NCERT Solutions for Chapter 7 Outcomes of Democracy Class 10 Civics
Book Solutions1
How does democracy produce an accountable, responsive and legitimate government?
Answer
• Democracy produces an accountable government as all the citizens of the country have the right to choose their representatives. If the government does not work in a proper way then people have the right to remove it in the next elections. That is why the elected government is accountable to the people. People are also the part of decision-making process of the country.
• Democracy produces a responsive government in a country as people elect the governments and that government is responsible to the people and parliament. Democratic government generally takes care of the needs and opinion of the people.
• Democratic government is legitimate as it is people’s own government. People wish to be ruled by representatives elected by them. They believe that democracy is suitable for their country. Democracy’s ability to generate its own support is itself an outcome that cannot be ignored.
Exercises
Page Number 99
2
What are the conditions under which democracies accommodate social diversities?
Answer
Democracies accommodate social diversities when it is well understood that democracy is not just the rule of the majority, and that the rule of the majority is not just the rule of a single religious or social community.
Exercises
Page Number 99
3
Give arguments to support or oppose the following assertions:
• Industrialised countries can afford democracy but the poor need dictatorship to become rich.
• Democracy can’t reduce inequality of incomes between different citizens.
• Government in poor countries should spend less on poverty reduction, health, education and spend more on industries and infrastructure.
• In democracy all citizens have one vote, which means that there is absence of any domination and conflict.
Answer
(i) Democracy is accountable and responsive but dictatorship is not accountable to anyone. It is hardly responsive and only takes care of one section of the society. Democracy ensures political equality and therefore the poor might have a say in the allocation of economic resources by the government. Democracy is accountable and responsive but dictatorship is hardly responsive and only takes care of one section of the society.(ii) Democracy gives equal opportunity to all the sections of the society. One expects economic disparities to be
less in a democracy, as it believes in an equitable distribution of wealth. But in reality democracy has a growing income inequalities.
(iii) It is right that industries and infrastructure are necessary elements for economic development but they are not the only elements. Human is the most important resource for a nation and help a lot in the development of the country. Literate and skilled population is an asset to a country while illiterate and unskilled population becomes a burden on the country. So we cannot say that government in poor countries should spend less on poverty reduction, health and education.
(iv) The principle of one vote does not mean that there is absence of any domination and conflict in a democracy. Conflicts can happen if demands of one group are against the demands of other social groups. Democracy only avoids conflicts by accommodating and negotiating, and avoids any possibility of conflict by giving everyone equal rights and freedom in the society.
Exercises
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4
Identify the challenges to democracy in the following descriptions. Also suggest policy/institutional mechanism to deepen democracy in the given situations:
• Following a High Court directive a temple in Orissa that had separate entry doors for dalits and non-dalits allowed entry for all from the same door.
• A large number of farmers are committing suicide in different states of India.
• Following allegation of killing of three civilians in Gandwara in a fake encounter by Jammu and Kashmir police, an enquiry has been ordered.
Answer
(i) The challenge was practicing untouchability despite banned by our Constitution. To counter this, people should be encouraged to come forward and support to abolish this practice.
(ii) The challenge is poverty. The government has to provide economic equality by promoting agriculture and diversity in agriculture, so that it raises the economic standard of the farmers.
(iii) The challenge is the security of citizens; a fundamental right is violated. These incidents can be avoided by practising transparency in the police department and their actions. The government should promote human rights.
Exercises
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5
In the context of democracies, which of the following ideas is correct – democracies have successfully eliminated:
A. conflicts among people
B. economic inequalities among people
C. differences of opinion about how marginalised sections are to be treated
D. the idea of political inequality
Answer
D. the idea of political inequality
Exercises
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6
In the context of assessing democracy which among the following is odd one out. Democracies need to ensure:
A. free and fair elections
B. dignity of the individual
C. majority rule
D. equal treatment before law
Answer
C. majority rule
Exercises
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7
Studies on political and social inequalities in democracy show that
A. democracy and development go together.
B. inequalities exist in democracies .
C. inequalities do not exist under dictatorship.
D. dictatorship is better than democracy.
Answer
B. inequalities exist in democracies
Exercises
Page Number 99
8
Read the passage below:
Nannu is a daily wage earner. He lives in Welcome Mazdoor Colony, a slum habitation in East Delhi. He lost his ration card and applied for a duplicate one in January 2004. He made several rounds to the local Food & Civil Supplies office for the next three months. But the clerks and officials would not even look at him, leave alone do his job or bother to tell him the status of his application. Ultimately, he filed an application under the Right to Information Act asking for the daily progress made on his application, names of the officials, who were supposed to act on his application and what action would be taken against these officials for their inaction. Within a week of filing application under the Right to Information Act, he was visited by an inspector from the
Food Department, who informed him that the card had been made and he could collect it from the office. When Nannu went to collect his card next day, he was given a very warm treatment by the Food & Supply Officer (FSO), who is the head of a Circle. The FSO offered him tea and requested him to withdraw his application under the Right to Information, since his work had already been done.
What does Nannu’s example show? What impact did Nannu’s action have on officials? Ask your parents their experiences when they approach government officials to attend to their problems.
Answer
Nannu’s example shows the importance of the Right To Information Act.
He was denied the right to information and not given his rights as a citizen because he was poor. Nannu’s application frightened the officers and they hurried to give him his ration card, which was their duty to do.
The experiences of the parents is not well. Generally the govt, officials do not care about the people who visit them. They are asked to come again and again. However, changes are visible due to Right to Information.
Exercises
Page Number 100