SOCIAL SCIENCE
CLASS-IX
POL SCI. CH-2 CONSTITUTIONAL DESIGN
WORKSHEET
OBJECTIVE TYPE QUESTIONS:
1. Leaders of the freedom movement were clear that their country should be
Democratic.
2. In Indian Constitution, the Secular means .
Ans- Citizens have complete freedom to follow any religion
3. What is meant by the term ‘Preamble’?
Ans- The Preamble is an introduction to the Constitution which contains the
ideals and basic principles of the Indian Constitution.
4. The famous speech given by Pt. Nehru on the eve of Independence Day is
known as Tryst with Destiny.
5. When did the process of the Making of the Indian Constitution begin?
Ans- In 1928, Motilal Nehru and eight other Congress leaders drafted a
constitution for India which marked the beginning of this process.
6. With reference to the Constituent Assembly, answer the following questions:
(i) When were its elections held?
(ii) Who was its President?
(iii) Who was appointed the Chairman of the Drafting Committee?
(iv) When was the Constitution passed by the Constituent Assembly?
Answer:
(i) July 1946
(ii) Dr. Rajendra Prasad
(iii) Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
(iv) 26th November, 1949
SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS:
7. Mention some features of a Foreign Constitution which inspired
the constitution makers of the Indian Constitution.
Answer:
i. Practice of parliamentary democracy in Britain.
ii. Bill of rights in the United States.
iii. Socialism (economic& social) from Russia.
8. What were the difficulties faced during the making of Indian
Constitution? Answer:
i. Making a constitution for a huge and diverse country like India was not an
easy task.
ii. The-people of India at that time were emerging from the status of subjects
to citizens.
iii. The country was born through a partition on the basis of religious
differences.
iv. The British had left the princely states to decide their future on their own.
9. What do we call a state where head of the state is an elected and
not a hereditary person? Is India a Republic?
Ans- Republic as the head of the state i.e., the President is an elected person,
and it is not a hereditary position. Yes, any citizen of the country can be the
president of India.
10. “The manner in which the Constituent Assembly worked gives
sanctity to the constitution.” Justify.
Ans-
i. First some basic principles were decided and agreed upon.
ii. Then a Drafting Committee chaired by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar prepared a
draft constitution for discussion.
iii. Several rounds of thorough discussion took place on the Draft
Constitution, clause by clause.
iv. The above-mentioned points prove that the Constituent Assembly
maintained a democratic attitude.
11. “The apartheid system was particularly oppressive for the blacks.”
Justify by giving three reasons.
Ans-
i. They were forbidden from living in white areas. They could work in white
areas only if they had a permit.
ii. Trains, buses, taxis, hotels, hospitals, schools and colleges, libraries,
cinema halls, theatres, beaches, swimming pools, public toilets, were all
separate for the whites and blacks. This was called segregation.
iii. They could not even visit the churches where the whites worshipped.
Blacks could not form associations or protest against the terrible treatment.
12. With reference to the Indian Constitution answer the following questions:
(i) When was it passed?
(ii) When was it enforced?.
(iii) Why was this date
chosen? Ans-
(i) The Constitution was passed by the Constituent Assembly on 26th
November, 1949.
(ii) The Constitution was enforced on 26th January, 1950.
(iii) In December, 1929, the Congress in its Lahore Session had decided to
fight for Poorna Swaraj or Complete Independence, and 26th January, 1930
was celebrated as the Independence Day, since then. That is why our leaders
decided to celebrate 26th January 1950 as the day to enforce the Constitution
of India.
13. Discuss the concept of equality under the objectives of the Indian
Constitution.
Ans-
The Preamble speaks of equality of status and opportunity.
i. Equality of status means all are equal in the eyes of law and all have equal
protection of law.
ii. Nobody can be discriminated against only on the basis of his religion,
caste, colour, creed or sex (Articles 14 and 15).
iii. The Constitution also offers equality of opportunity in matters relating to
appointment under two states (Article 16).
iv. Untouchability has been abolished (Article 17) and all the titles except
those of academic or military distinction have been abolished (Article 18).
14. Why do we need a constitution and what does the Constitution
do? Explain?
Ans-
The Constitution of a country is a set of written rules that are accepted by all
the people living together in a country. The Constitution is the supreme law
that determines the relationship among the people living in a territory (called
citizens), and the relationship between the people and the government.
Importance:
i. Specifications: It specifies how the government will be constituted,
who will have the power to take which decisions.
ii. Trust and Co-ordination: It generates a degree of trust and co-
ordination that is necessary for different kinds of people to live together.
iii. Rights and Duties: It lays down the limits on the powers of the
government and tells us what the rights of the citizens are.
iv. Good Society: It expresses the aspirations of the people about creating
a good society.
15. What are the four main ideals enshrined in the Preamble of the
Indian Constitution?
Ans-
The ideals written in the Preamble of the Constitution are as under :
i. Justice: Every citizen of India will have social, economic and political
justice.
ii. Liberty: Every citizen will have the liberty of thought, expression, belief,
faith, and worship.
iii. Equality: Every citizen will be provided with the equality of status and
opportunity.
iv. Fraternity: All the citizens of India have been assured about the dignity of
individual and the unity and integrity of the nation.
16. Explain the major factors which contributed to the making
of our Constitution.
Ans- National Movement: Our national movement was not merely a struggle
against a foreign rule. It was also a struggle to rejuvenate our country, and to
transform our society and politics.
i. Role of Leaders: Leaders like Moti Lai Nehru, Jawahar Lai Nehru and
others had played very important role in making of Indian Constitution. In
1928, Moti Lai Nehru Drafted a Constitution for India.
ii. Role of British Rule: The familiarity with political institutions of colonial
rule also helped develop an agreement over the institutional design.
iii. British Rule and the Legislative Institutions: The experience gained by
Indians in the working of the legislative institutions proved to be very
useful for the country in setting up its own institutions.
iv. World Event or Revolutions: Many of our leaders were inspired by the
ideals of French Revolution, the practice of Parliamentary democracy in
Britain and the Bill of Rights in USA. So they incorporated some good
points of the Constitutions of these countries in the Indian Constitution.
17. India’s Constitution was also drawn up under very difficult
circumstances.” Elaborate this statement with the help of any
four circumstances during it was made.
Or
What were the difficulties faced during the making of Indian
Constitution?
Answer:
Making a constitution for a huge and diverse country like India was not
an easy task.
i. The-people of India at that time were emerging from the status of subjects
to citizens.
ii. The country was born through a partition on the basis of religious
differences.
iii. The British had left the princely states to decide their future on their own.
iv. At that time, future of the country did not look very secure.
v. Makers of the Constitution had anxieties about the present as well as the
future.
DO IT YOURSELF…!!!
18. How does the Indian Constitution describe the institutional arrangements?
19. What is a Preamble? Quote the Preamble of our constitution.
20. Compare the Preambles to the constitutions of the United States of
America, India, and South Africa.
i. Make a list of ideas that are common to all these three.
ii. Note down at least one of the major differences among these.
iii. Which of the three makes a reference to the past?
Which of these does not invoke God?
