Unit-1 DEMOCRACY
What is democracy ?
1. Democracy is a form of government in which the rulers are elected by the people.
- Myanmar where the army rules, Dictator Pinochet’s rule in Chile, or President N.krumah’s rule in Ghana was not democratic. They were not chosen by the people.
- Hereditary kings, like the king of Nepal or Saudi Arabia, are also not democratic rulers.They rule because they were born into noble families.
2. In a democracy final decision making power must rest with those elected by the people.
- In Pakistan, President Musharraf has the power to dismiss national and state assemblies;so the final powers rest with the army and the General himself. We cannot call it a democracy.
3. A democracy must be based on a free and fair election where those currently in power have a fair chance of losing.
- In China elections are held for its Parliament.. But all the candidates are either members of Chinese communist Party or eight smaller allies of the party.
- In Mexico elections have been held every six years since 1980. But the same party, PRI, has won the elections. Obviously there has been rigging and mal-practices, with freedom denied to opposition.
- In both the examples elections are held but one can not claim that they are free and fair.
4. In a democracy people’s will is ascertained by each adult citizen having one vote and each vote has one value. Democracy is based on the fundamental principle of political equality.
- Countries like Saudi Arabia, Estonia and Fiji in some or other way deny voting rights to certain sections of its population.
5. A democratic government rules within limits set by constitutional and citizens’ rights.
- A democratic government cannot do what it likes after winning the elections. It has to respect certain basic rules and is accountable not only to the people but also to other independent officials.
- Robert Mugabe is President of Zimbabwe. He is ruling there for last 38 years. But in many incidences he has behaved in an undemocratic way and even above the law.
WHY DEMOCRACY?
Points Against
There has been criticism of democracy by various people. The charges are that :
- It creates instability by changing its leaders frequently.
- Democracy is about power play and political competition. There is no scope for morality.
- So many people have to be consulted before any issue is solved. It leads to delay.
- Elected leaders do not know the best interest of the people.
- It leads to corruption for it is based on electoral corruption.
- Ordinary people do not know what is good for them, so decision making should not be left to them.
Arguments for Democracy:
- Democratic government is a more accountable form of government.
- Democracy improves the quality of decision making.
- Democracy provides a method to deal with differences and conflicts.
- Democracy enhances the dignity of citizens.
- It allows us to correct its own mistakes.
Broader meaning of Democracy :
Democratic ideas can be practised in various decision making processes. In broader sense no country can be completely democratic, The features of democracy are only minimum conditions.A lot can be done towards achieving real democracy.
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Unit 2 Constitutional Design:
Democratic Constitution in South Africa
- Nelson Mandela, the South African leader of African National Congress, fought a long battle against Apartheid.
- Imprisoned for 28 years (1964–1992) emerged as the First President of the Republic of South-Africa.
- People struggled against the horrible discrimination practised against them by the white minority rulers.
- Apartheid finally defeated in 1994 and a new constitution made in 1996.
- Black leaders appealed fellow blacks to forgive white.
- Remarkable constitution, forgot past sufferings, sought co-operation of all the races which make S. Africa based on equality, democratic values and social justice.
Do We Need a Constitution?
- Every country drafts its own constitution.
- A constitution of a nation is the set of written laws accepted by people living together in a country.
- It generates trust and co-ordination.
- It specifies how a government should be constituted.
- It lays down limits on the powers of the government.
- It expresses the aspirations of the people about creating a good society.
Making of the Indian Constitution
- The process began during the national struggle for freedom.
- First draft 1928, then 1931. Moti lal Nehru and 8 leaders demanded in the draft : universal adult franchise, social justice, right to freedom and liberty.
- Participation in Provincial Legislatures helped Indians in framing their constitution.
- Leaders inspired by French Revolution, British parliamentary system and the Bill of Rights of the US.
- They also learnt what the British were denying Indian citizens.
The Constituent Assembly
- Elections to the Constituent Assembly held in July 1946.
- Dr. B. R. Ambedkar appointed chairman of the drafting committee.
- Constitution adopted on 26 November 1949, and enacted on 26 January, 1950, when India became a republic.
- The Constitution reflects the best minds of the country. Its members represented mini-India.
Every law was debated clause by clause and a consensus arrived at.
It is the longest written constitution.
Guiding Values of India Constitution
The leaders like M.Gahatma Gandhi, Dr. Ambedkar and Jawahrlal Nehru put forward their views about dream and promise the constitution makes for the nation.
The preamble of the constitution speaks about the philosophy on which entire constitution has been built.It is the soul of Indian Constitution.
Following are the values mentioned in preamble.
Sovereignty, Socialism, Secularism, Democratic and republic nature of India, justice, liberty, equality and fraternity.
EXTRA QUESTION
1.What do you know about Nelson Mandela?
Answer:
Nelson Mandela was a South African leader who was tried for treason by the
white South African government.
He
along with seven others were sentenced to life imprisonment in 1964, for daring
to oppose the apartheid regime in South Africa.
He
spent 28 years in Robben Island, South Africa’s most dreaded prison.
He
was released after 28 years from jail. At the midnight of 26th April 1994,
South Africa
become
independent and Nelson Mandela became its first President. (any three)
2.How
did the blacks of South Africa fight against apartheid?
Answer:
Since 1950, the blacks, coloured and the Indians had started their fight against
the apartheid system. They started protest marches and strikes.
The
African National Congress (ANC) led the struggle against the policies of
segregation. This included workers’ unions and the Communist Party.
They
were also joined by many sensitive whites who opposed apartheid and played a
leading role in this struggle. Several countries also denounced apartheid as
unjust and racist.
3.Mention
any three changes that were brought about in the constitution of South Africa
after 1994.
Answer:
The three changes that were bought in the constitution of South Africa were as
follows.
Discriminatory
laws were repealed.
Ban
an political parties and restrictions on media were lifted.
Nelson
Mandela was released after 28 years of imprisonment.
4.How
difficult it was for India to frame a constitution for united India after
Independence?
Answer:To
frame a constitution for unified India after Independence, its difficult in
following manner.
At
that time the people of India were emerging form the status of subjects to that
of citizens.
The
country emerged thought Partition on the basis of religion.
It
was a traumatic experience for both the people of India and Pakistan.
5.Which
countries constitutional features inspired Indian constitution makers?
Answer:The
following countries constitutional features inspired Indian constitution
makers:
Ideals
of the French Revolution.
The
practice of Parliamentary democracy in Britain.
The
Bill of Rights in the US.
The
Socialist Revolution in Russia. (any three)
6.Describe
the steps taken to form the Constituent Assembly.
OR
How
was the Indian Constituent Assembly formed?
Answer:
The Indian Constituent Assembly was formed for the task of framing the
Constitution for independent India. The elections to the Provisional
Legislative Assembly were held in July 1946. The elected members of the
Provisional Legislative Assembly elected the members for the Constituent
Assembly through proportional representation system. There were in total 389
members in the Constituent ‘ Assembly. Later with the Partition of India into
India and Pakistan, 299 members wrote the constitution. It included 70 members
from princely states and nine women. 284 present members gave their assent and
the Indian Constitution was passed.
7.Give reasons for accepting the constitution which was made by the Constituent Assembly more than 50 years ago?
Or
Why
is constitution of India acceptable to Indians even today?
Answer:
The reasons for acceptability of the constitution till today are as follows:
The
constitution does not reflect the views of its members alone. It expresses a
broad consensus of its time.
The
Constituent Assembly represented the people of India. Since there was no
universal adult franchise at that time, the Constituent Assembly could not have
been chosen directly by the people. It was elected, mainly by the members of
Provincial Legislatures, which ensured a fair share of all the regions of the
country.
The
Constituent Assembly worked in a systematic, open and consensual manner. The
nature of work done by the Constituent Assembly gave sanctity to the
constitution.
8.Write
a short note on the Drafting Committee.
Answer:
It was a committee that prepared a draft of the constitution for discussion.
Its
chairman was Dr BR Ambedkar.
These
were several rounds of thorough discussions on the draft of the constitution
clause by clause.
The
members worked for 114 days spread over three years.
Later
it was presented to the public to get their opinion. (any three)
9.What
was the role of Dr BR Ambedkar in making of the constitution?
Answer:
Dr BR Ambedkar was the Chairman of the Drafting Committee.
He
played a key role in the making of the constitution He gave shape to our
country of being a complete sovereign democratic republic based on universal
adult franchise.
He
stressed that in politics these should be equality but in social and economic
life inequalities should be removed.
10
What are Constituent Assembly Debates?
Answer:
The proceedings of the Constituent Assembly have been recorded and preserved
such as every document presented and preserved and these are known as
‘Constituent Assembly Debates’.
The
three characteristics of these debates are:
These
debates provide the reason behind every provision of the constitution.
These
are used to interpret the meaning of the constitution.
When
printed, the debates constitute 12 bulky volumes.
11.What
is the philosophy of the Indian Constitution?
Answer:
The basic values have been included in the Preamble to the constitution. It
contains the philosophy on which the entire constitution has been built.
The
Preamble provides a standard to examine and evaluate any law and action of
government. It is the soul of the constitution.
The
Preamble mentions people as the sources of constitution.
It
states that India is a sovereign, socialist, secular and democratic republic.
It provides justice, liberty, equality and fraternity for the people.
12.
Describe how the Indian constitution has embodied the basic values into institutional
arrangements?
Answer:
It is a detailed document. It needs to be amended quite regularly to keep it
updated. It has
provisions
to incorporate changes from time to time. These changes are called
constitutional amendments.
The
constitution lays down a procedure for choosing persons to govern the country.
It
defines who will have how much power to take which decisions. It puts limits to
what the government can do for providing some rights to its citizens that
cannot be violated.
Long Answer Type [5 Marks]
1.
How was apartheid system practised in South Africa?
Answer:
The apartheid system was practised in South Africa in the following ways:
The
system of apartheid divided the people on the basis of the colour of their
skin.
The
non-whites were treated as inferiors and were deprived of their right to vote
by the whites.
They
were forbidden from living in white areas.
They
could work in white areas only it they had a permission.
Trains,
buses, taxis hotels, schools, libraries, cinema halls, beaches, swimming pools
were all separate for the whites and blacks.
The
blacks could not worship in the Churches where the whites worshipped.
Blacks
could not form associations or protest against the terrible treatment meted out
to them.
2.Explain
how did the white minority and the black majority agree to draw up a common
constitution for South Africa. [CBSE 2013]
Answer:
The white minority and the black majority agreed to draw up a common
constitution for South Africa in the following ways.
The
white regime changed its repressive policies and repealed its discriminatory
laws.
Ban
on political parties and restrictions on media were lifted.
The
black leaders appealed to fellow blacks to forgive the whites for the
atrocities committed by them.
There
were long sessions of debates and discussions and they searched a solution to
the existing problems.
It
was agreed that everyone should be a part of the solution irrespective of the
differences and whatever they had done or represented in the past.
3.What
is a constitution? Explain the role of the constitution in a country.
Answer:
A constitution is a document containing the set of principles according to
which a state or an organisation is supposed to be governed. The constitution
reflects the philosophy on which country’s administration works and expresses
the aspirations of the people for creating a good society. It serves as the
rule book for the government. It specifies the powers and limitations of the
government and clearly demarcates the areas of its functioning. The
constitution lays down the procedures and guidelines on how the government can
be formed. It states the rights and duties of the citizens and directs the
government to see that basic rights of the citizens are enforced. It thus
generates trust and coordination required for unity among the people. The
constitution also serves as a set of ideals that our society should live by.
4.Why do we need a constitution?
Answer:
We need a constitution for the following reasons.
It
generates a degree of trust and coordination which is necessary for different
kinds of people to live together. The constitution specifies how the government
will be constituted and what power each organ will have and who will take what
decision. It also defines the
responsibilities of these three pillars of the government i.e., legislature,
executive and judiciary.
It
regulates the relationship between three organs and also with the people.
It
also tells us about the rights and duties of the citizens.
It
limits the powers of the government and tells us about the rights of the
citizens.
The
Indian constitution also protects/safeguards the interests of minorities, the
backward classes and weaker sections.
5.“The familiarity with political institutions of the colonial rule helped to develop an agreement overh the institutional design.” Justify the statement.
Answer:
The familiarity with political institutions of colonial rule helped to develop
an agreement over the institutional design in the following ways.
The
British rule gave voting rights to only a few. Later Election Commission was set
up and voting rights were granted to all.
Elections
were held in 1937 to Provincial Legislatures and Ministries were formed all
over British India. The experience gained by Indians in the working of these
institutions proved to be very useful for the country in setting up its own
institutions and working in them.
The
Indian Constitution adopted many institutional details and procedures from
colonial laws like the Government of India Act, 1935.
The
ideals of French Revolution, practice of Parliamentary democracy in Britain and
Bill of Rights in the US inspired us to set up fundamental rights and duties.
The
political institutions of the colonial rule are not just copied. They are ed at every
step
to suit our nation’s conditions and set-up. In a way they serve as a blueprint
for setting up our institutions. (any five)
6.
Explain five major factors which contributed to the making of our constitution.
OR
“India
emerged as independent country amidst heavy turmoil.” Justify the statement.
Answer:
To make a constitution for a huge and diverse population like India was not an
easy affair. The following factors contributed to the making of our constitution:
A
constitution drafted by Motilal Nehru and other Congress leaders in 1928, gave
an insight of what an Indian Constitution should look like.
The
people of India were emerging from the status of subjects to that of citizens.
The
country had a traumatic experience of Partition based on religious identities.
There was a need to ensure unity. It was thus necessary to frame guidelines
that could give equal. representation to each section of the society.
The
rulers of the princely states were free to decide whether they wanted to merge
with India or Pakistan or remain independent.
The
familiarity with the political institutions of colonial rule also played an
important role in urging the leaders to develop a document containing the
format on how the affairs of India would be carried on.
The
leaders were vested with the responsibility of transforming society and
politics. A well-defined political model was to be adopted that suited the
Indian conditions. This could only be achieved through a set of guidelines to
the elected members on the governance.
India faced the challenge of social discrimination. Principles like equality, liberty and justice irrespective of caste, class and religion were required to cope with this challenge, (any five)
7.What
was the composition of the Constituent Assembly?
Answer:
The Constitution of India was framed by the Constituent Assembly which was
constituted in 1946 under the provisions of the Cabinet Mission Plan.
As
a result of Partition of India the number of members were reduced to 299.
It consisted of eminent persons like Pt.
Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Dr BR
Ambedkar, KM Munshi, Rajagopalachari etc.
The
women members like Sarojini Naidu and G Durgabai Deshmukh played an important
role.
Each
was an expert in his/her field. These great minds after a period of long
discussions and debates keeping in mind the diversity and aspirations of the
people of India framed the constitution.
8. Assess the contribution made by Constituent Assembly to form the Indian Constitution.
The following were the contributions made by the
Constituent Assembly to form the Indian Constitution.
Answer: It reflected the broad consensus of its time, that is, its provisions were accepted by all major social groups and political parties.
It
represented the People of India. Its formation ensured a fair geographical
share of the members from all regions of the country.
It
accommodated the opposition in a fair way and gave opportunities to raise their
concerns before arriving at a conclusion.
It
worked in a systematic and open way. First basic principles were decided and
agreed upon and then the draft was prepared.
Several rounds of long debates and discussions were held. Every document presented and word spoken was carefully recorded and preserved. This was done to keep a record for further reference.
9.Give
a brief description about any five members of the Constituent Assembly.
Answer:
The five members of the Constituent Assembly were:
Dr
Rajendra Prasad:
(1884-1963)
Born
in Bihar, President of the Constituent Assembly, A lawyer who played an
important role in the Champaran satyagraha, He was the president of Congress
three times, The first President of India (any two)
HC Mookerjee: (1887-1956)
Born
in Bengal, Vice-President of the Constituent Assembly, Renowned author and
educationist
Congress
leader. Member of All India Christian Council and Bengal Legislative Assembly.
Later Governor of West Bengal.
Jawaharlal
Nehru
(1889-1964)
Prime
minister of interim government, Lawyer and Congress leader, Advocated
socialism, democracy and anti-imperialism, First Prime Minister of India.
Baldev
Singh
(1901-1961)
Nominee
of the Congress in the Constituent Assembly, Successful entrepreneur, Leader of
Panthic Akali Party in the Punjab Assembly, Defence Minister in the Union
Government of Jawaharlal Nehru. (any two)
Sarojini
Naidu (1879-1949), Member of the Constituent Assembly, Poet, writer and
political activist, Among the for most women leaders in the Congress, Governor
of Uttar Pradesh.
10.
Explain any five major ideals enshrined in the Preamble to the Constitution.
Answer:
The following are the five major ideals enshrined in the Preamble to the
Constitution of India:
Sovereign:
People of India have supreme power and authority to decide on internal and
external matters concerning the country. The government cannot be dictated by
any external power.
Secular:
There is no state religion of India. At the same time citizens of India are
free to practise and profess any religion or faith of their choice. No
government machinery can discriminate against or favour any religion or faith
and its followers.
Democratic:
In India, it is the people who choose their leaders, who form the government.
The government has to function according to certain basic rules ensuring
maximum welfare of the people.
Justice:
Discrimination of the citizens on any ground is legally prohibited.
Liberty:
It refers to freedom on the activities of citizens of India. No unreasonable
restrictions can be established on the way they think, express and follow up
their thoughts in action.
11.
Explain the importance of institutional design of the Constitution of India.
Answer:
The importance of the institutional design of the Constitution of India as
follows:
Constitution
is mainly about embodying its values into institutional arrangements.
It
is a long and detailed document. Therefore, it needs to be amended quite
regularly to keep it updated.
The
constitution describes the constitutional arrangements in a very legal
language.
Constitution
lays down a procedure for choosing persons to govern the country. It defines
who will and how much power one will have to take which decisions.
It
also puts limits to what the government can do by providing some rights to the
citizens that cannot be violated.
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Unit 3 ELECTORAL POLITICS
Elections
- Elections are a democratic way of selecting representatives.
- Democracy ensures the right choice of the people's representatives at regular interval of time.
- They ensure that the representatives rule as per the wishes of the people.
- Elections help voters to choose representatives who will make laws for them, form the government and take major decisions.
- The voters can choose the party whose policies will guide the government and lawmaking.
- Thus election is a mechanism by which people can choose their representatives at regular intervals and change them if they wish to.
What makes an Election Democratic?
- Some non democratic nations also have elections but they are not real choices.
- Everyone should be able to choose, i.e. everyone should have one vote and every vote should have equal value. Universal Adult Franchise.
- There should be parties and candidates to choose from, freedom to contest and a wide choice for people.
- Elections must be held at regular intervals.
- Candidate preferred by the people should be elected.
- Elections should be held in a fair and free atmosphere to be democratic.
- These conditions are not followed m=in many so called democratic nations.
Political Competition:
Demerits
- In the name of party politics many unwanted practices are followed.
- Creates a sense of disunity..
- Parties level allegations against each other of using dirty tricks to win elections.
- Long-term and sensible policies cannot be formulated.
- Good people do not enter politics.
Merits :
- Elections are good because they force the ruling party to perform. The government is aware that it will be voted out of power if it does not perform as the people expected.
- It forces parties and leaders to perform, so competition is good.
- Political competition may cause divisions and some ugliness, but it finally helps to force political parties and leaders to serve the people.
Our Election System
- First a voters list is compiled.
- Then the election date is announced.
- The country is divided into constituencies for purpose of elections.
- There are separate constituencies for centre and state legislature.
- The voters have to elect one representative for the Lok Sabha from each constituency (Lok Sabha has 543 constituencies), called Member of Parliament. The constituencies are formed on basis of population.
- Similarly, each state is divided into constituencies and a specific number of members called Members of the Legislative Assembly are elected.
- Sometimes the constituencies are called as seats.
- The dates of General Elections are announced.
- Each party declares its Manifesto and prepares a list of nominations.
Reserved Constituencies :
- Constitution has a special system of reserved constituencies for the weaker sections.
- Constituencies are kept reserved for scheduled castes (84) and scheduled tribes. (47)
- At local and district level the reservation system is extended to other weaker sections like women and OBC.
Election Campaign :
- Political parties try to focus public attention to bigger issues during election campaign.
- In election campaign the political parties have to agree for a model 'code of conduct'.
Independent Election Commission :
In India elections are conducted by an independent and very powerful Election commission.
In last few years voter are participating in election related activities on a fairer scale.
In India , election outcome is accepted generally peaceful way as people's verdict.
There are many challenges to free and fair elections.
EXTRA QUESTION
- Why Elections?
- What is our System of Elections?
- What makes elections in India democratic?
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Unit 4 Working of Institutions:
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Unit 5 Democratic Rights:
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