Contemporary India

20

Dimensions of Indian Federalism

Rajesh Kumar

INTRODUCTION

It is not uncommon to hear the states rail against the Centre for paltry financial handouts. For instance, when the Tenth Plan and Eleventh Finance Commission sought to address the issue of poverty, regional disparity and high population growth by enhancing financial allocations to the states in the North, the states in the South murmured amongst themselves that they were being penalized for managing things better. In the current times, one may realize, representatives of political parties run to the President more frequently to protest against the governor’s dismissal of governments formed by their parties in the states. They term this as ‘undemocratic’ and a gross ‘constitutional ...