29 September: cooperative federalism
Tuesday 29 September 2026
GS Paper 2 · 250 words · 15 marks
"Cooperative federalism works best when the centre has least to gain from it." Critically examine.
Set a timer for 11 minutes. Write your answer before you read anything below.
Open only after you have written
How to approach this question
What the question asks.
| Part | What to write |
|---|---|
| The claim | Cooperation works best when the centre gains least |
| Its assumption | The centre's self-interest and real cooperation pull against each other |
| Critically examine | Test the claim on both sides, then say how far it holds |
Test the assumption. Some of the clearest cooperation happens where the centre could not act alone. Tax on goods that cross state borders is one case. Disaster response is another.
A shape that works in 250 words.
- State your position in two lines.
- The case for the claim: where the centre's interest produced compliance.
- The mechanism behind it: voting weight, or conditional funding.
- The case against: cooperation that lasted because the centre needed the states.
- The test that separates the two: whether the centre could act alone.
- Conclude on that test.
What to avoid.
| Mistake | What to do instead |
|---|---|
| Listing federal institutions | Pick two mechanisms and explain how they work |
| Defining cooperative federalism at length | One line, then the argument |
| Ending on "a spirit of mutual trust is needed" | End on a test or a reform |
A model answer
The claim holds where the centre controls the money. Cooperation has lasted longest where the centre could not act alone, whatever it stood to gain.
Where the claim holds
Centrally sponsored schemes are designed by the centre. Most states pay 40% of the cost, and Northeastern and Himalayan states pay 10%. A state signs up because refusing means losing the transfer. States consent, with little real negotiation.
In the GST Council, the centre holds one-third of the vote and decisions need three-quarters. No decision passes without the centre (Article 279A).
Where it fails
GST itself shows the opposite. Neither level could tax goods that cross state borders alone. That shared need kept the Council working through years of dispute over compensation.
In the pandemic, the centre took back vaccine procurement from the states in June 2021, and states ran delivery. Each level did what the other could not.
Disaster response under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, works the same way.
What separates the cases
In the schemes, the centre could act alone and set the terms. In GST and the pandemic, it needed the states, so both levels shaped the outcome.
Conclusion
The better test is whether the centre has an alternative. Federal design should focus cooperation on areas where neither level can deliver alone. The Inter-State Council under Article 263 should meet regularly to identify them.
Word count: 227.
Why this answer works. It states a position in the first two lines. It gives the claim its strongest case before arguing against it. Each mechanism is explained, including the sharing ratio, the voting weight and the procurement split. The conclusion offers a test and one reform.
Where it could be stronger. It could name a meeting of the Inter-State Council and say what it decided.