GS QUESTION...... Substantiate, with examples, the view that the Indian Constitution is a hallmark of rigid and flexible constitution. How has this rigidity and flexibility helped the Indian Constitution for more than seven decades, while many other decolonised countries have either replaced or subverted their respective constitutions?

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Question.. Substantiate, with examples, the view that the Indian Constitution is a hallmark of rigid and flexible constitution. How has this rigidity and flexibility helped the Indian Constitution for more than seven decades, while many other decolonised countries have either replaced or subverted their respective constitutions? POINTS -  I. Rigid & flexible feature of constitution  II. Features & nature of amendments of constitution  III. Features of Balance of change & continuity  IV. Conclusion  ANSWER -                  Based upon the provisions made for its amendment, a constitution can be flexible or rigid or a mixture of both. A flexible constitution can be amended by ordinary law-making exercise, while a rigid constitution can be amended by a very difficult and special procedure. As regards to Indian constitution, it strikes a balance between rigidi...
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PSIR QUESTION..8..Hegemony does mean something more specific than power and domination. Elaborate

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Q..8.Hegemony does mean something more specific than power and domination. Elaborate

 Points -
 • You must pick out the central concept mentioned in the question, which is power, and explain its centrality in political science.
• You should then give the different dimensions of power.
• In the body, you must explain Gramsci’s concept of hegemony, and explain how it is different from domination.
• You can then conclude by giving the importance of hegemony and how it plays out in the arena of civil society.

Write your answer in comment 👇


Answer --
Power may be regarded as one of the central concepts of political science. H. Lasswell and A. Kaplan have even defined political science in terms of ‘study of the shaping and sharing of power.’ There are many dimensions of power, understood in terms of violence, force, domination but the most common underlying factor is the materialistic and economic aspect.

One of the greatest contribution by Gramsci to political science lies in his understanding of the concept of power as ideological power. He gave the concept of hegemony which referred to the capacity of the bourgeoisie leaders to displace the rival world views and become, in effect, the common sense of the age. This type of cultural power is invisible, but has greater effect as it is exercised by capturing consciousness.

Thus, he argued that capitalist class system was upheld not simply by unequal economic and political power, but also by what he termed as ‘hegemony of the bourgeoisie ideas and theories’.

As per Gramsci, hegemony should not be confused as dominance as it is legitimised leadership. Moreover, hegemony, at its best, looks invisible. It is in this context relevant to say that ‘the best trick the devil ever pulled was making people think he didn’t exist’. Hegemony acts on the minds of the people. This power, is exercised by manufacturing consent and does not require coercion. It is a power of attraction.

The arena for generation of hegemony lies in the civil society, where the predominance of consent is created by the intellectual class. As a consequence, the person who is exploited starts enjoying the exploitation itself. Thus, Gramsci believes that as long as there is no counter-hegemony, developed through the war of position, there is no scope for changing the situation.

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