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MAINS MENTORSHIP PROGRAM 2021

GENERAL STUDIES - 2
GOVERNANCE
NGO, SHG, Pressure Groups

NGOs –
A non-governmental organisation (NGO) is an organization that is neither a part of a
government nor a conventional for-profit business. Usually set up by ordinary citizens,
NGOs may be funded by governments, foundations, businesses, or private persons.
● NGO activities include, but are not limited to, environmental, social, advocacy and
human rights work. They can work to promote social or political change on a broad
scale or very locally.
● NGOs play a critical part in developing society, improving communities, and
promoting citizen participation.

Need and advantages of NGOs in India


1. In developing countries India, there are numerous gaps le by the government in the
development process. These gaps are filled by NGOs.
2. Better on ground presence of NGOs helps them to address the local needs in a better way.
Also they become the nodal point of contact for citizen-government engagement and
service delivery.

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3. Many issues in India do not come to the surface unless picked up by NGOs. Ex: rights of
LGBTQAI community picked up by Naz Foundation .
4. It also helps in Working where state is unwilling to work and where the state resources are
limited to work.
5. Policy formulation – Various NGOs work for policy formulation and also for the policies to
come into force. Ex: MKSS for RTI.
6. Development and Operation of Infrastructure e.g. NGOs did a remarkable job post-2004
Tsunami. Besides helping in rescue operations, NGOs also set up vocational training
centres
7. Advocacy for and with the Poor - In some cases, NGOs become spokespersons or
ombudsman for the poor and attempt to influence government policies and programmes
on their behalf.

Laws related to NGOs in India-


1. Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), 2010 –
● Foreign funding of voluntary organizations in India is regulated under FCRA act
and is implemented by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
● The acts ensure that the recipients of foreign contributions adhere to the stated
purpose for which such contribution has been obtained.
● Under the act organisations require to register themselves every five years.

2. Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999-


● Foreign Exchange Management Act (1999) aims to consolidate and amend the
law relating to foreign exchange with the objective of facilitating external trade

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and payments and for promoting the orderly development and maintenance of
foreign exchange market in India.
● A transaction under FEMA is called a fee or a salary while the same under FCRA is
called a grant or a contribution.
● In 2016, the powers of the Ministry of Finance to monitor NGOs were placed
under the FEMA.

Challenges faced by NGOs in India


● Asymmetry of power: Some NGOs have acquired character of MNCs because of large
scale funding from foreign governments, companies. On the other hand large chunk of
NGOs lacking even operational funding.
● Siphoning of funds: NGOs are becoming safe heavens to channelise the black money,
tax evasion. Such NGOs are causing loss to exchequer by helping others to evade taxes.
● NGOs for namesake: It is estimated that only about 1.5 percent of NGOs actually
undertake developmental work.
● Political Activism: Some NGOs are involved in political activism with foreign funds. A
large proportion of NGOs have actively taken part in political campaigns, including
working as proxies for certain political parties.
● Obstructionist agenda: Claiming involvement in human rights initiatives or social
empowerment, these organisations are allegedly fronts for foreign supported
extremist and secessionist groups. A large part of these funds is also being used for
religious conversions, which is forbidden under the FCRA.

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● Absence of Strategic Planning: Many NGOs suffer from the lack of a cohesive,
strategic plan that would facilitate success in their activities and mission. This renders
them unable to effectively raise and capitalize on financial support.
● Poor Governance and Networking: A lack of effective governance is all too common
in NGOs. Many have a deficit of understanding as to why they must have a Board and
how to set one up. A founder may be too focused on running the NGO for their own
purposes; however, governance is foundational to transparency.
● Lack of Volunteerism/Social work among Youth due to less attractive career
opportunities and pay scales. Even parents also discourage their children from social
activities.
● Centralisation in Urban and metropolitan areas.

Suggestions to improve conditions of NGOs-


● Capacity Building: Capacity building and training can help to provide crucial new
skills. NGOs can then more readily train staff and cultivate the necessary skills within
the organization to address challenges going forward.
● Experts advice provided to NGOs: The ability to reach out for needed advice and
guidance whenever required during a project or to optimize NGO operations is
extremely valuable. Access to qualified experts will inspire confidence in donors and
contribute to the projectʼs success. NGOs will naturally become more efficient,
streamlined and effective.
● ICT enablement of NGOs: All NGOs should be using a minimum of Internet, email, a
basic website and relevant social medial platforms.
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● Timely filing of annual income and expenditure: This will help in improving image of
NGOs in the eyes of government. NGOs also need to ensure that laws, rules and
regulations should be followed in letter and spirit.
● Democratisation of leadership: NGOs face many challenges in their journey. Such
challenges can be effectively tackled by rotating leadership among its members.
● Transparency in funding : Globalisation has blurred the boundaries of countries.
Global challenges like climate change, human development, poverty alleviation are
some of the pressing problems. And NGOs have also became globalised to deal with
these challenges. Thus maintaining records of such foreign fundingʼs will ensure
transparency in their functioning and will create deterrence for laws.
● Inculcate the Essence of Voluntarism: NSS and NCC should encourage students to
participate in voluntarism from childhood days onwards. Universities, colleges and
schools have to collaborate with NGOs and conduct campus interviews for the young
graduates who are interested in voluntarism.
● Increased Role in Rural Areas: In India, 65% of populations belong to rural areas.
NGOs, therefore, need to operate in rural areas on a bigger scale to enlist the
cooperation of village people in making their lives better. At the same time, these
NGOs have to encourage the educated young graduates of rural areas to participate in
voluntarism.
● Government should motivate NGOs to voluntary adopt the ʻNational Policy on
Voluntary Sector (2007)ʼ for better regulation of sector.

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National policy on voluntary sector 2007-

1. It aims to strengthen, promote and develop Voluntary sector. VOs include community
based organisations (CBOs), NGOs, charitable organisations, support organisations and
professional associations.
2. To identify methods by which Government may work together with VOs, on the basis of
the principles of mutual trust and respect, and with shared responsibility.
3. It recognises the importance of independence of voluntary organisations, which allows
them to explore alternative models of development.
4. To enable VOs to mobilise financial resources from India and abroad.
5. To encourage VOs to adopt transparent and accountable systems of governance and
management.
6. It highlights the need for Government to encourage all central and state Government
agencies to introduce pre-service and in-service training modules on constructive
relations with voluntary organisations.

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Self Help Groups-

● A Self-Help Group is defined as a "self-governed, peer-controlled group of people with


similar socio-economic background and having a desire to collectively perform
common purpose”.
● SHG is a mini voluntary agency for self-help at the micro level has been focused on the
weaker section particularly women for their social defence. So basically, the concept of
SHGs serves the principle “by the women, of the women and for the women”.
● Self-Help Groups are informal associations of people who choose to
come together to find ways to improve their living conditions. They help to build Social
Capital among the poor, especially women.
● The main objectives of SHG is to inculcate the habit of thri savings, banking culture,
that is, availing the loan and repaying the same over a given period of time and in the
process, again economic prosperity through credit. SHGs are mostly informal groups
whose members pool their savings and relent within the group on a rotational or need
basis.
● The model of SHG was developed by Muhammad Yunus in Bangladesh(1975). Later it was
taken by NABARD and promoted in India during 1986-87 , which saw SHG as a forum for
socio-economic empowerment of the women.
● Before NABARD efforts, efforts of philanthropists such as Ela Bhatt led to formation of
SEWA in 1972, where She organised women workers such as hawkers, vendors, home
based operators like weavers, potters, papad / agarbatti makers, manual labourers,
service providers and small producers like cattle rearers, salt workers, gum collectors,
cooks and vendors with the objective of their socio-economic empowerment.

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Benefits of the SHG model-
● Freedom from exploitative debt - In rural India, people are still dependent on
informal moneylenders. These moneylenders exploit these poor people by entering
into false agreements, writing wrong amounts on papers, charging excessive interest
rates and confiscating property on failing to repay the loan. SHGs free these people
from clutches of moneylenders.
● Collective guarantee system - for members who propose to borrow from organised
sources. The poor collect their savings and save it in banks. In return they receive easy
access to loans with a small rate of interest to start their micro unit enterprise.
● Leadership development: SHGs provide organisational platform to rural people to act
as leader for their respective activities. SHGs provide dynamic leadership as every
person gets a chance to lead according to the skill sets. Example: In Andhra Pradesh
alone, 1,40,000 women leaders were created.
● Social integrity – SHGs encourages collective efforts for combating practices like
dowry, alcoholism etc.
● Gender Equity – SHGs empowers women and inculcates leadership skill among them.
Empowered women participate more actively in gram sabha and elections.
● Pressure Groups – their participation in governance process enables them to highlight
issues such as dowry, alcoholism, the menace of open defecation, primary health care
etc and impact policy decision.
● Voice to marginalized section – Most of the beneficiaries of government schemes
have been from weaker and marginalized communities and hence their participation
through SHGs ensures social justice.

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● Savings - All SHG members regularly save a small amount. The amount may be small,
but savings have to be a regular and continuous habit with all the members.
● “Savings first - Credit later” should be the motto of every SHG member.
● Internal lending - The SHG should use the savings amount for giving loans to
members. The purpose, amount, rate of interest, schedule of repayment etc., are to be
decided by the group itself.
● Financial inclusion - SHGs have mobilised millions of people across the country
especially women. 40.95 million families and 204.75 million people having been
covered under NABARD-Bank Linkage programme and the cumulative loan figure
standing at 18040 crores as on 31-03-2007
● Impact on Housing & Health – The financial inclusion attained through SHGs has led
to reduced child mortality, improved maternal health and the ability of the poor to
combat disease through better nutrition, housing and health – especially among
women and children.
● Banking literacy – It encourages and motivates its members to save and act as a
conduit for formal banking services to reach them.

Social impact of SHGs-


● The SHG programme has contributed to a reduced dependency on informal money
lenders and other non- institutional sources.
● It has enabled the participating households to spend more on education than non-
client households. Families participating in the programme have reported better
school attendance and lower drop-out rates.

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● The financial inclusion attained through SHGs has led to reduced child mortality,
improved maternal health and the ability of the poor to combat disease through
better nutrition, housing and health – especially among women and children.

Challenges faced by SHGs in fulfilling their objectives-


● Access of market: Also, the goods produced by SHGs do not have access to larger
market place.
● Lack of skill up-gradation: Most SHGs are not making use of new technological
innovations and skills. This is because there is limited awareness with regards to new
technologies and they do not have the necessary skills to make use of the same.
Furthermore, there is a lack of effective mechanisms.
● Politicization of SHGs: Political affiliation and interference has become a serious
problem with SHGs.
● Limited to agricultural sector: Most of the SHGs work at local level and engaged in
agricultural activities. SHGs in rural areas should be introduced to non-agricultural
businesses too and should be provided with state-of-the art machinery.
● Lack of access to Technology: Most of the SHGs work with rudimentary or no
technology.
● Weak Financial Management: It is also found that in certain units the return from the
business is not properly invested further in the units, and the funds diverted for other
personal and domestic purposes like marriage, construction of house etc.
● Inadequate Training Facilities: The training facilities given to the members of SHGs in
the specific areas of product selection, quality of products, production techniques,

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managerial ability, packing, other technical knowledge are not adequate to compete
with that of strong units.
● Economies of scale: Normally each SHG procures raw materials individually from the
suppliers. They purchase raw materials in smaller quantities and hence they may not
be able to enjoy the benefits of large scale purchases like discount, credit facilities etc.
● Lack of professionalism: There is no professionalism within the SHGs. This does not
promote the expansion and improvement of the SHGs. This does not allow for the
increase of wages of the members and improvement in their living conditions. This
also leads to error in accounting and mismanagement.
● Lack of Stability and Unity Especially among women SHGs: In the case of SHGs
dominated by women, it is found that there is no stability of the units as many married
women are not in a position to associate with the group due to the shi of their place
of residence. Moreover, there is no unity among women members owing to personal
reasons.
● Lack of democratization in functioning : It is also observed that in the case of many
SHGs, strong members try to earn a lionʼs share of the profit of the group, by exploiting
the ignorance and illiterate members.
● Too much dependence on government and NGOs: Many SHGs are dependent on the
promoter agencies for their survival. In case these agencies withdraw their support,
the SHGs are vulnerable to downfall.
● Inadequate Financial Assistance: It is found that in most of the SHGs, the financial
assistance provided to them by the agencies concerned is not adequate to meet their
actual requirements. The financial authorities are not giving adequate subsidies to
meet even the labour cost requirements
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● Credit Mobilization: A study has shown that about 48% of the members had to borrow
from local money lenders, relatives and neighbours because they were getting
inadequate loan from groups.
● Contrary to the vision for SHG development, members of a group do not come
necessarily from the poorest families;

Measures taken by the government for promotion of SHGs-


● Self Help Group-Bank Linkage Programme: On the recommendations of SK Kalia
Committee, the SHG-Bank linkage programme was started at the initiative of NABARD
in 1992 to link the unorganised sector with the formal banking sector. Under this
programme, banks were allowed to open savings accounts for Self-Help Groups
(SHGs). Banks provide loans to the SHGs against group guarantee and the quantum of
loan could be several times the deposits placed by such SHGs with the banks.
● Priority Sector Lending: GOI has included SHG as a priority sector to mandate and
enhance banks focus on them. Bank credit to members of SHGs is eligible for priority
sector advance under respective categories viz., Agriculture, Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises, Social Infrastructure and Others.
● SHG, have been allowed to run grain banks to secure the food security in food & care
regions.
● Priyadarshini scheme, with NABARD as the nodal agency, has aimed at women
empowerment and livelihood enhancement through SHGs.
● Deendayal Antodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM): It
seeks to alleviate rural poverty through building sustainable community institutions of
the poor. Mission closely works with the Department of Financial Services (DFS),
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Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Indian Bank Associations (IBA) to provide bank
credit to SHGs.
● Mahila Kisan Shashaktikaran Pariyojana: In order to promote agro-ecological
practices that increase women farmersʼ income and reduce their input costs and risks,
the DAY-NRLM Mission has been implementing the Mahila Kisan Shashaktikaran
Pariyojana (MKSP).
● Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (RMK):The Rashtriya Mahila Kosh was set up by the
Government of India in March 1993 as an Autonomous Body registered under Societies
Registration Act, 1860 under the Department (now Ministry) of Women and Child
Development. The objective was to facilitate credit support to poor women for their
socio- economic upli ment.
● Social stock exchange- Proposed by the Government in budget 2020-21, to develop a
stock exchange for voluntary sector to limit their dependence on foreign funding.

What more can be done


● Government as a facilitator- The role of the Government in the growth and
development of the SHG movement should be that of a facilitator and promoter. The
objective should be to create a supportive environment for this movement.
● Literacy and education- The literacy levels of rural women are low and hence efforts
to enhance literacy levels in the area should be given priority.
● Giving statutory status to SHGs- The government could make SHGs as statutory
bodies and allowed to work with the local bodies to channelize womenʼs development
programmes.

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● Export promotion- Government should encourage export of goods which are
produced by the group members.
● SHG linkages- The An integrated approach is required for meeting overall credit
needs of a poor family in terms of backward linkages with technology and forward
linkages with processing and marketing organizations.
● Improved Access to credit- Credit needs to be provided for diversified activities
including income generating livelihood activities productions, housing consumption
loan and against sudden calamities.
● Proactive delivery- The delivery system has to be proactive and should respond to
the financial needs of the farmers.
● Training programmes- relating to management of finances, maintaining accounts,
production and marketing activities etc. should be given.
● Provide gender sensitization training- to bank staff so that they are sensitized to the
needs of rural clients especially women.
● Adequate insurance coverage- should be provided to the business units promoted by
SHG against the financial losses to safeguard the interest of the entrepreneurs.
● Improving the scope of movement- The SHG movement needs to be extended to
urban and peri-urban areas. State Governments, NABARD and commercial Banks
should join together to prepare a directory of activities and financial products relevant
to such areas.
● Better marketing of products- NGOs may help SHG in identifying new marketing
areas and methods of distribution of products manufactured or marketed by SHGs.

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● Social issues- A Self-Help Group should not only concentrate on the growth of the
group, but should also show active involvement on the social issues and other
essential issues like health, sanitation etc. to develop the entire village.
● Democratic leadership- There should be rotation of group leadership, so that all the
members of the group get an opportunity to play managerial roles.

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Pressure groups-
▪ A pressure group is a group of people who are organised actively for promoting and
defending their common interest. It is called so, as it attempts to bring a change in
public policy by exerting pressure on the government. It acts as a liaison between the
government and its members.

▪ The pressure groups are also called interest groups or vested groups. They are different
from the political parties, as they neither contest elections nor try to capture political
power. They are concerned with specific programmes and issues and their activities are
confined to the protection and promotion of the interests of their members by
influencing the government.

▪ The pressure groups influence the policy-making and policy implementation in the
government through legal and legitimate methods like lobbying, correspondence,
publicity, propagandising, petitioning, public debating, maintaining contacts with their
legislators and so forth.

Various types of pressure groups-

1. Economic association, such as chambers of commerce, trade unions.


2. Professional association, such as that of architects, doctors, lawyers.
3. Public interest group (PIG), such as friends of environment who aim to benefit people
beyond their membership.
4. Special interest group (SIG), a subgroups formed within the framework of a main
group to focus on a very narrow area of interest.

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5. Agrarian Groups- All India Kisan Sabha, Bharatiya Kisan Union, etc
6. Studentʼs Organisations- ABVP, All India Students Federation (AISF), National Students
Union of India (NSUI)
7. Religious Groups – RSS, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Jamaat-e-Islami, etc.
8. Caste Groups – Harijan Sevak Sangh, karni sena, etc
9. Linguistic Groups – Tamil Sangh, Andhra Maha Sabha, etc
10.Tribal Groups – National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN), Tribal National
Volunteers (TNU) in Tripura, Tribal League of Assam, etc.
11.Ideology based Groups – Narmada Bachao Andolan, Chipko Movement, India Against
Corruption etc.

Reasons behind formation of pressure groups-

1. The rise in benefits provided for by the welfare state is leading interest groups to form
to protect and extend those rights to their group members.
2. Higher educational standards have increased the numbers of people with the
organisational skills to contribute to pressure groups.
3. Changes in gender roles have removed many of the barriers to participation by women
in pressure group activity.
4. Membership of political parties has declined. It has been argued that this reflects the
failure of the political parties adequately to reflect the needs of different groups of
people in society, and that cause groups offer a more promising route for bringing
about political change.

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5. Globalisation has strengthened pressure groups in a number of ways. In particular,
there is general agreement that business groups have become more powerful in a
global age. This is because they are able more easily to relocate production and
investment, so exerting greater leverage on national governments.

Characteristics of pressure groups-

● Based on Certain Interests - organises itself keeping in view certain interests and thus
tries to adopt the structure of power in the political systems.
● Use of combination of Modern and Traditional Means - Modern means includes
adoption of techniques like financing of political parties, sponsoring their close
candidates at the time of elections and keeping the bureaucracy also satisfied. Their
traditional means include exploitation of caste, creed and religious feelings to promote
their interests.
● Pressure groups are primarily a consequence of inadequacies of Political Parties
● Represent Changing Consciousness in society
● Pressure groups results out of increasing pressure and demands on resources -
Scarcity of resources, claims and counterclaims on the resources from different and
competing sections of the society.

Role of pressure groups-


● Interest Articulation - The process by which the claims of the people get crystallized
and articulated is called interest articulation

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● Agents of Political Socialisation - as they influence the orientations of the people
towards the political process.
● They work as two-way communication links between the people and the
government.
● Pressure groups play a vital role in the legislative process.
● Role in Judicial Administration - Pressure groups try to use the judicial system for
securing and safeguarding their interests.
● Pressure groups play a leading role in the formulation of public opinion.
● Pressure groups help in improving the quality of government and governance.
● Provides important counterweights to balance the concentration of power.
● Pressure groups increase social cohesion and political stability by providing a
ʻsafety-valveʼ outlet
● Representation: Pressure groups provide a mouthpiece for groups and interests that
are not adequately represented through the electoral process or by political parties.
● Lobbying government: It include contacting members of parliament, ministers and
bureaucrats to disseminate information about the positive or adverse effects of
proposed legislation. Ex: FICCI lobby Government to bring tax reforms which suit
industry.
● Educating public: Interest groups work hard to educate the public at large,
government officials, their own members, and potential interest group members. They
use sources like communication medium which include TV advertisements, sponsored
news paper articles, social media, etc.
● Policy formulation and implementation: In particular, pressure groups are a vital
source of information and advice to governments. Many groups are therefore regularly
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consulted in the process of policy formulation, with government policy increasingly
being developed through policy networks. An example of such group is Observer
Research Foundation, which works on policy issues primarily related to Foreign affairs.

Positives of pressure groups-

● Advocate Democracy: Interest groups, also called lobby groups, advocacy groups or
pressure groups usually become the “voice” of the people, helping others express their
opinion and bring forward their message.
● Encourage Legislators: Interest groups campaign aggressively in support of their
advocacies. They use their size and motivation in pushing legislators to pass and
implement laws that uphold the interest groupsʼ beliefs.
● Monitor Those in Power: Interest groups are strongly driven by their belief and
support in upholding human rights and public interest. They take collective action in
checking and correcting those in power.
● Support Political Awareness: Various interest groups help disseminate valuable
information to the rest of the public, especially those that involve politics and laws.
They spur political involvement among the people who are otherwise helpless, meek,
or ignorant on their own.
● Better Representation: Interest groups advocate causes that are dear to their hearts,
and those of the people (minorities) they represent. Divided, they are weak and
vulnerable, but collectively, they are strong and well represented.
● Information gathering- Pressure groups compile data and provide specific
information to policy makers, thus they work as an informal source of information
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which is separate from that coming from the public service. Many groups are therefore
regularly consulted in the process of policy formulation.

Challenges related to pressure groups-


● Pluralism Leading to Chaos: A society with so many interest groups tends to develop
pluralism, which leads to conflicting interests and chaos. As each group fights for their
advocacies, they unconsciously become involved in a needless and endless tug of war.
● Good for the Minority: Some interest groups only seek the welfare of the minority
they represent and couldn't care less about others. Blinded by their beliefs, they may
stir arguments and political debates that overshadow the greater good of the majority.
● Plot Socio-Political Crimes: In order to push their advocacies, some interest groups
pressure politicians and civilians, and may come to a point of committing serious
crimes including bribery, corruption and fraud.
● Effectiveness in Question: Some interest groups can only go as far as protecting their
interests, but they become ineffective in handling the overall social-political issues as
they are normally short-sighted and narrow-minded, thinking only of their own
benefits.
● Risk of Demo sclerosis: As interest groups become more influential and more
powerful, their collective action may render the government as ineffective in adapting
or taking action. Demo sclerosis or the governmentʼs progressive inability to
accomplish anything substantial is o en the worst side effect of interest-group
activism.

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● Sectional interests- Pressure groups at times gets influenced by their sectional and
local interest more as compared to their common interest as seen in Jallikattu ban
case in Chennai.
● Anti-Development- At times they hinder development. In case of protests against
Kudankulam nuclear power project, people were mobilised on propaganda of safety
issues.
● Engineered dissent, Obstructionist activism- Some Pressure Groups could be
accused of holding the country to ransom. Many NGOs have been accused of
misappropriation of funds.

Directive principles and Pressure groups


1. Art38 mentions about a just socio-economic order. This is where various trade unions
such as CITU, AITUC affiliated to various political parties influence policies like
minimum wage (Art. 43), workers participation in management (Art. 43A) etc.
2. Art 39A- Organisations such as legal aid, NALSA group offer free legal aid to poor thus
fulfilling objectives of article 39A.
3. Art 48A- Environment protection groups like Narmada bachao andolan (NBA), green
peace, blue cross etc., fulfill the objective of a Article 48A.
4. Art 51- IDSA help in track II diplomacy in ensuring a peaceful and cooperative
international order (Art 51).
5. Art 43- Fair trade organization (FTO) help in promotion of cottage industries (ART 43).
6. Art 46- Organisations like SEWA, Mahila sashaktikaran andolan, etc have helped
formulate various legislations like new maternity benefit, criminal law amendment,
IPC 498A (domestic violence). Similarly bachpan bachao andolan (BBA) have made
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changes in national child policy, new labour reforms, POSCO etc fulfilling objectives of
Article 46.
7. Art 47- Organizations like Akshaya patra ensure nutrition via mid day meal scheme,
fight substance abuse etc (Art 47).
8. Art 48- Organizations like Bhartiya kisan sangh, RKSS, shetkari sangathan, help in
fighting for farmers rights and also in technology dissemination to fulfill objective of
scientific farming and animal husbandry (Art 48).
9. Art 44- Organisations like National federation for women (NFIW) have stood against
regressive personal laws like triple talaq, polygamy to ensure uniformity in personal
laws in order to enforce a uniform civil code (UCC) which bore fruit when SC ruled
triple talaq as unconstitutional (Article 44).
10. However the negative influence of pressure groups can be felt when some vigilante
groups like Gau Rakshan samitis become anonymous empires to prevent cow
slaughter as seen in recent lynching cases (Art 48), try to influence policy for narrow
gains help in concentration of wealth (FICCI, CII) etc.

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