Class 9 SST: Sample Question Paper Term II - 2 (With Solutions) | Social Studies (SST) Class 9 PDF Download

Class: IX

General Instructions:

• This Question paper is divided into five sections-Section A, B, C, D and E. 
• All questions are compulsory. 
• Section-A: Question no. 1 to 5 are very short answer type questions of 2 marks each. Answer to each question should not exceed 40 words. 
• Section-B: Question no. 6 to 8 are short answer type questions, carrying 3 marks each. Answer to each question should not exceed 80 words. 
• Section-C: Q uestion no. 9 and 10 are long answer type questions, carrying 5 marks each. Answer to each question should not exceed 120 words. 
• Section-D: Question no. 11 and 12 are Case Based questions. 
• Section-E: Question no. 13 is map based, carrying 3 marks with two parts, 13.1 from History (1 mark) and 13.2 from Geography (2 marks). 
• There is no overall choice in the question paper. However, an internal choice has been provided in a few questions. Only one of the choices in such questions have to be attempted. 
• In addition to this, separate instructions are given with each section and question, wherever necessary.

Q.1. What were the social conditions in Russia before 1905?

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the vast majority of Russia's people were agriculturists. About 85 per cent of the Russian empire's population earned their living from agriculture. Industry was found in pockets. Most industry was the private property of industrialists. Workers were a divided social group. Workers were divided by skill. Divisions among workers showed themselves in dress and manners too. In the countryside, peasants cultivated most of the land. Like workers, peasants too were divided. They were also deeply religious. But except  in a few cases, they had no respect for the nobility. In Russia, peasants wanted the land of the nobles to be given to them. Peasants formed their group called Commune or Mir.

Q.2. Define monsoon. What do you understand by “breaks” in monsoon?

The seasonal reversal in wind direction during a year is called the monsoon.
Monsoon tends to have ‘breaks’ in rainfall, which means that there are wet and dry spells in between. The monsoon rains take place only for a few days at a time and then come to the rainless intervals.

Q.3. Name the two head streams of the Ganga. Where do they meet to form the Ganga?

Alakananda and Bhagirathi are the two headstreams of the Ganga. They meet at Devprayag.

Q.4. Why is the Prime Minister in India not directly elected by the people?

This is because, in India, only the leader of the majority party/parties in the Lok Sabha can become the Prime Minister. Moreover, if the directly elected Prime Minister who does not have the support of the majority is appointed as the Prime Minister, there are chances that policies or laws suggested by him would not be passed in the Lok Sabha. This would lead to the government being run ineffectively.

Q.5. (a) Identify the social and economic groups which are most vulnerable to poverty in India? 
(b) What does Poverty mean?   

(a) Social groups, which are most vulnerable to poverty, are scheduled caste and scheduled tribe households. Similarly, among the economic groups, the most vulnerable groups are the rural agricultural labour households and urban casual labour households.
(b) Poverty is defined as the state of lack of basic necessities of life like food, shelter, clothing, safe drinking water, sanitation, medical care, education etc.

Q.6. Explain any three effects of the Treaty of Versailles over Germany.

Impact of the Treaty of Versailles over Germany: 
(i) Germany lost its overseas colonies.
(ii) It lost a tenth of its population and 13 per cent of its territories.
(iii) It was demilitarised by the Allied Powers.
(iv) The Allied armies occupied the resource-rich Rhineland for much of the 1920s.
(v) It lost 75 per cent of its Iron and 26 per cent of its Coal to France, Poland, Denmark & Lithuania.
(vi) Germany was asked to pay a compensation amount of 6 Billion Pounds as it was accused of causing the war.

Discuss the agricultural changes introduced in Soviet Union after 1917.

The agricultural changes introduced in Soviet Union after 1917 are: 
(i) Large estates of church, landlords, nobility, etc., were taken away by the government and distributed to peasants.
(ii) These peasants had very small holdings of land, which were not productive. So, a new method of agriculture was introduced that was called the Collective Farming. 
(iii) Rich farmers opposed this type of farming. They were dealt harshly by the government. Thus, landlords were oppressed.  

Q.7. Mention any three Discretionary Powers of the Indian President.

Three Discretionary Powers of the Indian President are: 
(i) The Administration of whole country is carried on his name. He is the Supreme Commander of Armed Force.
(ii) He appoints the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice of India, Governors of the States, Judges of Supreme Court and High Courts, the Election Commissioners, Ambassadors to other countries, etc.
(iii) There is one very important thing he should do on his own, i.e., appoint the Prime Minister. When a party or coalition of parties secures a clear majority in the elections, the President has to appoint the Leader of the majority party or the coalition that enjoys majority support in the Lok Sabha.
When no party or coalition gets a majority in the Lok Sabha, the President exercises his discretion. The President appoints a leader who in his opinion can muster majority support  in the Lok Sabha. In such a case, the President can ask the newly appointed Prime Minister to prove majority support in the Lok Sabha within a specified time. 

Q.8. What is poverty line? Give the income for poverty line as fixed for the rural and urban areas in India according to 2000.

A common method used to measure poverty, based on the income or consumption levels is called poverty line. A person is said to be poor if his or her income or consumption level falls below a given minimum level necessary to fulfil basic needs. Each country uses an imaginary line that is considered appropriate for its existing level of development and its accepted minimum social norms. While determining the poverty line in India, a minimum level of food requirement, clothing, footwear, fuel and light, educational and medical requirements are determined for subsistence. These physical quantities are multiplied by prices in rupees.
In the year 2000, a family of five members living in rural areas and earning less than about ₹ 1,640 per month was below the poverty line, whereas in urban areas earning less than about ₹  2,270 per month  in the similar family was considered living below the poverty line.

Q.6. What are the challenges to free and fair elections in India?

The elections in India are basically free and fair. But, a few candidates may win purely based on money, power and unfair means. These challenges exist not just in India but also in many established democracies. These deeper issues are a matter of concern for those who believe in democracy. The challenges to free and fair elections in India are as follows:
(i) Candidates and parties with a lot of money may not be sure of their victory, but they do enjoy a big and unfair advantage over smaller parties and independents.
(ii) In some parts of the country, candidates with criminal connection have been able to push others out of the electoral race and to secure a ‘ticket’ from major parties.
(iii) Some families tend to dominate political parties; tickets are distributed to relatives from these families.
(iv) Very often elections offer little choice to ordinary citizens, for both the major parties are quite similar to each other, both in policies and practice.
(v) Smaller parties and independent candidates suffer a huge disadvantage as compared to bigger parties.

Distinguish between General Election and Mid-term Elections.

General Election: General election is a kind of election which is held after a certain period of time (5 years in India) for all constituencies at the same day or within few days.
A general election is the election held after a stipulated period to elect all members of a given political body. For example, the Lok Sabha Elections that are held in India, every five years.

A general election is an election in which all or most of the members of a given political body are chosen.

Mid-term Election: Mid term Election is held when a Lok Sabha or a State Assembly dissolves as a whole before the expiring period. It is held to form the New House.
If a Government (Central and State) fails a confidence motion and no other alternative for the government is possible, Mid-term Elections are held.
Mid-term Elections are those which are conducted before the end of the term of a given government. Such elections cause undesired load of expense over the public.

Q.10. What do you understand by human poverty? Describe how the poverty line is estimated in India.
The official definition of poverty captures only a limited part of what poverty means to people. Many scholars advocate that the concept of poverty must broaden the concept of poverty to human poverty. Human Poverty refers to the condition that goes beyond the restricted view of poverty. A large number of people may be able to feed themselves but do not have a number of other basic necessities such as education, shelter, health care or job security. The denial of political, social and economic opportunities to an individual to maintain a reasonable standard of living. Illiteracy, lack of job opportunities, lack of access to proper healthcare and sanitation, caste and gender discrimination, etc. are all components of human poverty.
Each country uses an imaginary line that is considered appropriate for its existing level of development and its accepted minimum social norms. While determining the poverty line in India, a minimum level of food requirement, clothing, footwear, fuel and light, educational and medical requirement, etc., are determined for subsistence. These physical quantities are multiplied by their prices in rupees. The present formula for food requirement while estimating the poverty line is based on the desired calorie requirement.

Give the main features of REGP.

Rural Employment Generation Programme (REGP) was launched in 1995. The main features of REGP are: 

• The aim of the programme is to create sell-employment opportunities in rural areas and small towns. 
• It is implemented through the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), to help eligible entrepreneurs to set up Village Industry Units. 
• It creates employment opportunities in villages including small towns with population up to 20,000. 
• A target for creating 25 lakh new jobs has been set for the programme under the Tenth Five Year plan. 
• Under this programme, entrepreneurs can establish village industries by availing of marginal money assistance from KVIC and loans from Public Sector Scheduled Commercial Banks, Selected Regional Cooperative Banks, etc., for projects with a maximum cost of Rs 25 lakh. 

Q.11. Read the source given below and answer the following questions: 
In May 1945, Germany surrendered to the Allies. Anticipating what was coming, Hitler, his Propaganda Minister Goebbels and his entire family committed suicide collectively in his Berlin bunker in April. At the end of the war, an International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg was set up to prosecute Nazi war criminals for crimes against peace, for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Germany’s conduct during the war, especially those actions which came to be called "crimes against humanity", raised serious moral and ethical questions and invited worldwide condemnation. What were these acts. Under the shadow of the Second World War, Germany had waged a genocidal war, which resulted in the mass murder of selected groups of innocent civilians of Europe. The number of people killed included 6 million Jews, 200,000 Gypsies, 1 million Polish Civilians, 70,000 Germans who were considered mentally and physically disabled, besides innumerable political opponents. Nazis devised an unprecedented means of killing people, that is, by gassing them in various killing centres like Auschwitz. The Nuremberg Tribunal sentenced only eleven leading Nazis to death. Many others were imprisoned for life. The retribution did come, yet the punishment of the Nazis was far short of the brutality and extent of their crimes. The Allies did not want to be as harsh on defeated Germany as they had been after the First World War.
(i) When did Germany surrender to the Allies? 
(ii) In 1941, Allied power of UK and France were also joined by which countries?  
(iii) What is meant by Genocidal war?

(i) In May 1945. 

(ii) USSR And USA.
(iii) Killing on a large  scale of people leading to destruction is called Genocidal War. 
Under the shadow of the Second World War, Germany had waged a Genocidal war, which resulted in the mass murder of selected groups of innocent civilians of Europe. The number of people killed included 6 million Jews, 200,000 Gypsies, 1 million Polish Civilians, 70,000 Germans who were considered mentally and physically disabled, besides innumerable political opponents.

Q.12. Read the source given below and answer the following questions:
The main water divide in Peninsular India is formed by the Western Ghats, which runs from north to south close to the western coast. Most of the major rivers of the Peninsula, such as the Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna and the Kaveri flow eastwards and drain into the Bay of Bengal. These rivers make deltas at their mouths. There are numerous small streams flowing west of the Western Ghats. The Narmada and the Tapi are the only long rivers, which flow west and make estuaries. The drainage basins of the peninsular rivers are comparatively smaller in size.
(i) Which Peninsular rivers flows eastwards? 
(ii) Which long rivers make estuaries?
(iii) Where is the main Water Divide in Peninsular India and what is the direction of it?

(i) The Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna and the Kaveri river.
(ii) The Narmada and the Tapi river.
(iii) The main water divide in Peninsular India is formed by the Western Ghats, which runs from north to south close to the western coast.

Q.13. On the given outline map of Europe, identify the place marked as A with the help of following information and write its correct name on the line marked near it. 
(a) The country which is considered to have started World War II.

(a) Germany

(b) On the given outline map of India, mark the following items: 
(i) The Sambhar Lake

(i) Bharatpur
(ii) The Ganga River

(b)