Maharashtra Board Class 10 Political Science Chapter 1 Working of the Constitution PDF Download

Working of the Constitution

The textbooks of Political Science till now have helped us to take an overview of local government, the values and the philosophy of the Indian Constitution as also the governing structures created by the Constitution and India's place in international relations. The Indian Constitution has declared its objective to establish a secular, democratic Republic. Also, it has made extremely important provisions to ensure that the citizens get justice and their freedom is protected. The Indian Constitution is seen as the means through which a progressive developed society based on social justice and equality will be established.

The constitution came into force on 26th January 1950 and since then the Government has been working in accordance with the principles of the constitution. In this chapter, we will take a brief overview of the wide-ranging nature of Indian democracy, important changes that have taken place in its political process and steps that have been taken to establish social justice and equality. This review will primarily focus on three areas (1) Democracy (2) Social Justice (3) Judicial System.

Democracy

Political Maturity

Democracy does not merely imply a representative structure. The essence of representative system is to integrate the principles of democracy in actual practice. Once this is done, democracy becomes an integral part of the political life of the society.

Accordingly, the Indian people have direct representation in the Parliament, State legislature and local government. Holding free and fair elections at regular intervals is an important indicator of India's successful democracy. The increasing participation of the people in the political process and political competition shows that Indian democracy has become successful to a great extent.

Teacher's Note

In India, every citizen above 18 years can vote. This is like when your school holds elections for the student council. Everyone gets to vote.

Exam Trick

Remember: Adult suffrage means all grown-ups can vote. India gave this right to everyone after independence. It makes India the largest democracy.

Points to Remember

Democracy means people have the power to choose their leaders.
Free and fair elections are very important for democracy.
India is the largest democracy in the world.
All adults can vote in India.

Right to Vote

The Indian Constitution had made the provision of right to vote for adults. In the pre-independence period several provisions existed which restricted the Right to Vote. All such provisions were cancelled after independence and the Indian constitution guaranteed adult suffrage by giving the right to vote equally, to both men and women above the age of 21 years. The voting age was later reduced from 21 to 18 which gave opportunity of political participation to the young generation in India. Such provisions have made India the largest democracy in the world. India has the largest number of voters compared to any other democratic nation. This change is not only quantitative but also qualitative as new political parties are emerging with the active support of young voters. These parties represent various expectations of people and compete in the political sphere.

Teacher's Note

Young people in India can now vote when they are 18 years old. Before, they had to wait until they were 21. This is like allowing Class 10 students to vote instead of waiting until college.

Exam Trick

Remember: Voting age was reduced from 21 to 18. This means more young people can participate in democracy. More voters = stronger democracy.

Points to Remember

All adults above 18 years can vote in India.
Both men and women have equal voting rights.
Voting age was reduced to include young people.
Young voters support new political parties.
India has the most voters of any democracy.

Decentralisation of Democracy

Decentralisation of power is central to democratic government. Decentralisation controls the misuse of power and also creates opportunities for participation for the common people. The Directive Principles of State Policy include the provisions for democratic decentralisation. One such important provision is regarding empowering the local self-government make genuine democratic governance a reality. After independence, several attempts were made towards democratic decentralisation. One such important attempt is the 73rd and 74th amendment to Indian Constitution; which gave a constitutional status to local self-governing institutions and also increased their powers.

Teacher's Note

Decentralisation means giving power to local governments. In India, villages, towns, and cities have their own elected leaders. This is like your school having a student council that makes some decisions.

Exam Trick

Remember: Decentralisation = power given to local levels. The 73rd and 74th amendments made local governments more powerful. Local leaders can make decisions for their areas.

Points to Remember

Power should not stay with only the central government.
Local governments help people participate in democracy.
The 73rd and 74th amendments gave power to villages and towns.
This prevents misuse of power by one leader.
Common people get a chance to lead locally.

Right to Information (R.T.I. 2005)

Citizen empowerment is the essential condition of democracy. It is necessary to create opportunities for citizen's participation and interaction with the government. Increased communication between citizens and government helps in strengthening democracy and in building a relationship of trust between them. Citizens have a right to know about the functioning of the government. The Government of India gave the Right to Information to the citizens of India to ensure transparency and accountability which are the hallmarks of good governance. Right to Information has made the government more transparent and has reduced the element of secrecy in the working of government.

After the year 2000, the whole approach towards democratic reforms has changed. Democratic reforms are considered as 'rights' of citizens. Accordingly, citizens in India have got Right to Information, education and food security. These rights have strengthened democracy in India.

Teacher's Note

Right to Information means you can ask the government for any information. For example, you can ask how much money your village spent on roads. The government must tell you.

Exam Trick

Remember: RTI = Right to Information. It is a right, not a request. Transparency means people can see what government is doing. No secrets allowed.

Points to Remember

Citizens can ask government for information under RTI.
The government must give you an answer quickly.
RTI makes the government transparent and honest.
RTI helps people check if government is working well.
RTI strengthens democracy by empowering people.

Social Justice and Equality

Social justice and equality are the important objectives of our constitution. The Constitution has given the guidelines to establish a new society based on these two values. We are following the path laid down by our Constitution to achieve this goal.

To establish social justice is to remove those social conditions which are responsible for injustice and insist on the equality of dignity for all individuals. The principles of justice and equality aim at ending discrimination in social status such as superior or inferior on the basis of caste, religion, language and gender, place of birth, race, property and giving equality of opportunity for development to every individual.

To establish justice and equality, efforts are to be made at all levels of society. But the government's efforts and policies on this front are more important. For Democracy to be inclusive, one must try to bring all sections of the society into the mainstream. Democracy is in fact, a process of accommodating different sections in society. Democracy helps in reducing social conflicts. Let us take review of the efforts made in India in this direction.

Teacher's Note

Social justice means everyone gets fair treatment. It means an untouchable person in the past now has the same respect as others. All people are equal.

Exam Trick

Remember: Social justice = fairness for all. No one is superior or inferior by birth. Government must help poor and weak people get equal chances.

Points to Remember

Social justice means removing unfair treatment.
Equality means all people should be treated the same.
No one should be judged by caste, religion, or gender.
Everyone should have equal chances to study and work.
Democracy becomes stronger when justice is fair for all.

Policy of Reservation of Seats

Policy of Reservation of seats is meant for those sections of society who have been deprived of the opportunities for education and employment for a long period of time. Accordingly, in educational institutions and in government services some seats are kept reserved for scheduled caste and scheduled tribes. There is also a provision of reservation of seats for other backward classes.

The Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act

This is an important Act for establishing social justice and equality. This act prevents any injustice against the people belonging to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe and any act of atrocity committed against them is liable for punishment.

Teacher's Note

Reservation means some seats in schools and government jobs are kept for SC, ST, and OBC students. This helps poor people who had no chances before. Like a school bus has seats for students with special needs.

Exam Trick

Remember: Reservation = special seats for backward groups. These groups were treated badly for many years. Now they get extra help through reservations.

Points to Remember

Scheduled Castes and Tribes had no chances for education and jobs before.
Reservation gives them special seats in schools and government jobs.
This helps them become equal to others in society.
The law protects them from bad treatment.
Backward classes also get reservation benefits.

Provisions for Minorities

The Indian constitution has made several provisions for the protection of minorities. The government has adopted several policies for minorities to provide them the opportunities for education and employment. The Indian constitution prohibits discrimination on the basis of caste, religion, race, language and region. This is a comprehensive provision for minorities which fundamentally protects their right to equality, freedom, right against exploitation and cultural and educational rights.

Teacher's Note

Minorities means groups that are fewer in number. In India, there are Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, and other religions. The constitution protects all of them equally.

Exam Trick

Remember: Minorities have the same rights as the majority. No discrimination means everyone gets equal treatment. India is secular - all religions are protected equally.

Points to Remember

Minorities means smaller groups in religion or language.
Constitution protects their right to equality and freedom.
No one can be treated badly because of their religion.
Minorities can follow their religion and culture freely.
Government provides education and jobs for minorities.

Laws Relating to Women and Provisions for Representation

In the post-independence period, efforts were made for empowering women. Taking into consideration the problems of women, several policies have been adopted at national and international level to remove illiteracy among women and to make available opportunities for their development.

The right to have an equal share in the property of the father and husband, Dowry Prohibition Act, act against sexual harassment, Domestic Violence Prohibition Act are some important provisions which create a favourable environment for protection of freedom of women and securing their development.

Teacher's Note

Laws protect women from bad treatment. The Dowry Prohibition Act makes it illegal to ask for money when marrying. This protects women and girls from violence.

Exam Trick

Remember: Dowry = money or gifts demanded at marriage. It is now illegal. Laws protect women's property rights and safety. Women have the same rights as men.

Points to Remember

Women had no rights to property before these laws.
Now women can own property equally like men.
Dowry is illegal and women are protected from it.
Sexual harassment and domestic violence are crimes.
Women have rights to education, work, and freedom.

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