach on the rights of state governments.

(iii) In Unitary system, centre can order the sub- units with cannot happen in federation.

A federation is preferred because :

(i)   It helps in making administration  effective and efficient.

(ii)  It helps to accommodate all diverse groups.

Question. What is the system of Panchayati Raj?

In India, the Panchayati Raj functions as a system of governance in which gram panchayats are the basic units of local administration. The system has three levels: Gram Panchayat (village level), Block Samiti or  Panchayat Samiti (block level), and Zilla Parishad (district level).

Question. List under which both the Union and State Government can make laws under the federal system in India.

Concurrent List

Question. Why was States Reorganization Commission formed ?

State  Reorganization   Commission   was formed in 1954, to recommend creation of states in India on linguistic basis.

Question. Which type of powers does the community government of Belgium enjoy?

In Belgium, there is the form of community government which is elected by the people belonging to any one language community, i.e. German, French or Dutch. This gives every group proper representation and they can voice their issues associated with the language, culture and its prospective education system.

Question. What status has been given to Hindi by the Constitution of India?

Official language of India.

Question. Describe any three steps taken to strengthen the local self-governments, by the Constitutional Amendment, 1992.

A major step towards decentralization and strengthening of the local self-government was taken in 1992. The Constitution was amended to make the third-tier of democracy more powerful and  effective. The local governing  bodies were given constitutional status.

(a)   Now it is constitutionally mandatory to hold regular elections to local government bodies.

(b)  Seats are reserved in the elected bodies and the executive heads of these institutions  for the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes.

(c)   At least one-third of all positions are reserved for women.

(d)  An    independent    institution    called   the State Election Commission has been created in each State to conduct  panchayat and municipal elections.

(e)   The State governments are required to share some powers and revenue with local government bodies. The nature  of sharing varies from State to State. Rural local government is popularly known by the name panchayati raj. Members of a panchayat are directly elected by the all the adults who are living in the panchayat.

(f )   The local government  structure  goes right up to the district level. A few gram panchayats are  grouped  together  to  form  what  is  usually called a panchayat samiti or block or mandal. The members of this representative body are elected by all the panchyat members in that area.

Question. Describe any three provisions of amendment made in Indian Constitution in 1992 for making three tier government more effective and powerful.

The various provisions of the constitutional amendment  of 1992, made the third  tier of our democracy more powerful. Its provisions include – (a)   Now it is constitutionally mandatory to hold regular elections to local government bodies.

(b)  Seats  are  reserved  in  the  elected  bodies and  the  executives of these institutions  for the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other Backward Classes.

(d)  An    independent    institution    called   the State Election Commission has been created in each state to conduct panchayat and municipal elections.

(e)   The State governments are required to share some powers and revenue with local government bodies. The nature of sharing varies from state to state.

Question. Explain the factors that make federal government in India so attractive.

(i)  The Jurisdictions of different arms of the government are defined.

(ii) Administrative interference is absent because there is financial autonomy.

(iii) Problems  are  solved  as  per   jurisdiction. The federal structure ensures ‘unity amongst the people’.

Question. Highlight any three steps taken by India towards making it a federation.

(i)  Reorganisation of states on linguistic basis. (ii)  Centre state relations are well defined.

(iii) Decentralisation at Panchayat level.

Question. What are the three lists given in the Constitution?

The three-fold distribution  of legislative powers are :

(i)   Union list : Union lists consist of 97 subjects. It includes subjects of national importance such as defence of the country, foreign affairs, banking, communication and currency.

(ii)  State list : State list consists of 66 subjects. It contains subjects of state and local importance such as police, trade, commerce, agriculture and irrigation.

(iii) Concurrent  list : Concurrent  list consists of

47 subjects It includes subjects of common interest to both such as education, forest, trade unions, marriage, adoption and succession.

Question. Why has federalism succeeded in India? Which were the policies adopted by India that ensured this success? Explain.

The creation of Linguistic States was the first and a major test for democratic politics in our country:

(a) Many old states as they were before independent, have been replaced with  new states with changed geographies and names. In 1947, the boundaries of several old states 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. 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.

(b)  Language policy :  A second test for Indian federation is the language policy. Our Constitution did  not  give the status of national  language to any one language. Hindi was identified as the official language. However, Hindi  is the mother tongue of only about 40 per cent of Indians. Therefore, many safeguards were put  to protect other languages. Besides Hindi, there are 21 other languages recognized as Scheduled Languages in the Constitution.

(c) Centre-State  relations: Restructuring  the Centre – State relations is one more way in which federalism has been strengthened in practice. This happened particularly after 1990 when there was a coalition government at the centre.

(d)  Decentralisation of power : The governmental power   has   been   decentralised   to   form   the third tier of government in the form of Panchayati Raj and municipal government.

Question. Explain any five features of Panchayati Raj system in India.

Rural   local   government    is   known    as

Panchayati Raj.

(i)   Panchayati Raj is rural-based.

(ii)  Each village has a Gram Panchayat. (iii) It has Panchs and a Sarpanch.

(iv) He/she  is  directly  elected by  the  adult population in the village.

(v)  Panchayat works under the Gram Sabha.

(vi) All the voters meet at least twice or thrice in a year.

(viii) Few Gram Panchayat from The Panchayat Samiti or Block or Mandal.

Question. Explain any five provisions of the Constitutional Amendment of 1992 that strengthened the third tier government in India.

The Constitution was amended in 1992 to make the third tier government which made democracy more powerful and effective.

(i)   Now it is mandatory to hold regular elections to local government bodies.

(ii)  At least 1/3rd  of all positions and seats are reserved for women.

(iii) An  independent   institution   called  State Election Commission has been created in each state to conduct panchayat and municipal elections.

(iv) The State Governments are required to share some powers and revenue with local government bodies. The nature of sharing varies from state to state.

Question. How are the powers divided between the states and centre? Explain with examples.

(i) There  is  three-fold   distribution   of legislative powers :

(a)   Union list : Union lists consist of 97 subjects. It includes subjects of national importance such as defence of the country, foreign affairs, banking, communication and currency.

(b)  State list : State list consists of 66 subjects. It contains subjects of state and local importance such as police, trade, commerce, agriculture and irrigation.

(c)   Concurrent list : Concurrent list consists of 47 subjects. It includes subjects of common interest to both such as education, forest trade unions, marriage, adoption and succession.

(ii)  Union  Government  can make laws on  the subjects which are not covered under these lists. These subjects are put in residuary list.

Question. What challenges did centre-state relations in India face before the 1990’s? Why is power sharing between centre and state more effective today?

C hallenges b e f or e 1990 :

(i)   Political scene was dominated  by one party both at the Centre and in the States before 1990.

(ii)  As and when the ruling party at the state level asserted itself the centre enforced governors rule.

(iii) The Central Government would often misuse the constitution of dismiss the State Government that were controlled by rival parties.

A fter 1990 :

(i)  The central government was formed by a coalition of different parties.

(ii)  A number of regional parties have become powerful and play a crucial role at the Centre and States.

(iii) The era of “coalition” government  at the Centre has inculcated respect for federal autonomy and respect for state governments.

Question. What is a Gram Sabha? Describe any four functions of a Gram Sabha.

Gram Sabha : A body comprising of all adult members of a village or a group of villages.

Functions of Gram Sabha :

(i)   It elects the members of the Gram Panchayat. (ii)  The Gram Sabha supervises the work of the village panchayat.

(iii) It approves the annual budget of the panchayat. (iv) It  reviews the  performance  of  the  Gram Panchayat.

Question. “Local governments have made a significant impact on Indian democracy. At the same time there are many difficulties”. Explain.

Impact  of local self government  on  Indian democracy :

(i)   Constitutional  status  for  local government has helped to deepen democracy.

(ii)  It has increased women’s representation and voice in our democracy.

Difficulties  :

(i)   Gram sabhas are not held regularly.

(ii)  Most state governments have not transferred significant powers to local government.

(iii) State government do not provide adequate resources to the gram sabhas.

Question. Assess the need for local government. How is Federalism Practiced? Decentralization in India

Question. How do the central and state governments enjoy their power in federal system?

The central and state governments enjoy powers because their ‘Powers’ are clearly divided in Union list and State list. They exercise authority equally on  items  listed  is  the  concurrent  list. The two governments operate according to their jurisdiction.

Question. Which is the highest institution of Panchayati Raj in India?

Zilla Parishad

Question. Much of the official work in Indian state is done in which language?

Much of the official work in Indian states is done in the language of the state.

Question. What is decentralization? What is the need for it?

Decentralization can be defined as systematic distribution of authority or power at every level of the government. In India it is the centre, the state and the village level.

Question. In which list of the Indian constitution does education come? Why?

Education comes under the concurrent list; so both the states and the centre can legislate on any aspect of education.

Question. How has the Panchayati Raj strengthened the democracy in India? Express your views.

Panchayati Raj is the best example of decentralisation of power.

(i)   People can get most of their problems solved at the local level by participating in decision making. This is because people understand  the problems better and can find better solutions locally.

(iii) People can think and plan for themselves.

Question. “India has a large cultural, regional and religious diversity but there is unity among people”. What factors are responsible for this? Elaborate.

Despite the diversity the people of India are united because they have :

(i)   Right to equality.

(ii)  No discrimination on the basis of caste, creed region or religion.

(iii) SCs and STs have some seats reserved and do get representation.

(iv) They have right to freedom of religion and cultural and educational rights.

Question. Differentiate between Gram Sabha and Gram Panchayat.

Gram Panchayat is a council consisting of several ward members  often called ‘Panch’ and a president called ‘Sarpanch’. It is the decision making body for the village.

The Panchayat works under the overall supervision of the ‘Gram Sabha’. All  the voters in the village are its members.

Question. Do you take decentralisation as means to minimise the conflicts? Give your view point.

Yes, decentralisation reduces conflicts. It helps in the settlement of a large number of problems and issues at the local level.

(i) It provides a platform for the direct participation of people in decision making.

(ii)  Decentralisation  in  the  form  of  different tiers of government is the best way to realise the principles of Democracy.

Question. What is the meaning of decentralisation? Explain any four provisions that have been made towards decentralisation in India after the Constitutional Amendment in 1992.

Decentralization : When power is taken from central and state governments and is given to local government, it is called decentralization.

Question. Why did the makers of our Constitution declare India to be a ‘Union of States’? Why were some sub-political units of India given a special status?

India  became a Union  of States because it consisted of both British-ruled territories as well as many princely states. Some sub-political units of India have a special status.

(i)   Jammu & Kashmir joined India on a special condition.

(ii) Some units were too small to become independent  states. They were made Union Territories.

(iii) States in the North-East have been given a special status as they have a large tribal population with a distinct history and culture.

Question. Explain any five advantages of decentalization of power. 40. What is the rationale for decentralization of power? Explain the structure of Rural local government in India.

Advantages of Decentralization are as follows :

(i)   Sharing of power between centre, states and local government reduces conflict.

(ii)  Large number  of problems  and  issues can be best settled at local level. People have better knowledge of problems in their localities.

(iii) People have better knowledge of local issues so solutions can be found.

(iv) They know better as where to spend money and how to manage things efficiently. (v)  People at the local level participate directly in decision making.

Question. What is the rationale for decentralization of power? Explain the structure of Rural local government in India.

The rationale behind decentralisation is as follows  :

(i)   Large number of problems and issues are best settled at the local level because people have better knowledge of their local problems.

(ii)  It helps in promoting direct participation of the people in governance.

Structure of Rural Local Government :

A few gram panchayats are grouped together to form a panchayat samiti or block or mandal. The members of this representative body are elected by all the panchayat samitis or mandals in a district which makes the Zilla Parishad.

Most members of the Zilla Parishad are elected members of Lok Sabha and MLA’s of that district and  some other  officials of other  district  level bodies.

The chairperson of Zilla Parishad is the political head.

Notes For NCERT Class 10 Social Science Democratic Politics – II Chapter 2 Federalism

Features of Federalism:- • Two or more levels of government • Each level has its own jurisdiction (power) • Jurisdictions Specified in the Constitution • Changes in the provisions of Constitution require the consent of both the govt’s. • Courts acts as an umpire if any dispute arise between the levels of government. • Sources of revenue specified (Financial autonomy) – Every state has its own revenue to look after its welfare. • Dual objective – promote the unity of the country by accommodating regional diversity

Residuary Subjects: * Computers • Subjects that do not fall in any of the three lists, laws of union Govt. will prevail.

How is federalism practiced? • Linguistic states- People who spoke the same language lived in the same state. • Some states were created not on the basis of language, but to recognize differences based on culture, ethnicity or geography. • Formation of linguistic states has made the country united, made administration easier. • Language Policy- Did not give status of National language to any one language. Flexibility is shown. The use of English along with Hindi for official purposes is agreed. States too have their own official languages .

Decentralization Power taken away from centre and State given to local government

Reason for Decentralization in India – • Large country • Three – Tier govt., – local govt. formed • Large no: of problems and issues • Local people-better knowledge of local problems • Democratic participation – local self – govt. • 1992- Amendment – third tier made – more powerful

Steps taken to make third-tier more powerful • Regular elections • Reservation of seats for SC, ST, OBC • Reservation for women • Creation of state EC to control elections • State govt. to share power & revenue with local govt.

Formation of Panchayati Raj (Rural local government)- • Group of each village have a panchayat • President or Sarpanch • Directly elected by the people • Works under the supervision of gramasabha (all voters of the village) • Meets twice or thrice a year to approve the budget of Grama Panchayat

Short Answer Questions

Question 1. What are the two routes through which federation have been formed? Answer: • There are two kinds of routes through which federations can be formed. • First one is ‘Coming together Federation’ in which independent units comes closely to each other to form a union in which both centre and states vis-à-vis powerful. • Second one is ‘Holding together Federation’- here a large country decides to divide its powers between the constituent states and the national government.

Question 2. What is the importance of Local Self government? Answer: • The matter of local interest like water supply, the cleaning and lighting of streets, maintenance of drainage system, etc are best settled at the local level. • It is possible for the people to directly participate in decision making at the local levels like people can take part in panchayat meetings held in their area. • The money spend and the to manage things more efficiently are seen here.

Question 3. What is the real reason for the success of federalism in India? Answer: • The constitutional provisions are laid out very clearly • The nature of democratic politics has ensured its success • There is respect for diversity • The creation of Linguistic States , the flexibility shown by the Indian political leaders in Language policy and the significant changes made in the Centre –State relationships

Question 4. What was the relationship between the centre and state when different parties ruled at the centre and state levels till 1990? Answer: • When different parties ruled at the centre and state levels the parties at the centre tried to undermine the power of states. • The central government misused the constitution often to dismiss the state governments that were controlled by other parties. This is against the spirit of federalism.

Question 5. Write a note on the Local bodies that exist in Urban areas? Answer: • Municipalities are setup in towns. Big cities have Municipal Corporations . • Both Municipalities and Municipal Corporations are controlled by elected bodies consisting of the people’s representatives. • C]Municipal Chairman is the head of the Municipality and Mayor for Municipal Corporation.

Long Answer Questions

Question 1.What are the main features of Federalism ? Answer: • In federalism there are two or more tires of government but both of the tiers rule over the same citizens. • Powers of every level are clearly written in the constitution and no one is authorized to cross its limits. • The fundamental provisions of the Constitution cannot be unilaterally changed by one level of government. • In federalism, courts are known as the guardians of constitution. • Source of revenue of each level of government are clearly specified. • The dual objectives of federal system -[a]To safeguard and promote unity of the country [b] accommodate regional diversity.

Question 2 What are the three-fold distribution of Legislative powers between the Union and the State governments. What are ‘Residuary Subjects’? Answer:  Constitution has clearly demarcated the powers between different levels. Every level is given certain subjects to make laws related to its jurisdiction. • Union List: Union List is a list of certain subjects on which Central government can make laws. • State List : State list is a list of certain subjects on which state government can make laws. • Concurrent List : Concurrent list is a list of subjects which are of common interest for both central and state government. • Residuary Subjects : There are certain subjects which are not included in any of the three lists only central government can make laws on these subjects.

Question 3. What major steps were taken in 1992 towards decentralization? Answer: • A three tier democracies were introduced in 1992. • A step was taken towards creating rural local self govt. • Regular elections to be held for panchayats. • Seats reserved for SC’s and STs OBCs • One third seats reserved for women • State govt. to share power and revenue with local bodies.

Question 4. Explain the flexibility shown in the language policy in Indian federation? Answer: • Our Constitution did not give the status of national language to any one language. • A candidate in an examination conducted for Central government positions may opt to take the examination in any of the the languages. States too have their own official language. • English along with Hindi is used for official purposes. • Promotion of Hindi continues to be the official policy of Government of India.Here, promotion does not mean that Central government can impose Hindi on states where people speak a different language.

We hope the above  Federalism Class 10 Social Science  are useful for you. If you have any questions then post them in the comments section below. Our teachers will provide you an answer. Also refer to  MCQ Questions for Class 10 Social Science

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NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Political Science (civics) Chapter 2 Federalism

Class 10 Political Science (civics) Chapter 2 Federalism

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Political Science (civics) Chapter 2 Federalism, in this step-by-step answer guide. In some of State Boards and CBSE schools, students are taught thru NCERT books. As the chapter comes to an end, students are requested few questions in an exercising to evaluate their expertise of the chapter. Students regularly want guidance managing those NCERT Solutions.

It’s most effective natural to get stuck withinside the exercises while solving them so that you can assist students score higher marks, we’ve provided step by step NCERT answers for all exercises of Class ten Social Science Federalism so you can be looking for assist from them. Students should solve those exercises carefully as questions withinside the final exams are requested from those, so these exercises immediately have an impact on students’ final score. Find all NCERT Solutions for Class ten Social Science Federalism below and prepare in your tests easily.

Exercise Questions

Q.1 . Locate the following States on a blank outline political map of India :

Manipur , Sikkim , Chhattisgarh and Goa .

Q.2 . Identify and shade three federal countries ( other than India ) on a blank outline political map of the world .

Q.3 . Point out one feature in the practice of federalism in India that is similar to and one feature that is different from that of Belgium .

Ans . In India , just like in Belgium , the central government has to share its powers with the State governments . However , unlike Belgium , India does not have a communist government in addition to the central and the state government . India has rural local government popularly known as Panchayati Raj .

Q. 4. What is the main difference between a federal form of government and a unitary one ? Explain with an example .

Ans . In a federal form of government , the central government shares its powers with the various constituent units of the country . Both types of governments are separately answerable to the people . For example , in India , power is divided between the Central Government and the various State governments . In a unitary form of government , all the power is exercised only by one government . In this , the Central government can pass orders to the provincial or the regional government . Under the unitary system , either there is only one level of government or sub – units are subordinate to the central government . For example , in Sri Lanka , the national government has all the powers .

Q. 5. State any two differences between the local government before and after the Constitutional amendment in 1992 .

Ans . A major step towards decentralisation was taken . in 1992. The Constitution was amended to make the third – tier of democracy more powerful and effective .

Q. 6. Fill in the blanks :

Since the United States is a ­­­­­­_______ type of federation , all the a constituent the States have equal powers and ________ States are vis – à – vis the federal government . But India is a ________ type of federation and some States have more power than others . In India , the _______ government has more powers .

Ans . The United States is a coming together type of federation , all the constituent States have equal powers and States are strong vis – à – vis the federal government . India , on the other hand , is a holding together type of federation and some of the states have more power than others . In India , the Central government has more powers .

Q. 7. Here are three reactions to the language policy followed in India . Give an argument and an example to support any of these positions .

Sangeeta : The policy of accommodation has strengthened national unity .

Arman : the Language – based States have divided us by making everyone conscious of their language .

Harish : This policy has only helped to consolidate the dominance of English over all other languages .

Ans . I fully agree with Sangeeta’s reaction to this . If the policy of accommodation was not followed and states were not created on linguistic basis , then there would have been a further partition of India The formation of linguistic states has actually made the country more united and has also made the administration much easier , for example , imposition of Hindi as the national language would have led the South to break away from North and south in Tamil Nadu would have become an independent nation . So parliament enacted the Official Language Act of 1963 which provided for the continued use of English for official purposes along with Hindi , even after 1965 .

Q. 8. The distinguishing feature of a federal government is :

( i ) National government gives some powers to the provincial governments .

( ii ) Power is distributed among the legislative , executive and the judiciary .

( iii ) Elected officials exercise supreme power in the government .

( iv ) Governmental power is divided between different levels of government .

Ans . ( d ) Governmental power is divided between the different levels of government .

Detailed Answer : The levels are the Central Government , the State Government and the Panchayati Raj .

Q.9 . A few subjects in various Lists of the Indian Constitution are given here . Group them under the Union , State and Concurrent Lists as provided in the table below .

A.Defence ; B. Police ; C. Agriculture ; D. Education ; E. Banking ; F. Forests ; G. Communications ; H. Trade ; I. Marriages

Detailed Answer :

Union list includes the subjects of national importance .

State list contains the subjects of state and local importance .

The concurrent list includes the subjects of common interests to both the Union Government as well as the State Governments .

Q. 10. Examine the following pairs that give the level of government in India and the powers of the government at that level to make laws on the subjects mentioned against each . Which of the following pairs is not correctly matched ?

Ans . ( d ) Local Governments – Residuary powers

Matters which are not included in any of the three lists are known as residuary subjects and the right to make laws on these subjects is called residuary power . The central government ( the Parliament ) has been given rights to legislate on these subjects .

Q. 11. Match List I with List – II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists :

Q. 12. Consider the following two statements .

A. In a federation , the powers of the federal and provincial governments are clearly demarcated .

B. India is a federation because the powers of the Union and State Governments are specified in the Constitution and they have exclusive jurisdiction on their respective subjects .

C. Sri Lanka is a federation because the country is divided into provinces .

D. India is no longer a federation because some powers of the States have been devolved to the local government bodies .

Which of the statements given above are correct ?

( a ) A , B and C

( b ) A , C and D

( c ) A and B only

( d ) B and C only

Ans . ( c ) A and B only

Detailed Answer : All levels of governance will govern the same citizens , but their jurisdiction will be different . This means that each level of government will have a specific power to form laws , legislate and execute these laws . Both of the governments will have clearly marked jurisdiction .

Intext Questions

Q. 1. I am confused . What do well call the India government ? Is it Union , Federal or Central ?

Ans . Since India is made up of states by ‘ holding together , so , without any confusion , we should call it a federal state and the government at the centre is called the central government .

Q. 2. Though only 25 of the world’s 192 countries have a federal political system , their citizen makes up 40 per cent of the world’s population . Most of the large countries of the world are federations . Can you notice an exception to this rule in this map ?

Ans . Yes , China , which is the most populous country in the world does not practice the federal system of sharing of power . Instead , it enjoys a unitary political system .

Q. 3. If federalism works only in big countries , why did Belgium adopt it ? [ NCERT Page 15 ]

Ans . Because even though it is a small country , it has a diverse population made up of multilingual groups . These linguistic groups have their own intersect which might lead to social conflict . So , to avoid any possible social conflict and political instability , Belgium adopted the federal system of power sharing .

Q.4 . Some Nepalese citizens were discussing the proposals on the adoption of federalism in their new Constitution . This is what some of them said : [ NCERT Page 16 ]

Khag Raj : I don’t like federalism . It would lead to reservation of seats for different caste groups as in India .

Sarita : Ours is not a very big country . We don’t need federalism .

Babu Lal : I am hopeful that Teria areas will get more autonomy if they get their own state government .

Ram Ganesh : I like federalism because it will mean that the powers that were earlier enjoyed by the king will now be exercised by our elected representatives .

If you were participating in this conversation what would be your response to each of these ? Which of these reflect a wrong understanding of what federalism is ? What makes India a federal country ?

Ans . ( i ) Response to Khag Raj : No , you are not true . What different caste groups are being given are their rights , which they have been kept deprived of for years . Federalism truly serves the purpose when it believes in mutual trust . This is the spirit of democracy .

( ii ) Response to Sarita : No Sarita , Nepal is also a diverse country consisting of a group of people having different interests . Take the example of Belgium . Though it was a small country , there was social conflict . This could only be resolved by making a federation . So , we also need a federal system that takes care of its people equally .

( iii ) Response to Babu Lal : Yes , I agree , but do not think only about the Terai area . There are other areas as well which need more autonomy . So , the only way is to form a federal system so that each region gets its own share and can live together with mutual trust and contribute to the development of the nation equally .

( iv ) Response to Ram Ganesh : Yes , I agree . When power is concentrated in one hand , harms the will of the common people . In a democracy , people rule themselves through the institution of self – governance . The decentralization of power will ensure due respect to diverse groups and views that exist in society , and everyone will have a voice in the shaping of public policy .

( ii ) Of these , Khag Raj and Sarita have a wrong understanding of what federalism is .

( iii ) In India , there are three levels of government – The central , state and local governments . These have their own jurisdictions . There is a Constitution which declares their powers and duties . There is an apex court under an independent judiciary , which can resolve disputes between them . All the state governments have their own sources of income . Income is also shared with the central government . All these features make India a federal country .

Q. 5. Isn’t that strange ? Did our Constitution makers not known about federalism ? Or did they wish to avoid talking about it ?

Ans . It is not strange . Our Constitution makers . were aware of the concept of federalism . But , intentionally , they did not talk about it . This was because our democracy was passing through a nascent stage where they had to take steps to consolidate different free princely states . If they had heen been given more autonomy , we might have faced many divisions in our country . They supposed that with a maturity of democracy , proper changes will be brought in the Constitution to make the nation federal So . So they left this issue to the people and future leaders to decide about .

Q. 6. If agriculture and commerce are state subjects , why do we have ministers of agriculture and commerce in the Union cabinet ? [ Page 17 ]

Ans . This is because the states have to deal with each other in commercial and agricultural commodities . There come chances when a state will act arbitrarily . In that condition , problems will arise regarding price control , tax , etc. Also , the country has to deal with other nations in these subjects . So , a separate ministry of agriculture and commerce is necessary for the Union Cabinet .

Q. 7. Pokhran , the place where India conducted its nuclear tests , lies in Rajasthan . Suppose the Government of Rajasthan was opposed to the Central Government’s nuclear policy , could it prevent the Government of India from conducting the nuclear tests ? [ Page 18 ]

Ans . No , the Government of Rajasthan cannot prevent the Government of India from conducting the nuclear tests . Because the formation of nuclear policy is under Union list as it is a matter of national importance . Our constitution has clearly demarcated the power between the state government and central government .

Q. 8. Suppose the Government of Sikkim plans to introduce new textbooks in its schools . But the Union Government does not like the style and content of the new textbooks . In that case , does the state government need to take permission from the Union Government before these textbooks can be launched ?

Ans . No , in this case , the Government of Sikkim need not have to take permission from the Union Government , because education is a subject of the concurrent list on which both the state and Union governments can make laws . And , in case of any conflict of law , only the Union law prevails .

Q. 9. Question . Suppose the Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh , Chhattisgarh and Orissa have different policies on how their state police should respond to the Naxalites . Can the Prime Minister of India intervene and pass an order that all the Chief Ministers will have to obey ?

Ans . No , the police is a state subject on which only the states can make laws .

Q. 10 . Has your village or town remained under the same state since independence ? If not , what was the name of the earlier state ?

Q. 11 . Can you identify three state names in 1947 that has changed later ?

Ans . Madhya Pradesh was called Central Province

Punjab was a part of North – West Province

Rajasthan was a part of Rajputana .

Q. 12 . Identify any three states which have been carved out of a bigger state .

Ans . 1. Jharkhand from Bihar .

2. Chhattisgarh from Madhya Pradesh .

3. Uttarakhand fro Uttar Pradesh

Q. 13 . Why Hindi ? Why not Bangla or Telugu ? [ Page 21 ]

Ans . The Government of India , in its Constitution , declares Hindi and English as official languages . But , being a federal government , it cannot impose its will on the people who speak a language other than Hindi . The Union Government continues to promote Hindi as the official language because 40 % of its population speaks Hindi . This is the flexibility shown by the Union that states have their own official languages . We respect the language and culture of each other . So , people are free to speak in the language of their choices . Each state has its official language .

Q. 14. Here are two cartoons showing the relationship between the Centre and the State . Should the state go to the Centre with a begging bowl ? How can the leader of a coalition keep the partners of government satisfied ? [ Page 00 ]

Ans . ( i ) No , the state should not go to the Centre with a begging bowl .

( ii ) The leader of the coalition government can keep the partners happy by sharing the power with them and also chalking the programme with their consent .

Q. 15. What do these newspaper clipping have to say about the efforts of decentralization in India ? [ Page 25 ]

Ans . In these newspaper clippings , the news is related to Panchayats . Panchayats in India are meant for the decentralization of power . These are meant for the self – governance at the grassroots level .

• The clippings show a huge number of women elected to Panchayats i.e. , increased participation of women in politics .

• Secondly , justice has been made easily accessible and cheap .

• These also reflect that Panchayats get direct funding from the central

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NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Civics Chapter 2 Federalism

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Social Science Civics Chapter 2 Federalism are provided here. With these solutions, you will learn the right way to write answers to the questions perfectly in exams. We have updated the  NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Civics  Chapter 2 Federalism for the current session so that you can easily score high marks in the exams. You can also download PDF of the solutions and use them whenever you are offline.

Class 10 Social Science Civics Chapter 2 NCERT Solutions

Question 1: Locate the following States on a blank outline political map of India: Manipur, Sikkim, Chhattisgarh and Goa

Question 2: Identify and shade three federal countries (other than India) on a blank outline political map of the world.

Question 3: Point out one feature in the practice of federalism in India that is similar to and one feature that is different from that of Belgium.

Answer: Feature in the practice of federalism in India that is similar to that of Belgium – There is power-sharing between the union government and state government.

Feature in the practice of federalism in India that is different from that of Belgium – India has no community government in practice, while Belgium has one.

Question 4: What is the main difference between a federal form of government and a unitary one? Explain with an example.

Answer: In a federal form of government, the central government shares its powers with the various constituent units of the country. For example, in India, power is divided between the government at the Centre and the various State governments.

In a unitary form of government, all the power is exercised by only one government. For example, in Sri Lanka, the national government has all the powers.

Question 5: State any two differences between the local government before and after the constitutional amendment in 1992.

Question 6: Fill in the blanks:

Since the United States is a ____________________ type of federation, all the constituent States have equal powers and States are _______________ vis-à-vis the federal government. But India is a _________________ type of federation and some States have more power than others. In India, the ___________________ government has more powers.

Answer: Since the United States is a coming together type of federation, all the constituent States have equal powers and States are strong vis-à-vis the federal government. But India is a holding together type of federation and some States have more power than others. In India, the Central government has more powers.

Question 7: Here are three reactions to the language policy followed in India. Give an argument and an example to support any of these positions.

Sangeeta: The policy of accommodation has strengthened national unity.

Arman: Language-based States have divided us by making everyone conscious of their language.

Harish: This policy has only helped to consolidate the dominance of English over all other languages.

Answer: Sangeeta’s reaction is better than those of the other two. Unlike Sri Lanka (where the language of the majority has been promoted), the Indian polity has given equality of status to all the major languages spoken in the country. This has led to the avoidance of social conflict on linguistic basis. The policy of accommodation has made administration of States easier. It has also ensured a larger participation in the government’s activities by people who speak various languages.

Question 8: The distinguishing feature of a federal government is: (a) National government gives some powers to the provincial governments. (b) Power is distributed among the legislature, executive and judiciary. (c) Elected officials exercise supreme power in the government. (d) Governmental power is divided between different levels of government.

Answer: (d) Governmental power is divided between different levels of government.

Question 9: A few subjects in various Lists of the Indian Constitution are given here. Group them under the Union, State and Concurrent Lists as provided in the table below.

A.   Defence       B.  Police             C. Agriculture               D. Education E. Banking          F. Forests           F. Communications     E. TradeMarriages

Question 10: Examine the following pairs that give the level of government in India and the powers of the government at that level to make laws on the subjects mentioned against each. Which of the following pairs is not correctly matched?

Question 11: Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists:

Question 12: Consider the following statements.

(A) In a federation the powers of the federal and provincial governments are clearlydemarcated.

(B) India is a federation because the powers of the Union and State Governments arespecified in the Constitution and they have exclusive jurisdiction on their respective subjects.

(C) Sri Lanka is a federation because the country is divided into provinces.

(D) India is no longer a federation because some powers of the states have been devolvedto the local government bodies.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a)  A, B and C (b)  A, C and D (c)  A and B only (d)  B and C only

Answer: (c) A and B only

Class 10 Political Science (Civics) Chapter 2 Federalism: Chapter Overview

In the first chapter, you have learned that vertical division of power among different levels of government is one of the major forms of power sharing in modern democracies. In this chapter, you will learn more about this form of power-sharing. This type of power-sharing is most commonly referred to as federalism. We begin by describing federalism in general terms. This chapter explains the theory and practice of federalism in India. Going through the chapter, you will find a discussion of the federal constitutional provisions. Further, you will see an analysis of the policies and politics that have strengthened federalism in practice. Towards the end of the chapter, it discusses the local government, a new and third tier of Indian federalism.

Federalism MCQ | Class 10 Unit 3 Chapter 1 Social Science

Federalism mcq.

Below are some of the very important NCERT MCQ Questions of Power Sharing Class 10 Social Science Unit 3 Chapter 2 with Answers. These Federalism MCQ have been prepared by expert teachers and subject experts based on the latest syllabus and pattern of term 1 and term 2. We have given these Federalism MCQ Class 10 Social Science Questions with Answers to help students understand the concept.

MCQ Questions for Class 10 Social Science Unit 3 chapter 2 are very important for the latest CBSE term 1 and term 2 pattern. These MCQs are very important for students who want to score high in CBSE Board.

We have put together these NCERT  Questions of Federalism MCQ for Class 10 Social Science Unit 3 Chapter 2 with Answers for the practice on a regular basis to score high in exams. Refer to these MCQs Questions with Answers here along with a detailed explanation.

1.When was the State Reorganization Commission formed?

   (a) In 1951    (b) In 1963

   (c) In 1997    (d) In 1953

2. ‘Coming together federation’ is not found in which Of the following country ? 

    (a) India              (b) U.S.A 

   (c) Switzerland    (d) Australia

3. In which Schedule of the Indian Constitution are the 22 scheduled languages included ?

    (a) Eighth schedule  (b) Tenth schedule

   (c) Twelfth schedule (d) Ninth schedule

4. What do you call the act of taking power from State and Central governments and giving it to local governments ?

    (a)    Federal government

    (b)    Democracy

    (c)    Decentralisation

   (d)    None of the above

5. Which subjects are included in the Concurrent List ?

    (a)    National importance.

    (b)    State importance.

    (c)    Both national and state importance.

    (d)    Importance of local government.

6. When was the use of English for official purposes stopped ?

     (a) 1956    (b) 1958

     (c) 1960    (d) 1965 

7. What is the third tier of government known as ?

    (a)    Village Panchayats

    (b)    Local self-government

    (c)    Zila Parishad

    (d)    State government     

8. Which of the following is true regarding language policy of India ?

    (a)    Hindi is the national language.

    (b)    English is the official language.

    (c)    No language is given the status of national language.

   (d)    English is the national language.

9. Which of the following includes foreign affairs ?

     (a)  Union List    (b) State List

     (c) Concurrent List  (d) Federal List

10. Holding together Federation stands for: 

   (a) The type of federation in which a large country decides to divide its power between the constitution states and the national government 

  (b) The type of federation in which a small country decides to divide its power between the constituent state and the national government 

  (c ) The type of federation in which a large country decides to divide its power among the constitution States 

  (d) The type of federation in which a small country decides to divide its power among the constituent States 

11. The system of Panchayati Raj involves 

    (a)The village block and district levels 

   (b) The village and state levels 

   (c) The village district and state levels 

   (d)  The village, state and Union level

12. Who elects the members of the Gram panchayat?

     (a)    The Presiding Officer

     (b)    The Gram Sabha

     (c)    The Gram Panchayat 

     (d)    The Nyaya Panchayat

13. What per-cent of the seats in the local government bodies are reserved for women? 

    (a) One-third

    (b) Two-third

    (c) Half

    (d) None of the above

14. In case of a clash between the laws made by the centre and a state on a subject in the Concurrent List. 

   (a) The state law prevails

   (b) The central law prevails

   (c) Both the laws prevail wjtlun  jurisdictions

   (d) The Supreme Court has to Intervene to decide.

15. How much of the Indian population has Hindi as its mother tongue?

    (a) 60%

    (b) 50%

    (c) 44%

    (d) 30%

Click Below To Learn Social Science Term-1 Syllabus Chapterwise MCQs

• Unit- I: India And Contemporary World
• Chapter 1: The Rise of Nationalism in Europe
• Unit-II: Contemporary India-II
• Chapter 1: Resources and Development
• Chapter 3: Water Resources
• Chapter 4: Agriculture 
• Unit III: Democratic Politics-II
• Chapter 1: Power Sharing
• Chapter 2: Federalism
• Unit IV: Economic 
• Chapter 1: Development
• Chapter 2: Sectors of Indian Economy

Click Below To Learn Science Term-1 Syllabus Chapter wise MCQs

• Chapter 1: Chemical Reactions And Equations MCQ
• Chapter 2 Acids Bases and Salts mcq
• Chapter 3 Metal and Non-metals mcq
• Chapter 6: Life Process MCQ
• Chapter 10: Light: Reflection And Refraction MCQ 
• Chapter 11: Human Eye And Wonderful World MCQ

16. Which federal institution oversees the implementation of Constitutional provisions and procedures? 

    (a) Legislature    (b) Executive

    (c) Judiciary                (d) Cabinet

17. Which government has special powers in running union territories? 

      (a) State government 

      (b) Central Government 

      (c ) Municipality government 

      (d)  Gram Panchayat 

18. The concept of decentralization signifies 

      (a)The three tier government at the urban level 

      (b) The two tier government at only rural level 

      (c ) Power taken away from Central and state government and given to local government at both the urban and rural levels 

     (d) Autonomy given to the state government.

19. A Mandal constitutes 

• Municipal corporations 
• Non government organisations 
• Trade union 
• Gram Panchayat

20. The distinguishing feature of a Federal government is 

    (a) National government gives some power to the provincial government 

    (b) Power is distributed among the legislature executive and judiciary 

    (c ) Elected officials exercise Supreme Power in the government 

   (d) Governmental power is divided between different levels of government

21. Which of the following define the above image correctly?

      (a)    Mutual understanding between the coalition partners.

      (b)    The states should not go to the centre with a begging bowl,

      (c)    The states plead for more power.

      (d)    It is against the essence of federalism.

22.  ——- have the power to interpret the constitution.

23. The body for the supervision of Gram Panchayat is ———

24. The Chairperson of a ——— is known as Mayor 

25. ——– is the body created in each state to conduct panchayat and municipal elections.

26. Banking and defence are the subjects of ———

27. Correct the following statement and rewrite : 

The Central government has imposed Hindi on states where people speak a different language.

28. Correct the following statement and rewrite : 

Federal power sharing in India needs another tier of government, above that of the local government.

29. Name some linguistic states.

30. Define Concurrent List.

31. What is another popular name of rural local government in India ?

32. Discuss the dual objectives of federalism. 

33. Give some examples of coming together with the federation. 

34. Give some examples of holding together a federation.

35. What are the subjects included in the State List ?

36. What are the subjects included in the Union List ?

37. How did Belgium government turn to a federal state from a unitary one ?  

38. Name three-tiers of Indian federalism.

39. What other factors besides politics keep the federations united?

40. What is Federalism ?

42. Analyse the information given below, considering one of the following correct options :

It includes subjects of common interest  to both the Union Government as well as the State govertunent, such as education, forest, trade union, marriage, adoption and succession. Both the union as well as the state government can make laws on the subjects mentioned in tlüs list.

    (a) Concurrent List       (b) Union List

    (c) State List      (d) Government List

 43. Arrange the following in the correct 

(i) The Parliament cannot on its own change this arrangement.

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

(iii) Any change to it has to be first passed by both the Houses of the Parliament with at least two-thirds majority.

(iv) It is not easy to make changes to the power sharing arrangement.

     (a) iv-i-iii-ii          (b) i-ii-iii-iv

     (c) iv-iii-ii-i        (d) ii-iii-iv-i 

44. Complete the following 

Concurrent List includes subjects which are of common interest to ——–

45. Complete the following 

An ideal federal system has both aspects ——

46. Complete the following :

Coalition government is the government formed by the coming together ——

47. Complete the following :

Arbitrary means using power without restriction and without ——-

48. Complete the following :

Federation has two levels of government and both of them enjoy ——-

49. Municipalities function in big cities.    (True/False)

50. The exact balance of power between the central and the state governments varies from one federation to another.    (True/Fa1se)

51. The Gram Panchayat is generally elected for a term of two years.   

(True/False) 

52. A Gram Panchayat performs the functions that aim at decentralising political power. 

(True/False)

53. The creation of linguistic states was the first and major test for democratic politics in our country.

54. Match the following :   

Column A    Column B

(i) Union of India    (a) Mayor

(ii) Central and State governments    (b) Concurrent List

(iii) Municipal Corporation     (c) Prime Minister

(iv) State    (d) Sarpanch

(v) Gram Panchayat    (e) Governor

Assertion and Reasoning MCQs

(a) Both Assertion and Reason are correct and Reason is the correct explanation of Assertion.

(b) Both Assertion and Reason are correct but Reason is not the correct explanation of Assertion.

     (c) Assertion is true but Reason is false.

     (d)    Assertion is false but the reason is true.

55. Assertion : Regional governments can withdraw power from the Central Government.

Reason : Regional governments were given constitutional powers that were no longer dependent on the central government.

56. Assertion : Constitutional provisions are necessary for the success of federalism.

Reason : The spirit of federalism, respect for diversity and desire for living together became a shared ideal in our country.

57. Assertion : The basic idea behind decentralisation is to focus on locality based issues and problems.

Reason : Local government is the worst method of realizing the concepts of democracy.

Case Based MCQs  

58. Read the source given below and answer the following  questions :

Union List includes subjects of national importance such as defence of the country, foreign affairs, banking, communications and currency. They are included in this list because we need a uniform policy on these matters throughout the country. 

The Union Government alone can make laws relating to the subjects mentioned in the Union List. State List contains subjects of State and local importance such as police, trade, commerce, agriculture and irrigation. 

The State Governments forest, trade unions, marriage, adoption and succession. Both the Union as well as the State Governments can make laws on the subjects mentioned in this list. If their laws conflict with each other, the law made by the Union Government will prevail. 

Answer the following MCQs by choosing the most appropriate option: 

(i) In which of the following categories the legislative powers have been distributed between the Union  Government and the State Governments ?

      (a)    Union List

      (b)    State List

      (c)    Concurrent List

      (d)    All of these

(ii) How many subjects are mentioned in the Union List?

      (a)    44    (b) 86

      (c) 97    (d) All of the above.

(iii) Which one of the following subjects is included in the State List ?

     (a)    Agriculture      (b) Defence

     (c) Marriage    (d) All of these

(iv) Which of the following can make laws regarding currency?

      (a)    Union Government

      (b)    State Government

      (c)    Local Government

      (d)    All of them

59. Read the Source given below and answer the questions that follow:

You would recall that one of the key changes made in the Constitution of Belgium was to reduce the power of the Central Government and to give these powers to the regional governments. 

Regional governments existed in Belgium even earlier. They had their roles and powers. But all these powers were given to these governments and could bé withdrawn by the Central Government. 

The change took place in 1993 as the regional governments were given constitutional powers that were no longer dependent on the central government, Sri Lanka continues to be, for all practical purposes, a unitary system where the national government has all the powers. 

Under the unitary system, either there is only one level of government or the sub-units are subordinate to the central government. The central government can pass on orders to the provincial or the local government. But in a federal system, the central government  cannot order the state government to do something. 

State government has powers of its own for which it is not answerable to the central government. Both these governments are separately answerable to the people. Let us look at some key features of federalism: 

There are two or more levels (or tiers) of government. Different tiers of government govern the same citizens, but each tier has its own JURISDICTION in specific matters of legislation, taxation and administration. The jurisdictions of the respective levels or tiers of government are specified in the constitution. So the existence and authority of each tier of government is constitutionally guaranteed.

Answer the following MCQs by choosing the most appropriate option:  

(i) When did the regional governments of Belgium give powers that were no longer dependent on the central government? 

      (a) 1948         (b) 1956

      (c)    1970        (d) 1993

(ii) What is a unitary system of governance?

    (a) The state governments can order the central government to do something

    (b) Either there is only one level of government or the sub-units are subordinate to the central govemment

    (c)    Regional governments have constitutional power and are not subordinate to the central government

    (d)    The central government and regional governments share equal power

(iii) Why in a federalism system of governance, the central government cannot order the state to do something?

   (a) State government has power of its own for which it is not answerable to the central government.

    (b)    All the rests with the central government and it takes all the action; state governments are subordinate to the central government,

    (c)    State governments have its own constitution

    (d)    tn a federal system of governance, there are state governments

(iv) Where is the jurisdiction of the respective level, or tiers of the government specified in India?

     (a) Legislature    (b) Religious texts

     (c) Constitution   (d) Supreme Court

60. Read the source given below and answer the question that follow:

The Constitution clearly provided a three-fold distribution of legislative powers between the Union Government and the State Governments. Thus, it contains three lists: 

The Union List includes subjects of national importance such as defence of the country, foreign affairs, banking, communications and currency. They are included in this list because we need a uniform policy on these matters throughout the country. 

The Union Government alone can make laws relating to the subjects mentioned in the Union List. State List contains subjects of State and local importance such as police, trade, commerce, agriculture and irrigation The State Governments alone can make laws relating to the subjects mentioned in the State List. 

Concurrent List includes subjects of common interest to both Union Government as well as the State Governments such as education, forest, trade unions, marriage,  adoption and succession. Both the Union as well as the State Governments can make laws on the subjects mentioned in this list. If their laws conflict with each other, the law made by the Union Government   prevails. 

What about subjects that do not fall in the three lists? Or subjects like computer software that came up after the constitution was made? According to our Constitution, the Union Government has the power to legislate on these ‘residuary subjects.

Answer the following MCQs by choosing the appropriate option:

(i) Why are certain subjects under Union List?

      (a)    They are residuary subjects

      (b)    These subjects are for the Union Territories

      (c)    We need a uniform policy on these matters throughout the country

      (d)    It is the Union Government that takes all the decisions

(ii) Identify the subject that is of State and local importance.

     (a)    Communications and currency

     (b)    Police

     (c)    Banking

     (d)    Defence

(iii) In the Concurrent List, if the laws made by the Central and State Governments conflict with each other, the law made by Which government will prevail?

     (a) Union Government

     (b)    State Government

     (c)    Panchayat and municipalities

     (d)    Supreme Court

(iv) Who has the power to legislate on ‘residuary’ subjects? 

     (a) Panchayats

     (b)    Municipalities

     (c)    State Governments

     (d)    Union Government

1.(d) In 1953

2. (a) India

3. (a) Eighth schedule

4. (c) Decentralisation 

5. (c) Both national and state importance.

6. (d) 1965

7. (b) Local self-government

8. (c) No language is given the status of national language

9. (a) Union List

10. (a) The type of federation in which a large country decides to divide its power between the constituent states and the national government. 

11. (a) The village, block and district levels.

12. (b) The Gram Sabha

13. (a) One-third

14. (b) The central law prevails

16. (c) Judiciary

17. (b) Central government

18. (c) Power taken away from central and state governments and given to local governments at both the urban and rural levels.

19. (d) Gram panchayats

20. (d) Governmental power is divided between different levels of government.

21. (c) The states pled for more power.

23. Gram Sabha

24. Municipal Corporation

25. State Election Commission.

26. Union List

27. The Central government has not imposed Hindi on states where people speak a different language . 

28. Federal power sharing in India needs another tier of   government, below that of the state government.

29. Some linguistic states are Punjab, Kerala, West Bengal, Assam etc.

30. Concurrent List includes subjects of common interest to both the Union Government as well as the State Government. For example, education and forest.

31. Another popular name of rural local government in  India is Panchayati Raj system.

32. The dual objectives of federalism are safeguarding and promoting the unity of the country and accommodating regional diversity.

33. Coming together federation is practised in countries like Switzerland, the USA and Australia. 

34. Holding together federation is practised in countries like India, Belgium and Spain.

35. State List contains subjects of state and regional importance like police, agriculture and irrigation, trade and commerce.

36. The Union List includes subjects of national importance like national defence, foreign affairs, communications, banking and currency.

37. Belgium turned into a federal state from a unitary one by reducing the powers of the central government and shifted it to the regional governments.

38. The three-tiers of Indian federalism are:

(i) Union Government.

(ii) State Government.

(iii) Local Government

39. Culture, cooperation, mutual respect, history and ideology are some other factors which keep the federations united.

40. It is a system of government in which the power is divided between a central authority and various constituent units of the country.

example of subjects in current List    has the power to legislate on residuary subjects?

cation    Union Government

42. (a) Concurrent List

43. (a) iv-i-iii-ii

44. both the central and the state governments

45. mutual trust and agreement to live together.

46. of at least two political parties.

47. considering other people

48. power independent of the other.

54. (i)-(c), (ii)-(b), (iii)-(a), (iv)-(e), (v)-(d)

56. (d) Powers given to the regional governments could be withdrawn by the Central Government. 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, Belgium shifted from a unitary to a federal form of government. Hence, assertion is false but reason is true.

56. (b) Constitutional provisions are necessary for the success of federalism but these are not sufficient. If the federal experiment has succeeded in India,  it is not merely because of the clearly laid out consåtutional provisions. 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.

57. (c) 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. People have better knowledge of  problems in their localities. They also have better ideas on where to spend money and how to manage things more effectively. 

58. (i) d,  (ii) c,  (iii) a,  (iv) a

59.  (i) d,  (ii) b,  (iii) a,  (iv) c

60. (i) c,  (ii) b,  (iii) a,  (iv) d

Final Words

From the above article, you have practiced Federalism MCQ of class 10 Social Science Unit 3 chapter 2. We hope that the above-mentioned MCQs for term 1 of Unit 3 chapter 2 Federalism will surely help you in your exam. 

If you have any doubts or queries regarding Federalism MCQ (Multiple Choice Questions) with Answers, feel free to reach us and we will get back to you as early as possible.

• CBSE Class 10
• CBSE Class 10 Important Questions
• CBSE Class 10 Political Science Important Questions
• Political Science Chapter 2 Federalism

CBSE Class 10 Political Science (Civics) Chapter 2 Federalism Important Questions

Chapter 2 of CBSE Class 10 Political Science focus on a type of power-sharing called “federalism.” After discussing the concept in general terms, the Chapter goes on to make the students understand the theory and practice of federalism in India. A discussion of the federal constitutional provisions is followed by an analysis of the policies and politics that have strengthened federalism in practice. We have also compiled CBSE Class 10 Political Science Chapter 2 Federalism Important Questions for the students to revise the Chapter thoroughly. Practising them will boost the confidence of students and help them in scoring high marks in Social Science subject.

These CBSE Class 10 Political Science important questions, based on the format of the question types typically asked in the board exams, help students to prepare for the exams. Students can find the PDF link below to download these questions. Also, they can refer to them anytime while studying.

Download CBSE Class 10 Political Science Chapter 2 Federalism Important Questions PDF

1. What are the different provisions of the Indian constitution that make India a federal country?

2 . What is federalism? Explain its key features.

3 . What are the dual objective of a federal system? Explain them.

4. What makes India a federal country?

5. Explain the role of the judiciary in a federal country?

6. Suppose the Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Orissa have different policies on how their state police should respond to the Naxalites. Can the Prime Minister of India intervene and pass an order that all the Chief Ministers will have to obey?

7 . How different is the federation of India from that of the U.S.A?

8 . Explain the coalition government.

9. How is federalism practised?

10 . Identify any three States which have been carved out of bigger States.

11 . How many languages do we have in India? Explain.

12 . Point out one feature in the practice of federalism in India that is similar to and one feature that is different from that of Belgium.

13. Which are the local self-governments we have in India?

14 . What is the main difference between a federal form of government and a unitary one? Explain with an example.

15 . Explain the steps taken by the constitutional amendments of 1992 to make the local self-government more powerful and effective.

16 . State any two differences between the local government before and after the Constitutional amendment in 1992.

17 . In a federation, the powers of the federal and provincial governments are clearly demarcated. True or False?

18 . Explain what decentralisation is.

19 . Which are the two routes through which federations get formed?

20. Explain the term “Municipal Corporation.”

21. Which local body has a ‘Mayor’ as its head?

22.  What status has been given to the ‘Hindi’ language by the Constitution of India?

23.  India comes under which type of federation and why?

These Important Questions Class 10 Political Science Chapter 2 Federalism must have helped students in their exam preparation. For more study material and the latest updates on CBSE/ICSE/State Board/Competitive exams, keep visiting BYJU’S. Also, download the BYJU’S App to watch interactive study videos.

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• Political Science /

Federalism Class 10 Notes

• Updated on  
• Nov 17, 2023

Studying the chapters in Civics in the Class 10  Social Science  syllabus, students get to learn about what democracy is, its salient features as well as the history of other  political systems , and the dynamics of power-sharing, among others. The 2nd chapter of Class 10 Social Science focuses on the topic of Federalism, its key features, and forms, and how it impacts the functioning of Indian  democracy . If you are looking for the chapter summary on this topic, we have collated the Federalism class 10 notes covering the essential concepts and aspects covered in this unit.

This Blog Includes:

What is federalism, objectives of federalism, difference between unitary system and federal system, features of federalism, formation of federations, what makes india a federal country, how is federalism practised in india, decentralization in india: power for local governments, panchayati raj: what is it and how does it work, municipalities, what makes india a federal country class 10 pdf download, important questions & answers, federalism class 10 mcqs.

To put it simply, Federalism can be referred to as a form of government that comprises a division of power between the central authority and several other units of government such as states. While studying our Federalism Class 10 notes, you must also go through the prominent levels of government in a nation following this concept. In a federal country, there are two significant government levels, and each enjoys multiple powers that are independent of the other. These two levels of the federal government are:

• The central government is responsible for handling issues that concern the entire nation.
• The state governments look after the day-to-day  administration  of individual states/provinces.

Also Read: C lass 10 Democracy and Diversity Notes

The next concept you must explore through our Federalism class 10 notes is the objectives of Federalism which are as follows:

• To advance and protect the unity of a nation
• To support regional diversity in a country

The class 10 chapter on Federalism also notes that there is a crucial difference between the unitary system of government and the federal system of government. Take a look at the major differences between these two systems of government:

Also Read: Popular Struggles and Movements Class 10 Notes

While summarizing this chapter of Class 10 social science, you must also prepare the study notes on the salient features of Federalism which are enlisted below:

• It is comprised of two or more levels of government.
• Both central and state governments govern the same set of the same citizens, but the level has varying powers in some issues like administration, taxation, and legislation.
• The constitution guarantees the authority of each tier.
• Any single tier of government does not hold the authority to change or alter the fundamental powers of the constitution of a federal country (unilaterally) but an agreement will be needed from both sides to modify any such fundamental power or right .
• The courts have the authority to interpret the powers of different government tiers to ensure that they don’t change the Constitution.
• The constitution specifies sources of revenue for both levels of government. This ensures the financial autonomy of both tiers.

Also Read: Manufacturing Industries Class 10 Notes

The next sub-topic we have summarized in our Federalism Class 10 notes is the methods by which federations are formed. To ensure the success of federations, there need to be two critical factors: mutual trust between the different government tiers and a willingness to live together. Historically, federations have been formed in two different ways:

• Independent states are coming together on their own accord to form a bigger country. This type of federation was established in Australia, Switzerland, and the USA.
• A large country decides to divide power between the national government and constituent states. Examples of this type of federation include India, Belgium, and Spain.

A crucial question asked in this chapter on Federalism in Class 10 Social Science is what makes India a federal country. As per the Indian constitution, the nation follows a three-fold distribution of legislative powers. The distribution of powers between the union and state governments is what makes India a federal country. In India, there are three lists divided between the center and state governments, i.e.

• Union List:  It includes areas of national importance like defense, foreign affairs, currency, banking, and communications. The union government holds the power to make laws on the regions mentioned in the union list.
• State List: It includes areas of state-level and local importance like agriculture, trade, commerce, irrigation, and police. The state government alone has the power to make laws regarding the subjects on this list.
• Concurrent List: It includes subjects that are of common interest to both the central and state governments. It includes trade unions, forest, education, marriage, succession, and adoption. Both the center and state can make laws on these subjects. If there is a conflict, the laws made by the center will prevail.

Also Read: Functions of the Parliament

Another important section covered under the study notes for Federalism in Class 10 Social Science is how it is practiced in India. Here are some of the challenges to how federalism is exercised in the country.

Formation of Linguistic States From the time of independence, several new states have been formed in India. A vast majority of India’s states are created to include people who speak the same language and belong to the same region. These states are known as linguistic states. Examples include Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, etc.

Language Policy Besides Hindi, 21 languages are recognized by the constitutions as Scheduled Languages. Though Hindi is recognized as the official language by the union government, states have their official language. Government work in countries takes place in the official language of the state.

Center-state Relations If no single party gets a majority in the Lok Sabha elections, major national parties ally with regional parties to form the union government. This led to the practice of power-sharing between the center and states while respecting state governments’ autonomy.

The Class 10 chapter on Federalism also elaborates on the essential aspects of Decentralization which plays a key role in empowering local government. The practice of taking power away from the union and state governments and giving it to local governments is called decentralization. The objective behind devolution is that most issues and problems can be resolved better at the local level. This way, local citizens can directly participate in decision-making. In 1992, the constitution was amended to make way for a third tier of democracy. The key features of the third tier as per the constitution are:

Credit: iasmania.com

• Periodic elections must be held mandatorily to fill up positions in the various local government bodies.
• One-third of all local government positions are reserved for women.
• The State Election Commission was created in each state to hold municipal and Panchayat-level elections.
• A percentage of the position of executive heads in local elections is reserved for SC, ST, and other backward classes.
• State governments are required to share revenue and powers with local government bodies. The percentage of revenue sharing varies from state to state.

While studying our Class 10 Federalism notes, you must also understand the participation of the Panchayati Raj in the functioning of the Federal Indian government. Panchayati Raj is the term given to rural governments in India. These are local governments, and each village has a setup known as Gram Panchayat.

• Gram Panchayat is a council that includes several local members known as panch and a president known as sarpanch. The panch and sarpanch are elected by the adults of the village/ward. The Gram Panchayat is responsible for making decisions for the entire village.
• The Gram Sabha supervises the Panchayat. All adults of voting age in a village form the Gram Sabha. The Gram Sabha meets at least twice or thrice a year to approve the Panchayat budget and review its performance.
• Several Gram Panchayats are clubbed together to form a Panchayat Samiti, Mandal, or Block. All Panchayat members in a region elect the members of the Panchayat Samiti.
• The Panchayat Samitis in a district are grouped to form the Zilla Parishad. MLAs of the areas, MPs of the district, and other district-level officials constitute the Zilla Parishad.

Just like Gram Panchayats work in rural areas, municipalities are responsible for the urban regions’ administration. Big cities have municipal corporations. Elected bodies of representatives control municipal corporations and municipalities – like MPs, MLAs, councilors, etc. The political head of the municipality is the Municipal Chairperson. The head of a municipal corporation is the Mayor. The system of a decentralized local government is the biggest democracy experiment in the world. Local governments have helped in strengthening the functioning of democracy in India while supporting women and citizens belonging to SC/ST and other backward classes to gain a voice in the democratic process.

Click Here to Download Our Federalism Class 10 Notes PDF Download

Now that you are familiar with the major concepts of Federalism and how it is practiced in India, take a look at the important exam questions you must prepare for the Federalism Class 10 Social Science exam:

Identify the following states on a blank political map of India: Chhattisgarh, Goa, Manipur, and Sikkim.

Identify any three federal countries in the world (other than India). Shade them on a blank political world map.

State the differences between a federal government and a unitary government.

What are the prominent features of Federalism?

Sol: Following are the salient features of Federalism:

• The power is distributed among the executive, judiciary, and legislative.
• The national government shares powers with the provincial governments.
• Government power is divided between different levels of government
• Elected officials exercise supreme power in the government.

Describe the key factors of how Federalism is practiced in India. 

Sol: The key factors of how Federalism Class 10 notes are practiced in India are based on:

Formation of Linguistic States

From the time of independence, several new states have been formed in India. A vast majority of India’s states are created to include people who speak the same language and belong to the same region. These states are known as linguistic states. Examples include Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, etc.

Language Policy

Besides Hindi, 21 languages are recognized by the constitutions as Scheduled Languages. Though Hindi is recognized as the official language by the union government, states have their official language. Government work in countries takes place in the official language of the state.

Center-state Relations

If no single party gets a majority in the Lok Sabha elections, major national parties ally with regional parties to form the union government. This led to the practice of power-sharing between the center and states while respecting state governments’ autonomy.

Also Read: What is the Difference Between Democracy and Dictatorship?

Here is an MCQ test for Class 10 Federalism:

1. Select the most common form of power-sharing in Federalism

2. Name the schedule in the Indian Constitution where the 22 scheduled languages are provided.

3. Name the authority in India which organizes elections for Municipalities and Panchayats.

4. The third tier of the government is referred to as:

5. What are the salient objectives of the Federal System:

Credits: Magnet brains

Town planning, which includes urban planning. 2. Land usage and building construction are regulated. 3. Making plans for social and economic growth. 4. Bridges and roads. 5. Water supply for residential, commercial, and industrial uses.

Federalism is a form of governance in which a central authority and numerous national component parts share power

The Gram Panchayat at the village level, Panchayat Samiti at the block level, and Zila Parishad at the district level make up the Panchayati Raj system.

Robert Garan , an Australian scholar gave the definition of federalism.

  Johannes Althusius , a German intellectual is the father of modern federalism.

Mutual trust between various levels of the government and consensus to live together is required for the formation of a federal government. Federations can be formed by independent units grouping together to form a larger government. For example, Australia, the USA. Another way is when a large country chooses to divide its powers between the states and constituent national governments. For example, India and Spain.

The Indian constitution has called for a two-tier system of government. Later on, the panchayats and municipalities were introduced. India has all the significant characteristics of a federal government and has properly implemented it. Thus, it makes India a federal country.

Two or more tiers of government,  constitutional superiority, separate judiciary, and supreme authority of the courts are some of the key features of federalism explained in class 10, chapter 2.

Although India is a federal nation, the term has never been used in the constitution. In fact, India is known as a quasi-federal country. The country is a ‘Union of States’.  India has features of a federal government. That is, it has 3 levels of government: the central government, the state government, and the local government.

Thus, we hope that our Federalism Class 10 notes help you understand the key concepts explored in this chapter. Unsure about the right stream after the 10th? Get in touch with our  Leverage Edu  experts and we will assist you in selecting the best stream of study as per your interests and preferences. Sign up for a free session with us today! Call us immediately at  1800 57 2000  for a free 30-minute counselling session.

Digvijay Singh

Having 2+ years of experience in educational content writing, withholding a Bachelor's in Physical Education and Sports Science and a strong interest in writing educational content for students enrolled in domestic and foreign study abroad programmes. I believe in offering a distinct viewpoint to the table, to help students deal with the complexities of both domestic and foreign educational systems. Through engaging storytelling and insightful analysis, I aim to inspire my readers to embark on their educational journeys, whether abroad or at home, and to make the most of every learning opportunity that comes their way.

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Case Study Questions Class 10 Social Science Political Science Chapter 1 Power Sharing

CBSE Class 10 Case Study Questions Social Science Political Science Power Sharing. Important Case Study Questions for Class 10 Board Exam Students. Here we have arranged some Important Case Base Questions for students who are searching for Paragraph Based Questions Power Sharing.

At Case Study Questions there will given a Paragraph. In where some Important Questions will made on that respective Case Based Study. There will various types of marks will given 1 marks, 2 marks, 3 marks, 4 marks.

Case Study 1:

Belgium, a Western European nation, stands as a testament to the successful implementation of a democratic system in a diverse and multilingual society. Its political structure is characterized by federalism, granting significant autonomy to its regions and communities. The country has three official languages: Dutch, French, and German, reflecting its rich cultural tapestry. At the heart of Belgium’s democratic setup is a constitutional monarchy, where King Philippe holds a symbolic position, with real political power resting in the hands of elected representatives. Belgium’s federal parliament is bicameral, consisting of the Chamber of Representatives and the Senate.

The country’s unique system accommodates regional parliaments in Flanders, Wallonia, and Brussels, enabling decisions that respect linguistic and regional differences. Proportional representation ensures fair political participation, making Belgium an exemplary model of democratic governance amidst diversity.

Q1) How Belgium was able to avoid conflict between different communities living there? Mark 2

Answer The arrangement Belgium worked out is different from any other country and is very innovative. Here are some of the elements of the Belgian model-

Constitution prescribes that the number of Dutch and French speaking ministers shall be equal in the central government.

Many powers of the Central Government have been given to State Governments of the two regions of the country.

Brussels has a separate government in which both the communities have equal representation.

Q2) Define term civil war? Mark 2

Answer A violent conflict between opposing groups within a country that becomes so intense that it appears like a war.

Case Study 2:

Sri Lanka has grappled with a protracted community conflict, primarily between the Sinhalese majority and the Tamil minority. This multifaceted issue traces its roots back to historical grievances, ethnic tensions, and political complexities. The conflict, marked by a brutal civil war that lasted for nearly three decades, resulted in immense suffering and loss of life. While the armed conflict officially ended in 2009, deep-seated issues remain. Reconciliation efforts continue to address historical injustices, rebuild communities, and foster a sense of national unity. The path to lasting peace and harmony is complex, requiring a delicate balance of political will, social integration, and the recognition of diverse identities. Sri Lanka’s community conflict serves as a reminder of the challenges in reconciling historical wounds and forging a collective future, emphasizing the need for sustained efforts towards peace and coexistence.

Q1) How the concept of power sharing could have prevent civil war in Sri Lanka? Mark 2

Answer Power sharing could have helped in resolving conflict by following way-

Power sharing helps to reduce the possibility of conflict between social groups. Since social conflict often leads to violence and political instability, power sharing is a good way to ensure the stability of political order

Power sharing is the very spirit of democracy. A democratic rule involves sharing power with those affected by its exercise, and who have to live with its effects. People have a right to be consulted on how they are to be governed.

Q2) what was the role of India in Sri Lanka community conflict? Mark 2

Answer India has historically played a significant role in the Sri Lanka community conflict. In the 1980s and 1990s, India intervened militarily in support of Tamil separatists. Later, it supported peace initiatives and sought a diplomatic resolution to the conflict. India’s role continues to be influential in promoting stability and reconciliation in Sri Lanka.

Case Study 3:

Panchayati Raj, a decentralized system of local self-governance in India, is the cornerstone of grassroots democracy. Established by the 73rd Amendment Act in 1992, it empowers villages and small towns by devolving political, administrative, and financial authority to elected representatives at the Panchayat (local council) level.  This system comprises three tiers: the Gram Panchayat (village level), Panchayat Samiti (block level), and Zila Parishad (district level). It aims to address local issues, promote rural development, and enhance citizen participation.

Panchayati Raj has not only improved service delivery and infrastructure but also empowered marginalized communities, particularly women and scheduled castes, in the decision-making process.

Over the years, Panchayati Raj has contributed to local development, social justice, and fostering a culture of democratic participation, making it an essential tool in India’s journey toward inclusive governance.

Q1) What kind of power sharing is demonstrated by Panchayati raj system in India? Mark 2

Answer Power can be shared among governments at different levels –

a general government for the entire country and governments at the provincial or regional level. Such a general government for the entire country is usually called federal government.

Q2) What are the benefits of having three tier governance in the country? Mark 1

Answer  The benefits of Panchayati Raj in India include grassroots democracy, improved local governance, increased citizen participation, targeted rural development, empowerment of marginalized communities, and more efficient service delivery. It enhances transparency and accountability while ensuring that local needs and concerns are addressed effectively.

Q3) Mention some disadvantages of power sharing? Mark 1

Answer Delays decision making process ,Increase instability and indivisiness etc are some of the disadvantages of power sharing.

Case Study 4:

India, the world’s largest democracy, stands as a prime example of successful power sharing in a complex and diverse society. Its democratic structure is built on the principles of federalism, separation of powers, and decentralized governance. At the heart of India’s power sharing model is a multi-tiered system comprising the central government, state governments, and local self-governing bodies. This federal setup enables power to be distributed among various levels of authority, ensuring that regional and cultural diversities are respected and represented. The Indian Parliament embodies the separation of powers, with the executive, legislative, and judicial branches functioning independently to maintain checks and balances. Additionally, state governments hold significant authority over subjects in the State List, further enhancing power sharing.

Local self-governing institutions, known as Panchayats and Municipalities, play a pivotal role by devolving power to the grassroots level, promoting citizen participation, and addressing community-specific issues.

Q1) What are the types of power sharing practice by India? Mark 2

Answer India following different kind of power sharing mechanisms that are as below

Power sharing among different organs of government like legislature, executive and judiciary

Power sharing at different levels of government like Central Government, state government and local self government

Power sharing among different social groups

Power among political parties and pressure groups

Q2) Why power sharing is important in democracy? Mark 2

Answer Power sharing helps to reduce the possibility of conflict between social groups. Since social conflict often leads to violence and political instability, power sharing is a good way to ensure the stability of political order

Power sharing is the very spirit of democracy. A democratic rule involves sharing power with those affected by its exercise, and who have to live with its effects. People have a right to be consulted on how they are to be governed

Case Study 5:

Power sharing is a fundamental pillar of any thriving democracy, embodying the essence of representative government. It serves as a safeguard against the concentration of power in the hands of a few, ensuring that the voices and interests of diverse communities are heard and respected. Firstly, power sharing fosters inclusivity. It enables marginalized groups, minorities, and various political parties to participate in decision-making, preventing the dominance of a single group or individual. This fosters social cohesion and reduces the risk of conflicts in heterogeneous societies. Secondly, it promotes accountability and transparency. When power is distributed among different branches of government, each serves as a check on the other, reducing the likelihood of corruption and abuse of authority. In summary, power sharing is the bedrock of democratic stability and harmony, providing a framework where all citizens have a stake in their nation’s future, and no single entity holds absolute authority. It paves the way for a more just and equitable society.

Q1) How power sharing is practiced in India? Mark 2

Answer In India, power sharing is practiced through a federal system where authority is divided between the central government and individual states. The country also practices power sharing through its multi-party democracy, with regular elections allowing various political parties to share power based on popular mandate. Additionally, India has a system of reservations for historically marginalized communities, ensuring their participation in governance.

Q2) Write Advantages and disadvantages of power sharing? Mark 2

Also See: Geography Chapter Resources and Development Case Based Questions

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Federalism Class 10 Important Questions with Solutions

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When the Class 10 Board exam approaches, students should thoroughly answer all the questions of Class 10 Political Science Federalism. It is vital because solving such questions gives students insights to be well prepared for the Class 10 Political Science Exaexamination. Keeping in mind, our team has prepared Federalism Class 10 Important Questions with Solutions in PDF and provided them here for free of cost.

Students looking for the PDF file of Class 10 Federalism Important Questions can refer to the links that we have mentioned here on this page.

What is Class 10 Political Science Federalism Important Questions?

Class 10 Political Science Federalism Important Questions are nothing but a collection of high-weightage and frequently-asked questions. The important questions on Class 10 Political Science Federalism are curated by our subject matter experts considering several sets of Previous Year Question Papers and Class 10 Political Science Sample Papers.

When is the Right Time to Start Practising Important Questions for Class 10 Political Science Federalism PDF?

Generally, students should practise such questions as often as possible, however, there are 3 most important times students must solve important questions for Class 10 Political Science Federalism PDF.

• During Revision Time: Revision time is one of the best times to practise important questions for Class 10 Political Science Federalism PDF. It is considered an ideal time because the earlier students will start practising important questions on Federalism the better their grasp on the important questions will be.
• At the time of Board Exam Preparation: During the board exam preparation, no student should leave any stone unturned and therefore, they must practise the Class 10 Political Science Federalism important questions. Because it will help them keep their learning refreshed from the Chapter Federalism and also help them better develop the techniques to attempt such questions.
• During Last-Minute Exam Preparation: The last-minute exam preparation time is crucial because, at this time, students should only focus on those important questions of Federalism which have higher chances to ask. Solving important questions during last-minute exam preparation also helps students revise various concepts that will allow them to write other answers to other questions as well.

How to Download Important Questions for Class 10 Political Science Federalism PDF?

Here at Selfstudys.com, we are providing the PDF file of Federalism Class 10 important questions with solutions that can be viewed online or can be downloaded on a device like a Smartphone. Below, is the step-wise process to download important questions for Class 10 Political Science Federalism PDF.

• Open Selfstudys.com on your internet browser
• Once the website opens, Click on the Navigation button as mentioned in the below-given image

• Several categories will be shown to choose from, click on CBSE from the list

• Upon Clicking on CBSE, it will expand, choose Previous Year Question Paper

• The new page will be shown where you need to click on “10th PYP Chapter Wise”

• After clicking on “10th PYP Chapter Wise” the page will reload, then navigate to the Political Science and Click on Federalism to access the PDF file for free of cost.

What Types of Mistakes Students Make When Solving Federalism Class 10 Important Questions?

As per our observations, the mistakes students make when solving Federalism Class 10 important questions are -

• Heavily Relying on Other Sources: This is a very common mistake that all students make when they get access to the study materials like Federalism Class 10 Important Questions PDF files. Students preparing for this lesson shouldn’t rely on other sources but their very own Class 10 Political Science textbooks and old question papers should be more than enough. Several times relying on other sources make students feel underconfident and make them anxious so, don’t heavily rely on other sources.
• Only Solving Important Questions: Certainly, there are many questions on Federalism to practise but students stick to the important questions to practise considering it a short-cut method to have a better exam preparation. However, it is highly recommended to the students focus on other than Federalism Class 10 Important Questions, because board question papers are unpredictable.
• Less Focus On Conceptual Understanding: Only practising important questions on Federalism Class 10 will not help much, but many students ignore this fact and they try to solve only Federalism Class 10 Important Questions instead of focusing on the conceptual side of the topic.
• Not Taking Care of Time: Time management skill is one of those skills that help students not only better prepare for the exam but to answer questions efficiently and accurately. Although many Class 10 students underestimate this when they are practising questions from Federalism Class 10 Important Questions with Solutions PDF. Ideally, a student should be active in their time-tracking process to develop a good habit of managing time in the Class 10 Political Science Board examination and their day-to-day life.

How Should Students Prepare for Class 10 Federalism Important Questions?

One of the key steps to starting preparation for Class 10 Federalism Important Questions is by covering all the subtopics discussed in the lesson. After this, students can do the followings -

• Solve Chapter-End Questions: Before solving the Federalism important questions, it is important to start with the Chapter-end questions. Solving the Chapter-end questions enable students to answer important questions about Federalism with ease.
• Revise Federalism Topics: Revising the subtopics discussed in Federalism can also be a great way to prepare for Class 10 Federalism Important Questions that enables students to answer questions without making much effort as the revision help students keep their learning fresh for longer.
• Clear Doubts and Confusion: It is essential to clear all the doubts and confusion from the Chapter Federalism because the clearer the concepts better the answers.

How Federalism Class 10 Important Questions with Solutions are Prepared?

Several study materials such as Previous year question papers, Sample papers and Syllabi play an important role in the preparation of Federalism Class 10 Important Questions with Solutions. Here’s how the important questions are selected for exam preparation and practice purpose.

• From CBSE Class 10 Political Science Previous Year Question Papers: The subject matter experts refer to the CBSE Class 10 Political Science Previous Year Question Papers which they use to collect all the important questions on Federalism. From all the PYPs, questions which have been asked very often in the board examinations are considered important questions.
• Handpicked Questions from Federalism Class 10 Lesson: Experts also referred to the Class 10 Political Science Textbook to handpick some of the most important questions from the Federalism Class 10 Lesson. These questions are selected based on the experts’ experiences and the marking scheme as mentioned in the syllabus.
• From CBSE Class 10 Political Science Sample Papers: The Class 10 Political Science Sample Papers also play an important role in selecting the important Federalism Class 10 questions.

What are the Best Methods to Use Federalism Class 10 Important Questions with Solutions PDF?

The best methods to use Federalism Class 10 Important Questions with Solutions PDF is to use them on different occasions in a one-year academic session such as -

• To Practise: Students can refer to the Class 10 Federalism Important Questions to practise various questions. With the help of the PDF, the practice session becomes very efficient and students get the opportunity to solve numerous important questions on Class 10 Federalism. Mainly, the important questions are prepared for the students so that they can be thorough with several questions and be familiar with lots of methods to answer them hence, the best use of the Class 10 Federalism Important Questions is for the practice sessions.
• For Revision: Many students struggle with saving time for revision, however, solving the questions on the same topic is also a great way to revise. Therefore, Federalism Class 10 Important Questions can be used for revision purposes and students can refer to the questions many times to solve that will boost their understanding of the topic and enable them to master the method to answer questions in such a situation.
• For Exam Preparation: No doubt, one of the best methods to use the Class 10 Political Science Federalism is to prepare for the board examination. Students can refer to the Federalism Class 10 Important Questions to pay close attention to all the questions that have a higher chance to be asked in the upcoming board examination.

What is the Alternative of Federalism Class 10 Important Questions with Solutions PDF?

There are a few study resources that can be treated as the alternative to Federalism Class 10 Important Questions with Solutions PDF, however, those resources don’t completely relate to the PDF file that we are offering here.

• CBSE PYP/SQP: PYP stands for Previous Year Papers and SQP stands for Sample Question Papers - both are official question papers and therefore, students can refer to the Class 10 Political Science PYP and SQP to better develop a command of Federalism Class 10 Important Questions. Both of these are optional and suggested to one if they don’t want to use the PDF file of Federalism Class 10 Important Questions with Solutions In PDF then alternatively, it can be used.
• Teacher’s Guessed Questions: Apart from the PDF files, the teacher’s guessed questions are one of the best alternatives for the PDF file of Federalism Class 10 Important Questions with Solutions. 

Though the above-mentioned study materials are the best alternative to the PDF file we are providing here, the problem is that they barely contain answers. However, the PDF file of Federalism Class 10 Important Questions that we are providing contains the solutions in detail too - The link is available at the top of this page.

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3.4: You Decide- Case Studies in Federalism

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Imagine you are a policymaker deciding each of the following policy issues. A crucial question is how much freedom local and state governments should have. Think about your responsibilities based on your particular role in each of the following case studies, and then decide what you will do. Each section concludes with a discussion of what actually happened.

Case Study One: Shall all California high school students be required to take an Ethnic Studies Course?

You are the governor of California. The California legislature passed a bill mandating all high school students complete a one-semester ethnic studies course. The course emphasizes the history and culture of four groups: African Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, Latina/o/x Americans, and Native Americans. Should you sign the bill?

Advocates for the course argue that traditional social studies do not sufficiently address multicultural history, leaving students ignorant of our state's rich heritage. They also say that ethnic studies help students have more pride in their own histories, improve general academic performance, increase intercultural understanding, and contribute to a more educated citizenry better able to understand the challenges we face as a diverse society.

Opponents of the course favor teaching multicultural history, but they are concerned that the course omits many other groups, such as Armenian and Jewish Americans. Additionally, they are worried that the curriculum may overly emphasize oppression as a theme and demand that white students confess their "privilege." They argue that existing social studies courses already use a multicultural approach. At best, the class should be an elective.

Under dual federalism, the state government establishes the public school curriculum. Your choices are to sign the bill and make ethnic studies a requirement or veto it. You will be expected to justify your actions in your signing statement or veto message. What will you do and why?

What Happened?

In 2020, Governor Newsom vetoed the ethnic studies bill ("Veto Message"). Newsom expressed support for an ethnic studies curriculum, pointing out that he had already approved a bill requiring the course for California State University students. However, he asked that the curriculum be revised so that it "achieves balance, fairness and is inclusive of all communities." For the next several months, the State Board of Education revised the curriculum and included the experiences of many more ethnic groups. In 2021, a bill reflecting these changes made its way through the California legislature, and Governor Newsom signed it into law (Fensterwald).

Case Study Two: Shall all states be required to license marriage as between two people?

You are a U.S. Supreme Court justice. You are one of nine responsible for deciding whether the laws and practices of government are constitutional. It is 2015. The case before you is regarding marriage. Shall states be able to define the nature of marriage as a union between only a man and a woman, or should the U.S. Supreme Court tell states that they must offer marriage licenses to any two people?

Traditionally, the states have defined the nature of marriage. States respect the legitimacy of the marriage contracts of other states under the Full Faith and Credit Clause of the U.S. Constitution (Article IV). There are precedents for the Supreme Court to intervene. In the nineteenth century, the Court ruled that marriage shall be monogamous in all the states ( Reynolds v. United States , 1878), outlawing a man having multiple wives. More recently, the Court ruled that a state ban on interracial marriage was unconstitutional based on the Fourteenth Amendment's equal protection clause (Loving v. Virginia , 1967).

There are also precedents for the Supreme Court about gay rights. In 1986, the Court affirmed the right of a state to ban homosexual relations ( Bowers v. Hardwick ). It then reversed this decision in Lawrence v. Texas (2003), with the majority arguing that the right to privacy includes a right to consensual sex between two people.

State laws about marriage were rapidly changing beginning in the mid-1990s. Some states legalized same-sex marriage; others defined marriage as only between a man and a woman. A few had a middle ground of "civil union" that gives states, but not federal, marriage rights to same-sex couples without using the word marriage. The U.S. Congress passed the Defense of Marriage Act (1996), permitting states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages from other states.

California voters passed Proposition 22 in 2003, which defined marriage as only between a man and a woman. The California Supreme Court declared this proposition unconstitutional because it violated California equal protection laws. Then California voters passed Proposition 8 in 2008, which added an amendment to the California Constitution, again defining marriage as solely between a man and a woman. The drama continued with gay rights advocates turning to the federal courts, which ruled Proposition 8 unconstitutional. Meanwhile, similar messes were brewing in the rest of the country with a mishmash of laws and conflicting Court rulings causing legal and practical confusion.

Now, let's move forward to 2015. The Supreme Court has consolidated several cases from multiple federal appeals courts to focus on whether the states shall be required to legalize same-sex marriage. The question before us is also very much a question regarding federalism. Shall the federal government impose its will on the states regarding marriage? If so, this nation-centered approach is an example of cooperative federalism. Alternatively, the Court may defer to the states and let their legislative or judicial authorities resolve the matter, an example of dual federalism.

Advocates for requiring states to license same-sex marriages make two arguments based on the Fourteenth Amendment and prior Court cases that provide the precedents for promoting privacy and equal protection of the law. First, lesbian and gay people are entitled to equal dignity before the law. Dignity means that states respect the autonomy and privacy of two people of the same sex to marry. The due process and equal protection clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment provide this fundamental right to dignity concerning marriage. Second, particular costs burden gays and lesbians and their children if marriage is limited to heterosexual couples. Health insurance and family leave may be inaccessible. Hospital visits and next-of-kin medical decisions are off-limits. Property laws leave partners destitute in the event of the breakup of relationships. Marriage gives the children and spouses in same-sex families the same rights as those in heterosexual unions.

Opponents of same-sex marriage make two general arguments, one substantive and the other procedural. First, they argue that states have traditionally defined marriage as between a man and a woman. It is in the child's interest to receive care and financial support from both their mother and father. Hence, the institution of marriage is central for one generation to raise the next. Second, procedurally, opponents argue that the Supreme Court should not have jurisdiction over this matter. Instead, elected officials, whether at the state or the national level, are the proper authorities to address this question. The Supreme Court should avoid establishing fundamental rights not clearly enumerated in the Constitution.

You are a Supreme Court justice. Redefining marriage will force all states to change their laws to increase liberty and equality. On the other hand, retaining the absence of a federal definition of marriage respects dual federalism. It leaves the states to address the issue through the democratic process, allowing for a diversity of choices among the states. How will you rule?

In 2015, in Obergefell v. Hodges, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 to legalize same-sex marriage. The majority decision, authored by Justice Anthony Kennedy, argued that the Fourteenth Amendment requires that same-sex marriage be protected under law to extend equal dignity, or marriage equality, to the same-sex couple:

"No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideal of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were. As some of the petitioners in these cases demonstrate, marriage embodies a love that may endure even past death. It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves. They hope not to be condemned to loneliness, excluded from one of civilization's oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right."

Chief Justice Roberts, in one of the dissenting opinions, argued that the Supreme Court was exceeding its jurisdiction with its decision, that elected officials rather than justices should decide this issue:

"If you are among the many Americans—of whatever sexual orientation—who favor expanding same-sex marriage, by all means celebrate today's decision. Celebrate the achievement of a desired goal. Celebrate the opportunity for a new expression of commitment to a partner. Celebrate the availability of new benefits. But do not celebrate the Constitution. It had nothing to do with it."

After the Supreme Court decision, a single policy for all Americans applied: states must allow same-sex couples to marry, and they will enjoy the same state and federal rights and benefits as opposite-sex couples. The marriage contract and all other marriage-related laws changed to reflect the new view about our fundamental rights as Americans.

Case Study Three: Should the Affordable Care Act be repealed?

It is 2017. You are a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives representing the 25th district of California (in 2022, this district, encompassing the Santa Clarita and Antelope valleys, was renamed the 27th district as part of the redistricting process). The 25th district is what political scientists call a swing district, meaning that the district is evenly divided between Democrats and Republican voters, with candidates winning with less than 55% of the vote. In 2016, you won reelection with 53% of the vote ("California's 25th Congressional District Election"). However, the Democratic presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton, won the district by 50.3%, suggesting that some voters engaged in split-ticket voting, voting for both Republican and Democratic candidates ("Presidential Election in California").

The President, Mr. Trump, is a Republican. One of Mr. Trump's central campaign platforms was to repeal the Affordable Care Act (the "ACA") passed under his predecessor, President Obama. You must decide whether to vote to repeal the ACA, which will improve your support among Republicans, especially the President, or reject the repeal to avoid alienating yourself from moderates and Democrats in your district.

Some background about the Affordable Care Act and the arguments by supporters and critics will help you decide this issue. The ACA is often called "Obamacare" for short because President Obama's central campaign platform in 2008 was to help Americans with health care by improving existing health insurance coverage and expanding coverage to reach uninsured people. It was quite a political battle to push it through a very polarized Congress. When it finally passed in 2010, Obamacare had become the most significant change in healthcare policy in more than a generation. It also represented a substantial shift in the relations between the federal government and states. Some aspects of the ACA expand national power, hence representing a deepening of cooperative federalism. Other parts allow states to set their own policies, representing a deepening of new federalism.

The reach of the federal government increased in many ways. Some of the most significant were: first, employers with fifty or more full-time employees were required to provide health insurance; second, individuals were mandated to buy health insurance and received subsidies from the federal government if their income was up to 400% of the poverty level, and third, insurance companies had to cover preexisting conditions and preventative care. In addition, the ACA preempted, or displaced, state health insurance regulations and hence is an example of cooperative federalism where the national government takes control over a policy area and mandates changes in state policies.

However, aspects of the ACA gave states some freedom to implement the law and are therefore consistent with new federalism. First, states were allowed to create state health insurance exchanges for their residents to buy private insurance. If they chose not to, their residents would have to buy from the federal health insurance exchange. As of 2022, fourteen states and Washington D.C. have set up their own exchanges, including California ( CoveredCalifornia.com ). The state exchanges allow states to have greater autonomy. Second, the ACA expanded Medicaid, the existing public health insurance plan for low-income people established in the 1960s, to cover people who make up to 133% of the federal poverty level. However, because both the federal and state governments fund Medicaid, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled ( National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius , 2012) that states were not required to expand Medicaid eligibility. Hence, eligibility and income requirements for Medicaid vary from one state to another. These variances in ACA policies and programs among the states illustrate the signature characteristic of New Federalism: giving states flexibility based on state political preferences (Health Reform).

Now, we return to your dilemma as a representative. Should you vote to abolish and replace the Affordable Care Act with the American Health Care Act? Most prominently, this 2017 bill ends the expansion of the Medicaid program and income-based subsidies, saving the federal government hundreds of billions of dollars but causing approximately fifteen million people to lose coverage.

Advocates of replacing the ACA are motivated by ideological and partisan reasons. Ideologically, conservatives are skeptical of further government involvement in the healthcare sector of the economy. Seeing health care as an optional consumer product, individual consumers, businesses, and health insurance companies should not be subject to government coercion. Historically, states have been in control of their insurance markets. The ACA undermines state autonomy. Second, for many years, the health care debate has become intensely partisan, with this issue having a prominent role in the platforms of each party. Republicans had invested much importance in defeating President Obama's program. Mr. Trump promised he would succeed in this regard when other Republicans had failed.

Supporters of the Affordable Care Act argue that millions more Americans have health insurance coverage; health insurance coverage is better, and, in the long term, these improvements will lead to a healthier population. Further, they argue that the federal government's appropriate role is to devise a program that provides affordable health care for all. It has long been noted that the U.S. spends far more per capita with far worse health outcomes than other countries and is the only high-income country without some form of universal health care ("U.S. Health Care from a Global Perspective"). The ACA is a significant step to remedy this situation.

Public opinion is split along ideological and partisan lines in your district and the country. However, given that more people in your congressional district voted for Hillary Clinton than Donald Trump, it is likely that a vote in favor of repeal will make you less popular. On the other hand, if you vote to keep the ACA, you will likely be ostracized by Republicans in Congress and publicly criticized by the President, making it harder for you to accomplish anything else. Will you vote to repeal and replace Obamacare?

This case study has assigned you the role of Representative Steve Knight. He was elected in 2014 to represent California's 25th district, encompassing the Antelope and Santa Clarita valleys and a portion of Simi Valley. Representative Knight chose to vote with the Republican majority. The vote was intensely partisan and highly visible. Along party lines, the bill passed the House, 217-213, but then a similar bill failed in the Senate, 49-51. Nevertheless, the Affordable Care Act survived.

As a representative, Mr. Knight found that he was in an increasingly difficult position. As a Republican in a swing district, he tried to chart a moderate course. Still, because of the increasingly polarized nature of party politics and the shift of the Republican party to the right, this was increasingly difficult. As a result, in 2018, Knight was defeated by his Democratic opponent.

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Ex-assistant principal charged with child neglect in case of boy who shot teacher

The Associated Press

Signs stand outside Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Va., Jan. 25, 2023. Denise Lavoie/AP hide caption

Signs stand outside Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Va., Jan. 25, 2023.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — A former assistant principal at a Virginia elementary school has been charged with felony child neglect more than a year after a 6-year-old boy brought a gun to class and shot his first-grade teacher .

A special grand jury in Newport News found that Ebony Parker showed a reckless disregard for the lives of Richneck Elementary School students on Jan. 6, 2023, according to indictments unsealed Tuesday.

Parker and other school officials already face a $40 million negligence lawsuit from the teacher who was shot, Abby Zwerner. She accuses Parker and others of ignoring multiple warnings the boy had a gun and was in a "violent mood" the day of the shooting.

Criminal charges against school officials following a school shootings are quite rare, experts say. Parker, 39, faces eight felony counts, each of which is punishable by up to five years in prison.

The Associated Press left a message seeking comment Tuesday with Parker's attorney, Curtis Rogers.

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'say something' tip line in schools flags gun violence threats, study finds.

Court documents filed Tuesday reveal little about the criminal case against Parker, listing only the counts and a description of the felony charge. It alleges that Parker "did commit a willful act or omission in the care of such students, in a manner so gross, wanton and culpable as to show a reckless disregard for human life."

Newport News police have said the student who shot Zwerner retrieved his mother's handgun from atop a dresser at home and brought the weapon to school concealed in a backpack.

Zwerner's lawsuit describes a series of warnings that school employees gave administrators before the shooting. The lawsuit said those warnings began with Zwerner telling Parker that the boy "was in a violent mood," had threatened to beat up a kindergartener and stared down a security officer in the lunchroom.

The lawsuit alleges that Parker "had no response, refusing even to look up" when Zwerner expressed her concerns.

When concerns were raised that the child may have transferred the gun from his backpack to his pocket, Parker said his "pockets were too small to hold a handgun and did nothing," the lawsuit states.

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With gun control far from sight, schools redesign for student safety.

A guidance counselor also asked Parker for permission to search the boy, but Parker forbade him, "and stated that John Doe's mother would be arriving soon to pick him up," the lawsuit stated.

Zwerner was sitting at a reading table in front of the class when the boy fired the gun, police said. The bullet struck Zwerner's hand and then her chest, collapsing one of her lungs. She spent nearly two weeks in the hospital and has endured multiple surgeries as well as ongoing emotional trauma, according to her lawsuit.

Parker and the lawsuit's other defendants, which include a former superintendent and the Newport News school board, have tried to block Zwerner's lawsuit.

They've argued that Zwerner's injuries fall under Virginia's workers' compensation law. Their arguments have been unsuccessful so far in blocking the litigation. A trial date for Zwerner's lawsuit is slated for January.

Prosecutors had said a year ago that they were investigating whether the "actions or omissions" of any school employees could lead to criminal charges.

What schools can (and can't) do to prevent school shootings

Howard Gwynn, the commonwealth's attorney in Newport News, said in April 2023 that he had petitioned a special grand jury to probe if any "security failures" contributed to the shooting. Gwynn wrote that an investigation could also lead to recommendations "in the hopes that such a situation never occurs again."

It is not the first school shooting to spark a criminal investigation into school officials. For instance, a former school resource officer was acquitted of all charges last year after he was accused of hiding during the Parkland school massacre in 2018.

Chuck Vergon, a professor of educational law and policy at the University of Michigan-Flint, told The AP last year that it is rare for a teacher or school official to be charged in a school shooting because allegations of criminal negligence can be difficult to prove.

More often, he said, those impacted by school shootings seek to hold school officials liable in civil court.

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