BharatNotes Why this chapter matters for UPSC: This is NCERT's Chapter 1 in the rationalised Reprint 2026-27, and it opens the book's argument: in a democracy power is shared, and sharing it can hold a country together. Its two cases, Belgium and Sri Lanka, give GS2 answers a ready contrast between accommodation and majoritarianism. Its four forms of power sharing (among the organs of government, between levels of government, among social groups, and among parties and pressure groups) map onto separation of powers, federalism, reservations and coalition politics in India.
Contemporary hook: In the 2024 Lok Sabha election the BJP won 240 seats with 36.56% of the vote, short of the 272 needed for a majority, so the Union government again depends on its allies: NCERT's fourth form of power sharing, a coalition. On 16 April 2026 the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023 came into force, yet the one-third reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies takes effect only after a delimitation based on the first Census taken after that date. NCERT's third form, sharing power among social groups, is written into the Constitution but not yet operating for women in Parliament.
🧠 First Principles — Read This First
Sharing power does not weaken a country. NCERT's margin puts the opposite belief in one line: "Sharing power = dividing power = weakening the country." The chapter sets out to overturn it. Its two stories end in opposite places: Belgium shared power among its language communities and held together; in Sri Lanka the majority refused to share power and the country slid into civil war.
People are the source of power. "One basic principle of democracy is that people are the source of all political power." So power should be distributed among as many citizens as possible, and a democratic government should not be the undivided power of one person or group.
Two kinds of reasons. NCERT separates prudential reasons (power sharing brings better outcomes: fewer conflicts, a stable political order) from moral reasons (power sharing is "the very spirit of democracy" and is valuable in itself).
Power is shared in more than one direction. Across the organs of government, down to State and local governments, among social groups, and among parties, pressure groups and movements. A good answer names the form before giving the example.
PART 1 — Quick Reference
Table 1: Belgium and Sri Lanka, NCERT's two stories
| Belgium | Sri Lanka | |
|---|---|---|
| Size and place | "Smaller in area than the state of Haryana"; borders France, the Netherlands, Germany and Luxembourg | An island "just a few kilometres off the southern coast of Tamil Nadu" |
| Population | NCERT: "a little over one crore", about half of Haryana's. Statbel: 11,867,634 on 1 January 2026 | NCERT: "about two crore people, about the same as in Haryana" |
| Groups (NCERT's shares) | Dutch-speakers 59% (Flemish region); French-speakers 40% (Wallonia); German-speakers 1%. Brussels: 80% French, 20% Dutch | Sinhala-speakers 74%; Tamil-speakers 18%, of whom Sri Lankan Tamils 13% and the rest Indian Tamils; about 7% Christians, both Tamil and Sinhala |
| Religion | Not discussed | Most Sinhala-speakers Buddhist; most Tamils Hindu or Muslim |
| Source of tension | The French-speaking minority was "relatively rich and powerful"; Dutch-speakers got the benefit of development and education later; tensions in the 1950s and 1960s, sharpest in Brussels | After independence in 1948, the Sinhala majority adopted "majoritarian measures to establish Sinhala supremacy" |
| Response | Constitution amended four times between 1970 and 1993 | The 1956 Act made Sinhala the only official language; preferences for Sinhala applicants; a constitution that pledged to protect and foster Buddhism |
| Outcome | Civic strife and a division on linguistic lines avoided; Brussels chosen as the European Union's headquarters | Demands for autonomy denied; by the 1980s, demands for an independent Tamil Eelam; civil war, which "ended in 2009" |
Source: NCERT, Democratic Politics II, Class X, ch. 1 "Power-sharing", Reprint 2026-27, pp. 2-5; Statbel (Belgian statistical office), "Structure of the Population", 10 June 2026. NCERT's shares carry no year, so treat them as the book's illustration. NCERT gives no figure for Indian Tamils: 18 minus 13 leaves 5% (our arithmetic).
Table 2: The Belgian model, NCERT's four elements
| Element | What it provides | The point |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Central government | The number of Dutch and French-speaking ministers "shall be equal"; some special laws need the support of a majority of members from each linguistic group | "No single community can make decisions unilaterally" |
| 2. State governments | Many powers of the Central Government given to the State Governments of the two regions, which "are not subordinate to the Central Government" | Autonomy for the regions |
| 3. Brussels | A separate government with equal representation for both communities | French-speakers accepted equality in Brussels because Dutch-speakers accepted it in the Central Government |
| 4. Community government | Elected by people of one language community (Dutch, French or German-speaking) "no matter where they live"; powers over cultural, educational and language-related issues | Power shared by community, not by territory |
Source: NCERT ch. 1, Reprint 2026-27, pp. 4-5.
Table 3: Four forms of power sharing
| Form | NCERT's description | NCERT's example | In India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Among organs of government (horizontal) | Legislature, executive and judiciary each check the others: "a system of checks and balances" | Judges appointed by the executive can check the executive and the laws made by the legislature | Parliament, the Union executive and the courts |
| 2. Among governments at different levels (vertical) | The constitution lays down the powers of each level: "federal division of power"; power also goes down to municipalities and panchayats | Belgium did this; Sri Lanka refused it | The Union and the States; panchayats and municipalities |
| 3. Among social groups | Gives minority communities "a fair share in power" | Belgium's community government; "reserved constituencies" (Class IX) | Seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes; women's seats in panchayats (Article 243D) |
| 4. Among parties, pressure groups and movements | Competition among parties; alliances and coalition governments; interest groups influence decisions | Coalitions of two or more parties; traders, businessmen, industrialists, farmers and industrial workers | Coalition governments, including the Union government after 2024; pressure groups and movements |
Source: NCERT ch. 1, Reprint 2026-27, pp. 8-9; Constitution of India, Article 243D.
Table 4: NCERT's four news items, classified
| News item (NCERT's activity, p. 10) | Who shares power with whom | Form |
|---|---|---|
| The Bombay High Court orders the Maharashtra government to improve living conditions for the 2,000-odd children at seven children's homes in Mumbai | Judiciary and executive | Horizontal (1) |
| Ontario's land-claim settlement with the aboriginal community | Government and a social group | Social groups (3) |
| Russia's Union of Right Forces and Liberal Yabloko Movement agree to unite into a coalition with a common list of candidates | Two political parties | Parties (4) |
| Nigeria's State finance ministers demand that the federal government declare its sources of income and the formula for sharing it | States and the federal government | Federal, vertical (2) |
Source: NCERT ch. 1, Reprint 2026-27, p. 10. NCERT prints no answers; the classification follows its four forms.
Table 5: Prudential and moral reasons
| Prudential reasons | Moral reasons | |
|---|---|---|
| What they stress | Power sharing "will bring out better outcomes" | "The very act of power sharing as valuable" |
| NCERT's reasons | Reduces the possibility of conflict between social groups; ensures the stability of the political order; tyranny of the majority harms the majority too | Power sharing is "the very spirit of democracy"; people have a right to be consulted on how they are governed; a legitimate government gives citizens "a stake in the system" |
| Evidence in the chapter | Belgium's accommodation against Sri Lanka's civil war | Democracy as rule by those affected |
Source: NCERT ch. 1, Reprint 2026-27, p. 6.
Table 6: Sri Lanka's Constitution today, against NCERT's account
| Article (as amended up to 31 October 2022) | Text | NCERT's account |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Buddhism has "the foremost place", and it is the duty of the State "to protect and foster the Buddha Sasana", while assuring all religions the rights in Articles 10 and 14(1)(e) | "A new constitution stipulated that the state shall protect and foster Buddhism" |
| 18 | "The Official Language of Sri Lanka shall be Sinhala." "Tamil shall also be an official language." "English shall be the link language." Clause (2) was inserted by the Thirteenth Amendment | The 1956 Act recognised Sinhala "as the only official language, thus disregarding Tamil" |
| 19 | "The National Languages of Sri Lanka shall be Sinhala and Tamil." | Tamils demanded "recognition of Tamil as an official language" |
| 154A (Chapter XVIIA) | A Provincial Council for every Province in the Eighth Schedule; the chapter was inserted by the Thirteenth Amendment | Tamils' demand for "more autonomy to provinces" was "repeatedly denied" |
Source: Parliament of Sri Lanka, The Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, revised edition 2023 (as amended up to 31 October 2022; unofficial text published by the Parliament Secretariat); NCERT ch. 1, pp. 3-4.
PART 2 — Concepts & Narrative
Two stories: Belgium and Sri Lanka
NCERT resumes the "tour of democracy" begun in Class IX with one idea: "An intelligent sharing of power among legislature, executive and judiciary is very important to the design of a democracy." This chapter and the next two carry the idea further, starting with two countries.
Belgium is a small European country, smaller in area than Haryana, with a population of a little over one crore in NCERT's account. Its ethnic composition is complex: 59% live in the Flemish region and speak Dutch, 40% live in Wallonia and speak French, and 1% speak German. In Brussels, the capital, 80% speak French and 20% Dutch. The French-speaking minority was "relatively rich and powerful", and the Dutch-speaking community, which got the benefit of economic development and education much later, resented it. Tensions rose in the 1950s and 1960s and were "more acute in Brussels", where the Dutch-speakers were "a majority in the country, but a minority in the capital".
Sri Lanka is an island nation of about two crore people. Sinhala-speakers are 74% and Tamil-speakers 18%; among the Tamils, the Sri Lankan Tamils (13%) are concentrated in the north and east, and the rest, whose forefathers came from India as plantation workers in the colonial period, are called Indian Tamils. Most Sinhala-speakers are Buddhists and most Tamils are Hindus or Muslims; about 7% are Christians, both Tamil and Sinhala.
NCERT then asks a thought experiment. Like the Sinhala in Sri Lanka, the Dutch in Belgium could have used their numbers to force their will on the French, which would have pushed the country towards "a very messy partition", with both sides claiming Brussels. The Sinhala in Sri Lanka "enjoyed an even bigger majority" and could impose their will on the whole country. Belgium did not take that path; Sri Lanka did.
Ethnic. "A social division based on shared culture. People belonging to the same ethnic group believe in their common descent because of similarities of physical type or of culture or both. They need not always have the same religion or nationality."
Majoritarianism. "A belief that the majority community should be able to rule a country in whichever way it wants, by disregarding the wishes and needs of the minority."
Civil war. "A violent conflict between opposing groups within a country that becomes so intense that it appears like a war."
Majoritarianism in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka became independent in 1948. The leaders of the Sinhala community sought to secure dominance over the government by virtue of their majority, and the democratically elected government adopted "majoritarian measures to establish Sinhala supremacy". NCERT lists three:
- Language. "In 1956, an Act was passed to recognise Sinhala as the only official language, thus disregarding Tamil."
- Jobs and education. The government followed "preferential policies that favoured Sinhala applicants for university positions and government jobs."
- Religion. "A new constitution stipulated that the state shall protect and foster Buddhism." NCERT gives no year for this constitution.
These measures gradually increased the feeling of alienation among the Sri Lankan Tamils. They felt that the constitution and government policies denied them equal political rights, discriminated against them in jobs and other opportunities, and ignored their interests. Relations between the Sinhala and Tamil communities strained over time.
The Tamils launched parties and struggles demanding "recognition of Tamil as an official language, for regional autonomy and equality of opportunity in securing education and jobs." Their demand for more autonomy to provinces populated by the Tamils "was repeatedly denied". By the 1980s several organisations were demanding an independent Tamil Eelam in the north and east. Distrust turned into widespread conflict and then civil war: thousands of people of both communities were killed, many families became refugees, and many more lost their livelihoods. NCERT notes that the civil war "ended in 2009".
Why NCERT asks "If Sinhalas don't rule in Sri Lanka, where else will they rule?" The margin voice states the majoritarian case in its plainest form. NCERT's answer is the chapter itself: majority rule over everything, including language, jobs and religion, left a large minority with no stake in the state, and the cost fell on both communities. Use the question to show that majoritarianism is a belief about who should rule, not simply a fact about who is more numerous.
Accommodation in Belgium
Belgian leaders took a different path. They recognised the existence of regional differences and cultural diversities. "Between 1970 and 1993, they amended their constitution four times so as to work out an arrangement that would enable everyone to live together within the same country." NCERT calls the arrangement "different from any other country and is very innovative" and lists its four elements (Table 2): equal Dutch and French-speaking ministers at the centre and special laws needing a majority in each language group; powers given to State Governments that are not subordinate to the Centre; a Brussels government with equal representation, accepted by the French-speakers in return for equality at the centre; and a community government with powers over culture, education and language for each language community wherever its members live.
NCERT admits the model is "very complicated, even for people living in Belgium". "But these arrangements have worked well so far." They helped avoid civic strife between the two major communities and a possible division of the country on linguistic lines, and when European countries came together to form the European Union, "Brussels was chosen as its headquarters."
The fourth element is the unusual one. The first three share power by territory or by seats: the centre, the regions, the capital. The community government shares power by language, whatever the place of residence. A Dutch-speaker living in Brussels belongs to the Dutch-speaking community for cultural, educational and language matters. This is why NCERT uses Belgium's community government as its example of power shared among social groups (Table 3, form 3), not of federalism.
The student's objection. A margin voice says, "I am glad our Constitution does not say which minister will come from which community." NCERT does not answer it. One answer: Belgium's guarantee met a specific fear (the minority being outvoted at the centre), and India meets similar fears by other means, such as reserved constituencies.
What do we learn from the two stories?
Both countries are democracies, yet they dealt with power sharing differently. In Belgium the leaders realised that "the unity of the country is possible only by respecting the feelings and interests of different communities and regions", and the result was mutually acceptable arrangements for sharing power. Sri Lanka shows the contrary: "if a majority community wants to force its dominance over others and refuses to share power, it can undermine the unity of the country."
NCERT's activity sets two students side by side. Annette studies in a Dutch-medium school in northern Belgium, where many French-speaking students want French as the medium of instruction; Selvi studies in northern Sri Lanka, where all the students are Tamil-speaking and want Tamil. If their parents approached their governments, "who is more likely to succeed? And why?" The answer turns on Belgium's community governments, which hold powers over education and language, against the Sri Lanka of NCERT's account, where provinces were denied autonomy.
Sri Lanka's Constitution since NCERT's account (Table 6). The present Constitution of Sri Lanka, in its revised text as amended up to 31 October 2022, still gives Buddhism "the foremost place" and makes it the duty of the State "to protect and foster the Buddha Sasana", while assuring other religions their rights (Article 9). On language it has moved away from the 1956 position. Article 18 keeps Sinhala as the official language, and its clause (2), inserted by the Thirteenth Amendment, adds: "Tamil shall also be an official language." English is the link language, and Article 19 makes Sinhala and Tamil the national languages. The Thirteenth Amendment also inserted Chapter XVIIA, under which a Provincial Council is established for every Province (Article 154A). So two of the Tamils' original demands, official status for Tamil and provincial autonomy, now have a constitutional basis, though they came only after the conflict NCERT describes had begun. In answers, cite the Articles rather than a year for the Thirteenth Amendment unless you have checked it.
Why power sharing is desirable
NCERT gives two sets of reasons.
Prudential reasons. "Firstly, power sharing is good because it helps to reduce the possibility of conflict between social groups." Since social conflict often leads to violence and political instability, "power sharing is a good way to ensure the stability of political order." Imposing the will of the majority community may look attractive in the short run, but in the long run it undermines the unity of the nation. "Tyranny of the majority is not just oppressive for the minority; it often affects majority adversely as well."
Moral reasons. "Power sharing is the very spirit of democracy." A democratic rule involves sharing power with those affected by its exercise and who have to live with its effects. "People have a right to be consulted on how they are to be governed. A legitimate government is one where citizens, through participation, acquire a stake in the system."
NCERT's summary: "While prudential reasons stress that power sharing will bring out better outcomes, moral reasons emphasise the very act of power sharing as valuable." The pair returns in Chapter 5 ("Outcomes of Democracy"), where NCERT asks whether democracy can be defended on prudential grounds as well as moral ones.
Prudential. "Based on prudence, or on careful calculation of gains and losses. Prudential decisions are usually contrasted with decisions based purely on moral considerations."
NCERT's two cartoons from 2005. The first shows Germany's grand coalition: the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Social Democratic Party (SPD), "historically rivals", formed a government together "because neither of them got clear majority of seats on their own in the 2005 elections". NCERT notes the problems of running such a government: the two parties "take divergent positions on several policy matters, but still jointly run the government". It is power sharing among parties. The second, "Reigning the Reins", is about Russia: "In 2005, some new laws were made in Russia giving more powers to its president." NCERT asks what the cartoon says about "the relationship between democracy and concentration of power". Read the two together: one shows power divided, the other power gathered into one office.
Khalil's dilemma: Lebanon's rules
NCERT tells a story in the style of Vikram and Vetal. Khalil, a young man in Beirut, has a father who is an Orthodox Christian and a mother who is a Sunni Muslim; his uncle was killed in the civil war. At the end of that war, Lebanon's leaders agreed on rules for sharing power: "the country's President must belong to the Maronite sect of Catholic Christians. The Prime Minister must be from the Sunni Muslim community. The post of Deputy Prime Minister is fixed for Orthodox Christian sect and that of the Speaker for Shi'a Muslims." Under the pact "the Christians agreed not to seek French protection and the Muslims agreed not to seek unification with the neighbouring state of Syria."
The dilemma: "When the Christians and Muslims came to this agreement, they were nearly equal in population. Both sides have continued to respect this agreement though now the Muslims are in clear majority." Khalil, who wants to stand for the top post, cannot. Vetal's question is whether the rules should be rewritten.
How to answer Vetal. Weigh the two kinds of reasons. Prudential: the rules were agreed at the end of a civil war, and Khalil's elders, who saw its bloodshed, call them "the best guarantee for peace"; rewriting them could reopen the conflict. Moral: the rules tie office to community, so for Khalil, who follows neither parent's religion, "the top position is out of his reach", and the agreement no longer matches a population in which Muslims are now "in clear majority". NCERT leaves the answer open; a strong answer says that power sharing which freezes communities permanently in place can itself become a problem, and that any change has to be agreed rather than imposed. NCERT does not date the pact, so do not add years to it.
Forms of power sharing
"The idea of power-sharing has emerged in opposition to the notions of undivided political power." In a democracy, political power should be distributed among as many citizens as possible. NCERT's four forms (Table 3):
- Horizontal: among organs of government. Legislature, executive and judiciary are placed at the same level, each exercising different powers. "Such a separation ensures that none of the organs can exercise unlimited power. Each organ checks the others." Ministers and officials exercise power but are responsible to Parliament or State Assemblies; judges are appointed by the executive but can check the functioning of the executive or laws made by the legislature. "This arrangement is called a system of checks and balances."
- Vertical: among governments at different levels. A general government for the whole country and governments at the provincial or regional level. The constitution lays down the powers of each level. "This is what they did in Belgium, but was refused in Sri Lanka. This is called federal division of power." The same principle extends below the State to municipalities and panchayats.
- Among social groups. Religious and linguistic groups can share power. Belgium's community government is NCERT's example; India's "reserved constituencies" give weaker sections and women a share in legislatures and administration. "This method is used to give minority communities a fair share in power."
- Among parties, pressure groups and movements. Competition among parties ensures power does not remain in one hand; in the long run power is shared by parties representing different ideologies and social groups. When two or more parties form an alliance and win, they form a coalition government. Interest groups such as traders, businessmen, industrialists, farmers and industrial workers share power "either through participation in governmental committees or bringing influence on the decision-making process."
A margin voice asks about a class monitor who changes every month: is that power sharing? One way to answer: it is a rotation of one office, which spreads opportunity over time but does not divide power among several holders at once; compare it with Lebanon's fixed offices and Belgium's equal ministers.
Power sharing among social groups in India today. Panchayats: Article 243D reserves "not less than one-third" of the seats filled by direct election in every Panchayat for women (including the seats for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe women), and not less than one-third of the offices of Chairpersons at each level; it also reserves seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, and lets States reserve seats for backward classes. Many States go further: "21 States and 2 Union Territories" have provided for 50% reservation for women in panchayats (Ministry of Panchayati Raj, PIB, 6 February 2024). Women are "over 14.5 lakh" elected panchayat representatives, about 46% of the total (PIB, 11 March 2026). Legislatures: the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023 received assent on 28 September 2023 and came into force on 16 April 2026 (S.O. 1922(E)). It reserves, as nearly as may be, one-third of the seats in the Lok Sabha, State Assemblies and the Delhi Assembly for women, but under Article 334A the reservation takes effect only after a delimitation based on the first Census taken after commencement, and lasts fifteen years. As of October 2026, no Lok Sabha seat is yet reserved for women. Coalitions: the 2024 Lok Sabha gave no party a majority on its own (BJP 240 of 543), so the Union government is again a coalition, NCERT's fourth form.
What the pre-2023 edition said (removed in the rationalisation)
The chapter is almost unchanged; it was Chapter 1 in the 2020-21 edition too. Two sentences differ. The old book linked Sri Lanka's story to the Economics textbook: "You have read (Chapter 1 of Economics textbook, Class X) about Sri Lanka's excellent record of economic development, education and health. But" the civil war had caused a terrible setback; the current book drops the cross-reference. And the old line "In Unit III, we shall study the working of political parties, pressure groups and social movements" now reads "In Unit III, we shall study the working of political parties", because the chapter on popular struggles and movements was removed (this site keeps it as the retained page 05). The current book still says "Unit III" although it is no longer divided into units. The figures, cartoons and all nine exercises are the same in both editions.
Source: NCERT, Democratic Politics II, Class X, ch. 1, 2020-21 edition (reprint January 2020), pp. 4 and 9, as archived by the Wayback Machine, 9 October 2021.
PART 3 — UPSC Integration
Cross-paper relevance
- GS2 (Polity) — separation of powers and checks and balances, federalism and local government, reservations for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and women (Article 243D, the 106th Amendment), coalition government.
- GS2 (International relations) — Sri Lanka's Tamil question, its official-language and Provincial Council provisions; power sharing in plural societies such as Belgium and Lebanon.
- GS1 (Society) — diversity, regionalism and the dangers of majoritarianism.
- Essay — majority rule and minority rights; unity through accommodation.
Past questions on this chapter's themes: Mains GS2 2019 (whether the Constitution follows a strict separation of powers or is based on checks and balances). Question IDs are in the Revision Capsule.
Frames for Mains Answers
1. Power sharing as a source of unity. Open with NCERT's contrast: Belgium amended its constitution four times between 1970 and 1993 and stayed united; Sri Lanka's majoritarian measures after 1948 ended in civil war. Add the two kinds of reasons (prudential and moral) and India's own arrangements: federalism, reserved constituencies, panchayat reservation.
2. Separation of powers or checks and balances? Use NCERT's horizontal form: separation "ensures that none of the organs can exercise unlimited power", and each organ checks the others. Show how the organs check one another (executive responsible to the legislature, judges able to check laws and executive action) rather than working in watertight compartments.
3. The cost of majoritarianism. Sri Lanka's 1956 Act, preferences for Sinhala applicants and the constitutional place of Buddhism; the Tamil demands that were refused; NCERT's warning that tyranny of the majority "often affects majority adversely as well". Close with Sri Lanka's later provisions: "Tamil shall also be an official language" (Article 18(2)) and Provincial Councils (Article 154A).
4. Women's representation as power sharing. Article 243D (one-third of seats and chairperson offices in panchayats), over 14.5 lakh women representatives (about 46%), and the 106th Amendment: in force since 16 April 2026 but awaiting the post-Census delimitation. Keep "in force" and "operating" apart.
Exam Strategy
Prelims fact-traps:
- In Belgium the French-speakers were the minority in the country (40%) but "relatively rich and powerful", and the majority in Brussels (80%). The Dutch-speakers were a majority in the country and a minority in the capital.
- Statement A of exercise 7 (the Dutch majority tried to impose domination) is false: NCERT only imagines what the Dutch could have done.
- Belgium's community government is elected by language community "no matter where they live"; it is NCERT's example of power sharing among social groups.
- The 1956 Act made Sinhala the only official language. Today Article 18(2) of Sri Lanka's Constitution says "Tamil shall also be an official language", and Article 19 makes Sinhala and Tamil the national languages.
- Lebanon's rules: President a Maronite Catholic, Prime Minister a Sunni Muslim, Deputy Prime Minister an Orthodox Christian, Speaker a Shi'a Muslim.
- Germany's 2005 grand coalition was of the CDU and the SPD.
- The 106th Amendment is in force (16 April 2026), but women's reservation in the Lok Sabha and Assemblies starts only after the post-commencement Census and delimitation.
- Article 243D's one-third is a minimum; 21 States and 2 Union Territories provide 50% for women in panchayats (PIB, February 2024).
Practice Questions
Questions 1-4 are the NCERT exercise MCQs. Practice (UPSC-pattern, not past papers): questions 5-8.
1. Different arguments are usually put forth in favour of and against power sharing. Identify those which are in favour of power sharing. Power sharing: A. reduces conflict among different communities; B. decreases the possibility of arbitrariness; C. delays decision making process; D. accommodates diversities; E. increases instability and divisiveness; F. promotes people's participation in government; G. undermines the unity of a country.
(a) A B D F
(b) A C E F
(c) A B D G
(d) B C D G
Answer: (a). C, E and G are arguments against power sharing.
2. Consider the following statements about power sharing arrangements in Belgium and Sri Lanka:
A. In Belgium, the Dutch-speaking majority people tried to impose their domination on the minority French-speaking community.
B. In Sri Lanka, the policies of the government sought to ensure the dominance of the Sinhala-speaking majority.
C. The Tamils in Sri Lanka demanded a federal arrangement of power sharing to protect their culture, language and equality of opportunity in education and jobs.
D. The transformation of Belgium from unitary government to a federal one prevented a possible division of the country on linguistic lines.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) A, B, C and D
(b) A, B and D
(c) C and D
(d) B, C and D
Answer: (d). In Belgium the French-speaking minority was the richer and more powerful community; NCERT never says the Dutch imposed domination.
3. Match List I (forms of power sharing) with List II (forms of government): 1. Power shared among different organs of government; 2. Power shared among governments at different levels; 3. Power shared by different social groups; 4. Power shared by two or more political parties. List II: A. Community government; B. Separation of powers; C. Coalition government; D. Federal government.
(a) 1-D, 2-A, 3-B, 4-C
(b) 1-B, 2-C, 3-D, 4-A
(c) 1-B, 2-D, 3-A, 4-C
(d) 1-C, 2-D, 3-A, 4-B
Answer: (c). Organs: separation of powers; levels: federal government; social groups: community government; parties: coalition government.
4. Consider the following two statements on power sharing: A. Power sharing is good for democracy. B. It helps to reduce the possibility of conflict between social groups. Which of these statements are true and false?
(a) A is true but B is false
(b) Both A and B are true
(c) Both A and B are false
(d) A is false but B is true
Answer: (b). B is NCERT's first prudential reason.
5. With reference to the Belgian model of power sharing as described by NCERT, consider the following statements:
1. The number of Dutch and French-speaking ministers in the central government is equal.
2. The State Governments of the two regions are subordinate to the Central Government.
3. The community government is elected by people of one language community wherever they live.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 1 and 3 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (b). NCERT: the State Governments "are not subordinate to the Central Government".
6. Consider the following statements about the Constitution of Sri Lanka as amended up to October 2022:
1. Tamil is an official language.
2. English is the link language.
3. Buddhism is given the foremost place.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (d). Articles 18(2), 18(3) and 9.
7. Consider the following statements:
1. The Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023 came into force on 16 April 2026.
2. Seats were reserved for women in the 2024 Lok Sabha election under the 106th Amendment.
3. Article 243D reserves not less than one-third of the offices of Chairpersons in panchayats at each level for women.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (c). The Act was not in force in 2024, and its reservation awaits delimitation after the first Census taken after commencement (Article 334A).
8. "Power sharing is the very spirit of democracy." Discuss with reference to Belgium, Sri Lanka and India. (150 words)
NCERT exercises (short answer): the different forms of power sharing in modern democracies, with an example of each; one prudential and one moral reason for power sharing, with an example from the Indian context; which of three students' conclusions (Thomman, Mathayi, Ouseph) you agree with, and why; whether the Mayor of Merchtem's ban on speaking French in the town's schools is in keeping with the spirit of Belgium's power-sharing arrangements; and the prudential reason in a passage on giving more power to panchayats ("a way to reduce corruption and increase administrative efficiency").
📦 Revision Capsule
Hard Facts
- Belgium (NCERT): Dutch 59%, French 40%, German 1%; Brussels 80% French, 20% Dutch. Population 11,867,634 on 1 January 2026 (Statbel).
- Sri Lanka (NCERT): Sinhala 74%, Tamil 18% (Sri Lankan Tamils 13%), Christians about 7%. Independence 1948; the 1956 Act made Sinhala the only official language; civil war ended 2009.
- Belgium amended its constitution four times between 1970 and 1993; Brussels chosen as the EU's headquarters.
- Belgian model: equal ministers; State Governments not subordinate; Brussels government with equal representation; community government.
- Lebanon: Maronite President, Sunni Prime Minister, Orthodox Deputy Prime Minister, Shi'a Speaker.
- Cartoons: Germany's CDU-SPD grand coalition after the 2005 elections; Russia 2005, "Reigning the Reins".
- NCERT exercise answers: 6 (a), 7 (d), 8 (c), 9 (b).
Core Concepts
- Sharing power can strengthen unity; refusing it can undermine unity.
- Prudential reasons (better outcomes) vs moral reasons (the act of sharing is valuable).
- Four forms: horizontal, vertical (federal), social groups, parties and pressure groups.
- Checks and balances: none of the organs can exercise unlimited power.
Confused Pairs
- Majority in the country (Dutch) vs majority in the capital (French).
- Federal division of power (by territory) vs community government (by language community).
- Official language vs national language in Sri Lanka (Article 18 vs Article 19).
- 106th Amendment in force (16 April 2026) vs reservation operating (after the post-Census delimitation).
- Rotation of one office (class monitor) vs division of power among several holders.
Data Points
- Article 243D: not less than one-third of directly elected panchayat seats and chairperson offices for women.
- 21 States and 2 UTs: 50% for women in panchayats (PIB, 6 February 2024).
- Women panchayat representatives: over 14.5 lakh, about 46% (PIB, 11 March 2026).
- Lok Sabha 2024: BJP 240 seats (36.56% of the vote), short of 272.
PYQ Pattern
- Mains GS2: gs2-pyq-2019-03 (strict separation of powers or checks and balances in the Indian Constitution).
Sources
- NCERT, Democratic Politics II, Textbook in Political Science for Class X, ch. 1 "Power-sharing", Reprint 2026-27 — ncert.nic.in PDF.
- NCERT, Democratic Politics II, ch. 1, 2020-21 edition (file jess401.pdf in the whole-book zip), as archived on 9 October 2021 — Wayback Machine.
- Statbel (Belgian statistical office), "Structure of the Population", 10 June 2026 — statbel.fgov.be.
- Parliament of Sri Lanka, The Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, revised edition 2023 (as amended up to 31 October 2022) — parliament.lk PDF.
- Constitution of India, Article 243D — legislative.gov.in.
- Ministry of Panchayati Raj, "Participation of Women in Panchayats", PIB, 6 February 2024 — PIB 2003196.
- Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Sashakt Panchayat-Netri Abhiyan, PIB, 11 March 2026 — PIB 2238655.
- Ministry of Law and Justice, The Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023, Gazette of India, 28 September 2023 — egazette.gov.in PDF.
- Ministry of Law and Justice, notification S.O. 1922(E), 16 April 2026, bringing the Act into force — egazette.gov.in PDF.
- Election Commission of India data on the 2024 general election, PIB, 26 December 2024 — PIB 2088064.
- Results of the 2024 Indian general election, party-wise table compiled from ECI results — Wikipedia.
