Democratic Politics I: Class 9 Political Science (NCERT)
NCERT's Class 9 Political Science textbook, Democratic Politics I, made lively and easy to follow. Through stories from around the world and a study of India's Constitution, elections and rights, see how democracy works in practice and how government shapes daily life. Go beyond memorising facts and learn to think for yourself as an active, informed citizen.
What Is Democracy? Why Democracy?
Chapter 1
Chapter 1 · Start here
What Is Democracy? Why Democracy?
Does holding elections make a country a democracy? Learn the four features every democracy needs, and the arguments for and against it.
Sprint 1
What Is Democracy? Elected Leaders Must Decide
Start with a simple definition, then see why elected leaders must hold the real power, with Pakistan as the example.
Sprint 2
Fair Elections And Equal Votes
Elections must give voters a real choice, and every vote must count the same: examples from China, Mexico and others.
Sprint 3
Rule Of Law, And The Full Definition
Winning an election doesn't give unlimited power. Put the four features together into a full definition of democracy.
Sprint 4
Why Democracy? (Arguments For And Against)
Weigh up the arguments against democracy, and the reasons it is still the better form of government.
Sprint 5
Broader Meanings Of Democracy
Democracy as a way of making decisions: in government, in communities and even in families.
Sprint 6
Review: What Is Democracy? Why Democracy?
Check the definition, the four features and the arguments, then apply them to new situations.
Constitutional Design
Chapter 2
Chapter 2 · Start here
Constitutional Design
Why a country needs a constitution, how South Africa and India made theirs, and the values in India's Preamble.
Sprint 7
The South African Story: From Apartheid To Rainbow Nation
Understand Apartheid as a system of extreme discrimination and analyze how a deeply divided society transitioned to a democratic constitution.
Sprint 8
Why Do We Need A Constitution?
Define what a constitution is and break down its four primary functions in any society.
Sprint 9
Making Of The Indian Constitution
Trace the difficult historical context, the process, and the legitimacy of the Indian Constituent Assembly.
Sprint 10
Guiding Values And The Preamble
Analyze the philosophical foundations of the Constitution through leaders' visions and the specific vocabulary of the Preamble.
Sprint 11
Chapter Review
Synthesize historical facts, conceptual definitions, and philosophical values related to constitutional design.
Electoral Politics
Chapter 3
Chapter 3 · Start here
Electoral Politics
How elections work in India, from constituencies and campaigns to voting, and whether they are truly free and fair.
Sprint 12
Why Do We Need Elections?
Distinguish democratic elections from mere voting events using five core conditions.
Sprint 13
The Indian System: Constituencies & Voters
Understand how India is divided geographically for representation and how the voter list is maintained.
Sprint 14
Nominations, Campaigns & Polling
Map the candidate's journey from filing a nomination to campaign rules, and finally to the polling booth.
Sprint 15
Are Indian Elections Democratic?
Evaluate the fairness of Indian elections using institutional independence, voter turnout data, and acceptance of outcomes.
Sprint 16
Challenges To Free And Fair Elections
Identify the deeper, systemic flaws that still limit the fairness of Indian elections despite constitutional safeguards.
Sprint 17
Review: Electoral Politics
Synthesize the entire electoral process, evaluate the fairness of the system, and apply knowledge to real-world scenarios.