Our Constitution.

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1
Constitution is a comprehensive document containing a set of rules that describe
the rights and duties of its citizens and the way the governance is to be carried
out. Which of the following statements correctly describes the same?
1. It ensures smooth governance for the welfare of its citizens.
2. It regulates the position of the citizens.
3. It dictates terms to the states to work under the central government.
4. It provides rules and regulations for the smooth functioning of various
commercial establishments in the country.

Answer
It ensures smooth governance for the welfare of its citizens.

Question 2
The Constituent Assembly was truly national in character. In this context, identify
the categories which were given membership of the Constituent Assembly.
P : General Category, Muslims and Sikhs.
Q : Christians, Anglo-Indians and Parsees.
R : General Category and Sikhs.
S : Christians and Parsees.
1. P and Q
2. R and S
3. P and R
4. Q and S

Answer
P and Q

Question 3
How were members of the Constituent Assembly selected?
1. Directly elected by the people
2. Nominated by the Viceroy
3. Indirectly elected by Provincial Legislative Assemblies
4. Indirectly elected by the Provincial Council

Answer
Indirectly elected by Provincial Legislative Assemblies

Question 4
The Constituent Assembly of undivided India consisted of ............... members.
1. 390
2. 292
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 3. 389
4. 384

Answer
389

Question 5
When was the first sitting of the Constituent Assembly held?
1. December 5, 1946
2. December 25, 1945
3. December 9, 1946
4. December 24, 1946

Answer
December 9, 1946

Question 6
Where was the first sitting of the Constituent Assembly held?
1. Present Lok Sabha Hall of Parliament
2. Present Rajya Sabha Hall of Parliament
3. Present Central Hall of the Parliament
4. Rashtrapati Bhawan

Answer
Present Central Hall of the Parliament

Question 7
Arrange the following events in chronological order.
(A) : Independence of India
(B) : Setting up of the Drafting Committee
(C) : First sitting of the Constituent Assembly
(D) : Election to Provincial Assembly
1. DCAB
2. BACD
3. ADCB
4. DCBA

Answer
DCAB

Question 8
Who was elected President of the Constituent Assembly at its first sitting?
1. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
2. Dr. Rajendra Prasad
3. Dr. Sachidananda Sinha
4. Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru.

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Answer
Dr. Sachidananda Sinha

Question 9
Who proposed the 'Objectives Resolution'?
1. Dr. Rajendra Prasad
2. Mahatma Gandhi
3. Subhash Chandra Bose
4. Jawaharlal Nehru

Answer
Jawaharlal Nehru

Question 10
The Objectives Resolution proposed on December 13, 1946 and passed by the
Constituent Assembly on January 22, 1947 highlighted the objectives of the
Constitution. Which of the following were the national goals laid down?
1. Free India would be a republic.
2. Fundamental Rights to all citizens.
3. Ideals of social, political and economic democracy to all citizens.
4. All of the above.

Answer
All of the above

Question 11
Name the legal sanction that allowed the Constituent Assembly to function post
partition
1. Objectives Resolution, 1946
2. Indian Independence Act, 1947
3. Poorna Swaraj Declaration, 1929
4. Government of India Act, 1942

Answer
Indian Independence Act, 1947

Question 12
The Cabinet Mission Plan had ensured representation to general category and
1. Anglo-Indians and Muslims
2. Muslims and Sikhs
3. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled tribes
4. Muslims, Christians and Sikhs

Answer
Muslims and Sikhs

Question 13
On the basis of which plan was the Constituent Assembly constituted?
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 1. Cabinet Mission Plan
2. Mountbatten Plan
3. Cripps Mission
4. None of the above

Answer
Cabinet Mission Plan

Question 14
Who was appointed as the Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the
Constitution?
1. Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru
2. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar
3. Dr. H.C. Mukherjee
4. Dr. Rajendra Prasad

Answer
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar

Short Answer Questions

Question 1
What is meant by the term Constitution?

Answer
The Constitution is a comprehensive document containing a set of rules that
describe the rights and duties of its citizens and the manner according to which
the governance of a country is to be carried out. It regulates the position and
powers of the three organs of the Government — the legislative, the executive,
and the judiciary; and states how they are inter-related.

Question 2
What is known as the 'Objectives Resolution'? By whom was the Objectives
Resolution proposed?

Answer
When the Constituent Assembly started the work of drafting the Constitution, Pt.
Jawaharlal Nehru proposed the 'Objectives Resolution' on December 13, 1946.
The Resolution highlighted the objectives and laid down the national goals. The
main points of the Objectives Resolution were:
1. Free India will be nothing but a 'republic'.
2. The ideals of social, political, and economic democracy would be
guaranteed to all people.
3. The republic would grant Fundamental Rights to citizens.
4. The state would safeguard the rights of minorities and backward classes.
The Objectives Resolution was proposed by Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru.

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Question 3
When was the Constitution adopted and passed? When did the Constitution come
into force?

Answer
The Constitution was adopted and passed on 26th November, 1949.
The Constitution come into force on 26th January, 1950.

Question 4
Why was January 26 chosen for the commencement of the Constitution?

Answer
The date January 26 was chosen for the commencement of the constitution
because of its historical importance. At the Lahore Session of the Congress held
in December 1929, a resolution was passed which declared Poorna Swaraj or
Complete Independence to be the objective of the Congress. January 26, 1930
was fixed as the first Independence Day, which was to be celebrated every year.
Since then the day was celebrated as Independence Day up to 1947. Later, to
maintain its importance January 26 was chosen for enforcement of constitution
and was designated as Republic day.

Question 5
Write a short note on Dr. Ambedkar's contribution to the Indian Constitution.

Answer
Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar was one of the architects of the constitution of India. As
the chairman of the Drafting Committee, he provided constitutional guarantees
and protections for civil liberties like freedom of religion, abolition of
untouchability, and social rights for women in the Indian Constitution. He
provided a job reservation system for Scheduled Castes and Tribes.
To shape India as a Sovereign Democratic Republic that ensured individual
liberty, dignity, and national integrity.

Dr. Ambedkar incorporated the following principles into the Indian Constitution:
1. Made the Indian constitution workable, flexible, and strong enough to hold
the country together both in peace and in war.
2. Provide special safeguards to the minorities and certain classes, who are
socially and educationally backward.
3. Incorporated the Right to Constitutional Remedies to ensure that the
Fundamental Rights of the individuals are not infringed by the Center or
the State governments.
4. Single citizenship, single judiciary, and uniformity in fundamental laws to
integrate Indian society. Therefore, he proposed a strong Centre to
maintain territorial integrity and administrative discipline.
5. Incorporated Directive Principles to ensure social and economic
democracy and the welfare of the people of India.

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Structured Questions

Question 1
With reference to the making of the Indian Constitution explain the following:
(a) Name the plan which proposed to set up the Constituent Assembly. How were
the members of the Constituent Assembly elected?
(b) How was the membership of the Constituent Assembly reduced as a result of
the partition of the country?
(c) How can you say that the Constituent Assembly gave adequate representation
to all sections of Indian society?

Answer
(a) The Cabinet Mission Plan (1946) proposed to set up the Constituent
Assembly.
i. The members of the Constituent Assembly were elected indirectly by the
Provincial Legislative Assemblies (Lower House only).
ii. Elections to the Provincial Assembly were completed by July 1946.
iii. The princely states were represented by the members nominated by the
rulers of these States.
iv. The Constituent Assembly of undivided India consisted of 389 members
(292 elected, 93 nominated by the Princely states, 3 from Chief
Commissioner Provinces, and one from the British).

(b) The Muslim League boycotted the Constituent Assembly to demand the
creation of a separate state called Pakistan. Consequently,
i. the members representing the territories that went to Pakistan withdrew
from the Constituent Assembly of India.
ii. As a result, the membership of the Constituent Assembly of India stood at
299 against the original number of 389 members.

(c) The Constituent Assembly gave adequate representation to all sections of

Indian society by:
i. Giving representation to all shades of public opinion.
ii. The Cabinet Mission plan had ensured representation to only three
categories —
1. the General category,
2. Muslims and
3. Sikhs.
iii. The Congress leaders had, however, ensured that other communities like
1. Anglo-Indians,
2. Indian Christians
3. Scheduled Castes and
4. Scheduled tribes got representation.

Question 2
With reference to the Objectives Resolution explain the following:

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(a) Who proposed the Resolution? When was the Resolution passed by the
Constituent Assembly? Name the Act that gave legal sanctity to the Constituent
Assembly.
(b) State any three points of the Objectives Resolution.
(c) List four principles that Babasaheb Ambedkar incorporated in the
Constitution.

Answer
(a) The Resolution was proposed by Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru on December 13, 1946.
The Resolution was passed by the Constituent Assembly on January 22, 1947.
The Act that gave legal sanctity to the Constituent Assembly was the Indian
Independence Act, 1947. This legal sanction enabled the Constituent
Assembly to function after India's independence. The Assembly became a
sovereign body.

(b) Three points of the Objectives Resolution are:

1. Free India will be nothing but a 'republic'.
2. The ideals of social, political, and economic democracy would be
guaranteed to all people.
3. The Republic would grant Fundamental Rights to citizens.

(c) The four principles that Babasaheb Ambedkar incorporated in the Constitution
are:
1. Made the Indian Constitution workable, flexible, and strong enough to hold
the country together both in peace and in war.
2. Provide special safeguards to the minorities and certain classes, who are
socially and educationally backward.
3. Incorporated the Right to Constitutional Remedies to ensure that the
Fundamental Rights of the individuals are not infringed by the Centre or
the State governments.
4. Incorporated Directive Principles to ensure social and economic
democracy and the welfare of the people of India.

Thinking skills

Question 1
The Constitution of India is the longest-written Constitution in the world. What
would have been the consequences if the Constitution of India was not written?
Give reasons to support your answer.

Answer
The written Constitution enables to specify the structure, organisation, powers,
and functions of Central as well as State government. The written form of the
Constitution avoids any kind of misunderstanding and disagreements. If our
constitution was not written there would have been a scuffle, related to the
distribution of powers, subjects, etc. Our rights would have been at risk.
Policymakers may not have fairly represented the public opinion.

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Question 2
Do you think that the Constitution of India has an important role in maintaining
the unity and integrity of India? Give reasons to support your answer.

Answer
India is a country of diversity. The Constitution of India plays an important role
in maintaining the unity and integrity of India by its following principles:
1. The Indian constitution is workable, flexible, and strong enough to hold
the country together both in peace and in war.
2. It provides special safeguards to the minorities and certain classes, who are
socially and educationally backward.
3. Incorporates the Right to constitutional remedies to ensure that the
fundamental rights of the individuals are not infringed by the Center or the
State governments.
4. Single citizenship, single judiciary, and uniformity in fundamental laws to
integrate Indian society. Therefore, a strong centre was proposed to
maintain territorial integrity.

Question 3
Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar was a learned man with great foresight. Make a list of
instances where his foresight came to our nation’s aid in times of crisis.

Answer
Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar was a visionary leader and one of the most influential
figures in India's struggle for independence and post-independence nation-
building. He had a keen understanding of the socio-political landscape of India
and made several contributions that proved to be invaluable for the nation. Here
are a few instances where his foresight came to the nation's aid in times of crisis:
1. Drafting the Indian Constitution — Dr. Ambedkar was the chairman of
the drafting committee of the Indian Constitution. He played a crucial role
in drafting the Constitution, which has been the backbone of India's
democratic system for over seven decades. He foresaw the challenges that
an independent India would face and drafted the Constitution in such a way
that it could accommodate the diverse cultural, linguistic, and religious
backgrounds of the people of India.
2. Reservation policy — Dr. Ambedkar's foresight in recognizing the plight
of the marginalized communities in India led to the inclusion of reservation
policies in the Constitution. These policies aimed to provide equal
opportunities to the socially and economically backward sections of
society and helped them overcome the centuries-old discrimination they
faced.
3. Labour laws — Dr. Ambedkar foresaw the exploitation of labourers in the
post-independence era and advocated for the inclusion of labour laws in
the Constitution. These laws aimed to protect the rights of workers and
ensure their fair treatment in the workplace.
4. Women's rights — Dr. Ambedkar was a staunch advocate of women's
rights and foresaw the need to provide equal opportunities and rights to
women. He played a crucial role in the inclusion of several provisions in
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 the Constitution that aimed to promote gender equality and women's
empowerment.
5. Social reforms — Dr. Ambedkar recognized the need for social reforms
in India and played a crucial role in the abolition of caste-based
discrimination and the promotion of inter-caste marriages. His foresight in
recognising the need for social reforms helped India move towards a more
egalitarian society.

Question 4
The Indian Constitution has taken the best features from the Constitutions of
countries around the world. Make a list of a few of these features stating which
country inspired them and how have they been modified to suit the needs of our
country.

Answer
The Indian Constitution has taken the following features from the Constitutions
of countries around the world:
1. Concurrent list (Australia)
2. Joint-sitting of two houses of parliament (Australia)
3. Directive principles of state policy (Ireland)
4. Nomination of Rajya Sabha Members
5. Fundamental Duties (Russia)
6. Parliamentary Government (UK)
7. Single Citizenship (UK)
8. Ideals of Liberty, equality, and fraternity (France)
Makers of our constitution gathered the best features of all the existing
constitutions and modified them with a view to avoiding the faults that have been
disclosed in their constitutions. The ideas have been modified as per the needs of
our country. For example, to avoid the deadlock condition arising due to
differences between Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, the provision of joint sitting
was incorporated.

Question 5
Trace how the Republic Day has been celebrated over the years.

Answer
Republic Day celebrations in India have evolved over the years, reflecting the
changing priorities and aspirations of the nation. However, the underlying spirit
of national pride and patriotism has remained constant throughout the years. Here
is a brief history of how Republic Day has been celebrated in India over the years:
1. First Republic Day Celebration (1950) — The first Republic Day was
celebrated on January 26, 1950, with a grand parade held at Rajpath in New
Delhi. The parade showcased India's diverse cultural heritage, and it was
attended by representatives from various countries.
2. First Chief Guest (1951) — The first chief guest at the Republic Day
parade was Indonesian President Sukarno in 1951. Since then, India has
invited guests from different countries each year to attend the celebrations.

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3. Integration of States (1956) — In 1956, India celebrated Republic Day
with the theme of "Integration of States." This was a significant event in
India's history, as it marked the reorganization of states on linguistic lines.
4. Beating Retreat (1950s) — The Beating Retreat ceremony, which marks
the end of the Republic Day celebrations, was introduced in the 1950s. It
is held on January 29th every year and features a display of military bands.
5. First Presidential Address (1952) — The first Presidential address on
Republic Day was delivered by Dr. Rajendra Prasad in 1952. Since then, it
has become a tradition for the President of India to address the nation on
this occasion.
6. Cultural Programmes (1960s) — In the 1960s, Republic Day
celebrations included cultural programs from different parts of the country.
These programs showcased the rich diversity of India's cultural heritage.
7. Military Parade (1970s) — In the 1970s, the Republic Day parade became
more focused on the display of India's military might. The parade included
a display of tanks, missiles, and other weapons.
8. Technology Showcase (1990s) — In the 1990s, the Republic Day parade
began to showcase India's technological advancements. This included
displays of satellites, space vehicles, and other technological innovations.
9. Women Empowerment (2019) — In 2019, the theme of Republic Day
was "Nari Shakti," which means "Women's Power." The parade showcased
women's achievements in various fields, including the armed forces,
science, and sports.
10.Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav (2022) — In 2022, as India celebrated 75 years
of independence the theme of Republic Day was "Azadi ka Amrit
Mahotsav".
11.Jan-Bhagidari (2023) — The theme of Republic Day in 2023 was Jan-
Bhagidari which means participation of people.

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