Pressure Groups: Dynamics, Impact and Challenges for Governance

Pressure Groups in Indian Politics: A Comprehensive Study for IAS Exam Preparation

To prepare for INDIAN POLITY for any competitive exam, aspirants have to know about Pressure Groups. It gives an idea of all the important topics for the IAS Exam and the polity syllabus (GS-II.). This is an essential portion of the polity. As IAS aspirants, you should be thorough with the Pressure Groups. In this article, you can read all about the Pressure Groups for the Polity and Governance segments of the UPSC syllabus.

The term ‘pressure group’ originated in the USA. 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. Pressure groups are also called interest groups or vested groups. 

Pressure Groups: Catalysts for Change in Public Policy 

• The term ‘pressure group’ originated in the USA. 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. Pressure groups are also called interest groups or vested groups.

Crucial Role of Pressure Groups in Indian Democracy 

• Enhances and broadens political participation
• Acts as a safety valve and vent for grievances
• Ensures checks and balances
• Spreads awareness – Information – Education – Communication (IEC)
• Empowerment and deepening of the democratic principles
• Ensures accountability of government
• Helps in policy formulation, legislative functioning and policy implementation.
• Acts as a feedback mechanism for government
• Ensures participatory democracy – inclusive growth
• Pressure groups enhance the quality of governance – Debate – Discussion – Deliberation – Dissention (4Ds)
• They serve as vital intermediary institutions between government and society

Factors Driving the Proliferation of Pressure Groups in India 

• Vote bank politics
• Criminalisation of politics
• Indifferent attitude of government and political parties towards marginalised sections of society
• Poor criminal justice system – No quick justice and delayed justice
• The rising influence of non-state actors
• Poor public service delivery
• Ineffective and efficient grievance redressal mechanism.
• Failure of parliamentary democracy
• Globalisation – Amnesty and Greenpeace
• Vested interests in favourable policy formulation

Distinctive Characteristics of Pressure Groups vis-à-vis Political Parties in India 

• Concerned with specific programmes and issues
• Their activities are confined to the protection and promotion of the interests of their members
• Pressure groups neither contest elections nor try to capture political power
• They are outside the government
• Neither accountability nor transparency
• Temporary in nature and formation
• Interest-based formation and composition
• Uniform ideology – common interest – common causes

Strategic Tools of Pressure Groups Shaping India’s Political Landscape 

Characteristics and Evolution of Pressure Groups in Indian Politics 

• 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 the 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 result from increasing pressure and demands on resources – Scarcity of resources, claims and counterclaims on the resources from different and competing sections of the society.

Various Aspects of Pressure Groups 

TYPES OF PRESSURE GROUPS 

• Institutional Interest Groups à These groups are formally organised which consist of professionally employed persons. They are a part of government machinery and try to exert their influence. These groups include political parties, legislatures, armies, bureaucracies, etc. Whenever such an association raises protest it does so by constitutional means and in accordance with the rules and regulations. Example – IAS Association, IPS Association, State civil services association, etc.
• Associational Interest Groups à These are organised specialised groups formed for interest articulation, but to pursue limited goals. These include trade unions, organisations of businessmen and industrialists and civic groups. Examples – Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Indian Chamber of Commerce, Trade Unions such as AITUC, Teachers Associations, Students Associations such as National Students Union of India (NSUI) etc.
• Non-Associational Interest Groups àThese are the kinship and lineage groups and ethnic, regional, status and class groups that articulate interests on the basis of individuals, family and religious heads. These groups have an informal structure. These include caste groups, language groups, etc.
• Anomic Interest Groups – By anomic pressure groups we mean more or less a spontaneous breakthrough into the political system from the society such as riots, demonstrations, assassinations and similar.

First Trade Union in India – All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) was founded in 1920 with Lala Lajpat Rai as its first president. Up to 1945, Congressmen, Socialists and Communists worked in the AITUC which was the central trade union organisation of workers of India. 

Spectrum of Pressure Groups in India 

• Business Groups – FICCI, ASSOCHAM etc
• Trade Unions – AITUC, INTUC, Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS)
• Professional Groups – Indian Medical Association (IMA), Bar Council of India (BCI)
• Agrarian Groups– All India Kisan Sabha, Bharatiya Kisan Union, etc
• Student’s Organisations– ABVP, All India Students Federation (AISF), National Students Union of India (NSUI)
• Religious Groups – RSS, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Jamaat-e-Islami, etc.
• Caste Groups – Harijan Sevak Sangh, Karni sena, etc
• Linguistic Groups – Tamil Sangh, Andhra Maha Sabha, etc
• Tribal Groups – National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN), Tribal National Volunteers (TNU) in Tripura, Tribal League of Assam, etc.
• Ideology based Groups – Narmada Bachao Andolan, Chipko Movement, India Against Corruption etc.
• Anomic Groups – Naxalite Groups, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), Dal Khalsa, etc.

Impact and Functions of Pressure Groups in Indian Democracy 

• Interest Articulation – The process by which the claims of the people get crystallized and articulated is called interest articulation
• 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 ‘safety-valve’ outlet

Issues Surrounding Pressure Groups in Indian Politics 

• Politicisation and crony capitalism due to political funding
• Resorting to unconstitutional means and violence on different occasions
• Non – organised structure and lack of governance
• Unaccounted foreign funding has a destabilizing effect on the economy
• Vote bank politics
• Lack of accountability and transparency
• Narrow perspective and lobbying leads to an increase in inequality
• Propagating extremism

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