Q1. [4] deep exam-ready
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:
Surveys conducted over several decades across South Asia show that political parties do not enjoy much trust among the people. The proportion of those who say their trust in political parties is 'not much' or 'not at all' is more than those who have 'some' or 'great' trust. The same pattern holds in most other democracies — parties are among the least trusted institutions worldwide. Yet, paradoxically, the level of participation in party activities in India has been fairly high. India's proportion of party members is higher than in many advanced countries such as Canada, Japan, Spain and South Korea. Moreover, over the last three decades, the number of people reporting membership in a political party in India has gone up steadily, as has the proportion who say they feel 'close to a political party'.
(i) What does the data above reveal about the relationship between trust in political parties and participation in their activities in India? (1 mark)
(ii) Why, despite distrusting parties, might ordinary citizens still feel close to them and participate in their activities? (1 mark)
(iii) What does the rising trend of party membership in India suggest about the health of Indian democracy compared to several advanced countries? (2 marks)
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-26 13:20 · grounding rag
Model Answer
(i) The data reveals a paradox: although most people in India (and South Asia) do not trust political parties, the level of participation in party activities is fairly high — higher even than in many advanced countries. Low trust and high participation exist side by side.
(ii) Ordinary citizens feel close to parties and participate because parties provide access to government machinery and welfare schemes. It is easier for a citizen to approach a local party leader than a government officer. Parties thus serve as a practical link between the common person and the state, making them useful despite being distrusted.
(iii) The rising trend of party membership in India suggests that Indian democracy is more participatory and vibrant than that of several advanced countries like Canada, Japan, Spain, and South Korea. Over the last three decades, both party membership and the proportion of people feeling 'close to a party' have gone up steadily, indicating growing democratic engagement at the grassroots level.
Source: Chapter 4 — Political Parties, Democratic Politics
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Explanation
- (i) The key word examiners look for is "paradox" or "contrast" — trust is low but participation is high.
- (ii) The textbook explicitly states the reason: parties provide access to government and welfare schemes, so people find them useful even without trusting them.
- (iii) A 2-mark answer needs two clear points: (a) India compares favourably to advanced nations in membership, and (b) the upward trend signals deepening democratic participation.
- Always use data/evidence from the passage to support your answer — examiners reward specific references (e.g., naming Canada, Japan, etc.).