PYQ Vault · Paper 1 · Indian Federalism
Discuss asymmetrical federalism in India.
How the answer moves
The flow snapshot — the routes in, the body, the counter-view and the routes out.
Flow snapshot — how the answer moves
Intro routes
Rr} asymmetry = different units, different powers/status under one Constitution → contrast with symmetry → nota flaw but a device R2 India blends common framework (symmetry) + special arrangements (asymmetry) → tool to accommodate deep diversity
Body flow
Watts: political asymmetry (size /population /weight) vs constitutional asymmetry → vertical /horizontal, de jure/de facto → Indian forms: Art 370 (pre-2019), Art 371 series, Fifth & Sixth Schedules, UTs with legislatures (Delhi, Puducherry) → rationale: equal treatment of unequal regions breeds injustice → Austin (hold together a plural society) + Kymlicka (differentiated citizenship)
Counter-view
Tarlton (separatism) + Barry (two classes of citizenship) → Govinda Rao: transparent asymmetry serves nation-building, discriminatory asymmetry harms unity
Conclusion routes
rR! functional device, not a defect → sound when constitutional, transparent, negotiated R2 harmful when politicised / arbitrary → its worth depends on how it is used
Model answer
Handwritten, in the form it would be written in the examination hall.
