Political Parties | New One Shot | Class 10 Civics 2024-25

Digraj Singh Rajput2 minutes read

Political parties are essential components of a democracy, representing the people and shaping public opinion. They contest elections, form governments, and help bridge the gap between the public and the government, with reforms being made to address challenges within the system.

Insights

  • Political parties play a crucial role in democracies by representing people, contesting elections, shaping policies, and forming governments, highlighting the significance of their function in governance.
  • The presence of different types of political parties, such as national, state, and third parties, contributes to the diversity of party systems, enabling various ideologies and interests to be represented in the political landscape.
  • Challenges faced by political parties, including lack of internal democracy, dynastic succession, and the influence of money and muscle power, necessitate reforms that focus on enhancing transparency, accountability, and meaningful choices for voters to strengthen democratic processes.

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Recent questions

  • What is the role of political parties in a democracy?

    Political parties play a crucial role in a democracy by representing the people, ensuring better representation, contesting elections, presenting policies, promoting development, shaping public opinion, and acting as a bridge between the public and the government. They are essential for creating consensus among candidates, enabling major policy changes, and coordinated decision-making at the national level.

  • How do political parties contest elections?

    Political parties contest elections by giving tickets to candidates, putting forward policies and programs, and presenting various agendas to the public. Winning parties form the government, while losing parties take on the role of opposition, criticizing and balancing the power of the ruling party.

  • What are the main components of political parties?

    Political parties consist of three main components: leaders, active members, and followers. Leaders make decisions and hold power, active members handle party work, and followers support the party. This structure allows for effective functioning and representation within the party.

  • What are the criteria for a political party to be recognized as a national party?

    To be recognized as a national party, a political party must secure a certain percentage of votes in national or state elections, register with the Election Commission, and have a presence and influence across the entire nation. Additionally, the party must secure a minimum number of votes in Lok Sabha or assembly elections to be recognized as a national party.

  • How do political parties influence lawmakers?

    Political parties influence lawmakers by introducing specific agendas, proposing policies, and shaping public opinion through their members and followers. They act as threads connecting representatives to form a government, ensuring coordinated decision-making and policy changes at the national level.

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Summary

00:00

Importance of Political Parties in Democracy

  • Chapter 10th Civics is about Political parties and should not be ignored
  • The chapter provides a comprehensive overview of Political parties
  • Political parties are crucial in a democracy and represent the people
  • The objective of Political parties is to ensure better representation of the people in a democracy
  • Political parties are formed based on fundamental political divisions in society
  • Partisanship evolves with Political parties, where individuals strongly associate with a specific party
  • Political parties consist of three main components: leaders, active members, and followers
  • Leaders make decisions and hold power, active members handle party work, and followers support the party
  • Political parties contest elections by giving tickets to candidates and putting forward policies and programs
  • The functions of Political parties include contesting elections, presenting policies, and promoting development in society.

13:26

Political parties shape governance and public opinion.

  • Political parties offer various policies and programs to narrow down the multitude of opinions.
  • Different political parties propose specific actions if they win elections, such as BJP focusing on certain policies and Congress on others.
  • Third parties play a crucial role in creating laws for the country, with sitting legislators being members of Parliament.
  • Political parties outside Parliament influence lawmakers to act according to their party's agenda.
  • Parties like BJP introduce specific agendas, such as reservations, when aiming to pass laws.
  • Winning parties form the government, with the governance being in their hands.
  • Parties that lose elections take on the role of opposition, criticizing and balancing the power of the ruling party.
  • Political parties shape public opinion through their members and followers, who support the party's stance.
  • Parties provide people access to government machinery and welfare schemes, acting as a bridge between the public and the government.
  • The necessity of political parties in modern democracies lies in their ability to create consensus among candidates, enabling major policy changes and coordinated decision-making at the national level.

26:28

"Political Parties: Key Players in Democracy"

  • The rise of political parties is directly linked to the emergence of representative democracies.
  • Political parties are crucial in forming consensus and major policies.
  • Without political parties, achieving change and accountability becomes challenging.
  • In a representative democracy, people choose their representatives through secret ballots.
  • Political parties act as threads, connecting representatives to form a government.
  • Different countries have varying party systems, such as one-party, two-party, or multi-party systems.
  • Multi-party systems allow for various parties to contest elections and potentially form coalition governments.
  • In a multi-party system, when no single party has a majority, multiple parties come together to form a coalition government.
  • National parties have a presence and influence across the entire nation, while state parties are specific to certain regions.
  • Criteria for a political party to be recognized as a national party include having a certain percentage of votes in national or state elections.

39:35

Political Party Recognition Criteria and Symbols

  • Every party in the country must register with the Election Commission, which has over 750 registered parties.
  • The Election Commission provides unique symbols to parties to prevent copying, like the lotus for BJP or roses for others.
  • Parties must secure at least 6 votes in Lok Sabha elections or assembly elections in four states to be recognized as a national party.
  • To become a state party, a political party must secure at least 6 votes out of 100 in state legislative elections.
  • Winning at least two seats out of 230 in state legislative assembly elections is another criterion for a party to be recognized as a state party.
  • The presence of a leader, founding year, symbol, ideology, and areas of presence are essential aspects of every political party.
  • BJP, founded in 1980, promotes cultural values, humanism, and Hindutva, with the lotus as its symbol.
  • BJP is an extension of the party established by Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, with prominent leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
  • Congress, established in 1885, focuses on secularism, welfare of workers, and social justice.
  • BJP is currently part of the ruling NDA government since 2014, showcasing its widespread presence and influence.

52:10

"Political Parties: Challenges and Reform Solutions"

  • Ideo ji is a minority centrist party, neither right nor left, symbolized by a hand palm with five fingers.
  • Congress, historically symbolized by a bullock cart, has evolved into a centrist party represented by the hand palm with five fingers.
  • Congress, under leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru, transitioned to forming the UPA alliance in 2004, ruling for a significant period post-independence.
  • BSP, founded in 1984 by Kanshi Ram and currently led by Mayawati, represents the majority of society, including OBCs, Dalits, and minorities.
  • AITC, formed in 1998, advocates secularism and federalism, symbolized by a flower and France, with Mamata Banerjee as a prominent member in West Bengal.
  • CPI(M), a split from CPI in 1964, follows Marxism-Leninism, opposing new economic policies, symbolized by a sickle and grain, with a presence in West Bengal, Kerala, and Tripura.
  • National Congress Party, led by Sharad Pawar, symbolized by a clock, emerged from the Indian National Congress, advocating democracy, Gandhian principles, and secularism.
  • Political parties face challenges like lack of internal democracy, dynastic succession, money and muscle power, and lack of meaningful choice.
  • Solutions to reform political parties involve addressing internal democracy issues, dynastic succession, money and muscle power influence, and ensuring meaningful choices for voters.
  • Reforms in political parties must stem from within, with steps taken to address challenges and ensure willingness to change for effective reform.

01:04:31

Political parties reform with new laws.

  • Recent decisions have been made by political parties to reform.
  • Efforts and suggestions for reform have been made in the country.
  • Two reform parties and their leaders have taken some efforts.
  • Steps that have already been taken include amending the constitution.
  • Defects have been checked, including defection issues.
  • Anti-defection laws have been implemented to prevent party switching.
  • Candidates are now required to file affidavits detailing their financial and criminal status.
  • The Election Commission has mandated organizational elections and income tax returns for political parties.
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