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

Q1: What does the right against exploitation state?
Ans: The Right against Exploitation says that no one can be forced to work for low wages or under bondage.

Q2: Why are companies and contractors able to violate environmental laws?
Ans: Companies and contractors are able to violate environmental laws because these laws are not strictly enforced.

Q3: Who sets the minimum wages?
Ans: The Minimum Wages Act 1948 is an Act of Parliament concerning Indian labour law that sets the minimum wages that must be paid to skilled and unskilled labours.

Q4: Can you suggest some ways in which enforcement can be improved?
Ans: Ways to improve the enforcement

• Recruitment of adequate number of enforcement staff
• Anyone found violating the law must be penalised with a strict punishment

Q5: What are the three basic rights of workers?
Ans: Basics rights of workers are:

• Right to work
• Right to a fair wage
• Decent work conditions

Q6: How can the government ensure social justice?
Ans: Through making, enforcing and upholding the laws, the government can control the activities of individuals or private companies so as to ensure social justice. Many of these laws have their basis in the Fundamental Rights guaranteed by the Indian Constitution.

Q7: Why do you think enforcement of safety laws is important in any factory?
Ans: Enforcement of safety laws is important in any factory for the safety of the workers and general public. As the lawmaker and enforcer, the government is supposed to ensure that safety laws are implemented. 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.

Q8: How can the government meet the challenges where everyone can benefit from the clean environment?
Ans: One way this can be done is to gradually move to cleaner technologies and processes in factories. The government has to encourage and support factories to do this. It will need to fine those who pollute. This will ensure that the workers livelihoods are protected and both workers and communities living around the factories enjoy a safe environment.

Q9: A ‘clean environment is a public facility.’ Can you explain this statement?
Ans: The environment is something that people over generations will share, and it could not be destroyed merely for industrial development. The courts also gave a number of judgments upholding the right to a healthy environment as intrinsic to the Fundamental Right to Life. It includes the right to the enjoyment of pollution-free water and air for full enjoyment of life.

Q10: What are the reasons for the sharp differences in safety standards between the two Union carbide factories in the USA and India?
Ans: In India, one worker can easily replace another. Since there is so much unemployment, there are many workers who are willing to work in unsafe conditions in return for a wage. Making use of the workers’ vulnerability, employers ignore safety in workplaces. Thus, there were the sharp differences in safety standards between the two Union carbide factories in the USA and India.

Q11: How are the people of working class exploited economically?
Ans: They are made to work for lower pay and for longer hours.

Q12: Why do the workers willingly work in unsafe conditions?
Ans: Since there is so much unemployment, there are many workers who are willing to work in unsafe conditions in return for a wage.

Q13: What does Article 21 of the Constitution state?
Ans: Right to Life is a Fundamental Right under Article 21 of the Constitution and it includes the right to the enjoyment of pollution-free water and air for full enjoyment of life.

Q14: Why do we need laws?
Ans: We need laws because it protects our general safety, and ensure our rights as citizens against abuses by other people, by organizations, and by the government itself.

Q15: What are the problems in enforcement?
Ans: Problems in enforcement are:

• Inadequate staff
• Lack of training
• Large population

Q16: Why do we need a law on minimum wages?
Ans: We need a law on minimum wages so that workers may get fair wages by their employers. Most often they are denied fair wages by their employers. The employers usually take advantage of their poverty and pay them low wages.

Q17: Can you point to a few other situations where laws (or rules) exist but people do not follow them because of poor enforcement?
Ans: Yes, they are

• Over-speeding by motorists
• Boarding a running bus
• Not using Zebra crossing for crossing the road

Q18: Why are advanced countries relocating the toxic and hazardous industries to developing countries?
Ans: Advanced countries are relocating the toxic and hazardous industries to developing countries to take advantage of the weaker laws in these countries and keep their own countries safe. South Asian countries – particularly India, Bangladesh and Pakistan – play hosts for industries producing pesticides, asbestos or processing zinc and lead.

Q19: Point out the role of government and citizens in establishing a state of law and social justice?
Ans: A major role of the government is to control the activities of private companies by making, enforcing and upholding laws so as to prevent unfair practices and ensure social justice. While the government has a leading role in this respect, people can exert pressure so that both private companies and the government act in the interests of society.

Q20: How did Bhopal gas tragedy occur?
Ans: The world’s worst industrial tragedy took place in Bhopal 24 years ago. Union Carbide (UC) an American company had a factory in the city in which it produced pesticides. At midnight on 2 December 1984 methyl-isocyanite (MIC) – a highly poisonous gas – started leaking from this UC plant. Within three days, more than 8,000 people were dead. Hundreds of thousands were maimed.