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.

  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: (i) Equal rights across States (movement, residence, employment under Article 19), (ii) Uniform fundamental rights enforcement, (iii) National integration despite linguistic/cultural diversity, (iv) Simplified administration (one passport, one voter ID), (c) Contrast with USA: Dual citizenship (federal + State) allows States to define certain rights (e.g., voting in State elections, property ownership rules), (d) Trade-off: Single citizenship strengthens national unity but may limit State autonomy in defining citizen privileges. Reflects Constituent Assembly's priority for unity in diverse post-Partition India.

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