Grassroots Democracy — Part 1: Governance

About this chapter

This Class 6 Social Science chapter, the first of three 'Grassroots Democracy' chapters, introduces governance and democracy. It explains that when people live together rules are needed to maintain order and harmony; governance is the process of making and enforcing rules, government is the system that does so, and laws are the more important rules. Through a cybercrime example it introduces the three organs — legislature (makes laws), executive (implements them) and judiciary (courts that decide) — and the separation of powers with checks and balances (Fig. 10.3). It then describes three levels of government — local, State and Central — using bulb and flood analogies and the Fig. 10.5 table of national and State functions. Finally it defines democracy (Greek demos + kratos), contrasts direct and representative democracy, and explains grassroots democracy and voting. CTET tests definitions, the three organs, three tiers and democracy types. The four tests cover: Practice — recall; Quiz — application; Hard — PYQ-style statement and assertion items; Mastery — full-chapter mixed test.