Which one of the following statements is not correct about the nature of India’s federal system?
There is no equality of representation of States in the Council of States.
Sikkim was not initially included in the Union as a full-fledged State.
Special provisions have been laid down in the Constitution of India for Andhra Pradesh under Article 371 D.
The Constitution of India enables the federal government to acquire the strength of a unitary system during emergencies.
Answer is Wrong!
Answer is Right!
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CDS-2 – 2021
A) There is no equality of representation of States in the Council of States (Rajya Sabha). This is correct. Representation is based on the population of states (as per the Fourth Schedule), unlike federations like the USA where states have equal representation. This reflects the asymmetric nature of Indian federalism.
B) Sikkim was not initially included in the Union as a full-fledged State. This is correct. Sikkim was granted the status of an ‘associate state’ initially by the 35th Amendment Act, 1974, before being made a full state by the 36th Amendment Act, 1975. This is a historical fact about state formation.
C) Special provisions have been laid down in the Constitution of India for Andhra Pradesh under Article 371 D. This is correct. Article 371D provides special provisions for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana regarding public employment and education. This is an example of asymmetric federalism.
D) The Constitution of India enables the federal government to acquire the strength of a unitary system during emergencies. This is correct. Articles 352, 356, and 360 provide emergency powers to the Union government, allowing it to centralize powers and control over states, effectively transforming the system into a unitary one during such periods.
All statements A, C, and D describe ongoing structural or functional aspects that are widely considered part of the ‘nature’ of India’s federal system (asymmetric representation, asymmetric provisions for states, centralizing tendency). Statement B describes a specific historical event related to the formation of the Union. While relevant to the evolution of the federation, it is arguably less a descriptor of the *nature* of the system itself compared to A, C, and D which describe its structure, differential treatment of units, and behavior during crises. In the context of asking about the “nature” of the system, a historical event of accession (B) is the least likely to be considered a fundamental defining characteristic compared to structural features (A), differential treatment (C), and operational mode in emergencies (D). Thus, B is the statement that is arguably “not correct about the nature” in the same sense as the others.
– Key features of its nature include a strong centre, division of powers, integrated judiciary, single citizenship, appointment of governors by the centre, unequal representation in Rajya Sabha, and emergency provisions.
– Asymmetric federalism, involving special provisions for certain states (like Article 371 series), is also a characteristic feature.
– The process of integrating princely states and other territories like Sikkim into the Indian Union reflects the flexibility and evolving nature of the federation.