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Political Parties Class 10 Questions and Answers Civics Chapter 6
Make your learning experience enjoyable by preparing from the quick links available on this page. Use the Class 10 SST Civics Chapter 6 NCERT Solutions and get to know different concepts involved. All the Solutions are covered as per the latest syllabus guidelines. Knowing the NCERT Class 10 Civics Chapter 6 Questions and Answers helps students to attempt the exam with confidence.
Political Parties NCERT Intext Questions and Answers
Question 1.
Okay, granted that we can’t live without political parties. But tell me on what grounds do people support a political party?
Answer:
(i) People should support parties on the basis of agendas they plan to follow, and their views on national and international politics. People should know how these parties aim to project the country.
(ii) The agendas they plan to follow must be based on collective welfare. There should be special focus on the poor and underprivileged and clear-cut programmes to improve their condition.
(iii) Religious appeasement and caste politics should not be the factors in choosing a party.
Question 2.
Let us apply what we have learnt about party systems to the various states within India. Here are three major types of party systems that exist at the state level. Can you find the names of at least two states for each of these types?
Answer:
- Two-party system
- Multi-party system with two alliances
- Multi-party system
- Two-party system exists in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
- Multi-party system with two alliances exist in Bihar and Tamil Nadu.
- Multi-party system exits in Uttar Pradesh and Kerala.
Question 3.
Why don’t parties give enough tickets to women ? Is that also due to lack of internal democracy?
Answer:
(i) No, it is not due to lack of internal democracy. But it is due to lack of awareness among womenfolk. It is also due to our social set up which encourages women to stay within the four walls of the house.
(ii) Man’s superiority complex is also a big reason that suppresses women’s freedom. Men in general think that they are better than women and women are incapable of politics. They don’t find themselves comfortable to see women in the public domain.
(iii) Such a practice should not continue. Women must be given equal treatment everywhere including politics.
Question 4.
Does this suggest that in democracies people contest elections only to make money? But isn’t it true that there are politicians committed to the well-being of the people?
Answer:
There are many politicians who are corrupt and can go to any extent to serve their selfish needs. They in order to come to power exploit social issues like caste and religion. They persuade people to vote for them and make several promises. But once they come in power they forget what they had promised to their voters. This has become a common feature of our politics. It is unfortunate that very few politicians feel their accountability to their people and concentrate on their welfare.
Civics Class 10 Chapter 6 NCERT Textbook Questions and Answers
Question 1.
State the various functions political parties perform in a democracy.
Answer:
Political parties perform various functions in a democracy. Some of them are
(i) Parties contest elections. In most democracies, elections are fought mainly among the candidates put up by political parties. Parties select their candidates in different ways. In some countries, such as the USA, members and supporters of a party choose its candidates. In other countries like India, top party leaders choose candidates for contesting elections.
(ii) Parties put forward different policies and programmes and the voters choose from them. Each of us may have different opinions and views on what policies are suitable for the society. But no government can handle such a large variety of views. In a democracy, a large number of similar opinions have to be grouped together to provide a direction in which policies can be formulated by the governments. This is what the parties do.
(iii) Parties play a decisive role in making laws for a country. Formally, laws are debated and passed in the legislature. But since most of the members belong to a party they go by the direction of the party leadership, irrespective of their personal opinions.
(iv) Parties form and run governments. The big policy decisions are taken by political executive that comes from the political parties. Parties recruit leaders, train them and then make them ministers to run the government in the way they want.
(v) Those parties that lose in the elections play the role of opposition to the parties in power, by voicing different views and criticising government for its failures or wrong policies. Opposition parties also mobilise opposition to the government.
(vi) Parties provide people access to government machinery and welfare schemes implemented by governments. For an ordinary citizen, it is easy to approach a local party leader than a government officer. That is why, they feel close to parties even when they do not fully trust them.
(v) Parties shape public opinion. They raise and highlight issues.
Question 2.
What are the various challenges faced by political parties?
Answer:
Political parties are facing various challenges
(i) The first challenge is lack of internal democracy within parties. All over the world there is a tendency in political parties towards the concentration of power in one or few leaders at the top. Parties do not keep membership registers, do not hold organisational meetings, and do not conduct internal elections regularly. Ordinary members of the party do not get sufficient information on what happens inside the party. As a result, the leaders assume greater power to make decisions in the name of the party. Those who disagree with the decisions or the leadership find it difficult to continue in the party. Personal loyalty to the leader becomes more important than loyalty to the party principles and policies.
(ii) The challenge of dynastic succession is related to the first one. Since most political parties do not practise open and transparent procedures for their functioning, there are very few ways for an ordinary worker to rise to the top in a party. Those who happen to be the leaders are in a position of unfair advantage to favour people close to them or even their family members. In many parties, the top positions are always controlled by the members of one family. This is unfair to other members of that party. This is not good for democracy too.
(iii) The growing role of money and muscle power in parties, especially during elections poses a big challenge. Since parties are focussed only on winning elections, they tend to use unfair means to win elections. They tend to nominate only those candidates who have or can raise lots of money. Rich people and companies who give funds to the party tend to have influence on the policies and decisions of the party. In some cases, parties support criminals who can win elections.
(iv) The failure of parties in offering a meaningful choice to the voters is also a big challenge. In order to offer meaningful choice, parties must be significantly different. In recent years there has been a decline in the ideological differences among parties in most parts of the world. Those who want really different policies have no option available to them. Sometimes people cannot even elect very different leaders either, because the same set of leaders keep shifting from one party to another.
Question 3.
Suggest some reforms to strengthen parties so that they perform their functions well.
Answer:
Some reforms to strengthen parties can be suggested-
(i) A law should be made to regulate the internal affairs of political parties. It should be made compulsory for political parties to maintain a register of its members, to follow its own Constitution, to have an independent authority, to act as a judge in case of party disputes, to hold open elections to the highest posts.
(ii) It should be made mandatory for political parties to give a minimum number of tickets, about one- third, to women candidates. Similarly, there should be a quota for women in the decision making bodies of the party.
(iii) There should be state funding of elections. The government should give parties money to support their election expenses. This support could be given in kind – petrol, paper, telephone, etc. or it could be given in cash on the basis of the votes secured by the party in the last election.
(iv) People should put pressure on political parties. This can be done through petitions, publicity and agitations. Ordinary citizens, pressure groups and movements and the media can play an important role in this. If political parties feel that they would lose public support by not taking up reforms, they would become more serious about reforms.
(v) Political parties can improve if those who want this join political parties. The quality of democracy depends on the degree of public participation. The more ordinary citizens take part in politics, the more it will get strengthened.
Question 4.
What is a political party?
Answer:
A political party is a group of people who come together to contest elections and hold power in the government. They agree on some policies and programmes for the society with a view to promote the collective good. Since there can be different views on what is good for all, parties try to persuade people why their policies are better than others. They seek to implement these policies by winning popular support through elections.
Question 5.
What are the characteristics of a political party?
Answer:
The characteristics of a political party are –
- They agree on some policies and programmes for the society with a view to promote the collective good.
- Since there can be different views on what is good for all, parties try to persuade people why their policies are better than others.
- Parties seek to reflect fundamental political divisions in a society. Parties are about a part of the society and thus involve partisanship.
- A party is known by which part it stands for, which policies it supports and whose interests it upholds.
- A party is comprised of the leaders, the active members, and the followers.
Question 6.
A group of people who come together to contest elections and hold power in the government is called a ………..
Answer:
Political party.
Question 7.
Match List I (organisations and struggles) with List II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists:
| List I | List II |
| 1. Congress Party | A. National Democratic Alliance |
| 2. Bharatiya Janata Party | B. State Party |
| 3. Communist Party of India (Marxist) | C. United Progressive Alliance |
| 4. Telugu Desam Party | D. Left front |
Answer
Question 8.
Who among the following is the founder of the Bahujan Samaj Party?
A. Kanshi Ram
B. Sahu Maharaj
C. B.R. Ambedkar
D. Jotiba Phule
Answer:
(A) Kanshi Ram
Question 9.
What is the guiding philosophy of the Bharatiya Janata Party?
A. Bahujan Samaj
B. Revolutionary democracy
C. Integral humanism
D. Modernity
Answer:
(D) Modernity
Question 10.
Consider the following statements on parties.
A. Political parties do not enjoy much trust among the people.
B. Parties are often rocked by scandals involving top party leaders.
C. Parties are not necessary to run governments.
D. Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) A, B, and C
(b) A and B
(c) B and C
(d) A and C
Answer:
(b) A and B
Question 11.
Read the following passage and answer the questions given below:
Muhammad Yunus is a famous economist of Bangladesh. He received several international honours for his efforts to promote economic and social development for the benefit of the poor. He and the Grameen Bank he started jointly, received the Nobel Peace Prize for the 2006. In February 2007, he decided to launch a political party and contest in the parliamentary elections. His objective was to foster proper leadership, good governance and build a new Bangladesh. He felt that only a political party different from the traditional ones would bring about new political culture. His party would be democratic from the grassroots level.
The launching of the new party, called Nagarik Shakti (Citizens’ Power), has caused a stir among the Bangladeshis. While many welcomed his decision, some did not like it. “Now 1 think Bangladesh will have a chance to choose between good and bad and eventually have a good government,” said Shahedul Islam, a government official. “That government, we hope, would not only keep itself away from corruption but also make fighting corruption and black money a top priority.”
But leaders of traditional political parties who dominated the country’s politics for decades were apprehensive. “There was no debate (over him) winning the Nobel, but politics is different – very challenging and often controversial,” said a senior leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. Some others were highly critical. They asked why he was rushing into politics. “Is he being planted in politics by mentors from outside the country,” asked one political observer.
Do you think Yunus made a right decision to float a new political party?
Do you agree with the statements and fears expressed by various people? How do you want this new party organised to make it different from other parties? If you were the one to begin this political party how would you defend it?
Answer:
Yes, Muhammad Yunus made a right decision to float a new political party.
I also agree with the statement and fears expressed by various people.
The launching of the new party, called Nagarik Shakti (Citizens’ Power) by Muhammad Yunus, a famous economist of Bangladesh, was not liked by leaders of traditional political parties because they feared that the new party might dominate the politics of the country and lessen their influence. They were not in mood to see changes in the political set up of the country.
People in democracy always support the party that works for the welfare of the common mass. They never want corrupt leaders to continue his/her influence.
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