Sponsor Area
Here are some false statements. Identify the mistake in each case and rewrite these correctly based on what you have read in this chapter.
Leaders of the freedom movement had an open mind about whether the country should be democratic or not after independence.
Leaders of the freedom movement were clear in their mind to have democratic govt.
Here are some false statements. Identify the mistake in each case and rewrite these correctly based on what you have read in this chapter.
Members of the Constituent Assembly of India held the same views on all provisions of the Constitution.
Members of the Constituent Assembly of India held same views on basic principles of the Constitution.
Here are some false statements. Identify the mistake in each case and rewrite these correctly based on what you have read in this chapter.
A country that has a Constitution must be a democracy.
All countries that are democratic will have Constitutions.
Here are some false statements. Identify the mistake in each case and rewrite these correctly based on what you have read in this chapter.
Constitution cannot be amended because it is the supreme law of a country.
Constitution cannot be amended easily because it is the supreme law of a country.
Which of these was the most salient underlying conflict in the making of a democratic constitution in South Africa?
Between South Africa and its neighbours
Between men and women
Between the white majority and the black minority
Between the coloured minority and the black majority.
D.
Between the coloured minority and the black majority.
Match the following leaders with their roles in the making of the Constitution:
| A. Motilal Nehru | (i) President of the Constituent Assembly |
| B. B.R. Ambedkar | (ii) Member of the Constituent Assembly |
| C. Rajendra Prasad | (iii) Chairman of the Drafting Committee |
| D. Sarojini Naidu | (iv) Prepared a Constitution for India in 1928. |
A. Motilal Nehru | (i) Prepared a Constitution for India in 1928. |
B. B.R. Ambedkar | (ii) Chairman of the Drafting Committee |
C. Rajendra Prasad | (iii) President of the Constituent Assembly |
D. Sarojini Naidu | (iv) Member of the Constituent Assembly |
Read again the extracts from Nehru’s speech ‘Tryst with Destiny’ and answer the following:
Why did Nehru use the expression “not wholly or in full measure” in the first sentence?
Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru used the expression not wholly or in full measure but very substantially to redeem our pledge because according to him the task of building a nation was a huge task which cannot be fulfilled in one’s lifetime.
Read again the extracts from Nehru’s speech ‘Tryst with Destiny’ and answer the following:
What pledge did he want the makers of the Indian Constitution to take?
Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru wanted that the makers of the Constitution should take the pledge of dedication to the service of India and her people and to the still larger cause of humanity.
Here are some of the guiding values of the Constitution and their meaning. Rewrite them by matching them correctly.
| A. Sovereign | (i) Government will not favour any religion |
| B. Republic | (ii) People have the supreme right to make decisions |
| C. Fraternity | (iii) Head of the state is an elected person |
| D. Secular | (iv) People should live like brothers and sisters. |
A. Sovereign | (i) People have the supreme right to make decisions |
B. Republic | (ii) Head of the state is an elected person |
C. Fraternity | (iii) People should live like brothers and sisters. |
D. Secular | (iv) Government will not favour any religion |
A friend from Nepal has written you a letter describing the political situation there. Many political parties are opposing the rule of the king. Some of them say that the existing constitution given by the monarch can be amended to allow more powers to elected representatives. Others are demanding a new Constituent Assembly to write a republican constitution. Reply to your friend giving your opinions on the subject.
Reply:
(i)In Nepal the best course is to give all powers to the elected representative. Like England, the king of Nepal should be made the constitutional head of the state.
(ii)Real powers of the executive should be vested with the cabinet headed by the prime minister. Cabinet should be responsible to the parliament.
(iii)Judiciary should be independent. Judiciary should act as the interpreter of the constitution and protector of fundamental rights to the people.
Here are different opinions about what made India a democracy. How much importance would you give to each of these factors ?
Democracy in the India is a gift of the British rulers. We received training to work with representative legislative institutions under the British rule.
Democracy is not a gift of the British rulers.
Britishers gradually handed over the powers to the elected representatives.
Here are different opinions about what made India a democracy. How much importance would you give to each of these factors?
Freedom Struggle challenged the colonial exploitation and denial of different freedoms to Indians. Free India could not be anything but democratic.
Freedom struggle was important in spreading the idea of nationalism in India.
This statement is true because freedom struggle was against the colonial exploitation. Indians were given limited rights and restricted.
Hence, it was clear before independence that India would be a democratic country after independence.
Here are different opinions about what made India a democracy. How much importance would you give to each of these factors?
We were lucky to have leaders who had democratic convictions. The denial of democracy in several other newly independent countries shows the important role of these leaders.
This statement is correct. Our leaders were committed to democratic institutions and democratic values.
In India democracy is successful due to great leadership of Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru, Dr. Ambedkar, Dr. Rajinder Prasad, Sardar Patel, etc.
Read the following extract from a conduct book for ‘married women’, published in 1912. ‘God has made the female species delicate and fragile both physically and emotionally, pitiably incapable of self-defence. They are destined thus by God to remain in male protection - of father, husband and son - all their lives. Women should, therefore, not despair, but feel obliged that they can dedicate themselves to the service of men’. Do you think the values expressed in this para reflected the values underlying our constitution ? Or does this go against the constitutional values?
The values expressed in the above para are against the constitutional values.
In the above para the emphasis is laid on the superiority and dominance of man wheras our constitutional value is based principle of equality. According to the constitution man and woman both are equal. There should be no discrimination on the basis of sex.
Read the following statements about a constitution. Give reasons why each of these is true or not true.
The authority of the rules of the constitution is the same as that of any other law.
This statement is not true because Constitution is the supreme law of the state.
Sponsor Area
Read the following statements about a constitution. Give reasons why each of these is true or not true.
Constitution lays down how different organs of the government will be formed.
This statement is true.
The structure of different organs of government are mentioned in the Constitution.
Read the following statements about a constitution. Give reasons why each of these is true or not true.
Rights of citizens and limits on the power of the government are laid down in the constitution.
This statement is true.
Rights of the citizen arc mentioned in the constitution. In India, Part III of the Constitution deals with fundamental rights.
Read the following statements about a constitution. Give reasons why each of these is true or not true.
A constitution is about institutions, not about values.
This statement is not true.
A Constitution is not about institutions only, it is about values also.
The Constituent Assembly was set up under the recommendations of
Cripps Proposals
C.R. Plan
Cabinet Mission Plan
Act of 1935
C.
Cabinet Mission Plan
The first session of Constituent Assembly was held
From 9th Dec to 23rd Dec, 1946
From 19th Dec to 31st Dec, 1946
From 29 June to 9th July, 1947
From 8th Dec to 22nd Dec, 1946
A.
From 9th Dec to 23rd Dec, 1946
Who was the temporary Chairman of the Constituent Assembly?
Dr. Rajendra Prasad
Dr. Ambedkar
Dr. Sachindanand Sinha
Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru.
C.
Dr. Sachindanand Sinha
Who was permanent Chairman of the Constituent Assembly?
Dr. Rajendra Prasad
Dr. Ambedkar
Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru
Sardar Patel
A.
Dr. Rajendra Prasad
Who was the First Governor-General of free India?
Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru
C. Rajgopalachari
Lord Mountbatten
Dr. Ambedkar
C.
Lord Mountbatten
Sponsor Area
After a great labour, the Constitution was ready on
26th Dec., 1949
26th Jan., 1950
25th Dec., 1949
26th Nov., 1949.
D.
26th Nov., 1949.
The Indian Constitution was enforced on
15th August, 1947
26th Jan, 1950
9th Dec, 1950
15th August, 1950
B.
26th Jan, 1950
The Constitution of India was adopted by
The British Parliament
The Governor General
The Constituent Assembly
Parliament of India
C.
The Constituent Assembly
The Constitution of India was adopted on
26th January, 1950
25th January, 1950
26th November, 1949
25th November, 1949
C.
26th November, 1949
Indian Constitution was framed by
British Monarch
British Parliament
Constituent Assembly
Indian Parliament
C.
Constituent Assembly
Preamble of Indian constitution begins with these words
People’s sovereignty
Republic of India
Democratic India
We, the people of India
D.
We, the people of India
What is the meaning of ‘we, the people of India’?
That the people of India are direct rulers of the country
That the ultimate sovereignty is vested with the people
None of these.
B.
That the ultimate sovereignty is vested with the people
Which of the following statements is correct?
India is a Sovereign, Socialist, Republic.
India is a Sovereign, Democratic, Monarchic state.
India is a Sovereign, Democratic, Republic.
India is a Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic, Republic.
D.
India is a Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic, Republic.
Under whose recommendation the Constituent Assembly was set up?
The Constituent Assembly was set up on the recommendation of Cabinet Mission Plan, 1946.
When were the elections to the Constituent Assembly held?
The elections to the Constituent Assembly were held in July, 1946.
Who was chosen as temporary chairman of the Constituent Assembly?
Dr. Sachindanand Sinha, the oldest member of the Constituent Assembly was elected the temporary chairman of the Constituent Assembly.
When had the Constituent Assembly met for the first time?
The Constituent Assembly had met for the first time on December 9, 1946.
Who was the permanent chairman of the Constituent Assembly?
Dr. Rajendra Prasad was the permanent chairman of the Constituent Assembly.
Who was the chairman of the Drafting Committee?
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was the chairman of the Drafting Committee.
When was the first session of Constituent Assembly held?
The first session of Constituent Assembly was held from 9th December to 23rd December 1946.
When was the last session of the Constituent Assembly held?
The last session of the Constituent Assembly was held on January 24, 1950.
State any one feature of New South African Constitution.
South African Constitution is a written Constitution.
Name any four countries where written Constitution exist.
The countries are:
(i)U.S.A. (ii) France. (iii)India. (iv)South Africa.
What is meant by Preamble?
Preamble is an introductory statement in a constitution which states the reasons and guiding values of the constitution.
What is the nature of Indian Polity according to the Preamble?
According to the Preamble the nature of Indian Polity is Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic and Republic.
Which new words were added to Preamble of our Constitution with the 42nd amendment?
The words were Socialist and Secular.
From which country’s Constitution the idea of the Preamble is borrowed?
We have borrowed the idea of the Preamble from the Constitution of U.S.A.
How many types of justice are mentioned in the Preamble?
The Preamble has mentioned three types of justice:
(i)Social
(ii)Economic
(iii)Political.
Why was Nelson mandela tried and by whom?
Nelson Mandela was tried for treason by the White South African government.
Define Constitution.
Constitution is a supreme law of a country, containing fundamental rules governing the politics and society in a country.
Name any five prominent members of Constituent Assembly.
The prominent members of the Constituent Assembly were Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru, Sardar Patel, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and Dr. K.M. Munshi.
Why does a Constitution do?
A constitution does the following things:
(i)It generates a degree of trust and coordination that is necessary for different kind of people to live
together.
(ii)It specifies how the government will be constituted, who will have power to take which decisions;
(iii)It lays down limits on the powers of the government and tells us what the rights of the citizens are; and
(iv)It expresses the aspirations of the people about creating a good society.
Sponsor Area
Explain the significance of a Preamble in Indian Constitution.
The significance are:
(i)Values that inspired and guided the freedom struggle are embedded in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution.
(ii)They guide all the articles of the Indian Constitution.
(iii)The Preamble of the Constitution reads like a poem on democracy. It contains the philosophy on which the entire Constitution has been built.
(iv)It provides a standard to examine and evaluate any law and action of government, to find out whether it is good or bad.
(v)It is the soul of the Indian Constitution.
Mention the philopsophy of our Constitution as embodied in the Preamble.
The philosophy of our Constitution are mentioned below:
(i)Justice - social, political and economic
(ii)Liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship.
(iii)Equality of status and opportunity
(iv) Fraternity, assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity of the Nation.
What is the nature of Indian state according to the Preamble of its Constitution?
According to the Preamble, India is a Sovereign, Democratic, Secular and Socialist Republic.
What do you mean by the term Republic ?
It means that the head of the state is an elected person and not a hereditary position.
What does the term Fraternity state?
It states that all of us should behave as if we are members of the same family. No one should treat a fellow citizen as inferior.
What is the features of socialist State?
The features are:
(i)The wealth is generated socially and is shared equally by society.
(ii)Government regulates the ownership of land and industry to reduce socio-economic inequalities.
Describe “Economic Justice”.
Economic Justice means that the economic means of the country should be justly distributed and they are used for the benefit of maximum people.
Economic Justice means to provide equal opportunities to everybody to earn his livelihood.
What is Political Justice?
Political Justice states all the citizens should enjoy equal political rights. It entails one one man one vote irrespective of caste, creed, religion and sex.
What do you mean by the term ‘Sovereign’ ?
It means people have supreme right to make decisions on internal as well as external matters.
No external power can dictate the government of India.
Describe the character of secular state.
The characters are:
(i)Citizens have complete freedom to follow any religion.
(ii)But there is no official religion.
(iii)Government treats all religious beliefs and practices with equal respect.
Describe the term ‘Equality’ as mentioned in the Preamble of the Constitution.
Equality:
(i)All are equal before the law.
(ii)The traditional social inequalities have to be ended.
(iii)The government should ensure equal opportunity for all.
What is meant by Democratic goverment?
A form of government where people enjoy equal political rights, elect their rulers and hold them accountable.
The government is run according to some basic rules.
'Our leaders gained confidence to learn from other countries, but on our own terms'. Explain.
Our leaders gained confidence to learn from other countries, but on our own terms:
(i)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 the US.
(ii)The socialist revolution in Russia had inspired many Indians to think of shaping a system based on social and economic equality.
(iii)Yet they were not simply imitating what others had done. At each step they were questioning whether these things suited our country.
Explain the working of Constituent Assembly of India.
The Constituent Assembly:
(i)The Constituent Assembly worked in a systematic, open and consensual manner.
(ii)First some basic principles were decided and agreed upon. 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. More than two thousand amendments were considered.
(iv)The members deliberated for 114 days spread over three years. Every document presented and every word spoken in the Constituent Assembly has been recorded and preserved. These are called ‘Constituent Assembly Debates’.
(v)When printed, these debates are 12 bulky volumes! These debates provide the rationale behind every provision of the Constitution. These are used to interpret the meaning of the Constitution.
What were the characteristics of apartheid in South Africa?
Sponsor Area
Sponsor Area
