Q1. [3] medium exam-ready
Suggest any three reforms that can help strengthen political parties in India and make them more democratic and accountable. Justify each reform briefly.
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-26 13:19 · grounding rag
Model Answer
Three reforms to strengthen political parties in India:
- Internal democracy through law: Parties should be legally required to hold regular internal elections and maintain membership registers. This ensures leaders are chosen democratically, not by dynastic succession.
- Mandatory women's representation: At least one-third of tickets should be reserved for women candidates, and women should have quotas in party decision-making bodies. This makes parties more inclusive and representative.
- State funding of elections: The government should fund election expenses (cash or kind like petrol, paper, telephone). This reduces dependence on big donors and limits the influence of money and criminals in politics.
Source: Democratic Politics, Chapter 4 — How can parties be reformed?
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Explanation
- Examiners expect you to name the reform + give a brief justification — one sentence each is sufficient for a 3-mark answer.
- All three reforms are directly from the textbook's "How can parties be reformed?" section — stick to these; don't invent your own.
- Anti-defection law and mandatory affidavit filing are existing reforms; the question asks for suggestions, so use the three above.
- Avoid writing long paragraphs; three labelled points score better in board exams.