Class 11 Political Science Short Questions with Answers - Rights

Q1. What do you mean by Rights?
Ans: Rights are the claims, demands, circumstances, facilities and demands of the people which they make on families, institutions, societies and state and to whom they consider very necessary for their around the development. A right is essentially an entitlement or a justified claim. Rights are those conditions which we consider as our dues. Every expectation cannot be called as the right. These are primarily those facilities which are regarded as necessary for leading a decent, respected and dignified life. Right, are facilities which are accepted by society and granted by the state.

Q2. What are the characteristics of the state?
Ans: On the basis of definitions and understanding of the rights, followings are the main characteristics of the rights:

• Rights are necessary conditions.
• Rights are necessary for the development,
• Right, are claims on society and state.
• Rights are allowed by society.
• Rights put limits on the sovereignty of the state.
• Rights of the people and their duties are linked with each other.
• Rights are variable from place to place and from time to time.

Q3. What do you mean by universal rights? Name them.
Ans: That minimum socio, economic, cultural conditions which are demanded and expected by the people of all time and societies universally are called as the universal rights: In fact, universal rights are those rights which are considered basic for a decent and dignified life.
Followings are the three main universal rights:

• Right of Livelihood.
• Right of Expression.
• Right of Education.

Q4. Why the rights are necessary?
Ans: Rights are necessary conditions for our well-being. They help individuals to develop the talents and skills of the citizens. Without the availability of the rights, the fuller development of the citizens is not possible. Rights not only provide necessary conditions and facilities for the development but also promote confidence among the citizens. Many states make distinctions and discriminations in providing rights.

Q5. What do you mean by Fundamental Rights?
Ans: Fundamental Rights are those conditions, facilities and rights which are considered very necessary for the development of its citizens and which are given a place in the Constitution and which are fundamental in governance. Fundamental Rights and democratic governments have become synonymous. All the liberal democratic states provide Fundamental Rights to its citizen. Fundamental rights are generally; justiciable which means if the Fundamental Rights are denied by the state, the citizens can move to the court. In this way, Fundamental Rights put check on the arbitrariness of the citizens.

Q6. What do you mean by Human Rights?
Ans: Human Rights are those conditions, mode of behaviour which one expects and demands being a human being, The assumption behind human rights is that all persons are entitled to certain things, ‘ mode of behaviour, working and living conditions because they are human beings. A human being is emotional and intellectual, hence he needs behaviour accordingly. As a human being, each person is unique and valuable.

Q7. Name the Fundamental Rights which are given in the Indian Constitution.
Ans: In the beginning, the Indian Constitution had seven Fundamental Rights but one Right i.e. Right of Property was deleted in 1979 by 99th constitutional amendment. Now there are six Fundamental Rights which are as under:

• Right of Equality
• Right of Liberty
• Right against Exploitation
• Right of Religious Liberty.
• Right of Education and Culture
• Right of Constitutional Remedies:

Q8. What do you mean by Political Rights?
Ans: Political Rights are those rights which enable the people to express their views on a different issue, and allow them to participate in the democratic process like, right to vote, right to contest, right to form an association and political parties, right to oppose. Political Rights are also a necessary part of the democratic process. Political Rights also include the right of a fair trial, the right to equality before the law. Political rights are linked with civil liberties. Rights to protest and express dissent is also political right.

Q9. How do rights affect the state?
Ans: Political and all other rights are demands and claims from the state. Therefore these rights in the form of demand limit and check the authority of the state. Rights mould the state to do or not to do things. The rights place an obligation upon the state to act to certain kind of ways. Rights suggest state, what it should refrain from doing and what it should do for the people. It is through the rights, that the demands are put on the state. Therefore rights are directly related to the working of state.

Q10. What are Economic Rights?
Ans: Economic Rights are the most important rights for sustaining life. These are the demands and claims which are required for leading a decent and qualitative life. Important economic rights are:

• Right of livelihood
• Right of minimum adequate wages
• Right of leisure
• Right of having minimum basic needs of shelter, food, clothes and wages
• Right of compensation GTC.

Without these economic conditions, life is miserable.

Q11. What do you mean by Cultural Rights?
Ans: Man is the product of his cultural background therefore for his emotional and psychological development he needs cultural rights which are the condition of culture, dress, festivals, direct, language, dress pattern, foods and customs. Without the availability of rights in these areas, no fuller development of man is possible. Aman becomes complete only by his cultural development which inculcates manners and etiquettes in him and promotes his personality development.

Q12. Explain the importance of Right of Education.
Ans: The awareness of the right of education is on increase in the whole international community. It has become an international commitment. All the states are making every effort to promote their literacy percentage. Educational rights help individuals to develop their talents and skills. Education brightens reasons and mental facilities of man and gives us useful skill. Considering the importance of education, the right to education is becoming a universal right.

Q13. How the rights limit the authority of the state?
Ans: The state has sovereign authority over the people living in the given territory of the state. But rights are the demands and claims bn the state which put the state to do certain things or not to do certain things. Therefore rights put a check on the authority of the state. In fact, the authority of the state is influenced by the obligation put by the demands of the people in the form of rights. These rights place an obligation upon the state to act in certain kinds of ways. Each right indicates what the state must do as well as what it must not do. In this way, rights limit the authority of the state.

Q14. What is the natural theory of rights?
Ans: Supporters of the natural theory of rights argue that rights are given to us by nature. It means we had rights when we are born. These rights of men were derived from the natural law and not the creation of state OF society. These rights are natural, which cannot be taken by anyone in any circumstance. Supporters of this theory consider three important basic rights:

• Right to life
• Right to liberty
• Right to property.

They say that all other rights are derived from these rights.

Q15. What do you mean by Moral Rights?
Ans: Certain expectations, demands and expectations are made on the basis of moral ground. These are known as moral rights. They do not carry compulsion or any kind of legality. These rights are based on the appeal to the moral self. For example, it is the moral right of the old age people and a disabled person or blind person to expect support from the abled person. Similarly, it is the right of parents, teachers and elders to expect respect from the younger generation.

Q16. Explain the meaning of the concept of rights.
Ans: 

• Everybody irrespective of his socio, economic and educational status, talks of his/her rights but only a few people know the real meaning of the concept of rights. People generally understand the rights in terms of their claims, expectations, necessities and demands but know little about obligations related to it.
• Rights are certain circumstances, facilities which we can say as demands and claims which are necessary for the all-round development of man. Rights have been viewed differently in different ages and in different circumstances. Rights are the product of circumstances and the nature of society. Therefore the rights are essentially the entitlement or we can say justified claims. Laski has defined rights as the essential conditions which are necessary for human development and welfare.
  
  

Q17. Write the main essential features of rights.
Ans: Rights are universally accepted as the socio, economic conditions, circumstances in the form of claims and demands, which are necessary .for human development and welfare. These are to be accepted by society and state. Followings are the main essential features of Rights:

• Rights are available in collective or group life only.
• Rights are the socio, economic or environmental conditions.
• Rights are necessary for man’s development and welfare.
• Rights cannot be absolute in collective life.
• Rights are not stationary, they are changeable from time to time and place.
• Rights and duties are two sides of the same coin.
• Rights are obligations on the state.

Q18. Differentiate between Liberal and Marxist theories of Rights.
Ans: 

• In the seventeenth and eighteenth century, political theorists argued that rights are given by nature or God. The rights of men are derived from nature i.e. man got his rights with his birth which cannot be taken by anyone. Liberal thinkers consider the rights as the product of circumstances which are of varied nature. Naturalists consider right of life, right to liberty and right of property as the natural rights, while the liberal thinkers, appreciating the importance of these natural rights, keep the emphasis on political rights like rule of law, right of equality, right to vote, right of election and formation of the association and political parties.
• They have priority for civic rights. On the other hand Marxist regard the rights of the economic environment and give importance to economic rights as more necessary for man’s development and welfare. For them, economic rights like the right to work, equal and adequate wages, compensation, leisure and property are more necessary than political rights.
  
  

Q19. Discuss the importance of Rights.
Ans: As discussed earlier the rights are conditions of life demands and expectations, which a person has from the family, society and state. v Without these rights man’s development is not possible. We can understand the importance of rights in the following points:

• Rights are necessary for man’s personality development.
• Rights are necessary for the welfare of the people.
• Rights keep the man’s moral high and strengthen him psychologically also.
• Rights put check on the state.
• Rights evoke duties on others.

Q20. What do you mean by Universal Rights? Explain them.
Ans: Certain rights are those conditions which are universally expected, demanded and claimed by the people of all the societies as basic conditions for the personality development, moral and psychological development and welfare of the people. Following are considered as universal rights:

• The right to Livelihood – It is considered very necessary because it gives man gainful employment and economic independence which is necessary for leading life and dignity.
• The right of Expression – This right gives us the opportunity to express us freely and gives us the opportunity to be creative and original. It gives us the freedom to express us by speaking, writing, dancing or by any artistic method.
• The right of Education – It is another important right which is considered as universal because it helps in the development of talents and skills of man. It brings refinement, enlightenment and empowerment in man. It helps in the development of capacities of reasons.

Q21. How the rights limit the state?
Ans: Rights are claims and demands of the people against the state. Rights are necessary conditions and circumstances which a state is supposed to give to its citizens for their development and welfare. It is therefore these rights are obligations of the state which certainly limit the authority and working of the state. Rights in a way direct the state to do certain things in a way, the people expect and demand. Rights put the state to think and act as per the desired level of living of the people.

Q22. Describe the Fundamental Rights available in Indian Constitution.
Ans: Indian society has been the victim of exploitation and injustice in the hands of British colonial rule in which common man suffered a lot. Constitution-makers feel the need of Fundamental Rights for the people and incorporated these fundamental rights in the third part of the Constitution.

• Right of equality
• Right of liberty
• Right against exploitation
• Right of religious liberty
• Right of education and culture
• Right of property (Now it is only legal right)
• Right of constitutional remedies.

Q23. Write the importance of Fundamental Right of Constitutional remedies as given in the Indian Constitution.
Ans: Right of Constitutional Remedies which is the last right given in the Indian Constitution and is the most important right because it the right which makes the Fundamental Rights justiciable. It is this right of Constitutional Remedies which enables the citizens to move to the court if any of the Fundamental Right is violated by the executive, legislature or by the bureaucracy. In this way, this is the right which put check on the arbitrariness of the state. A citizen of India can move to the Supreme Court under Art. 32 and can move to the High Courts if Fundamental Rights are violated which give necessary directions to the respondent for giving remedy to the appellant.

Q24. What do you mean by Human Rights? What is its importance?
Ans: Mode of behaviour, facilities, living conditions and working conditions which are expected, demand and claim for being a human being are called the Human Rights. The assumption behind human rights is that all persons are entitled to certain things simply because they are human beings. As a human being, each person is unique and equally valuable. Therefore human beings irrespective of their caste, colour and sex need humane treatment. All persons should be given equal opportunities and proper working conditions for the expression and exploitation of the potentials. Development and promotion of Human Rights have become an international concern and the UN is playing a very useful role in promoting awareness about Human Rights for leading a life of dignity and self-respect.

Q25. Discuss the role of UN in the promotion of Human, Rights.
Ans: With the development of democracy and education, the concern for the realisation of Human Rights has become a global issue. Urge for a better life and better living is on increase. UN has become the instrument of strengthening the demand and urge for Human Rights. UN has passed an international Human Rights Declaration-1948 in which it has set up certain norms for the cause of Human Rights. All the signatories of the declaration are supposed to provide necessary conditions for the realisation of norms of Human Rights.
International Human Rights Commission has been set up to promote and monitor the level of Human Rights in different parts of the world. The important areas in which the human conditions are expected and demanded are N employment, working conditions, health, food, housing, drinking water and other environmental and ecological order. UN has become the forum of international discussion, debate and recommendations and follows up actions.

Q26. What do you mean by Moral Rights?
Ans: Moral Rights are those expectations which we have on moral grounds. As we know that groups provide the necessary conditions for realising the idea of rights. Moral rights do not have legal binding, they have just moral binding which has little acceptance in the eye of law.
A poor man, a disabled man, an old man need the help of society on the moral ground because of their disabilities. Fathers, mothers and elders need a particular type of behaviour from the younger generation on moral grounds. A teacher expects obedience and regards from the students on moral grounds.

Q27. Explain important Political Rights.
Ans: Political Rights have become more important and popular rather universal with the development of democracy in the world. Every democracy gives the citizens number of political rights which gives the right to equality before the law and the right to participate in the political process. Political rights are as under:

• Right to vote
• Right to elect a representative.
• Right to contest elections.
• Right to form political parties
• Right to oppose and differ
• Right of expression
• Right of a free and fair trial
• Right to protest
• Right of civil liberties.

Political liberties and rights form the basis of the democratic system and human development.

Q28. Explain the importance of Economic Rights.
Ans: Economic rights are those conditions and demands which are 4 needed for sustaining life. These are very important for the physical development of man. Marxists give priority to economic rights in comparison to political rights. Followings are the main economic rights:

• Right of employment
• Right of the fulfilment of basic needs like food, shelter, clothing, health and clean drinking water
• Right of proper working conditions
• Right of adequate wages
• Right of leisure
• Right of property
• Right of compensation.

Q29. How Rights and Liberties are linked together?
Ans: The idea and conception of rights are conceivable only in groups and society. The realisation of right is not possible in isolation.
The rights are those claims, expectations which are demanded by others. In this situation, the right of one person is the duty of others. If the other person does not performs his or her duty the first person cannot get the right. Similarly, if one person does not perform his/her duty the other person cannot get this duty. In his way, we can say that one’s right – is another’s right and another’s duty is the first person’s right. It is rightly said that rights and duties are the two sides of the same coin. This is applicable in every group life whether it is a group of friends, family, society, nation or the international community. The rights do not place obligations on the state only to act in a certain way, but they also place obligations upon the man to think not just for his\ her rights and interests \ but also for the rights and interests of others also.

Q30. Cultural rights are in increasing demand. Explain.
Ans: Besides the political and economic rights, cultural rights have assumed more and more important in the era of the welfare state and global awareness. People have become more and more aware of their region, language, culture, dresses, dialects, language and festivals. Most of the democratic states have given more and more cultural rights to their citizens considering the importance of these rights for their psychological and moral development. The list of such rights has increased in democracies. These have become necessary for human development.