Which one is not a characteristic of democracy?

• It is a rule of the people
• Every citizen takes part in the decision-making process directly or indirectly
• The executive is not answerable to legislature
• This is the rule of the law

Doctors’ absenteeism

Political funding

Challenge:
Uttar Pradesh government got a survey done and found out that most of the doctors posted in the rural primary health centres are simply not there. They live in a town, carry out private practice and visit the village where they are posted only once or twice in the entire month. Villagers have to travel to towns and pay very high fee to private doctors even for common ailments.

Reform proposals:
• The government should make it compulsory for the doctors to live in the village where they are posted, otherwise their service should be terminated.

• District administration and police should carry out surprise raids to check the attendance of the doctors.

• Village Panchayat should be given the power to write the annual report of the doctor which should be read out in the gram sabha meeting.

• Problems like this can be solved only if Uttar Pradesh is split into several smaller states which can be administered more efficiently.

Challenge:
On an average, every candidate who contested the last Lok Sabha elections owned a property of more than Rs. 1 crore. There is a fear that only wealthy people or those with their support can afford to fight elections. Most of the political parties are dependent on money given by big business houses. The worry is that the role of money in politics will reduce whatever little voice the poor have in our democracy.

Reform proposals:

• The financial accounts of every political party should be made public. These accounts should be examined by government auditors.

• There should be state funding of elections. Parties should be given some money by the government to meet their election expenditure.

• Citizens should be encouraged to give more donations to parties and to political workers. Such donations should be exempted from income tax.