Important Questions Rights - Political Science Class 11 - Humanities/Arts

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Q1: What are the characteristics of the state?
Ans: On the basis of definitions and understanding of rights, the following are the main characteristics of rights:

• Rights are necessary conditions for individual and social well-being.
• Rights are necessary for personal development.
• Rights are claims on society and the state.
• Rights are recognised and upheld by society.
• Rights place limits on the sovereignty of the state.
• Rights and duties of the people are linked with each other.
• Rights vary from place to place and from time to time.

Q2: Why the rights are necessary?
Ans: Rights are necessary conditions for our well-being. They enable individuals to develop their talents and skills. Without rights, the fuller development of citizens is not possible. Rights not only provide the basic conditions and facilities required for development but also promote confidence among people. However, many states make distinctions and discriminate in the provision of rights.

Q3: What do you mean by Human Rights?
Ans: Human Rights are the conditions and modes of behaviour to which a person is entitled simply by being human. The basic assumption is that all persons are entitled to certain standards of treatment, living and working conditions because they are human beings. Human beings have feelings and reasoning powers, and so need respectful and humane treatment. Each person is unique and valuable.

Q4: What do you mean by Political Rights?
Ans: Political Rights are those rights that allow people to express opinions on public issues and to take part in the democratic process. Examples include the right to vote, the right to contest elections, the right to form associations and political parties, and the right to oppose the government. Political rights also include the right to a fair trial and equality before the law. They are closely linked with civil liberties, and rights to protest and dissent fall under political rights.

Q5: What are Economic Rights?
Ans: Economic Rights are essential for sustaining life. They are claims and demands necessary for leading a decent and dignified life. Important economic rights include:

• Right to livelihood
• Right to minimum adequate wages
• Right to leisure
• Right to minimum basic needs of shelter, food, clothing and wages
• Right to compensation where applicable
• Without these economic provisions, life becomes miserable.

Q6: Explain the importance of Right of Education.
Ans: Awareness of the right to education is increasing across the international community. It has become an international commitment, and states make efforts to improve literacy. Educational rights help individuals to develop their talents and skills. Education sharpens reasoning and mental faculties and provides useful skills. Considering its role in personal development, the right to education is moving towards being accepted as a universal right.

Q7: Moral Conception of Rights (Kant)
Ans: The moral conception of rights rests upon the idea of human dignity as explained by Immanuel Kant. Everything has either a price or a dignity. Human beings possess dignity and are valuable in themselves. They must be treated morally as ends in themselves and not as means to others' ends. A person may be uneducated, poor or powerless, yet remains a human being and deserves minimum dignity. This conception emphasises that we should treat others as we would like to be treated ourselves and respect people because they are human beings.

Short Answer Type Questions

Q8: Write the main essential features of rights.
Ans: Rights are socially and legally recognised conditions, circumstances or claims necessary for human development and welfare. These are accepted by society and the state. The main essential features of rights are:

• Rights exist only in collective or group life.
• Rights may be social, economic or environmental in nature.
• Rights are necessary for human development and welfare.
• Rights cannot be absolute in a collective society.
• Rights are not fixed; they change over time and between places.
• Rights and duties are two sides of the same coin.
• Rights impose obligations on the state.

Q9: Discuss the importance of Rights.
Ans: Rights are the conditions, demands and expectations that a person has from family, society and the state. Without these rights a person's development is not possible. The importance of rights can be seen in the following points:

• Rights are necessary for an individual's personality development.
• Rights are necessary for the welfare of the people.
• Rights help maintain moral confidence and strengthen individuals psychologically.
• Rights act as checks on the state.
• Rights create duties and responsibilities for others.

Q10: How the rights limit the state?
Ans: Rights are claims and demands made by people against the state. They are conditions and services that the state is expected to provide for citizens' development and welfare. Because these are obligations of the state, rights limit the authority and actions of the state. Rights require the state to act in ways that meet the people's expectations and to ensure a minimum standard of living. In this way rights restrain arbitrary power and guide state action.

Q11: Describe the Fundamental Rights available in Indian Constitution.
Ans: Indian society suffered exploitation and injustice during British rule. The Constitution-makers therefore included Fundamental Rights in Part III of the Constitution to protect citizens. 
Key Fundamental Rights include:

• Right to equality
• Right to liberty
• Right against exploitation
• Right to freedom of religion
• Right to education and culture
• Right to property (now reduced to a statutory right)
• Right to constitutional remedies

Q12: What do you mean by Human Rights? What is its importance?
Ans: Human Rights are the standards of treatment, facilities and working and living conditions that people expect and claim by virtue of being human. The underlying assumption is that every person is entitled to certain basic things simply because they are human. All persons are equally valuable and deserve humane treatment irrespective of caste, colour or sex. Human Rights seek to give people equal opportunities and conditions to express and develop their potential. The development and promotion of Human Rights is an international concern, and the United Nations plays a key role in raising awareness and encouraging states to secure a life of dignity and self-respect for all.

Q13: Moral Conception of Rights (Kant). What is its importance?
Ans: The moral conception of rights, as propounded by Immanuel Kant, holds that human beings possess dignity unlike all other objects which have a price. Human beings are elevated above all price and admit of no equivalent; they are valuable in themselves. To treat people with dignity is to treat them morally - as ends and not as means. We should not use people as we use a pen, a car or a horse. Each person possesses intrinsic value and must have equal opportunities to be free and realise their full potential.
Its importance lies in challenging existing inequalities based on race, caste, religion and gender. This idea has become a rallying point for human rights struggles. The UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights builds upon this understanding and recognises claims that the world community sees as important for a life of dignity and self-respect. Oppressed people have used it to challenge discriminatory laws and expand the interpretation of rights.

Long Answer Type Questions

Q14: Explain the meaning and development of rights in modern welfare states.
Ans: From earliest times people have expected, demanded and claimed certain basic conditions to lead a decent and dignified life; these are known as rights. Rights have varied over time and across societies according to available resources and levels of awareness. The welfare nature of the modern state, the spread of education and the growth of democratic culture have increased public awareness of rights and expanded the scope of those rights. States adopting democratic systems have extended more rights to citizens; some have been recognised as fundamental for governance because they are essential for human development and dignity. Economic, political and cultural rights are now widely discussed and many are treated as universal rights, for example the rights to expression, adequate wages, employment and education.
Today, in addition to basic living conditions and fundamental freedoms, human dignity and personality have become central. The modern concept of Human Rights asserts that people require certain basic needs, respectful treatment and conditions that allow their personality to flourish. As a result, Human Rights have gained prominence worldwide. The United Nations has played an important role in promoting fundamental and human rights through declarations, standards and follow-up mechanisms.

Q15: Explain how different kinds of rights are recognised in modern democracies and why they are important.
Ans: Most democracies begin by drawing up a charter of political rights. Political rights give citizens the right to equality before law and the right to participate in the political process. They include the right to vote and elect representatives, the right to contest elections, the right to form political parties or join them, the right to a free and fair trial, the right to express views freely, and the right to protest and express dissent. These rights make the government accountable to the people and ensure that all persons have an opportunity to influence government decisions.
Political rights alone have little value if basic needs are not met. Therefore democracies recognise economic rights such as the right to livelihood, right to minimum adequate wages, right to housing, medical facilities, and reasonable conditions of work. In India the government has introduced a rural employment guarantee scheme to help the poor.
Today, in addition to political and economic rights, democracies are recognising cultural rights - the right to primary education in one's mother tongue and the right to establish institutions for teaching one's language and culture. These are necessary for leading a good life. While rights such as the right to life, liberty, equal treatment and political participation receive priority, other conditions necessary for a decent life are also being recognised as justified claims. Collectively these rights protect individual well-being and support democratic governance.

Q16: What do you mean by Universal Rights? Explain them.
Ans: Universal Rights are those conditions considered essential by people in different societies for personality development, moral and psychological well-being, and general welfare. The commonly recognised universal rights include:

• The Right to Livelihood: This ensures gainful employment and economic independence, both necessary for a dignified life.
• The Right of Expression: This allows individuals to speak, write and engage in creative activities freely, enabling originality and free thought.
• The Right to Education: Education helps develop talents and skills, brings intellectual refinement and empowerment, and strengthens reasoning abilities.

Q17: Explain the meaning and importance of Fundamental Rights.
Ans: Fundamental Rights are those rights that a state considers essential for the development and welfare of its citizens and therefore includes them in the Constitution. Their importance lies in the fact that they provide basic social, cultural, political and religious protections that build confidence among citizens and empower them. In many democracies Fundamental Rights are justiciable, meaning that if they are violated an individual may approach the courts for enforcement. Thus Fundamental Rights protect citizens' liberties and support democratic governance. The quality of democracy in a country is often measured by the extent and effectiveness of its Fundamental Rights.

Q18: Discuss the role of UN in the promotion of Human, Rights.
Ans: With the spread of democracy and education, concern for the realisation of Human Rights has become global. The United Nations has become a key instrument in strengthening demands for Human Rights. In 1948 the UN adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which set out international norms for basic rights. Signatory states are expected to strive to provide conditions that meet these standards.
The UN has established bodies to promote and monitor Human Rights around the world. Important areas of concern include employment, working conditions, health, food, housing, drinking water and environmental standards. The UN provides a forum for international discussion, recommendations and follow-up actions to improve human conditions globally.

Q19: How Rights and Liberties are linked together?
Ans: Rights are meaningful only in a social setting; they cannot be realised in isolation. A right of one person implies a duty on others. If others do not fulfil their duties, the first person cannot enjoy the right. Thus one person's right is another's duty. Rights and duties are therefore two sides of the same coin, applicable in families, groups, societies, nations and internationally. Rights place obligations not only on the state but also on individuals to consider not only their own interests but also the rights and interests of others.

Q20: Explain important Political Rights.
Ans: Political Rights have gained importance with the spread of democracy. They guarantee equality before the law and participation in the political process. Important political rights include:

• Right to vote
• Right to elect representatives
• Right to contest elections
• Right to form political parties
• Right to oppose and disagree
• Right of expression
• Right to a free and fair trial
• Right to protest
• Civil liberties

Political liberties and rights form the basis of democratic systems and contribute to human development.