MODEL PAPER - 6 [2026] — Social Studies STD 10 — Question

The steps taken by the Belgium government to accommodate regional differences are as follows :
i. Equal number of minister in the central government : Constitution prescribes that the number of Dutch and Frenchspeaking ministers shall be equal in the central government. Some special laws require the support of majority of members from each linguistic group. Thus, no single community can make decisions unilaterally.
ii. Decentralisation of powers : Many powers of the central government have been given to state governments of the two regions of the country. The state governments are not subordinate to the Central Government.
iii. Separate government in Capital : Brussels has a separate government with equal representation for both communities. This arrangement is possible because the Dutch-speaking community has accepted equal representation in the Central Government.