CHSE Odisha Class 12 Political Science Unit 2 Democratic Process in India-I Long Answer Questions

Odisha State Board CHSE Odisha Class 12 Political Science Solutions Unit 2 Democratic Process in India-I Long Answer Questions.

CHSE Odisha 12th Class Political Science Unit 2 Democratic Process in India-I Long Answer Questions

Long Questions With Answers

Provisions in the Indian Constitution of Federalism with strong central government

• Formation of states or merger of states of two or more states into one is in the hands of Parliament, the parliament has powers to form a new state or merge with old states or change the name of any state.
• Our centre has important and powerful emergency powers which can turn a federal system into highly centralised. During emergency, parliament takes the power of states from state list. That means, in these emergency situations, centre will legislate on state list.
• Under normal conditions, centre has important financial powers, items generating revenue are under the control of central government, therefore, centre has many financial resources and states are dependent on grants and financial resources from centre.
• In terms of planning and development of the entire country, it adopted centralisation. Planning Commission was appointed by union government that will control, supervise and manage the resources ofstates and union government uses its discretion to give grants and loans to states.
• The position of governor in states is also a sign of centralisation. The Governor can recommend dismissal of state government and dissolution of assembly. He also has the power to keep the bill with himself rather than passing to president for his assent, this leads to delay in passing the bill by state legislation.
• There may be situations where the centre needs to legislate in state list. This can happen if the Rajya Sabha agrees. The constitution clearly says that executive power of centre is superior than executive power of states. Article 257(1) says that executive power of states should be exercised in such a way that it does not disturb the functioning or exercise of powers of union, and the executive power of the union can give directions to state government if it appears necessary.
• The central government may choose to give instructions to the state government.
• We are also having an All India Services. These officers are under control of central government but serve in the administration of states. States cannot remove these officers nor can take disciplinary action.
• Articles 33 and 34 authorise parliament to protect officers of union or states if these officers have taken any action during the martial law to maintain peace and order. Armed Forces Special Powers Act has been made on these basis but this act has created tensions because a officer will not be penalised or punished if he/she has done any wrong in a state or part of country where there is martial law.

Question 1.
How has central government controlled the financial resources of states?
Answer:
The central government has effective financial resources. Firstly, interims generating revenue are under the control of central government. Therefore, central government has many revenue sources and states are dependent on grants and financial assistance from centre. Secondly, union also appointed Planning Commission for the socio-economic progress and development of the country. This led to centralisation where the Planning Commission coordinated, controlled and supervised the resources ofthe states.

Question 2.
How does the position of governor led to the centralisation of resources?
Answer:
Governor has power to recommend the dismissal of state government and dissolution of state assembly. In normal circumstances also, Governor has the power to reserve a bill passed by state legislature for the assent of the President. This gives the central government an opportunity to delay the state legislation and examine bills and veto them.

Question 3.
How has all India services centralised our federal system?
Answer:
The all India services are common to the entire territory of India and officers selected serve in the states, states on the other hand cannot take disciplinary action nor can they remove these officers from service.

Question 4.
What is articles 33 and 34?
Answer:
Articles 33 and 34 authorise the parliament to protect the persons in the service of nation or a state in respect of any action taken by them during martial law to maintain law and order.

Conflicts in India’s Federal System:

Although the distribution of powers between centre and states is well defined in the Indian constitution. But still many conflicts has taken place between centre and states for demanding autonomy, for share in resources, for demanding new states and conflicts between states have also arisen. This topic will deal with some of these conflicts.

Centre states relations: Federalism in India has been influenced by political process of the country. In the 1950s and 1960s when there was Congress dominance in centre as well as states, the relations between centre and states have been quite peaceful and without tensions. The states shared the hope that they together will be making development and socio-economic progress. Also because states had the same party which was in centre, that is, Congress ruled both states and centre so there was not much tension.

But in the 1960s Congress dominance declined and in states large number of opposition parties came to power, they wanted greater autonomy and independence. They did not want centre to intervene in their state’s affairs everytime. And the Congress which was ruling at centre in 1960s was also not very comfortable in dealing with opposition parties in states.

And in 1990s coalition government came to power. Congress dominance had ended. And states also had different opposition parties. So there was a different government at centre and different government at states. So, this resulted in greater say for the states, a respect for diversity and beginning of more mature federalism. So, therefore, in this second phase, issue of autonomy became very powerful.

Question 1.
What has been centre state relations since the time of independence?
Answer:
In 1950s and 1960s when there was Congress dominance in centre as well as states, the relations between centre and states have been quite peaceful and without tensions. The states shared the hope that they together will be making development and socio-economic progress. Also because states had the same party which was in centre, that is, Congress ruled both states and centre so there was not much tension.

But in 1960s Congress dominance declined and in states large number of opposition parties came to power, they wanted greater autonomy and independence. They did not want centre to intervene in their state’s affairs everytime. And the Congress which was ruling at centre in 1 960s was also not very comfortable in dealing with different and opposition parties in states.

And in 1990s, coalition government came to power. Congress dominance had ended. And states also had different opposition parties. So there was a different government at centre and different government at states. So,this resulted in greater say for the states, a respect for diversity and beginning of more mature federalism. So, therefore, in this second phase, issue of autonomy became very powerful.

Question 2.
How was the centre state relations in the 1990s?
Answer:
In 1990s, coalition government came to power. Congress dominance had ended. And states also had different opposition parties. So there was a different government at centre and different government at states. So,this resulted in greater say for the states, a respect for diversity and beginning of more mature federalism. So, therefore, in this second phase, issue of autonomy became very powerful.

Question 3.
What kind of federalism did we see in 1990s?
Answer:
In 1990s we saw more of mature federalism where states had greater say and less intervention by centre, and coalition government came to power. Congress dominance had ended. And states also had different opposition parties. So there was:a different government at centre and different government at states. So, this resulted in a respect for diversity and beginning of more mature federalism. And the issue of autonomy became very powerful.

Demand for autonomy:

The other nature of conflict which arose in federalism was related to demand of autonomy. The states had started demanding more independence to govern their state of affairs. Now the question is what kind of autonomy? Autonomy means different things to different states and parties. Parties like DMK, akali dal, CPI-M, had demanded division of powers in favor of
states and more important powers to be assigned to states.

They also demanded financial autonomy. States should have independent sources of revenue and greater control resources. if you remember, we learnt that centre has control over items generating revenue. In 1977, left front government in West Bengal brought out a document demanding the restructuring of centre and state relations. Which means that the states wanted more independence to be given to them. Tamilnadu and Punjab also demanded greater financial powers

They are also angry about greater administrative control through All India Services. States do not want centre to control their administrative machinery.

The autonomy demands are also related to cultural and linguistic issues. For example, Tamilnadu was opposed to domination of Hindi and the Punjabi culture. In 1960, some states were opposed to the imposition of Hindi language. Because these states thought that they are trying to spread Hindi and Punjabi culture and this will destroy their own South Indian culture.

Question 1.
What kinds of autonomy demands were made by states?
Answer:
Autonomy demands made by states were:
Parties like DMK, Akali Dal, CPI(M) had demanded division of power in favor of states and more important powers to be assigned to states.

They also demanded financial autonomy. States should have independent sources of revenue and greater control of resources. if you remember, we learnt that centre has control over items generating revenue. In 1977, left front government in West Bengal brought out a document demanding restructuring of centre and state relations. Tamil Nadu and Punjab also demanded the same.

They are also angry about greater administrative control through All India Services. States do not want centre to control their administrative machinery.

The autonomy demands are also related to cultural and linguistic issues. For example, Tamil Nadu was opposed to the domination of Hindi and the Punjabi culture. In 1960, some states were opposed to the imposition of Hindi language. Because these states thought that they are trying to spread Hindi and Punjabi culture and this will destroy their own South Indian culture.

Role of Governors during President’s Rule:

The position of governor has also become a source of conflict for centre state relations and tension for federalism. The governor is not an elected office but many governors have been retired military officers or civil servants or politicians. And also governor is appointed by central government. So governor is seen as an interfere in the affairs of state. The Sarkaria Commission which was appointed in 1983 and submitted its report in 1988 to give recommendations of centre-state relations, recommended’ that appointments of governor should be strictly non partisan and impartial.

Article 356 is also a source of controversy as this article provides for President’s Rule in any state. It means that ifthe government ofthe state can not be carried in accordance of the provisions of the Constitution then the President’s Rule is declared. And the state government is taken over by Union Government. The President’s proclamation has to be ratified by parliament and President’s Rule can be extended till three years.

Governor has the power to dismiss the state government which means that governor can remove the state government in power or suspend it. This power was misused and in many cases state governments were dismissed even when they had majority for example: in Kerala in 1959.

Article 356 was used occasionally till 1967. After 1967 many states had non Congress states and the Congress was in centre. Sp centre used this provision of article 356 to remove elected governments as in Andhra Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir in 1980’s.

Question 1.
How the position of governor has centralised our federalism?
Answer:
The position of governor has centralised our federalism. The governor is not an elected office and many governors have been retired military officers or civil servants or politicians. The appointment of governor has been by central government. So governor is seen as an interference in the affairs of state.

Article 356 has also been used by centre to assert its control over the state. This article provides for President’s Rule in any state. It means that if the government of the state cannot be carried in accordance of the provisions of the constitution then the President’s Rule is declared. And the state government is taken over by union government. And along with this Governor also has the power to dismiss the state government or suspend it. This power has been misused and in many cases state governments were dismissed even when they had majority for example: in Kerala in 1959, Andhra Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir in 1980s.

Question 2.
What is Sarkaria Commission?
Answer:
Sarkaria Commission was the commission which was appointed in 1983 to look into centre-state relations.

Question 3.
What was the recommendation of the Sarkaria Commission ?
Answer:
The recommendation of the Sarkaria Commission was that appointments of governors should be strictly non partisan.

Question 4.
Why was the Sarkaria commission appointed?
Answer:
After the decline in the dominance of Congress in the states, states started demanding autonomy and less interference in their state’s affairs. Centre state relations were leading to constant source of tensions. That is why Sarkaria Commission was appointed.

Question 6.
What is article 356?
Answer:
Article 356 says that if a situation has arisen in which the government of the state cannot be carried in accordance with the provisions of the constitution, President’s Rule can be declared in that state.

Demand for New States :
The other factor which is leading to source of in our federal system is demands for new states. Initially the demand for new states was for conserving their identity and their culture. So in 1954, the states reorganization commission was set up and it recommended creation of states on a linguistic basis. It means that states will be formed on the basis of language. Gujarat and Maharashtra were created in 1960, Punjab and Haryana were separated in 1966. North East region was reorganised and several new states were formed like Meghalaya, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh.

Since 1990s, demand for further states have been made. It is made on the reason that development have net been able to reach these parts ofthe country. Three new states have been formed Jharkhand from Bihar, Chattisgarh from Madhya Pradesh and Uttaranchal from UP. These areas remained backwards and were underdeveloped.

Following states have also been demanding new states on the reason of development. For example, Telangana in Andhra Pradesh and Vidarbha in Maharashtra.

Question 1.
Why was states reorganisation commission formed?
Answer:
States Reorganisation commission was formed in 1 954 to recommend creation of states on a linguistic basis.

Question 2.
On what basis has the states been formed?
Answer:
In 1950s, states were formed on the basis of language. For example, Haryana and Punjab in 1966, Gujarat and Maharashtra in 1960. But after the 1990s states are being formed on the need for development. For example, Jharkhand, Uttaranchal and Chattisgarh in the 1990s.

Question 3.
How did demand of new states become the source of conflict for federalism?
Answer:
Demand of new states became the source of conflict for federalism because in 1950s many groups rose to demand statehood for preserving their culture and identity. And post 1 990s, new states have been demanded on the basis of development.

Question 4.
When was Gujarat and Maharashtra formed?
Answer:
In 1960

Question 5.
When was Haryana separated from Punjab?
Answer:
In 1966

Inter-state conflict :
Another source of tension in federalism is inter-state conflicts. Till now we have read that there have been conflicts between centre and states. But there are conflicts between two or more states also. The prominent conflicts are over

• boundary issues and
• river disputes

Boundary issue:
States have been formed on the basis of language. But on the border sides, there is a possibility that people speaking more than 1 language resides. So, states lay claim over the territories. One of the long-standing dispute is between Maharashtra and Karnataka over the city of Belgaum. Both Punjab and Chandigarh has laid claims over Chandigarh and both declare Chandigarh as their capital. While border disputes are about sentiments. Other important source of conflicts is river dispute.

River dispute:
This is more important because water is required for agriculture and drinking purposes. Cauvery water dispute is a very famous dispute where Tamilnadu and Karnataka are fighting over the share of cauvery water. Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra are fighting over Narmada river.

Question 1.
What are the source of inter-state conflicts?
Answer:
Boundary issue: States have been formed on the basis of language. But on the border sides, there is a possibility that people speaking more than 1 language resides. So, states lay claim over the territories. One of the long standing dispute is between Maharashtra and Karnataka over the city of Belgaum. Both Punjab and Chandigarh has laid claims over Chandigarh and both declare Chandigarh as their capital.

River dispute: This is more important because water is required for agriculture and drinking purposes. Cauvery water dispute is a very famous dispute where Tamilnadu and Karnataka are fighting over the share of Cauvery water. Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra are fighting over Narmada river.

Question 2.
What are the causes of tension in our federalism?
Answer:
Centre- State relations
Demand for autonomy
Role of Governors and President’s Rule
Demand for new states
Inter state conflicts

Special Provisions: The most surprising feature of Indian federalism is that many. states are given differential treatment. We already know that in Rajya Sabha, states have got representation according to the size of states. UP have got largest number of members while small north eastern states have got 1 member in Rajya Sabha. But the division of powers is common to all states.

But constitution has given special provisions to north eastern states because of large tribal population, their different history and culture, which they wish to retain (Article 371). Article 370 has given special provisions to Jammu and Kashmir. Because after independence, there was a war between India and Pakistan over Kashmir. And Maharaja of Kashmir agreed to join India under certain conditions. That is why Jammu and Kashmir has been given special provisions in the Constitution. But these provisions have not been able to arrest the alienation and marginalization they are suffering.

Question 1.
What is Article 370?
Answer:
Article 370 gives special provisions to Jammu and Kashmir under Indian Constitution.

Question 2.
What is Article 371?
Answer:
Article 371 gives special provisions to North-Eastern States under Indian Constitution.
Non-serious
Non-serious federalism

Introduction
USSR broke into 15 Countries in 1991. Pakistan was also divided in 1971, from which Bangladesh was formed. Canada also came close to break up into english speaking and french speaking regions of the country.

It seems to be great achievement that India, which is so diverse in terms of language, regions, religions has remained united after Independence. What was our political system that kept India united despite being such a diverse country? This question will be answered in this Chapter.

Federalism:
Our constitution adopted a federal structure where states can govern independently yet centre will maintain its control over the states.

The characteristics of federalism are:

1. There are two types of government one at the state level and other at the national level and these governments are independent. In some countries, like USA there is a system of dual citizenship which means that USA citizens has two citizenship, one of USA and other of there state, but in india we have only one citizenship that is of Indian nationality. Our Constitution does not recognise any other nationality that is of being Assamese, Bengali etc.
2. But yes, if we are not having two types citizenship but we are surely having two types of identities, that is we are identified as Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati or Kashmiri but at the same time we are identified as an Indian also. Therefore, each level government has their own powers, responsibilities and a separate system of governance.
3. The powers, responsibilities and their manner of governance are written in the constitution, which is considered supreme.
4. And ifany conflict arises over the demarcation of power between centre and state, then the judiciary intervenes to settle the disputes.

Question 2.
What other factors besides politics keep the federations united?
Answer:
Besides politics, other factors which keep the federations united are culture, ideology and history. Culture of trust, cooperation, mutual respect and restraint has also helped in the smooth functioning of federations.

Federalism in the Indian Constitution:

If the countries have disintegrated like USSR, Pakistan; it does not mean that they did not have any federal system, these countries were also having federal system, but then why it lead to their disintegration?

Because simply having federalism is not enough, it also depends on the type of federalism you have, whether you have federalism with a weak centre or there is a federalism with a strong centre. USSR had federalism with a weak centre that is why the centre was not able to control its territories. But India has federalism with a strong centre and it was able to have a strong control over its states.

India is a diverse land with many languages, religions and regions. And to give them identity and recognition, leaders of our national movement thought that these units should govern themselves. But how much powers should be given to the states to govern themselves? Our Constituent Assembly decided to frame the government that would be based on principles ofunity and cooperation between centre and states and separate power to states.

The most important principle of the federal system adopted by Indian Constitution is that relations between states and centre would be based on cooperation, therefore, our constitution recognised diversity but at the same time it emphasised unity. And surprisingly, our constitution does not even mention the word federation. Article-1 simply says that India that is Bharat shall be a union of states which means states will live in unity.

Question 1.
What is the nature of our federal system?
Answer:
Our federal system is based on the principles of unity and cooperation between centre and states and separate powers to the states, therefore, our constitution recognises diversity and emphasies unity.

Question 2.
Why did our national leaders thought of centralised federal system?
Answer:
India is a diverse I md with many languages, culture, religions and regions. it was necessary to give recognition to them, and also India is a large country, so it was important to divide powers between provinces and central government, that is why our national leaders thought of federal system, but they wanted unity and cooperation between states. so they gave us a centralised federal system.

Division of powers:

As we have just read that our leaders of national movement divided the powers between centre and states, so there are two levels of government- one which governs the entire country that is national government and the other which governs the states is called state government. Both of these have been granted status by the constitution and their acreas of functions are clearly demarcated under union list, state list and concurrent list.

Under union list only, centre can legislate and work in these subjects, in state list, only state can legislate and work in these subjects and under concurrent both union and state can work. If there is any conflict in these lists, or if there is a conflict which subject to be done by whom, then judiciary intervenes and resolves the issues.

One important thing is that economic and financial powers are centralised and are in the hands of central government. that means though states have been given subjects to be worked under but they do not have financial resources to carry out their work. And if any matter is not mentioned in the lists, then it comes under residuary powers. and union legislature can alone legislate on these matters, state cannot legislate on these matters.

This means that there is a unitary federal structure.

Question 1.
What are the two levels of government in our political system?
Answer:
Our political system has two levels of government:

• National level.
• State level.

Question 2.
What are residuary powers?
Answer:
Subjects which do not come in any of the lists come under residuary powers. union legislature alone has the power to legislate on such matters. For example, Cyber Laws

Why did we adopt federalism with a strong central government?

As we have read in introduction that federal countries like USSR disintegrated, so the important question which comes is the nature of federalism, whether the federalism was with a weak central government who could not control the desire of states to separate from their country or federalism was with strong central government which would keep a check and control on states.

India is a diverse country and there was a requirement of federalism which will accommodate the demands ofall diversities, but at the same time it require a strong central government that will stop disintegration and bring about social and political change, with this idea in mind our constitution framers drafted the constitution and also at the time of independence. India was not only divided into Provinces by the British but there were more than 500 Princely States which had to be integrated into existing states or new states had to be created.

Besides unity as a factor, India needed to tackle socio-economic problems of the country. It required to eliminate poverty, illiteracy and inequalities of wealth. So it required strong central government in cooperation with states for development and unity.

Question 1.
Why did India adopt federalism with strong central government?
Answer:
The reasons for which India adopted federalism with strong central government:

• India is a diverse country. So, there was a need of federalism which will accommodate the demands of all diversities. But at the same time it require a strong central government that will stop disintegration and bring about social and political change.
• At the time of independence, India was not only divided into provinces by the British but there were more than 500 princely states which had to be integrated into existing states or new states had to be created.
• Besides unity as a factor, India needed to tackle socio-economic problems of the country. It required to eliminate poverty, illiteracy and inequalities of wealth. So it required strong central government in cooperation with states for development.

Conflicts in India’s federal system:

Although the distribution of powers between centre and states is well defined in the Indian constitution. But still many conflicts has taken place between centre and states for demanding autonomy, for share in resources, for demanding new states and conflicts between states have also arisen. This topic will deal with some of these conflicts.

(a) Centre states relations: Federalism in India has been influenced by political process of the country. In the 1950s and 1960s when there was Congress dominance in centre as well as states, the relations between centre and states have been quite peaceful and without tensions. The states shared the hope that they together will be making development and socio-economic progress. Also because states had the same party which was in centre, that is, Congress ruled both states and centre so there was not much tension.

But in 1960s Congress dominance declined and in states large number of opposition parties came to power, they wanted greater autonomy and independence. They did not want centre to intervene in their state’s affairs everytime. And the Congress which was
ruling at centre in 1960s was also not very comfortable in dealing with opposition parties in states.

And in 1990s coalition government came to power. Congress dominance had ended and states also had different opposition parties. So there was a different government at centre and different government at states.

(b) Demand for autonomy: The other nature ofconflict which arose in federalism was related to demand of autonomy. The states had started demanding more independence to govern their state of affairs. Now the question is what kind of autonomy? Autonomy means different things to different states and parties.

• Parties like DMK, Akali Dal, and CPI(M) had demanded division of powers in favor of states and more important powers to be assigned to states.
• They also demanded financial autonomy. States should have independent sources of revenue and greater control resources.ifyou remember, we learnt that centre has control over items generating revenue. In 1977, left front government in West Bengal brought out a document demanding a restructuring of centre and state relations. Which means that the states wanted more independence to be given to them. Tamilnadu and Punjab also demanded greater financial powers
• They are also angry about greater administrative control through All India Services. States do not want centre to control their administrative machinery.
• The autonomy demands are also related to cultural and linguistic issues. For example, Tamil Nadu was opposed to the domination of Hindi and the Punjabi culture. In 1960, some states were opposed to the imposition of Hindi language. Because these states thought that they are trying to spread Hindi and Punjabi culture and this will destroy their own South Indian culture.

(c) Role of Governors and President’s Rule: The position of governor has also become a source of conflict for centre state relations and tension for federalism. The governor is not an elected office. Governor is appointed by central government. So governor is seen as an interfere in the affairs of state.

Article 356 is also a source of controversy as this article provides for President’s Rule in any state. It means that if the government of the state can not be carried in accordance of the provisions of the constitution then the President’s Rule is declared and the state government is taken over by Union government.

Governor has the power to dismiss the state government which means that governor can remove the state government in power or suspend it. This power was misused and in many cases state governments were dismissed even when they had majority for example: in Kerala in 1959, Andhra Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir in 1980s.

(d) Demand for New States: The other factor which is leading to source of tension in our federal system is demands for new states. Initially the demand for new states was for conserving their identity and their culture. So the states were formed on the basis of language. Gujarat and Maharashtra were created in 1960, Punjab and Haryana were separated in 1966. North East region was reorganised and several new states were formed like Meghalaya, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh.

Since 1 990s, demand for further states have been made. It is made on the reason that development have not been able to reach these parts of the country. Three new states have been formed Jharkhand from Bihar, Chattisgarh from Madhya Pradesh and Uttaranchal from UP. These areas remained backwards and were underdeveloped.

Following states have also been demanding new states on the reason of development.
For example, Telangana in Andhra Pradesh and Vidarbha in Maharashtra.

(e) Inter-state conflict: Another source of tension in federalism is inter-state conflicts. Till now we have read that there have been conflicts between centre and states. But there are conflicts between two or more states also. The prominent conflicts are over

• boundary issue
• river disputes

Boundary issue:
States have been formed on the basis of language. But on the border sides, there is a possibility that people speaking more than one language resides. So, states on the border lay claim over the territories. One ofthe long standing dispute is between Maharashtra and Karnataka over the city of Belgaum. Both Punjab and Chandigarh has laid claims over Chandigarh and both declare Chandigarh as their capital. While border disputes are about sentiments, other important source of conflicts is river dispute.

River dispute:
This is more important because water is required for agriculture and drinking purposes. Cauvery water dispute is a very famous dispute where Tamilnadu and Karnataka are fighting over the share of Cauvery water. Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra are fighting over Narmada river.

Special Provisions:
The most surprising feature of Indian federalism is that many states are given differential treatment. We already know that in Rajya Sabha, states have got representation according to the size of states. UP have got largest number of members while small northeastern states have got 1 member in Rajya Sabha. But the division of powers is common to all states.

But constitution has given special provisions to northeastern states because of large tribal population, their different history and culture, which they wish to retain (Article 371). Article 370 has given special provisions to Jammu and Kashmir. Because after independence, there was a war between India and Pakistan over Kashmir. Maharaja of Kashmir agreed to join India under certain conditions. That is why Jammu and Kashmir has been given special provisions in the Constitution. But these provisions have not been able to arrest the alienation and marginalization they are suffering.

Constitution of India visualised village panchayats as units of self-government. Think over the situation described in the following statements and explain how do these situations strengthen or weaken the panchayats in becoming units of self-government.

• Government of a State has allowed a big company to establish a huge steel plant. Many villages would be adversely affected by the steel plant. Gram Sabha of one of the affected villages passed a resolution that before establishing any big industries in the region, village people must be consulted and their grievances should be redressed.
• The government has decided that 20 % of all its expenditure would be done through the panchayats.
• A village panchayat kept on demanding funds for a building for village school, the government officials turned down their proposal saying that funds are allocated for certain other schemes and cannot be spent otherwise.
• The government divided a village Dungarpur into two and made a part of village Jamuna and Sohana. Now village Dungarpur has ceased to exist in government’s books.
• A village panchayat observed that water sources of their region are depleting fast. They decided to mobilise village youth to do some voluntary work and revive the old village ponds and wells.

Question 1.
Suppose you are entrusted to evolve a local government plan of a State, what powers would you endow to the village panchayats to function as units of self-government? Mention any five powers and the justification in two lines for each of them for giving those powers.
Answer:

• Allowing panchayats to raise their own funds-This would reduce their dependency on the higher levels of government and make them more active in the development process.
• Starting village co-operatives at the panchayat level-This would lead to development of village economy and cooperation between various panchayats. It would also generate employment and allow panchayats to directly market village produce and get better prices for the same.
• Authority to create and maintain infrastructure in village-This would lead to less dependence on government officials for funds and consequently, lead to autonomy
• Control of village panchayat over local resources-Resources like water and pastureland should come under the village panchayat to enable their maintenance and prevent their degradation. This would engage the entire community in their conservation.
• Direct engagement of village panchayats with state government in matters related to development projects-This would allow them to get adequate compensation for development projects and land acquisition and reduce the role of middlemen.

Question 2.
What are the provisions for the reservations for socially disadvantaged groups as per the 73rd amendment? Explain how these provisions have changed the profile of the leadership at the village level.
Answer:
The socially disadvantaged groups like women, scheduled castes and scheduled tribes have been given reservations for various posts in the local government of rural India according to the proportion of their population. One-third of all positions in panchayats are reserved for women while Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes have seats reserved as per the proportion to their population. States can also provide reservations to Other Backward Classes if they think it is necessary.

This has changed the profile of the leadership at the village level by transferring the leadership from the earlier dominant social groups to groups that were previously unable to have a say in the decision-making process. There is now a greater representation of all social groups in the panchayat institutions. Thus, more women and people belonging to Scheduled Castes and Tribes are now able to play important role in decisions that can bring benefits for their community.

Question 3.
What were the main differences between the local governments before the 73rd amendment and after that amendment?
Answer:
The main differences between the local governments before 73rd Amendment and after the amendment can be listed as:

• After the implementation of the 73rd amendment, the local government has been divided into a uniform three-tier Panchayati Raj structure.
• Earlier the state administration was responsible for conducting elections to the Panchayati Raj institutions but now the state government has to appoint a state election commission for this purpose.
• After the dissolution of the Panchayati Raj before its term of five years, a fresh election has to be conducted within six months. This was not the case before the 73rd amendment was passed.
• Distribution of revenue between the state government and local government and between rural and urban government is done by the state election commission. This was not the case before the 73rd amendment was implemented.
• Reservation for women, scheduled castes and scheduled tribes and to other backward classes (if the state government thinks it is necessary for OBCs) is implemented for various positions in the local government according to the proportion of their population.
• Twenty-nine subjects that were earlier in the State list of subjects in the Eleventh Schedule of the Constitution have been transferred to the Panchayati Raj institutions.

Agenda of the Gram Sabha:

• Age of children: All children of the village from the age of5 years should be enrolled in the school.
• School Building: The school building should be renovated with proper seats and blackboards in all classrooms.
• Water and sanitation facility: The Gram Pradhan is made responsible for the water supply and better and separate sanitation facilities for boys and girls.
• Syllabus: Sports and extra co-curricular activities will be included to lessen the pressure of study and cultivate physical development.
• Mid-day meal: School principal would be responsible for the quality and quantity of the food provided to the students.
• Free education: Every child till 14 years of age is eligible for free education.
• Appointment of the staff: Helping staff can be recruited from the village and the secretary would be responsible for the appointment of the teachers.
• Residential facility: Gram Pradhan has to approach the Block Development Officer for appealing to provide a residential facility to the teachers.
• Hostel facility: Gram Pradhan has to approach the BDO to ask for a hostel facility near the village school to accommodate students from distant villages.
• Compensation: Villagers whose land will be taken will be provided with appropriate compensation from the government.