Grassroots Democracy – Part 1: Governance — Class 6 Social Science
Exploring Society: India and Beyond · Chapter 10
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5- Mathematics
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- Space weighted by chapter size
- Charts from the book's own data
- Traps corrected
- Space weighted by chapter size
- Charts from the book's own data
- Traps corrected
- Space weighted by chapter size
- Charts from the book's own data
- Traps corrected
- Space weighted by chapter size
- Charts from the book's own data
- Traps corrected
- Space weighted by chapter size
- Charts from the book's own data
- Traps corrected
Chapter summary
Key ideas & terms
- Governance
- The process of taking decisions, organising society with rules, and ensuring those rules are followed.
- Legislature
- The organ of government that makes, updates or removes laws through an assembly of representatives.
- Executive
- The organ of government that implements the laws, including the head of state, ministers and enforcement agencies.
- Judiciary
- The system of courts that decides whether laws have been broken and whether decisions are fair.
- Separation of powers
- Keeping the three organs of government separate so each can check the others and keep balance.
- Democracy
- A system of ‘rule of the people’, in India working through elected representatives.
Extra questions & answers
Why are rules necessary in society?
When many people live together there can be disagreements and disorder, so rules are needed to maintain order and harmony.
What is the difference between governance and government?
Governance is the process of making and enforcing rules; the government is the group or system that does this.
Name the three organs of government and their roles.
The legislature makes laws, the executive implements them, and the judiciary decides whether laws are broken and decisions are fair.
What is meant by the ‘separation of powers’?
Keeping the three organs of government separate so that each can check the others and restore balance — a system of checks and balances.
What are the three levels of government in India?
Local (town or village), State, and Central or Union government.
How are the three levels seen in dealing with a flood?
A small flood is handled by local authorities, a larger one by the State government, and a massive flood also by the Central government.
What does the word ‘democracy’ mean?
It comes from the Greek dēmos (people) and kratos (rule), so it means the ‘rule of the people’.
Why is India a representative democracy?
Because all people cannot rule directly, so citizens elect representatives — MLAs at the State level and MPs at the national level — to make laws for them.
Why is India called the world's largest democracy?
Because it had about 970 million voters in 2024, more than any other democracy in the world.
What is grassroots democracy?
A system that enables and encourages ordinary citizens at the base level to participate and have a say in decisions affecting them.
The Big Questions
1. What is the meaning of ‘governance’?
Governance is the process of taking decisions, organising how society lives together with different sets of rules and laws, and making sure those rules are followed so that order and harmony are maintained.
2. Why do we need a government?
We need a government because when many people live together there can be disagreements and disorder. A government makes rules and laws, implements them and ensures they are followed, provides public services, maintains law and order, and makes it possible for society to function peacefully.
3. What is the meaning of ‘democracy’? Why is it important?
The word democracy comes from the Greek demos meaning people and kratos meaning rule, so it means rule of the people. In a democracy citizens elect their representatives to take decisions on their behalf. It is important because it gives all adults a voice, ensures equality, justice and respect for different identities, and allows people to participate in decisions that affect them.
LET'S EXPLORE
Describe the two pictures given in Fig. 10.1 on page 151 — what differences do you see between them?
The top picture shows an orderly scene. Vehicles are in their lanes, people are crossing at the zebra crossing, traffic lights and road signs are being obeyed. The bottom picture shows a complete traffic jam and disorder. Autos, cars and buses are stuck in all directions, people and cyclists are crossing randomly and there is chaos. The first shows discipline, the second shows what happens without discipline.
How do you connect this with our discussion on rules?
The two pictures show why rules are needed. When traffic rules are followed, as in the top picture, movement is smooth and safe. When rules are not followed, as in the bottom picture, there is confusion, delay and danger. Similarly, society needs rules and laws to function smoothly; without them life becomes disorderly.
What are some of the rules in your school? Who made them?
Some common school rules are wearing the proper uniform, reaching school on time, maintaining silence in the library, standing in assembly, not littering, and completing homework on time. These rules are made by the principal and school management together with teachers, and sometimes with inputs from parents and student representatives, to ensure discipline, safety and a good learning environment.
LET'S EXPLORE
Can you identify the categories of public service or other activities that are represented in the ten pictures in Fig. 10.2 on page 152?
The ten pictures represent: 1. road construction and infrastructure, 2. railways and public transport, 3. defence and border security by the armed forces, 4. public health and medical services, 5. disaster management and relief by rescue workers, 6. traffic management and policing, 7. justice through the Supreme Court, 8. education in schools, 9. postal services, and 10. law-making in Parliament or legislature.
What role do you think the government plays in each of these activities?
The government funds, organises, manages and regulates each activity. It builds and maintains roads and runs the railways, maintains the army for defence, runs government hospitals and health programmes, sends rescue teams during disasters, appoints police to maintain order, runs courts to deliver justice, runs schools and sets education policy, runs the postal network, and makes laws in the legislature for all these areas.
Can you think of other aspects of your daily life where the government plays an important role?
The government plays a role in providing clean drinking water, electricity, sanitation and waste collection, maintaining parks, providing ration shops and subsidies, issuing identity documents like Aadhaar, managing public banks and currency, regulating food safety and pollution, building and maintaining playgrounds and libraries, and providing internet and communication networks.
LET'S EXPLORE
Explain how the three government organs are at work in the case of the cybercriminals described above. How do they intervene?
In the cybercrime example all three organs work together: The legislature makes or updates laws against cybercrime to define what is illegal and what the punishment should be. The executive, through the cyber police and other agencies, investigates complaints, tracks the criminals, arrests them and enforces the law. The judiciary, through the courts, examines the evidence, decides whether the accused have broken the law, and if guilty, awards punishment such as a fine and jail, and also checks that the law and the executive action are fair.
LET'S EXPLORE
As a class activity, can you imagine the sort of disorder we might witness if all three organs were under the control of the same group of people? Can you describe any such real-life situation you may have heard of?
If the same group controlled the legislature, executive and judiciary there would be no checks and balances. That group could make unfair laws that benefit only itself, enforce them harshly, and no court could stop them or give justice to ordinary people. There would be misuse of power, corruption, loss of freedom of speech, and people could not get a fair trial. This is what happens in a dictatorship or authoritarian rule. History has examples of kings with absolute power or modern dictators where all powers were concentrated in one person or party.
LET'S EXPLORE
Observe the table (Fig. 10.5). Highlight the functions and responsibilities that affect your life the most.
From the table, the functions that affect a Class 6 student most are Education at both Central and State levels because it decides school curriculum and facilities, Public health because it relates to hospitals and vaccination, Police, law and order for daily safety, Local government for water, sanitation and roads in the neighbourhood, and Communications and Currency which are part of everyday life. Students can highlight these based on their own experience.
Ask two or three adults about their connection or interaction with the government — at what levels does it take place and for what purpose?
Adults interact with the government at all three levels. At the local level they pay property tax, get water and electricity connections, and approach the municipality for birth certificates. At the State level they may visit a government hospital, deal with police matters, or contact the education department for school issues. At the Central level they pay income tax, use passports, post office services, and benefit from national policies like railways, defence and currency. The purpose is to get services, follow legal requirements, and seek help or redressal.
Questions, activities and projects
1. Test yourself — What is the meaning of democracy? What is the difference between direct democracy and representative democracy?
Democracy means rule of the people, from Greek demos people and kratos rule. It is a system where people have the power to choose their government and participate in decision making. In direct democracy every citizen directly participates in taking decisions, for example the whole class voting to choose a picnic spot. In representative democracy citizens elect representatives such as MLAs and MPs who meet in assemblies and Parliament to discuss and make laws on their behalf. India is a large representative democracy because it is not practical for all 970 million voters to decide every matter directly.
2. Recall the three organs of government. What are their different roles?
The three organs are the legislature, the executive and the judiciary. The legislature makes new laws, changes or removes old laws through assemblies of elected representatives. The executive implements or executes the laws; it includes the President, Prime Minister, Chief Ministers, ministers and agencies like the police. The judiciary is the system of courts which decides if someone has broken a law, awards punishment, and checks whether laws and executive actions are fair and constitutional.
3. Why do we need three tiers of government?
We need three tiers — local, State and Central — because different problems need to be handled at different levels. Small local issues like street cleaning or a minor flood can be handled by the local government. Bigger issues covering many villages and towns need the State government. Very large issues affecting the whole country need the Central government. This division makes governance quicker, more efficient and closer to the people, and follows the idea of grassroots democracy.
4. Project: Many of you will remember the lockdown that took place during the COVID-19 pandemic. Make a list of all the actions that were taken at that time? Which tiers of government were involved in managing the situation? What was the role of each of the organs of government?
Actions during lockdown included closing schools and offices, stopping trains and flights, imposing curfew and social distancing, making masks compulsory, setting up quarantine centres, distributing food and rations, and running vaccination drives. All three tiers were involved: the local government ensured sanitation, door-to-door surveying and distribution of essentials; the State government managed hospitals, police enforcement and State-level guidelines; the Central government issued nationwide lockdown orders, controlled airports and railways, procured vaccines and coordinated with states. Among organs, the legislature enabled laws and rules under the Disaster Management Act, the executive implemented them through administrators, health workers and police, and the judiciary ensured that restrictions were reasonable and protected citizens' rights while hearing cases related to the pandemic.