Class 8 Civics Chapter 1 Question Answers - Social and Political Life - III

Q1: Which house of parliament is more powerful with regard to financial matters and how?
Ans: Lok Sabha is more powerful with regard to financial matters because money bills can only be introduced in the Lok Sabha. Thus, it controls the government's finances.

Q2: Opposition plays an important role in democracy. Justify.
Ans: The Opposition parties play a critical role in the healthy functioning of a democracy. They highlight drawbacks in various government policies and programmes and mobilise popular support for their own policies.

Q3: What are the major functions of the parliament?
Ans: The major functions of the parliament are:

• To select the National Government
• To control, guide and inform the government
• Law-Making

Q4: State the demands of the Indian National Congress in 1885.
Ans: The nationalists began to openly criticise the British government and make demands. In 1885, the Indian National Congress demanded that elected members of the legislature have the right to discuss the budget and ask questions.

Q5: How many seats should a political party acquire in Lok Sabha to have a majority?
Ans: For a political party to form the government, they must have a majority of elected MPs. Since there are 543 elected (plus 2 Anglo-Indian nominated) members in Lok Sabha, to have a majority, a party should have at least half the number, i.e. 272 members or more.

Q6: Parliament is the most important symbol of Indian Democracy. Explain.
Ans: Parliament enables citizens of India to participate in decision-making and control the government, thus making it the most important symbol of Indian democracy and a key feature of the Constitution.

Q7: Give reasons for the reservation of seats in Parliament for SCs, STs and OBCs.
Ans: Some seats are reserved in Parliament for SCs and STs. This has been done so that the MPs elected from these constituencies will be familiar with and can represent Dalit and Adivasi interests in Parliament.

Q8: What are the basic ideals of democracy?
Ans: The basic ideals of democracy are:

• The ideas of participation in decision-making.
• There is a need for all democratic governments to have the consent of their citizens.

Q9: Enlist the components of the Indian Parliament.
Ans: The Parliament of India is the supreme legislative body of the Republic of India. It is a bicameral legislature composed of the President of India and the two houses: the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) and the Lok Sabha (House of the People).

Q10: What are reserved constituencies? What is the purpose behind such constituencies?
Ans: Reserved constituencies are those constituencies in which seats are reserved for SCs and STs on the basis of their population. This has been done so that the MPs elected from these constituencies will be familiar with and can represent Dalit and Adivasi interests in Parliament.