The student committee

The government plays a big part in our lives. Its jobs include:

• keeping law and order
• making sure there is peace, stability and safety
• managing relations with other countries
• defending the nation
• providing essential goods and services (education, healthcare, roads ...)
• managing the economy
• working for people's welfare and better lives

Remember Kauṭilya? He said a ruler has three duties: rakṣha (protect the state from outside attack), pālana (keep law and order inside) and yogakṣhema (look after the people's welfare). 2,300 years later, the list has hardly changed!

Democracy means 'rule of the people': the people are the source of power and authority.

To see how that works, think of a school: timetables, sports, the mid-day meal, washing utensils, assembly speakers, 'No Bag Days' ... The Head Teacher decides a student committee should make the rules, help carry them out and check they're followed. But who should be on it? Is there a committee like this in your school? Who chose its members?

The students argue. Naghma: "Grade 12 is most senior; they should do it." Shobha: "But they leave in a few months!" Gurpreet asks the sharpest question: "If one grade does everything, how will they know the problems of other grades?"

They find three options:

The third way is the democratic one. A representative is someone chosen to act or decide on behalf of a group.