Meaning of Federalism

Federalism in India

Meaning of Federalism

Federalism refers to a political system that possess Constitutionally provided and guaranteed distribution of powers between a national government and several regional governments. The fundamental attribute of a federal Constitution is the Constitutionally created and protected State or regional governments. If regions in a country are distinct in terms of ethnicity, language, religion etc., the ideal form of government will be the federal system. Democratic federalism is the best instrument to ensure ‘Unity in diversity’. The constituent States retain and safeguard their distinct linguistic, religious or cultural identity, without compromising the unity of the federated nation. The federal system is based on distribution of powers between the federal or central or Union Government and the constituent States. This distribution is determined by the Constitution, in clear written terms. Hence in any federal system, the Constitution becomes the supreme authority.

Evolution of Federalism

In the modern world, the United States of America became the first federal State. Thereafter British colonies in Australia and Canada were also granted self government and they too adopted federal forms of government. The trilingual Switzerland similarly adopted a federal form of government. The European Union today another example of federal formation on a voluntary basis.

Rise of Federalism in India

The beginnings of federalism in modern India could be traced in the Regulating Act of 1773, which brought the three regions in India under East India Company’s authority (Madras, Calcutta and Bombay). The Indian National Movement recognized the plural character of colonial India. The Government of India Act 1919, introduced partial autonomy (Dyarchy) in the Presidencies, while the Government of India Act 1935, granted provincial autonomy to the presidencies and proposed a Dyarchical form of government at the Centre. The Nehru Committee Report in 1928 and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s first proposals of a Constitution favoured a federal structure with more powers for the constituent States. The Seventh Schedule of the Constitution contains the three lists relating to the distribution of powers between the Centre and States.