IAS Mentorship

With Reyasat Ali Sir

POLITY LECTURES
NCERT CLASS 9 (PART I)

IAS MENTORSHIP
CHAPTER 1: DEMOCRACY IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD
• DEMOCRACY
• The word democracy comes from the Greek words
"demos", meaning people, and "kratos" meaning
power; so democracy can be thought of as "power
of the people": a way of governing which depends
on the will of the people.
• Democracy was defined as a “Government of the
people, by the people and for the people” by
Abraham Lincoln.

IAS MENTORSHIP
CHAPTER 1: DEMOCRACY IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD
• TWO TALES OF DEMOCRACY
1. CHILE:
• Chile is a country in South America.
• Salvador Allende was the President of Chile, and was the
founding leader of the Socialist Party of Chile who won
the presidential election in 1970.
• After being President, He adopted several policies to help
poor and the workers which included:
Opposing foreign companies Free milk for Free milk to
Educational that are taking away natural
children and redistribution of
Reforms resources like copper from
land to the landless farmers
the country.

• But, the policies were opposed by landlords, the rich and

the church and also by some other political parties.
IAS MENTORSHIP
CHAPTER 1: DEMOCRACY IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD
• MILITARY COUP OF 1973
On the morning of 11th September, 1973, the military took over the
Seaport and the Defence Minister was arrested.

General Augusto Pinochet, an Army general, led the coup.

The military commanders asked President Allende to resign but he

refused to resign or leave the country.

Thus, the military surrounded the President’s House and started

bombing it.

President Allende was killed in the Military attack

IAS MENTORSHIP
 CHAPTER 1: DEMOCRACY IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD
T•he government of the United States of America was unhappy with
Allende’s rule and is known to have supported and funded activities
that led to the coup.

Pinochet became the President of the country and ruled it for the next
17 years.

From a democratic government, a military dictatorship was established

in Chile.

Pinochet’s government tortured and killed several of those who

supported Allende and those who wanted democracy to be restored

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CHAPTER 1: DEMOCRACY IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD
RESTORATION OF DEMOCRACY

Pinochet’s military dictatorship came to an end after he decided to

hold a referendum in 1988.

The people’s vote was a decisive ‘no’ to Pinochet despite of his

confidence that they would say “yes” to his power continuation.

Thus, he first lost his political powers then the military powers.

The elected government that came to power ordered inquiries that

showed that his government was not only very brutal, but also very
corrupt.
In January 2006, Michelle Bachelet, daughter of General Alberto
Bachelet was elected President of Chile.
IAS MENTORSHIP
CHAPTER 1: DEMOCRACY IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD

2. POLAND
• In 1980, Poland was ruled by the Polish United
Workers’ Party, a non democratic communist party.
• No other political party was allowed to function in the
country.
• The people could neither elect their leaders by
themselves nor could speak against the government,
as they risked being put to Prison.
• The government in Poland was supported and
controlled by the government of the Soviet Union
(USSR), a vast and powerful communist state.

IAS MENTORSHIP
CHAPTER 1: DEMOCRACY IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD
STRIKE IN LENIN SHIPYARD
On 14 August 1980, the workers of Lenin Shipyard, owned by the
government in the city of Gdansk went on a strike.

The strike began with a demand to take back a crane operator, a

woman worker, who was unjustly dismissed from service.

This strike was illegal because trade unions independent of the ruling
party were not allowed in Poland.

Lech Walesa, a former electrician of the shipyard who was dismissed

from service in 1976 for demanding higher pay joined the strikers.

Initially government negotiated a new trade union called Solidarity

(Solidarnosc in Polish) was formed but later, in 1981 the ruler
General Jaruzeleski imposed martial law in the country.
IAS MENTORSHIP
 CHAPTER 1: DEMOCRACY IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD
RESTORATION OF DEMOCRACY

In 1988, Solidarity again organised the strikes.

→ This time the Polish government was weaker, the support from
Soviet Union uncertain and the economy was in decline.
Another round of negotiations with Walesa resulted in an agreement for
free elections, in April 1989.

Solidarity contested all the 100 seats of the Senate and won 99 of them.

In October 1990, Poland had its first presidential elections in which

more than one party could contest.

Walesa was elected President of Poland.

IAS MENTORSHIP
CHAPTER 1: DEMOCRACY IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD
• FEATURES OF DEMOCRACY
• Democracy is a form of government that allows people to
choose their rulers.

IAS MENTORSHIP
CHAPTER 1: DEMOCRACY IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD
• THE CHANGING MAP OF DEMOCRACY
•

IAS MENTORSHIP
 CHAPTER 1: DEMOCRACY IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD
• PHASES IN THE RXPANSION OF DEMOCRACY
THE In 1776, the British colonies in North America Early democracies
BEGINNING declared themselves independent and came were established
in Europe, North
together to form the United States of America.
America and Latin
America.
The French Revolution of 1789 inspired many
struggles for democracy all over Europe.
Through the eighteenth and the nineteenth
centuries, series of political events reduced the
power of monarchy and feudal lords in Britain. The
right to vote was granted to more and more people.
The nation struggling for democracy wanted voting right
granted universally to all adults — men or women, rich or
poor, white or black called ‘universal adult franchise’ or
‘universal suffrage’.
IAS MENTORSHIP
 CHAPTER 1: DEMOCRACY IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD
END OF People of the colonised countries struggled not
COLONIALISM
only to get rid of their colonial masters but also
wished to choose their future leaders.
Many countries and colonies become democracies
immediately after the end of Second World War, 1945
But not all democracies could remain democracies
for long, For example Ghana, which has a mix record.

Ghana used to be a British colony named Gold Coast. It became

independent in 1957. Being among the first countries in Africa to gain
independence, it inspired other African countries to struggle for freedom.
After independence, Kwame Nkrumah be- came the first prime minister
and then the president of Ghana. Soon after, in 1966, he was overthrown
by the military.

IAS MENTORSHIP
 CHAPTER 1: DEMOCRACY IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD

RECENT Democracy started spreading more quickly after

1980, which was fueled by the disintegration of
PHASE the Soviet Union in 1991.
The Soviet Union comprised 15 Republics which
emerged as independent countries and most of
them became democracies
Democracy was revived in several countries of
Latin America.

Pakistan and Bangladesh made a transition from army rule to democracies

in 1990s, but the changes in Pakistan was only temporary, as in 1999,
General Musharraf brought back the army rule.
In Nepal, the King gave up many of his powers to become a constitutional
monarch, but in 2005 the new king dismissed the elected government and
took back political freedom from the people.
IAS MENTORSHIP
CHAPTER 1: DEMOCRACY IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD
• MYANMAR
Myanmar, a neighboring country of India, gained
freedom from colonial rule in 1948 and became a
democracy.

But the democratic rule ended in 1962 with a

military coup.

The National League for Democracy, led by Aung

San Suu Kyi, won the election in 1990 elections.

But the military leaders of Myanmar refused recognise

the election results. Instead, the military put the
elected pro-democracy leaders, including Suu Kyi,
under house arrest.
Due to the coercive policies of the military-ruled
government in Myanmar, about 6 to 10 lakh
people in that country have been uprooted from
their homes and have taken shelter elsewhere.
IAS MENTORSHIP
CHAPTER 1: DEMOCRACY IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD

INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS
• There is no single government of the
world can pass any law that will apply to
all the people of the world.
• But there are many institutions in the
world that perform partially the
functions of such a government.
• These organizations cannot command
countries and citizens in a way a
government can, but they do make rules
that put limits on what governments can
do.

IAS MENTORSHIP
CHAPTER 1: DEMOCRACY IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD
•

IAS MENTORSHIP
CHAPTER 1: DEMOCRACY IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD
Are these decisions democratic?
The institutions functioning as world government do not hold democratic
decisions at present.

Not every country has free and equal say in the decisions that affect
them.

Five countries — US, UK, France, China and Russia — have the veto
power in the Security Council.
International Monetary Fund (IMF) is controlled by wealthy ten nations.

More than 52% of the voting power in the IMF is in the hands of these
ten countries (US, Japan, Germany, France, UK, China, Italy, Saudi Arabia,
Canada and Russia).
Also, the President of World Bank has been always an American.

IAS MENTORSHIP
CHAPTER 1: DEMOCRACY IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD

DEMOCRACY PROMOTION
Many powerful countries like the United States of America
believe that democracy should be promoted in the world —
even if force has to be used.

Powerful countries have launched attacks on non-

democratic countries.
Iraq is the biggest example. USA and its allies attacked
and occupied Iraq without UN sanction, on the pretext of
Iraq possessing nuclear weapons. They have even held
forced elections.
The war against Iraq was not authorized by the UN Security
Council. Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary-General, said that
the US war on Iraq was illegal.

IAS MENTORSHIP
CHAPTER 2: WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? WHY DEMOCRACY?
• DEMOCRACY is a form of government in which the rulers are
elected by the people.

IAS MENTORSHIP
CHAPTER 2: WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? WHY DEMOCRACY?
Individual
Freedom Free
Equality
Elections

Press Political
Freedom Participa
FEATURES OF tion
Peaceful
DEMOCRACY
Change
Majority
of
Rule
Governm
Indepen Limited ent
dent Popular Governm
Judiciary Represe ent
ntation

IAS MENTORSHIP
CHAPTER 2: WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? WHY DEMOCRACY?
Major Decisions by Elected leaders in a democracy,
In a democracy, the final
The people’s representatives own collective responsibility for
all the decisions taken by the government.
decision-making power
must rest with those
elected by the people.
But in many dictatorships and monarchies, the elected
representatives are deprived of involvement in the decision
making process.
For example in Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf acquired
power in October 1999 through a military coup.

In Pakistan, though they formally have an elected parliament

and government the real power is with those who are not
elected.
IAS MENTORSHIP
CHAPTER 2: WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? WHY DEMOCRACY?
Free and Fair electoral Competition
A democracy must be
In China, elections are regularly held after every five years for based on a free and fair
electing the country’s parliament called National People’s election where those
Congress. currently in power have
Before contesting elections, a candidate needs the approval of a fair chance of losing.
the Chinese Communist Party.
The government is always formed by the Communist Party.

In Mexico until 2000, every election was won by a party called

PRI (Institutional Revolutionary Party). Opposition parties did
contest elections but never managed to win. The PRI was known
to use many dirty tricks to win elections.
Both the cases should not be called a democracy.

IAS MENTORSHIP
CHAPTER 2: WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? WHY DEMOCRACY?
• One person, one vote, One value
In a democracy, each
• A true democracy grants its citizens what is called the
adult citizen must have
‘universal adult franchise’.
one vote and each vote
• There are many instances of denial of equal right to vote must have one value.
• (i) In Saudi Arabia women do not have the right to vote.
• (ii) Estonia has made its citizenship rules in such a way
that people belonging to the Russian minority find it
difficult to get the right to vote.
• (iii) In Fiji, the electoral system is such that the vote of an
indigenous Fiji has more value than that of an Indian-
Fijian.

IAS MENTORSHIP
CHAPTER 2: WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? WHY DEMOCRACY?
Rule of Law and respect for rights

Since independence, Zimbabwe is ruled by ZANU-PF.

A democratic
government rules within
Despite having elections regularly, it is always won by ZANU-PF. limits set by
Its leader, Robert Mugabe has been ruling the country. He is popular but constitutional law and
also uses unfair practices in elections. citizens’ rights.
Over the years President Mugabe has changed the constitution several
times to increase the powers of the president and make him less
accountable.
The example of Zimbabwe shows that popular approval of the rulers is
necessary in a democracy, but it is not sufficient. Popular government
can be undemocratic. Popular leaders can be autocratic.
In this case, government is not democratic as there is no there is no
citzens' basic rights, no political opposition, no judiciary.
IAS MENTORSHIP
CHAPTER 2: WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? WHY DEMOCRACY?
WHY DEMOCRACY
Changing leaders can lead to
ARGUMENTS FOR DEMOCRACY

It is a more instability.
accountable form of Morality is lost between
government. political competition and
power play

ARGUMENTS AGAINST DEMOCRACY

It improves the quality
of decision-making. many people have to be
consulted in a democracy
It provides a method to that it leads to delays.
deal with differences Elected leaders do not know
and conflicts. the best interest of the
It enhances the dignity people. It leads to bad
of citizens. decisions.
Democracy leads to
Allows us to correct our corruption for it is based on
own mistakes electoral competition.

IAS MENTORSHIP
CHAPTER 2: WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? WHY DEMOCRACY?
BROADER MEANINGS OF DEMOCRACY

Modern Democracies involve such a large number of people that it is

physically impossible for them to sit together and take a collective
decision.

The most common form that democracy takes in our time is that of a
representative democracy where majority is allowed to take decisions
on behalf of all the people.

Representative democracy is one in which people elect their

representative to legislatures.

These representatives in turn form the government and govern.

A democratic decision involves consultation with and consent of all

those who are affected by that decision.
IAS MENTORSHIP
 CHAPTER 3: CONSTITUTIONAL DESIGN
• CONSTITUTION
• A Constitution of a country is a set of written rules that
are accepted by all people living together in a country.
• It is a written document that creates a government and
describes how that government is supposed to work and
function.
• It lists the powers the government has and also points
out its responsibilities.
• It is the supreme law that determines the relationship
among people living in a territory (called citizens) and
also the relationship between the people and
government.

IAS MENTORSHIP
 CHAPTER 3: CONSTITUTIONAL DESIGN
• DEMOCRATIC CONSTITUTION IN SOUTH AFRICA
• Struggle against Apartheid
• Apartheid was the system of racial discrimination or
segregation on grounds of race unique to South Africa.
• The white Europeans imposed this system on South
Africa.
• The system of apartheid divided the people and labelled
them on the basis of their skin colour.
• The white rulers treated all non-whites as inferiors.
• This system was particularly oppressive for the blacks.

IAS MENTORSHIP
CHAPTER 3: CONSTITUTIONAL DESIGN
The policy of apartheid
denied human rights
and rendered the
government of South
Africa among the most
oppressive regimes in
the world in the 20th
century.

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 CHAPTER 3: CONSTITUTIONAL DESIGN
• The African National Congress (ANC) was the umbrella
organisation that led the struggle against the policies of
segregation.
• Several countries denounced apartheid as unjust and
racist.
• But the white racist government continued to rule by
detaining, torturing and killing thousands of black and
coloured people.
• In 1962, Nelson Mandela and seven other leaders were
sentenced to life imprisonment for opposing the apartheid
regime in his country.

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 CHAPTER 3: CONSTITUTIONAL DESIGN
TOWARDS A NEW CONSTITUTION

As protests and struggles against apartheid had increased, the white regime
changed its policies.

Discriminatory laws were repealed.

Ban on political parties and restrictions on the media were lifted.

After 28 years of imprisonment, Nelson Mandela was finally released from

jail.
Finally, at midnight of 26 April 1994, the new national flag of the Republic of
South Africa was unfurled making the newly born democracy in the world.

In 1999 the first democratic elections were held and Nelson Mandela was
elected the President of South Africa.

IAS MENTORSHIP
 CHAPTER 3: CONSTITUTIONAL DESIGN
THE NEW CONSTITUTION

The party that had ruled through oppression and brutal killings
and the party that led the freedom struggle sat together to draw
up a common constitution. One of the finest constitutions the
world has ever had.
It gave to its citizens the most extensive rights available in any
country.
The Constitution makes it clear that in the search for a solution
to the problems, nobody should be excluded, no one should be
treated as a demon.
Everybody should become part of the solution, whatever they
might have done or represented in the past.

IAS MENTORSHIP
 CHAPTER 3: CONSTITUTIONAL DESIGN
• WHY DO WE NEED A CONSTITUTION?

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 CHAPTER 3: CONSTITUTIONAL DESIGN
• MAKING OF THE INDIAN CONSTITUTION
• The making of the Constitution for a huge and diverse
country like India was not an easy affair.
• The country was born through a partition on the basis of
religious differences. At Least ten lakh people were killed
on both sides of the border in partition related violence.
• The merger of the princely states was a difficult and
uncertain task as well.
• The makers of the constitution had anxieties about the
present and the future of the country.

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 CHAPTER 3: CONSTITUTIONAL DESIGN
• THE PATH TO THE CONSTITUTION
Our national movement was not merely a struggle against a
foreign rule. It was also a struggle to rejuvenate our country
and to transform our society and politics.

From 1858 onwards, the British Government passed many

Acts for the government of India but could not satisfy Indian
aspiration.

The experience gained by Indians in the working of the

legislative institutions proved to be very useful for the
country in setting up its own institutions.

Many of our leaders were inspired by the ideals of the French

Revolutions, the practice of Parliamentary democracy in
Britain and the Bill of Rights in the USA and Russian
Revolution
IAS MENTORSHIP
 CHAPTER 3: CONSTITUTIONAL DESIGN
They also got inspiration from the Constitution drafted by Moti Lal
Nehru and eight other Congress leaders in 1928, and the outlines of
the Indian Constitution prepared by the Indian National Congress at its
Karachi session in 1931.

The demand for a Constitution was first raised in 1934 by the Indian
National Congress.

In 1938, Jawaharlal Nehru formulated the demand for a Constituent

Assembly.

IAS MENTORSHIP
 CHAPTER 3: CONSTITUTIONAL DESIGN
THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY
The Constitution of India was framed by a Constituent
Assembly set up under the Cabinet Mission Plan, 1946.
The drafting of the Constitution was done by an
assembly of elected representatives called the
Constituent Assembly.
Elections to the Constituent Assembly were held in July
1946. Its first meeting was held in December 6, 1946 and
elected Dr. Rajendra Prasad as its Chairman.
The assembly consisted of 389 members representing
provinces (292), states (93), the chief commissioner
provinces (3) and Baluchistan (1).
IAS MENTORSHIP
 CHAPTER 3: CONSTITUTIONAL DESIGN
THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY

Dr B.R. Ambedkar was appointed Chairman of the Drafting

Committee.
The Assembly adopted the Constitution on 26 November 1949
but it came into effect on January 26, 1950. To mark this day we
celebrate January 26 as Republic Day every year.
The Constitution reflects the best minds of the country. The
Constituent Assembly was called Mini- India.

Every law was debated clause by clause and a consensus arrived

at.
Our Constitution is the longest written Constitution in the
world.
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 CHAPTER 3: CONSTITUTIONAL DESIGN
GUIDING VALUES OF THE INDIAN CONSTITUTION:

The Dream and the Promise

Though Mahatma Gandhi was not a member of the Constituent

Assembly, there were many members who followed his vision.

He visualized for a country, where all communities should live in

perfect harmony. India will be free from the curse of
untouchability, intoxicating drinks and drugs. Men and women
will enjoy the same rights.

BR Ambedkar played a key role in the making of the Constitution

but he differed with Gandhiji on how inequalities should be
removed.

IAS MENTORSHIP
 CHAPTER 3: CONSTITUTIONAL DESIGN
PHILOSOPHY OF THE CONSTITUTION
The Constitution begins with a short statement of its basic values that
inspired and guided the Freedom struggle in the Preamble to the
constitution.
Taking inspiration from American model, most countries in the
contemporary world have chosen to begin their constitutions with a
preamble.
It contains the philosophy on which the entire Constitution has been built.

It provides a standard to examine and evaluate any law and action of

government, to find out whether it is good or bad.

It is the soul of the Indian Constitution.

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CHAPTER 3: CONSTITUTIONAL DESIGN

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CHAPTER 3: CONSTITUTIONAL DESIGN

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CHAPTER 3: CONSTITUTIONAL DESIGN

IAS MENTORSHIP
 CHAPTER 3: CONSTITUTIONAL DESIGN
• INSTITUTIONAL DESIGN
A constitution is mainly about embodying the values and
philosophies into institutional arrangements.

Those who crafted the Indian Constitution felt that it has to be

in accordance with people’s aspirations and changes in society.

They did not see it as a sacred, static and unalterable law.

So, they made provisions to incorporate changes from time to

time.

These changes are called Constitutional Amendments.

IAS MENTORSHIP