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PRRC 2024
Batch 1 - #Pol001

PRRC POLITY – 1

• State → Political unit of society; 4 components: territory, population, government,

sovereignty.
• Doctrine of Separation of Power by Montesquieu; power of state must be divided into
various organs; each organ supreme in its own sphere; no interference in the working of
other organs.
• Democracy → System of government, rule by people, directly or through representatives;
Accountability of ruler to the citizens, Founded on Rule of Law ; What democracy is not →
majoritarianism.
• Constitutionalism → limited government
• Preamble → “Identity card of the Constitution” – Nani Palkhivala ; Based on Objective
resolution, moved by JN Nehru in 1946. ; Derives authority -> from people; Nature of Indian
state -> sovereign, secular, socialist, democratic, republican polity; Objectives -> specifies
justice, liberty, equality, fraternity, unity & integrity. ; Used by Judiciary for constitutional
interpretation.
• Justice → requires that we give due and equal consideration to all individuals; it has
dimensions -> social justice, economic justice & political justice.
• Proportionate justice → for justice in society, the principle of equal treatment needs to be
balanced with the principle of proportionality. At times, it’s tough to harmonize the three
principles of justice —>Pursuing equality of treatment by itself might sometimes work against
giving due reward to merit. Emphasizing rewarding merit as the main principle of justice
might mean that marginalized sections would be at a disadvantage in many areas because
they have not had access to facilities such as good nourishment or education.
• Equality →means that all people, as human beings, are entitled to the same rights and
opportunities to develop their skills and talents, and to pursue their goals and ambitions.
• Natural inequalities & social inequalities → natural inequality is a result of different
capabilities and social inequality is a result of discrimination or absence of equal
opportunities. Equality also has three dimensions → Political, social and economic.
• Political equality → enables citizens to develop themselves and participate in states’ affairs,
its necessary to remove any legal hurdles which might exclude people from a voice in
government and deny them access to available social goods.
• Social equality -> guarantee certain minimum conditions of life to all the members of the
society — adequate health care, the opportunity for good education, adequate nourishment
and a minimum wage, among other things. Like equal inheritance rights to women
• Economic equality – aims at equity.
• Marxism/Communism --> Ownership of means of production, economic activity in the
hands of people; propounded by Karl Marx, German philosopher; In effect - strong
government, single party system.
• Liberty → freedom for the people to choose their way of life, it is freedom with responsibility.
• Negative liberty -> Negative liberty’ seeks to define and defend an area in which the
individual would be inviolable, in which he or she could ‘do, be or become’ whatever he or she
wished to ‘do, be or become’. This is an area in which no external authority can interfere.
• Positive liberty- it recognizes that one can be free only in society (not outside it) and hence
tries to make that society such that it enables the development of the individual.
• Rule by Law -> “Rex is Lex.” Law used as a tool of repression, its enforced arbitrarily, with a
different set of rules favoring a few sections of the society. No control on authority->
decisions imposed on people.

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• Rule of Law -> “Lex is Rex.” Indian Constitution -> A.13. A.14, A.21. Controls unlimited powers
of authority.
• Dicey’s Rule of Law → Supremacy of law → governs all ; above all people; no man can be
punished except for violation of law and tried by ordinary court ; Equality before law → equal
treatment to all ; no one is above law & Predominance of legal spirit → constitution
recognizes your rights; Constitution is the result of rights and not source of it.
• Welfare State → State that promotes the social and economic well-being of its people;
Makes public expenditure on health, education, employment, social security etc.
• Rights→ Legal & moral entitlements/claims of a person over other fellow beings, society &
government.
• Types of rights → Natural Rights, Human Rights, Civil Rights, Constitutional rights, Statutory
rights, Fundamental rights.

Forum Learning Centre: Delhi - 2nd Floor, IAPL House, 19 Pusa Road, Karol Bagh, New Delhi - 110005| Patna - 2nd floor, AG Palace, E Boring Canal
Road, Patna, Bihar 800001| Hyderabad - 1st & 2nd Floor, SM Plaza, RTC X Rd, Indira Park Road, Jawahar Nagar, Hyderabad, Telangana 500020
9311740400, 9311740900 | https://academy.forumias.com | admissions@forumias.academy | helpdesk@forumias.academy