Indian federalism and the ongoing pandemic: Systemic transformation and altered federal arrangements
- Bihar Journal of Public Administration
- 18(1A), Jan-Jun, 2021: p.1-11
In wake of the cataclysmic pandemic, the expected cooperation between centre and state, in containing the outbreak, has only increased manifold. This appreciated the fact that no single level of government is equipped to this health crisis singlehandedly. This also resulted in rigid compliance of the existing laws, viz. Epidemic Disease Act and Disaster Management Act. The significant role of various level of government needs to be acknowledged, while centre’s focus has been essentially in achieving economies of scale in vaccine development, in setting up guidelines and directives for the entire administrative units in the country at all levels; states have persistently played a significant role in executing effective responses to health crisis. However, the series of conflicts between and centre and state governments around varied issues cannot be ignored. Such contentions in inter governmental reactions have been around the conduct of the exams, opening of the public spaces etc. Yet, the spirit of cooperative federalism remains an absolute requirement and necessity towards overcoming such health crisis. – Reproduced