About This Section

This section collects previous-year Board examination questions (CBSE and State Boards) from Chapter 4 - Political Parties - with model answers. These show how the chapter is actually tested and help you practise writing exam-ready answers.

Board Previous Year Questions

Q1. State the various functions political parties perform in a democracy. (5 marks)

Answer: Political parties perform seven main functions:

  • Contest elections through their candidates.
  • Put forward policies and programmes for voters to choose from.
  • Make laws, as legislators vote by the party's direction.
  • Form and run governments by supplying the political executive.
  • Form the opposition when they lose and criticise the government.
  • Shape public opinion by raising issues and launching movements.
  • Provide people access to government machinery and welfare schemes.

Q2. What are the various challenges faced by political parties? (5 marks)

Answer: Parties face four major challenges:

  • Lack of internal democracy - power concentrated in a few leaders, with no registers, meetings or internal elections.
  • Dynastic succession - top posts monopolised by one family.
  • Money and muscle power - reliance on wealthy or criminal candidates and donor influence.
  • No meaningful choice - declining ideological differences, so voters get little real choice.

Q3. Suggest some reforms to strengthen parties so that they perform their functions well. (5 marks)

Answer: Reforms already made: the anti-defection law, mandatory affidavits on property and criminal cases (Supreme Court), and ECI orders on organisational elections and income tax returns. Suggested reforms: a law to regulate parties' internal affairs; a one-third quota of tickets for women; and state funding of elections. Beyond laws, public pressure and citizens joining parties can drive reform.

Q4. 'The rise of political parties is directly linked to the emergence of representative democracies.' Explain. (3 marks)

Answer: As societies grew large and complex, they needed representative democracy - and with it an agency to gather diverse views, bring representatives together to form a responsible government, and to support or restrain that government while making policies. Political parties fulfil exactly these needs, so they rose hand in hand with representative democracy and became a necessary condition for it.

Q5. What is a national party? How is it different from a State party? (3 marks)

Answer: A national party is a country-wide party with units in many states following a common national policy; it must win at least six per cent of votes in the Lok Sabha (or Assembly polls in four States) and at least four Lok Sabha seats. A State party is recognised within a State by securing at least six per cent of that State's Assembly votes and at least two seats. The difference lies in the spread of support, not in quality.