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Indian Polity

🧭 CHAPTER 3: WHAT IS GOVERNMENT?


 

📘 1. Why Do We Need a Government?

  • People live in groups and need rules to avoid chaos.

  • A government helps make these rules, enforce them, and ensure order.

  • It takes decisions, manages resources, and maintains peace in society.

⚙️ 2. What Does the Government Do?

  • Builds infrastructure: roads, schools, hospitals

  • Manages crises: earthquakes, pandemics, floods

  • Protects people: with police, army, and laws

  • Runs services: postal services, transport, electricity

  • Improves welfare: implements schemes for the poor, healthcare access, food

🔍 Example: COVID-19 response involved laws, hospitals, vaccines—managed by the government.

🏛️ 3. Levels of Government

Level Function
Local Panchayats, Municipalities – manage villages, towns
State Manages the state – education, roads, policing
National Parliament, PM, Central Govt – for whole country

🗳️ 4. Types of Government

🟢 Democracy

  • People elect representatives.

  • Government is accountable to people.

  • Must explain decisions and take public opinion.

🔴 Monarchy

  • King/Queen rules with absolute power.

  • Citizens have no voting rights.

  • No obligation to explain decisions.

⚖️ India is a Democratic country where leaders are elected by people.

🗳️ 5. Representative Democracy in India

  • Citizens do not participate directly but elect representatives.

  • These elected leaders make laws and take decisions on behalf of the people.

  • This is known as representative democracy.

📜 6. Universal Adult Franchise

  • Every adult (18+) can vote regardless of caste, gender, income, or religion.

  • Core feature of democracy.

  • Ensures equal participation in governance.

📰 7. Young India

  • A weekly English newspaper by Mahatma Gandhi

  • Popularised the demand for Swaraj (self-rule)

🧠 Summary:

  • Government is essential for peace, law, services, and welfare.

  • India is a democracy with three levels of government.

  • Representative democracy empowers elected leaders.

  • Universal adult franchise allows equal participation.

📝 MCQs for Practice

✅ Level 1 (Moderate)

  1. Government where people elect representatives:
    → (d) Democratic

  2. Government works at:
    → (b) Three levels

  3. Which is NOT part of government:
    → (d) Private Companies

  4. Democratic government is also called:
    → (c) Representative Democracy

  5. People don’t participate directly but elect reps:
    → (a) Representative Democracy

  6. Universal adult franchise means:
    → (c) All adults can vote

  7. “Young India” was started by:
    → (b) Mahatma Gandhi

✅ Level 2 (Advanced)

Q1. Role of govt includes healthcare, not disaster mgmt?
→ (a) 1 only (Govt manages both)

Q2. Democratic govt is answerable, monarchy is not
→ (a) 1 only

Q3. Democracy facts:

  • India is a democracy ✅

  • Reps make decisions ✅

  • UAF is included ✅
    → Correct: (c) 1 and 3 only

Q4. Assertion & Reason:

  • A: Govt has 3 levels ✅

  • R: Laws apply to all ✅
    → (b) Both true but R is not full explanation of A

🧩 Thought Exercise:

Think about the three levels of government in your area.
Have you ever seen them work—local (Panchayat), state (MLA), or national (MP)?