Social Science (087) — AI-generated practice question

Constitutional Provision — Three Lists (Union, State, Concurrent):
The Indian Constitution divides legislative powers into three lists. Subjects in the State List, such as police and agriculture, fall exclusively under State jurisdiction. This guarantees States their own domain where the Centre cannot interfere, thereby protecting State autonomy constitutionally.

Political Development — Rise of Coalition Governments (after 1990):
After 1990, no single party won a clear Lok Sabha majority, so national parties had to ally with regional parties to form coalition governments. This gave regional parties significant bargaining power, forcing the Centre to respect State governments' rights and creating a new culture of power-sharing.

Together, both factors ensure States have legally protected powers that are politically difficult to override.

Source: Chapter 2 — How is federalism practised? / What is federalism?

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• Examiners expect ONE constitutional provision and ONE political development — name each clearly, don't blend them.
• The Three Lists (especially the State List) is the standard constitutional answer; you could also mention that jurisdictions are constitutionally guaranteed.
• The rise of coalition governments post-1990 is the textbook's own example of a political development strengthening federalism — use it.
• End with a linking sentence showing how both work toward the same outcome (State autonomy) — this earns the third mark.