NCERT Class 9 Political Science Democratic Rights

OVERVIEW In the previous two chapters we have looked at two major elements of a democratic government. In Chapter Four we saw how a democratic government has to be periodically elected by the people in a free and fair manner. In Chapter Five we learnt that a democracy must be based on institutions that follow certain rules and procedures. These elements are necessary but not sufficient for a democracy. Elections and institutions need to be combined with a third element – enjoyment of rights – to make a government democratic. Even the most properly elected rulers working through the established institutional process must learn not to cross some limits. Citizens’ democratic rights set those limits in a democracy. This is what we take up in this final chapter of the book. We begin by discussing some real life cases to imagine what it means to live without rights. This leads to a discussion on what we mean by rights and why do we need them. As in the previous chapters, the general discussion is followed by a focus on India. We discuss one by one the Fundamental Rights in the Indian Constitution. Then we turn to how these rights can be used by ordinary citizens. Who will protect and enforce them? Finally we take a look at how the scope of rights has been expanding.

Please refer to attached file for NCERT Class 9 Political Science Democratic Rights