Democracy | NCERT | Notes | Class 9th

• India is the world’s largest democracy, with a population of over 140 crore and a voter base of over 96.8 crore in 2024; India, that is Bharat, represents the largest participatory democracy, where people choose their government by electing their representatives, and its democracy serves as a beacon of hope and an example for the rest of the world.
• Like all democracies, India also faces certain challenges, some of which will be examined later in the chapter.
• A constitution plays a crucial role in safeguarding the rights of the people in a democracy; in India, democratic principles are guided by the Constitution of India, which was adopted on 26 November 1949 and came into force on 26 January 1950.
• The Constitution not only guarantees but also protects the Fundamental Rights of all citizens; it ensures that no citizen is discriminated against on the basis of religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth.
• It also encourages active citizen participation in democratic processes at the national, state, and local levels through elections.
• The democratic ethos in India did not emerge suddenly, but evolved through a long historical process; the chapter will explore the genesis and development of democratic ideas in India and deepen the understanding of democracy by examining its meaning, key features, and various practices associated with it in India and around the world.

Tracing Democratic Traditions from Early Times

• The idea of democracy has been a part of the Indian ethos since early times; the previous chapter discussed Vedic-period assemblies such as Sabha, Samiti, and Vidhata, which involved collective decision-making, as well as the functioning of early republican states called gaṇas or saṁghas.
• From the earliest times, the king was not an independent ruler but worked in consultation with assemblies, ministers, and officers of various capacities; a verse from the Aikyamatya Sūktam of the Ṛigveda (10.191.3) emphasises collective thinking, shared discussion, and unity of purpose, showing that democratic principles such as consultation, consensus, and shared responsibility have deep roots in India’s intellectual and cultural traditions.
• The functioning of the Bauddha Saṁghas, a monastic community established by Gautama Buddha, also reflects India’s democratic traditions; the Saṁgha encouraged debate and discussion, and its members could choose their leader and make decisions through voting, demonstrating collective decision-making.
• Over time, invasions by foreign invaders disrupted the political and social fabric of some parts of the country; by the 19th century, the British had colonised most parts of the Indian subcontinent, and foreign rule altered political structures and limited people’s participation in governance.
• However, the long struggle for independence from British colonial rule revived and strengthened democratic ideas among the people; before India attained independence in 1947, the Constituent Assembly was formed in 1946 to draft a constitution for the country.
• The Constituent Assembly took 2 years, 11 months, and 18 days to draft the world’s longest written Constitution; apart from indigenous democratic traditions, the global spread of democratic values also influenced the Constituent Assembly’s Debates (CAD), contributing to the creation of a robust, flexible, transformative, and responsive constitution.
• The CAD reflects the members’ belief that the Constitution should not be a rigid legal code but a dynamic document capable of evolving through lawful amendments without compromising its fundamental values; accordingly, while making provisions for democratic institutions and processes that uphold liberty, equality, justice, and fraternity, the Constitution also provides for amendments under Article 368, ensuring that it remains flexible and responsive to changing socio-political needs.