Class 10 Civics Chapter 1 Power Sharing Notes | NCERT Question Answers

Class 10th Civics Chapter - 1 Power Sharing Notes 

Download Digital Notes :-             

                 

Written Notes :-

What is Power Sharing ? 

- Distribution of power among different organs , levels , social groups , political parties , movements etc. is known as Power Sharing .

Index - 

1.Case of Belgium and Srilanka .

2.Majoritarian in SriLanka .

3.Accomodation in Belgium .

4.Why Power Sharing is Desirable ?

5.Forms of Power Sharing .

1. Case of Belgium and SriLanka 

Case of Belgium -

A small country in Europe, it has borders with Netherlands, France and Germany. It has a population of a little over one crore. The ethnic composition of this small country is very complex. Of the country's total population, 59 percent lives in the Flemish region and speaks Dutch language. Another 40 percent people live in the Wallonia region and speak French. Remaining 1 percent of the Belgians speak German. In the capital city Brussels, 80 percent people speak French while 20 percent are Dutch speaking.

Case of SriLanka - 

Sri lanka is an island nation. It has about 2 crore people, Sri lanka has a diverse population. The major social groups are the Sinhala – speakers (74 percent) and the Tamil- speakers (18 percent). Among Tamils there are two subgroups. Tamil natives of the country are called Sri Lankan Tamils (13 percent). The rest are called Indian Tamils. Most of the Sinhala speaking people are Buddhist, while most of the Tamils are Hindus or Muslims. There are about 7 percent Christians, who both Tamil and Sinhala

2. Majoritarian in SriLanka 

What is Majoritarianism ? 

- It is a belief that majority community should rule the country in whatever way it wants , disregarding the wills and interests of minority .

• Steps to establish Sinhala supremacy -

In 1956, an Act was passed to recognize Sinhala as the only official language, thus disregarding Tamil. 

• The government followed preferential policies that favored Sinhala applicants for university positions and government jobs.

 

• A new constitution stipulated that the state shall protect and foster Buddhism .

Outcomes - 

• Majoritarianism has increased the feeling of alienation among the Sri Lankan Tamils. 

• They felt that the constitution and government policies denied them equal political rights, discriminated against them in getting jobs and other opportunities and ignored their interests. 

• The relations between the Sinhala and Tamil communities strained overtime.

• Tamils formed political organisations demanding regional autonomy and recognition of Tamil as an official language.

• But their demands were denied , therefore, it changed into demand for independent Tamil eelam ( State ) .

• It led to Civil war which affect the health and educational sector of Srilanka .

3. Accomodation in Belgium 

• Unlike Sri Lanka, the Belgium Government amended their constitution in such a way that it would enable everyone to live together within the same country.

• As per the constitution number of the French and Dutch speaking ministers shall be equal in the central government (compromise by the Dutch speaking people as they were in majority) .

• A separate government was formed for the capital city of Brussels and there was equal representation of French and the Dutch speaking people (French compromised as they were in majority) .

• State government of the different region were given equal power and equal division of power was maintained between the central and the state government.

• A separate community government is formed for every community which is elected by people belonging to one language community .

• The community government was formed to promote the cultural, educational and language related issues.

• These arrangements avoided civil strife between the two major communities and a possible division of the country on the linguistic lines.

• When many countries of Europe came together to form European Union, Brussels was chosen as its headquarter.

4. Why Power Sharing is Desirable ?

PRUDENTIAL REASON - 

• Power sharing is good as it reduces the possibilities of tension and conflict between different social groups.

• Power sharing ensures the stability of political order. For example. In Belgium power sharing ensured political stability but not so in Sri Lanka.

• Power sharing avoids bloodshed. For example In Sri Lanka the government did not shared power with the Tamils, which has led to bloodshed.

• If power sharing is not done, in the long run it may lead to disintegration of the nation.

Unfair use of authority by the majority group is not only oppressive for the minority but it ruins the majority as well sometime.

• Imposing the will of majority community may look line an attractive option in the short run but in the long run it undermines the unity of the nation.

MORAL REASONS - 

• Power sharing is also desirable for moral reasons as power sharing is the spirit / soul / essence of democracy. 

• A democratic rule involves power sharing with those affected by its exercise.

• A legitimate government is one where citizens, through participation, acquire a state in the system.

5. Forms of Power Sharing

POWER SHARING IN DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONSS OF GOVERNMENT:

Power is shared among different organizations of government, such as the legislature, executive and judiciary. Let us call this horizontal distribution of power because it allows different organizations of government placed at the same level to exercise different powers. Such a separation ensures that none of the organizations can exercise unlimited power. Each organ checks the others. This results in a balance of power among various institutions. For example, ministers and government officials exercise power, they are responsible to the Parliament or State Assemblies. Similarly, judges can check the functioning of executive or laws made by the legislatures. This arrangement is called a system of checks and balances.

POWER SHARING AT DIFFERENT LEVELS:

Power can be shared among governments at different levels – a general government for the entire country and governments at the provincial or regional level. Such a general government for the entire country is usually called Federal Government. In India, we refer to it as the Central or Union Government. The governments at the provincial or regional level are called by different names in different countries. In India, we call them State Governments. State Governments and Central Government have their distinct areas to exercise power. This is called Federal Division of power.

POWER SHARING AMONG SOCIAL GROUPS:

Power may also be shared among different social groups, such as the religious and linguistic groups. Indian constitution has provision for reservation of different communities like minorities, OBCs, SC & ST and women. This is done to ensure their adequate representation in the Government machinery

POWER SHARING AMONG POLITICAL PARTIES , PRESSURE GROUPS , MOVEMENTS etc.

Power sharing arrangements can also be seen in the way political parties, pressure groups and movements control or influence those in power. In a democracy, the citizens must have freedom to choose among various contenders for power. In contemporary democracies this takes the form of competition among different parties. Such competition ensures that power does not remain in one hand. In the long run power is shared among different political parties that represent different ideologies and social groups. Sometimes this kind of sharing can be direct, when two or more parties form an alliance to contest elections. If their alliance is elected, they form a coalition government and thus share power. In a democracy, we find interest groups such as those of traders, businessmen, industrialists, farmers and industrial workers. They also will have a share in governmental power, either through participation in governmental committees or bringing influence on the decision making process.

NCERT Question Answers - 

Q1. What are the different forms of power-sharing in modern democracies? Give an example of each of these.

Answer - 

Followings are the different form of power Sharing in modern democracies : 

• Horizontal distribution of power – Power is shared among different organs of government, such as the legislature, executive and judiciary. This type arrangements ensure that none of the organs exercise unlimited power .

Example: India

• Power can be shared among different levels of governments – a general government for the entire country and governments at the provincial or regional level. Example: India (Union Government and State Governments)

• Community government – Power may also be shared among different social groups, such as religious and linguistic groups. Example: Belgium

• Power can be shared among political parties, pressure groups and movements – Such competition ensures that power does not remain in one hand. In the long run, power is shared among different political parties that represent different ideologies and social groups.

Q2. State one prudential reason and one moral reason for power-sharing with an example from the Indian context.

Answer - 

Prudential reason - It reduces the possibility of conflict among social groups .

Moral Reason - It is very spirit of democracy and it shares power between citizens .

Q3. After reading this chapter, three students drew different conclusions. Which of these do you agree with and why? Give your reasons in about 50 words. Thomman – Power sharing is necessary only in societies which have religious, linguistic or ethnic divisions. Mathayi – Power sharing is suitable only for big countries that have regional divisions. Ouseph – Every society needs some form of power-sharing, even if it is small or does not have social divisions.

Answer - 

Ouseph’s conclusion is the right one. Every state should have some or other form of power-sharing. Power-sharing ensures an optimum balance between different sections of society. The chances of conflict lessen, and so does the injustice. Hence, power-sharing becomes the value of democracy. Also, power-sharing is a good way to ensure the stability of political order

Q4. The Mayor of Merchtem, a town near Brussels in Belgium, has defended a ban on speaking French in the town’s schools. He said that the ban would help all non-Dutch speakers integrate into this Flemish town. Do you think that this measure is in keeping with the spirit of Belgium’s power-sharing arrangements? Give your reasons in about 50 words.

Answer - 

The measure of the Mayor of Merchtem to ban French-speaking in the town’s schools near Brussels is unfair. It does not keep with Belgium’s power-sharing arrangement. Power-sharing helps maintain a balance between different sections of society. In Belgium, there is a need to maintain the power-sharing between the Dutch and the French to avoid civil unrest. Banning the French will promote the tendency of civil unrest. To promote peace among different communities, the Mayor should promote a bilingual education system in the town’s schools.

Q5. Read the following passage and pick out any one of the prudential reasons for power sharing offered in this. “We need to give more power to the panchayats to realise the dream of Mahatma Gandhi and the hopes of the makers of our Constitution. Panchayati Raj establishes true democracy. It restores power to the only place where power belongs in a democracy – in the hands of the people. Giving power to Panchayats is also a way to reduce corruption and increase administrative efficiency. When people participate in the planning and implementation of developmental schemes, they would naturally exercise greater control over these schemes. This would eliminate the corrupt middlemen. Thus, Panchayati Raj will strengthen the foundations of our democracy.”

Answer - 

The prudential reason in the given passage is – “Giving power to Panchayats is also a way to reduce corruption and increase administrative efficiency.”