Knowledge Check-Federalism
Knowledge Check-Federalism
Q1: Why is federalism preferred in large and diverse countries?
A) It allows only one government to decide everything
B) It helps share power among different levels of government
C) It removes the role of regional governments
D) It works only in small countries
Q2: Which feature clearly distinguishes a federal system from a unitary system?
A) One written constitution for the whole country
B) Division of powers between central and regional governments
C) Regular elections
D) Existence of political parties
Q3: Why did India adopt a federal structure after independence?
A) To give full power to the military
B) Because India is small and uniform
C) Because of India’s large size and social diversity
D) To avoid elections
Q4: Which of the following is NOT a feature of Indian federalism?
A) Two or more levels of government
B) Independent Judiciary
C) Powers given only by the central government
D) Written Constitution
Q5: The main role of an independent judiciary in a federal system is to:
A) Make laws for the states
B) Conduct elections
C) Settle disputes between different levels of government
D) Collect taxes
Q6: Which list in the Indian Constitution includes subjects like defence and foreign affairs?
A) State List
B) Concurrent List
C) Union List
D) Local List
Q7: Which of the following subjects belongs to the State List?
A) Currency
B) Defence
C) Police
D) Railways
Q8: Education in India falls under which list?
A) Union List
B) State List only
C) Concurrent List
D) Residuary powers
Q9: What happens if a subject is not mentioned in any of the three lists?
A) It goes to the State Governments
B) It becomes invalid
C) It is decided by local bodies
D) It comes under the Union Government
Q10: Why were states reorganized on linguistic basis in India?
A) To make elections easier
B) To promote unity through uniformity
C) To respect regional language and cultural identities
D) To reduce population
Q11: Which statement best explains the language policy in India?
A) Only Hindi is allowed for government work
B) Only English is used for official purposes
C) No language is imposed as national language for all
D) States cannot use regional languages
Q12: What is the main aim of decentralisation?
A) To weaken state governments
B) To centralise all powers
C) To bring government closer to the people
D) To stop elections at local level
Q13: Which Constitutional Amendments gave power to Panchayati Raj institutions?
A) 42nd and 44th Amendments
B) 73rd and 74th Amendments
C) 61st and 62nd Amendments
D) 52nd and 53rd Amendments
Q14: Which level is NOT part of the three-tier system after decentralisation?
A) Union level
B) State level
C) Local level
D) International level
Q15: Why is federalism called a system of “shared power”?
A) All power belongs to Parliament
B) Power is only shared among political parties
C) Power is shared between different levels of government
D) Power is shared only in villages
Q16: Which institution represents states at the national level in India?
A) Lok Sabha
B) Rajya Sabha
C) Supreme Court
D) Election Commission
Q17: Which factor strengthened Centre-State relations during coalition governments?
A) Single-party dominance at the Union level
B) Strong military control
C) Participation of regional parties in central government
D) Reduction in elections
Q18: Which of the following best explains a challenge in Indian federalism?
A) Too many elections
B) Conflict between strong centre and states demanding autonomy
C) Lack of political parties
D) Absence of Constitution
Q19: Why is federalism important for maintaining unity in diversity?
A) It forces uniform culture on all people
B) It allows regional differences within national unity
C) It ends all regional identities
D) It removes state governments
Q20: Which concept highlights cooperation rather than conflict between Centre and States?
A) Majoritarianism
B) Cooperative federalism
C) Parliamentary sovereignty
D) Unitary dominance
Q21: Which of the following is a result of successful federalism?
A) Continuous military rule
B) Political instability
C) Unity with diversity in a large country
D) Elimination of state governments
Q22: Which function is mainly handled by local governments under decentralisation?
A) Forming foreign policy
B) Managing national defence
C) Providing basic local civic services
D) Issuing currency
Q23: Reservation in local self-government mainly promotes:
A) Military power
B) Social and political inclusion
C) One-party rule
D) Centralization of power
Q24: Which of the following is a sign of strong federal culture?
A) Frequent suspension of state governments
B) Mutual respect between different levels of government
C) Ban on regional languages
D) All powers controlled by the military
Q25: Which development strengthened regional voices in national politics in recent decades?
A) Decline of elections
B) Growth of coalition governments
C) Abolition of Parliament
D) Reduction in political parties
Q26: Which level of government mainly handles subjects of national importance?
A) Local bodies
B) State governments
C) Union government
D) Village assemblies
Q27: The main reason for dividing powers in a federation is to:
A) Reduce workload of Parliament
B) Prevent concentration of power at one level
C) Stop state governments from functioning
D) Avoid elections
Q28: Which feature of the Constitution ensures states have a role in national law making?
A) Lok Sabha elections
B) Rajya Sabha representation
C) Presidential ordinances
D) Cabinet system
Q29: Which idea best reflects the success of Indian federalism?
A) Single culture dominance
B) Unity with diversity despite challenges
C) Elimination of regional traditions
D) Only central government decisions
Q30: Which constitutional principle supports sharing of power between Union and States?
A) Absolute sovereignty of Parliament
B) Division of powers in the Constitution
C) Unitary system of governance
D) Military rule