What makes India a democracy: popular sovereignty, adult franchise, the rule of law, Fundamental Rights, separation of powers, local bodies and the Constitution.
Key ideas
In a democracy, authority comes from the citizens (popular sovereignty).
Every citizen aged 18 or over can vote (universal adult franchise), which India gave from the start.
The rule of law means everyone is equal before the law and no one is above it.
Fundamental Rights include equality, freedom, protection against exploitation and constitutional remedies, so a citizen can go straight to the Supreme Court.
The legislature makes laws, the executive carries them out and the judiciary interprets them (separation of powers).
Government works at three tiers, Union, State and Local; panchayats bring decisions close to people, with at least a third of seats for women.
In direct democracy citizens decide issues themselves, as partly in Switzerland; in representative democracy, like India, they elect people to decide.
The RTI Act lets citizens ask public bodies for information, and a free media is called the fourth pillar of democracy.
Remember
Constitution adopted
26 November 1949 (Constitution Day)
Constitution in force
26 January 1950
Amending the Constitution
Article 368
Right to Constitutional Remedies
Article 32
Right to Education
Article 21A, ages 6 to 14
Right to Information Act
2005
Watch out
Swapping 26 November 1949 (adopted) and 26 January 1950 (came into force).
Mixing up the organs: the executive carries out laws, it does not make them.
Thinking democracy is only voting: rights, the rule of law and accountable institutions matter too.
Worked example
The Constituent Assembly first met in 1946 and the Constitution came into force in 1950. (a) How many years apart were these? (b) How many years before 2057 did the Constitution come into force?