Which of the following statements in respect of the Union of India is/

Which of the following statements in respect of the Union of India is/are correct?

  • 1. The Union of India is more like the Canadian Federation than American.
  • 2. Residuary powers are vested in the Union.
  • 3. States of the Union of India have constitutional right to secede.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

1 only
1 and 2 only
2 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CISF-AC-EXE – 2019
Statements 1 and 2 are correct. The Indian federation is often described as ‘quasi-federal’ or federal with a strong unitary bias, exhibiting features more aligned with the Canadian model (strong centre, residuary powers with the centre) than the American model (more autonomy to states, residuary powers with states). Article 248 of the Constitution explicitly vests residuary powers of legislation in the Union Parliament. Statement 3 is incorrect; the Indian Union is “indestructible”, and states do not have the right to secede.
India’s federal structure is characterized by a powerful central government. The Constitution clearly defines the distribution of legislative powers between the Union and the States but reserves ultimate power over unspecified matters to the Union.
Article 1 of the Constitution declares India as a “Union of States”, emphasizing that it is not a result of an agreement among states and that the states cannot secede.