Learn about Cooperative federalism in India, its meaning, constitutional provisions, the role of NITI Aayog, and key initiatives promoting this governance model.
theIAShub | 05 Mar, 2025 | 3041 | 0 |
India follows a federal structure where power is shared between the Centre and states. Cooperative federalism ensures that both levels of government work together for national progress. It emphasizes partnership, coordination, and collective decision-making. This approach helps in addressing regional disparities, improving policy implementation, and fostering inclusive growth.
Cooperative federalism is a governance model where the central and state governments work together to formulate and implement policies. Unlike dual federalism, where power is rigidly divided, cooperative federalism emphasizes collaboration to achieve national development goals while respecting state autonomy.
The meaning of cooperative federalism lies in its approach to governance. It promotes coordination, negotiation, and shared responsibilities between different levels of government. The idea is that both the Centre and states function as partners rather than competitors, ensuring smoother policy implementation and effective governance.
The Indian Constitution provides a framework that encourages cooperative federalism. Some key provisions include:
These provisions create a legal structure that supports cooperation while maintaining the federal spirit.
India’s size, diversity, and economic disparities make cooperative federalism essential. Key reasons include:
Without cooperative federalism, achieving national growth and maintaining unity would be challenging.
The NITI Aayog plays a crucial role in strengthening cooperative federalism in India. It acts as a policy think tank and a bridge between the Centre and states. Its key contributions include:
By promoting cooperative decision-making, NITI Aayog ensures a more inclusive and participatory governance model.
Several initiatives highlight India’s commitment to cooperative federalism:
Established under Article 263, the council serves as a platform for resolving inter-state disputes and enhancing coordination.
The introduction of GST replaced multiple indirect taxes with a unified tax structure, requiring collaboration between the Centre and states for revenue-sharing and policy formulation.
The Finance Commission recommends devolution of funds to states, ensuring fiscal balance and financial autonomy.
This initiative allows beneficiaries to access subsidized food grains anywhere in India, requiring cooperation between states.
Disaster response efforts, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic, showcase Centre-state collaboration in handling crises.
This scheme involves Centre-state collaboration to improve the status of women and children through targeted interventions.
Urban development projects under this mission require joint planning and execution by state and central authorities.
Despite its advantages, cooperative federalism in India faces challenges:
Strengthening cooperative federalism requires reforms such as:
Cooperative federalism is vital for India’s development. Constitutional provisions, NITI Aayog’s role, and various initiatives highlight its significance. Strengthening collaboration between the Centre and states will ensure balanced growth and effective governance. Addressing existing challenges can further enhance India’s federal structure, making it more resilient and adaptive.
The Indian Constitution supports cooperative federalism through various provisions such as Article 246, which defines legislative powers, and Article 263, which establishes the Inter-State Council. Other provisions like Article 280 ensure financial devolution, while Schedule VII categorizes subjects under Union, State, and Concurrent Lists to facilitate cooperation.
NITI Aayog plays a significant role in promoting cooperative federalism by acting as a bridge between the Centre and states. It conducts governing council meetings, implements state-specific development strategies, ranks states based on performance, and facilitates knowledge-sharing to improve governance and policy implementation.
Cooperative federalism is crucial for India due to its diverse socio-economic landscape. It helps in balancing regional development, ensuring smooth policy implementation, strengthening disaster management, and promoting financial stability through equitable resource distribution between the Centre and states.
Several initiatives promote cooperative federalism in India, including the Goods and Services Tax (GST) for unified taxation, the Inter-State Council for dispute resolution, the Finance Commission for fiscal devolution, and schemes like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao and Smart Cities Mission, which require joint efforts from the Centre and states.
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