Jou nal o Resea ch and De elopmen
A Mul idisciplina y In e na ional Le el Re e ed and Double Blind Pee Re iewed, Open Access
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A s udy o majo challenges o Fede alism unde he Indian Cons i u ion o e
he pas se en decades Sandhya Sha ad Sa he
Resea ch Schola , Shi aji Uni e si y Kolhapu
Email: sandhya k23 @gmail.com
Manusc ip ID:
JRD -2025-170922
ISSN: 2230-9578
Volume 17
Issue 9 (V)
Pp. 90-94
Sep . 2025
Submi ed:15 Aug. 2025
Re ised: 25 Aug. 2025
Accep ed: 10 Sep . 2025
Published: 30 Sep . 2025
Abs ac India's ede al s uc u e, a unique blend o uni a y and ede al ea u es, was me iculously
c a ed o accommoda e a as and di e se na ion while ensu ing i s uni y and in eg i y. Cha ac e ized as
'quasi- ede al' wi h a s ong cen al bias, his a angemen has e ol ed signi ican ly since i s incep ion.
This pape del es in o he majo challenges con on ing Indian ede alism in he 21s cen u y. I examines
issues anging om poli ical cen aliza ion and he e osion o s a e au onomy o iscal imbalances, in e -
s a e dispu es, adminis a i e complexi ies, and he implica ions o asymme ic ede alism. By analyzing
hese mul i- ace ed challenges, he pape a gues ha while India's ede al amewo k has demons a ed
ema kable esilience, pe sis en ensions h ea en i s coope a i e spi i , necessi a ing con inuous e o m
and e-e alua ion o os e a mo e balanced and equi able powe -sha ing a angemen c ucial o
na ional de elopmen and cohesion.
Keywo ds: Indian Fede alism, Quasi-Fede al, Cen aliza ion, S a e Au onomy, Fiscal Fede alism, In e -
S a e Dispu es, Asymme ic Fede alism, Coope a i e Fede alism, Uni a y Bias, Cons i u ional Challenges.
In oduc ion
India, a na ion o unpa alleled di e si y in language, cul u e, eligion, and geog aphy,
adop ed a ede al sys em o go e nance upon achie ing independence in 1947. Howe e , i s
ede alism is no a con en ional one, o en desc ibed as 'sui gene is' o 'quasi- ede al' by
schola s like K.C. Whea e. As a cons i u ional expe , he called he Indian model"quasi- ede al
wi h a s ong uni a y bias”.The ame s o he Indian Cons i u ion, deeply conscious o he
Indian di e si ies andneed o na ional uni y, op ed o a sys em ha combines he ad an ages o
bo h ede al and uni a y poli ies, wi h a p onounced il owa ds he Cen e. This 'uni a y bias' is
e iden in p o isions such as he s ong cen al go e nmen , a single cons i u ion, eme gency
p o isions, and he ex ensi e Concu en Lis .
O e he pas se en decades, India's ede al s uc u e has been con inuously es ed by
poli ical exigencies, economic ans o ma ions, social mo emen s, and echnological
ad ancemen s. While i has la gely succeeded in holding he na ion oge he and enabling
democ a ic pa icipa ion, i aces a g owing cons ella ion o challenges ha s ain he delica e
balance o powe be ween he Union and he S a es. Unde s anding hese challenges is c ucial
o app ecia ing he dynamic na u e o Indian poli y and o cha ing a pa h owa d a mo e
obus and esponsi e ede al sys em. This pape aims o me iculously analyse hese majo
challenges, ca ego izing hem in o poli ical, iscal, adminis a i e, and socio-cul u al
dimensions, and explo es hei implica ions o he u u e o Indian ede alism.
Concep : Indian Fede alism
Co e cha ac e is ics o Indian ede alism a e discussed as unde :
Di ision o Powe s: The Cons i u ion delinea es legisla i e, execu i e, and inancial
powe s be ween he Union and he S a es h ough he Se en h Schedule, comp ising he
Union Lis (exclusi e cen al powe s), S a e Lis (exclusi e s a e powe s), and Concu en
Lis (bo h can legisla e). Residua y powe s es wi h he Cen e.
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A ibu ion-NonComme cial-Sha eAlike 4.0 In e na ional Public License, which allows o he s o emix,
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Add ess o co espondence:
Sandhya Sha ad Sa he, Resea ch Schola , Shi aji Uni e si y Kolhapu
How o ci e his a icle:
Sandhya Sha ad Sa he (2025).A s udy o majo challenges o Fede alism unde he Indian
Cons i u ion o e he pas se en decades. Jou nal o Resea ch & De elopmen , 17(9), 90-94
O iginal A icle
Jou nal o Resea ch and De elopmen
A Mul idisciplina y In e na ional Le el Re e ed and Double Blind Pee Re iewed, Open Access
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W i en Cons i u ion: A de ailed and sup eme w i en cons i u ion o ms he bed ock o powe dis ibu ion.
Independen Judicia y: The Sup eme Cou ac s as he in e p e e o he Cons i u ion and he a bi e o dispu es
be ween he Cen e and S a es.
Dual Poli y bu Single Ci izenship: S a es ha e hei own go e nmen al machine y, bu ci izens hold only Indian
ci izenship.
Uni a y Bias: Se e al ea u es gi e he Cen e an uppe hand:
o Eme gency P o isions (A icles 352, 356, 360): Allow he Cen e o assume ex ensi e powe s du ing
eme gencies, e ec i ely ans o ming he sys em in o a uni a y one. A icle 356 (P esiden 's Rule) has his o ically
been a majo poin o con en ion.
o Appoin men o Go e no s: The Go e no , appoin ed by he P esiden , ac s as he cons i u ional head o he s a e
bu also as a link be ween he Cen e and he S a e, o en pe cei ed as a cen al agen .
o Pa liamen 's Powe o al e S a e Bounda ies: A icle 3 empowe s Pa liamen o o m new s a es, al e a eas,
bounda ies, o names o exis ing s a es wi hou he consen o he conce ned s a e.
o In eg a ed Judicia y and All India Se ices: These ins i u ions ensu e uni o mi y and cen al con ol.
o Financial Dependence o S a es: S a es ha e limi ed independen e enue sou ces and la gely depend on cen al
ans e s.
Majo Challenges o Indian Fede alism
The challenges con on ing India's ede al s uc u e a e mul i ace ed and deeply in e wined, s emming om bo h
cons i u ional design and poli ical p ac ice.
1. Poli ical Cen alisa ion and E osion o S a e Au onomy
One o he mos pe sis en c i icisms agains Indian ede alism is he pe cei ed o e each o he Cen e and he
consequen e osion o s a e au onomy.
Misuse o A icle 356 (P esiden 's Rule): His o ically, A icle 356, which allows he Cen e o dismiss s a e
go e nmen s and impose P esiden 's Rule, has been widely misused o poli ical pu poses. Despi e landma k
Sup eme Cou judgmen s (e.g., S.R. Bommai case, 1994) is one o he landma k judgmen ha cu ailed a bi a y
use o A icle 356, he unde lying po en ial o cen al in e en ion emains a conce n, pa icula ly in s a es
go e ned by opposi ion pa ies.
Role o he Go e no : Appoin ed by he P esiden , he Go e no o en ac s as an agen o he Cen e a he han a
neu al cons i u ional head. Thei disc e iona y powe s, especially in ecommending P esiden 's Rule, ese ing
s a e bills o P esiden ial assen , o in i ing pa ies o o m he go e nmen , ha e equen ly been challenged as
pa isan and de imen al o s a e au onomy and democ a ic p inciples.
Cen ally Sponso ed Schemes (CSS) and Cen al Sec o Schemes: While designed o add ess na ional
p io i ies, he p oli e a ion o CSS o en dic a es s a e policy, educes hei iscal lexibili y, and some imes
imposes uni o m solu ions on di e se local con ex s. S a es become implemen e s o cen al agendas, dilu ing hei
own policy-making space.
Dominance o Na ional Pa ies and One-Pa y Rule a he Cen e: Pe iods o s ong one-pa y ule a he
Cen e, especially when coupled wi h a weake opposi ion a he s a e le el, can il he balance hea ily owa ds he
Union. Policy decisions, e en hose impac ing s a e subjec s, end o be d i en om he na ional capi al,
ma ginalizing egional conce ns.
O e lapping Ju isdic ions and Concu en Lis : While he Concu en Lis aims a coope a i e legisla ion, he
Cen e's powe o legisla e on any i em in he Concu en Lis , and o i s law o p e ail in case o a con lic , o en
es ic s s a e legisla i e ini ia i es and unde mines hei unc ional au onomy. Recen con en ious laws like he
a m laws (now epealed) o amendmen s o he Na ional Capi al Te i o y (NCT) Ac a e p ime examples.
2. Fiscal Imbalances and Resou ce Dis ibu ion
Fiscal ede alism in India is cha ac e ized by signi ican e ical and ho izon al imbalances, leading o s a es' o e -
eliance on cen al ans e s and a pe pe ual deba e o e ai esou ce dis ibu ion.
Ve ical Imbalance: The Union go e nmen commands a disp opo iona ely la ge sha e o e enue- aising
powe s (e.g., co po a e ax, income ax, cus oms, excise du ies), while s a es bea p ima y esponsibili y o
wel a e unc ions like heal h, educa ion, and law and o de , which a e expendi u e-in ensi e. This s uc u al
imbalance makes s a es hea ily dependen on cen al g an s and ax de olu ions.
Ho izon al Imbalance: Signi ican dispa i ies exis among s a es in e ms o economic de elopmen , pe capi a
income, and e enue-gene a ing capaci y. Poo e s a es o en demand g ea e ans e s om he Cen e and mo e
de eloped s a es, leading o ensions. The c i e ia used by Finance Commissions o de olu ion a e cons an ly
deba ed.
Impac o Goods and Se ices Tax (GST): While GST aimed o a uni ied na ional ma ke , i s implemen a ion
has p esen ed new challenges o iscal ede alism. S a es su ende ed hei au onomy o le y a ious indi ec axes
o a sha e o e enue de e mined by he GST Council (a ede al body). Issues such as:
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o Compensa ion Cess: The gua an eed compensa ion mechanism o e enue loss o s a es, ini ially o 5 yea s,
expi ed in 2022, lea ing s a es ulne able o e enue sho alls.
o GST Council's Func ioning: While a ede al body, he Cen e o en holds signi ican sway, and decisions
some imes e lec cen al p io i ies a he han collec i e s a e consensus.
o Reduced Fiscal Space: S a es ha e los signi ican independen e enue- aising powe s, limi ing hei abili y o
ailo ax policies o local needs.
Condi ional G an s and Tied Aid: The Cen e o en p o ides g an s ied o speci ic schemes o objec i es,
limi ing he inancial disc e ion and policy choices o s a es.
S a e Deb and Bo owing Limi s: While s a es can bo ow, hei access o capi al ma ke s and bo owing limi s
a e o en egula ed by he Cen e (unde A icle 293), pa icula ly i hey a e indeb ed o he Cen e, u he
es ic ing hei iscal au onomy.
3. In e -S a e Dispu es and Regionalism
The di e se na u e o India ine i ably gi es ise o dispu es among s a es, o en in luenced by egional iden i ies and
esou ce sca ci y.
Bounda y Dispu es: Se e al in e -s a e bo de dispu es pe sis (e.g., Maha ash a-Ka na aka, Assam-Nagaland),
some imes esul in o iolen con on a ions, challenging na ional cohesion.
Ri e Wa e Dispu es: The sha ing o in e -s a e i e wa e s (e.g., Cau e y dispu e be ween Ka na aka, Tamil
Nadu, Ke ala, and Pondiche y; K ishna wa e dispu e) emains a majo challenge due o inc easing wa e sca ci y
and compe ing demands. Despi e cons i u ional p o isions and ibunals, hese dispu es a e o en p o ac ed and
poli ically cha ged.
Linguis ic and Cul u al Iden i y Mo emen s: Demands o new s a es based on linguis ic o e hnic iden i y (e.g.,
Telangana's c ea ion, ongoing demands o Go khaland, Vida bha, e c.) highligh he ension be ween na ional
in eg a ion and s ong egional iden i ies. While o en legi ima e, he p ocess o s a e eo ganiza ion can be
poli ically augh and esou ce-in ensi e.
Mig a ion and "Sons o he Soil" Synd ome: In e nal mig a ion o employmen and oppo uni ies some imes
leads o con lic s be ween mig an wo ke s and local popula ions, anning na i is sen imen s and unde mining he
spi i o na ional in eg a ion.
4. Adminis a i e Disc epancies and Law & O de
The adminis a i e machine y, pa icula ly in a eas like law and o de , poses unique ede al challenges.
All India Se ices (AIS): O ice s o he IAS, IPS, and IFS a e ec ui ed by he Union bu se e in s a e cad es.
While en isioned as a uni ying o ce, hei dual accoun abili y o bo h he Cen e and he S a e can c ea e ensions,
especially when he Cen e and he S a e a e go e ned by di e en pa ies. Allega ions o cen al in e e ence ia
ans e s o disciplina y ac ion agains s a e cad e o ice s a e no uncommon.
Law and O de : A s a e subjec , law and o de is c ucial o go e nance. Howe e , he Cen e o en has powe s o
deploy cen al a med police o ces in s a es wi hou p io consen ( hough usually in consul a ion). Managing
in e nal secu i y, especially du ing communal io s o insu gency, equi es high le els o Cen e-S a e
coo dina ion, which can be hampe ed by poli ical di e ences.
Disas e Managemen : While disas e esponse is p ima ily a s a e esponsibili y, he Cen e plays a c i ical ole
in p o iding inancial and logis ical suppo . The COVID-19 pandemic highligh ed he need o `Cen e-S a e
coo dina ion in public heal h eme gencies, exposing challenges in da a sha ing, esou ce alloca ion, and policy
implemen a ion ac oss s a es.
5. Asymme ic Fede alism and Socio-Economic Dispa i ies
India's ede alism is no pe ec ly symme ical; ce ain s a es enjoy special p o isions o s a us, which while necessa y
o in eg a ion, can also be a sou ce o ension.
Special P o isions (A icle 371 & o he s): A icles 370 (now la gely ab oga ed o Jammu & Kashmi ) and 371
(A-J) g an special p o isions o s a es like Nagaland, Mizo am, A unachal P adesh, Goa, Maha ash a, Guja a ,
e c., o p o ec hei unique cul u al iden i y, ibal igh s, o add ess egional dispa i ies. While hese a e essen ial
o in eg a ing di e se popula ions, hey can some imes lead o pe cep ions o di e en ial ea men o demands o
simila s a us om o he egions.
De elopmen al Dispa i ies: The as economic and social dispa i ies among s a es pose a signi ican challenge.
Regions wi h low human de elopmen indices, inadequa e in as uc u e, and high po e y a es demand g ea e
cen al a en ion and esou ces, o en leading o poli ical mobiliza ion and accusa ions o neglec .
Regional Imbalances in Rep esen a ion: The delimi a ion o LokSabha cons i uencies based on popula ion
( ozen un il 2026) has led o conce ns om Sou h Indian s a es, which ha e con olled hei popula ion g ow h,
ha hey will be unde - ep esen ed compa ed o No h Indian s a es wi h highe popula ion g ow h, impac ing hei
oice in na ional policy-making.
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Discussion and Analysis: The E ol ing Dynamics
The challenges ou lined abo e collec i ely pain a pic u e o a ede al sys em cons an ly in lux. The ini ial
'coope a i e ede alism' en isioned by he Cons i u ion, whe e he Cen e and S a es wo ked in andem, has o en been
o e shadowed by 'compe i i e ede alism', whe e s a es ie o esou ces and in es men , and some imes
'con on a ional ede alism', especially when di e en poli ical pa ies go e n a he Cen e and in s a es. The na u e o
hese challenges sugges s ha he uni a y bias, while ini ially deemed essen ial o na ional uni y, has o en been
exploi ed o poli ical ends, leading o dis us and esen men among s a es. The economic libe aliza ion since he
1990s and he ise o powe ul egional pa ies ha e empowe ed s a es, making hem mo e asse i e in demanding
g ea e au onomy and a ai e sha e o esou ces. Howe e , his asse ion is me wi h a Cen e o en keen o main ain i s
p e-eminence, leading o a pe ennial ug-o -wa .
The ole o ins i u ions like he In e -S a e Council, concep ualized o acili a e Cen e-S a e and in e -s a e
coo dina ion, has o en been unde u ilized, leading o ad-hoc solu ions a he han ins i u ionalized dialogue. Simila ly,
he NITI Aayog ( o me ly Planning Commission), while ans o ming in o a hink ank, has ye o ully ealize i s
po en ial as a pla o m o genuine ede al dialogue and consensus-building.
The judicia y has played a c ucial ole in sa egua ding ede al p inciples, pa icula ly agains he a bi a y use o
A icle 356. Howe e , cons i u ional in e p e a ion alone canno esol e he deep-sea ed poli ical and iscal ensions
ha plague he sys em.
Recommenda ions and Pa h Fo wa d
Add essing hese challenges equi es a mul i-p onged app oach ha s eng hens bo h he le e and spi i o
Indian ede alism:
Re o ming A icle 356 and he Go e no 's O ice: S ic adhe ence o he ecommenda ions o he Sa ka ia
Commission and Punchhi Commission on A icle 356, and ensu ing gube na o ial appoin men s a e non-poli ical
and uphold cons i u ional neu ali y, a e pa amoun .
S eng hening Fiscal Fede alism:
o Inc easing he sha e o di isible pool o axes o s a es.
o Re isi ing he GST amewo k o ensu e s able and equi able e enue o s a es, po en ially ex ending he
compensa ion mechanism o inding al e na i e solu ions o e enue sho alls.
o Enhancing s a es' e enue-gene a ing capaci y and g ea e iscal au onomy in bo owing and expendi u e.
o Ensu ing Finance Commission ecommenda ions a e ully implemen ed and hei c i e ia e iewed o add ess
ho izon al imbalances mo e e ec i ely.
Empowe ing In e -S a e Council: Regula and meaning ul mee ings o he In e -S a e Council and i s s anding
commi ee should be ins i u ionalized o p o ide a genuine o um o dialogue, dispu e esolu ion, and policy
coo dina ion.
P omo ing Ra ional Policy-Making: Reducing he p oli e a ion o na owly de ined Cen ally Sponso ed
Schemes and allowing s a es g ea e lexibili y in implemen ing na ional p og ams, o shi ing o block g an s, can
enhance s a e au onomy and accoun abili y.
Judicial Vigilance: The judicia y mus con inue o play i s ole as he gua dian o he Cons i u ion, ensu ing ha
he ede al balance is no unde mined by execu i e o e each.
Decen aliza ion beyond S a es: Fu he de olu ion o powe s and esou ces o local sel -go e ning bodies
(Panchaya s and Municipali ies) would s eng hen democ acy a he g ass oo s and make go e nance mo e
esponsi e o local needs, indi ec ly ein o cing ede al p inciples.
Fos e a Cul u e o Coope a ion: Poli ical leade ship a bo h le els mus p io i ize na ional in e es and
coope a i e spi i o e pa isan gains, engaging in cons uc i e dialogue o esol e dispu es.
Conclusion
India's ede al s uc u e, a ema kable cons i u ional expe imen , has been ins umen al in p ese ing uni y
amids unpa alleled di e si y. Howe e , i con inues o na iga e a complex laby in h o challenges, om he ing ained
uni a y bias and poli ical cen aliza ion o pe sis en iscal inequi ies and in e -s a e ensions. These challenges a e no
me e adminis a i e hu dles; hey s ike a he hea o democ a ic go e nance, esou ce dis ibu ion, and na ional
cohesion.
The u u e i ali y o Indian ede alism hinges on he willingness o bo h he Union and S a e go e nmen s o
engage in genuine dialogue, adhe e o cons i u ional p op ie ies, and p io i ize coope a i e mechanisms. By add essing
he deep-sea ed issues o iscal imbalance, eining in he a bi a y use o cen al powe s, s eng hening ins i u ional
sa egua ds o s a e au onomy, and e ec i ely managing in e -s a e dispu es, India can e ol e a mo e balanced,
equi able, and esilien ede al sys em. Such a ans o ma ion is no me ely an academic ideal bu an essen ial
p e equisi e o India's con inued p og ess, democ a ic consolida ion, and he ealiza ion o i s as de elopmen al
po en ial in he 21s cen u y.
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