Q.1. Describe the ethnic massacre in Kosovo. [2025] Or What was the background of the ethnic massacre that took place in Kosovo? Ans. (a) Kosovo was a province of Yugoslavia before it split. In this province, the Serbs were in minority and Albanians were in majority while it was the other way round in the rest of the country. (b) A narrow-minded Serb nationalist Milosevic had won the elections. His government was hostile to the Kosovo Albanians. (c) He wanted the Serbs to dominate the country. According to many Serbs leaders, ethnic minorities like the Albanians should either leave the country or accept the dominance of the Serbs.
Q.2. What are rights? [2024] Ans. Rights are reasonable claims of a person recognised by society and sanctioned by law.
Q.3. Which fundamental right says that no person can be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to the procedure established by law? [2023] Ans. Right to freedom. Q.4. What is meant by a ‘secular state’? [2022] Ans. It is a state which does not have an official religion. All religions are given equal status and respect.
Long Answer Type Questions
Q.1. Describe any five Freedom granted to the citizens of India under the Right to Freedom. Or What are rights to Freedom? Mention different rights that come under it. [2024] Ans. Everybody wants to live in the freedom which means the absence of constraints. We want to live in a society but we want to be free and do not want to be dictated by anyone. So the constitution of India has given to its citizens the following rights: (a) Right to freedom of speech and expression. (b) Right to assemble in a peaceful manner. (c) Right to form associations and unions. (d) Right to move freely throughout the country. (e) Right to reside in any part of the country. (f) Right to practice any profession or carry out any occupation, trade or business. These freedoms are not unlimited licences to do anything we want. The government has/can impose certain restrictions on these freedoms of the citizens under certain conditions for the good of society.
Q.1. What kind of judiciary do we have in India? [2025] Ans. In India, we have integrated judiciary where the decision of the supreme court is binding on all the subordinate courts.’
Q.2. Why do we need political institutions? [2025] Or Describe the need for political institutions in India. Ans. (a) The government is responsible for ensuring security to the citizens and providing education and health facilities to all. (b) It collects taxes and spends money on administration, defence and developmental programmes. (c) It formulates and implements several welfare schemes. Political institutions are needed to attend to all these tasks.
Q.3. Explain the role of the Prime Minister in a coalition government. Or Write any three constraints on the power of the Prime Minister of a coalition government. [2024] Ans. The role of the Prime Minister in a coalition government has many constraints. They are: (a) He cannot take decisions as he likes. (b) He has to accommodate different groups and factions in his party as well as the coalition partners. (c) He also has to heed to the views and positions of the coalition partners and other parties on whose support the survival of the government depends.
Q.4. Who has the final authority for making laws in any country? [2023] Or Which institution can make changes to an existing law of the country. [2022] Ans. Parliament has the final authority for making laws in any country. It can make new laws, change or abolish the existing laws and make new ones in their place.
Long Answer Type Questions
Q.1. Describe the powers and functions of the Indian Parliament. [2025] Ans. In India, a national assembly of elected representatives is called Parliament. The following are the major powers and functions of Parliament: (a) The Parliament is die final authority for making laws in any country. (b) It can pass a no-confidence resolution against the government and ask it to resign. (c) It controls the money matters of the nation. The government budget has to be evolved and passed by parliament. (d) It is the highest forum of discussion, debates and deliberations on public and national policies and issues. (e) It can seek information or question the government on any matter which it has to answer. (f) It performs the electoral function of electing President, Vice-President, speaker, deputy-speaker. (g) It has the power to remove the president judges of supreme court, and High Court through impeachment.
Q.2. “Prime Minister is the head of the government.” Justify the statement. [2022] Ans. Prime Minister is the head of the government. The statement can be justified in the following ways: (a) He leads the majority party in the Parliament. (b) He summons and presides over the meetings of the cabinet. (c) All the decisions by his cabinet are taken under his leadership, consent and authority. (d) He acts as an adviser to the president over the appointment of his ministers, judges of Supreme Court and high courts. (e) He is free to choose his ministers and can change their portfolios.
Q.1. Describe the procedure of voting on the polling day. [2025] Ans. (a) On the election day, the eligible voters go to the nearest polling booth to vote. (b) A mark is put on the finger of the voter who votes as an identification mark so as to avoid any person voting more than once. (c) A ballot paper or EVMs are used to record the votes. A voter presses the button against the name of the candidate he or she wants to vote for.
Q.2. What is the meaning of free and fair elections? [2025] Ans. It means people participate in the electoral process and give votes according to their choices. The parties are free to contest elections and candidates preferred by the people are elected.
Q.3. What is meant by ‘seat’ in elections? Explain with example. [2024] Ans. The electoral constituencies are counted as ‘seats’, for each constituency represents one seat in the assembly. For example, when we say that ‘Lok Dal won 60 seats’ in Haryana, it means that candidates of Lok Dal won is 60 assembly constituencies in the state and thus Lok Dal had 60 MLAs in the state assembly.
Q.4. What is a constituency? [2023] Ans: For elections, the entire country is divided into fixed electoral areas with a body of registered voters. These areas are called constituencies.
Q.5. Mention any two disadvantages of having political competition. [2023] Ans: It creates a sense of disunity and factionalism and parties and candidates often use dirty tricks to win elections.
Q.6. What is the importance of electoral competition? [2022] Ans: Regular electoral competition provides incentives to political parties and leaders. They know that if they raise issues that people want to be raised, their popularity and chances of victory will increase in the next elections. But if they fail to satisfy the voters with their work, they will not be able to win again. If a political party is motivated only by desire to be in power, even then, it will be forced to serve the people.
Q.7. What is an Electoral Roll or Voter’s List? What is its importance? [2021] Ans: It is a list which carries the names of the persons who are eligible to vote. It is important because a voter can caste his/her vote if his/her name is in the voter’s list.
Q.8. What is Universal Adult Franchise? [2021] Ans: Every citizen of India who is 18 years of age or above has the right to vote without any discrimination of caste, creed, colour, sex, religion etc.
Q.9. Mention any two points relating to the Model Code of Conduct for election campaigns. [2020] Ans:
No candidate can use any place of worship for election propaganda.
No party can use government vehicle for elections
Q.10. What is an EVM? [2020] Ans: It is an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) which is used to record votes. The machine shows the names of the candidates and the symbols.Long Answer Type Question
Q.1. Describe the challenges to free and fair elections in India. [2025] Ans. Challenges to the elections in India are: (a) Candidates and parties with a lot of money may not be sure of their victory, but they do enjoy an advantage over smaller parties and independent candidates. (b) In some parts of the country, candidates with criminal connection have been able to secure a ticket from major parties. (c) Some families tend to dominate political parties. Tickets are distributed to members of these families. (d) Very often elections offer little choice to ordinary citizens as both the major parties are similar to each other in their policies and practices. (e) Smaller parties and independent candidates suffer a huge disadvantage as compared to the bigger parties.
Q.2. What makes elections in India democratic? Explain. [2024] Ans:
An Independent Election Commission: In our country, elections are conducted by an independent and a very powerful Election Commission (EC). It enjoys the same kind of independence that the judiciary enjoys. The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) is appointed by the President Of India. But once appointed, the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) is not answerable to the President or the government. Even if the ruling party or the government does not like what the Commission does, it is virtually impossible for it to remove the CEC.
Popular Participation: In India, the poor, illiterate and underprivileged people vote in larger proportion as compared to the rich and the privileged sections. This is in contrast to western democracies. For example, in the United States of America, poor people, African-Americans and Hispanics vote much less than the rich and the white people.
Acceptance of election outcome: The outcome of India’s elections speaks for itself. The ruling parties routinely lose elections in India, both at the national and the state levels. In fact, in every two out of the three, elections held in the last fifteen years, the ruling party lost the power.
Q.3. Mention any three provisions which makes Election Commission an independent body. [2022] Ans:
The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) is appointed by the President of India. But once appointed, the Chief Election Commissioner is not answerable to the President or the government.
During the election period, the EC can order the government to follow some guidelines, to prevent use and misuse of governmental power to enhance its chances to win elections, or to transfer some government officials.
When on election duty, government officers work under the control of the EC and not the government.
Q.4. Explain any five conditions for free and fair elections. [2021] Ans:
One vote one value: Everyone should be able to choose. This means that everyone should have one vote and every vote should have equal value.
Multiple choices: There should be something to choose from. Parties and candidates should be free to contest elections and should offer some real choice to the voters.
Choice at regular interval: The choice should be offered at regular intervals. Elections must be held regularly after every few years.
All should have equal chance of winning: The candidate preferred by the people should get elected.
Free and fair elections: Elections should be conducted in a free and fair manner where people can choose as they really wish.
Q1: Describe the steps taken to form the Constituent Assembly. [2025] Or How was the Indian Constituent Assembly formed? Ans: The Constituent Assembly was formed to frame the Constitution for independent India. Elections for it were held in July 1946. The members were chosen by the elected members of the Provincial Legislatures through proportional representation. Initially, the Assembly had 389 members, but after partition, only 299 remained. The Assembly met for the first time in December 1946 and adopted the Constitution on 26 November 1949. It came into effect on 26 January 1950.
Q2: What are the four main ideals enshrined in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution? [2024]
Ans: The ideals written in the Preamble of the Constitution are as under : Justice: Every citizen of India will have social, economic and political justice. Liberty: Every citizen will have the liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship. Equality: Every citizen will be provided with the equality of status and opportunity. Fraternity: All the citizens of India have been assured about the dignity of individual and the unity and integrity of the nation.
Q3: What was the ‘Drafting Committee’? [2023]
Ans: The Drafting Committee was formed to prepare the draft of the Indian Constitution. It was chaired by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. The committee carefully discussed and examined each clause. The Constituent Assembly spent 114 days over nearly 3 years to finalise the Constitution. The process involved open debates and multiple revisions to ensure democratic participation.
Q4: Who was Nelson Mandela?[2023] Ans: Nelson Mandela was the leader of the African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa. He led the struggle against apartheid and spent 27 years in prison on Robben Island. After his release, he played a key role in establishing democracy in South Africa and became its first black President in 1994.
Q5: What does ‘Segregation’ mean in South Africa?[2019]
Ans: Trains, buses, taxis, hotels, hospitals, schools and colleges, libraries, cinema halls, theaters, beaches, swimming pools, public toilets, were all separate for the whites and blacks in South Africa. This was called ‘Segregation’.
Long Answer Type Questions
Q1: The formation of the Indian constitution was no less difficult than that of the constitution of South Africa. Do you agree? Explain with five arguments. [2025] Or “India emerged as an independent country against heavy turmoil.” Justify the statement. [2023] Ans: Yes, the making of the Indian Constitution was equally challenging, as:
India is a large and diverse country with different languages, religions, and cultures.
India gained independence in 1947, transitioning from colonial subjects to citizens.
The country was divided during Partition, leading to violence and displacement.
The merger of princely states into India was uncertain and difficult.
The future of India was unclear at that time, with fears of instability, unemployment, and insecurity. Despite all this, the leaders succeeded in drafting a democratic Constitution.
Q2: “The familiarity with political institutions of the colonial rule helped to develop an agreement over the institutional design.” Justify the statement. [2023] Ans: The familiarity with the political institutions of colonial rule helped to develop an agreement over the institutional design in the following ways. (a) The British rule gave voting rights to only a few. Later Election Commission was set up and voting rights were granted to all. (b) Elections were held in 1937 for Provincial Legislature,s and Ministries were formed all over British India. The experience gained by Indians in the working of these institutions proved to be very useful for the country in setting up its own institutions and working in them. (c) The Indian Constitution adopted many institutional details and procedures from colonial laws like the Government of India Act, 1935. (d) The ideals of the French Revolution, the practice of Parliamentary democracy in Britain, and the Bill of Rights in the US inspired us to set up fundamental rights and duties. (e) The political institutions of colonial rule are not just copied. They are questioned at every step to suit our nation’s conditions and setup. In a way, they serve as a blueprint for setting up our institutions.
Q3: Explain the importance of the institutional design of the Constitution of India. [2021] Ans: The importance of the institutional design of the Constitution of India as follows: (a) The constitution is mainly about embodying its values into institutional arrangements. (b) It is a long and detailed document. Therefore, it needs to be amended quite regularly to keep it updated. (c) The constitution describes the constitutional arrangements in a very legal language. (d) The Constitution lays down a procedure for choosing persons to govern the country. It defines who will and how much power one will have to make which decisions. (e) It also puts limits on what the government can do by providing some rights to the citizens that cannot be violated.
Q.1. Who has the final decision-making power in a democracy? [2025] Ans. In a democracy, the final decision-making power rests with those elected by the people.
Q.2. Democracy allows people to correct their mistakes. How is this possible? [2025] Ans. Mistakes may be made in a democracy. No form of government can guarantee that. But in a democracy, there is an advantage that such mistakes cannot be hidden for long. There is a space for public discussion of these mistakes, so there is room for correction, too. Either the rulers have to change their decisions, or they can be changed. This cannot happen in a non-democratic government. Thus, we can say that on this count the democracy is better than other governments.
Q.3. What is a referendum? [2025] Ans. A referendum is a direct vote in which the entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. It may be the adoption of a new constitution, a law or a specific governmental policy.
Q.4. Explain with an example of how popular governments can be undemocratic and a popular leader can be autocratic. [2025] Or ZANU-PF wins the elections every five years in Zimbabwe. Are the leaders of ZANU-PF close to the values of democracy? Explain. Ans. Since its independence in 1980, Zimbabwe has been ruled by ZANU-PF and Robert Mugabe as its leader. The leaders of ZANU-PF were not close to the values of democracy in the following ways: (a) Elections have been held regularly and always won by ZANU-PF. President Mugabe is popular, but he also uses unfair practices in elections. (b) Over the years, his government has changed the constitution several times to make the President more powerful and less accountable. (c) Opposition party workers are harassed and their meetings disrupted. Public protests and demonstrations against the government are declared illegal. (d) Television and radio are controlled by the government and give only the government’s version.
Q.5. What, according to you, is the broader meaning of democracy? [2024] Or What do you understand by her “broader meaning of democracy”? Exp Jain in three points. Ans. (a) Democracy is a form of government in which people’s representatives sit together to make decisions. (b) Elections are held to choose the representatives, and native people or citizens are allowed to participate in the elections. (c) Democracy, as a principle, can be applied to any sphere of life. In a true democracy, no one goes to bed hungry or denied equal information, basic education and equal resources.
Q.6. After how many years does Mexico hold elections to elect the President? [2024] Ans. Since its independence in 1930, Mexico has held elections every six years to elect the President.
Q.7. In which country did women not have the right to vote until 2015? [2023] Or Who does not have the right to vote in Saudi Arabia? Ans. Until 2015, women did not have the right to vote in Saudi Arabia. Q.8. Who has been the President of Zimbabwe since independence? [2022] Or Robert Mugabe is the president of which country? Ans. The President of Zimbabwe was Robert Mugabe.
Q.9. The media is not independent in Zimbabwe. How? [2022] Ans. Television and radio are controlled by the government and give only the ruling party’s version. There are independent newspapers, but the government harasses those journalists who go against it.
Q.10. How can you say that China is not a democratic country? [2022] Ans. In China, the elections do not offer the people any serious choice. They must choose the ruling party and the candidates approved by it. That is why we cannot say that China is a democratic country.
Q.11. How does democracy improve the quality of decision-making? [2021] Ans. Democracy is based on consultation and discussion. A democratic decision always involves many persons, discussions and meetings. When a number of people put their heads together, they are able to point out possible mistakes in any decision. This takes time. But there is a big advantage in taking time over important decisions. This reduces the chances of rash or irresponsible decisions. Thus, democracy improves the quality of decision-making.
Q.12. How does democracy enhance the dignity of citizens? [2021] Ans. Even if democracy does not bring about better decisions and accountable government, it is still better than other forms of government. Democracy enhances the dignity of citizens. Democracy is based on the principle of political equality, on recognising that the poorest and the least educated have the same status as the rich and the educated. People are not subjects of a ruler; they are the rulers themselves. Even when they make mistakes, they are responsible for their conduct.
Q.13. How is democracy better than other forms of government? [2020]
Ans. Democracy is better than other forms of government in the following ways:
It is correct that democracy is better than other forms of government because it allows us to correct our own mistakes. There is no guarantee that mistakes cannot be made in a democracy.
No form of government can guarantee that. The advantage in a democracy is that such mistakes cannot be hidden for long.
There is a space for public discussion on these mistakes. And there is room for correction. Either the rulers have to change their decisions, or they can be changed. This cannot happen in a non-democratic government.
Q.14. Democracy cannot get us everything and is not the solution to all problems. Then why are we interested in democracy? [2019] Ans: It is clearly better than any other alternative form that we know. It offers better | chances of a good decision, and it is likely to respect people’s own wishes and allow different kinds of people to live together.
Even when it fails to do some of these things, it allows a way of correcting its mistakes and offers more dignity to all citizens. That is why democracy is considered the best form of government.
Q.15. What does ‘one person, one vote, one value’ mean? Name the countries that deny the equal right to vote. [2019] Ans: Democracy is based on a fundamental principle of political equality. In a democracy, each adult citizen must have one vote, and each vote must have one value. Democracy is linked to the demand for Universal Adult Franchise. Yet, there are many instances of denial of equal right to vote.
Until 2015, in Saudi Arabia, women did not have the right to vote.
Estonia has made its citizenship rules in such a way that people belonging to the Russian minority find it difficult to get the right to vote.
In Fiji, the electoral system is such that the vote of an indigenous Fijian has more value than that of an Indian-Fijian.
