Textbook: Working of the Constitution | History and Political Science Class 10 (Maharashtra Board) PDF Download

 Page 1


69
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 sovereign, socialist 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.  
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. 
Decentralisation of Democracy : 
Decentralisation of power is central to 
democratic government. Decentralisation 
controls the misuse of power and also 
creates opportunities for political 
1. Working of the Constitution
Page 2


69
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 sovereign, socialist 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.  
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. 
Decentralisation of Democracy : 
Decentralisation of power is central to 
democratic government. Decentralisation 
controls the misuse of power and also 
creates opportunities for political 
1. Working of the Constitution
70
Right to Information (RTI 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 
Social Justice and Equality
Social justice and equality are the 
important objectives of our constitution. 
The Constitution has given the guidelines 
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. 
Can you tell the reasons for the 
following changes ?
 Some seats are kept reserved for 
women to increase their participation 
in political process.
 Some seats are kept reserved for 
weaker sections of the society so 
that they can get a share in political 
power.
 The State Election Commission has 
been established.
 The 11th and 12th schedule was 
added to the constitution.
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.  
Discuss
Do you think that citizens in 
India should have the right to 
employment?
According to you, if everyone 
gets the right to shelter, how will it 
affect democracy in India ?
Rights based approach : In the 
decades after independence, progress 
was made towards more and more 
democratisation of India. However, 
in this process citizens were 
considered as beneficiaries. In the 
last few decades development is 
considered as the right of the citizens. 
In your opinion, how will this 
approach change the relations 
between the government and citizens?
Do you know ?
Page 3


69
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 sovereign, socialist 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.  
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. 
Decentralisation of Democracy : 
Decentralisation of power is central to 
democratic government. Decentralisation 
controls the misuse of power and also 
creates opportunities for political 
1. Working of the Constitution
70
Right to Information (RTI 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 
Social Justice and Equality
Social justice and equality are the 
important objectives of our constitution. 
The Constitution has given the guidelines 
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. 
Can you tell the reasons for the 
following changes ?
 Some seats are kept reserved for 
women to increase their participation 
in political process.
 Some seats are kept reserved for 
weaker sections of the society so 
that they can get a share in political 
power.
 The State Election Commission has 
been established.
 The 11th and 12th schedule was 
added to the constitution.
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.  
Discuss
Do you think that citizens in 
India should have the right to 
employment?
According to you, if everyone 
gets the right to shelter, how will it 
affect democracy in India ?
Rights based approach : In the 
decades after independence, progress 
was made towards more and more 
democratisation of India. However, 
in this process citizens were 
considered as beneficiaries. In the 
last few decades development is 
considered as the right of the citizens. 
In your opinion, how will this 
approach change the relations 
between the government and citizens?
Do you know ?
71
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.
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 
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. 
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. 
Read the provisions of the 
above law. Try to understand them 
with the help of your teachers. 
What efforts should be made to 
prevent atrocities ?
Do this.
to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe 
and any act of atrocity committed against 
them is liable for punishment. 
Page 4


69
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 sovereign, socialist 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.  
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. 
Decentralisation of Democracy : 
Decentralisation of power is central to 
democratic government. Decentralisation 
controls the misuse of power and also 
creates opportunities for political 
1. Working of the Constitution
70
Right to Information (RTI 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 
Social Justice and Equality
Social justice and equality are the 
important objectives of our constitution. 
The Constitution has given the guidelines 
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. 
Can you tell the reasons for the 
following changes ?
 Some seats are kept reserved for 
women to increase their participation 
in political process.
 Some seats are kept reserved for 
weaker sections of the society so 
that they can get a share in political 
power.
 The State Election Commission has 
been established.
 The 11th and 12th schedule was 
added to the constitution.
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.  
Discuss
Do you think that citizens in 
India should have the right to 
employment?
According to you, if everyone 
gets the right to shelter, how will it 
affect democracy in India ?
Rights based approach : In the 
decades after independence, progress 
was made towards more and more 
democratisation of India. However, 
in this process citizens were 
considered as beneficiaries. In the 
last few decades development is 
considered as the right of the citizens. 
In your opinion, how will this 
approach change the relations 
between the government and citizens?
Do you know ?
71
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.
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 
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. 
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. 
Read the provisions of the 
above law. Try to understand them 
with the help of your teachers. 
What efforts should be made to 
prevent atrocities ?
Do this.
to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe 
and any act of atrocity committed against 
them is liable for punishment. 
72
In our country, from the very beginning, 
women have inadequate representation in 
politics and political institutions. Many 
countries in the world have made efforts to 
increase representation of women. From 
this perspective, changes are taking place 
in India as well. The 73rd and 74th 
amendment reserved 33% of seats for 
women in local self-governing institutions. 
This percentage has been raised to 50%in 
several states including Maharashtra.  
Role of Judiciary
The Judiciary in India has played an 
important role in strengthening democracy 
and helping to make towards achieving 
the objectives of social justice and 
equality. While interpreting the provisions 
of the constitution, the judiciary has 
No. Year
No. of 
Women 
MPs
Percentage
1. 1951-52 22 4.50%
2. 1957 22 4.45%
3. 1962 31 6.28%
4. 1967 29 5.58%
5. 1971 28 5.41%
6. 1977 19 3.51%
7. 1980 28 5.29%
8. 1984 43 7.95%
9. 1989 29 5.48%
10. 1991 39 7.30%
11. 1996 40 7.37%
12. 1998 43 7.92%
13. 1999 49 9.02%
14. 2004 45 8.29%
15. 2009 59 10.87%
16. 2014 66 12.15%
Do this.
A National Commission for women has 
been established. Similar commissions also 
exist at the State level. 
The Act for the protection of women 
against domestic violence is an important 
step in the direction of democracy. This 
act underlined the need to protect the 
dignity and self-esteem of women. This 
act rejected traditional forms of domination 
and authoritarianism and expanded the 
scope of Indian democracy to make it 
inclusive in true sense.
Read the chart and answer the 
following questions.
 In which election year the number of 
women MPs is minimum?
 In which election year the number of 
women MPs is maximum.
 Prepare a Pie Chart/Bar Chart with 
the help of the information given in 
the chart of the Women MPs in the 
Loksabha Elections (1951-2014).
What do you think?
The visibility to women is very 
low in public life. If Family structure, 
social surrounding, economic sector, 
political sphere become more open, 
women will get a chance to participate 
in the decision making process that 
can provide a different direction to 
politics. For this purpose, women’s 
participation should be increased in 
the representative institutions.
always taken into consideration the 
fundamental objectives of the constitution 
and also the intentions of the constitution 
makers. We will try to understand the 
contribution of the judiciary in this regard 
with the help of following points.
The Representation of Women in Lok Sabha
Page 5


69
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 sovereign, socialist 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.  
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. 
Decentralisation of Democracy : 
Decentralisation of power is central to 
democratic government. Decentralisation 
controls the misuse of power and also 
creates opportunities for political 
1. Working of the Constitution
70
Right to Information (RTI 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 
Social Justice and Equality
Social justice and equality are the 
important objectives of our constitution. 
The Constitution has given the guidelines 
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. 
Can you tell the reasons for the 
following changes ?
 Some seats are kept reserved for 
women to increase their participation 
in political process.
 Some seats are kept reserved for 
weaker sections of the society so 
that they can get a share in political 
power.
 The State Election Commission has 
been established.
 The 11th and 12th schedule was 
added to the constitution.
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.  
Discuss
Do you think that citizens in 
India should have the right to 
employment?
According to you, if everyone 
gets the right to shelter, how will it 
affect democracy in India ?
Rights based approach : In the 
decades after independence, progress 
was made towards more and more 
democratisation of India. However, 
in this process citizens were 
considered as beneficiaries. In the 
last few decades development is 
considered as the right of the citizens. 
In your opinion, how will this 
approach change the relations 
between the government and citizens?
Do you know ?
71
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.
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 
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. 
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. 
Read the provisions of the 
above law. Try to understand them 
with the help of your teachers. 
What efforts should be made to 
prevent atrocities ?
Do this.
to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe 
and any act of atrocity committed against 
them is liable for punishment. 
72
In our country, from the very beginning, 
women have inadequate representation in 
politics and political institutions. Many 
countries in the world have made efforts to 
increase representation of women. From 
this perspective, changes are taking place 
in India as well. The 73rd and 74th 
amendment reserved 33% of seats for 
women in local self-governing institutions. 
This percentage has been raised to 50%in 
several states including Maharashtra.  
Role of Judiciary
The Judiciary in India has played an 
important role in strengthening democracy 
and helping to make towards achieving 
the objectives of social justice and 
equality. While interpreting the provisions 
of the constitution, the judiciary has 
No. Year
No. of 
Women 
MPs
Percentage
1. 1951-52 22 4.50%
2. 1957 22 4.45%
3. 1962 31 6.28%
4. 1967 29 5.58%
5. 1971 28 5.41%
6. 1977 19 3.51%
7. 1980 28 5.29%
8. 1984 43 7.95%
9. 1989 29 5.48%
10. 1991 39 7.30%
11. 1996 40 7.37%
12. 1998 43 7.92%
13. 1999 49 9.02%
14. 2004 45 8.29%
15. 2009 59 10.87%
16. 2014 66 12.15%
Do this.
A National Commission for women has 
been established. Similar commissions also 
exist at the State level. 
The Act for the protection of women 
against domestic violence is an important 
step in the direction of democracy. This 
act underlined the need to protect the 
dignity and self-esteem of women. This 
act rejected traditional forms of domination 
and authoritarianism and expanded the 
scope of Indian democracy to make it 
inclusive in true sense.
Read the chart and answer the 
following questions.
 In which election year the number of 
women MPs is minimum?
 In which election year the number of 
women MPs is maximum.
 Prepare a Pie Chart/Bar Chart with 
the help of the information given in 
the chart of the Women MPs in the 
Loksabha Elections (1951-2014).
What do you think?
The visibility to women is very 
low in public life. If Family structure, 
social surrounding, economic sector, 
political sphere become more open, 
women will get a chance to participate 
in the decision making process that 
can provide a different direction to 
politics. For this purpose, women’s 
participation should be increased in 
the representative institutions.
always taken into consideration the 
fundamental objectives of the constitution 
and also the intentions of the constitution 
makers. We will try to understand the 
contribution of the judiciary in this regard 
with the help of following points.
The Representation of Women in Lok Sabha
73
(1) The basic framework of the 
constitution : The Constitution is dynamic. 
It is a living document. The Constitution 
has to change according to changing 
conditions and the Parliament has a 
power to make those changes. The 
Judiciary has accepted this power of the 
Parliament to make changes in the 
Constitution but at same time specified 
the limitations on this power. The Judiciary 
has taken a stand that the Parliament 
while amending the constitution cannot 
alter the basic structure of the constitution.
This is important to understand !
Democracy requires good 
governance or best governing 
practices. Following are the features 
of good governance. What should be 
done to bring good governance in 
democracy ?
 Accountable/responsible government
 Effective and efficient government
 Responsive government 
 Transparency in working of the 
government
  Just and all-inclusive development 
 People’s participation in the 
governing and decision-making 
process 
In this chapter, we took a review of 
the constitution and the working of the 
government on the basis of the constitution 
in the context of Indian democracy. There 
are many challenges before India’s 
democracy. Government’s acts and policies 
have not put an end to all the problems. 
There are several new problems confronting 
us. However what is important is that the 
people in India have developed a 
democratic mind-set.
In the next chapter we will study the 
election process in India.   
Please understand.
The basic structure of the 
constitution generally includes 
following provisions.
  Republican and democratic form of 
government
  Federal structure of the Constitution.
  Promotion of unity and integrity of 
the nation
  Sovereignty of the nation
  Secularism and supremacy of the 
constitution
(2) Significant judicial decisions : 
The protection provided to the citizens by 
fundamental rights in the constitution has 
been made more meaningful through 
various decisions of judiciary. Some of 
the important subjects on which the Court 
has given judgements include rights of 
children; protection of human rights; 
protection of the honour and dignity of 
women; individual freedom; and tribal 
empowerment. These efforts have made 
the political process in India more mature.
Please understand.
Find out the judgements given 
by the Supreme Court on the 
above subjects in recent years and 
discuss them.