Definition and Structural Hierarchy of Federalism

Federalism is formally defined as a system of Government where the power is divided among a Central Authority and the different constituent parts of the country.
This definition highlights the shared sovereignty between a central power and various regional or local units, ensuring that administration is not centralized in a single entity.

The transcript outlines a defined hierarchy of power distribution within the government system, moving from the national level down to the local level:
Central Government: The highest tier of authority representing the central power of the nation.
State Government: The second tier of authority, representing the constituent parts (states or provinces) that make up the country.
District Administration: The level of governance below the state, responsible for management at the district level.

Under the District Administration, the governance structure bifurcates into two distinct sectors to address the specific needs of different settlement types:
Rural Areas: Governance for agrarian or countryside settlements.
Urban Areas: Governance for organized city and town settlements.

Within Rural Areas, the administration is organized into a three-tiered structure:
Zilla Parishad: The highest level of local government at the district level for rural regions.
Block Samiti: The intermediate level of administration that sits between the district and the village levels.
Village Panchayat: The foundation-level administrative body for individual villages or small groups of villages.

For Urban Areas, the type of administrative body is determined by the size and scale of the settlement:
Municipal Corporation: The specialized administrative body designated for the governance of Big cities.
Municipal Council: The administrative body designated for the governance of small cities or towns.