Class 10 Social Science Chapter 14 Federalism (Civics) Practice Paper 2

Class: X Subject: Political Science Session: 2025-26 Chapter: 02 - Federalism Time: 1½ Hours Max. Marks: 40

General Instructions:

1. All questions are compulsory.

2. This question paper contains 20 questions divided into five sections A, B, C, D and E.

3. Section A contains 10 MCQs of 1 mark each.

4. Section B contains 4 questions of 2 marks each.

5. Section C contains 3 questions of 3 marks each.

6. Section D contains 1 question of 5 marks.

7. Section E contains 2 Case Study Based questions of 4 marks each.

SECTION A - Multiple Choice Questions (1 mark each)

Q1. In a unitary system of government:
(a) Power is divided between different levels of government
(b) Sub-units are subordinate to the central government
(c) States have more power than the centre
(d) All states have equal powers

Q2. Which of the following is NOT a feature of federalism?
(a) Two or more tiers of government
(b) Different tiers have separate jurisdiction
(c) Central government can unilaterally change constitutional provisions
(d) Courts can interpret the constitution

Q3. The Concurrent List includes subjects such as:
(a) Defence and Banking
(b) Police and Agriculture
(c) Education and Forest
(d) Foreign Affairs and Currency

Q4. Which state was the first to be formed on linguistic basis in 1953?
(a) Gujarat
(b) Andhra Pradesh
(c) Kerala
(d) Maharashtra

Q5. The decision-making body for the entire village is:
(a) Gram Sabha
(b) Gram Panchayat
(c) Panchayat Samiti
(d) Zilla Parishad

Q6. Which institution conducts panchayat and municipal elections in states?
(a) Election Commission of India
(b) State Election Commission
(c) District Magistrate
(d) Supreme Court

Q7. The political head of a municipal corporation is called:
(a) Chairman
(b) Sarpanch
(c) Mayor
(d) Collector

Q8. Which article of the Constitution provides special powers to certain states like Nagaland and Mizoram?
(a) Article 356
(b) Article 370
(c) Article 371
(d) Article 368

Q9. To amend the power-sharing arrangement between Union and States, the amendment must be ratified by:
(a) At least half of the total states
(b) All states
(c) Two-thirds of all states
(d) President only

Q10. According to Constitution, use of English for official purposes was to stop in:
(a) 1960
(b) 1965
(c) 1970
(d) 1975

SECTION B - Short Answer Questions (2 marks each)

Q11. What is meant by decentralization? Why is it considered important in a democracy?

Q12. Explain the term 'Residuary subjects'. Who has the power to make laws on these subjects in India?

Q13. What is a Gram Sabha? What are its main functions?

Q14. Name the levels of rural local government structure in India from village to district level.

SECTION C - Short Answer Questions (3 marks each)

Q15. Explain any three constitutional provisions that make India a federal country.

Q16. How did the Centre-State relations change after 1990? Mention three significant changes.

Q17. Describe the main features of the 1992 Constitutional Amendment related to local governments.

SECTION D - Long Answer Question (5 marks)

Q18. "The real success of federalism in India can be attributed to the nature of democratic politics in our country." Justify this statement by explaining how linguistic states, language policy, and changing Centre-State relations have strengthened federalism in India.

SECTION E - Case Study Based Questions (4 marks each)

Q19. Read the following case study and answer the questions that follow: For a long time, the same party ruled both at the Centre and in most of the States. This meant that the State Governments did not exercise their rights as autonomous federal units. The Central Government would often misuse the Constitution to dismiss the State Governments that were controlled by rival parties. All this changed significantly after 1990. This period saw the rise of regional political parties in many States of the country. Since no single party got a clear majority in the Lok Sabha, the major national parties had to enter into an alliance with many parties including several regional parties to form a government at the Centre.

(a) What happened when the same party ruled at Centre and States? (1 mark)
(b) What changed after 1990 in Indian politics? (1 mark)
(c) How did coalition governments strengthen federalism in India? (2 marks)

Q20. Read the following case study and answer the questions that follow: The 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 per cent of Indians. Therefore, there were many safeguards to protect other languages. Besides Hindi, there are 22 other languages recognised as Scheduled Languages by the Constitution. According to the Constitution, the use of English for official purposes was to stop in 1965. However, many non-Hindi speaking States demanded that the use of English continue. The Central Government responded by agreeing to continue the use of English along with Hindi for official purposes.

(a) What percentage of Indians have Hindi as their mother tongue? (1 mark)
(b) Why was the use of English continued even after 1965? (1 mark)
(c) How has India's flexible language policy helped maintain national unity? (2 marks) DETAILED ANSWER KEY - PAPER 02

SECTION A - Answers to MCQs

Q1.
(b) Sub-units are subordinate to the central government In a unitary system, either there is only one level of government or the sub-units are subordinate to the central government which can pass orders to provincial/local governments.

Q2.
(c) Central government can unilaterally change constitutional provisions In a federal system, fundamental provisions of the constitution cannot be unilaterally changed by one level of government. Such changes require consent of both levels.

Q3.
(c) Education and Forest The Concurrent List includes subjects of common interest to both Union and State Governments, such as education, forest, trade unions, marriage, adoption, and succession.

Q4.
(b) Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh was the first state to be formed on linguistic basis in 1953 for Telugu-speaking people.

Q5.
(a) Gram Sabha The Gram Sabha is the decision-making body for the entire village. All voters in the village are its members, and the Gram Panchayat works under its supervision.

Q6.
(b) State Election Commission An independent institution called the State Election Commission has been created in each State to conduct panchayat and municipal elections.

Q7.
(c) Mayor In a municipal corporation, the political head is called the Mayor. In municipalities, the political head is called the Municipal Chairperson.

Q8.
(c) Article 371 Article 371 provides special powers to states like Assam, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, and Mizoram due to their peculiar social and historical circumstances.

Q9.
(a) At least half of the total states Any change to the power-sharing arrangement must be ratified by the legislatures of at least half of the total States after being passed by both Houses of Parliament with two-thirds majority.

Q10.
(b) 1965 According to the Constitution, the use of English for official purposes was to stop in 1965. However, due to demands from non-Hindi speaking states, it was continued along with Hindi.

SECTION B - Answers to Short Answer Questions

Q11. Decentralization Meaning: Decentralization means taking away power from Central and State governments and giving it to local government. Importance in Democracy: • Local people have better knowledge of local problems and better ideas on resource allocation • Enables direct participation of people in decision-making • Helps inculcate habits of democratic participation • Realizes the principle of local self-government

Q12. Residuary Subjects Residuary subjects are those that do not fall in any of the three lists (Union, State, or Concurrent). These include subjects that came up after the Constitution was made, such as computer software, internet regulation, cyber law, etc. According to the Indian Constitution, the Union Government has the power to legislate on residuary subjects .

Q13. Gram Sabha Definition: The Gram Sabha is a body consisting of all the adult voters in a village or group of villages. Main Functions: • It is the decision-making body for the entire village • The Gram Panchayat works under its overall supervision • It meets at least twice or thrice in a year to approve the annual budget of the Gram Panchayat • It reviews the performance of the Gram Panchayat

Q14. Levels of Rural Local Government The three levels of rural local government structure in India are:

1. Village Level: Gram Panchayat

2. Block/Intermediate Level: Panchayat Samiti or Block Panchayat or Mandal

3. District Level: Zilla Parishad (District Panchayat)

SECTION C - Answers to Short Answer Questions

Q15. Constitutional Provisions Making India Federal

1. Three-fold Distribution of Powers: The Constitution clearly provides a three-fold distribution of legislative powers through Union List, State List, and Concurrent List. Each level has exclusive jurisdiction on specified subjects.

2. Constitutional Guarantee: The jurisdictions of respective levels of government are specified in the Constitution. The existence and authority of each tier is constitutionally guaranteed and cannot be unilaterally changed by one level. Any change requires two-thirds majority in Parliament and ratification by at least half of the state legislatures.

3. Independent Judiciary: Courts have the power to interpret the Constitution and resolve disputes between different levels of government. The Supreme Court acts as an umpire in federal matters, ensuring that no level of government exceeds its constitutional authority.

Q16. Changes in Centre-State Relations After 1990

1. Rise of Regional Parties: After 1990, regional political parties rose in many states of the country, leading to greater assertion of state autonomy and regional interests.

2. Era of Coalition Governments: Since no single party got clear majority in Lok Sabha, major national parties had to form alliances with regional parties to form government at the Centre. This gave regional parties significant bargaining power.

3. Respect for State Autonomy: Coalition politics led to a new culture of power sharing and respect for the autonomy of state governments. The practice of dismissing state governments controlled by rival parties was significantly reduced, especially after Supreme Court judgements made it difficult to dismiss state governments arbitrarily.

Q17. Features of 1992 Constitutional Amendment The 1992 Constitutional Amendment (73rd and 74th Amendments) introduced major reforms in local governance:

1. Regular Elections: It became constitutionally mandatory to hold regular elections to local government bodies.

2. Reservation of Seats: Seats are reserved in elected bodies and executive heads for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes. At least one-third of all positions are reserved for women.

3. State Election Commission: An independent State Election Commission was created in each state to conduct panchayat and municipal elections.

4. Power and Revenue Sharing: State governments are required to share some powers and revenue with local government bodies, though the nature of sharing varies from state to state.

SECTION D - Answer to Long Answer Question

Q18. Democratic Politics and Success of Federalism in India The success of federalism in India is indeed attributed to democratic politics rather than just constitutional provisions. This can be understood through three major developments:

1. LINGUISTIC STATES: • The creation of linguistic states was the first major test for Indian federalism • In 1947, boundaries of several states were changed to create states where people speaking the same language lived together • Initial fears that this would lead to disintegration proved wrong • Instead, linguistic reorganization made the country more united and administration easier • Example: Formation of Andhra Pradesh (1953), and major reorganization in 1956 • This showed respect for diversity and desire for living together

2. LANGUAGE POLICY: • India adopted a cautious and flexible language policy • No single language was given the status of national language • Hindi identified as official language but 22 Scheduled Languages were recognized • When Tamil Nadu strongly opposed Hindi imposition in 1965, the Central Government agreed to continue English alongside Hindi • This flexibility helped avoid the kind of ethnic conflict seen in Sri Lanka • States were allowed to have their own official languages • Democratic leaders prioritized national unity over linguistic uniformity

3. CHANGING CENTRE-STATE RELATIONS: • Before 1990: Same party ruling at Centre and most states meant state governments didn't exercise their federal rights • After 1990: Rise of regional parties and coalition governments • No single party got clear majority, leading to alliances with regional parties • This created a new culture of power sharing and respect for state autonomy • Supreme Court judgements made it difficult to dismiss state governments arbitrarily • Federal power sharing became more effective in practice CONCLUSION:

These three developments show that federalism in India succeeded not merely because of constitutional provisions, but because democratic politics ensured that the spirit of federalism, respect for diversity, and desire for living together became shared ideals in the country. Political leaders' flexibility and commitment to democratic values made Indian federalism work in practice.

SECTION E - Answers to Case Study Based Questions

Q19. Coalition Politics and Federalism
(a) When the same party ruled at the Centre and in most states, the State Governments did not exercise their rights as autonomous federal units. The Central Government would often misuse the Constitution to dismiss state governments controlled by rival parties.
(b) After 1990, there was a rise of regional political parties in many states of the country. This also marked the beginning of the era of coalition governments at the Centre, as no single party got a clear majority in the Lok Sabha.

(c) Coalition governments strengthened federalism in India in the following ways: • Since major national parties had to form alliances with regional parties, the regional parties gained significant voice in national decision-making • This led to a new culture of power sharing and respect for the autonomy of state governments • Regional concerns and interests started getting better representation at the national level • The practice of arbitrarily dismissing state governments reduced significantly • Federal power sharing became more effective and genuine in practice, with states asserting their constitutional rights more confidently

Q20. Language Policy and National Unity
(a) Hindi is the mother tongue of only about 40 per cent (approximately 44 percent) of Indians. Even when counting those who know Hindi as second or third language, the total was less than 50% in 2011.
(b) The use of English was continued even after 1965 because: • Many non-Hindi speaking states, especially Tamil Nadu, strongly demanded that English continue • In Tamil Nadu, the anti-Hindi movement even took a violent form • The Central Government responded flexibly by agreeing to continue the use of English along with Hindi for official purposes
(c) India's flexible language policy has helped maintain national unity in several ways:

• By not imposing Hindi on non-Hindi speaking states, it avoided ethnic conflicts like those in Sri Lanka where Sinhala imposition led to civil war • Recognition of 22 Scheduled Languages respected India's linguistic diversity • Allowing states to have their own official languages gave people the freedom to use their mother tongue in state administration • The continuation of English provided a neutral link language acceptable to all • This accommodation and flexibility showed respect for regional sentiments, strengthening bonds of unity while celebrating diversity