CBSE Class 10 · Social Science · board exam 2027
Chapter 4: Political Parties
This chapter’s questions from CBSE’s real papers of 2023–2026 — the 20 asked most often, 1 with the full model answer, 16 with how the answer begins — and objective questions with the board’s key. All 38 questions of this chapter, with answers, are in the app.
- marks a year (about)
- 5
- questions a year (about)
- 2
- rank in Social Science
- #7
From 4 years of papers, 2023–2026 · full chapter-wise marks
Important questions — the ones the board asked most (20)
- Q1Short answer2 marksAsked: 2024, 2025, 2026
Explain the role of political parties in a democracy.
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Model answer · functions of political parties
- 1.Parties contest elections and in most democracies the contest is between political parties. They put up candidates who contest elections, and those parties that win and secure a majority form the government. Parties thus form and run governments by taking the big policy decisions through the political executive that comes from them.1 mark
- 2.Opposition parties are those parties that lose in the elections and play the role of opposition to the parties in power. They shape public opinion by voicing different views and criticising the government for its failures or wrong policies, and they also mobilise opposition to the government.1 mark
- Write 'contest elections' and 'form government' as separate ideas in the first paragraph.
- Name the term 'Opposition parties' explicitly in the second paragraph.
- Mention 'criticising government for its failures or wrong policies' to earn the second point.
Marks split from a structure derived from past papers (checked twice); not CBSE’s official scheme
- Q2Short answer3 marksAsked: 2023, 2024
Analyse any three challenges faced by political parties in India.
- Q3Short answer2 marksAsked: 2024, 2026
Explain the role of political parties in shaping public opinion.
- Q4Long answer5 marksAsked: 2026
(a) Describe the main functions of political parties. OR (b) Describe the main challenges before political parties in India.
How the model answer begins
1. (a) Parties put forward different policies and programmes, and voters choose from them. OR (b) Dynastic succession: in many parties the top positions and tickets stay within one family.
The full answer from Medha Ma’am → - Q5Long answer5 marksAsked: 2026
(a) Explain the importance of political parties in Indian democracy. OR (b) Explain the major challenges faced by political parties in India.
How the model answer begins
1. (a) Parties contest elections and put forward different policies and programmes for voters to choose from. OR (b) Lack of internal democracy: power is concentrated in one or a few leaders; parties keep no membership…
The full answer from Medha Ma’am → - Q6Long answer5 marksAsked: 2026
(a) Analyse the role of political parties in ensuring good governance. OR (b) Analyse the necessity of political parties in India.
How the model answer begins
1. Political parties contest elections and field candidates so that people get an opportunity to choose their representatives from among different candidates. Parties recruit leaders, train them and then make them…
The full answer from Medha Ma’am → - Q7Long answer5 marksAsked: 2026
(a) Analyse the role of party system in Indian democracy. OR (b) How do political parties contribute to democratic political participation ? Analyse.
How the model answer begins
1. Political parties contest elections and try to secure a majority to form the government. A political party is a group of people who come together to contest elections and hold power in the government. Parties form and…
The full answer from Medha Ma’am → - Q8Long answer5 marksAsked: 2026
(a) Examine the role of political parties in a democracy. OR (b) Examine the need of the political parties in a democratic government.
How the model answer begins
1. A political party is a group of people who come together to contest elections and hold power in the government. A democracy needs parties because of the work they do. First, parties contest elections. In most…
The full answer from Medha Ma’am → - Q9Long answer5 marksAsked: 2026
(a) 'Political parties appear to be very different from one another in the institutions of any democratic system.' Examine this statement. OR (b) 'Political parties face many challenges in the present time.' Examine this statement.
How the model answer begins
1. The statement is true, because political parties are the most visible face of democracy. For ordinary citizens, democracy is equal to political parties. When people think of a democratic government, they think first of…
The full answer from Medha Ma’am → - Q10Long answer5 marksAsked: 2026
(a) Examine the role of political parties in strengthening democracy. OR (b) Examine the role of opposition parties in a Parliamentary democracy.
How the model answer begins
1. (b) In a parliamentary democracy, those parties that lose in the elections play the role of opposition to the parties in power. The Ruling Party runs the government, and the opposition parties keep a check on it, so…
The full answer from Medha Ma’am → - Q11Long answer5 marksAsked: 2023
(a) Explain any five challenges faced by political parties in India. OR (b) Explain any five major functions of the political parties.
- Q12Case-based4 marksAsked: 2026
Read the given source carefully and answer the questions that follow : How many political parties ? In some countries, only one party is allowed to control and run the government. These are called one-party systems. In some countries, power usually changes between two main parties. Several other parties may exist, contest elections and win a few seats in the national legislatures. Such a party system is called two-party system. If several parties compete for power, and more than two parties have a reasonable chance of coming to power either on their own strength or in alliance with others, we call it a multiparty system. (27.1) Explain the main feature of ‘multi-party system’. (27.2) Why is a ‘one-party system’ not compatible with democracy ? (27.3) Explain the main characteristics of a coalition government.
How the model answer begins
1. The main feature of a multi-party system is that if several parties compete for power, and more than two parties have a reasonable chance of coming to power either on their own strength or in alliance with others, we…
The full answer from Medha Ma’am → - Q13Case-based4 marksAsked: 2025
Read the following source and answer the questions that follow : [passage] (36.1) Explain the meaning of 'representative democracy'. 1 (36.2) How do political parties shape public opinion ? 1 (36.3) Why are political parties considered a necessary condition for a democracy ? Explain. 2
How the model answer begins
1. (36.1) Representative democracy is a system of government in which the people elect their representatives through elections. These elected representatives then govern and make policies on behalf of the people. Large…
The full answer from Medha Ma’am → - Q14Case-based4 marksAsked: 2023
Read the given source and answer the questions that follow : (36.1) Explain the meaning of a ‘political party’. (36.2) “The rise of political parties is directly linked to the emergence of representative democracies.” Support this statement. (36.3) Why are political parties a necessary condition for a democracy ? Explain.
How the model answer begins
1. A political party is a group of people who come together to contest elections and hold power in the government.
The full answer from Medha Ma’am → - Q15Case-based4 marksAsked: 2023
Read the given source and answer the questions that follow : The rise of political parties is directly linked to the emergence of representative democracies. As we have seen, large societies need representative democracy. As societies became large and complex, they also needed some agency to gather different views on various issues and to present these to the government. They needed some ways, to bring various representatives together so that a responsible government could be formed. They needed a mechanism to support or restrain the government, make policies, justify or oppose them. Political parties fulfil these needs that every representative government has. We can say that parties are a necessary condition for a democracy. (34.1) Explain the meaning of a 'political party'. (34.2) "The rise of political parties is directly linked to the emergence of representative democracies." Support this statement. (34.3) Why are political parties a necessary condition for a democracy ? Explain.
How the model answer begins
1. (34.1) A political party is a group of people who come together to contest elections and hold power in the government. Its members agree on some policies and programmes for the society with a view to promote the…
The full answer from Medha Ma’am → - Q16Short answer3 marksAsked: 2025
28. (a) Describe three main functions of political parties. OR (b) Describe three major challenges faced by the political parties in India.
How the model answer begins
1. Three major challenges faced by political parties in India are lack of internal democracy, dynastic succession and the growing role of money and muscle power. (i) Lack of internal democracy: All over the world there is…
The full answer from Medha Ma’am → - Q17Short answer3 marksAsked: 2025
Explain three major challenges before Political Parties in India.
How the model answer begins
1. The first challenge before political parties in India is lack of internal democracy within parties. Ordinary members of the party do not get sufficient information on what happens inside the party. They do not have the…
The full answer from Medha Ma’am → - Q18Short answer3 marksAsked: 2026
"Political parties perform many functions in a democracy." Explain this statement with examples.
How the model answer begins
1. Political parties fill political offices and exercise political power by performing several functions. First, parties contest elections. In most democracies, elections are fought mainly among the candidates put up by…
The full answer from Medha Ma’am → - Q19Short answer3 marksAsked: 2025
28. (a) Explain the importance of political parties in democracy. OR (b) Why did India adopt the multiparty system ? Explain with suitable arguments.
How the model answer begins
1. (b) India adopted the multiparty system because a party system is not something any country can choose. It evolves over a long time, depending on the nature of society, its social and regional divisions, its history of…
The full answer from Medha Ma’am → - Q20Short answer3 marksAsked: 2025
Describe any three features of Multiparty System.
How the model answer begins
1. In a multiparty system, several parties compete for power, and more than two parties have a reasonable chance of coming to power either on their own strength or in alliance with others. India has a multiparty system.
The full answer from Medha Ma’am →
18 more questions of this chapter, each with its model answer, in the AskMedha app.
Objective questions with the board’s key (10)
- 1. CBSE 2026
Read the following statements about the functions of political parties and choose the correct option : I. Political parties build public opinion. II. Political parties play the role of the opposition. III. Political parties present their programmes to the public. IV. Political parties make foreign policy.
- (A) Only I, II and III are correct. ✓
- (B) Only II, III and IV are correct.
- (C) Only I, III and IV are correct.
- (D) Only I, II and IV are correct.
Answer: (A)
- 2. CBSE 2026
Find the odd one out regarding the Political Parties of India :
- (A) Bharatiya Janata Party & Aam Aadmi Party ✓
- (B) Indian National Lok Dal & Jananayak Janata Party
- (C) National's People's Party & United Democratic Party
- (D) Rashtriya Janata Dal & Loktantrik Samajwadi Party
Answer: (A)
- 3. CBSE 2026
Find the odd one out from the following :
- (A) Communist Party of India (M) & Bharatiya Janata Party ✓
- (B) Rashtriya Janata Dal & Janata Dal
- (C) Nationalist Congress Party & Shiv Sena
- (D) United Democratic Party & National People's Party
Answer: (A)
- 4. CBSE 2025
Select the correctly matched pair from the following : Political Party State
- (A) Janata Dal (Secular) - Bihar
- (B) Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party - Goa ✓
- (C) Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam - Andhra Pradesh
- (D) All India Forward Bloc - Punjab
Answer: (B)
- 5. CBSE 2025
Which of the following statements are correct related to the role of political parties in India ? I. Play a decisive role in making laws for the country. II. Making different interest groups in the country. III. Play a role for shaping public opinion in the country. IV. Pulling forward different policies and programmes before voters.
- (A) Only I, II and III are correct.
- (B) Only I, III and IV are correct. ✓
- (C) Only II, III and IV are correct.
- (D) Only I, II and IV are correct.
Answer: (B)
- 6. CBSE 2025
Which of the following are the main components of a political party ? Choose the correct option : I. Leader II. Active members III. Supporters IV. Pressure groups
- (A) Only I, II and III are correct. ✓
- (B) Only II, III and IV are correct.
- (C) Only I, III and IV are correct.
- (D) Only I, II and IV are correct.
Answer: (A)
- 7. CBSE 2025
Choose the correctly matched pair from the following :
- (A) Janata Dal (Secular) - Bihar
- (B) Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party - Goa ✓
- (C) Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam - Andhra Pradesh
- (D) All India Forward Bloc - Punjab
Answer: (B)
- 8. CBSE 2025
Match Column I with Column II and choose the correct option :
- (A) a-ii, b-i, c-iv, d-iii ✓
- (B) a-iii, b-iv, c-i, d-ii
- (C) a-iv, b-iii, c-ii, d-i
- (D) a-ii, b-i, c-iii, d-iv
Answer: (A)
- 9. CBSE 2025
To reform the party system, which of the following tasks have been made compulsory for the political parties ? Choose the most appropriate option. I. It is now compulsory for all the political parties to file income tax returns. II. It is now compulsory for all parties to have one-third women candidates. III. It is now compulsory for all the political parties to hold their organisational election. IV. It is now compulsory for all candidates to disclose information about pending criminal cases against them through affidavit.
- (A) Only I, II and III are correct.
- (B) Only I, II and IV are correct.
- (C) Only I, III and IV are correct. ✓
- (D) Only II, III and IV are correct.
Answer: (C)
- 10. CBSE 2025
Two statements are given below. They are Assertion (A) and Reason (R). Read both the statements and choose the correct option : Assertion (A) : Every party in India has to register with the Election Commission. Reason (R) : The Government provides election symbols to all political parties in India.
- (A) Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
- (B) Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
- (C) (A) is true, but (R) is false. ✓
- (D) (A) is false, but (R) is true.
Answer: (C)
Questions parents and students ask
- How many marks does "Political Parties" carry in CBSE Class 10 Social Science?
- In the CBSE papers of 2023–2026, this chapter carried about 5 marks and about 2 questions a year; by marks it ranks 7 in Social Science.
- Which are the most important (VVI) questions of "Political Parties"?
- The 20 questions above are from the board’s real papers, each with the years it was asked; the most-asked come first with their full model answers. All 38 written questions of this chapter, with answers, are in the AskMedha app.
- Do the answers follow the board’s marking scheme?
- Yes. CBSE publishes its marking schemes; every model answer here is written point by point to the marks the board’s own scheme gives, and checked by a second, independent model.
The same preparation, with Medha Ma’am — on your phone
Every question of every chapter with its model answer, practice questions in the board’s own shapes, 60 minutes of class a day, written answers marked, a test every Sunday and a WhatsApp report to parents.
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