Q1. [4]
Panchayati Raj
"We need to give more power to the panchayats to realise the dream of Mahatma Gandhi and the hopes of the makers of our Constitution. Panchayati Raj establishes true democracy. It restores power to the only place where power belongs in a democracy – in the hands of the people. Giving power to Panchayats is also a way to reduce corruption and increase administrative efficiency. When people participate in the planning and implementation of developmental schemes, they would naturally exercise greater control over these schemes. This would eliminate the corrupt middlemen. Thus, Panchayati Raj will strengthen the foundations of our democracy."
Read the following source and answer the questions that follow :
- (36.1) How does giving power to Panchayats relate to the vision of Mahatma Gandhi ? [1]
- (36.2) Explain the primary objective of giving power to the Panchayats. [1]
- (36.3) How does the establishment of Panchayati Raj contribute to democracy ? Explain. [2]
Previously asked in CBSE board exam
2024 32/3/1 Q36
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-15 06:59 · grounding stimulus
Model Answer
(36.1) Giving power to Panchayats fulfils the dream of Mahatma Gandhi, who envisioned self-governing village republics as the foundation of Indian democracy.
(36.2) The primary objective of giving power to Panchayats is to restore power to the people — the only place where power truly belongs in a democracy.
(36.3) Panchayati Raj contributes to democracy in two key ways:
- It places power directly in the hands of the people, establishing true democracy at the grassroots level.
- When people participate in planning and implementing developmental schemes, they exercise greater control, which eliminates corrupt middlemen, reduces corruption, increases administrative efficiency, and thereby strengthens the foundations of democracy.
Source: Democratic Politics, Federalism chapter
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Explanation
- 36.1 is 1 mark — one line linking Panchayati Raj to Gandhi's vision is sufficient.
- 36.2 is 1 mark — the examiner looks for "power in the hands of the people" as the core point.
- 36.3 is 2 marks — you need two distinct points: (i) true democracy/people's participation, and (ii) reduction of corruption/eliminating middlemen. Both are explicitly stated in the passage, so always quote/paraphrase the source directly in source-based questions.
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