Challenges to Democracy class 10 important Questions Answers| Political Science, Chapter 8
Choose the correct answers: (MCQs)
(i)Which of the following is a challenge to democracy?
(a) Corrupt leaders
(b) Illiterate citizens
(c) Communalism
(d) All of these
(ii) The challenge of making the transition to democracy from a non-democratic government. is known as
(a) foundational challenge
(b) challenge of Expansion
(c) deepening of democracy
(d) none of these
(iii) The following step/steps can be taken for the removal of poverty in India:
(a) To check ever-growing population
(b) Development of industries
(c) To increase the agricultural production
(d) All of these
(iv) Strengthening of the institutions and practices of democracy implies the following challenge to democracy:
(a) Challenge of expansion
(b) Challenge of deepening
(c) Structural challenge
(d) Foundational challenge
(v) Which of the following countries disintegrated due to the ethnic tension between Serbs and Albanians?
(a) Sri Lanka
(b) Belgium
(c) Yugoslavia
(d) Bolivia
(vi) Studies on political and social inequalities in democracy shoe that:
(a) inequalities exist in democracies
(b) development under democracy is not much different from that of dictatorships
(c) democracy and development go together
(d) dictatorship is better than democracy
Q.Think of the challenges that democracy faces in contemporary India list three challenges that you should be addressed in order of priority. Give one example of that challenge.
(a) Politics through Religion
Left to themselves, religious communities can find ways of peaceful existence, but increasing political interference has led to greater religious intolerance. This intolerance assumes dangerous proportions when politicians interfere with people's passions. Nothing can be more irreligous than fighting political battles by stroking religius passions. For example, Sectarian tensions mixed with the rivalries of this year's Punjab polls as activists of various Sikh bodies clashed with followers of the Sirsa based Dera Sacha Sauda which had close Congress ties over an advertisement the Dera placed in various dailies depicting its chief dressed as Guru Govind Singh, the 10th Skih Guru. Formation of sect is natural to India. Over the years, the dera culture was cultivated and promoted by the shortcomings, inadequacies and social biases in the religious and socio-economic structure of the society. There should be nothing wrong in being part of a set up which looks after your mental, social and spiritual nees.
(b) Caste War
Result of sectarian politics, caste wars are not going to disappear from the democratic map of India because politics is moving consistently on narrow sectarian lines. The absurdity of Rajasthan's caste wars between the Gujjars and Meenas lead us to believe the only way is to rethink India's reservation policy in a non-partism way. At present, it is difficult to decide if caste is altering politics or politics is shifting caste equations. The Gujjars' agitation has exposed the fact that Rajasthan is hopelessly divided in caste camps and has further depend the caste alienation caused by reservation for the Jats. As a result, Caste Panchayats are taking place and we can thus see a sad part of grassroot democracy at work.
(c) Remove economic inequality
Every society that has grown in history has had great inequality in the process of growth. The need is of delivery of basic social and physical infrastructure. We still have poor infrastructure, an Inspector Raj, and a labour policy that discourages employment. It is the failure of the state which is a major cause of concern. The present growth is in stride with the rapidly changing global environment but for the poor to really benefit the country needs more functioning schools and health centres. Our concern in India should be to lift poor people into the middle class.
There is certainly a need to redefine poverty and a system through which we can measure income levels. The biggest shame for Indian democracy in the last 60 years is suicide by the farmers. We need to fix the institutions involved in agricultural production which look after land tenancy problems and rural credit policies. The need is to address the issues of growth and employment in order to bring up policies which are designed to foster same kind of growth.
Q. What do you mean by 'democratic reform" or 'political reform?
All the suggestions or proposals about overcoming various challenges to democracy are called democratic reforms or political reforms.
Q.What are the broad guidelines to be kept in mind while devising ways and means for political reform in India?
Broad guidelines for political reforms:
(i) As legal-constitutional changes by themselves cannot overcome challenges to democracy, democratic reforms need to be carried out mainly by political activists, parties, movements and politically conscious citizens.
(ii) Any legal change must carefully look at what results it will have on politics. Generally, laws that seek to ban something counter-productive. are rather
For example, many States have debarred people who have more than two children from contesting Panchayat elections. This has resulted in denial of democratic opportunity to many poor and women, which was not intended. The best laws are those which empower people to carry out democratic reforms; for example, the Right to Information Act which acts as a watchdog of democracy by controlling corruption.
(iii) Democratic reforms are to be brought about principally through political parties. 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 consider not only about what is a good solution, but also about who will implement it and how. Measures that rely on democratic movements, citizens organizations and media are likely to succeed.
Q.Which are the features a democracy must have to be called a good democracy?
(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) Choice and opportunity should be available to all the people on an equal basis.
(iv) Exercise of choice should lead to a Government limited by basic rules of the Constitution and citizens' rights.
(v) Besides political rights, some social and economic rights are offered to the citizens by democracy.
(vi) Power sharing is the spirit of democracy and is necessary between Government and social groups in a democracy.
(vii) Democracy is not the brute rule of the majority and respect for minority voice is necessary for democracy.
Q.In a democracy, can laws curb corruption and wrong practices like appeals to caste and community?
Laws can have little impact unless people resist attempts to mislead and divide people in the name of caste and religion. We cannot have democracy in the real sense unless people and politicians overcome the barriers of caste and religion.
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