Question

Read the given source and answer the questions that follow:

An Experiment in Brazil A city called Porto Alegre in Brazil has carried out an extraordinary experiment in combining decentralisation with participative democracy. The city has set up a parallel organisation operating alongside the municipal council, enabling local inhabitants to take real decisions for their city. The nearly 13 lakh people in this city get to participate in making the budget for their own city. The city is divided into many Sectors or what we call wards. Each sector has a meeting, like that of the gram sabha, in which anyone living in that area can participate, There are some meetings to discuss issues that affect the entire city. Any citizen of the city can participate in those meetings. The budget of the city is discussed in these meetings. The proposals are put to the municipality that takes a final decision about it.

1. Explain the meaning of ‘participatory democracy’.  [1]
2. In the context of separation of powers, the given example defines which type of government?  [1]
3. Describe the structure of the system in India, which is almost similar to the above example of Brazil.  [2]

Answer 1

1. Participatory democracy is a system where citizens directly take part in decision-making rather than relying only on elected representatives. In Porto Alegre, people participate in meetings to discuss and decide on the city’s budget, making it an example of participatory democracy.
2. The example defines a decentralized government, where power is shared with local bodies. In Porto Alegre, local inhabitants actively participate in governance, ensuring better decision-making and accountability.
3. India has a decentralized governance system through the Panchayati Raj System in rural areas and Municipal Governance in urban areas. The Gram Sabha and Ward Committees allow public participation in decision-making, similar to Porto Alegre’s model.