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Citizenship is the status of being a member of a political community, entailing both rights and obligations. In NCERT Class 11 Political Science Chapter 6: Citizenship, students explore the concept of citizenship, its significance in democratic societies, challenges to equal citizenship, and the idea of global citizenship. The solutions to the chapter’s exercises are designed to provide clear, concise explanations, helping students understand the dynamic nature of citizenship and its relevance in contemporary India and beyond.
Explore Notes of Class 11 Political Theory
Exercises for Political Theory: Citizenship
Check out the NCERT Class 11 Political Science Chapter 6 Political Theory: Citizenship Solutions below-
Question 1: Citizenship as full and equal membership of a political community involves both rights and obligations. Which rights could citizens expect to enjoy in most democratic states today? What kind of obligations will they have to their state and fellow citizens?
Solution:
Rights Citizens Can Expect in Democratic States:
In most democratic states, citizens enjoy a range of rights that ensure their participation and well-being in the political community:
- Political Rights:
- Right to vote in elections to choose representatives.
- Right to contest elections and hold public office.
- Right to form political parties and engage in political activities.
- Civil Rights:
- Freedom of speech, expression, and belief.
- Right to equality before the law and equal protection under it.
- Freedom of movement and association.
- Socio-Economic Rights:
- Right to education.
- Right to a minimum wage or livelihood.
- Access to basic facilities like healthcare and social security.
Obligations to the State and Fellow Citizens:
Citizens also have legal and moral obligations to contribute to the functioning of the state and society:
- Legal Obligations:
- Obeying the laws of the state.
- Paying taxes honestly and regularly to support public services.
- Participating in mandatory duties like military service (if required).
- Moral Obligations:
- Participating in community activities, such as voting or volunteering.
- Respecting the rights and freedoms of fellow citizens.
- Preserving the cultural heritage and natural resources of the country.
- Protesting peacefully when necessary, without harming life or property.
Citizenship involves a balance between enjoying rights and fulfilling responsibilities to ensure a harmonious and democratic society.
Question 2: All citizens may be granted equal rights but all may not be able to equally exercise them. Explain.
Solution:
While democratic states grant equal rights to all citizens, several factors prevent individuals from exercising these rights equally:
- Socio-Economic Inequality:
- Poverty and lack of resources limit access to education, healthcare, or legal services, which are essential for exercising rights like voting or seeking justice.
- Example: The urban poor may not have a fixed address, excluding them from voter lists, thus denying their right to vote.
- Social Discrimination:
- Marginalized groups, such as minorities, women, or tribal communities, may face discrimination that restricts their ability to exercise rights like equal employment or freedom of movement.
- Example: Tribal communities may lose access to their lands due to commercial interests, affecting their right to livelihood.
- Lack of Awareness and Education:
- Illiteracy or lack of awareness about legal rights can prevent citizens from claiming entitlements, such as the right to education or social welfare schemes.
- Political and Structural Barriers:
- Bureaucratic inefficiencies or corruption may hinder access to rights like obtaining identification documents necessary for voting or accessing services.
- Example: Refugees or stateless persons may be denied basic rights due to lack of legal recognition.
Equal citizenship requires governments to address these disparities by framing policies that consider the diverse needs of different groups, ensuring equal opportunities and protections for all.
Question 3: Write a short note on any two struggles for full enjoyment of citizen rights which have taken place in India in recent years. Which rights were being claimed in each case?
Solution:
- Right to Education Movement (2009 onwards):
- Struggle: The passage of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act (RTE), 2009 was a culmination of advocacy by civil society groups and NGOs to ensure universal education. Post-enactment, struggles continued to enforce its implementation, addressing issues like inadequate school infrastructure and discrimination against marginalized groups.
- Rights Claimed: The right to free and compulsory education for children aged 6–14 years, a socio-economic right under Article 21A of the Indian Constitution. It aimed to ensure equal access to quality education for all, particularly for disadvantaged groups like girls and children from economically weaker sections.
- Aadhaar and Right to Privacy (2017–2018):
- Struggle: The mandatory linking of Aadhaar (a unique identification number) to access government services sparked protests and legal battles, culminating in the Supreme Court’s 2017 ruling recognizing the right to privacy as a fundamental right. Activists argued that Aadhaar’s implementation violated privacy and excluded marginalized groups from welfare schemes due to technical issues.
- Rights Claimed: The right to privacy (a civil right under Article 21) and the right to access welfare benefits without discrimination. The movement sought to protect citizens’ personal data and ensure equitable access to socio-economic rights like food security and pensions.
These struggles highlight ongoing efforts to ensure that constitutional rights are accessible to all citizens, addressing systemic barriers and inequalities.
Question 4: What are some of the problems faced by refugees? In what ways could the concept of global citizenship benefit them?
Solution:
Problems Faced by Refugees:
Refugees face significant challenges that hinder their ability to live dignified lives:
- Lack of Legal Recognition:
- Many refugees are stateless or lack documentation, denying them access to basic rights like education, healthcare, or employment.
- Example: Palestinian refugees face prolonged statelessness, living in camps with limited rights.
- Discrimination and Marginalization:
- Refugees are often viewed as burdens by host communities, facing hostility, social exclusion, and restricted access to jobs or housing.
- Economic Hardships:
- Refugees are frequently forced to work in low-wage, informal sectors, living in slums or tents with inadequate shelter and food.
- Security and Safety Issues:
- They are vulnerable to exploitation, crime, and violence, with limited legal recourse to protect themselves.
- Cultural and Social Integration:
- Language barriers and cultural differences make integration into host societies difficult, leading to isolation.
Benefits of Global Citizenship for Refugees:
The concept of global citizenship promotes a sense of shared responsibility across national boundaries, offering potential solutions:
- Access to Basic Rights:
- Global citizenship advocates for universal human rights, ensuring refugees receive protection, education, and healthcare regardless of their location.
- International Cooperation:
- It encourages cooperative action among states to address cross-border issues like refugee crises, facilitating resettlement and resource sharing.
- Example: Global agreements like the UN Refugee Convention can be strengthened to provide legal frameworks for refugee protection.
- Reducing Statelessness:
- By promoting universal citizenship principles, global citizenship can help stateless refugees gain legal identities and access to services.
- Economic Contributions:
- Recognizing refugees’ contributions to host economies (e.g., labor and tax contributions) can foster acceptance and integration, reducing local resistance.
- Advocacy and Awareness:
- Global citizenship fosters awareness of refugee issues, encouraging civil society and individuals to advocate for their rights and welfare.
Global citizenship can create a framework where refugees are not just seen as victims but as valuable members of a global community, ensuring their dignity and rights are upheld.
Question 5: Migration of people to different regions within the country is often resisted by the local inhabitants. What are some of the contributions that the migrants could make to the local economy?
Solution:
Migrants, despite facing resistance from local inhabitants, make significant contributions to the economy of the regions they move to:
- Increased Labor Force:
- Migrants often fill labor shortages in sectors like construction, agriculture, and services, performing essential tasks at lower wages, which reduces production costs and boosts economic output.
- Example: Migrant workers in urban areas contribute to infrastructure development and the service industry.
- Economic Growth through Taxes:
- Migrants pay taxes on goods, services, and income, contributing to the revenue of the local and national government, which can be reinvested in public services.
- New Skills and Techniques:
- Migrants bring diverse skills, technologies, and work practices that enhance productivity and innovation in local industries.
- Example: Agricultural migrants may introduce advanced farming techniques from their native regions.
- Boost to Local Businesses:
- Migrants increase demand for goods and services, such as food, housing, and transportation, stimulating local businesses and creating jobs.
- Example: Migrant communities often establish small businesses like shops or restaurants, enriching the local economy.
- Contribution to GDP:
- The goods and services produced by migrants are included in the region’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), contributing to overall economic growth.
- Example: Migrant labor in manufacturing or textiles boosts production for both domestic and export markets.
- Cultural and Economic Diversity:
- Migrants introduce new cuisines, crafts, and cultural practices that attract tourism and create niche markets, further diversifying the local economy.
By recognizing these contributions, local communities can move beyond resistance and foster inclusive policies that maximize the economic benefits of migration.
6. “Democratic citizenship is a project rather than an accomplished fact even in countries like India which grant equal citizenship”. Discuss some of the issues regarding citizenship being raised in India today.
Solution:
Democratic citizenship is described as a “project” because, despite constitutional guarantees of equal citizenship in countries like India, its full realization remains an ongoing process due to persistent social, legal, and economic challenges. The Indian Constitution under Articles 5–11 ensures equal citizenship, granting rights like voting, equality, and freedom to all citizens. However, systemic barriers and evolving socio-political issues prevent the complete exercise of these rights, making citizenship a work in progress. Below are some key issues regarding citizenship being raised in India today:
- Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019, and National Register of Citizens (NRC): The CAA fast-tracks citizenship for non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan who entered India before December 31, 2014, raising concerns about religious bias. The NRC in Assam, aimed at identifying “illegal immigrants,” has left millions at risk of statelessness due to stringent documentation requirements. These policies have sparked debates about whether they violate the secular principle of equal citizenship under Article 14, as they appear to discriminate against certain religious groups. Nationwide protests in 2019–2020 highlighted fears that CAA-NRC could marginalize Muslims and undocumented poor citizens.
- Statelessness and Marginalized Groups: Communities like the Chakma and Hajong refugees in Arunachal Pradesh, Rohingya refugees, and certain tribal groups struggle to secure citizenship due to a lack of legal recognition or documentation. Statelessness denies them access to basic rights like education, healthcare, and voting, undermining the principle of equal citizenship. For instance, despite the Supreme Court’s 2015 directive to grant citizenship to some Chakma refugees, implementation remains incomplete, leaving many in limbo.
- Socio-Economic Inequalities: Poverty, illiteracy, and caste-based discrimination prevent many citizens, particularly from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and rural areas, from fully exercising their rights. For example, bureaucratic hurdles or lack of voter ID exclude slum dwellers and migrant workers from voting, limiting their political participation. These disparities highlight the gap between constitutional rights and their practical realization, making equal citizenship an ongoing project.
- Aadhaar and Digital Exclusion: The mandatory linking of Aadhaar for accessing welfare schemes, banking, and services has excluded vulnerable groups like the elderly, rural poor, and those without digital literacy or biometric data. Such exclusion denies socio-economic rights like food security and pensions, as seen in cases of starvation deaths linked to Aadhaar failures in Jharkhand (2017). This raises questions about equitable access to citizenship rights in a digital era.
Conclusion: Democratic citizenship in India is an evolving project, as legal controversies (CAA-NRC), statelessness, socio-economic barriers, and digital exclusion challenge the ideal of equal citizenship. Addressing these issues requires inclusive policies, judicial oversight, and public awareness to ensure that citizenship is not merely a legal status but a lived reality for all. The ongoing struggles reflect the need for continuous efforts to bridge the gap between constitutional ideals and ground realities.
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