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An excerpt from the book 'A Sixth of Humanity' analyses the persistent challenges in Indian federalism, highlighting two proximate issues: the growing 'democratic deficit' due to delayed delimitation and the increasing resentment over disproportionate fiscal transfers. The authors argue that these are symptoms of deeper causes: divergent economic and demographic performance among states, and a concerning erosion of democratic sensibility and consensus-building at the central level.
The article highlights the tension between the principle of 'one person, one vote' and the realities of India's asymmetric demographic growth. Delimitation (the process of redrawing boundaries of Lok Sabha and State Assembly constituencies) is essential for equal representation. However, the 42nd Amendment Act, 1976 and the 84th Amendment Act, 2001 froze the number of Lok Sabha seats based on the 1971 Census until the first census after 2026. This freeze created a 'democratic deficit', where states that successfully controlled their population (largely Southern states) now face the prospect of losing political influence relative to states with higher population growth (the Hindi heartland). UPSC often tests this under Article 81 (composition of the Lok Sabha) and the role of the Delimitation Commission. The core debate is whether political power should reward demographic control or reflect current population realities. Resolving this requires delicate consensus-building, as a purely demographic approach would alienate the high-performing Southern states.
The challenge of fiscal federalism is framed around the tension between economic contribution and resource allocation. The Finance Commission (constituted under Article 280) is responsible for recommending the distribution of tax revenues between the Union and the States (vertical devolution) and among the States (horizontal devolution). The article points out a growing 'wedge' where high-contributing states (like Maharashtra, Gujarat, Haryana, and Southern states) receive significantly less than their economic contribution, while populous states in the Hindi heartland receive disproportionately more. This redistributive aspect is crucial for national equity and providing basic public goods across the country. However, the widening gap between 'donors' and 'beneficiaries' risks breeding resentment. This touches upon the 'equity vs. efficiency' debate in fiscal transfers, a recurring theme in UPSC Mains GS Paper 3. Students must understand the criteria used by recent Finance Commissions (like income distance, population, demographic performance, and tax effort) and how they attempt to balance these competing interests.
The authors identify the 'erosion of democratic sensibility' as the deepest cause of federal friction, transitioning from cooperative federalism to what they term 'combative federalism'. True federalism relies not just on constitutional structures but on an unwritten culture of trust, consultation, and compromise. The article cites the example of the GST Council (established via the 101st Amendment Act, 2016), which was designed as a model of cooperative federalism, requiring consensus between the Centre and States. The anecdote regarding Arun Jaitley and T M Thomas Isaac illustrates how political accommodation is vital for preserving unity, even when the Centre holds numerical superiority. The lack of such consultation on significant issues (like farm laws or the restructuring of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370) exacerbates fault lines. UPSC aspirants should analyze governance not just through laws, but through the evolving political culture and the importance of institutional mechanisms like the Inter-State Council (Article 263) in conflict resolution.