Explain the concept of 'vertical division of power' with reference to India. Why is the constitution's role important in such a system?
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-26 13:16 · grounding rag
Model Answer
Vertical division of power refers to the sharing of power among different levels of government — Central, State, and Local. In India, this system is called federalism.
- The Central (Union) Government handles national subjects like defence, foreign affairs, and currency (Union List).
- State Governments handle local matters like police, agriculture, and trade (State List).
- Local Governments (Panchayats and Municipalities) handle issues at the village/town level — this is the third tier added through decentralisation.
Role of the Constitution: The Constitution clearly defines the jurisdiction of each tier, guarantees their existence, and specifies sources of revenue. Changes to this power-sharing arrangement cannot be made unilaterally — both Houses of Parliament and at least half the State legislatures must approve any change. The judiciary (Supreme Court/High Courts) acts as umpire in disputes. Without constitutional backing, lower tiers could be overruled by higher ones at any time.
Source: Chapter 2 — Federalism, "What is Federalism?" and "What makes India a federal country?"
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Explanation
- Examiners expect you to name all three tiers with examples from the Union/State/Concurrent lists.
- The key point for the Constitution's role: it guarantees each tier's existence and powers — neither level can unilaterally strip the other. Mention the amendment procedure and judicial review for full marks.
- Avoid writing about linguistic states or language policy here — those are separate sub-topics and waste word count for this question.