Class 10 · Social Science · English medium
Democratic Politics: Class 10 Civics companion
An original companion to Democratic Politics, NCERT Class 10 Social Science (2026–27 edition). Official textbook ↗ ncert.nic.in
Start: Chapter 1 Power-sharing0 of 5 chapters done
Every chapter is ready
Every chapter is ready
Chapters
- ENHinglish
Chapter 1: Power-sharing
Power-sharing spreads political power so that no single person, organ, level, community or party holds all of it. - ENHinglish
Chapter 2: Federalism
Federalism divides a country's power between a central government and regional governments, each with powers guaranteed by the constitution. - ENHinglish
Chapter 3: Gender, Religion and Caste
Three social divisions in India and how they enter politics. - ENHinglish
Chapter 4: Political Parties
A political party is an organised group that contests elections to win power and carry out its policies. - ENHinglish
Chapter 5: Outcomes of Democracy
The chapter judges democracy by its outcomes.
Also in Hinglish
- Chapter 1: Power-sharing (Hinglish)
- Chapter 2: Federalism (Hinglish)
- Chapter 3: Gender, Religion aur Caste (Hinglish)
- Chapter 4: Political Parties (Hinglish)
- Chapter 5: Democracy ke Outcomes (Hinglish)
A
accommodationMaking room for every community's language, culture and interests through agreed arrangements, as Belgium did.Ch 1 · Power-sharingaccountable governmentजवाबदेह सरकारA government that must explain its decisions to the people and can be removed by them.Ch 5 · Outcomes of Democracyaffidavitशपथपत्रA signed statement, sworn to be true, that a person submits to an officer; candidates use one to declare assets and criminal cases.Ch 4 · Political PartiesallianceगठबंधनA group of parties that agree to contest elections together and share power if they win.Ch 4 · Political PartiesC
caste hierarchyजाति पदानुक्रमA ladder-like ranking of castes from the 'highest' to the 'lowest'.Ch 3 · Gender, Religion and CastecasteismजातिवादTreating caste as the one true basis of community and using it to win support or favour one caste.Ch 3 · Gender, Religion and Castechecks and balancesनियंत्रण और संतुलनA system in which each organ of government can limit the others, so that none holds unlimited power.Ch 1 · Power-sharingchild sex ratioशिशु लिंग अनुपातThe number of girls per 1,000 boys in the 0–6 age group; 919 in Census 2011.Ch 3 · Gender, Religion and CastecitizenनागरिकA member of a country with rights to take part in and question its government, unlike a subject, who only obeys.Ch 5 · Outcomes of Democracycivil warगृहयुद्धArmed conflict between organised groups inside one country, so intense that it resembles a war.Ch 1 · Power-sharingcoalition governmentगठबंधन सरकारA government formed by two or more parties that together hold a majority.Ch 1 · Power-sharingcoalition governmentगठबंधन सरकारA government run jointly by two or more parties, usually on an agreed programme.Ch 2 · Federalismcoalition governmentगठबंधन सरकारA government formed by two or more parties together, usually because none has a majority alone.Ch 4 · Political Partiescoming together federationA federation formed when independent States join to make a larger country, such as the USA.Ch 2 · Federalismcommunalismसांप्रदायिकताTreating religion as the basis of community and setting followers of one faith against another.Ch 3 · Gender, Religion and Castecommunity governmentसामुदायिक सरकारIn Belgium, a government elected by one language community that handles language, culture and education.Ch 1 · Power-sharingConcurrent Listसमवर्ती सूचीSubjects on which both Parliament and State legislatures can make laws, such as education; the Union law prevails in a clash.Ch 2 · FederalismD
decentralisationविकेंद्रीकरणMoving power and resources from the Central and State governments to local governments.Ch 2 · Federalismdefectionदल-बदलChanging from the party on whose ticket a person was elected to a different party.Ch 4 · Political Partiesdeliberationविचार-विमर्शCareful discussion of a proposal, weighing different views, before a decision is taken.Ch 5 · Outcomes of DemocracydelimitationपरिसीमनRedrawing the boundaries of constituencies, usually after a Census, so that each has a similar population.Ch 3 · Gender, Religion and CastedictatorshipतानाशाहीRule by a person or small group that does not face free elections and cannot be removed by the people.Ch 5 · Outcomes of DemocracydignityगरिमाThe respect every person deserves simply for being a person.Ch 5 · Outcomes of Democracydynastic successionवंशवादThe passing of a party's top posts from one member of a family to another.Ch 4 · Political PartiesE
economic growthआर्थिक संवृद्धिA rise in the total income (output) of a country over time, usually given as a percentage per year.Ch 5 · Outcomes of Democracyeconomic inequalityआर्थिक असमानताLarge differences in income and wealth between people or groups.Ch 5 · Outcomes of DemocracyethnicजातीयDescribes a group bound by a shared culture whose members believe they have common ancestors; it may include several religions.Ch 1 · Power-sharingF
family lawsपारिवारिक कानूनLaws on marriage, divorce, adoption and inheritance. In India each major religious community has its own family laws.Ch 3 · Gender, Religion and Castefederal governmentसंघीय सरकारThe government for the whole country in a system with several levels; in India, the Union or Central Government.Ch 1 · Power-sharingfederalismसंघवादA system in which power is shared between a national government and regional governments, each holding its powers under the constitution.Ch 2 · FederalismfeministनारीवादीSomeone, woman or man, who wants both sexes to have the same rights, freedoms and chances.Ch 3 · Gender, Religion and CasteG
gender divisionलैंगिक विभाजनUnequal roles, rights and expectations that society, not biology, assigns to men and women.Ch 3 · Gender, Religion and Castegram sabhaग्राम सभाThe assembly of all the voters of a village; it supervises the gram panchayat.Ch 2 · FederalismH
holding together federationA federation formed when a large country shares its power with its regions, such as India.Ch 2 · Federalismhorizontal distribution of powerसत्ता का क्षैतिज वितरणSharing of power among organs at the same level: the legislature, the executive and the judiciary.Ch 1 · Power-sharingI
internal democracyआंतरिक लोकतंत्रDemocratic working inside a party: member registers, regular meetings and open elections to party posts.Ch 4 · Political PartiesJ
jurisdictionक्षेत्राधिकारThe range of a government's or court's legal authority: a territory it covers or a set of subjects it deals with.Ch 2 · FederalismL
legitimate governmentवैध सरकारA government whose right to rule the people accept, because they chose it through a fair process.Ch 5 · Outcomes of DemocracyM
majoritarianismबहुसंख्यकवादThe idea that the largest community may govern for itself alone, setting aside what minorities want or need.Ch 1 · Power-sharingmajority ruleबहुमत का शासनDeciding by what most voters or representatives want. In a democracy the majority on each issue can change.Ch 5 · Outcomes of DemocracyN
national partyराष्ट्रीय दलA party recognised by the Election Commission across the country, for example with 6% of the votes in four States and 4 Lok Sabha seats.Ch 4 · Political PartiesO
occupational mobilityव्यावसायिक गतिशीलताChanging to a different line of work, for example when children take up jobs unlike those of their parents and grandparents.Ch 3 · Gender, Religion and Casteoppositionविपक्षThe parties outside the government that question, criticise and check it.Ch 4 · Political PartiesP
panchayati rajपंचायती राजThe system of rural local government through elected panchayats at village, block and district level.Ch 2 · Federalismpartisanपक्षपातीA person firmly committed to one party or group, who tends to take its side and finds a balanced view hard.Ch 4 · Political Partiesparty systemदलीय व्यवस्थाThe number of parties that have a real chance of power in a country and how they compete: one-party, two-party or multiparty.Ch 4 · Political Partiespatriarchyपितृसत्ताA social order in which men hold authority in the family and society and are ranked above women.Ch 3 · Gender, Religion and Castepolitical equalityराजनीतिक समानताEvery adult citizen has the same political rights, including one vote of equal value.Ch 5 · Outcomes of Democracypolitical partyराजनीतिक दलAn organised group of people with shared aims for society who contest elections to win power and carry out their policies.Ch 4 · Political Partiespower-sharingसत्ता की साझेदारीSpreading political power among organs, levels of government, social groups or parties so that no one holds all of it.Ch 1 · Power-sharingpressure groupदबाव समूहAn organised group, such as a farmers' union or traders' association, that tries to influence government decisions without contesting elections.Ch 1 · Power-sharingprudentialयुक्तिपरकDecided by practical good sense, by weighing likely gains and losses, rather than by moral principle alone.Ch 1 · Power-sharingR
recognised partyमान्यता प्राप्त दलA party that meets the Election Commission's vote and seat tests and so gets a reserved symbol and other facilities.Ch 4 · Political Partiesreserved constituencyआरक्षित निर्वाचन क्षेत्रA seat that only candidates from a particular group, such as Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes, may contest.Ch 1 · Power-sharingresiduary subjectsअवशिष्ट विषयSubjects named in none of the three lists; in India, Parliament makes laws on them.Ch 2 · Federalismresponsive governmentA government that notices people's needs and demands and acts on them.Ch 5 · Outcomes of DemocracyRight to Informationसूचना का अधिकारA citizen's legal right to obtain information held by public offices; in India, under the RTI Act, 2005.Ch 5 · Outcomes of Democracyruling partyसत्ताधारी दलThe party, or group of parties, that runs the government.Ch 4 · Political PartiesS
Scheduled Languagesअनुसूचित भाषाएँThe 22 languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.Ch 2 · Federalismsecular stateधर्मनिरपेक्ष राज्यA state with no official religion that treats all faiths equally and protects everyone's freedom of religion.Ch 3 · Gender, Religion and Castesexual division of labourश्रम का लैंगिक विभाजनTreating housework and family care as women's duty and paid outside work as men's.Ch 3 · Gender, Religion and Castesocial diversityसामाजिक विविधताThe presence of many groups in a society, differing in religion, language, caste, region or race.Ch 5 · Outcomes of DemocracyState Listराज्य सूचीSubjects on which only State legislatures can make laws, such as police and agriculture.Ch 2 · FederalismState partyराज्य स्तरीय दलA party recognised by the Election Commission in a State, for example with 6% of the votes and 2 seats in its Assembly.Ch 4 · Political PartiesT
transparencyपारदर्शिताOpenness of government: citizens can find out how and by whom a decision was taken.Ch 5 · Outcomes of DemocracyU
Union Listसंघ सूचीSubjects on which only Parliament can make laws, such as defence, banking and currency.Ch 2 · FederalismUnion Territoryकेंद्रशासित प्रदेशAn area run largely by the Union government, without the full powers of a State.Ch 2 · Federalismunitary systemएकात्मक व्यवस्थाA system with one level of government, or with lower levels that only carry out what the national government decides.Ch 2 · FederalismurbanisationशहरीकरणThe movement of people from villages to towns and cities.Ch 3 · Gender, Religion and CasteV
vertical division of powerसत्ता का ऊर्ध्वाधर वितरणSharing of power between higher and lower levels of government: national, state or provincial, and local.Ch 1 · Power-sharingvote bankवोट बैंकA group, such as a caste, a large share of whose voters usually back one party.Ch 3 · Gender, Religion and Castencert.ai is an independent learning companion aligned to the NCERT curriculum. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by NCERT.