L-1 The Indian Constitution
1. What do you understand by monarchy?
Answer: Monarchy is a form of government in which final authority rested with
the King.
2. In Nepal, when did the Interim Constitution come into effect?
Answer: In Nepal, the Interim Constitution came into effect from January 15,
2007.
3. Who is known as the Father of the Indian Constitution?
Answer: Baba Saheb Dr Ambedkar is known as the Father of the Indian
Constitution.
4. Define the term constitution.
Answer: 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.
5. What would happen if there were no restrictions on the power of elected
representatives?
Answer: If there were no restrictions on the power of elected representatives
the leaders might misuse the powers given to them. Misuse of authority can
result in gross injustice. Thus, in democratic societies, the Constitution often
lays down rules that guard against this misuse of authority by our political
leaders.
6. What do you mean by tyranny of majority?
Answer: Tyranny of the majority refers to unhealthy situations where a
majority continuously enforces decisions that exclude minorities and go
against their interests. Every society is prone to this 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. Constitution
is precisely to prevent this tyranny or domination by the majority of a minority.
7. Why does a democratic country need a Constitution?
Answer: A democratic country needs a Constitution because it 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.
The second important purpose of a Constitution is to define the nature of a
country’s political system.
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
us guard against this.
8. How can leaders misuse the powers of the democratic country?
Ans: Leaders can misuse their powers for getting things done in their own
favor. For example: A political leader or minister may use his influence for
getting things done in a corrupt manner without being accountable to
anybody. Many of us must have come across or seen a situation in which if a
relative of a politician is caught breaking traffic rules he or she misuses the
name and power of the person to get released and evade the fine.
9. Give a brief of the making of Indian constitution.
Ans: The Constitution of India was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on
November 26, 1949 and was brought into effect from 26th January, 1950. It
took almost a period of three years ( December 1946 to November 1949) to
draft the Constitution of India. It is the longest written Constitution. The
Constituent Assembly that took the charge of drafting the Constitution had Dr.
B. R. Ambedkar was its chairman who is also known as the 'Father of Indian
Constitution"
10. Who exercises the executive power in Nepal?
Ans: In the 1990 Constitution of Nepal, the Executive powers of the Kingdom
were entirely in the hands of the King and the Council of Ministers. However,
the Constitution of Nepal came into effect in 2015, the executive powers of
Nepal shifted to the hands of the Cabinet headed by the Prime Minister. The
2015 Constitution followed the democratic form of Government compared to
the 1990's Constitution which was a monarchy form of Government. This
helped the people come out of the old constitution to a better form of
Government that reflected the ideals of the people and was successful in
keeping up the spirits and unity of the people.
11. Define
a. State- The State refers to a political institution that represents a sovereign
people who occupy a definite territory.
b. Federalism- Federalism refers to the existence of more than one level of
government in the country.
c. Secular state- A secular state is one in which the state does not officially
promote any one religion as the state religion.
d. Universal adult franchise- Universal Adult Franchise means that the right to
vote should be given to all adult citizens without the discrimination of caste,
class, colour, religion or gender.
12. What do you mean by Directive Principles of State Policy?
Answer: Directive Principles of State Policy was designed by the members of
the Constituent Assembly to ensure greater social and economic reforms and
to serve as a guide to the independent Indian State to institute laws and
policies that help reduce the poverty of the masses.
13. Discuss the difference between State and Government.
Answer: ‘Government’ is responsible for administering and enforcing laws. The
government can change with elections. The State on the other hand refers to a
political institution that represents a sovereign people who occupy a definite
territory. Example – the Indian State, the Nepali State etc. The Indian State has
a democratic form of government. The government (or the executive) is one
part of the State. The State refers to more than just the government and
cannot be used interchangeably with it.
14. What are the functions of the three main organs of the government?
Answer: According to the Constitution, there are three organs of government.
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 refers to the system of courts in this country.
15. Explain the six Fundamentals Rights in the Indian Constitution.
Answer: The Fundamental Rights in the Indian Constitution include:
● Right to Equality
● Right to Freedom
● Right against Exploitation
● Right to Freedom of Religion
● Cultural and Educational Rights
● Right to Constitutional Remedies
( Explain all of them from the book)
Q16.Define secularism
Ans:Secularism means treating all religions equally and keeping religion
separate from the government. In a secular country, people are free to follow
any religion or no religion at all, and the government does not favor or
discriminate against any religion.
Q17. What are fundamental rights?
Ans: Fundamental Rights are the basic rights given to every citizen of a country
to live freely and equally. In India, the Constitution gives us these rights to
protect our freedom and dignity. No one can take them away, and the
government must respect them.
Q18. What is a preamble?
Ans: A Preamble is the introduction to the Constitution. It explains the main
ideas and values on which the country is based. It tells us what the
Constitution stands for and what kind of country India wants to be.
The Preamble of India talks about justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity for all
citizens. It also says that India is a sovereign, socialist, secular, and democratic
republic.
In short — the Preamble is like the summary or preface to the Constitution,
showing its goals and promises to the people.
Q19. Why is India known as a federal country?
Ans: India is known as a federal country because the power to govern is
divided between the central government and the state governments. Both
have their own areas to make laws and decisions.
For example:
The central government looks after things like defence, foreign affairs, and
railways.
The state governments look after things like police, hospitals, and local
transport.
Some subjects are shared by both.
This system is called federalism, and it helps run a big and diverse country like
India smoothly.
Q20. Write a short note on Parliamentary form of government.
The Parliamentary Form of Government is a system where the people elect
their representatives, and these representatives form the government. In this
system, the Prime Minister is the head of the government, and the President is
the head of the country.
The Parliament makes laws, takes decisions, and controls the government.
India follows this system to make sure the government works for the people
and can be changed through elections if needed.
Q21. There is a provision for checks and balances. Explain the statement.
Ans:There is a provision for checks and balances" means that the different
parts of the government — Legislature (makes laws), Executive (runs the
government), and Judiciary (interprets laws) — keep an eye on each other so
that no part becomes too powerful or misuses its power.
For example:
The Judiciary can stop a law if it is unfair.
The Legislature can question the Executive about its work.
The Executive has to follow the laws made by the Legislature.
This system helps keep a balance in the government and protects the rights of
the people.
Q22:Mention the fundamental duties that are there in the Indian
constitution.
Ans:list of the Fundamental Duties in the Indian Constitution:
• Every citizen of India must:
• Respect the Constitution, the National Flag, and the National Anthem.
• Follow the noble ideas of our freedom struggle.
• Protect the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India.
• Defend the country and serve the nation when needed.
• Promote harmony and brotherhood among all people.
• Protect the environment, forests, lakes, rivers, and wildlife.
• Value and preserve the rich heritage of our culture.
• Safeguard public property and avoid violence.
• Develop a scientific temper, humanism, and spirit of inquiry.
• Work for excellence in all fields to help improve the nation.
• Provide education to children aged 6 to 14 years.
These duties remind citizens of their responsibility towards the country and
society.
Q23.Define
a. Polity
Polity refers to the system or process of governance and the political structure
of a country. It includes the set of rules, institutions, and practices that define
how a country is governed and how power is exercised. In simpler terms, polity
is the way a country organizes its government, including its laws, leaders, and
political processes.
For example, India’s polity is based on a democratic republic, meaning it has a
system where elected representatives make decisions for the people, and it
follows a Constitution.
b.Sovereign
Sovereign refers to the supreme authority or power of a state to make its own
laws, govern itself, and make decisions without interference from outside
forces. A sovereign country has full control over its territory and affairs, both
internally and externally.
In simpler terms, a sovereign state is independent and not controlled by any
other country. For example, India is a sovereign country because it makes its
own laws and decisions without any outside control.
Q24:List the main features of Indian constitution.
The key features of the Indian constitution are:
• Federalism
• Parliamentary Form of Government
• Separation of Powers
• Fundamental Rights
• Secularism
NCERT Exercise Questions
Question 1: Why does a democratic country need a Constitution?
Answer: There are various reasons why a democratic country needs a
Constitution:
● The basic ideals on the basis of which we as citizens aspire to live in
our country are mentioned in the Constitution.
● It tells the fundamental nature of society
● To define the nature of the political system of the country
● It states a set of rules based on which people belonging to different
religions and communities can peacefully co-exist with each other.
Question 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 interim Constitution of Nepal.
1990 Constitution of Nepal Part 7: 2015 Constitution of Nepal Part 7:
Executive 2015 Federal Executive 2015
Article 35: Executive Power: The Article 75: Executive Power: The
executive power of the Kingdom of executive power of Nepal shall,
Nepal shall be vested in His pursuant to this Constitution and other
Majesty and council of Ministers laws, be vested in the Council of
Ministers.
What is the difference in who exercises ‘Executive Power’ in the above two
Constitutions of Nepal?
Answer: Article 35 of the 1990 Constitution of Nepal states that the whole
powers to rule the country is vested in the king of the country and the
ministers appointed under him.
On the other hand, article 75 of the 2015 Constitution of Nepal states that the
rules and management of the country will be based on the laws mentioned in
the Constitution of the country under the supervision of the council of
ministers.
Question 3: What would happen if there were no restrictions on the power of
elected representatives?
Answer: If there are no restrictions on the power of the elected
representatives, the leaders might misuse the powers given to them, leading to
gross injustice. The Constitution provides safeguards against this misuse of
power by our political leaders. Many of the safeguards are contained in the
Section on Fundamental Rights. The Indian
Constitution guarantees the right to equality to all persons and says that no
citizen can be discriminated against on grounds of religion, race, caste, gender,
and place of birth.
Question 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 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.
Answer: (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 a personal wish, so each
individual should have the freedom to eat what he/she wants.
(d) Under privileged are in minority. Citizens can not be discriminated on the
basis of their birth so their views have to be respected.
Question 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 Significa
nce
Federalism Separation of Powers Fundamental Rights
Parliamentary Form of Government.
Answer:
Key Feature Significance
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 so that the states can make decisions for their
territories.
Separation It is important as it ensures that the tyrannical use of power
of Powers is avoided since the whole power is not vested in any single
authority. Secondly, the three organs of governance:
legislature, executive and judiciary also work as a check on
each other, thereby maintaining a good balance.
Fundamenta The Fundamental Rights are a set of rights that the
l Rights Constitution offers to every citizen of the country. These
rights include the Right to Freedom, Right to Equality, Right
against Exploitation, Right to Freedom of religion, Cultural
and Educational Rights and the Right to Constitutional
remedies. These rights give every citizen of the country the
right to be considered as an equal, to not get discriminated
based on caste, culture or religion, to get equal educational
opportunities and to be equal in front of the law.
Parliamenta A democratic government is one where the citizens of the
ry Form of country have the right to elect their representatives. When
Government the Constitution was being made, it was made sure that
every citizen of the country irrespective of caste, colour,
creed and religion will have the right to elect their leaders
under universal adult suffrage, i.e. where the right to vote
will be given to all.
