PRESSURE GROUPS IN INDIA: FOR UPSC AND BPSC MAINS EXAM.

NOTE: Source of discussion is based on sources available on the internet and Indian Polity by M. Laxmikanth.

In this article, we will try to cover comprehensively the concept of the Pressure Groups. For this, we have to focus on some basic concepts of Democracy and Thereafter a comprehensive study on Pressure groups because these both are related to each other.

The concept, Democracy is a form of government in which the people have the authority to choose their governing legislation. The notion of Democracy has existed in the tradition of Western political thought since ancient times, and in the 5th century B.C. it was the sense of "ruling by the people".
Democracy is government by people relies heavily on the wisdom of the people, hence Democracy would be more conducive to social development. the success of Democracy depends on many factors, and it is necessary that each factor must cooperate to achieve the objective of Democracy.
In a liberal democracy, groups of people who organized themselves for pursuing their specific, collective interest. They try to serve their interest through obtaining the support of public opinion by publicizing their viewpoint widely and pleading to the government to mold its policy to suit their interest. These interest groups are widely pronounced as Pressure Groups.
People who are dissatisfied with the current conditions in society represent their viewpoint with help of Pressure Groups, hence by forming Pressure Groups, people seek to express their shared beliefs and values and try to influence the change within the community.
Pressure Groups are different from political parties, in the term that Political Parties seeks to create change by being elected to public office, while Pressure Groups by influencing political parties.
Pressure Groups are legitimate as potentially beneficial to a democratic society. Individual Pressure Groups can form larger coalitions to advance their cause more effectively.

Do all pressure groups have familiarity? the common aim of all pressure groups is to influence power politics to achieve their goal and for this they try to affect politics by protest or countryside march or within a locality. For example- Mothers against Drink and Drive in America.
can pressure groups influence the laws? To influence lawmaking, there are many tools by which pressure groups can influence the laws to achieve their goals.

1. It can help the election campaign by providing money and time to a particular party from whom they are willing to target their goals.
2. Its member may threaten, to vote as a bloc and hence exclusively can influence the political party.
3. they put pressure on the government to speed up legislation by making progressive agreements.
4. Pressure Groups may attempt to influence members of the executive who have some lawmaking inputs and who can decide to some extent, the strength and effectiveness of law enforcement.
5. Pressure groups have to target government bureaucracy and to gain influence, they target them by their researched methodology.
6.  Pressure groups go for a part of the bureaucratic process in that bureaucrats need information on many issues and they can, therefore, direct the question to those who would be responsible for answering.
7. and hence these groups have close relation with government's bureaucracy which play an important dimension of a Pressure Group's work.

In the above, we have tried to generate a confluence between democracy and Pressure Groups. Onwards we will try to add some features which will accordance with the mains writing point of view.

The term Pressure Group originated in the USA. A pressure group is a group of people who are organized activities for promoting and defending their common interests. It is so-called as it attempts to bring a change in the public policy by exerting pressure on the government. It acts as a liaison between the government and its members. The pressure groups are also called as interest groups or vested groups. They are different from the political parties in that they neither contest election nor try to capture political power. They are concerned with specific programs and issues and their activities are confined to the protection and promotion of the interest of their members by influencing the government.
The pressure groups influence the policymaking and policy implementation in the government through legal and legitimate methods like lobbying, correspondence, publicity, propagandizing, petitioning, public debating, maintaining contacts with their legislators, and so forth. however, some times they resort to illegitimate and illegal methods like strikes, violent activities, and corruption which damages public interest and administrative integrity.

According to Peter H. Odegard- pressure groups resort to three different techniques in securing their purposes.

• Electioneering: they can try to place in public office, a person who are favorably disposed towards the interests they seek to promote.
• Lobbying: they can try to persuade public officers, whether they are initially favorably disposed towards them or not, to adopt and enforce the policies that they think will prove most beneficial to their interests.
• Propagandizing: they can try to influence public opinion and thereby gain an indirect influence over the government. since the government in a democracy is substantially affected by public opinion.

Pressure groups in India: 

1. Business groups: FICCI, ASSOCHAM, FAIFDA, AIMO.
2. Trade unions: AITUC, INTUC, HMS, CITU, BMS.
3. Agrarian groups: Bhartiya Kisan Union, All India Kisan Sabha, Bhartiya Kisan Sangh.
4. Professional Associations: Indian medical Associations (IMA), Bar Council of India.
5. Student Organization: ABVP, AISF, NSUI.
6. Religious Organisation: RSS, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Shiromani Akali Dal.
7. Cast Group: Harijan Sevak Sangh, Kshatriya Mahasabha.
8. Linguistic Groups: Tamil Sangh, Andhra Mahasabha, Hindi Sahitya Sammelan.
9. Tribal organization: National socialist council of Nagaland, United Mezo Federation Organisation.
10. Ideology Based groups: Environmental protection Group - Narmada Bachao Andolan, Chipko movements.
11. Anomic  Groups: According to Almond and Powell observed- By anomic pressure groups we mean more or less a spontaneous breakthrough into the political system from the society such as riots, demonstration, assassinations and like--- All India Sikh Student's Federation, Nava Nirman Samiti of Gujarat, Naxal groups, Dal Khalsa, United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA).  

bloc- a group of people with a common interest, come together to make a certain changes in society or a group of countries or political parties with common interests who have formed an alliance.