CBSE Class 10 Social Science Challenges to Democracy Assignment Set B

INTRODUCTION

Democracy is the dominant form of government in the contemporary world. However democracy faces serious challenges all over the world though not in the form of a challenge or rival . A ‘challenge‘ is not just any problem . People usually call only those difficulties ‘ a challenge ‘ which are significant , and can be overcome.
In other words , a challenge is a difficulty that carries within it an opportunity for progress . Once people overcome a challenge , they go upto a higher level than before . Different countries face different types of challenges.

20.1 THINKING ABOUT CHALLENGES

Different countries face different kinds of challenges.

(a) Foundational Challenge :
At least one fourth of the globe is still not under democratic government. The challenge for democracy in these parts of the world is very stark. These countries face the foundational challenge of making the transition of democracy and then instituting democratic government. This involves bringing down the existing non-democratic regime, keeping military away from controlling government and establishing a sovereign and functional state.

(b) Challenge of Expansion :
This involves applying the basic principle of democratic government across all the regions, different social groups and various institutions. Ensuring greater power to local governments, extension of federal principle to all the units of the federation, inclusion of women and minority groups, etc., falls under this challenge. This also means that less and less decisions should remain outside the arena of democratic control.

(c) Deepening of Democracy :
This involves strengthening of the institutions and practices of democracy. This should happen in such a way that people can realise their expectations of democracy. This challenge takes different meanings and paths in different parts of the world. In general terms, it usually means strengthening those institutions that help people’s participation and control.

20.2 THINKING ABOUT POLITICAL REFORMS

Each challenge is linked to the possibility of reforms. Generally all the suggestions or proposals about overcoming various challenges to democracy are called ‘democratic reforms’ or ‘political reforms’. Some broad guidelines to be kept in mind while devising ways and means for political reforms in India.
(i) Law has an important role to play in political reform. Carefully devised changes in law can help
to discourage wrong political practices and encourage good ones. But legal-constitutional changes by themselves cannot overcome challenges to democracy. Political activists, parties, movements and politically conscious citizens.
(ii) Any legal change must carefully look at what results it will have on politics. Sometimes the results may by counter-productive. Generally, laws that seek to ban something are not very successful in good things have more chances of working. The best laws are those which empower people to carry out democratic reforms. Such a law helps to control corruption and supplements the existing laws that banned corruption and imposed strict penalties.
(iii) Democratic reforms are to be brought about principally through political practice. Therefore, the main focus of political reforms should be on ways to strengthen democratic practice. The most important concern should be to increase and improve the quality of political participation by ordinary citizens.
(iv) Any proposal for political reforms should think not only about what is a good solution but also about who will implement it and how. It is not very wise to think that the legislatures will pass legislations that go against the interest of all the political parties and MPs. But measures that rely on democratic movements, citizens organisations and the media are likely to succeed.

20.3 REDEFINING DEMOCRACY

Democracy is a form of government in which the rulers are elected by the people. Other then this definition some other qualifications must for a democracy are :
(i) The rulers elected by the people must take all the major decisions ;
(ii) Elections must offer a choice and fair opportunity to the people to change the current rulers ;
(iii) This choice and opportunity should be available to all the people on an equal basis ;
(iv) The exercise of this choice must lead to a government limited by basic rules of the constitution and citizens’ rights.

20.4 ROLE AN ORDINARY CITIZEN CAN PLAY IN DEEPENING DEMOCRACY

(i) No democracy can function in the absence of enlightened and informed citizens because they are the pillars of democracy. Citizens maintain a balance between the government and public issues.
(ii) The socially responsible citizens act with a sense of discipline and responsibility. They try to channelize the democratic system by airing their grievances.
(iii) Well informed and enlightened citizens form a healthy public opinion which puts a check on the unresponsive government and it policies.
(iv) Socially responsible citizens also help in the regulation of social reforms and can put a check on rash and unsocial conduct.
(v) Hence, the strength of democracy lies in respecting the mind power of its citizens and in creating an atmosphere of fair and frank interaction of thought, approaches and perspectives for solving collective problems and building a polity of free and equal beings.

20.5 MAJOR CHALLENGES TO DEMOCRACY IN INDIA

Inspite of being the largest democracy in the world Indian democracy also suffers from some challenges of its own nature, e.g., challenge of expansion; challenge of deepening democracy ; challenge of criminalisation and challenge of corruption.

(i) Challenge of Expansion : This challenge of Indian democracy involves the practical aspects of
(A) Ensuring greater power to local governments.
(B) Extension of federal principles to all the units of the federation.
(C) Inclusion of women and minority groups.
Although India has the federal nature of democracy based on decentralisation of power, the local self government is not implemented in a fair and just manner at every local or regional level because India has a quasi-federal nature of democratic set up which is unitary basis. Women and minority groups still have not got a proper representation in the electoral politics of India. Hence, electoral reforms and political reforms have to be introduced in India.

(ii) Challenges like casteism, communalism, political violence, etc.
Casteism : Casteism plays a dominant role in Indian polity. There are many caste pressure groups like Scheduled Caste Federation, etc., which influence those who are in power by different methods to get their demands met. For example political parties like the AIADMK, DMK and BSP have come up to protect the interests of the backward classes.

Communalism : Communalism has also its negative implications in Indian politics like :
(A) It leads to the formation and growth of “pressure groups to protect and promote specific interest of the community e.g., V.H.P. etc.”.
(B) It also leads to intolerance, suspicion and fear towards members of the other communities.

Besides, there are various types of violence :
(A) The most serious manifestation of political and social violence is the growth of “Terrorism”
(B) Rising state violence is assuming serious dimensions and harms the very foundation of a democratic polity. Thus, this challenge requires an attempt to bring down the control and influence of the rich and powerful people in governmental decision making.

(iii) Challenge of Criminalisation : This challenge of Indian democracy reflects :
(A) money and muscle power, violence,
(B) multiplicity of candidates,
(C) lack of electoral ethics, insufficient society like minorities and women etc. have polluted the electoral by candidates is true. As yet we do not know if it has led to decline in the influence of the rich and criminals. Hence, meaningful and comprehensive electoral reforms are urgently needed.

(iv) Challenge of Corruption : This challenge of Indian democracy is related to the criminal record and personal possession of politicians. Now it is mandatory for every candidate who contests election to file an “Affidavit” giving details of his property and criminal cases pending against him. The new system has made a lot of information available to the public. But there is no system to check if the information given

Objective Questions

Question : The challenge of deepening of democracy involves –
(a) Applying basic principal of democracy govt. across all the regions.
(b) Strengthening of the institutions and practices of democracy.
(c) Inclusion of women and minority groups indecision making.
(d) Challenge of expansion.
Answer : B 

Question : The challenge of expansion of a democracy required –
(a) Keeping military a way from the govt.
(b) Less decisions should remain outside the democratic control.
(c) Bringing clown the influence of the rich.
(d) Establishing a functional state.
Answer : B 

Question : Name of law which empowers people to carry out democratic reforms—
(a) Right to information Act.
(b) Companies Act.
(c) MRTP Act
(d) None of these.
Answer : A 

Question : Which kind of lows are considered the best for democratic reforms?
(a) Laws that seek to bar something.
(b) Lows that seek to promote the benefit of a particular section of society.
(c) Lows that empower people to carry out democratic reforms.
(d) None of these.
Answer : C 

Question : Which of the following countries disregards the UN and lakes unilateral decisions in the world affairs?
(a) France   
(b) India   
(c) U.K.   
(d) U.S.
Answer : D

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question : “A challenge is not just any problem but an opportunity for progress’. Analyse the statement.
Answer : The statement indicates that every challenge has an opportunity hidden in it, which can be said to be camouflaged by a problem. As we overcome the problem or the challenge we are able to exploit the opportunity. 

Question :  What are the basic rights of citizens for exercising voting rights?
Answer : 1. The rulers elected by the people must take all the major decisions.
2. Elections must offer a choice and fair opportunity to the people to change the current rulers.
3. The choice and opportunity should be available to all the people on an equal basis.
4. The exercise of this choice must lead to a govt. limited by basic rules of the constitution and citizens right.

Question : How is the challenge of deepening of democracy faced by every democracy?
Answer : 1. This involves string tuning of the institutions and practices of democracy.
2. This should happen in such a way that people can realize their expectations of democracy.
3. In general terms, it usually means string tuning those institutions that help people’s participation and control.
4. This requires an attempt to bring down the control and influence of the rich and powerful people in making governmental decisions.

Question : Enumerate there challenges which democracies in the world face today.
Answer : 1. Fundamental challenge — Those countries which do not have democratic form of govt. face the fundamental challenge of establishing democracy in the country.
2. Challenge of Expansion.—Countries having democratic setup face the challenge of expansion.
3. Deepening of Democracy – This challenge is faced by almost all the democracies. This involves strengthening of the institutions and practices of democracies.