Pressure Groups: Definition & Examples

September 21, 2016 September 21, 2016

A pressure group refers to any interest group that has members with common interests and these members making joint efforts to pressurise the formal political system to protect and pursue their interests.

Pressure Groups do not make policy decisions, but rather try to influence those who happen to be the policy-makers. They seek to exert influence government from outside, rather than becoming a part of it. Thus, pressure groups are essentially external to the government and sometimes known as informal face of the politics.

The members of a pressure group are united by either a shared belief in a particular cause or a common set of interests. People with different ideological and party preferences may thus work happily together as members of the same pressure group.

Constitutional basis for making Pressure Groups

Although there is no explicit provision in the Constitution regarding pressure groups, yet all pressure groups exist because of Article 19, which declares that all citizens will have the right to form associations and unions. Further, the implicit idea of many constitutional provisions is that people should protect their interests and fight against injustice and inequality. People form for associations and unions for a collective fight to protect their interests and thus various associations, unions emerged in the form of pressure groups.

Difference between Pressure Groups in India and US/ Other Developed Countries

In America and other developed countries, the pressure groups are more organized in systematic manner. Further, they are much stronger and exert ample influence on policy making in that country. United States has also well developed formal lobbying industry. In India, they are not organized and generally fail to exert enough influence.

Examples of Pressure Groups in India

In India, most commonly formed pressure groups are formed on the basis of language, religion, castes etc. Then, we have agrarian occupation groups, youth interest based groups etc. The examples of most common pressure groups in India are as follows:

Business and Industry, Professional Pressure Groups

These include Conference of Indian Industries (CII), Association Chamber of Commerce (ASSOCHAM), Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce Industry (FICCI), Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India, Cellular Operators Association of India, Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations of India, India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF), Indian Banks’ Association, Indian Electrical and Electronics Manufacturers Association, Indian Merchants’ Chamber (IMC), Indian Sugar Mills Association, NASSCOM, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) etc. various state, district and local level pressure groups, All India Bar Association, All India Medical Council, Indian National Cartographic Association, Indian Drug Manufacturers Association etc.

Peasants Pressure Groups

This category includes Agri-Horticultural Society of India, Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, All India Kisan Congress, various Farmers Interest Groups (FIGs) etc.

Student’s Pressure Groups

This category includes All India Student Federation (AISF), Student’s Federation of India, National Students Union of India, Akhil Bhartiya Vidhyarti Parishad, JNUSU, etc.