In democracy, when certain groups feel that their interests are not b…

The correct answer is Option (1) → Pressure groups

Option (1) Pressure groups — Correct. In a democracy the interests of different groups are taken up by political parties. When certain groups feel that their interests are not being taken up, they may form an alternative party, or they form pressure groups who lobby with the government. Industrialists form associations such as FICCI, workers form trade unions, and farmers form agricultural unions, each pressing its own demands.

Option (2) Sub-culture — Incorrect. A sub-culture is a group within a society that has its own distinct way of life, dress, language or values, such as a youth culture. It is about a shared way of living, not about lobbying the government.

Option (3) Deviants — Incorrect. Deviants are people whose behaviour breaks the accepted norms of a society. Groups that organise to press their interests on the government are working within the democratic system, not breaking its norms.

Option (4) Secondary groups — Incorrect. A secondary group is a large, formal and impersonal group formed for a specific purpose, such as an office or a club, as against a close primary group like the family. The term describes the kind of relationship among members, not a group formed to lobby the government.

Note 1: The chapter ‘The Story of Indian Democracy’ of the pre-rationalised NCERT, which NTA followed in 2023, has been renamed ‘The Constitution and Social Change’ in the NCERT book (2025-26). Its section on political parties, pressure and interest groups is still there.

Note 2: The concepts in Option (2), ‘Sub-culture’, Option (3), ‘Deviants’, and Option (4), ‘Secondary groups’, are not in NCERT (2025-26); explained here for the benefit of the students.