The Indian Constitution_Notes

Q1. What did Dr Ambedkar state about the scheduled caste?

Ans. (i) Dr Ambedkar stated that although the laws might exist, Scheduled Castes still had reason to fear because the administration of these laws was in the hands of ‘caste Hindu officers’.

(ii) He, therefore, urged the Scheduled Castes to join the government as well as the civil services.

Q2. Why were the Directive Principles of State Policy designed?

Ans. Directive Principles of State Policy were designed by the members of the Constituent Assembly (i) to ensure greater social and economic reforms.

(ii) to serve as a guide to the independent Indian State to institute laws and policies that help reduce the poverty of the masses.

Q3. Define the term 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 document in which we find such rules is called a Constitution

Q4. Explain ‘Right to Freedom’ / What is the significance of the Right to Freedom?

Ans. The Right to Freedom includes the right to freedom of speech and expression, the right to form associations, the right to move freely and reside in any part of the country, and the right to

Practise any profession, occupation or business. This right helps prevent discrimination among the masses based on these factors.

Q5. What are the functions of the three main organs of the government?

Or

What are the three organs of government?

Or

Explain the functions of the organs of the government.

Ans. According to the Constitution, there are three organs of the government. These are the legislature, the executive and the judiciary.

i. The legislature refers to our elected representatives.

ii. The executive is a smaller group of people who are responsible for implementing laws and running the government. iii. The judiciary refers to the system of courts in this country.

Q6. Why does a democratic country need a Constitution?

Ans. A democratic country needs a Constitution because it serves several purposes.

i. First, it lays out certain ideals that form the basis of the kind of country that we as citizens aspire to live in.

ii. The second important purpose of a Constitution is to define the nature of a country’s political system.

iii. The third significant reason why we need a Constitution is to save us from ourselves. What is meant by this is that we might at times feel strongly about an issue that might go against our larger interests and the Constitution helps guard us against this.

Q8. Write a short note on Cultural and Educational Rights.

Ans. Under Cultural and Educational Rights, the Constitution states that all minorities, religious or linguistic, can set up their own educational institutions in order to preserve and develop their own culture.

Long questions:

Q1. How was the Constitution of India formed?

Ans. 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. What remained to be done then was to work out the ways in which a democratic government would be set up in India and the rules that would determine its functioning. This was done not by one person but by a group of around 300 people who became members of the Constituent Assembly in 1946 and who met periodically for the next three years to write India’s Constitution. Between December 1946 and November 1949, the Constituent Assembly drafted a constitution for independent India.

Q2. What is the importance of constitution?

Ans. Importance of constitution

i. 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.

ii. The Constitution often lays down rules that guard against this misuse of authority by our political leaders.

iii. Constitution ensures that a dominant group does not use its power against other, less powerful people or groups.

iv. The Constitution helps to protect us against certain decisions that we might take that could have an adverse effect on the larger principles that the country believes in.

Q3. Write a brief note on the struggle for freedom in Nepal.

Ans. The country of Nepal has witnessed several people’s struggles for democracy. There was a people’s struggle in 1990 that established democracy that lasted for 12 years until 2002. In October 2002, King Gyanendra, citing the Maoist uprising in the countryside as his reason, began taking over different aspects of the government with the army’s assistance. The King then finally took over as the head of government in February 2005. In November 2005, the Maoists joined other political parties to sign a 12-point agreement. This agreement signalled to the larger public an imminent return to democracy and peace. In 2006, this people’s movement for democracy began gaining immense force. It repeatedly refused the small concessions that the King made and finally 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.

Q4. In each of the following situations, identify the minority. Write one reason why you think it is important to respect the views of the minority in each of these situations.

(a) In a school with 30 teachers, 20 of them are male.

(b) In a city, 5 per cent of the population are Buddhists.

(c) In a factory mess for all employees, 80 per cent are vegetarians.

(d) In a class of 50 students, 40 belong to more well-off families.

Ans.a. Female teachers are in the minority - It is important to respect the views of the minority so that they do not feel left out or underpowered by majority.

b. Buddhists are in the minority - It is important to respect the views of the minority because every individual has the right to follow the religion of his choice.

c. Non – vegetarians are in the minority – It is important to respect the views of the minority because the food a person eats is his personal wish and so he should have the freedom to eat what he wants.

d. The under privileged are in minority – It is important to respect the views of the minority because citizens cannot be discriminated on the bases rich or poor.

Q5. Listed below are the key features of the Indian Constitution. Write two sentences, in your own words, on why you think this feature is important:

Federalism

Separation of Powers

Fundamental Rights

Parliamentary Form of Government

Ans. Federalism

i. 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.

ii. Under federalism, the states are not merely agents of the federal government but draw their authority from the Constitution as well.

iii. All persons in India are governed by laws and policies made by each of these levels of government.

Separation of Powers

i. According to the Constitution, there are three organs of government. These are the legislature, the executive and the judiciary.

ii. In order to prevent the misuse of power by any one branch of government, the Constitution says that each of these organs should exercise different powers.

iii. Through this, each organ acts as a check on the other organs of government and this ensures the balance of power between all three.

Fundamental Rights

i. Fundamental Rights guarantees the rights of individuals against the State as well as against other individuals.

ii. It also guarantees the rights of minorities against the majority.

Parliamentary Form of Government

i. The Constitution of India guarantees universal adult suffrage for all citizens. This would help encourage a democratic mind-set and break the clutches of traditional caste, class and genderhierarchies. This means that the people of India have a direct role in electing their representatives.

ii. Also, every citizen of the country, irrespective of his/her social background, can also contest in elections. These representatives are accountable to the people.