Indian Federalism

Abstract

This chapter examines research writing about key themes related to federalism in India, including multilevel federal design and the impact of the changing party system on the operation of the federal system. It discusses the complexities of interaction between different levels of government and describes the use of different forums for interaction to manage conflict and tensions since 1998. It also evaluates the impact of liberal economic policy regime on the traditional patron-client relationship between the centre and the states as the latter contend for patronage under various central schemes.