Chapter 6 – Citizenship | CBSE Political Science Notes

Class XI · Political Science

CHAPTER – 6

Citizenship

🏛️ Full & Equal Membership 🗳️ Rights of Citizens 🌍 Universal Citizenship 🤝 T.H. Marshall 🧳 Stateless People 🌐 Global Citizenship

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1. Chapter Overview

Citizenship means full and equal membership of a political community. This chapter explores what that really means today — who gets full membership, who is left out, and what happens to those who have no state. It also looks at the idea of global citizenship in our interconnected world.

Understand what citizenship means and what rights it brings

Explore debates around “full and equal membership” for all citizens

Understand the relationship between citizens and the nation

Discuss stateless people and the idea of global citizenship

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2. What is Citizenship? (Section 6.1)

Citizenship is full and equal membership of a political community. In today’s world, states give their members a collective political identity — we think of ourselves as Indians, or Japanese, or Germans, depending on the state we belong to. Citizens expect rights from their state, as well as help and protection wherever they travel.

📌 What Rights Does Citizenship Bring?

Political rights: Right to vote, right to contest elections, right to form or join political parties
Civil rights: Freedom of speech, freedom of belief
Socio-economic rights: Right to a minimum wage, right to education
Equality of rights and status is one of the most basic features of citizenship in a democracy.

⚠️ Why Full Membership Matters — The Case of Refugees

The importance of being a full member of a state becomes clear when we look at those who are not. Thousands of people worldwide are forced to live as refugees or illegal migrants because no state will accept them. They are not guaranteed rights by any state and live in very difficult conditions. For them, full membership of a state is something they are willing to struggle and sacrifice for — as we see with Palestinian refugees in the Middle East.

🤝 Citizenship is Also About Citizen-Citizen Relations

Citizenship is not just about the state-citizen relationship. It also involves citizens’ obligations to each other and to society.
These include not just legal duties imposed by the state, but also a moral obligation to participate in and contribute to the shared life of the community.
Citizens are also considered to be the inheritors and trustees of a country’s culture and natural resources.

✊ Citizenship Has Been Won Through Struggle

Every right enjoyed by citizens today was won through struggle — against monarchies, colonial rulers, or unjust systems.
Examples: French Revolution (1789), anti-colonial struggles in Asia and Africa, the long fight of Black South Africans for equal citizenship (until early 1990s).
In India, the women’s movement and Dalit movement continue to push for full and equal citizenship rights.

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3. Full and Equal Membership (Section 6.2)

The idea of “full and equal membership” raises real tensions in practice. When jobs, facilities, and resources are limited, people often demand that “outsiders” — even fellow citizens from other states or regions — be kept out.

🚌 The “Insiders vs Outsiders” Problem

When resources are scarce — jobs, medical care, education, land — demands arise to restrict access to people from outside the region.
Examples: ‘Mumbai for Mumbaikars’ slogan, similar movements across different states of India.
Workers migrate across India for employment — IT workers to Bangalore, nurses from Kerala across the country, construction workers from various states to cities.
But local people sometimes resist, wanting certain jobs reserved for local residents or those who know the local language.

❓ Key Questions Raised

Does freedom of movement include the right to live or work anywhere in the country?
Should poor and unskilled migrants have the same rights as skilled workers?
Should long-term local residents get preference in jobs?
Are state quotas for professional college admissions justified?

🏛️ How Should Such Disputes Be Resolved?

Citizens have the right to protest peacefully through forming groups, demonstrations, media campaigns, or approaching courts. The guiding principle must be that full and equal membership applies to all citizens everywhere. A basic principle of democracy is that disputes are settled through negotiation and discussion, not force.

📖 Key Thinker: Martin Luther King Jr.

Civil Rights Movement — USA (1950s)

Black people in the southern USA were denied civil and political rights through Segregation Laws — separate seats in buses, trains, separate schools, restaurants, and housing. MLK Jr. argued against segregation on three grounds: (1) All human beings have equal dignity regardless of race. (2) Segregation inflicts deep psychological wounds — it is like “social leprosy.” (3) Segregation harms even the white community — parks were closed rather than shared, baseball teams disbanded rather than integrated. He called for peaceful, non-violent resistance.

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4. Equal Rights — Citizenship and the Urban Poor (Section 6.3)

Full and equal membership also raises the question: should all citizens — rich or poor — be guaranteed certain basic rights and a minimum standard of living by the state? The urban poor are a key example of citizens who technically have rights but struggle to exercise them.

🏙️ The Urban Poor — Slum Dwellers

Large numbers of slum-dwellers and squatters exist in every city in India — doing necessary, useful work at low wages.
They are often seen as unwelcome, blamed for straining city resources or spreading crime and disease.
Conditions in slums are often shocking — cramped rooms, no private toilets, no running water or sanitation.
Yet slum-dwellers make a significant contribution to the urban economy — as hawkers, domestic workers, construction workers, plumbers, mechanics, and small business owners.
Even a basic right like the right to vote is hard to exercise — voter registration requires a fixed address, which squatters often cannot provide.

⚖️ Important Court Case: Olga Tellis vs Bombay Municipal Corporation (1985)

Supreme Court on the Right to Livelihood

Social activist Olga Tellis filed a PIL claiming that pavement dwellers had the right to live where they did because no alternative accommodation near their work was available. If evicted, they would lose their livelihood. The Supreme Court ruled: “Article 21 (Right to Life) includes the right to livelihood. Therefore, if pavement dwellers are to be evicted, they must first be provided alternative accommodation under the right to shelter.”

🌿 Tribal People and Forest Dwellers

Tribal people and forest dwellers are another marginalised group — dependent on forests and natural resources for their way of life and livelihood.
They face threats from growing populations, commercial mining interests, and the tourist industry.
Governments must balance protecting these communities and their habitat with the pressures of national development.

📖 T.H. Marshall — Citizenship, Equality and Rights

Citizenship and Social Class (1950)

British sociologist T.H. Marshall defined citizenship as “a status bestowed on those who are full members of a community — all who possess it are equal with respect to the rights and duties it carries.” He identified three kinds of rights: Civil rights (protect life, liberty, property), Political rights (enable participation in governance), and Social rights (access to education and employment). Together they make a life of dignity possible. Marshall saw social class as a “system of inequality” — citizenship counters class divisions to create a more equal, integrated community.

💡 The Key Insight

Ensuring equal rights for all citizens cannot mean applying identical policies to everyone. Different groups have different needs. If the real goal is to make people more equal — not just to treat them uniformly — then different needs and claims must be considered when making policy. Citizenship is a project to keep working on — not a finished achievement.

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5. Citizen and Nation (Section 6.4)

The modern nation state provides citizens with a collective political identity — expressed through symbols like a national flag, anthem, and language. But how inclusive is this identity? And who qualifies for citizenship?

🌍 National Identity and Inclusion

Democratic states try to define their identity so that all citizens can identify with the nation. But in practice, some find it easier to belong than others.
France: Claims to be secular and inclusive. Citizens are expected to assimilate into French culture and language in public life, but may keep personal beliefs private. This has caused controversy — Sikh boys wanting to wear turbans and Muslim girls wearing headscarves in schools were banned because religious symbols were seen as belonging to the private sphere.
Germany: Turkish workers who came to work in Germany face an ongoing debate — their children, born and raised in Germany, still do not automatically receive citizenship.
Israel: Religion and ethnic origin are factors in granting citizenship.

🇮🇳 India’s Approach to Citizenship

India defines itself as a secular, democratic nation state. The independence movement was deliberately broad-based — binding together people of different religions, regions, and cultures.
India’s Constitution attempted to accommodate enormous diversity — Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, women, remote island communities, different languages, religions, and practices.
Citizenship in India can be acquired by birth, descent, registration, naturalisation, or inclusion of territory.
The Constitution prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth. Rights of religious and linguistic minorities are also protected.
Yet struggles continue — the women’s movement, Dalit movement, and struggles of people displaced by development projects show that democratic citizenship in India is an ideal to keep working towards, not a completed task.

💡 Republic Day Parade — A Symbol of Inclusive India

The Republic Day parade in Delhi symbolises India’s attempt to include people of different regions, cultures, and religions — a visible expression of the ideal of one inclusive national identity for all citizens.

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6. Universal Citizenship and Global Citizenship (Sections 6.5 & 6.6)

🧳 The Problem of Stateless People (Section 6.5)

Democratic theory says citizenship should be universal — but in reality, large numbers of people worldwide have no state that will accept them. These are stateless people — and their condition challenges the very promise of democratic citizenship.

People become stateless or refugees when displaced by war, persecution, famine, or political disputes.
If no state will accept them and they cannot return home, they may be forced to live in camps or as illegal migrants.
They often cannot legally work, educate their children, or acquire property.
The problem is so serious that the UN has appointed a High Commissioner for Refugees to address it.
States must balance accepting refugees against absorbing unmanageable numbers or security risks.
India: has provided refuge to persecuted peoples — including the Dalai Lama and his followers in 1959. But many people who have entered from neighbouring countries remain as stateless people for years or generations.

🌐 Global Citizenship (Section 6.6)

🌐 Why the Idea of Global Citizenship Has Emerged

We live in an interconnected world. The internet, television, and mobile phones have made it possible to watch events from anywhere on Earth in real time. Global problems — terrorism, pandemics, environmental threats — cross national borders and cannot be solved by any one state alone. This has led to growing calls for a concept of global citizenship.

✅ Arguments FOR Global Citizenship

Problems like migration, pandemics, climate change, and terrorism cross national borders — they need cooperative international action
Global citizenship could help ensure basic rights for refugees and stateless people regardless of which country they are in
Massive outpouring of global help during the 2004 Asian Tsunami shows a shared human feeling already exists
Encourages people to see themselves as part of a larger human community, not just one nation

⚠️ Limitations of Global Citizenship

A world government or formal global community does not yet exist
Socio-economic inequalities within countries can ultimately only be solved by the governments and people of that society
Full and equal membership of a state remains essential for individual rights and protection in today’s world
Global citizenship can supplement — but cannot yet replace — national citizenship

💡 The Balanced View

Full and equal membership of a state remains important and necessary for people today. But global citizenship reminds us that we live in an interconnected world — we need to strengthen links with people across national boundaries and be ready to cooperate with governments and people worldwide to solve shared problems.

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7. Mind Map — Chapter 6 at a Glance

🗺️ Mind Map — Chapter 6: Citizenship

Chapter 6 — Citizenship

🏛️ What is Citizenship?Full & equal membership
Political identity
Rights + obligations

⚖️ Full MembershipInsiders vs Outsiders
Mumbai for Mumbaikars
Migration debate

🌐 Equal RightsUrban poor
Olga Tellis case
Tribal people

🗺️ Citizen & NationFrance · Germany · India
Secular inclusive state
Diversity in Constitution

🧳 Universal CitizenshipStateless people
Refugees · Camps
UN High Commissioner

🌍 Global CitizenshipInterconnected world
Cross-border problems
Supplement, not replace

🤝 T.H. MarshallCivil + Political + Social
Counter class inequality
Life of dignity

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8. Summary — Quick Revision

Citizenship = full and equal membership of a political community. It gives citizens political identity, rights (political, civil, socio-economic), and protection. Citizens also have obligations to each other and to society.

Every right of citizenship has been won through struggle — French Revolution, anti-colonial movements, South Africa’s fight against Apartheid, and ongoing movements like the women’s and Dalit movements in India.

Full and equal membership is debated when resources are scarce. ‘Mumbai for Mumbaikars’-type movements raise questions: does freedom of movement mean the right to live and work anywhere? Should unskilled migrants have the same rights as skilled workers?

T.H. Marshall defined citizenship as involving three rights: Civil (life, liberty, property), Political (participation in governance), and Social (education and employment). Together they make a dignified life possible and counter class inequality.

The urban poor and tribal people are citizens who struggle to exercise their rights in practice. Even voting requires a fixed address. The Olga Tellis case established that the right to life includes the right to livelihood — evictions need alternative shelter.

India’s approach: Secular, democratic, inclusive. Citizenship can be acquired by birth, descent, registration, naturalisation, or territory inclusion. Constitution prohibits discrimination by religion, race, caste, sex, or birthplace. But struggles by women, Dalits, and displaced people continue.

Stateless people — displaced by war, persecution, or famine — are guaranteed rights by no state. The UN has a High Commissioner for Refugees. India accepted the Dalai Lama and followers in 1959, but many remain stateless for generations.

Global citizenship is an emerging idea — cross-border problems (terrorism, climate change, pandemics) need cooperative action. But national citizenship remains essential. Global citizenship supplements — it does not replace — full and equal membership of a state.

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9. Important Terms to Remember

Citizenship: Full and equal membership of a political community — giving a person political identity, rights, and protection, along with obligations to the state and to fellow citizens.
Political Identity: The collective identity a state provides its members — we think of ourselves as Indians, Japanese, or Germans based on the state we belong to.
Refugees: People forced to leave their homes due to war, persecution, or famine who are not accepted by any state. They live without guaranteed rights, often in camps or as illegal migrants.
Stateless People: People who belong to no state and are guaranteed rights by no government. They cannot legally work, educate their children, or own property in most cases.
T.H. Marshall: British sociologist who defined citizenship as involving three kinds of rights — civil (life, liberty, property), political (participation in governance), and social (education and employment). Together these enable a life of dignity.
Segregation Laws: Laws in the southern USA that separated Black and White people in public spaces — buses, schools, housing, restaurants. Martin Luther King Jr. led the non-violent movement to abolish them.
Martin Luther King Jr.: Black civil rights leader in the USA who argued that segregation violated human dignity, inflicted psychological harm, and hurt the entire community — and called for peaceful, non-violent resistance.
Nation State: A modern political unit where a territory is claimed to represent a unique culture, shared history, and political community. Expressed through symbols like a national flag, anthem, and language.
Naturalisation: One of the ways of acquiring citizenship — through a formal legal process, usually after living in a country for a specified period and meeting certain criteria.
Olga Tellis Case (1985): A landmark Supreme Court case in India where the court ruled that Article 21 (Right to Life) includes the right to livelihood — pavement dwellers could not be evicted without being provided alternative shelter.
Universal Citizenship: The idea that citizenship should be available to all people in the world. In theory, every person should belong to one or another state — in practice, millions remain stateless.
Global Citizenship: An emerging concept that people already share concerns and links across national boundaries. Suggests that as cross-border problems grow, a global identity may need to supplement national citizenship.
UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR): A United Nations agency appointed to help stateless and refugee populations worldwide and work with states to find solutions to the global refugee problem.
Democratic Citizenship as a Project: The idea (illustrated by India’s experience) that equal citizenship is not an accomplished fact but an ongoing goal to work towards — as new groups raise new demands and societies change.