Inter-State Council Secretariat Government of India Ministry of Home Affairs

Theme Summaries

Building on and Accommodating Diversities

Cultural, ethnic, and other diversities arising from primordial identity are part of federal experience. While providing opportunities for strengthening the federation, they also pose challenges for managing polities. Building on and accommodating diversities may strengthen the nation state, to which all feel they belong.

Emerging Issues in Fiscal Federalism

Fiscal Federalism relates to the understanding of conceptual issues and sharing of experiences on assignment systems, resolution of fiscal conflicts, asymmetric arrangements and equalization mechanisms to achieve vertical and horizontal balance. These will be explored in the perspective of economic liberalization, globalization and development.

Interaction in a Federal System

In all federations, governments interact in a variety of ways depending on the structure of the federation itself and the society which it serves. This theme provides the opportunity to explore three of the most significant contemporary aspects of this constantly changing field, which is so significant to the functioning of federations in practice.

Local Government and Federal Systems

Local government is increasingly important for deepening democracy and decentralization. A federal order has to debate how to give local authorities an appropriate influence on the state and the federal level without creating an over-complex system of decision making. Megacities and their governance are a new challenge for governance and federalism.

For more information visit:

Inter-State Council Secretariat : interstatecouncil.nic.in

Forum of Federations : www.forumfed.org