Which one of the following in Indian polity is an essential feature that indicates that it is federal in character?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (a) The independence of judiciary is safeguarded.
An independent judiciary is an essential mark of a federation, because someone neutral must settle disputes between the Centre and the States over who holds which power. India has this: the Supreme Court has original jurisdiction over Centre–State and inter-State disputes.
- ✓ (a) Two levels of government need an umpire on the division of powers. Article 131 gives the Supreme Court exclusive original jurisdiction in disputes between the Government of India and States, or between States.
- ✗ (b) Elected representatives from States sitting in the Union legislature also happens in unitary systems, where regions send members to the national legislature. It does not show a federal character.
- ✗ (c) Regional-party members in the Union Cabinet arise from coalition politics, not from a constitutional feature of federalism.
- ✗ (d) Fundamental Rights being enforceable in court protect individuals against the State. They are found in unitary democracies too, so they do not mark a federation.
Remember · Federal features: two levels of government, a written constitution, division of powers and an independent judiciary to resolve Centre–State disputes (Article 131).
📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 11 Indian Constitution at Work, Ch 7 (practise this chapter)
Sources
- NCERT Class 11 · Indian Constitution at Work, Chapter 7 “To prevent conflicts between the centre and the State, there is an independent judiciary to settle disputes.”
- Constitution of India, Article 131 ↗ “Original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court.—Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, the Supreme Court shall, to the exclusion of any other court, have original jurisdiction in any dispute— (a) between the Government of India and one or more States”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2021, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·