India's Democratic Government
(My World and I)
A. Complete the sentences in your notebook:
Use (a), (b) and (c) to separate the points in your answer.
1. Three important features of democracy are
= (a) It is a form of government in which a constitution guarantees fundamental rights to all the people.
(b) There are fair and free elections.
(c) There are courts where people can go if there is any disagreement.
2. The three branches of the Indian state are
= (a) The Legislature.
(b) The Executive.
(c) The Judiciary.
3. Three important functions of the executive are
= (a) Ministers make sure that the policies of the governments are carried out.
(b) Governments plan and present laws for discussion and approval to the Parliament or to the Vidhan Sabha.
(c) Governments also prepare the budget and decide the taxes that people have to pay.
B. Fill in the blanks.
1. State means a country that is controlled by one government.
2. The Prime Minister is the head of a country and the Governor is the head of a state.
3. The Supreme Court is the highest court in India.
4. The judiciary explains the meaning of the Constitution when it is not clear.
5. The judiciary also makes sure that people get justice.
C. Write true or false.
1. Legislature have no control over how the government manages its money. [F]
2. In a federal structure power is divided between the union and state governments. [F]
3. The real power in the central government is with the Prime Minister and in the state with the Chief Minister. [T]
4. The concurrent List contains those powers that are shared by the union and the state governments. [T]
5. The judiciary does not protect the rights and freedoms of Indian citizens. [F]
6. Disputes between Indians are settled by the legislature. [F]
D. Match the following.
=
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A
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B
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1. Rastrapati
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a. Legislative assembly. [3]
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2. Rajyapal
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b. Member of Parliament. [4]
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3. Vidhan Sabha
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c. President. [1]
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4. MP
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d. Members of Legislative Assembly. [5]
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5. MLA
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e. Governor. [2]
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E. Answer the following questions.
1. Explain in a short paragraph why a system of checks and balances is important in a democracy.
= The Indian democracy is designed in such a way that the three branches of the Indian state and Also the Indian people, can act as a check on each other. This makes sure that power is not misused. This is called a system of checks and balances and is a very important part of a democracy.
2. Give two differences and two similarities between the legislatures at the centre and in the states.
= Two differences between the legislature at the centre and in the states are –
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At Centre
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In the
States
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The central
legislature is called Sansad or Parliament. It has two ‘houses’. These are
the Loksabha and the Rajya Sabha.
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In most states the legislative has only one house, called the legislative Assembly
Or the Vidhan Sabha.
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Members are
elected to the Lok-sabha and Rajya Sabha from every part of the country.
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Members are elected from all over the state. They are called MLAs (Members of
the Legislative Assembly.)
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Two similarities between the legislature at the Centre and in the States are-
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At Centre
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In the States
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They make laws for the whole country.
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It makes laws
for their states.
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Keeps a cheek on how the executive branch at the centre
functions. This is done by asking questions by discussions.
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Keep a check on the functioning of the executive branch through
questions and discussions.
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3. Name the three lists under which power is shared between the centre and the states. Give one example of the subject under each list.
= The three lists under which power is shared between the centre and the states. Give one example of the subject under each list are –
(i). Union List – the railways.
(ii). State List – the police.
(iii). Concurrent List – education.
4. Explain the pyramid-shaped structure of the judiciary with the help of a diagram.
= Unlike the legislature and the executive, the judiciary of the entire country is one system. It is like a pyramid. At the top of the pyramid is the supreme Court. It is the highest court and is located at New Delhi. Its head is the Chief Justice of India.
High Courts are the middle level. There are 21 High Courts. each has a chief Justice as its head.
At the lowest level of the pyramid are the District Courts. There are several hundred district courts in India.
5. How are union territories different from the states of India?
= The union territories are governed directly by the union government in the name of the President of India, through an administrator ( someone who runs an organisation) for each union territory.
