Class 6 Social Science Chapter 10 Notes Grassroots Democracy Part 1 Governance
Human beings have been a part of community life for a very long time. Disagreements and disorders are common when many people live together. Therefore, rules become necessary to maintain order and harmony in society.
Rules are followed by people in several spheres of life such as
- Simple rules at home for family members
- Rules at school for students and teachers
- Traffic rules for drivers on road
- Rules set by the employers for employees
- Rules committed to the employees by the employers
A society would not be able to function if nobody follows these rules.
Governance and Making of Rules :
- Governance is the process of taking decisions, organisation of social life with different sets of rules and ensuring that these rules are followed.
- Government is a group of people or the system responsible for making rules and ensuring that these rules are followed. Some of the more important rules are called laws.
- The rules and laws can be changed or updated as needed. People or citizens have a role in making or changing the rules and laws of their society.
Three Organs of Government :
There are three branches or ‘organs’ of the government as follows
(i) The Legislature It is the organ that legislates or makes new laws. In the legislature, an assembly of representatives of people makes new laws and sometimes it also updates or removes existing laws.
(ii) The Executive It is the organ that executes or implements the laws. It includes the authorities that are responsible for enforcing ‘law and order’ such as
- The head of state (President, a Prime Minister or a Chief Minister).
- The ministers
- Any other agency that maintains law and order e.g. Police.
(iii) The Judiciary It is the system of courts responsible for the following
- Deciding whether a law has been broken by someone.
- Deciding the course of action or punishment for breaking the law.
- Examine whether the decision taken by the executive is right or not.
- Examine the fairness of the laws passed by the legislature.
These three organs of the government work together. This can be understood with the example of cybercrime.
Cybercrime is a new form of criminal activity. Government passes new laws to overcome these criminal activities (Work of Legislature). Cyber police then take action against these criminals and arrest them (Work of Executive). Criminals are then convicted in courts and jailed for some years (Work of Judiciary).
Separation of Power :
The three organs of the government work and interact with each other. However, in any good system of governance, these organs must be kept separate. This separation is called ‘separation of powers’. It helps to maintain the system of checks and balances.
Under this system, each organ of the government can check the work of other organs and restore balance if any organ is acting beyond its expected role.
Functions of Three Organs at National and State Level :
Three Levels of Government :
- Governments usually operate at two levels-local and national. In some countries, including India, government also functions at 3 levels-National, State and Local level. Each of these levels deals with different matters.
- In India, there is local government at the town or village level, state government at the state level and central government at the national level.
- The scope of the functions of the different levels of the government are
- Local authorities handle local issues.
- State government addresses regional issues affecting multiple towns and villages.
- Central government deals with national issues affecting vast areas.
Indian Mottos and their Meanings :
Many of our institutions have mottos inspired by the wisdom of our ancient texts.
For example,
- Satyameva Jayate It is the motto of the government of India. It means ‘Truth alone triumphs’.
- Yato Dharmastato Jayah It is the motto of the supreme Court. It means ‘Where there is dharma, there is victory’.
Democracy :
- The word ‘democracy’ comes from two Greek words. ‘demos’ meaning ‘people’, and ‘kratos’ meaning ‘rule’ or power. Hence, democracy means the rule of the people.
- It is not possible for all people to rule and hence people vote for their representatives through elections. The representatives rule on behalf of all the people. The representatives are elected members of their respective assemblies.
- The system of election of representatives is present both at the state and national levels.
They are called Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) at the state level and Members of Parliament (MPs) at the national level. - These members hold discussions in the assembly related to laws, problems and solutions and try to convince each other when there is a difference of opinions.
Representative Democracy :
- India, like any modern democracy, is a representative democracy. India is also the world’s largest democracy. It has around 970 million voters as of 2024.
- All the Indian citizens above the age of 18 years have the right to participate in the elections.
- Voting is a method for making decisions where everyone has a chance to contribute their opinion. It is done in the following ways
- Options are presented
- Each person chooses their preferred option by voting
- The option with the most votes wins
Direct Democracy and Grassroots Democracy :
- When every person’s opinion is heard and counted to make a decision, it is called direct democracy. For example, to choose a picnic spot for a school picnic, each student gives their vote between two options. The option with the most votes is chosen.
- Grassroots democracy is a system that empowers ordinary citizens to participate in decision-making processes. It gives ordinary people a voice in the decisions that affect their lives.
Dr APJ Abdul Kalam :
Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, nicknamed as the Missile Man of India, was a famous scientist known for his crucial role in the development of India’s space programme, missile programme and nuclear capabilities.
- He was born in Rameswaram , Tamil Nadu in 1931. He served as the 11th President of India from 2002 to 2007. Despite this high position, he remained deeply connected with people and youths through his passion for education and innovation.
- He was dedicated to social causes and committed to the nation. He inspired so many young Indians to dream big and work hard.
- He proved that despite his nominal position as the President, he could play an important role by impacting so many lives.
Glossary :
→ Governance: The process of decision-making, organisation and rule-following to maintain social order.
→ Government: A group of people or system responsible for making and enforcing rules .
→ Laws Important: rules that can be changed or updated as needed.
→ Nominal: In name only, having a title or position without actual authority or power.
→ Separation of Powers: The division of government into three organs to maintain checks and balances.
→ Checks and Balances: A system that ensures each organ of government has some power to limit or check the actions of the other two, preventing any one organ from becoming too powerful.
→ Democracy: A system of government where people vote for representatives to rule on their behalf.
→ Elections: The process of voting for representatives to make decisions on behalf of the people.
“rajanam dharmagoptaram dharmo rakshati rakshitah”
“The ruler protects dharma and dharma protects those who protect it.”
The Mahabharata
“There is no peace without justice;
no justice without equality;
no equality without development;
no democracy without respect to the identity
and dignity of cultures and peoples.”
Rigoberta Menchu Turn
Introduction
Human beings have been living in communities for a long time. When a large number of people live together, there can be disagreements and disorder, and rules become necessary to maintain order and harmony in the society.
There are probably some simple rules at home that you are expected to follow. The school where you study has rules too – some for students, others for teachers. In higher classes, students appearing for examinations must follow certain rules. Drivers on the road are expected to obey traffic rules. People employed in all kinds of jobs also need to follow the rules set by their employer, while the employers must also follow rules which they have committed to their employees.
What would happen if no one followed those rules? A simple answer is that society would not be able to function.
LET’S EXPLORE
- Describe the two pictures given in Fig. 10.1 on page 151 – what differences do you see between them?
- How do you connect this with our discussion on rules?
- What are some of the rules in your school? Who made them?
Who makes the rules and why? How are they made? These are some of the questions we will explore in this chapter. The process of taking decisions, organising the society’s life with different sets of rules, and ensuring that they are followed, is called governance. The group of individuals or the system that makes the rules and ensures that they are followed is called a government. Some of the more important rules are called laws.
This does not mean that rules and laws are set once and for all. Just as you might discuss a particular rule at home with your parents, or as a student body might ask the school or university management to change a rule, citizens also have a say in the laws and rules governing the society. We will see how this takes place.
LET’S EXPLORE
- Can you identify the categories of public service or other activities that are represented in the ten pictures in Fig. 10.2 on page 152?
- What role do you think the government plays in each of these activities?
- Can you think of other aspects of your daily life where the government plays an important role?
Three Organs of Government
All over the world, digital technologies have been transforming the way societies function. In India, till about 30 years ago, people who wanted to transfer money to a distant relative would have to queue up at the Post Office to send a money order after filling up a form; or if they had to send a payment to some business, they would queue up at their bank to obtain a demand draft, which would then have to be sent by post. You have probably never heard these terms (‘money order’ or ‘demand draft’), because today we have digital means of sending across money instantly!
However, this has also created a new class of criminals who, without even leaving their desks, find digital ways of stealing people’s money. This has led many governments to pass new laws in order to fight such criminal activities (called ‘cybercrime’). Some of those criminals, who believe in robbing innocent people of their hard-earned money instead of using their skills to contribute to the society, have been arrested and convicted in court. They are usually fined as well as jailed for some years.
- Through this example, we can see how the three branches or ‘organs’ of a government work together:
The legislature is the organ that makes new laws (or ‘legislates’). Sometimes it also updates or removes existing laws. This is done by an assembly of represen-tatives of the people. We will soon see how the Indian system works. - The executive is the organ that implements (or ‘executes’) the laws. This includes the head of state (who may be a president, a prime minister or a chief minister), the ministers and any agency responsible for enforcing Taw and order’. (In our example above, that agency is the cyber police.)
- The judiciary is the system of courts which decides whether someone has broken the law and, if so, what course of action should be taken, including punishment if necessary. Sometimes it also examines whether a decision taken by the executive is right, or whether a law passed by the legislature is well conceived and fair to all.
LET’S EXPLORE
Explain how the three government organs are at work in the case of the cybercriminals described above. How do they intervene?
In any good system of gover nance, these three organs must be kept separate, although they interact with each other and work together. This separation is called the ‘separation of powers’ (Fig. 10.3). It is intended to provide a system of checks and balances. This means that each organ of the government can check what the other is doing and restore balance if one organ acts beyond its expected role.
LET’S EXPLORE
As a class activity, can you imagine the sort of disorder we might witness if all three organs were under the control of the same group of people? Can you describe any such real-life situation you may have heard of?
Three Levels of Government
Any government operates at two levels at the least – local and national. In many countries, including India, it functions at three levels or tiers – local, state or regional, and national. Each level deals with different matters. To use a comparison, if a bulb in your home is not lighting up, you will first check the bulb, switch, fuse, etc. If that does not work, you may call an electrician, and if it is found that the problem is not within your home, you may need to go to the Electricity Board and file a complaint. These are also three levels of dealing with a problem.
In India, we have local governments, State governments, and Central or Union government (Fig. 10.4 on page 155). Imagine that following heavy rain for a few days, there is a flood in a part of a district. If it is not too severe, the local authorities may be able to deal with it. If it involves several towns and many villages, the State Government will step in and send rescue teams to help affected people. But if it’s a massive flood affecting vast areas, the Central Government may also come to help by sending relief supplies, the army, etc. These are the three levels again.
DON’T MISS OUT
Many of our institutions have mottos inspired by the wisdom of our ancient texts. The Government of India’s motto, for example, is Satyameva Jayate, which means “Truth alone triumphs”. The Supreme Court’s motto is Yato Dharmastato Jay ah, or, “Where there is dharma, there is victory.”
The table on the facing page provides in summary a general framework of the main functions of the government’s three organs at the national and State levels. Their details (including the precise role of the assemblies) will be studied in greater depth in Grade 7. (Local government is not mentioned here as we will look at it more closely in the next two chapters.)
LET’S EXPLORE
- Observe the table (Fig. 10.5). Highlight the functions and responsibilities that affect your life the most.
- Asktwo or three adults about their connection or interaction with the government-at what levels does it take place and for what purpose?
Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
Born in a humble family in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, in 1931, Dr. A.RJ. Abdul Kalam was a renowned scientist, nicknamed the ‘Missile Man of India’ for his crucial role in the development of India’s space programme, missile programme and nuclear capabilities.
Dr. Abdul Kalam served as the 11th President of India from 2002 to 2007. Despite his high status, he remained deeply connected to the people, and the youth in particular, through his passion for good education and innovation. He inspired millions with his humility, dedication to social causes and commitment to the nation. He tirelessly encouraged young Indians to dream big and work hard to achieve their goals.
Dr. Kalam showed that even though his position as the President of India was nominal, he could play an important role, impacting countless lives.
Let us meditate on a few of his inspiring thoughts:
Democracy
You may have noticed that we earlier mentioned ‘representatives of the people’. This is one of the foundation stones of the system of governance adoptedby most countries of the world – democracy. The word ‘democracy’ comes from two Greek words – demos meaning ‘people’, and kratos meaning ‘rule’ or ‘power’; so ‘democracy’ literally means the ‘rule of the people’.
But can all people actually rule? It is clearly not possible. Imagine there is a problem that your class wants to bring to the attention of your school’s principal – maybe there is something wrong with the classroom, or with the school’s infrastructure, or perhaps you would like to propose a certain date for a field trip. Will the entire class go to the principal? It would clearly not be practical. In many schools, classes have a ‘class monitor’ or ‘class representative’, whom the whole class elected; even if there is none, one representative can be selected for this specific purpose. It will be enough to send the representative to the principal.
It is the same principle at the State or national levels- through elections, people vote for representatives, who will be the elected members of their respective assemblies. They are generally called ‘Members of Legislative Assembly’ (or MLAs) at the State level, and ‘Member of Parliament’ (or MPs) at the national level. All these members discuss laws, problems and solutions in the assemblies, and, through dialogue and debate, try to convince each other whenever there are different opinions.
Like any modern democracy, therefore, India is a representative democracy. It is also the world’s largest democracy, with some 970 million voters in 2024! In principle, all Indian citizens above the age of 18 have the right to participate in these elections.
Imagine that your class is planning to go for a picnic. There are two possible places, A and B. The class discusses the pros and cons – distance, time, cost, availability of basic facilities, etc. It becomes difficult to arrive at a decision. So your teacher decides that voting can solve the problem. The number of students in favour of place A raise their hands, then the number of students in favour of place B raise theirs. The decision is taken by whichever option gets a larger number of raised hands. (This process is called voting.) This is a case of direct democracy where every student’s opinion was taken to finalise the place.
The term grassroots democracy refers to a system that enables and encourages the participation of ordinary citizens – the base of the pyramid we saw in Fig. 10.4 on page 155. In such a system, the citizens can have a say in decisions which affect them.
We will study more features of Indian democracy in the next two chapters and also in later grades.
Before we move on …
- No country can run without governance and government.
- A modern government has three organs – legislative, executive and judiciary – which need to work together.
- The Indian government functions at three levels – Centre or national, State and local.
- Democracy is the overall framework for this system. It functions through elected representatives, both at the State and the national levels.
Class 6 Social Science Notes
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