Federal Structure Challenges
Centralisation vs Regionalism
PART I — THE CONFLICTING FORCES
CENTRIPETAL FORCE
Centralisation
- Union's tendency to accumulate power.
- Overuse of Article 356 (President's Rule).
- Financial dependence of states on the Center.
- Deployment of Central Armed Police Forces in states.
CENTRIFUGAL FORCE
Regional Aspirations
- Demands for greater state autonomy.
- Creation of new states (linguistic or administrative).
- Inter-state water disputes & border conflicts.
- Sons of the soil movements & regional identity.
PART II — MODELS OF INTERACTION
SYNCHRONIZED GROWTH
Cooperative Federalism
- Union and States acting as equal partners.
- Institutions: NITI Aayog, GST Council, Inter-State Council.
- Consensus-building on national policies.
- Replaces the old "Command and Control" approach.
THE RACE FOR CAPITAL
Competitive Federalism
- States competing against each other for investments & growth.
- Ease of Doing Business rankings.
- Attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).
- Drives efficiency, but risks widening inequality between rich and poor states.
Return to Index: Indian Polity