Class 8 Social Science: Sample Question Paper – 7 | Social Studies (SST) Class 8 PDF Download

 Page 1


  
Social Science
Date:                                 Class: VIII 
Time:3hrs                                                      M.M: 90 
General Instructions: 
1. All the questions are compulsory 
2. Read the question paper carefully. 
3. Attempt all parts of a question together. 
4.  Questions from serial numbers. 1 to 9 are 1 mark questions. 
5. Questions 10 to 21  are 3 mark questions 
6. Question 22 to 29 are 5 marks each 
7. Map questions 30 &31are for 5 marks. 
 
1 Name the city which is known as the Silicon Valley of India? 
 
1 
2 1. Give one term for -rearing of fishes for commercial purpose. 
2.  
1 
3 3. Why has the world population increased drastically over the past few decades? 
4.  
1 
4 5. Who can file a PIL? 
6.  
1 
5 7. Name the poetess who was the wife of Bhakti poet Chokhamela? 
8.  
1 
6 In which year did the central government pass” the Employment of Manual Scavengers 
and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act”. 
 
1 
7   Who laid the foundation of Santiniketan? 
 
1 
8  Name any two social evils to which women in Indian society were subjugated. 
 
1 
9  What is the literal meaning of “Sarvajanik”? 
 
1 
10  “The human resources are called the ultimate resources”. Justify the statement by 
giving a few suitable points. 
 
3 
11 Explain the climatic factors required for Jute cultivation? 
 
3 
12  Why was Sakchi chosen to set up the steel plants? 
 
3 
13  What do you mean by law enforcement? Who is responsible for law enforcement? 
 
1+2=3 
14 Highlight the role of Chief Justice of India, with reference to the appointment of new 
Chief Justice. 
 
3 
15  How was environment treated earlier? What has been the change in perception? 
Discuss. 
 
1+2=3 
16 Are there any laws for producers and consumers? If yes, then what do they state? 
 
1+2=3 
17 What were the demands of the Muslim league in 1946? 3 
Page 2


  
Social Science
Date:                                 Class: VIII 
Time:3hrs                                                      M.M: 90 
General Instructions: 
1. All the questions are compulsory 
2. Read the question paper carefully. 
3. Attempt all parts of a question together. 
4.  Questions from serial numbers. 1 to 9 are 1 mark questions. 
5. Questions 10 to 21  are 3 mark questions 
6. Question 22 to 29 are 5 marks each 
7. Map questions 30 &31are for 5 marks. 
 
1 Name the city which is known as the Silicon Valley of India? 
 
1 
2 1. Give one term for -rearing of fishes for commercial purpose. 
2.  
1 
3 3. Why has the world population increased drastically over the past few decades? 
4.  
1 
4 5. Who can file a PIL? 
6.  
1 
5 7. Name the poetess who was the wife of Bhakti poet Chokhamela? 
8.  
1 
6 In which year did the central government pass” the Employment of Manual Scavengers 
and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act”. 
 
1 
7   Who laid the foundation of Santiniketan? 
 
1 
8  Name any two social evils to which women in Indian society were subjugated. 
 
1 
9  What is the literal meaning of “Sarvajanik”? 
 
1 
10  “The human resources are called the ultimate resources”. Justify the statement by 
giving a few suitable points. 
 
3 
11 Explain the climatic factors required for Jute cultivation? 
 
3 
12  Why was Sakchi chosen to set up the steel plants? 
 
3 
13  What do you mean by law enforcement? Who is responsible for law enforcement? 
 
1+2=3 
14 Highlight the role of Chief Justice of India, with reference to the appointment of new 
Chief Justice. 
 
3 
15  How was environment treated earlier? What has been the change in perception? 
Discuss. 
 
1+2=3 
16 Are there any laws for producers and consumers? If yes, then what do they state? 
 
1+2=3 
17 What were the demands of the Muslim league in 1946? 3 
18 Write a short note on Tagore’s “abode of peace”. 
 
3 
19 
 
1. Identify the type of education system in the given picture. 
2. State one advantage and one disadvantage of this type of education system. 
 
3 
20 Who started temple entry movement and what was the aim of the movement? 
 
1+2=3 
21 Discuss few examples of educated women and the impact they had on society. 
 
3 
22 Why were the early years of the Indian National Congress referred to as the moderate 
phase? 
 
5 
23 Differentiate between subsistence and commercial farming. 
 
5 
24 “India has a glorious tradition of producing good quality cotton textile” Elaborate the 
statement. 
 
5 
25 “In an age-sex pyramid, if the base is broad and the top is narrow, then what does it 
depict” Explain the concept with the help of a diagram 
 
1+2+2=5 
26 Give a brief description of the functions of Indian judicial system. 
 
5 
27 Dalits can “invoke” or “draw on” a Fundamental Right (or Rights) in certain unpleasant 
situations. Explain the statement. 
 
5 
28 Which tragedy in India is dubbed as “Hiroshima of the Chemical Industry”? Give 
reasons. 
 
5 
29 Read the source given and answer the questions given below: 
Emphasizing the need to teach English, Macaulay declared: 
All parties seem to be agreed on one point, that the dialects commonly spoken among 
the natives of India, contain neither literary nor scientific information, and are, 
moreover, so poor and rude that, until they are enriched from some other quarter, it will 
not be easy to translate any valuable work into them … 
1. Why did the British officials criticize the Indian learning? 
2. What did the Act of 1835 aim at? 
 
2+3=5 
30 On a political map of India locate the following important centres of Freedom 
Movement:  
1. Chauri Chaura     2.  Surat 
2 
31 On the same map locate the following Iron and Steel plants:  
1. Salem    2. Durgapur     3.Rourkela 
3 
 
 
 
Page 3


  
Social Science
Date:                                 Class: VIII 
Time:3hrs                                                      M.M: 90 
General Instructions: 
1. All the questions are compulsory 
2. Read the question paper carefully. 
3. Attempt all parts of a question together. 
4.  Questions from serial numbers. 1 to 9 are 1 mark questions. 
5. Questions 10 to 21  are 3 mark questions 
6. Question 22 to 29 are 5 marks each 
7. Map questions 30 &31are for 5 marks. 
 
1 Name the city which is known as the Silicon Valley of India? 
 
1 
2 1. Give one term for -rearing of fishes for commercial purpose. 
2.  
1 
3 3. Why has the world population increased drastically over the past few decades? 
4.  
1 
4 5. Who can file a PIL? 
6.  
1 
5 7. Name the poetess who was the wife of Bhakti poet Chokhamela? 
8.  
1 
6 In which year did the central government pass” the Employment of Manual Scavengers 
and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act”. 
 
1 
7   Who laid the foundation of Santiniketan? 
 
1 
8  Name any two social evils to which women in Indian society were subjugated. 
 
1 
9  What is the literal meaning of “Sarvajanik”? 
 
1 
10  “The human resources are called the ultimate resources”. Justify the statement by 
giving a few suitable points. 
 
3 
11 Explain the climatic factors required for Jute cultivation? 
 
3 
12  Why was Sakchi chosen to set up the steel plants? 
 
3 
13  What do you mean by law enforcement? Who is responsible for law enforcement? 
 
1+2=3 
14 Highlight the role of Chief Justice of India, with reference to the appointment of new 
Chief Justice. 
 
3 
15  How was environment treated earlier? What has been the change in perception? 
Discuss. 
 
1+2=3 
16 Are there any laws for producers and consumers? If yes, then what do they state? 
 
1+2=3 
17 What were the demands of the Muslim league in 1946? 3 
18 Write a short note on Tagore’s “abode of peace”. 
 
3 
19 
 
1. Identify the type of education system in the given picture. 
2. State one advantage and one disadvantage of this type of education system. 
 
3 
20 Who started temple entry movement and what was the aim of the movement? 
 
1+2=3 
21 Discuss few examples of educated women and the impact they had on society. 
 
3 
22 Why were the early years of the Indian National Congress referred to as the moderate 
phase? 
 
5 
23 Differentiate between subsistence and commercial farming. 
 
5 
24 “India has a glorious tradition of producing good quality cotton textile” Elaborate the 
statement. 
 
5 
25 “In an age-sex pyramid, if the base is broad and the top is narrow, then what does it 
depict” Explain the concept with the help of a diagram 
 
1+2+2=5 
26 Give a brief description of the functions of Indian judicial system. 
 
5 
27 Dalits can “invoke” or “draw on” a Fundamental Right (or Rights) in certain unpleasant 
situations. Explain the statement. 
 
5 
28 Which tragedy in India is dubbed as “Hiroshima of the Chemical Industry”? Give 
reasons. 
 
5 
29 Read the source given and answer the questions given below: 
Emphasizing the need to teach English, Macaulay declared: 
All parties seem to be agreed on one point, that the dialects commonly spoken among 
the natives of India, contain neither literary nor scientific information, and are, 
moreover, so poor and rude that, until they are enriched from some other quarter, it will 
not be easy to translate any valuable work into them … 
1. Why did the British officials criticize the Indian learning? 
2. What did the Act of 1835 aim at? 
 
2+3=5 
30 On a political map of India locate the following important centres of Freedom 
Movement:  
1. Chauri Chaura     2.  Surat 
2 
31 On the same map locate the following Iron and Steel plants:  
1. Salem    2. Durgapur     3.Rourkela 
3 
 
 
 
ANSWER KEY ,CLASS VIII
 
1 1. Name the city which is known as Silicon Valley of India? 
Ans: Bangalore 
1 
2 2. Give one term for -Rearing of fishes for commercial purpose. 
3. Ans: Pisciculture. 
1 
3 Why has the world population increased drastically over the past few decades? 
Ans: With improving health care, death rates have fallen, but birth rates still remain high leading 
to high growth rates. 
1 
1 
4 Who can file PIL? 
Ans: Any individual or organization can file a PIL in the Supreme or High Court. 
1 
5 Name the poetess who was the wife of Bhakti poet Chokhamela? 
Ans: Soyarabai 
1 
6 In which year the central government passed the Employment of Manual Scavengers and 
Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act. 
 Ans: 1993 
1 
7  Who laid the foundation of Santiniketan? 
Ans: Rabindranath Tagore 
1 
8 Name any two social evils to which women in Indian society were subjugated. 
Ans: (Any2) 
1. Women were married at an early age. 
2. Women were forced to burn themselves on the funeral pyre of their husbands.  
3. Woman who died in this manner, whether willing or otherwise, were called “sati” meaning 
virtuous women. 
4. Women?s right to property were also restricted. 
5. Women had virtually no access to education. In many parts of the country people believed 
that if a woman was educated, she would become a widow. 
1 
9 What is the literal meaning of “Sarvajanik”? 
Ans: Of or for all the people” (sarva = all + janik = of the people) 
1 
10 “The human resources are called the ultimate resources”. Justify the statement by giving few 
suitable points. 
Ans:  
1. People are a nation?s greatest resource.  
2. Nature?s bounty becomes significant only when people find it useful.  
3. It is people with their demands and abilities that turn them into „resources?. 
3 
11 Explain the climatic factors required for Jute cultivation? Ans: (Any 3) 
 
Jute 
22-27
o
 
C 
 
150 cm 
Well drained 
fertile soils in the 
flood plains 
humid 
climate 
India, China 
and 
Bangladesh. 
3 
12 Why Sakchi was chosen to set up the steel plants? 
Ans: (Any3) 
 Sakchi was chosen to set up the steel plant for several reasons:- 
1) This place was only 32 km away from Kalimati station on the Bengal-Nagpur 
railway line. 
2) It was close to the iron ore, coal and manganese deposits as well as to Kolkata, 
which provided a large market. 
3) TISCO, gets coal from Jharia coalfields, and iron ore, limestone, dolomite and 
manganese from Orissa and Chhattisgarh. 
4) The Kharkai and Subarnarekha rivers ensured sufficient water supply. 
5) Government initiatives provided adequate capital for its later development 
3 
13 What do you mean by law enforcement? Who is responsible for law enforcement? 
Ans:  
1. Law enforcement means that to make sure a law or rule is obeyed. If there is a certain law, it is 
meant for being obeyed and followed. 
1+2=3 
Page 4


  
Social Science
Date:                                 Class: VIII 
Time:3hrs                                                      M.M: 90 
General Instructions: 
1. All the questions are compulsory 
2. Read the question paper carefully. 
3. Attempt all parts of a question together. 
4.  Questions from serial numbers. 1 to 9 are 1 mark questions. 
5. Questions 10 to 21  are 3 mark questions 
6. Question 22 to 29 are 5 marks each 
7. Map questions 30 &31are for 5 marks. 
 
1 Name the city which is known as the Silicon Valley of India? 
 
1 
2 1. Give one term for -rearing of fishes for commercial purpose. 
2.  
1 
3 3. Why has the world population increased drastically over the past few decades? 
4.  
1 
4 5. Who can file a PIL? 
6.  
1 
5 7. Name the poetess who was the wife of Bhakti poet Chokhamela? 
8.  
1 
6 In which year did the central government pass” the Employment of Manual Scavengers 
and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act”. 
 
1 
7   Who laid the foundation of Santiniketan? 
 
1 
8  Name any two social evils to which women in Indian society were subjugated. 
 
1 
9  What is the literal meaning of “Sarvajanik”? 
 
1 
10  “The human resources are called the ultimate resources”. Justify the statement by 
giving a few suitable points. 
 
3 
11 Explain the climatic factors required for Jute cultivation? 
 
3 
12  Why was Sakchi chosen to set up the steel plants? 
 
3 
13  What do you mean by law enforcement? Who is responsible for law enforcement? 
 
1+2=3 
14 Highlight the role of Chief Justice of India, with reference to the appointment of new 
Chief Justice. 
 
3 
15  How was environment treated earlier? What has been the change in perception? 
Discuss. 
 
1+2=3 
16 Are there any laws for producers and consumers? If yes, then what do they state? 
 
1+2=3 
17 What were the demands of the Muslim league in 1946? 3 
18 Write a short note on Tagore’s “abode of peace”. 
 
3 
19 
 
1. Identify the type of education system in the given picture. 
2. State one advantage and one disadvantage of this type of education system. 
 
3 
20 Who started temple entry movement and what was the aim of the movement? 
 
1+2=3 
21 Discuss few examples of educated women and the impact they had on society. 
 
3 
22 Why were the early years of the Indian National Congress referred to as the moderate 
phase? 
 
5 
23 Differentiate between subsistence and commercial farming. 
 
5 
24 “India has a glorious tradition of producing good quality cotton textile” Elaborate the 
statement. 
 
5 
25 “In an age-sex pyramid, if the base is broad and the top is narrow, then what does it 
depict” Explain the concept with the help of a diagram 
 
1+2+2=5 
26 Give a brief description of the functions of Indian judicial system. 
 
5 
27 Dalits can “invoke” or “draw on” a Fundamental Right (or Rights) in certain unpleasant 
situations. Explain the statement. 
 
5 
28 Which tragedy in India is dubbed as “Hiroshima of the Chemical Industry”? Give 
reasons. 
 
5 
29 Read the source given and answer the questions given below: 
Emphasizing the need to teach English, Macaulay declared: 
All parties seem to be agreed on one point, that the dialects commonly spoken among 
the natives of India, contain neither literary nor scientific information, and are, 
moreover, so poor and rude that, until they are enriched from some other quarter, it will 
not be easy to translate any valuable work into them … 
1. Why did the British officials criticize the Indian learning? 
2. What did the Act of 1835 aim at? 
 
2+3=5 
30 On a political map of India locate the following important centres of Freedom 
Movement:  
1. Chauri Chaura     2.  Surat 
2 
31 On the same map locate the following Iron and Steel plants:  
1. Salem    2. Durgapur     3.Rourkela 
3 
 
 
 
ANSWER KEY ,CLASS VIII
 
1 1. Name the city which is known as Silicon Valley of India? 
Ans: Bangalore 
1 
2 2. Give one term for -Rearing of fishes for commercial purpose. 
3. Ans: Pisciculture. 
1 
3 Why has the world population increased drastically over the past few decades? 
Ans: With improving health care, death rates have fallen, but birth rates still remain high leading 
to high growth rates. 
1 
1 
4 Who can file PIL? 
Ans: Any individual or organization can file a PIL in the Supreme or High Court. 
1 
5 Name the poetess who was the wife of Bhakti poet Chokhamela? 
Ans: Soyarabai 
1 
6 In which year the central government passed the Employment of Manual Scavengers and 
Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act. 
 Ans: 1993 
1 
7  Who laid the foundation of Santiniketan? 
Ans: Rabindranath Tagore 
1 
8 Name any two social evils to which women in Indian society were subjugated. 
Ans: (Any2) 
1. Women were married at an early age. 
2. Women were forced to burn themselves on the funeral pyre of their husbands.  
3. Woman who died in this manner, whether willing or otherwise, were called “sati” meaning 
virtuous women. 
4. Women?s right to property were also restricted. 
5. Women had virtually no access to education. In many parts of the country people believed 
that if a woman was educated, she would become a widow. 
1 
9 What is the literal meaning of “Sarvajanik”? 
Ans: Of or for all the people” (sarva = all + janik = of the people) 
1 
10 “The human resources are called the ultimate resources”. Justify the statement by giving few 
suitable points. 
Ans:  
1. People are a nation?s greatest resource.  
2. Nature?s bounty becomes significant only when people find it useful.  
3. It is people with their demands and abilities that turn them into „resources?. 
3 
11 Explain the climatic factors required for Jute cultivation? Ans: (Any 3) 
 
Jute 
22-27
o
 
C 
 
150 cm 
Well drained 
fertile soils in the 
flood plains 
humid 
climate 
India, China 
and 
Bangladesh. 
3 
12 Why Sakchi was chosen to set up the steel plants? 
Ans: (Any3) 
 Sakchi was chosen to set up the steel plant for several reasons:- 
1) This place was only 32 km away from Kalimati station on the Bengal-Nagpur 
railway line. 
2) It was close to the iron ore, coal and manganese deposits as well as to Kolkata, 
which provided a large market. 
3) TISCO, gets coal from Jharia coalfields, and iron ore, limestone, dolomite and 
manganese from Orissa and Chhattisgarh. 
4) The Kharkai and Subarnarekha rivers ensured sufficient water supply. 
5) Government initiatives provided adequate capital for its later development 
3 
13 What do you mean by law enforcement? Who is responsible for law enforcement? 
Ans:  
1. Law enforcement means that to make sure a law or rule is obeyed. If there is a certain law, it is 
meant for being obeyed and followed. 
1+2=3 
2. As a lawmaker and enforcer, the government is supposed to ensure that safety laws are 
implemented. 
3. It is also the duty of the government to ensure that the Right to life guaranteed under Article 21 
of the constitution is not violated. 
14 (Any relevant answer will be accepted) 3 
15 How was environment treated earlier? What has been the change in perception? Discuss. 
Ans: The environment was treated as a free entity and any industry called pollute the air and water 
without any restrictions. 
1. The environment was being polluted and the health of people disregarded. 
2. The Bhopal disaster brought the issue of environment to forefront. 
3. Environmental activists pressurized the government to introduce new laws to protect the 
environment. Henceforth, the polluter was to be held accountable for the damage done to 
environment. 
1+2=3 
16 Are there any laws for producers and consumers? If yes, then what they state? 
Ans: ANY 3 
1. Laws help ensure that the relations between these three parties in the market – the worker, 
consumer and producer are governed in a manner that is not exploitative. 
2. There are also laws to protect the interests of procedure and consumes in 
the market 
3. Shops should sell goods only at MRP price by the producer. 
4. Unadulterated products should not be sold. For this a quality mark fixed by the government 
should be put on every product. 
5. Eg:- Right against exploitation says that no one can be forced to work for law 
wages or under bondage. The constitution also lays down “no child below the age of 14 shall be 
employed to work”. 
These laws are made to minimize the unfair practices in the markets. 
1+2=3 
17 What were the demands of the Muslim league in 1946? 
Ans: (Any 3) 
In 1940 the Muslim league had moved a resolution demanding “Independent states” for Muslims 
in the north –western and eastern areas of the country. 
1. The resolution did not mention partition or Pakistan. 
2. From the late 1930s the league began viewing the Muslims as a separate “nation” from the 
Hindus. 
3. In developing this nation it may have been influenced by the history of tension between some 
Hindu and Muslim groups in the 1920s and 1930s. 
4. More importantly, the provincial elections of 1937 seemed to have convinced the league that 
Muslims were a minority and they would always have to play second fiddle in any democratic 
structure. 
5. It feared that muslims may even go unrepresented. 
6. The Congress?s rejection of the league?s desire to form a joint congress –league government in 
the United Provinces in 1937 also annoyed the league. 
3 
18 Write a short note on Tagore?s “abode of peace”. 
Ans: (Any3 ) 
1. Tagore wanted to set up a school where the child could be happy, free and creative, where they 
will be able to explore her own thoughts and desires.  
2. He felt that childhood ought to be a time of self –learning, outside the rigid and restricting 
discipline of the schooling system set up by the British.  
3. Teachers had to be imaginative, understand the child, and help the child develop her curiosity.  
4. According to him, the existing schools killed the natural desire of the child to be creative, their 
sense of wonder. 
5. Tagore was of the view that creative learning could be encouraged only within a natural 
environment. So he chose to set up his school 100 kilometers away from Calcutta, in a rural 
setting.  
6. He saw it as an abode of peace (santiniketan), where living in harmony with nature, children 
could cultivate their natural creativity. 
3 
Page 5


  
Social Science
Date:                                 Class: VIII 
Time:3hrs                                                      M.M: 90 
General Instructions: 
1. All the questions are compulsory 
2. Read the question paper carefully. 
3. Attempt all parts of a question together. 
4.  Questions from serial numbers. 1 to 9 are 1 mark questions. 
5. Questions 10 to 21  are 3 mark questions 
6. Question 22 to 29 are 5 marks each 
7. Map questions 30 &31are for 5 marks. 
 
1 Name the city which is known as the Silicon Valley of India? 
 
1 
2 1. Give one term for -rearing of fishes for commercial purpose. 
2.  
1 
3 3. Why has the world population increased drastically over the past few decades? 
4.  
1 
4 5. Who can file a PIL? 
6.  
1 
5 7. Name the poetess who was the wife of Bhakti poet Chokhamela? 
8.  
1 
6 In which year did the central government pass” the Employment of Manual Scavengers 
and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act”. 
 
1 
7   Who laid the foundation of Santiniketan? 
 
1 
8  Name any two social evils to which women in Indian society were subjugated. 
 
1 
9  What is the literal meaning of “Sarvajanik”? 
 
1 
10  “The human resources are called the ultimate resources”. Justify the statement by 
giving a few suitable points. 
 
3 
11 Explain the climatic factors required for Jute cultivation? 
 
3 
12  Why was Sakchi chosen to set up the steel plants? 
 
3 
13  What do you mean by law enforcement? Who is responsible for law enforcement? 
 
1+2=3 
14 Highlight the role of Chief Justice of India, with reference to the appointment of new 
Chief Justice. 
 
3 
15  How was environment treated earlier? What has been the change in perception? 
Discuss. 
 
1+2=3 
16 Are there any laws for producers and consumers? If yes, then what do they state? 
 
1+2=3 
17 What were the demands of the Muslim league in 1946? 3 
18 Write a short note on Tagore’s “abode of peace”. 
 
3 
19 
 
1. Identify the type of education system in the given picture. 
2. State one advantage and one disadvantage of this type of education system. 
 
3 
20 Who started temple entry movement and what was the aim of the movement? 
 
1+2=3 
21 Discuss few examples of educated women and the impact they had on society. 
 
3 
22 Why were the early years of the Indian National Congress referred to as the moderate 
phase? 
 
5 
23 Differentiate between subsistence and commercial farming. 
 
5 
24 “India has a glorious tradition of producing good quality cotton textile” Elaborate the 
statement. 
 
5 
25 “In an age-sex pyramid, if the base is broad and the top is narrow, then what does it 
depict” Explain the concept with the help of a diagram 
 
1+2+2=5 
26 Give a brief description of the functions of Indian judicial system. 
 
5 
27 Dalits can “invoke” or “draw on” a Fundamental Right (or Rights) in certain unpleasant 
situations. Explain the statement. 
 
5 
28 Which tragedy in India is dubbed as “Hiroshima of the Chemical Industry”? Give 
reasons. 
 
5 
29 Read the source given and answer the questions given below: 
Emphasizing the need to teach English, Macaulay declared: 
All parties seem to be agreed on one point, that the dialects commonly spoken among 
the natives of India, contain neither literary nor scientific information, and are, 
moreover, so poor and rude that, until they are enriched from some other quarter, it will 
not be easy to translate any valuable work into them … 
1. Why did the British officials criticize the Indian learning? 
2. What did the Act of 1835 aim at? 
 
2+3=5 
30 On a political map of India locate the following important centres of Freedom 
Movement:  
1. Chauri Chaura     2.  Surat 
2 
31 On the same map locate the following Iron and Steel plants:  
1. Salem    2. Durgapur     3.Rourkela 
3 
 
 
 
ANSWER KEY ,CLASS VIII
 
1 1. Name the city which is known as Silicon Valley of India? 
Ans: Bangalore 
1 
2 2. Give one term for -Rearing of fishes for commercial purpose. 
3. Ans: Pisciculture. 
1 
3 Why has the world population increased drastically over the past few decades? 
Ans: With improving health care, death rates have fallen, but birth rates still remain high leading 
to high growth rates. 
1 
1 
4 Who can file PIL? 
Ans: Any individual or organization can file a PIL in the Supreme or High Court. 
1 
5 Name the poetess who was the wife of Bhakti poet Chokhamela? 
Ans: Soyarabai 
1 
6 In which year the central government passed the Employment of Manual Scavengers and 
Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act. 
 Ans: 1993 
1 
7  Who laid the foundation of Santiniketan? 
Ans: Rabindranath Tagore 
1 
8 Name any two social evils to which women in Indian society were subjugated. 
Ans: (Any2) 
1. Women were married at an early age. 
2. Women were forced to burn themselves on the funeral pyre of their husbands.  
3. Woman who died in this manner, whether willing or otherwise, were called “sati” meaning 
virtuous women. 
4. Women?s right to property were also restricted. 
5. Women had virtually no access to education. In many parts of the country people believed 
that if a woman was educated, she would become a widow. 
1 
9 What is the literal meaning of “Sarvajanik”? 
Ans: Of or for all the people” (sarva = all + janik = of the people) 
1 
10 “The human resources are called the ultimate resources”. Justify the statement by giving few 
suitable points. 
Ans:  
1. People are a nation?s greatest resource.  
2. Nature?s bounty becomes significant only when people find it useful.  
3. It is people with their demands and abilities that turn them into „resources?. 
3 
11 Explain the climatic factors required for Jute cultivation? Ans: (Any 3) 
 
Jute 
22-27
o
 
C 
 
150 cm 
Well drained 
fertile soils in the 
flood plains 
humid 
climate 
India, China 
and 
Bangladesh. 
3 
12 Why Sakchi was chosen to set up the steel plants? 
Ans: (Any3) 
 Sakchi was chosen to set up the steel plant for several reasons:- 
1) This place was only 32 km away from Kalimati station on the Bengal-Nagpur 
railway line. 
2) It was close to the iron ore, coal and manganese deposits as well as to Kolkata, 
which provided a large market. 
3) TISCO, gets coal from Jharia coalfields, and iron ore, limestone, dolomite and 
manganese from Orissa and Chhattisgarh. 
4) The Kharkai and Subarnarekha rivers ensured sufficient water supply. 
5) Government initiatives provided adequate capital for its later development 
3 
13 What do you mean by law enforcement? Who is responsible for law enforcement? 
Ans:  
1. Law enforcement means that to make sure a law or rule is obeyed. If there is a certain law, it is 
meant for being obeyed and followed. 
1+2=3 
2. As a lawmaker and enforcer, the government is supposed to ensure that safety laws are 
implemented. 
3. It is also the duty of the government to ensure that the Right to life guaranteed under Article 21 
of the constitution is not violated. 
14 (Any relevant answer will be accepted) 3 
15 How was environment treated earlier? What has been the change in perception? Discuss. 
Ans: The environment was treated as a free entity and any industry called pollute the air and water 
without any restrictions. 
1. The environment was being polluted and the health of people disregarded. 
2. The Bhopal disaster brought the issue of environment to forefront. 
3. Environmental activists pressurized the government to introduce new laws to protect the 
environment. Henceforth, the polluter was to be held accountable for the damage done to 
environment. 
1+2=3 
16 Are there any laws for producers and consumers? If yes, then what they state? 
Ans: ANY 3 
1. Laws help ensure that the relations between these three parties in the market – the worker, 
consumer and producer are governed in a manner that is not exploitative. 
2. There are also laws to protect the interests of procedure and consumes in 
the market 
3. Shops should sell goods only at MRP price by the producer. 
4. Unadulterated products should not be sold. For this a quality mark fixed by the government 
should be put on every product. 
5. Eg:- Right against exploitation says that no one can be forced to work for law 
wages or under bondage. The constitution also lays down “no child below the age of 14 shall be 
employed to work”. 
These laws are made to minimize the unfair practices in the markets. 
1+2=3 
17 What were the demands of the Muslim league in 1946? 
Ans: (Any 3) 
In 1940 the Muslim league had moved a resolution demanding “Independent states” for Muslims 
in the north –western and eastern areas of the country. 
1. The resolution did not mention partition or Pakistan. 
2. From the late 1930s the league began viewing the Muslims as a separate “nation” from the 
Hindus. 
3. In developing this nation it may have been influenced by the history of tension between some 
Hindu and Muslim groups in the 1920s and 1930s. 
4. More importantly, the provincial elections of 1937 seemed to have convinced the league that 
Muslims were a minority and they would always have to play second fiddle in any democratic 
structure. 
5. It feared that muslims may even go unrepresented. 
6. The Congress?s rejection of the league?s desire to form a joint congress –league government in 
the United Provinces in 1937 also annoyed the league. 
3 
18 Write a short note on Tagore?s “abode of peace”. 
Ans: (Any3 ) 
1. Tagore wanted to set up a school where the child could be happy, free and creative, where they 
will be able to explore her own thoughts and desires.  
2. He felt that childhood ought to be a time of self –learning, outside the rigid and restricting 
discipline of the schooling system set up by the British.  
3. Teachers had to be imaginative, understand the child, and help the child develop her curiosity.  
4. According to him, the existing schools killed the natural desire of the child to be creative, their 
sense of wonder. 
5. Tagore was of the view that creative learning could be encouraged only within a natural 
environment. So he chose to set up his school 100 kilometers away from Calcutta, in a rural 
setting.  
6. He saw it as an abode of peace (santiniketan), where living in harmony with nature, children 
could cultivate their natural creativity. 
3 
19 1. Identify the type of education system in the given picture. 
Ans: Pathshala system 
2. State one advantage and one disadvantage of this type of education system. 
Ans: Advan- System of education was flexible to local needs, classes were not held during harvest 
time. 
DisAdvan- teaching was oral, no curriculum, no textbooks, no examination (any 1) 
3 
20 Who started temple entry movement and what was the aim of the movement? 
Ans: In 1972, Ambedkar started a temple entry movement, in which his Mahar caste followers 
participated.  
1. Brahman priests were outraged when the Dalits used water from the temple tank.  
2. Ambedkar led three such movements for temple entry between 1927 and 1935. 3. His aim was 
to make everyone see the power of caste prejudices within society 
(Any2) 
1+2=3 
21 Discuss few examples of educated women and the impact they had on society. 
Ans: (Any3) 
1. Muslim women like the Begums of Bhopal played a notable role in promoting education among 
women. They founded a primary school for girls at Aligarh. 
2. Another remarkable women Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain started schools for Muslim girls 
in Patna and Calcutta. She was a fearless critic of conservative ideas, arguing that religions leaders 
of every faith accorded an inferior place to women. 
3. By the 1880s, Indian women began to enter universities. Some of them trained to be doctors, 
some became teachers. Many women began to write and publish their critical views on the place 
of women in society. 
4. Tarabia Sinde: - women educated at home at Poona, published a book, Stripurushtulna, (A 
comparison between women and Men), criticizing the social differences between men and women. 
5. Pandita Ramabai:- A great scholar of Sanskrit, felt that Hinduism was oppressive towards 
women, and wrote a book about the miserable lives of upper –caste Hindu 
3 
22 Why were the early years of the Indian National Congress referred to as the moderate phase? 
Ans. (Any5) 
1. The Congress in the first twenty years was “moderate” in its objectives and methods. 
2. During this period it demanded a greater voice for Indians in the government and in 
administration. 
3. It wanted the Legislative Councils to be made more representative, given more power, and 
introduced in provinces where not existed. 
4. It demanded that Indian be placed in high positions in the government. For this purpose it called 
for civil service examinations to be held in India as well, not just in London. 
5. The demand for Indianisation of the administration was part of a movement against racism, 
since most important jobs at the time were monopolished by white officials and the British 
generally assumed that Indian could not be given positions of responsibility. 
6. Other demands included the separation of the judiciary from the executive, the repeal of the 
Arms Act and the freedom of speech and expression. 
5 
23 Subsistence agriculture Commercial farming 
This type of farming is practiced to meet 
the needs of the farmer?s family. 
The level of the technology is low. 
 
Household labour is used to produce on 
small output. 
It can be classified as commercial grain 
farming, mixed farming and Plantation 
agriculture. 
Depends on monsoon and there is greater 
use of manpower. 
In commercial farming crops are grown and 
animals are reared for sale in the market. 
The level of technology is high. Most of the 
work is done by machines. 
Most of the work is done by machines to 
produce on large scale. 
It can be classified as intensive subsistence 
and primitive subsistence farming. 
 
Less of manpower is used. 
 
5 
24 “India has a glorious tradition of producing good quality cotton textile” Elaborate the statement. 
Ans: 1. Before the British rule, Indian hand spun and hand woven cloth already had a wide 
5