The Indian Constitution NCERT Class 8 Social and Political life
Q1. What is a democracy?
Ans Democracy is a form of government in which the people can vote for representatives to govern the state on their behalf.
Q2. Define the term constitution. Why do we need a constitution?
Ans. In large societies in which different communities of people live together, the rules are formulated through consensus, and in modern countries this consensus is usually available in written form. A written set of principles according to which a state or organization is governed is called a constitution.
The constitution serves several purposes:-
· First, it lays out certain ideals that form the basis of the kind of country that we as citizens aspire to live in.
· A constitution tells us what the fundamental nature of our society is. A country is usually made up of different communities of people who share certain beliefs but may not necessarily agree on all issues.
· A constitution helps serve as a set of rules and principles that all persons in a country can agree upon as the basis of the way in which they want the country to be governed.
· This includes not only the type of government but also an agreement on certain ideals that they all believe the country should uphold.
· The other important purpose of a constitution is to define the nature of a country’s political system.
· The constitution often lays down rules that guard against this misuse of power by our political leaders.
· Another important function that a constitution plays in a democracy is to ensure that a dominant group does not use its power against. Other, less powerful people or groups.
· Another reason why we need to have a constitution is precisely to prevent tyranny or domination by the majority of a minority.
· The last significant reason why we need a constitution is to save us from ourselves.
Q3. Differentiate between a monarchy and a democracy?
Ans. A country which is governed by a king or a queen is called a monarchy.
WHILE
Democracy is forms of government where people can vote to select their respective representative well govern the state on their behalf.
Q4. Explain the functions of organs of government.
Ans. According to the constitution, there are three organs of the state. These are the legislature, the executive and the judiciary.
· The legislature refers to our elected representatives.
· The executive is a smaller group of people who are responsible for implementing laws and running the government.
· The judiciary, refer to the system of courts in this country.
Q5. What do you mean by tyranny of majority?
Ans. Every society is prone to tyranny of the majority. The constitution usually contains rules that ensure that minorities are not excluded from anything that is routinely available to the majority. The constitution is precisely to prevent this tyranny or domination by the majority of a minority.
Q6. Describe in detail the various features of Indian constitution.
FEDERALISM:- This refers to the existence of more than one level of government in the country. In India, we have governments at the state level and at the centre. Panchayati Raj is the third tier of government.
PARLIAMENTARY FORM OF GOVERNMENT:- The different tiers of government consist of representative who are elected by the people. The constitution of Indian guarantees universal adult suffrage for all citizens.This means that the people of India have a direct role in electing their representatives. Also, every citizen of the country, irrespective of his/ her social background, can also contest in elections. These representatives are accountable to the people.
SEPARATION OF POWERS: - According to the Constitution, there are three organs of the state. These are legislature, the executive and the judiciary. The legislature refers to our elected representatives. The executive is a smaller group of people who are responsible for implementing laws and running the government. The judiciary refers to the system of courts in this country. In order to prevent the misuse of power by any one branch of the state, the constitution says that each of these organs should exercise different powers.
Through this, each organ acts as a check on the other organs of the state and this ensures the balance of power between all three.
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS:- The section on Fundamental Right has often been referred to as the ‘conscience’ of the Indian Constitution. Fundamental Right, therefore protect citizens against the arbitrary and absolute exercise of power by the state. The constitution, thus, guarantees the rights of individuals against the state as well as against other individuals.
In addition to fundamental right, the constitution also has a section called directive principles of state policy. This section was designed by the members of the constituent assembly to ensure greater social and economic reform and to serve as a guide to the independent Indian. State to institute laws and policies that help to reduce the poverty of the masses.
SECULARISM:- A secular state is one in which the state does not officially promote any one religion as the state religion.
Q7. What is a constitutional monarchy? Give example:
Ans. In constitutional monarchy a country is ruled by a king or a queen but the country has a constitution which the king follows.
Example: - Until quite recently, Nepal was monarchy. The previous constitution of Nepal, which had been adopted in 1990, reflected the fact that the final authority rested with the king. A people’s movement in Nepal fought for several decades to establish democracy and in 2006 they finally succeeded in putting an end to the powers of the king. Now the people have to write a new constitution to establish Nepal as a democracy. The reason that they do not want to continue with the previous constitution is because it does not reflect the ideals of the country that they want Nepal to be, and that they have fought for.
Q8. What will happen if there is no restriction to powers of elected representatives?
Ans. If there would have been no restrictions to powers of elected representatives, they may have misuse their powers. They could have used their powers in doing wrong deeds. They could even have supported a single religion.
Q9. Explain how the constitution of India gets made?
· The long experience of authoritarian rule under the colonial state convinced Indians that free India should be a democracy in which everyone should be treated equally and be allowed to participate in government.
· This was not done by one person but by a group of around 300 people who become members of the constituent assembly had a huge task before them.
· The country was made up of several different communities who spoke different languages, belonged to different religions, and had district culture. Also, when the constitution was being written, India was going through considerable turmoil.
Ques10) What is the importance of constitution?
Ans) The constitution plays an important role in laying out certain guidelines that govern decision making within the society.
1. It lays down rules that guard against the misuse of power by our political leaders.
2. It also contains rules to prevent tyranny.
3. It also helps to protect us against certain adverse effect on the larger principal that the country believes in.
The Indian Constitution NCERT Class 8 Social and Political life Extra Questions
Question 1
In politics, what is a constitution?
Solution:
In Politics a Constitution can be described as a document outlining the basic laws or principles by which a country is to be governed
Question 2
Write a brief note on the making of the Indian Constitution.
Solution:
The Indian Constitutional Assembly was convened in December 1946. The members of this Assembly were only Indians. This Assembly started drafting the Constitution for Independent India. Dr. Ambedkar was the Chairman of the Constitution drafting committee.
The constitution declares India to be a sovereign, democratic republic and establishes the structure, procedures, powers and duties, of the government and duties of citizens.
?The 308 members of the Assembly signed two hand-written copies of the document (one each in Hindi and English) on the January 24, 1950. Two days later, on January 26, 1950, the Constitution of India became the law of all the Indian lands.
Question 3
In Nepal, when did the Interim Constitution come into effect?
Solution:
In Nepal, the Interim Constitution came into effect from January 15, 2007.
Question 4
Write a brief note on the struggle for freedom in Nepal.
Solution:
In Nepal, there was a people’s struggle for freedom in 1990. Democracy was established and it lasted for 12 years until 2002.
In October 2002, King Gyanendra began taking over the government with the assistance of the army. In 2005 King Gyanendra took over as the head of the government.
In 2006 people’s movement for democracy began gaining immense force. In April 2006 the King restored the Third Parliament and asked the political parties to form a government. In 2007, Nepal adopted an Interim Constitution and Nepal gained political freedom.
Question 5
What are the negative points of a democratic society?
Solution:
In a democratic society Power can be misused. Sometimes the Majority can undermine minority. The citizens need certain rules to save themselves from folly.
Question 6
How can a leader misuse power in a democratic country?
Solution:
A leader misusing his power may send his security guards to beat up his neighbours for a personal reason or ask the police not to take action against a relative who has committed a crime.
Question 7
How does the Indian Constitution safe guard the minorities of the country?
Solution:
The Indian constitution ensures that the dominant group does not use its power against other, less powerful people or groups.
The Constitution contains rules that ensure that minorities are not excluded from anything that is routinely available to the majority. It also prevents the domination of the majority over the minority.
Question 8
Mention the key features of the Indian Constitution.
Solution:
The key features of the Indian constitution are:-
Federalism
Parliamentary Form of Government
Separation of Powers
Fundamental Rights
Secularism
Question 9
What are the factors the drafting committee had to take into consideration while drafting the constitution?
Solution:
The committee had to keep in mind that India was a land of many communities, languages and many religions. India was a land of diverse cultures and the Princely states in India had to be considered. The partition of the country into India and Pakistan was about to happen and the drafting committee had to bear this in mind. Finally the biggest consideration was the socio-economic condition of a majority of Indians which was in a bad state.
Question 10
What were the highlights of the text prepared by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, who was the Chairman of the constitution drafting committee?
Solution:
Highlights of the Text prepared by Dr. Ambedkar are:-
Constitutional guarantees and protections for individual citizens
Freedom of religion
Abolition of untouchability
Outlawing of all forms of discrimination
Economic and social rights for women
Reservations of jobs in the civil services, schools and colleges for members of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes.
Question 11
What is universal adult franchise?
Solution:
Universal adult franchise is every adult citizen having a right to vote irrespective of sex, caste, creed, education and financial status.
Question 12
What do you mean by the legislature, the executive and the judiciary?
Solution:
The legislature refers to our elected representatives.
The executive is a smaller group of people who are responsible for implementing laws and running the government.
The judiciary refers to the system of courts in this country.
Question 13
What are the key components of fundamental rights?
Solution:
The key components of Fundamental rights are:-
Right to Equality
Right to Freedom
Right against Exploitation
Right to Freedom of Religion
Cultural and Educational Rights
Right to Constitutional Remedies
Question 14
What is secularism?
Solution:
Secularism is the right of the citizens to practice any religion. A secular state is one in which the state does not officially promote any one religion as the state religion.
In politics, what is a constitution?
Solution:
In Politics a Constitution can be described as a document outlining the basic laws or principles by which a country is to be governed
Question 2
Write a brief note on the making of the Indian Constitution.
Solution:
The Indian Constitutional Assembly was convened in December 1946. The members of this Assembly were only Indians. This Assembly started drafting the Constitution for Independent India. Dr. Ambedkar was the Chairman of the Constitution drafting committee.
The constitution declares India to be a sovereign, democratic republic and establishes the structure, procedures, powers and duties, of the government and duties of citizens.
?The 308 members of the Assembly signed two hand-written copies of the document (one each in Hindi and English) on the January 24, 1950. Two days later, on January 26, 1950, the Constitution of India became the law of all the Indian lands.
Question 3
In Nepal, when did the Interim Constitution come into effect?
Solution:
In Nepal, the Interim Constitution came into effect from January 15, 2007.
Question 4
Write a brief note on the struggle for freedom in Nepal.
Solution:
In Nepal, there was a people’s struggle for freedom in 1990. Democracy was established and it lasted for 12 years until 2002.
In October 2002, King Gyanendra began taking over the government with the assistance of the army. In 2005 King Gyanendra took over as the head of the government.
In 2006 people’s movement for democracy began gaining immense force. In April 2006 the King restored the Third Parliament and asked the political parties to form a government. In 2007, Nepal adopted an Interim Constitution and Nepal gained political freedom.
Question 5
What are the negative points of a democratic society?
Solution:
In a democratic society Power can be misused. Sometimes the Majority can undermine minority. The citizens need certain rules to save themselves from folly.
Question 6
How can a leader misuse power in a democratic country?
Solution:
A leader misusing his power may send his security guards to beat up his neighbours for a personal reason or ask the police not to take action against a relative who has committed a crime.
Question 7
How does the Indian Constitution safe guard the minorities of the country?
Solution:
The Indian constitution ensures that the dominant group does not use its power against other, less powerful people or groups.
The Constitution contains rules that ensure that minorities are not excluded from anything that is routinely available to the majority. It also prevents the domination of the majority over the minority.
Question 8
Mention the key features of the Indian Constitution.
Solution:
The key features of the Indian constitution are:-
Federalism
Parliamentary Form of Government
Separation of Powers
Fundamental Rights
Secularism
Question 9
What are the factors the drafting committee had to take into consideration while drafting the constitution?
Solution:
The committee had to keep in mind that India was a land of many communities, languages and many religions. India was a land of diverse cultures and the Princely states in India had to be considered. The partition of the country into India and Pakistan was about to happen and the drafting committee had to bear this in mind. Finally the biggest consideration was the socio-economic condition of a majority of Indians which was in a bad state.
Question 10
What were the highlights of the text prepared by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, who was the Chairman of the constitution drafting committee?
Solution:
Highlights of the Text prepared by Dr. Ambedkar are:-
Constitutional guarantees and protections for individual citizens
Freedom of religion
Abolition of untouchability
Outlawing of all forms of discrimination
Economic and social rights for women
Reservations of jobs in the civil services, schools and colleges for members of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes.
Question 11
What is universal adult franchise?
Solution:
Universal adult franchise is every adult citizen having a right to vote irrespective of sex, caste, creed, education and financial status.
Question 12
What do you mean by the legislature, the executive and the judiciary?
Solution:
The legislature refers to our elected representatives.
The executive is a smaller group of people who are responsible for implementing laws and running the government.
The judiciary refers to the system of courts in this country.
Question 13
What are the key components of fundamental rights?
Solution:
The key components of Fundamental rights are:-
Right to Equality
Right to Freedom
Right against Exploitation
Right to Freedom of Religion
Cultural and Educational Rights
Right to Constitutional Remedies
Question 14
What is secularism?
Solution:
Secularism is the right of the citizens to practice any religion. A secular state is one in which the state does not officially promote any one religion as the state religion.
