Political Science

• Belgium:

  • Population of over 1 crore
  • 59% speak Dutch, 40% speak French, 1% speak German
  • Tensions between Dutch-speaking and French-speaking communities during 1950s and 1960s
  • Constitutional amendments between 1970 and 1993 to handle community differences
  • Equal number of Dutch and French-speaking ministers in Central Government
  • State governments not subordinate to Central Government
  • Separate government in Brussels with equal representation for both communities
  • 'Community government' elected by language communities for cultural, educational, and language-related issues
• Sri Lanka:

  • Population of 2 crores
  • Sinhala speakers (74%) and Tamil speakers (18%)
  • Sinhala community imposed will on entire country
  • Preferential policies favored Sinhala applicants, leading to alienation among Sri Lankan Tamils
  • Struggle for recognition of Tamil as an official language, regional autonomy, and equality of opportunity
  • Civil war between Sinhala and Tamil communities, ending in 2009
  • Thousands killed, refugees created, and economic setbacks
• Power Sharing:

  • Reduces conflict between social groups
  • Involves sharing power with those affected by its exercise
  • Ensures people have a right to be consulted on governance
  • Prudential reasons stress better outcomes, moral reasons emphasize value of power-sharing
• Forms of Power Sharing:

  • Horizontal distribution of power among legislature, executive, and judiciary
  • Federal government with different levels of government
  • Sharing power among different social groups like religious and linguistic groups
  • Political parties, pressure groups, and movements influencing those in power through alliances and coalition governments
• Federalism is a system of government where power is divided between a central authority and various constituent units of the country
• A federation has two levels of government that enjoy their power independently of each other
• One level of government is responsible for subjects of common national interest, while the other level looks after day-to-day administration
• Key Features of Federalism:

  • There are two or more levels of government
  • Each level has its own jurisdiction in specific matters of legislation, taxation, and administration
  • The existence and authority of each level of government are constitutionally guaranteed
  • Changes to fundamental provisions of the Constitution require consent from both levels of government
  • Courts have the power to interpret the Constitution and the powers of different levels of government
  • Sources of revenue for each level of government are clearly specified for financial autonomy
• • Federal system aims to safeguard and promote the unity of the country and accommodate regional diversity
• Different Routes Through Which Federations Can Be Formed:

  • Independent States coming together to form a bigger unit (e.g., USA, Switzerland, Australia)
  • A large country dividing power between constituent States and the national government (e.g., India, Spain, Belgium)
• India as a Federal Country:

  • Indian Constitution distributes legislative powers between the Union Government and State Governments
  • Legislative powers are divided into Union List, State List, and Concurrent List
  • Union List includes subjects like defence, foreign affairs, banking, etc.
  • State List includes subjects like police, trade, agriculture, etc.
  • Concurrent List includes subjects of common interest where both levels of government can make laws
• Practicing Federalism in India:

  • Creation of Linguistic States
  • Language Policy with Hindi as the official language and recognition of 21 other languages
  • Centre-State relations with power-sharing and respect for State autonomy
  • Decentralisation with the 3-tier democracy system
  • Panchayati Raj System for rural local government
  • Municipalities for urban areas with elected bodies
• Gender division is based on social expectations and stereotypes, not biology
• Women constitute half of humanity, but their role in public life, especially politics, is minimal in most societies
• Feminist movements aim to enhance the political and legal status of women and improve their educational and career opportunities
• In India, women face disadvantage, discrimination, and oppression in various ways
• Literacy rate among women in India is 54%, compared to 76% among men
• An Indian woman works one hour more than an average man every day, with much of her work unpaid
• Sex-selective abortion in India led to a decline in the child-sex ratio
• Urban areas in India have become particularly unsafe for women
• Percentage of elected women members in Lok Sabha in India touched 12% of its total strength for the first time in 2014
• One-third of seats in Panchayats and Municipalities in India are reserved for women
• More than 10 lakh elected women representatives in rural and urban local bodies in India
• Religion and Politics
• People should be able to express their needs, interests, and demands in politics as members of a religious community
• Communalism in Politics
• Communal politics involves presenting beliefs of one religion as superior, forming demands of one religious group in opposition to another, and using state power to establish domination of one religious group
• Communalism can lead to religious prejudices, stereotypes, and belief in the superiority of one's religion
• Communalism can result in communal violence, riots, and massacre
• Secular State in India
• India is a secular state with no official religion
• The Constitution provides freedom to profess, practice, and propagate any religion or not follow any
• The Constitution prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion
• The state can intervene in religious matters to ensure equality within religious communities
• Caste and Politics
• Caste system involves passing on occupations from one generation to another, marrying within the caste group, and not eating with members from other caste groups
• Constitution of India prohibits caste-based discrimination and aims to reverse injustices of the caste system
• Political parties in India ensure representation of different castes and tribes
• Caste-based appeals are made during elections to gain political support
• Politics influence the caste system by bringing caste identities into the political arena