Jaishankar Prasad was born in 1889 AD into the esteemed Vaishyakul family of Kashi. His clan, known as 'Sundhani Sahu,' enjoyed great renown. His father's name was Devi Prasad Sahu. Unfortunately, his father's presence in his life was fleeting, as he succumbed to tuberculosis during Prasad ji's adolescence. Prasad ji possessed extensive knowledge of languages such as Hindi, Sanskrit, English, and Urdu. He was a true custodian of Indian culture and literature, with a deep-rooted sense of patriotism evident in his works. Prasad ji was influenced by Shaivism, which contributed to his fatalistic worldview.
One of Jaishankar Prasad's well-known historical plays is 'Dhruvaswamini.' In this play, the playwright addresses the issue of inheritance rights by shedding light on significant events during the Gupta era. Emperor Samudragupta, due to his elder son Ramagupta's cowardice, incompetence, and extravagance, designated his younger son Chandragupta as his successor during his lifetime. During Emperor Samudragupta's victorious journey, Dhruvaswamini's father offers his daughter as a bride to the Gupta dynasty. At that time, Chandragupta's succession was assured, and Dhruvaswamini was betrothed to him. However, after Samudragupta's demise, Mahamantri Shikhar Swami places Ramagupta on the throne, invoking the rights of the elder son. In such circumstances, Dhruvaswamini is compelled to marry Ramagupta. However, due to Ramagupta's cowardice, incompetence, and treachery, Dhruvaswamini develops a deep aversion towards him.
After a brief introduction to the date roleplay by the Hindi teacher, it was time for the political science class. Five minutes later, Mrs. Anju, the political science teacher, entered the classroom.
The students greeted her, recognizing Mrs. Anju ma'am as an open-minded teacher who never imposed strict study requirements. She would often say, "If someone is here only for attendance, they are free to leave. I will mark their attendance. Let us not disturb the other students who genuinely wish to study." Mrs. Anju ma'am made it a habit to share daily news updates with her students to enhance their knowledge.
After discussing the winter holidays, Mrs. Anju ma'am commenced the first chapter titled 'Federalism And Its Working.' She instructed the students not to open their books and encouraged them to attentively listen as she explained the concepts. Mrs. Anju ma'am always structured her lessons in a question-and-answer format. She began by asking if anyone was familiar with Indian Politics.
Rani, aware of this, saw an opportunity to humiliate Indu and smiled widely at her. Indu, understanding Rani's scheme, swiftly raised her hand to answer. Mrs. Anju asked Indu to provide the necessary information about federalism, recognizing her as an intelligent student with high expectations. Indu never forgot that Mrs. Anju ma'am was the first person she met on the day of the entrance exam. Mrs. Anju ma'am had encouraged Indu and offered assistance with any academic doubts.
Indu proceeded to explain the concept of federalism.
Federalism can be understood as a complex system in which two forms of government coexist, namely the central government and the state government. In the context of India, federalism can be described as the distribution of authority among local, national, and state governments, similar to the Canadian model of political organization.