Q.1. Keeping in mind the crucial role of politics in a democracy, which route did our national leaders decide to take in the newly independent India? Explain any two points. [2024]
Ans.
(i) Our leaders were very conscious of the critical role of politics.
(ii) They did not see politics as a problem; they saw it as a way of solving the problems.
(iii) Every society needs to decide how it will govern and regulate itself.
(iv) There are always different policy alternatives to choose from.
(v) There are different groups with different and conflicting aspirations.
Q.2. Why did India’s general elections of 1952 become a landmark in the history of democracy all over the world? Explain. [2024]
Ans. General elections of 1952 became a landmark:
- Due to the size of the Indian electorate and the country, the election was unusual. No election on this scale had ever been conducted in the world before.
- To prepare the electoral rolls, or the list of all the citizens eligible to vote was a challenging task.
- Moreover, it was the first big test of democracy in a poor and illiterate country with narrow loyalties in terms of caste, religion, language etc.
- Experiment of universal adult franchise at a very large scale in the world.
- Preparation for the election was a mammoth exercise but done successfully.
- Trained over one lakh officers for polling and the effort made was successful.
- More than 50% of voters used their votes, which silenced the critics all over the world over this grand achievement, which was a landmark in history.
Q.3. (a) How did the coalition governments prove to be a boon for democracy in India? Explain. [2024]
OR
(b) In the 2014 elections, why were people in favour of a stable government at the Centre? Explain any two reasons.
Ans. (a) Coalition governments prove to be a boon as:
(i) These led to pragmatic politics.
(ii) Coalition governments led to consensus on many conflicting issues.
(iii) Enhanced the participation and importance of regional parties in national politics.
(iv) Regional aspirations and demands came into the limelight and steps were taken to address those.
(v) Many disputed issues were put off due to minimum common program.
OR
(b) Reasons:
(i) People were fed up with the previous experience of coalition governments.
(ii) Many important decisions could not be taken due to varying interests of coalition partners.
(iii) Expectation for a corruption free government for economic growth.
Q.4. Why was India’s experiment with universal adult franchise described as “bold and risky”? Explain. [2024]
Ans. India’s experiments with Universal Adult Franchise was “bold and risky” because of the following reasons:
(i) Holding of the first general election in India was the first big test of democracy in a poor and illiterate country.
(ii) Although democracy had existed only in prosperous countries, mainly in Europe and North America, where nearly everyone was literate, yet everyone had not being given the voting rights.
(iii) Independent India gave a right to vote to all eligible citizen under Universal Adult Franchise.
Q.5. Explain any two reasons to consider the year 1967 as a landmark year in India’s political and electoral history. [2024]
Ans. Reasons:
(i) The country witnessed major changes.
(ii) Opposition parties were in the forefront organizing public protests and pressurizing the government.
(iii) The results of 1967 elections jolted the Congress both at the centre as well as in some of the states.
(iv) The elections of 1967 brought into picture the phenomenon of coalitions.
(v) Another important feature of this period was the role played by defections in the making and unmaking of governments.
Q.6. Evaluate Sardar Patel’s role in the integration of princely states with Indian Union. [2023]
Ans. Role of Sardar Patel:
(i) Sardar Patel was India's First Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister.
(ii) He played a historic role in negotiating with the rulers of Princely States and bringing most of them into the Indian Union.
(iii) Under his leadership the government’s approach for integrating the princely states was adhered to.
(iv) It was under his leadership that Indian forces compelled Hyderabad and Junagadh to merge with India.
(v) Keeping well-versed with Pakistan's intentions, Sardar Patel’s opinion on Kashmir was different from other leaders.
(vi) Like Hyderabad, he also wanted Kashmir’s integration with India through military operations. But due to political decisions, could not succeed in integrating Kashmir fully with India.
Q.7. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow: [2023]
The leaders of the Indian national struggle did not believe in the two-nation theory. And yet, the partition on religious basis had taken place. The Muslim League was formed to protect the interests of the Muslims in colonial India. It was in the forefront of the demand for a separate Muslim nation.
(i) At the time of partition, which one of the following States was divided on the basis of religious majority?
(a) Uttar Pradesh
(b) Gujarat
(c) Bengal
(d) Jammu and Kashmir
(ii) Which one of the following Princely States was the first to announce to remain independent and not to join the Union of India?
(a) Hyderabad
(b) Manipur
(c) Junagarh
(d) Travancore
(iii) Why was the Muslim League formed?
(a) To propose ‘two-nation theory’
(b) To form a new nation named Pakistan
(c) To prepare the constitution of Pakistan
(d) To protect the interests of the Muslims in colonial India
(iv) What was the stand of the Interim Indian Government partition?
(a) It was against partition.
(b) It wanted peace, harmony and equality of religion.
(c) It wanted India to become a Hindu nation.
(d) It was in favour of treating people on religious basis.
Ans.
(i) (c) Bengal
(ii) (d) Travancore
(iii) (d) To protect the interest of the Muslims in colonial India.
(iv) (a) It was against partition
Q.8. Mention any two challenges that India faced just after independence.
Ans.
(i) Shape a nation that was united yet accommodative of the diversity in our society.
(ii) To establish democracy.
(iii) To ensure development and well-being of the entire society.
Q.9. Differentiate between a migrant and a refugee.
Ans. A migrant is a person who makes a conscious choice to leave their country to seek a better life elsewhere. Before they decide to leave their country, migrants can seek information about their new home, study the language and explore employment opportunities.
Refugees are forced to leave their country because they are at risk of, or have experienced persecution. The concerns of refugees are human rights and safety, not economic advantage. They leave behind their homes and are forced to flee with no warning.
Q.10. What is the Two-Nation Theory advanced by the Muslim League?
Ans. India consisted of not one but two ‘people’, Hindus and Muslims. According to the Muslim League, there should be a separate country for Muslims, that is, Pakistan, and India should be made of the Hindus only. This was the “Two- Nation Theory” advanced by the Muslim League.
Q.11. Which among the following statements about the partition is incorrect?
(i) The partition of India was the outcome of the “Two-Nation theory”.
(ii) Punjab and Bengal were the two provinces divided on the basis of religion.
(iii) East Pakistan and West Pakistan were not contiguous.
(iv) The scheme of partition included a plan for transfer of population across the border.
Ans. (iv) The scheme of partition included a plan for transfer of population across the border.
Q.12. Name the leader who played a historic role in negotiating with the rulers of princely states to join the Indian Union.
Ans. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
Q.13. Mention the main recommendation of the States Reorganisation Commission of 1953.
Or
What was the basis of the report of States Reorganisation Commission?
Ans. The States Reorganisation Commission, in its report accepted that boundaries of the states should reflect boundaries of different languages.
Q.14. How many princely states existed at the time of independence of India?
Ans. 565 princely states.
Q.15. What is meant by princely states?
Ans. The states which were ruled by Indian Kings and Princes but were under economic and political supremacy of British Crown.
Q.16. How was the reorganisation of North-East India completed and by when?
Ans. Reorganisation of the North-East was almost completed in 1972. Meghalaya was carved out of Assam in 1972. Manipur and Tripura too emerged as separate states.The states of Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh came into being much later. Nagaland had become a state in 1963.
Q.17. Name any four princely states that resisted their merger with the Indian Union.
Or
Which four princely states of India initially resisted to join the Indian Union?
Ans. The four princely states of India initially resisted to join the Indian Union are Hyderabad, Travancore, Junagadh, Manipur and Kashmir.
Q.18. Name the original states from which the following states were carved out.
(i) Meghalaya
(ii) Gujarat
Ans. Meghalaya was carved out of Assam in 1972. Gujarat was carved out of Bombay in 1960.
Q.19. Explain the role played by Sardar Patel in the integration of princely states into the Indian Union.
Ans. Sardar Patel played a historic role in negotiating with the rulers of princely states firmly but diplomatically and bringing most of them into Indian Union. He also used skillful persuasion.
Q.20. ‘In spite of communal partition, India was not declared a ‘Hindu State’. How the leaders of Indian National Congress defended the adoption of “secularism” in India?
Ans. In spite of communal partition, India was not declared a ‘Hindu State’ on the following basis:-
(A) Most of the national movement leaders believed that India must treat persons of all religions equally and that India should not be a country that gives status to adherents of one faith and inferior to those who practiced another religion.
(B) Even after large scale migration of Muslims to the newly created Pakistan, the Muslim population in India accounted for 12 per cent of the total population in 1951.
(C) To provide a sense of security to other religious minorities in India, it became utmost important to declare India a ‘Secular State’.
Q.21. Bring out two major differences between the challenge of nation building for Eastern and Western regions of the country at the time of independence.
Ans. The major differences between the challenge of nation building for Eastern region of Bengal and Western region of Punjab at the time of independence were:
(i) Both these regions comprised of Muslim majority population. On the basis of Two- Nation theory, both the regions needed to be divided to form West Pakistan and East Pakistan.
(iii) After Partition, there were many minority groups on both Eastern and Western frontiers who were jobless and homeless due to leaving their jobs and homes across the borders.
Q.22. It is said that the nation is to large extent an “imagined community” held together by common beliefs, history, political aspirations and imaginations. Identify the features that make India a nation.
Ans. The various features that make India a nation are:
(i) Unity in diversity on account of religion, customs, languages, cultures, faiths, etc.
(ii) Granting of Fundamental Rights uniformly to all citizens of India irrespective of their cast, creed, culture, religion, sex, etc.
(iii) Similar democratic setup and election procedure across the country.
Q.23. What are the reasons being used by Nehru for keeping India secular?Do you think these reasons were only ethical and sentimental? Or were there some prudential reasons as well?
Ans. The reasons given by Jawaharlal Nehru were:
(i) At the time of partition, all the Muslims had not left India. Nehru wanted the Muslims who did not leave India to feel secure and equal to other citizens of the country.
(ii) He was of the opinion that being citizens of India, Muslims must have equal democratic and fundamental opportunities.
The reasons given by Nehru were not only ethical and sentimental but had prudential reasons as well. These prudential reasons were:
(a) Declaring India as a secular state was advocated by the Indian National Congress (INC) during struggle for independence. Nehru wanted to maintain the advocacy of the declaration made by INC earlier.
(b) To make Muslims feel safe, the Fundamental Right of Right to Religion was being proposed by the Constituent Assembly.
Q.24. Here are two opinions:
Bismay : “The merger with the Indian State was an extension of democracy to the people of the Princely States.”
Inderpreet : “I am not so sure, there was force being used. Democracy comes by creating consensus.”
What is your opinion in the light of accession of Princely States and the responses of the people in these parts?
Ans. Although princely states were given a choice to remain independent, the society of these states wanted to enjoy the benefits of democracy. For the welfare of people and providing a uniform democratic setup to the country, it was more or less made mandatory for the princely states to join either of the two new nation states.
Q.25. How the formation of linguistic states helped in strengthening the foundation of democracy and the process of national integration in India.
Ans. The formation of linguistic states helped in strengthening the foundation of democracy and the process of national integration in India. One of the most important concerns in the early years was that of unity of the country. It was felt that linguistic states may foster separatism and create pressure on the newly founded nation.
(A) The formation of these states changed the nature of democratic politics and leadership in same basic ways. The path to politics and power was now open to people other than the small English speaking elite.
(B) Linguistic reorganisation also gave some uniform basis to the drawing of state boundaries. It did not lead to disintegration of the country as many had feared earlier. On the contrary, it strengthened national unity.
