Regional & Federal Studies

2015

This article introduces a conceptual distinction between diversity-claims and equality-claims in order to reflect critically on the relation between federalism and democracy in India, which is not adequately problematized and somewhat neglected. Federalism and democracy suggest two different problematics, but in India democracy has often played second fiddle to the claims of diversity. As a result, India's success as a federation has not been paralleled by its record as a democracy in terms of its equality functions. Since the article engages with the issue of accommodation of diversity in the wake of federationbuilding, and the relation between federalism and democracy, critical references are made to the relevant theoretical literature in order to point out federalism's new problematic and its pitfalls. With the Indian case as a major illustration, it is shown here that the institutional arrangements and governing practices have overwhelmingly been given priority to meet the claims of diversity to the relative neglect of equality-claims.

US-China Law Review, 2017

Indian federalism is considered globally as a success model of federalism in the non-Western and post-colonial contexts. As the world's most diverse country with some 1.3 billion people of many hundred languages, religions, aboriginal peoples, races, castes and communities, India has not experienced since 1947 any territorial disintegration although the country lives with manifold social, economic, cultural and religious conflicts. The role of federalism in India in holding together such a diverse country-somewhat risky since it is also a democratic country-has been laudable. The model of India's federation building (an unfinished project) from above, by an unending process of territorial re-sizing, has worked. The author argues in the article that in Indian federal democracy, federalism has been privileged over democracy in the sense of social and economic equalizing, (equality-claims) and democracy remains suborned to the prior diversity-claims and only as a second order value. On the basis of a conceptual distinction that the author introduced before between diversity-claims and equality-claims, the author argues here that because of the preeminence of federalism (tuned to diversity-claims), India's performance on equality-claims remains abysmal accentuated in the wake of neo-liberal reforms.

This article describes the features of India's federal system and process, and seeks to explain their effectiveness in terms of their symbiosis with the projects of nation-building and state-formation in India. This is done through a presentation of the basic structure of federalism in India and its political constraints. Federalism, along with parliamentarism, is axial principle of Government in India. Indian federalism is not a static entity. It has been evolving over the years form a predominantly parliamentary system. The flexibility of the federal process has made it possible for the state in India to accommodate ethno national movements in the form of new regions, thus gradually increasing both the number of states and the governability of the union.In this article we examine federal Process in India,structure,asymmetric federalism, andthe interaction between globalization and India's federal system, in the context of the country's past decade of economic reform.

In spite of the fact that "federalism" is sandwiched in comparative politics. Efforts to study about federalism constitute a part of relative legislative issues i.e. comparative politics or political establishments since federalism isn't just cross-national but a multifaceted i.e. cross-cultural research as well. While the study of federalism has in numerous regards stretched to an advanced stage today, but nevertheless there remains a disturbing absence of arrangement with regards to the exact connotation of the concept. This study analysed basically, some issues and challenges in the concept of federalism in distinctive kind as a system of government in different states and nations of the world. The main objective of this work, however, has been to bring to attention the current new trends in federalism more specifically about the asymmetric nature of the Indian federalism and discover new patterns in federalism as observed by different researchers in different fields in connection to federalism. It isn't an attempt to give a complete scientific account in any case, but this paper would be dealing with some of the issues which would be essential in order to define the real concept of federalism in India. Moreover an attempt has been made to uncover, some of the essential ambiguities in the working of the federalism governance in the present political setting. Additionally, this article to a great extent is an attempt to express our hopeful worry over the capability of the standard of cooperative federalism in Indian conditions instead of a negation of it being the most ideal elective.

2005

India Review, 2017

Commonwealth & Comparative Politics, 2002

The Nuffield Foundation provided funding for a fieldtrip to India in February-April 1999 which allowed me to extend and update previous research, and which is very gratefully acknowledged. My thanks also to Stuart Corbridge and Glyn Williams for their comments and criticisms. The arguments in this paper have been presented at seminars and conferences in Jawaharlal Nehru University, Edinburgh, SOAS and Bristol, and in each place I received very helpful feedback. Thanks also to the anonymous reviewers. The usual disclaimers apply. Word count: 9294 2 Redrawing the Body Politic: Federalism, Regionalism and the Creation of New States in India. In 2000 the federal map of India was redrawn to create three new States, signifying a significant shift in the attitude of many of India's major political parties towards territorial reorganisation. This paper suggests that a new era in the political economy of Indiaassociated with economic liberalisation; the rise of the Hindu Right; the regionalisation of politics; and the emergence of a coalitional system of government in New Delhiprovides a new 'field of opportunities' for regions demanding State recognition. The paper concludes that, in this matter, the major political parties are primarily by expediency and opportunism rather than, as is claimed, by an evaluation of the democratic and developmental potential of smaller States.

2017

In recent days, the process of federalization within the Indian Union has become more debatable due to the unequal federal development at various levels. In this context, the issues of state formation in India have become very crucial within the domain of the Indian federal structure. In the 1950s, the nature of demands for a new state was based on the ‘identity’ aspect under federal governance; but at present, the focus has shifted to ‘regional development,’ particularly to the aspects of socio-cultural, economic and political opportunities. The main objective of adopting the federal structure in Indian polity was to promote cultural homogeneity and improved federal governance in all the Indian states. However, the unequal development between the states and lack of socio-economic and political opportunities in society has challenged federalism in India. This situation has opened the door for the emergence of many regional parties, volunteer groups and civil society organiza...

2007

International Journal of Political Science and Governance , 2022

This paper tries to examine a deep overview of the working of Indian federalism in general and to the contemporary era in particular. This includes all those issues that have often been presented in recent times. Large numbers of debate and discussion therefore widely taking place around the federalist part whether the federal government that the country has adapted is in form of suit or ultra verse. On the other side, important significance also set forth on the norms of constitution and principal objectives of federalism. Hence, in federalism; both the centre and states is an equal partner and equal par excellence. They also guaranteed to believe in the assumption of 'self-rule' with 'share-rule'. But, several controversy and dichotomy have originated due to the uncertain nature as per in our practice that frequently challenged the federal working system of India. In short, a recent trend has occupies some of its significant stances to look upon the prime concern of federalism. However, such kind of discourses has been raised over more than seven decades. It is also a kind of attempt of the federal form. Critiques have also mentioned about various strengths and weaknesses of this system. Besides, it incorporated some definite trends that have come in our way to disturb the balance of power and cooperative character of Indian federalism. For instance, more recently, the political development around the citizen Amendment Act, 2019 and other related issues have generated a lot of debates in the understanding of federalism. In addition to this, there is some tension between the Union & the state on the implementation issue of NRC-CAA. The opposing state like Kerala, Punjab, Rajasthan and West Bengal addresses that Indian federalism becoming more competitive than cooperative over time to time. Contrary to this, Interstate River disputes, increasing demand for the new state, Covid-19 and its impact on Indian federalism etc. have broadened, to sum up centre-state relations. To the finding, this paper offers different recommendations or possible suggestions for underpinning India's federal arrangement. Now, time has come for India and its Indians to take a fresh look in reviewing the federal ideas for restoring the federal irritants in order to maintain a sense of balance between centre-state and inter-states relations in India.