Explain why the Indian Constitution is called ‘quasi-federal’.
A Federal government is a government in which all the administrative powers are divided between the Central and the state governments by the Constitution. Both are supreme within their respective spheres of influence. The state governments are not agents of the central government nor do they draw authority from it. In fact, both draw their authority from the same source - the Constitution. However, in the case of emergencies, the Constitution provides the central government with extensive powers to interfere in the matters of state.
The framers of the Indian Constitution have framed the Constitution in such a way that though it is federal in character and form, it can be perceived to be unitary in its spirit. That is why it is called ‘quasi-federal’ in nature.