Federal Features of the Indian Government

There are two sets of government, that is Central and State government. There is clear division of powers stated under the three lists - Union list, State list and Concurrent list. Also, there is a written Constitution which is a supreme document and an independent and impartial judiciary to solve conflicts between the Central and State governments.

Unitary Features of the Indian Government

India has adopted the idea of single citizenship. The Parliament has vast legislative powers. It can legislate on 97 subjects of the union list, 47 subjects of the concurrent list and in times of national and state emergency, it can also make laws on the 66 subjects of the state list. If there is a conflict between a union law and a state law over a subject present in the Concurrent list, the law made by the Parliament will prevail over the law made by the state legislatures.

The President of India has vast emergency powers. He can declare national, state and financial emergency. The Governor of a state acts as an agent of the President in the state. He is appointed by the President and can be recalled back by him. The Governor can advise the President to impose emergency in the state. During an emergency, the Governor carries out the administration in the name of the President. He can also reserve some bills for the President.

The state governments are dependent upon the central government for funds and grants. These are allocated by the Planning Commission and the Finance Commission which are central bodies.

The members of the All Indian Services are appointed by the Union Public Service Commission which is a central body. Though the officers are posted in the states, they continue to owe their loyalty to the government.

Parliamentary government

India has adopted a parliamentary system of government which she has borrowed from the United Kingdom. It is based on the fusion of powers between the executive and the legislature.

The Parliament is supreme as it is an elected body. There is a presence of two executives - the nominal executive and the real executive. The noiminal executive, in the case of India, is the President of India. He enjoys all the powers constitutionally but exercises them only on the advice of the real executive. The real executive, that is the Prime Minister of India and the Council of Ministers, enjoy all the real powers and make all the important policy decisions.

All the members of the Council of Ministers as well as the Prime Minister have to be members of either house of the Parliament. If they are not, they must get elected within a period of six months time. The executive, the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers are responsible to the Lok Sabha both individually as well as collectively.

Individual responsibility

Every individual minister is in charge of a specific portfolio or department. He is responsible for any act of failure in all the policies relating to his department. In case of any lapse, he himself is individually responsible to the Parliament. If a vote of no - confidence is passes against the individual minister, he has to resign. Individual responsibility can amount to collective responsibility. Therefore, the Prime Minister, in order to save his government, can ask for the resignation of such a minister.

Collective responsibility

The Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers are jointly accountable to the Lok Sabha. If there is a policy failure or lapse on the part of the government, all the members of the council are jointly responsible. If a vote of no - confidence is passed against the government, then all the ministers headed by the Prime Minister have to resign. If there is any difference amongst the members, they must be resolved in the party meetings. In the Parliament, they must present themselves as a united group.

Welfare State

A welfare state is a state in which the government provides for a wide range of social services and carries out a large number of welfare and developmental activities; like providing education, setting up of hospitals, protection of minorities, promoting agriculture and protecting the monuments along with the performance of police functions.

The Directive Principles of State Policy in Part IV of the Indian Constitution reflects that India is a welfare state. Seats are reserved for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes in government jobs, educational institutions, Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha. The government has passed a number of laws for the abolition of untouchability, Begar and Zamindari. The government has opened fair - priced shops from where certain essential commodities are sold at very reasonable prices to the poor sections of the society.