Social Science (087) — AI-generated practice question

India is a 'holding together' federation where the Constitution gave the Centre more powers than the States. However, political developments after 1990 made federalism more effective in practice.

Constitutional design: The Constitution divides powers into Union List, State List, and Concurrent List, guaranteeing each tier autonomous jurisdiction. Changes to power-sharing require consent of both levels, and the judiciary acts as umpire in disputes.

Post-1990 political shift: The rise of regional parties and the era of coalition governments meant no single national party could win a Lok Sabha majority alone. National parties were compelled to form alliances with regional/State parties, giving State governments greater bargaining power and respect.

Key outcomes:

• A new culture of power-sharing and respect for State autonomy emerged.
• The Supreme Court made arbitrary dismissal of State governments significantly more difficult.
• Regional parties regularly participated in national coalition governments, strengthening federal practice.

Thus, constitutional provisions provided the framework, while democratic politics after 1990 gave federalism real substance.

Source: Chapter 2 — How is federalism practised?; Chapter 4 — State parties

---

Examiners expect you to link two layers: (1) constitutional design ('holding together', three lists, judicial role) and (2) political practice post-1990 (coalition era, regional parties, Supreme Court judgement on dismissal of State governments). Avoid writing only about the Constitution — the question specifically asks how political developments complement constitutional design. Use the key terms: coalition government, regional parties, autonomy of States. About 110–120 words is the right length for 5 marks.