Q104
Indian PolityMaking of the Constitution & Salient Features
Which one of the following is not a feature of Indian federation?
- a.There is an independent judiciary in India.
- b.Powers have been clearly divided between centre and states.
- c.The federating units have been given unequal representation in the Rajya Sabha.
- d.It is the result of an agreement among the federating units.
Answer: (D) It is the result of an agreement among the federating units.
The Indian federation is not the result of an agreement among the States: Article 1 calls India a "Union of States", and Dr Ambedkar explained that the phrase was chosen because the federation did not arise from a compact and no State has the right to secede. It is a "holding together" federation, unlike the "coming together" federation of the USA. The other three statements are true of India: an independent judiciary, a clear division of powers through three Lists, and unequal representation of States in the Rajya Sabha (by population, unlike the US Senate's two seats for every state). K. C. Wheare therefore called India "quasi-federal".