Cooperative Federalism - Its Background,

Importance, & Other Features!

Cooperative federalism refers to a stable partnership between the central government
and the state governments that allows them to work together on issues of shared interest.
NITI Aayog serves as the central platform for the Government of India, uniting states as
'Team India' to work towards cooperative federalism and good governance in India. The
term "Federalism" is rooted in the Latin word "foedus," signifying agreement. Essentially, a
federation represents a pact between two forms of government, jointly wielding authority
and overseeing their distinct domains. Therefore, a federation constitutes a framework
where national and local governments operate collectively under a shared sovereignty,
each possessing autonomous realms designated by the constitution.

What is Cooperative Federalism?

Cooperative federalism is a concept of a federal system of government in which the
central government and state governments work together to achieve common goals.
Under this system, both levels of government share responsibilities for policymaking and
implementation, with the central government taking the lead on certain issues and the
states taking the lead on others.

 Cooperative federalism is a horizontal relationship between the Centre and the

states in which they "cooperate" for the larger public interest, such as infrastructure
development, economic policies, social welfare, law & order, national
security, disaster management, etc.

 Thus, It is a system of sharing power at the level of central and regional

governments within a sphere, where they coordinate each other while remaining
independent in their own subject matters.

 The concept of cooperative federalism is also enshrined in the Constitution through

various provisions such as the division of powers between the Union and the States
(the Seventh Schedule of Indian Constitution), the establishment of local self-
government institutions (Part 9, and 9A of the Indian Constitution), the Finance
Commission (Article 280), and the establishment of institutions such as the NITI
Aayog, the Inter-State Council (Article 263), Zonal councils, River boards, tribunals,
and various sectoral councils and committees.
  We saw this during the Covid-19 pandemic, which presented a wonderful
opportunity to demonstrate the cooperative characteristics of federalism; however,
this was not the case during the first phase of the lockdown because most
administration was centralised at the time.

Cooperative Federalism in India - Background

Federalism is derived from the Latin term foedus, which means pact or agreement. as a
result, a federation is a new state (political system) formed through a treaty or agreement
amongst the various political bodies of a sovereign nation.

 Cooperative federalism is now used in India to refer to interactions and cooperation

between the Centre and the States, as well as interactions between individual states
and Panchayati Raj Institutions and Urban Local Bodies (municipalities).

 Later, the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments were made to the Indian
Constitution, and through these amendments, local self-governance was
implemented in rural and urban India in order to develop democracy and
cooperative federalism at the grassroots level.

 The framers of the constitution included certain federal aspects of governance in

Articles 246, 280, and the 7th Schedule to the constitution, but they deliberately
avoided using the term "federation" because they believed it would jeopardise the
nation's unity and integrity.

 India got independence in 1947, and the then-Interim Government, which also
served as a constituent assembly, enacted a new Constitution on January 26, 1950,
creating the Federal Union of India.

 Finally, the Government of India Act of 1935 established a federal-type union of

independent provinces, with the Governor-General having the authority to override
the Provincial administration.

 The Government of India Act of 1919 foresaw a "dyarchy" with two governments.
According to this, power would be shared between a British governor and provinces,
and provinces will be responsible for revenue sources like specific responsibility over
revenue sources like as land, health, agriculture, irrigation, and public works.

 The origin of cooperative federalism in modern India may be traced back to

the Regulating Act of 1773, which was enacted during the East India Company's rule.
 In this scenario, the Crown of England monitored the East India Company while
transferring power to the local government.

 One of the key mechanisms for promoting cooperative federalism in India is the
system of intergovernmental relations, which includes various bodies and forums
for consultation and coordination between the central government and the state
governments. These include the inter-state council, zonal, council, river boards,
tribunals, and various sectoral councils and committees, etc.

 However, the Constitution also includes provisions for cooperation and coordination
between the two levels of government, particularly in areas such as economic
development, social welfare, law & order and national security.

 Other statutory bodies established to promote Center-State cooperation and

coordination include as follows:

 University Grants Commission

 Damodar Valley Corporation

 National Dairy Development Board

 Drugs Consultative Committee, etc.

 One of the key features of cooperative federalism in India is the sharing of financial
resources between the central and state governments.

o This is done through the allocation of funds from the Union Budget to the
states, as well as through the provision of grants-in-aid for specific purposes.

 Another important aspect of cooperative federalism in India is the state's

involvement in the policymaking process.

Major Features of Federal System in India

Indian federalism is a unique type of federalism that incorporates both federal and unitary
elements. It is sometimes referred to as a quasi-federal system, but it is closer to a unitary
government. However, The word "federal" does not appear anywhere in the Indian
Constitution, but Article 1(1) states that "India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States."
Thus, India is not a true federation. The union-type federal polity requires the essential
balancing of two inherent tendencies, namely unionisation and regionalisation. The major
features of the federal system in India are as follows:
 Division of powers between various levels

 A written constitution

 Rigidity of constitution

 Dual government polity

 Supremacy of the Constitution

 Independent and Integrated Judiciary

 Bicameralism