GK Question

polity medium true_false

India's single citizenship (Article 5-11), unlike dual citizenship in federal systems like USA, promotes national unity by ensuring equal rights and obligations for all citizens regardless of State residence, while federalism preserves regional autonomy in defined domains.

  1. True
  2. False

Answer: True

Single citizenship federal design: (a) Constitutional provision: Articles 5-11 establish single citizenship for entire India; no State citizenship, (b) Advantages for national integration: (i) Equal rights across States (movement, residence, employment under Article 19), (ii) Uniform Fundamental Rights enforcement (Part III), (iii) Simplified administration (one passport, one voter ID), (iv) Prevents regional parochialism; fosters national identity, (c) Federal balance: Single citizenship coexists with State autonomy: (i) Seventh Schedule: Defined legislative domains for Union, State, Concurrent, (ii) State powers: Police, public health, agriculture, local government remain with States, (iii) Cooperative mechanisms: GST Council, Finance Commission, Inter-State Council enable coordination, (d) Contrast with USA: Dual citizenship (federal + State) allows States to define certain rights (e.g., voting in State elections, property ownership rules); India prioritizes national unity in diverse post-Partition context, (e) Applications: (i) Migrant rights: Single citizenship enables internal migration for employment, education, (ii) Affirmative action: Reservation benefits portable across States for SC/ST, (iii) Emergency provisions: Single citizenship enables coordinated national response, (f) Illustrates calibrated federalism: National unity through single citizenship, regional diversity through defined State autonomy; balance achieved through constitutional design and institutional mechanisms.

Topic Federalism - Single Citizenship and National Integration
Exam Relevance Citizenship federalism comparison frequently asked in UPSC and SSC exams