Parallel Structure
India practices federalism, where power is distributed between the Center and States. The State structure mirrors the Union structure.
| Feature | Union Government | State Government |
|---|---|---|
| Const. Head | President | Governor |
| Exec. Head | Prime Minister | Chief Minister |
| Legislature | Bicameral (Lok Sabha + Rajya Sabha) | Unicameral or Bicameral |
| Lower House | Lok Sabha | Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Assembly) |
| Upper House | Rajya Sabha | Vidhan Parishad (Legislative Council) |
| Responsibility | To Lok Sabha | To Vidhan Sabha |
Note
Bicameral States Most states are unicameral (only Vidhan Sabha). States with a bicameral system (Vidhan Sabha + Vidhan Parishad) include Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh.
Division of Powers: The Three Lists
The Constitution clarifies who can make laws on which subject through three lists.
- Union List: Subjects relevant to the whole country (e.g., Defence, Foreign Affairs). Only Union Govt acts here.
- State List: Local subjects (e.g., Police, Agriculture). State Govt acts here.
- Concurrent List: Shared subjects (e.g., Education, Environment). Both can legislate, but Union law prevails in conflict.
Venn Diagram of Lists
Tip
Note: Even though Education is on the Concurrent List, the RTE Act is applicable all over India. If the Union legislates on a Concurrent subject, States are bound to follow it.