NOTES PREPARED BY
KHURSHEED AHMED
TEACHER SCHOOL
EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
JAMMU AND KASHMIR
THE INDIAN CONSTITUTION
Class: 8th
POLITICAL SCIENCE
CHAPTER 1
Exercises
Q.1 Why does a democratic country need a Constitution?
Ans. A democratic country needs a Constitution because:
(a) It lays out the important guidelines that govern decision making within the various societies of the country.
(b) It lays down the ideals that form the basis of the kind of country that its citizens aspire to live in.
(c ) It serves as asset of rules and principles as the basis by which the country has to be governed.
(d)It provides rules to safeguard the interests of minorities and prevent any kind of domination by the majority on minorities.
(e)It lays down rules that guard against the misuse of power by any politician leader.
(f) It also provides rights to its citizens and protects their freedom.
2. Look at the wordings of the two documents given below. The first column is from the 1990 Nepal Constitution. The second column is from the more recent Constitution of Nepal.
What is the difference in who exercises 'Executive Power' in the above two Constitutions of Nepal? Keeping this in mind, why do you think Nepal needs a new Constitution today?
Ans. The difference in who exercises "Executive Power" in the given two Constitutions of Nepal is that in the 1990 Constitution, this power was vested in the King and his Council of Ministers, while in the 2007 Interim Constitution of Nepal, "Executive Power" changed hands to being vested only in the Council of Ministers, thereby making Nepal a democracy from being a monarchy
Nepal needs a new Constitution today because it is no longer a monarchy. The older Constitution vested power in the King, but when the country is now a democracy, a new Constitution is needed to reflect the "democratic" ideals of Nepal that the peoples' movement desired and fought for. In order to achieve this, all its constitutive rules must be changed.
3. What would happen if there were no restrictions on the power of elected representatives?
Ans.A there are no restrictions on the power of the elected representatives the leaders might misuse the powers given to them. The Constitution provides safeguards against this misuse of power by our political leaders.
4. 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 percent 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 minority. The female teachers must be allowed space to voice their opinion so that their efforts at teaching are not hindered by their minority status.
(b) Buddhists are in minority. Every individual has the right to follow the religion of his/her choice. People of other faith must respect the religion other than their own.
(c) Non-vegetarians are in minority. Food choice is personal wish so he/she should have the freedom to eat what he/she wants.
(d) Under privileged are in minority. Citizens cannot be discriminated by their birth so their views have to be respected.
5. The column on the left lists some of the key features of the Indian Constitution. In the other column write two sentences, in your own words, on why you think this feature is important:
Key Feature Significance
Federalism. ....................
Separation of powers...
Fundamental Rights.....
Parliamentary government......
Significance:
1. Federalism: It ensures national unity and at the same time allows individual progress. A federal government allows the Centre to hold supreme power but its Constituent States have some power as well. OR
A system of government in which power is divided between central authority and different constituent units of the country
2. Separation of Powers: This serves two purposes: firstly, tyrannical use of power is avoided since it does not vest power in any single authority. Secondly, the three organs of power also work as a check on each other, thereby maintaining a good balance.
3. Fundamental Rights: These are important because they conform to a humane society. They also protect citizens against arbitrary and absolute use of power by the State.
4. Parliamentary Form of Government: It upholds universal adult franchise. This entails the fact that the people of a country play a direct role in electing their representatives to run the state as well as the nation.
Q:Describe all the Fundamental Rights mentioned in the constitution.
Ans. The constitution of India guarantees certain basic rights to all its citizens. These rights are called Fundamental Rights. There are altogether six Fundamental Rights.
Right to Equality: All persons are equal before the law. It means that all persons shall be equally protected by the laws of the country. It also states that no citizen can be discriminated against on the basics of their religion, caste or gender. The state cannot discriminate against anyone on matters of employment.
Right to Freedom: Everyone has the right to freedom of speech and expressions, the right to move freely and reside in any part of the country and right to practice any profession, occupation or business.
Right against Exploitation: The Indian constitution prohibits trafficking, child labour and child working under 14 years of age.
Right to Freedom of Religion: Everyone has the right to enjoy religious freedom. It means that everyone has the right to practice, profess and propagate the religion of their choice.
Cultural and Educational Rights: our constitution states that all minorities, religious or linguistic, can set up their own educational institutions in order to preserve and develop their own culture.
Right to Constitutional Remedies: A person has the right to go to the court for justice if he/she feels that his/her Fundamental Rights are being violated.
Q: Describe the key features of the Indian Constitution.
Ans. The key features of the Indian Constitution are:
Federalism: Our Constitution has provided for a federal form of government. This means that we have government at the centre as well as at state level. Panchayat Raj is the third tier of government.
Parliamentary form of Government: The different tiers of government consist of representatives who are elected by the people. The constitution of India guarantees universal adult franchise for all citizens. The representatives are accountable to the people.
Separation of Powers: There are three organs of the state- the legislature, the executive and the judiciary. 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. In this way, each organ acts as a check on the other organs of the state and establishes a balance of power between the three.
Fundamental Rights: These rights protect against the absolute exercise of power by the state. The constitution thus guarantees the rights of individual against state s well as against other individuals.
Secularism: it is an important feature of our constitution. A secular state is one in which the state does not officially promote any one religion as the state religion.
Q: What is constitution?
Ans. Constitution can be described as a document outlining the basic laws or principles by which a country is to be governed.
Q: Define Tyranny.
Ans. The cruel and unjust use of power or authority.
Q: Who is known as the Father of Constitution?
Ans. Dr. Ambedkar is known as the father of constitution.
Q: What is state?
Ans. The state refers to a political institution that represents a sovereign people who occupy a definite territory.
Q: What is Universal Adult Franchise?
Ans. Universal Adult Franchise means that the right to vote should be given to all citizens without the discrimination of caste, colour, religion or gender.
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