Grassroots Democracy - Part 1: Governance | CBSE Class 6 Civics Notes

This note covers rules and laws, governance and government, public services, the three organs of government, separation of powers, the three levels of government, national and State institutions, democracy, elected representatives and participation by ordinary citizens.

Why do communities need rules and governance?

A community is a group of people living together. When many people share a society, disagreements and disorder can arise. Rules help people live together with order and harmony. Without people following rules, society would not be able to function.

Rules operate in familiar settings. There are probably simple rules at home. Schools have rules for students and teachers, while students taking examinations in higher classes must follow examination rules. On roads, drivers are expected to follow traffic rules.

Rules also apply in working life. Employees follow rules set by their employers. Employers, in turn, must follow the rules to which they have committed themselves in relation to their employees. Rules therefore concern both sides of this relationship.

What does governance mean?

Definition: Governance is the process of making decisions, organising society through different sets of rules and making sure those rules are followed.

Governance includes both deciding what should happen and ensuring that the decision works in practice. Making a rule is one part of the process; ensuring that people follow it is another. Together, these activities help organise life in society.

A government is the group of individuals, or the system, that makes rules and ensures that people follow them. Laws are some of the more important rules. These terms are connected, but they do not describe exactly the same thing.

Keep the distinction clear: governance describes a process, while government identifies the group or system carrying it out. A question about why rules are needed concerns order and harmony; a question about governance also concerns decisions and the following of rules.

Can rules change, and how do they affect everyday life?

Rules and laws are not fixed once and for all. A family can discuss a household rule. A student body can ask school or university management to change a rule. Similarly, citizens, the members of a country, have a say in the rules and laws governing society.

The need to follow rules does not remove the possibility of discussing them. Rules organise common life, while discussion allows people to raise questions about how that life is organised. These ideas connect everyday experiences at home and school with the work of government.

What do the road illustrations show?

The upper illustration shows a road junction with traffic lights, marked crossings and vehicles arranged along the road. The lower illustration shows a crowded mixture of vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians moving through the same space.

See Fig. 10.1 in your NCERT textbook

These are illustrations, not photographs of an identified place. Their contrast helps explain why shared rules matter. The orderly arrangement in the upper picture can be compared with the crowded movement in the lower one when discussing traffic rules.

Where can government activity be seen?

Ten illustrations show road construction, a train, soldiers, a medical consultation, a rescue team, traffic policing, a court building, classroom teaching, postal work and people being served at office counters.

See Fig. 10.2 in your NCERT textbook

Public services are services provided for people in society. The pictures connect government with many parts of daily life: travel, safety, health, education and communication. The final office-counter scene shows people receiving assistance; it does not name a particular scheme or office.

The range of activities helps explain why government involves more than making rules. Rules must also be put into practice, services organised and problems addressed. The different kinds of government work become clearer by distinguishing its organs, or branches, and its levels, or areas of operation.

What are the three organs of government?

An organ of government is a branch with a particular kind of work. The three organs are the legislature, executive and judiciary. They work together, but making a law, implementing it and deciding whether it has been broken are different responsibilities.

What does the legislature do?

The legislature makes new laws. To legislate means to make laws. Sometimes the legislature also changes existing laws or removes them. This work takes place in an assembly of representatives of the people, meaning people chosen to speak and act on their behalf.

What does the executive do?

The executive implements laws, meaning that it puts them into effect. It includes government leaders, ministers and agencies responsible for enforcing law and order. The cyber police, who deal with digital criminal activity, provide an example of such an agency.

What does the judiciary do?

The judiciary is the system of courts. It decides whether someone has broken the law. If so, it decides what action should follow, including punishment if necessary. Deciding a case is therefore different from making a law or enforcing it.

Sometimes the judiciary also examines whether an executive decision is right or whether a law passed by the legislature is well conceived and fair to all. Its role is therefore wider than deciding punishment alone.

The distinction is about functions, meaning the work each branch performs. A law can be made by the legislature, acted upon by the executive and applied in a case by the judiciary. The three roles form connected parts of government.

How does the cybercrime example explain the organs of government?

Digital technology means technology used through electronic systems, such as those that allow money to be sent electronically. Digital methods have changed how people send payments. They also create opportunities for criminals to steal money through these systems.

Earlier methods included a money order, a way of sending money through the Post Office, and a demand draft, a bank-issued payment document that could be sent by post. Sending money could involve filling in a form and waiting in a queue.

Digital methods now allow money to be sent instantly. However, some criminals use digital methods to steal money without leaving their desks. Such criminal activity is called cybercrime. Many governments have passed new laws to fight it.

How do the three branches respond?

1. A new problem arises when criminals use digital methods to steal people's money.
2. The legislature makes laws to deal with such criminal activities.
3. The executive puts the laws into practice, with agencies such as the cyber police taking action.
4. The judiciary decides whether the law has been broken and what action, including punishment if necessary, should follow.

This sequence links a change in society with a response through law. The legislature supplies the law, the executive enforces it and the judiciary decides the case. These are separate contributions to dealing with the same problem.

Some cyber criminals have been arrested and convicted, meaning found guilty in court. They are usually fined as well as jailed for some years. A fine is a money penalty. The word “usually” matters: it does not mean an identical punishment follows in every case.

Note: Keep the three actions distinct: making the law, enforcing it and deciding the case in court. In this example, cyber police are part of enforcement, while the court decides whether the law has been broken.

Why are separation of powers and checks and balances important?

Separation of powers means keeping the legislature, executive and judiciary separate, even though they interact and work together. Good governance requires this separation. It recognises that the three branches have different responsibilities within the same system.

Checks and balances means that each organ can check what the others are doing and restore balance if an organ acts beyond its expected role. Separation of powers is intended to provide this system. It combines distinct responsibilities with the ability to check government action.

How can separate organs still cooperate?

The cybercrime example shows cooperation. Laws are made to address digital crime, an enforcement agency takes action and a court decides whether a law has been broken. Each branch contributes through its own role rather than carrying out all three functions.

The judiciary's wider work also helps explain checking. Sometimes it examines executive decisions or considers whether legislation is fair to all. This connects its role with the work of the other branches while preserving the distinction between their responsibilities.

Three coloured segments surround a centre labelled “Governance”. They are labelled “Legislature”, “Judiciary” and “Executive”. Paired arrows between the segments show connections among the organs.

See Fig. 10.3 in your NCERT textbook

Read the diagram as a relationship among branches, not as a picture of different territorial levels. Its labels identify kinds of government work. The connected segments show that separation does not mean the branches have no interaction.

A useful distinction is between working together and being controlled as one undivided branch. Separation keeps the roles distinct; checks and balances allow examination of how those roles are being performed. Both ideas are necessary to explain the purpose of separating powers.

Why does India have three levels of government?

A level, or tier, of government describes the area over which government works. Democratic governments operate at multiple levels. In many countries, including India, there are three: local, State or regional, and national. Each level deals with different matters.

India has local government at the town or village level, State government at the State level and Central government at the national level. The Central government is also called the Union government. These names identify levels, not the three organs.

How does a familiar problem explain levels?

Consider a bulb at home that does not light. First, the bulb, switch and fuse can be checked. If this does not solve the problem, an electrician may be called. If the problem lies outside the home, a complaint may need to go to the Electricity Board.

This comparison shows how a problem can require attention at different levels. A response depends on where the difficulty lies and how far it extends. Government similarly has different levels to deal with matters of different scope.

A pyramid has “Local Government” at its broad base, “State Government” in its middle and “Central Government” at the top. The adjoining labels identify the town or village, State and national levels respectively.

See Fig. 10.4 in your NCERT textbook

Do not confuse organs with levels. Legislature, executive and judiciary answer the question “What kind of work is being done?” Local, State and Central answer “At what level does government operate?” Both distinctions describe the organisation of government, but in different ways.

How can the three levels respond to a flood?

A flood following heavy rain illustrates why government needs different levels. The appropriate response depends on the scale of the problem. A flood affecting part of a district and one affecting vast areas need not involve the same combination of authorities.

What changes as the affected area grows?

If a flood in part of a district is not too severe, local authorities may be able to handle it. This is a possibility linked to the flood's severity, not a claim that every local flood can be managed without other help.

If the flood involves several towns and many villages, the State Government will step in and send rescue teams to help those affected. Rescue teams assist people facing danger. This response addresses a problem extending across a wider area.

If a massive flood affects vast areas, the Central Government may also help. It can send relief supplies, meaning supplies to help affected people, and the army. The wording shows additional support becoming possible as the scale of the emergency increases.

The example shows how levels can work together. Central assistance does not erase the local or State level from the description. The word “also” matters because it presents national help as an addition to the response.

The severity and extent of flooding affect which levels of government become involved. Local authorities may handle a flood that is not too severe, the State Government helps when several towns and many villages are affected, and the Central Government may also help when vast areas are affected.

Which institutions work at the national and State levels?

An institution is an organised body carrying out a public role. At the national and State levels, different institutions carry out legislative, executive and judicial functions. A House is an assembly where laws are discussed or passed.

The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are the two Houses that formulate national laws. At the State level, the State Assembly is called the Vidhan Sabha. Most States have a single assembly; a few States have two.

Nominal means “in name only”. Here, it means that the President and Governor are not the actual executive heads. They do have certain powers under special circumstances, but normally do not interfere in the affairs of the Central or State government.

The executive head is the actual head of the executive: the Prime Minister at the Centre and the Chief Minister in a State. The Indian Armed Forces are India's military forces; the President is their Supreme Commander.

How do the institutions compare?

What responsibilities are listed for each executive?

The following lists are not exhaustive, meaning they do not include every responsibility. Education is a responsibility of both the Central and State executives. These lists do not include every government responsibility.

Defence concerns national protection; foreign affairs concerns relations with other countries. Atomic energy is energy from atoms; communications concerns conveying information. Currency means money in use, and inter-state commerce means trade between States.

National policies are plans guiding action for the country. Public health concerns people's health, agriculture concerns farming and irrigation means supplying water to crops. These meanings help connect the responsibility labels with the activities they describe.

What does Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam's example show about a nominal head?

A nominal position can still allow a person to influence people's lives. Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam provides an example. He was born in 1931 in a humble family in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, and became a renowned scientist.

He was known as the “Missile Man of India” because of his crucial contribution to India's space programme, missile programme and nuclear capabilities. This nickname refers to his scientific work. His later public role included serving as President of India.

How did he connect with people?

Dr. Kalam served as India's 11th President from 2002 to 2007. Despite his high position, he remained closely connected with people, especially young people. His interests included good education and innovation, meaning the development of new ideas.

His humility, commitment to social causes and dedication to the country inspired millions. He encouraged young Indians to set ambitious goals and work hard towards them. His example shows why “nominal” should not be understood as “unable to have an important influence”.

His advice emphasised having a great aim, acquiring knowledge, working hard and showing perseverance, meaning continuing one's efforts. He also encouraged a positive response to setbacks. These ideas connect learning with effort and sustained commitment to a goal.

Keep the two ideas separate. The President's position is nominal in the description of executive leadership. Dr. Kalam's influence through education, encouragement and public service concerns the impact he had on people. His example does not change the Prime Minister's position as executive head.

When explaining this example, connect the role with the evidence: he held the Presidency, remained close to the public and encouraged young people. This supports the conclusion that a nominal head can still make an important contribution to public life.

How do representative, direct and grassroots democracy work?

Democracy literally means the rule of the people. Its name comes from the Greek words dēmos, meaning people, and kratos, meaning rule or power. Representatives of the people are a foundation of the democratic form of governance adopted by most countries.

Why do people elect representatives?

Having everyone act together on every matter is not practical. A class can send a representative to its principal about a classroom problem or a proposed field-trip date. This illustrates the idea of someone speaking on behalf of a larger group.

In representative democracy, people vote in elections to choose representatives for their assemblies. At State level, they are generally called Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs). At national level, they are called Members of Parliament (MPs).

Representatives discuss laws, problems and solutions. When opinions differ, they try to persuade one another through dialogue and debate. India is a representative democracy and the world's largest democracy, with some 970 million voters in 2024.

Note: In principle, all Indian citizens above the age of 18 have the right to participate in these elections.

How does direct democracy differ?

In direct democracy, people themselves take part in deciding a matter. Consider a class choosing between picnic places A and B, where the letters label the two possible places. Students discuss distance, time, cost and the availability of basic facilities.

If discussion does not settle the choice, students raise their hands for each option. This is voting, expressing a choice to help decide a matter. The option with more raised hands is selected. Every student's opinion enters the decision directly.

What makes democracy grassroots?

Grassroots democracy enables and encourages ordinary citizens to participate. They form the base of the government pyramid and can have a say in decisions affecting them. The emphasis is on participation by people in matters connected with their own lives.

Glossary

• Governance — The process of making decisions, organising society through rules and ensuring that these rules are followed.
• Government — The group of individuals or system that makes rules and ensures that people follow them.
• Legislature — The organ that makes new laws and sometimes updates or removes existing laws.
• Executive — The organ that implements laws through government leaders, ministers and agencies enforcing law and order.
• Judiciary — The system of courts that decides whether laws have been broken and what action should follow.
• Cybercrime — Criminal activity carried out through digital methods, such as stealing people's money electronically.
• Separation of powers — Keeping the three government organs separate while allowing them to interact and work together.
• Checks and balances — A system allowing government organs to check one another and restore balance when a role is exceeded.
• Tier of government — A level at which government operates, such as local, State or national.
• House — An assembly in which laws are discussed or passed.
• Nominal head — A head who is not the actual executive head, although certain powers exist under special circumstances.
• Democracy — Rule of the people, a form of governance based on their participation.
• Representative democracy — A democratic system in which people choose representatives through elections to discuss matters in assemblies.
• Direct democracy — A way of deciding matters in which people themselves participate directly in the decision.
• Grassroots democracy — A system enabling and encouraging ordinary citizens to participate in decisions that affect them.

Common errors and misconceptions

• Misconception: Governance and government mean exactly the same thing. Correct: Governance is the process of decisions, rules and their observance; government is the group or system carrying it out.
• Misconception: Laws and rules cannot change. Correct: Rules are not fixed once and for all. Citizens have a say, and legislatures sometimes update or remove laws.
• Misconception: Local, State and Central government are the three organs. Correct: They are levels. The organs are the legislature, executive and judiciary, distinguished by their work.
• Misconception: Separation of powers stops the organs from interacting. Correct: They remain separate while working together. Checks and balances allow each to check the others.
• Misconception: Every State has just one assembly. Correct: Most States have a single assembly; a few States have two.
• Misconception: A nominal head has no powers and cannot influence public life. Correct: Certain powers exist under special circumstances. Dr. Kalam's example also shows an important influence on people.
• Misconception: Education belongs in just one executive responsibility list. Correct: It appears in both Central and State lists, which are not exhaustive.
• Misconception: Every flood necessarily requires Central intervention. Correct: Local authorities may handle a flood that is not too severe; the Centre may also help when a massive flood affects vast areas.

Exam-style questions with model answers

Q1. Governance involves making decisions, organising society through rules and ensuring that they are followed. Government is the group or system carrying out this work. Define governance and government. [2 marks]

1. Governance is the process of making decisions, organising society through rules and ensuring that those rules are followed.
2. Government identifies the group of individuals or system that makes those rules and ensures that they are followed.

Q2. Digital criminals steal money. A legislature makes laws against such crime, cyber police enforce them and courts decide whether a law was broken and what action follows, including punishment if necessary. Identify each organ and explain its role in this example. [3 marks]

1. The legislature makes the laws used to address digital theft. Its contribution is to provide rules against the criminal activity described.
2. The executive implements these laws. In the example, the cyber police act as an agency enforcing law and order.
3. The judiciary consists of the courts. It decides whether a law was broken and what action should follow, including punishment if necessary.

Q3. The three organs must remain separate while interacting. Each can check the others and restore balance if an organ exceeds its expected role. Sometimes the judiciary examines executive decisions or the fairness of laws. Explain separation of powers and checks and balances in four points. [4 marks]

1. Separation of powers keeps the legislature, executive and judiciary distinct, recognising that they perform different kinds of government work.
2. Separation still allows interaction and cooperation. The organs can contribute to a common matter through their different responsibilities.
3. Checks and balances allow each organ to examine what the others are doing and restore balance when an expected role is exceeded.
4. The judiciary illustrates checking when it sometimes examines an executive decision or considers whether a law is well conceived and fair to all.

Q4. After heavy rain, a flood that is not too severe affects part of a district; local authorities may handle it. If several towns and many villages are affected, the State sends rescue teams. If a massive flood affects vast areas, the Centre may also send relief supplies and the army. Explain the three-level response, its purpose and the limits of the claims in five points. [5 marks]

1. The local level may deal with the flood when it affects part of a district and is not too severe. The word “may” keeps this response conditional.
2. The State Government steps in when several towns and many villages are involved, sending rescue teams to assist the affected people.
3. The Central Government may also help when a massive flood affects vast areas, including through relief supplies and the army.
4. The example explains why different levels are needed: the response can involve different authorities as the problem extends over a wider area.
5. It does not claim that every flood needs Central assistance. National help is presented as possible additional support in the largest situation described.

Q5. National laws are formulated by Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha; States have a Vidhan Sabha, with most States having one assembly and a few having two. The all-India and State courts listed are the Supreme Court and High Court. The President and Governor are nominal heads; the Prime Minister and Chief Minister are executive heads. Compare the two levels in four points. [4 marks]

1. At the national level, the legislature has the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. States have a Vidhan Sabha; most have a single assembly, while a few have two.
2. The judicial institutions identified are the Supreme Court of India at the all-India level and the High Court at the State level.
3. The nominal heads are the President at the Centre and the Governor in a State. They are distinguished from the actual executive heads.
4. The Prime Minister is the executive head of the Central government, while the Chief Minister is the executive head of the State government.

Q6. A class discusses distance, time, cost and basic facilities before choosing picnic place A or B. Each letter labels one possible place. Students raise their hands for each option, and the option with more hands wins. Explain in two points why this illustrates direct democracy. [2 marks]

1. The students participate directly in deciding the picnic place by expressing their own preferences through raised hands.
2. The decision follows the option receiving more hands, so the class itself makes the choice after considering the available information.

Q7. Democracy means rule of the people. Citizens elect representatives to assemblies; these representatives discuss laws, problems and solutions through dialogue and debate. State representatives are generally called MLAs, meaning Members of Legislative Assembly, and national representatives MPs, meaning Members of Parliament. Grassroots democracy encourages ordinary citizens to participate in decisions affecting them. Explain these connected ideas in five points. [5 marks]

1. Democracy places people at the centre of governance: its literal meaning is the rule of the people. Participation is therefore central to the idea.
2. Representative democracy involves people choosing representatives through elections. Those representatives become members of assemblies and take part in discussions on public matters.
3. At State level, representatives are generally called Members of Legislative Assembly. At national level, they are called Members of Parliament.
4. Representatives discuss laws, problems and possible solutions. Dialogue and debate allow them to try to persuade one another when their opinions differ.
5. Grassroots democracy enables and encourages ordinary citizens to participate. It gives them a say in decisions affecting their lives, connecting governance with the people concerned.

Q8. Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam served as India's 11th President from 2002 to 2007. He remained close to people, especially the youth, promoted education and innovation, and encouraged ambitious goals and hard work. Although the President is a nominal head, explain three ways this example shows an important contribution to public life. [3 marks]

1. His connection with people, particularly young people, shows that holding a nominal position did not prevent him from having a close relationship with the public.
2. His promotion of education and innovation provided areas in which he could encourage learning and the development of new ideas.
3. His encouragement to set ambitious goals and work hard shows how a President could inspire people through guidance and personal influence.

Key takeaways

• Rules help maintain order and harmony; governance includes making decisions, organising society through rules and ensuring that people follow them.
• Government is the group or system carrying out governance, and some of the more important rules are called laws.
• The legislature makes laws, the executive implements them and the judiciary decides whether laws have been broken and what action follows.
• Separation of powers keeps the organs distinct while checks and balances allow them to check one another's actions.
• India has local, State and Central levels of government, which address matters at different levels and can work together.
• The President and Governor are nominal heads; the Prime Minister and Chief Minister are the actual executive heads.
• Representative democracy works through elected representatives, while direct democracy involves people themselves taking part in a decision.
• Grassroots democracy enables and encourages ordinary citizens to have a say in decisions that affect their lives.

Test yourself

What is the difference between governance and government?

Governance is the process of decisions, rules and ensuring compliance. Government is the group or system that carries out this work.

Which organ sometimes updates or removes existing laws?

The legislature makes new laws and sometimes updates or removes existing ones.

What does the judiciary decide when dealing with a possible breach of law?

It decides whether someone has broken the law and what action should follow, including punishment if necessary.

Does separation of powers mean that the three organs cannot interact?

No. The organs remain separate but interact and work together. Checks and balances allow each to check what the others do.

How are government organs different from government levels?

Organs describe functions: legislature, executive and judiciary. Levels describe local, State and national government.

Who are the executive heads at the Central and State levels?

The Prime Minister is the Central executive head, and the Chief Minister is the State executive head.

What is the difference between direct and representative democracy?

In direct democracy, people participate in deciding a matter themselves. In representative democracy, elected representatives discuss public matters in assemblies.

What does grassroots democracy encourage?

It encourages ordinary citizens to participate and have a say in decisions that affect them.