Given below are two statements, one is labelled as Assertion (A) and the other as Reason (R): Assertion (A): Indian federalism is called 'Quasi-federal'. Reason (R): India has an independent judiciary with power of Judicial Review. Select the correct answer from the codes given below. Codes:
- (a)Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A)
- (b)Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A)
- (c)(A) is true but (R) is false
- (d)(A) is false but (R) is true
Correct — B, both statements are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A. Assertion is true: K.C. Wheare famously described the Indian Constitution as 'quasi-federal' — 'a unitary state with subsidiary federal features' — because, despite a federal framework, it tilts strongly toward the Centre (single citizenship, a strong Union, single integrated Constitution, all-India services, Governor appointed by the Centre, Parliament's power to reorganise States, and sweeping emergency provisions). Reason is also true: India does have an independent judiciary armed with judicial review. But the two are not cause-and-effect: an independent judiciary with judicial review is one of the FEDERAL features (a neutral umpire is needed to police the Centre-State division of powers), so it supports the 'federal' side, not the 'quasi/unitary' tilt that earns India the 'quasi-federal' label. Since the 'quasi-federal' description flows from the Constitution's centralising bias, R does not explain A — hence (b), both true but R is not the correct explanation.
- (a)Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A) — Wrong — R does not explain A. India is called 'quasi-federal' because of its unitary/centralising bias; an independent judiciary with judicial review is a federal feature (the umpire of the federation), not the reason for the 'quasi' (unitary-leaning) tag.
- (c)(A) is true but (R) is false — Wrong — R is true. India verifiably has an independent judiciary and the Supreme Court/High Courts exercise judicial review over laws and executive acts.
- (d)(A) is false but (R) is true — Wrong — A is true. The Indian Constitution is standardly described as 'quasi-federal' (K.C. Wheare) owing to its strong unitary features.
Indian federalism blends federal features (dual polity, written and supreme Constitution, bicameralism, an independent judiciary as umpire) with strong unitary features (single citizenship, a powerful Centre, integrated judiciary and all-India services, Centre-appointed Governors, Parliament's power to alter State boundaries, and emergency provisions). Because of this centralising tilt, K.C. Wheare called it 'quasi-federal'; the Constitution itself, in Article 1, calls India a 'Union of States', not a federation.
In Assertion-Reason items, first check each statement, then test the causal link. Here both are true, so the trap is (a). The key is realising WHY India is 'quasi-federal' — it is the unitary bias, not the presence of judicial review (which is actually a federal safeguard). A true reason that does not cause the assertion gives answer (b).
- K.C. Wheare described the Indian Constitution as 'quasi-federal' — a unitary state with subsidiary federal features
- The Supreme Court has held federalism to be part of the Constitution's 'basic structure' (S.R. Bommai, 1994)
- Judicial review is a FEDERAL feature — the judiciary acts as the neutral interpreter/umpire of the Centre-State division of powers
- Unitary features that earn the 'quasi' label: single citizenship, strong Centre, all-India services, Centre-appointed Governors, emergency provisions
- Choosing (a) — accepting a true Reason as the explanation when it is actually a federal (not quasi-federal) feature
- Thinking 'quasi-federal' means India is not federal at all — it is federal with a unitary tilt
UPPSC/UPSC frame this as Assertion-Reason, or ask you to sort features into 'federal' vs 'unitary', or to identify who called India 'quasi-federal'.
In India, 'judicial review' implies
- (a) the power of the Judiciary to pronounce upon the constitutionality of laws and executive orders.
- (b) the power of the Judiciary to question the wisdom of the laws enacted by the Legislatures.
- (c) the power of the Judiciary to review all the legislative enactments before they are assented to by the President.
- (d) the power of the Judiciary to review its own judgements given earlier in similar cases.
Answer(a) the power of the Judiciary to pronounce upon the constitutionality of laws and executive orders.
Same concept — it defines judicial review (the exact power named in Reason R), confirming it is the judiciary's power to test the constitutionality of laws and executive action.
Consider the following statements: 1. The Constitution of India defines its 'basic structure' in terms of federalism, secularism, fundamental rights and democracy. 2. The Constitution of India provides for 'judicial review' to safeguard the citizens' liberties and to preserve the ideals on which the Constitution is based. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 2 only
- (c) Both 1 and 2
- (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer(b) 2 only
Same twin concepts — federalism and judicial review; it affirms the Constitution provides for judicial review (as Reason R states) while clarifying the 'basic structure' is judge-made, not defined in the text.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The description of the Indian Constitution as 'quasi-federal' is associated with which scholar?
- (a)Granville Austin
- (b)K.C. Wheare
- (c)Ivor Jennings
- (d)D.D. Basu
Answer(b) K.C. Wheare — he called it a unitary state with subsidiary federal features.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Which of the following is a FEDERAL (not unitary) feature of the Indian Constitution?
- (a)Single citizenship
- (b)All-India Services
- (c)Independent judiciary with judicial review
- (d)Appointment of Governors by the Centre
Answer(c) Independent judiciary with judicial review — it umpires the Centre-State division of powers.