NCERT Political Science (Civics) Class 10 Chapter 2 | How Is Federalism Practised?
Topic & sub-topics covered: “How is Federalism Practised in India?” and MCQs Questions: Federalism (All single detail notes are exam-oriented).
We have discussed in-depth and exam-oriented pointers that can be asked in the board exam of class 10th about “How Is Federalism Practised?” from the NCERT Political Science (Civics) notes for class 10th chapter 2 “Federalism“.
Download the NCERT Political Science (Civics) for Class 10 Chapter 2 Federalism PDF Notes
Explore the key concept of federalism in Chapter 2 of Class 10 Civics (Political Science). This chapter discusses power-sharing between the central government and states in India, highlighting its role in maintaining unity and promoting regional autonomy, What is Federalism?, What Makes India a Federal Country?, How is Federalism Practised?, Linguistic Diversity of India, Decentralisation in India. Understand Indian federalism’s theory, practices, and its newest tier – local government. These CBSE/NCERT notes simplify the topic with clear explanations and with the help of examples. Make your understanding of democracy and governance strong with comprehensive notes on federalism’s structure and significance.
How is Federalism Practised in India?
Constitutional Provisions and Federalism
1. Constitutional Provisions:
- Constitutional provisions are essential for federalism, but they alone are not enough to ensure its success.
2. The success of Indian Federalism:
- India’s successful federalism is not just due to the Constitution but also the nature of democratic politics.
Key Factors for the Success of Federalism
1. Role of Democratic Politics:
- Democratic politics in India ensured that the spirit of federalism, respect for diversity, and the desire to live together became shared ideals among the people.
Linguistic States
Creation of Linguistic States
1. Major Test for Democratic Politics:
- The creation of linguistic States was a major test for democratic politics in India.
2. Political Map Changes (1947–2019):
- There have been significant changes in the political map of India from 1947 to 2019, with many old States disappearing and new States being created.
3. Changes in Boundaries:
- The boundaries of several old States were changed in 1947 to create new States.
Formation of States Based on Language and Culture
1. Creation of States Based on Language:
- Some States were formed based on the language spoken by the people in those regions.
2. States Formed on Cultural, Ethnic, or Geographical Basis:
- Some States, such as Nagaland, Uttarakhand, and Jharkhand, were created not based on language, but to recognize differences in culture, ethnicity, or geography.
3. Fear of Disintegration:
- Initially, there was a fear among national leaders that the creation of linguistic States might lead to the disintegration of the country.
4. Impact of Linguistic States:
- The formation of linguistic States has united the country and simplified administration.
Language Policy
Language Policy and Its Challenges
1. No National Language in the Constitution:
- The Indian Constitution did not designate any language as the national language.
2. Hindi as Official Language:
- Hindi was identified as the official language, but it is the mother tongue of only about 40% of Indians.
3. Safeguards for Other Languages:
- To protect other languages, the Constitution recognized 22 other languages as Scheduled Languages.
4. Examination in Multiple Languages:
- Candidates can opt to take Central Government exams in any of the 22 Scheduled Languages.
5. State-Specific Official Languages:
- Each State in India has its official language for government work.
Hindi Language Promotion and Opposition
1. Cautious Approach to the Spread of Hindi:
- Unlike Sri Lanka, India’s political leaders adopted a cautious approach in promoting Hindi.
2. 1965 Deadline for English Use:
- The Constitution initially planned to stop the use of English for official purposes by 1965.
3. Demand for Continued Use of English:
- Many non-Hindi-speaking States demanded that English continue to be used for official purposes.
4. Violent Protests in Tamil Nadu:
- The movement to continue English use became violent in Tamil Nadu.
5. Government’s Response:
- The Central Government agreed to continue the use of English alongside Hindi for official purposes.
6. Criticism of the Policy:
- Critics argue that this solution favoured the English-speaking elite.
7. Official Promotion of Hindi:
- The promotion of Hindi continues to be the official policy, but it does not mean that the government can impose Hindi on States where a different language is spoken.
Comparison with Sri Lanka
1. Avoiding Sri Lanka’s Situation:
- The flexibility shown by Indian leaders helped avoid the language-related conflicts seen in Sri Lanka.
Centre-State Relations
Restructuring Centre-State Relations
1. Centre-State Relations and Federalism:
- Restructuring Centre-State relations is one of how federalism has been strengthened in practice.
2. Constitutional Arrangements and Political Reality:
- The practical functioning of constitutional arrangements for power-sharing depends on how ruling parties and leaders implement them.
3. Centralization Under One Party Rule:
- For a long time, the same party ruled both at the Centre and in most of the States, which led to a lack of autonomy for State Governments.
4. Misuse of Power by the Central Government:
- When the State Government was led by a rival party, the Central Government often tried to undermine state power by misusing constitutional provisions to dismiss the State Government.
5. Undermining Federalism:
- This behavior undermined the spirit of federalism and did not respect the autonomy of States.
Rise of Regional Parties and Coalition Governments
1. Shift After 1990:
- After 1990, regional political parties gained prominence in many States, leading to the rise of coalition governments at the Centre.
2. Formation of Coalition Governments:
- With no single party gaining a clear majority in the Lok Sabha, major national parties had to form alliances with regional parties to form the Central Government.
3. New Culture of Power Sharing:
- This led to a new culture of power-sharing and respect for the autonomy of State Governments.
4. Supreme Court Judgment:
- A major Supreme Court judgment made it difficult for the Central Government to dismiss State Governments in an arbitrary manner.
5. More Effective Federal Power Sharing:
- As a result, federal power-sharing has become more effective today than it was in the early years after the Constitution came into force.
Coalition Government
1. Definition of Coalition Government:
- A coalition government is formed when at least two political parties come together, usually forming a political alliance with a common program.
Linguistic Diversity in India
1. Number of Languages in India:
- India has over 1300 distinct languages, as recorded in the 2011 Census.
2. Grouping of Languages:
- These 1300 languages were grouped under major languages like Hindi, which encompasses languages like Bhojpuri, Magadhi, Bundelkhandi, Chhattisgarhi, and Rajasthani.
3. Major Languages in India:
- After grouping, the Census identified 121 major languages in India.
4. Scheduled and Non-Scheduled Languages:
- Out of the 121 major languages, 22 are included in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution and are called Scheduled Languages.
- The remaining languages are referred to as Non-Scheduled Languages.
5. India’s Linguistic Diversity:
- India is considered one of the most linguistically diverse countries in the world.
Language Distribution
1. Hindi as the Most Widely Spoken Language:
- Hindi is the mother tongue of only about 44% of Indians.
- Even when considering people who speak Hindi as a second or third language, the total number of people speaking Hindi remains less than 50% in 2011.
2. English in India:
- Only 0.02% of Indians recorded English as their mother tongue.
- Another 11% of Indians knew English as a second or third language.
Next & Previous Topics of NCERT/CBSE Political Science (Civics) Class 10 Chapter 2: Federalism
| Topics No. | Topics Name |
|---|---|
| 1 | What Is Federalism? |
| 2 | What Makes India a Federal Country? |
| 3 | How Is Federalism Practised? |
| 5 | Decentralisation in India |
MCQs on NCERT Civics Class 10 Chapter 2 Tpoic – How is Federalism Practised in India?
Here are top exam oriented mcq’s type questions on “How is Federalism Practised in India?” that you should prepare for your CBSE or state board exams:
Question 1. What is the real reason behind the success of federalism in India?
a) Clear constitutional provisions
b) Democratic politics and respect for diversity
c) Strong central government
d) Uniform language policy
Answer: b) Democratic politics and respect for diversity
Question 2. What role did democratic politics play in the success of federalism in India?
a) It ensured that federalism was imposed by the central government.
b) It encouraged people to respect diversity and promoted unity.
c) It allowed only one language to be used throughout the country.
d) It led to the centralization of power in the Union Government.
Answer: b) It encouraged people to respect diversity and promoted unity.
Question 3. What was the primary reason for the creation of linguistic States in India?
a) To recognize regional economic disparities
b) To ensure people speaking the same language lived in the same State
c) To encourage migration of people
d) To create a uniform culture
Answer: b) To ensure people speaking the same language lived in the same State
Question 4. Which of the following States was NOT created based on language?
a) Nagaland
b) Uttarakhand
c) Jharkhand
d) Punjab
Answer: d) Punjab
Question 5. What was the initial concern of national leaders regarding linguistic States in India?
a) That it would lead to an increase in regional languages
b) That it would lead to the disintegration of the country
c) That it would create too many States
d) That it would decrease economic growth
Answer: b) That it would lead to the disintegration of the country
Question 6. What was the outcome of the formation of linguistic States in India?
a) The country became more divided.
b) The country became more united, and administration became easier.
c) It led to the formation of regional political parties.
d) It did not change anything in the political map.
Answer: b) The country became more united, and administration became easier.
Question 7. Which language was identified as the official language of India in the Constitution?
a) English
b) Hindi
c) Bengali
d) Sanskrit
Answer: b) Hindi
Question 8. What percentage of Indians consider Hindi to be their mother tongue?
a) 20%
b) 40%
c) 60%
d) 80%
Answer: b) 40%
Question 9. How many languages are recognized as Scheduled Languages by the Constitution of India?
a) 10
b) 12
c) 22
d) 24
Answer: c) 22
Question 10. What is the policy regarding the use of Hindi in government work?
a) Hindi is mandatory for all government work.
b) English is used exclusively for all government work.
c) Hindi is the primary official language, but States can use their own official languages.
d) Hindi is banned in official work.
Answer: c) Hindi is the primary official language, but States can use their own official languages.
Question 11. Why did the Central Government agree to continue the use of English along with Hindi for official purposes?
a) To promote Hindi across the country
b) Due to demands from non-Hindi speaking States, especially Tamil Nadu
c) To make it easier for citizens to learn English
d) Because the Constitution mandated it
Answer: b) Due to demands from non-Hindi speaking States, especially Tamil Nadu
Question 12. What was the original plan regarding the use of English after 1965?
a) It would become the national language.
b) It would be stopped for official purposes.
c) It would only be used for higher education.
d) It would replace Hindi as the official language.
Answer: b) It would be stopped for official purposes.
Question 13. What was the impact of the rise of regional political parties after 1990 on Centre-State relations?
a) The power of the Central Government increased.
b) It led to a new culture of power-sharing and respect for State autonomy.
c) It reduced the importance of regional issues.
d) It resulted in the dissolution of several States.
Answer: b) It led to a new culture of power-sharing and respect for State autonomy.
Question 14. What role did the Supreme Court play in strengthening federalism in India?
a) It helped increase the powers of the Central Government.
b) It made it difficult for the Central Government to dismiss State Governments arbitrarily.
c) It eliminated the need for a federal structure.
d) It merged several States into larger units.
Answer: b) It made it difficult for the Central Government to dismiss State Governments arbitrarily.
Question 15. What was a major challenge for federalism in India in the early years after independence?
a) The dominance of regional parties
b) The misuse of power by the Central Government to dismiss State Governments
c) The uniform distribution of power across States
d) The lack of political leadership
Answer: b) The misuse of power by the Central Government to dismiss State Governments
Question 16. What system of government became more prevalent in India after 1990?
a) Single-party rule
b) Coalition governments
c) Presidential form of government
d) Unitary government
Answer: b) Coalition governments
Question 17. What is the key characteristic of a coalition government?
a) A single party rules at the Centre and in the States.
b) At least two political parties come together to form a government.
c) Only one political party is allowed to form a government.
d) The government is formed by regional parties alone.
Answer: b) At least two political parties come together to form a government.
Question 18. Which of the following is NOT a feature of Indian federalism?
a) Division of powers between the Union and State Governments
b) Creation of new States based on linguistic or cultural identities
c) Uniformity in the distribution of power across all States
d) Recognition of multiple languages as Scheduled Languages
Answer: c) Uniformity in the distribution of power across all States
Question 19. What was one major criticism of the Central Government’s language policy?
a) It promoted only regional languages.
b) It favored the English-speaking elite.
c) It imposed Hindi uniformly on all States.
d) It ignored the diversity of languages in India.
Answer: b) It favored the English-speaking elite.
Question 20. Which of the following best describes the status of the Indian federal system?
a) It is a unitary system.
b) It is a purely centralized system.
c) It is a federal system with strong decentralization.
d) It is a loose confederation of States.
Answer: c) It is a federal system with strong decentralization.
Question 21. How many distinct languages were recorded in the Census of India held in 2011?
a) More than 500
b) More than 1000
c) More than 1300
d) More than 1500
Answer: c) More than 1300
Question 22. How many major languages were identified in the Census of India 2011 after grouping the distinct languages?
a) 100
b) 121
c) 150
d) 200
Answer: b) 121
Question 23. Which of the following is included in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution?
a) Non-Scheduled Languages
b) Scheduled Languages
c) Regional Languages
d) Foreign Languages
Answer: b) Scheduled Languages
Question 24. What percentage of Indians consider Hindi to be their mother tongue according to the 2011 Census?
a) 34%
b) 40%
c) 44%
d) 50%
Answer: c) 44%
Question 25. What is the status of English as a mother tongue in India according to the Census 2011?
a) 1% of Indians recorded it as their mother tongue.
b) 0.02% of Indians recorded it as their mother tongue.
c) 5% of Indians recorded it as their mother tongue.
d) 11% of Indians recorded it as their mother tongue.
Answer: b) 0.02% of Indians recorded it as their mother tongue.
Question 26. Which of the following languages is NOT included in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution?
a) Hindi
b) Bengali
c) Sanskrit
d) English
Answer: d) English
Question 27. Which group of languages were merged under the term ‘Hindi’ in the 2011 Census?
a) Punjabi, Gujarati, and Marathi
b) Bhojpuri, Magadhi, Bundelkhandi, Chhattisgarhi, and Rajasthani
c) Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada
d) Urdu, Punjabi, and Sindhi
Answer: b) Bhojpuri, Magadhi, Bundelkhandi, Chhattisgarhi, and Rajasthani
Question 28. In terms of linguistic diversity, India is considered to be the most diverse country in the world because:
a) It has only two main languages.
b) It has more than 1300 distinct languages.
c) It has no regional languages.
d) It only has official languages.
Answer: b) It has more than 1300 distinct languages.
Question 29. What percentage of Indians knew Hindi as a second or third language in 2011?
a) 10%
b) 20%
c) Less than 50%
d) 60%
Answer: c) Less than 50%
Question 30. Based on the linguistic diversity of India, which of the following would be an appropriate representation for the language data?
a) Bar chart or pie chart
b) Line graph
c) Histogram
d) Map of literacy
Answer: a) Bar chart or pie chart
Question 31. What could you use to represent the linguistic diversity of India on a map?
a) Mark the region where each language is spoken with different colours
b) Use symbols to represent each language
c) Represent the number of languages in each state
d) Use text to list all languages spoken in India
Answer: a) Mark the region where each language is spoken with different colours
Question 32. What is the total number of Scheduled Languages in India as recognized by the Constitution?
a) 10
b) 22
c) 50
d) 100
Answer: b) 22
Question 33. Which of the following languages is NOT a Scheduled Language in India?
a) Hindi
b) Bengali
c) Marathi
d) English
Answer: d) English
Question 34. What is the significance of the Census of India 2011 in the context of languages?
a) It recorded the population of India.
b) It grouped and categorized languages based on their popularity and use.
c) It introduced new languages.
d) It documented the geographical locations of languages.
Answer: b) It grouped and categorized languages based on their popularity and use.
Question 35. Which language is the mother tongue of only 0.02% of Indians according to the Census 2011?
a) Marathi
b) English
c) Tamil
d) Hindi
Answer: b) English
Question 36. Which of the following languages was NOT mentioned as a distinct language grouped under ‘Hindi’ in the 2011 Census?
a) Bhojpuri
b) Bundelkhandi
c) Gujarati
d) Chhattisgarhi
Answer: c) Gujarati