Project and Activity:

A group discussion on the merits and demerits of democracy of India in the classroom.

Democracy has both merits as well as demerits.

MERITS OF DEMOCRACY

• It makes the government accountable and responsive to the needs of people.

• Democracy also leads to transparency in the Indian political system.

• The value of equality is the most important component. There is no discrimination among the rich and poor. Policies are made for the welfare of all.

• Fraternity and brotherhood is also an equally important aspect. The unity and integrity of the nation are upheld.

• The citizens are aware of their responsibilities. They are aware of the fact that the rights granted to them come with certain duties which they need to perform in order to make democracy successful.

• The decentralization of power makes governance easy. The power is distributed from centre to state and further to local bodies. Thus, the local self-government helps in making system efficiently.

• The policies are designed to ensure the development and prosperity of the entire society.

• The sovereign enjoys power as long as he wins the confidence of people. The consent of the people sustains the government. Thus, popular sovereignty is key merit.

DEMERITS OF DEMOCRACY

• Indirect representation means that the interests of all are not taken into account. Only those who gain a majority of votes come to power. The elected representatives may distort the demands of people to suit their personal political preferences. Thus, the representative nature of democracy does not always ensure accountability.

• There are a large number of people who stand out from voting in the elections. They do not participate nor show any interest in the affairs of the government. This leads to a lower turnout in elections.

• In a democracy, the elections generally produce fractured mandate. This leads to the formation of the coalition government. The ideological rift among different parties and the failure to come on consensus is another disadvantage of democracy.

• It takes a long time to legislate laws and enforce a particular policy. The decision-making process is long drawn. Walkouts, sit-ins, delay the making of decisions. The judiciary is also not so efficient.