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How does the ‘system… (Class 10 Social Science 2026, Q26)

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Social ScienceCBSE Class 10 · Board exam 2026, set 32/5/1 · 3 marks · Short answer

CBSE Class 10 Social Science 2026: question 26

Set in the CBSE Class 10 board exam of 2026, paper 32/5/1, section C, question 26, for 3 marks. Try it first; the hints and our step-by-step solution are below.

Q26 · 3 marks · Short answerFederalism

How does the ‘system of three lists’ function in Indian federalism ? Explain with examples.

Source: official question paper from cbse.gov.in (PDF). See it in the full 2026 board paper, set 32/5/1.

Hints

Open one hint at a time and try again before the next.

Hint 1

Name the three lists.

Hint 2

Which list can both governments legislate on, and who wins in a conflict?

Step-by-step solution

Each step shows the marks it earns, as an examiner would award them. Checked by an independent re-solve from the question paper.

  1. The Constitution clearly provides a three-fold distribution of legislative powers between the Union and the State governments, in the Union List, State List and Concurrent List.

    1 mark

  2. The Union List covers subjects of national importance such as defence, foreign affairs, banking, communication and currency, on which only the Centre can legislate. The State List covers subjects of state and local importance such as police, trade, commerce, agriculture and irrigation, on which only the states can legislate.

    1 mark

  3. The Concurrent List includes subjects of common interest, such as education, forests, trade unions, marriage, adoption and succession. Both governments can make laws on them, and if the laws conflict, the Union law prevails. Residuary subjects such as computer software come under the Centre.

    1 mark

Answer: The Union List, State List and Concurrent List divide legislative powers, with the Union law prevailing in conflicts on the Concurrent List and residuary powers with the Centre.

Where the marks are

  • Three lists introduced (1 mark)
  • Union and State Lists with examples (1 mark)
  • Concurrent List, Union law prevailing and residuary subjects (1 mark)

Revise the chapter

  • Chapter: Federalism (notes, formulas, where marks are lost and every past question)
Practise this chapterBoard-style questions from Federalism, one at a time, marked against the answer key and marking points.Back to the full paper2026 board paper, set 32/5/1: every question, by section.

The question is transcribed from the official paper; figures are described in words. The solution, hints and chapter tag are ours. Spotted an error? Write tosupport@questionbuddy.in.