Chapter 21. Political Parties and Pressure Groups Textbook Solutions

NIOS Social Science Class 10 Chapter 21 Solutions

INTEXT QUESTIONS 21.1

1. Answer the following questions by selecting the right option out of the four stated below:

(a) Which of the following is the characteristic of a political party?

(i) Group of people organized for betterment of their locality.

(ii) Group of people sharing similar religious views.

(iii) Group of people having common principles and views on public matters.

(iv) Group of people attending an election meeting.

Ans: (iii) Group of people having common principles and views on public matters.

(b) Why do we need political parties in a democracy?

(i) To help legislature making laws.

(ii) To help executives administering the country.

(iii) To help judiciary delivering judgments.

(iv) To help people choosing their representatives.

Ans: (iv) To help people choosing their representatives.

(c) Which of the following is not a democracy?

(i) Libya

(ii) Indonesia

(iii) India

(iv) Sri Lanka

Ans: (iii) India

2. Write this answer based on your own understanding of how a democracy should function.

Ans: Individual answer.

INTEXT QUESTIONS 21.2

Answer the following questions by selecting the right option out of the four stated below each item.

(a) Which one of the following is a correct statement?

(i) India is a ‘one-party system’.

(ii) Political parties in India came into in existence even before independence.

(iii) Political parties in India emerged only after independence.

(iv) The Congress did not get majority in Lok Sabha in 1989.

Ans: (ii) Political parties in India came into in existence even before independence.

(b) Which of the following is not the function of political parties in a democratic system:

(i) Political parties work secretly to bring a change in the system.

(ii) They shape public opinion.

(iii) They attempt to acquire political power.

(iv) They form opposition if not in majority in the legislature.

Ans: (i) Political parties work secretly to bring a change in the system.

(c) Since when the coalitional governments in India have come to stay at the national level?

(i) 1952

(ii) 1989

(iii) 1977

(iv) 1967

Ans: (ii) 1989

INTEXT QUESTIONS 21.3

1. State any two features of India’s party system.

Ans: Competitive, coalitional

2. Write three major objectives of any two of the following political parties.

(i) Indian National Congress

(ii) The Bharatiya Janata Party

(iii) The Communist Party of India (Marxist)

(iv) The Bahujan Samaj Party

Ans:

(1) The Indian National Congress:
- (a) democracy,
- (b) secularism.
(2) The Bharatiya Janata Party
- (a) nationalism and national integration,
- (b) Gandhian socialism

3. Which of the following is a regional political party in Jammu & Kashmir?

(i) Indian National Lok Dal

(ii) National Conference

(iii) Forward Bloc

(iv) Rashtriya Janata Dal

Ans: (ii) National Conference

4. The Shiv Sena is a political party in

(i) Maharashtra

(ii) Tamil Nadu

(iii) Bihar

(iv) Uttarakhand

Ans: (i) Maharashtra

INTEXT QUESTIONS 21.4

1. What are Pressure groups? How do they differ from interest groups?

Ans: A pressure group is an interest group which exerts pressure on the government or the decision-makers for the fulfillment of the interests of its members. Pressure groups differ from interest groups in that interest groups may exist without exerting influence on the government or decision-makers. But unless a group exerts such pressure to influence or pressurize the authorities in order to achieve the desired objectives, it may not be called a pressure group.

2. Write two differences between pressure groups and political parties?

Ans:

(a) Pressure groups are not primarily political in nature. For example, although Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh supports the Bharatiya Janata Party, it is, by and large, a cultural organization. Political parties are basically political in nature and orientation.
(b) Pressure groups do not contest elections; they only support political parties of their choice. Political parties nominate candidates, contest elections, and participate in election campaigns.

3. Discuss at least three ways in which pressure groups try to influence the policies of the government. Give suitable examples.

Ans: Pressure groups play a vital role in the democratic functioning of a polity. They help promote, discuss, debate and mobilize public opinion on major public issues. Three ways used by pressure groups are: appeals, petitions and demonstrations. For instance, the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) has influenced the government to improve its policies on the rights of women workers. Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan led the people’s movement, which forced the government to bring about the law on ‘Right to Information’.

TERMINAL EXERCISE

1. Why do we need Political Parties?

Ans: Political parties actually help the institutions and processes of a democratic government.

They enable people to participate in elections and other processes of governance, educate them and facilitate them to make policy choices.

2. What do you mean by a Political Party?

Ans: A political party is generally described as an organized body of people who share common principles and cherish certain common goals regarding the political system. A political party operates and seeks political power through constitutional means to translate its policies into practice. It is a body of like-minded people having similar views on matters of public concern.

3. List any four characteristics of Political Parties.

Ans:

A political party is an organized group of people.
The organized group of people believe in common principles and common goals;
Its objectives revolve around seeking political power through collective efforts.
It employs constitutional and peaceful methods in seeking control over the government through elections; and
While in power, it translates its declared objectives into governmental policies.

4. Describe any four functions of Political Parties.

Ans:

They nominate candidates during elections.
They campaign to obtain support for their candidates in the elections.
They place objectives and programmes before the voters through their manifestos;
Those securing the majority in elections form the government and enact and implement the policies;
Those not in power form opposition and keep a constant check on the government.
They form opposition when they are in the minority in the legislature and constantly put pressure on the government for proper governance.
They educate people and help in formulating and shaping public opinion;
They articulate people’s demands and convey them to the government; and
They provide a linkage between people and governmental institutions.

5. Explain briefly the policies of the Indian National Congress.

Ans:

The Congress is committed to democracy, secularism, and socialism.
It is, in a way, a centrist political party.
While it champions the policy of liberalization, privatization, globalization called “LPG” on the one hand, it also works for the welfare of the weaker sections of society.
Advocates both agrarian based Indian economy and industrialization.
Seeks to strengthen grassroots institutions at the local level and claims to play a vital role in international institutions, especially in the United Nations.

6. Describe three features of the nature of the party system in India?

Ans:

India has a multi-party system with a large number of political parties competing to attain power at the Centre as well as in the States.
The contemporary party system in India has witnessed the emergence of a bi-nodal party system existing at both national and state/regional levels. The bi-nodal tendencies operating at two poles are led by the Congress and the BJP, both at the center and in the states.
Political parties are not hegemonic but competitive, though many a time we see a particular party aligning with one national political party and then shifting to another on the eve of general elections.
The regional political parties have come to play a vital role in the formation of governments at the Centre. At the Centre, these regional parties support one national political party or the other and seek substantive favours, ministerial berths at the Centre and other financial packages for their respective States.
The election is now fought not among parties but among a coalition of parties. The nature of competition, alliance and players varies from state to state.
Coalitional politics has been a new feature of our party system. We have reached a situation where there is no single-party government, except in some of the States. There are, as you can see around, neither permanent ruling parties nor permanent opposition parties.
As a result of coalitional politics, the ideologies of the political parties have taken a back seat. Administration is run through the Common Minimum Programme, which reflects that pragmatism has become the ‘ruling mantra’. We have seen political situations where the Telugu Desam Party supported the BJP-led NDA in 1999, and CPI(M) backed the Congress-led UPA in 2004 without formally joining the government.
Parties are keen on focusing on the single emotive issue/s to garner votes. The emotive issues in some of the earlier elections were: Garibi Hatao of the 1970s, ‘Indira is India’ of the 1980s, ‘Taking into the 21st Century’ under Rajiv in mid-1980s, BJP’ India Shining of 1999, Congress ‘Feel Good’ in 2004 and ‘Aam Aadmi’ in 2009.
Parties now look for short-term electoral gains rather than building lasting social coalitions.

7. What is a pressure group?

Ans: A pressure group is an interest group which exerts pressure on the government or the decision-makers for the fulfillment of its interests. In the democratic functioning of a polity, pressure groups play a vital role. They seek to promote, discuss, debate and mobilize public opinion on major public issues. In this process, they educate people and widen their vision, enhance their democratic participation and raise and articulate various issues. These groups try to bring about changes in public policy.

8. Distinguish between political parties and the pressure groups highlighting two points.

Ans: The distinction between the two can be stated as follows:

Pressure groups are not primarily political in nature. The political parties are basically political.
Pressure groups do not seek direct power; they only influence those who are in power to mould decisions in their favour. The political parties seek power to form the government.
Pressure groups do not contest elections; they only support political parties of their choice. Political parties nominate candidates, contest elections, and participate in election campaigns.
Pressure groups do not necessarily have political ideologies. Political parties are always wedded to their ideologies.
The interests of the pressure groups are usually specific, whereas the political parties have policies and programmes with national and international ramifications.

9. Give a brief account of pressure groups in India.

Ans: There are pressure groups based on traditional social structure.

There are groups like Arya Pratinidhi Sabha, Sanathan Dharma Sabha, Parsee Anjuman, and Anglo-Indian Christian Association.
There are caste groups such as the Brahmin Sabha, the Nair society, and the language groups (such as the Tamil Sangh, the Anjuman-e-Terraqi-e-Urdu).
Other types of interest groups, which may include bodies such as the Federation of the Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) or those related to workers and peasants, like All India Trade Union Congress, Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, the Kisan Sabha, etc.
There are institutional groups such as the Civil Services Association or the Non-Gazetted Officers’ Union.
There are also groups like the All Assam Students’ Union asking for the establishment of a college in rural areas.

10. What are Civil Society Organizations? Write the names of any two contemporary Civil Society Organizations in India.

Ans: Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) are organizations established by citizens of the country to pursue certain interests. Many of them act as pressure groups on the government to promote the implementation of policies in their areas of concern. They are run by ordinary people who come together, informally or formally, and are committed to specific issues. and prevailing social injustice.