NIOS Social Science Class 10 Chapter 15 Solutions

Table of Contents

NIOS Social Science Class 10 Chapter 15 Solutions

INTEXT QUESTIONS 15.1

1. What is the meaning of the Constitution?

Ans: When used in the context of a State or a Nation, the Constitution means a set of fundamental principles, basic rules and established precedents. It identifies, defines and regulates various aspects of the State and the structure, powers and functions of the major institutions under the three organs of the Government, the executive, the legislature and the judiciary. It also provides for the rights and freedoms of citizens and spells out the relationship between individual citizens and the State and government.

2. Fill in the blanks:

(i) The Indian Constitution is the ……………………………… constitution.

Ans: longest

(ii) The Indian Constitution was prepared by ………………………………

Ans: the Constituent Assembly

(iii) The Constitution of India is a living document, because it needs to be ………………………

Ans: needs to be amended as and when required to keep it updated

(iv) The 26 January is celebrated every year as ………….because the Constitution came into effect on ……………….

Ans: Republic Day, 26 January 1950

INTEXT QUESTIONS 15.2

1. What do you mean by the term value?

Ans: Value is that which is very essential or ‘worth having and observing’ for the existence of human society as an entity.

2. State two important constitutional values embodied in the Preamble of Indian Constitution? Why do you consider these two values as very important?

Ans: The values expressed in the Preamble are expressed as objectives of the Constitution. These are: sovereignty, socialism, secularism, democracy, republican character of Indian State, justice, liberty, equality, fraternity, human dignity and the unity and integrity of the Nation.

3. Match the values/objectives given below in column ‘A’ with the statements in column ‘B’.

A	B
Constitutional Values/Objectives	Statements
(i) Sovereignty	a. promoting social change to end all forms of inequalities.
(ii) Socialism	b. government of the people, by the people and for the people.
(iii) Secularism	c. equal treatment without any discrimination.
(iv) Democracy	d. The Head of State is an elected person.
(v) Equality	e. freedom to profess, preach and practise any religion.
(vi) Liberty	f. international peace & security and honourable relations among nations.
(vii) Fraternity	g. complete political freedom and supreme authority.
(viii) International peace & just international order	h. freedom of thought, expression and belief.
(ix) Republic	i. the spirit of common brotherhood.

Ans:

(i) (g)

(ii) (a)

(iii) (e)

(iv) (b)

(v) (c)

(vi) (h)

(vii) (i)

(viii) (f)

(ix) (d)

INTEXT QUESTIONS 15.3

1. What are the main features of the Indian Constitution?

Ans:

(i) Written Constitution
(ii) Unique blend of rigidity and flexibility
(iii) Fundamental Rights and Duties
(iv) Directive Principles of State Policy
(v) Integrated Judicial System
(vi) Single Citizenship
(vii) Universal Adult Franchise
(viii) Federal System and Parliamentary Form of Government.

2. What are the constitutional values reflected in the Directive Principles of State Policy?

Ans: Social and economic equality, elimination of social discrimination, and international peace.

3. Why is the Indian judiciary called an integrated judiciary?

Ans: Although the Supreme Court is at the national level, High Courts at the state level and Subordinate Courts at the district and lower level, there is a single hierarchy of Courts. At the top of the hierarchy is the Supreme Court.

4. What is the meaning of single citizenship?

Ans: It means that every Indian is a citizen of India, irrespective of the place of his/her residence.

INTEXT QUESTIONS 15.4

1. What are the main features of a federal system?

Ans:

(i) Two-tier government at the Centre and at the state level
(ii) Division of Powers between the Centre and the States
(iii) Written Constitution
(iv) Supremacy of the Judiciary

2. State two important reasons why it is said that “India is federal in form, but unitary in spirit”?

Ans:

(i) The Central government has sole power over the territory of India. The very existence of a State, including its territorial integrity, is in the hands of the Parliament.
(ii) The division of powers between the Centre and the States is in favour of the Union government. The Union List contains all the key subjects.
(iii) India has a unified or integrated judiciary with the Supreme Court at the apex.
(iv) The Union government becomes very powerful when any of the three kinds of emergencies are proclaimed.
(v) During all three types of Emergencies, the Union government becomes all-powerful, and India becomes almost a unitary state.
(vi) According to the constitutional provisions, the executive powers of the Centre are superior to those of the States.

3. The States of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Uttarakhand were created during 2000 and 2001. Find out from which States they were separated? State also the reasons why they were created?

Ans: Gather relevant information from books, magazines or by surfing the internet to answer.

INTEXT QUESTIONS 15.5

1. In a parliamentary system, what kind of relation is between the executive and the legislature?

Ans: There is a close relationship between the executive, i.e. the Council of Ministers, with the Prime Minister at the head and the legislature, i.e. the Parliament. The Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Parliament. If the Lok Sabha passes a no-confidence motion against the Council of Ministers, it has to resign.

2. Why is the President of India only the nominal executive?

Ans: The President, who is the Head of State, is the nominal and formal executive. Theoretically, all the executive powers are vested by the Constitution in the President of India. But in practice, these are not exercised by him/her. These are actually used by the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers. The Council of Ministers, with the Prime Minister at the head, is the real executive. The President can not act without the advice of the Council of Ministers. The President is elected by an Electoral College that consists of the Members of Parliament. If the Parliament passes an impeachment against the President, he/she leaves the office.

3. What is the meaning of collective responsibility?

Ans: It means that the responsibility of every Minister is the responsibility of the entire Council of Ministers. Even if one ministry is criticized, the entire Council of Ministers is considered responsible for that.

4. How do both the Houses of Parliament have control over the Council of Ministers?

Ans: They do it by asking questions and supplementary questions on the policies, programmes and functioning of the government. They can move adjournment motions and call attention notices. No bill tabled by the Council of Ministers can become a law unless it is approved by the Parliament. The annual budget also is to be passed by the Parliament.

TERMINAL EXERCISES

1. Answer the following questions in brief:

(i) Define Preamble

(ii) What is a Constitution?

(iii) Who framed the Constitution of India?

(iv) What is meant by ‘Universal Adult Franchise’?

Ans:

(i) The Preamble to any Constitution is a brief introductory statement that conveys the guiding principles of the document.
(ii) Constitution means a set of fundamental principles, basic rules and established precedents (means standards/instances).
(iii) Dr. B R Ambedkar
(iv) The people elect the rulers of the country, and the elected representatives remain accountable to the people. The people of India elect them to be part of the government at different levels by a system of universal adult franchise, popularly known as ‘one man one vote’.

2. Answer the following questions:

(i) Describe the importance of the Constitution.

Ans: A Constitution may be written or unwritten, but it contains fundamental laws of the land. It is the supreme and ultimate authority.

Any decision or action which is not in accordance with it will be unconstitutional and unlawful.
A Constitution also lays down limits on the power of the government to avoid abuse of authority.
Moreover, it is not a static but a living document, because it needs to be amended as and when required to keep it updated.
Its flexibility enables it to change according to changing aspirations of the people, the needs of the time and the changes taking place in society.

(ii) What are the major constitutional values embodied in the Preamble? How are these being practised in our daily lives?

Ans:

1. Sovereignty: Being sovereign means having complete political freedom and being the supreme authority. It implies that India is internally all-powerful and externally free. It is free to determine for itself without any external interference (either by any country or individual), and nobody is there within to challenge its authority.
2. Socialism: Our Constitution directs the governments and the people to ensure a planned and coordinated social development in all fields. It directs to prevent the concentration of wealth and power in a few hands.
3. Secularism: Secularism implies that our country is not guided by any one religion or any religious considerations. It allows all its citizens to profess, preach and practise any religion they follow. At the same time, it ensures that the state does not have any religion of its own.
4. Democracy: As a form of government, it derives its authority from the will of the people. The people elect the rulers of the country, and the elected representatives remain accountable to the people. The people of India elect them to be part of the government at different levels by a system of universal adult franchise, popularly known as ‘one man one vote’.
5. Republic: India is not only a democratic nation, but it is also a republic. The most important symbol of being a republic is the office of the Head of State, i.e. the President, who is elected and who is not selected based on heredity, as is found in a system with a monarchy. Every citizen of India is equally eligible to be elected as the Head of State.
6. Justice: The Constitution includes social, economic and political justice as constitutional values that have stressed the political freedom granted to Indian citizens, which created a new social order, based on socio-economic justice. Justice must be available to every citizen.
7. Liberty: The Preamble prescribes liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship as one of the core values. These have to be assured to every member of all the communities. It has been done so, because the ideals of democracy can not be attained without the presence of certain minimal rights which are essential for a free and civilized existence of individuals.
8. Equality: The Constitution ensures equality of status and opportunity to every citizen for the development of the best in him/her. As a human being, everybody has a dignified self, and to ensure its full enjoyment, inequality in any form present in our country and society has been prohibited.
9. Fraternity: Preamble promotes the value of fraternity that stands for the spirit of common brotherhood among all the people of India. Fraternity can be realized not only by abolishing untouchability amongst different sects of the community, but also by abolishing all communal or sectarian or even local discriminatory feelings which stand in the way of the unity of India.
10. Dignity of the individual: Promotion of fraternity is essential to realize the dignity of the individual. It is essential to secure the dignity of every individual, without which democracy can not function. It ensures equal participation of every individual in all the processes of democratic governance.
11. Unity and integrity of the Nation: To maintain the independence of the country intact, the unity and integrity of the nation are essential. Our Constitution expects all the citizens of India to uphold and protect the unity and integrity of India as a matter of duty.
12. International peace and a just international order: The Indian Constitution directs the state (a) to promote international peace and security, (b) maintain just and honourable relations between nations, (c) foster respect for international law and treaty obligations, and (d) encourage settlement of international disputes by arbitration.
13. Fundamental Duties: Fundamental duties reflect certain basic values like patriotism, nationalism, humanism, environmentalism, harmonious living, gender equality, scientific temper and inquiry, and individual and collective excellence.

(iii) What are the salient features of the Constitution of India?

Ans: The main features of the Constitution are as follows:

1. Written Constitution: The Constitution of India is the longest written constitution. It contains a Preamble, 395 Articles in 22 Parts, 12 Schedules and 5 Appendices. It is a document of fundamental laws that define the nature of the political system and the structure and functioning of organs of the government. It expresses the vision of India as a democratic nation. It also identifies the fundamental rights and fundamental duties of citizens.
2. A Unique Blend of Rigidity and Flexibility: The Constitution lays down a special procedure for constitutional amendments. The Indian Constitution is neither as flexible as the British Constitution nor as rigid as the US Constitution. It reflects the value of continuity and change. There are three ways of amending the Constitution of India. Some of its provisions can be amended by a simple majority in the Parliament, and some by a special majority, while some amendments require a special majority in the Parliament and approval of the States as well.
3. Fundamental Rights and Duties: Fundamental Rights protect citizens against the arbitrary and absolute exercise of power by the State. The Constitution guarantees the rights of individuals against the State as well as against other individuals. The Constitution also guarantees the rights of minorities against the majority. Besides these rights, the Constitution has provisions identifying fundamental duties, though these are not enforceable as the fundamental rights are. These duties reflect some of the basic values embodied in the Constitution.
4. Directive Principles of State Policy: The Constitution also has a section called Directive Principles of State Policy. It is a unique feature of the Constitution. It is aimed at ensuring greater social and economic reforms and serving as a guide to the State to institute laws and policies that help reduce the poverty of the masses and eliminate social discrimination.
5. Integrated Judicial System: The Indian Constitution has established an integrated judicial system. Although the Supreme Court is at the national level, High Courts at the state level and Subordinate Courts at the district and lower level, there is a single hierarchy of Courts. At the top of the hierarchy is the Supreme Court. This unified judicial system is aimed at promoting and ensuring justice for all citizens in a uniform manner. Moreover, the constitutional provisions ensure the independence of the Indian judiciary, which is free from the influence of the executive and the legislature.
6. Single Citizenship: The Indian Constitution has a provision for single citizenship. Every Indian is a citizen of India, irrespective of the place of his/her residence or birth in the country. This provision in the Indian Constitution definitely reinforces the values of equality, unity and integrity.
7. Universal Adult Franchise: Every Indian after attaining a certain age (at present 18 years) has a right to vote. No discrimination can be made based on religion, race, caste, sex, descent, or place of birth or residence. This right is known as the universal adult franchise.
8. Federal System and Parliamentary Form of Government: It provides for a federal system of state and parliamentary form of government that reflects the constitutional value of unity and integrity of the nation, and more importantly, the value of decentralization of power. The core principle of a parliamentary government is that the responsibility of the executive is to the legislature, consisting of the representatives of the people.

(iv) Explain any three federal features of the Indian Constitution.

Ans: A federal system must have three other features: (i) a written constitution, (ii) division of powers between the central government and the state governments, and (iii) supremacy of the judiciary to interpret

the constitution.

Written Constitution: India has a written Constitution, which is supreme. It is also the source of power for both sets of governments, the Union and the State. These governments are independent in their spheres of governance. Another feature of a federation is the rigid constitution. Although the Indian Constitution is not as rigid as the US Constitution, it is not a flexible constitution. It has a unique blend of rigidity and flexibility.
Division of Powers: Like other federations, both the Union and the State governments have a constitutional status and a clearly identified area of activity. The Constitution clearly divides the powers between the two sets of governments, so that the Centre and the States exercise their powers within their respective spheres of activity. None violates its limits and tries to encroach upon the functions of the other. The division has been specified in the Constitution through three Lists: the Union List, the State List and the Concurrent List. The Union List consists of 97 subjects of national importance. The State List consists of 66 subjects of local interest. The Concurrent List has 47 subjects such as Education, Electricity, Trade Union, Economic and Social Planning, etc.
Independence of Judiciary: Another very important feature of a federation is an independent judiciary to interpret the Constitution and to maintain its sanctity. The Supreme Court of India has the original jurisdiction to settle disputes between the Union and the States. It can declare a law as unconstitutional if it contravenes any provision of the Constitution. The judiciary also has the power to resolve disputes between the Union government and the State governments on constitutional and legal matters related to the division of powers.

(v) How can you say that the Constitution of India is rigid as well as flexible?

Ans: As regards Constitutions, generally written constitutions are rigid. It is not easy to bring about changes in them frequently. The Constitution lays down a special procedure for constitutional amendments. The Indian Constitution is neither as flexible as the British Constitution nor as rigid as the US Constitution. It reflects the value of continuity and change. There are three ways of amending the Constitution of India. Some of its provisions can be amended by a simple majority in the Parliament, and some by a special majority, while some amendments require a special majority in the Parliament and approval of the States as well.

(vi) Why is India called a federal state in form but unitary in spirit?

Ans: The Indian federal system has a strong Union government. The Indian federal system has a strong Union government. Besides the concern for unity, the makers of the Constitution also believed that the socio-economic problems of the country needed to be handled by a strong central government in cooperation with the States. Poverty, illiteracy, social inequalities and inequalities of wealth were some of the problems that required unified planning and coordination. Thus, the concerns for unity and development prompted the makers of the Constitution to create a strong central government.

(vii) Examine the nature of the parliamentary form of government in India.

Ans: The Indian political system has a parliamentary form of government both at the union and state levels. There are two forms of government: presidential and parliamentary.

In the presidential system, the three organs of government are independent of one another. There is no close relationship between the executive and the legislature.
In a parliamentary form of government, there is a very close relationship between the executive and the legislature.

The Constitution makers of India adopted the British model, as the system of government that operated in India before 1947 was to a great extent quite similar to the British parliamentary government. In India, we have a parliamentary form of government at the central and state levels.

The Indian system reflects all the main features of a parliamentary government:

(i) a close relationship between the legislature and the executive
(ii) responsibility of the executive to the legislature
(iii) the executive having a Head of State as the nominal executive, and a Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister as the real executive.

(viii) Have you ever been part of the Republic Day celebration in your own area/region as a participant or a spectator? If so, mention the highlights of that function.

Ans: Individual answer.

(ix) Given below is the recorded conversation between a Saudi Arabian Citizen and an Indian. The points made by the Saudi Arabian are given below, whereas the replies by the Indian could not be recorded and hence are left blank. On the basis of what you have read in this lesson and your general knowledge, complete the conversation with relevant replies (‘SA’ stands for the Saudi Arabian and I stands for the Indian).

(a) SA Our country is ruled by a hereditary King. We cannot change him. So, we have a monarchical form of government.

I ………………………………………………………………………………

(b) SA We, in Saudi Arabia do not have any such system as yours, because we have no political parties. There are no elections and the people do not have any say in the formation of the government. So much so that even the media cannot report anything that the King does not like.

I ………………………………………………………………………………

(c) SA In our country, there is only one religion. Hence, there is no freedom of religion. Every citizen is required to be Muslim.

I ……………………………………………………………………………

(d) SA Yes, Non-Muslims are allowed to follow their own religion but only privately and not in public.

I ………………………………………………………………………………

(e) SA In my country, there is discrimination based on sex. Women are not considered equal to men. They are subjected to many public restrictions. So much so that the testimony of one man is considered equal to that of two women.

I ………………………………………………………………………………

Ans: VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE INDIAN

1. After independence, no king ruled in India. Instead, we have a President who is elected by the people indirectly. So, India is a republic with a parliamentary form of government wherein political parties play a major role as representatives of the people.
2. In this regard, we are very lucky. We have the freedom to form associations, unions, and political parties. Every Indian citizen has the right to vote and contest elections. Besides, the media in India is also free to express its views on any issue in spite of the fact that India is a multi-cultural, multi-lingual and multi-religious country.
3. But we are a secular nation. The state does not have any religion of its own. Every citizen has a fundamental right to freedom of religion guaranteed by the Constitution. Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, and others have freedom to practise his/her religion.
4. Strange enough! In our country, the Constitution guarantees the right to profess, preach and practise any religion publicly.
5. In India, the Constitution provides for gender equality, though in practice, we also have to go a long way. But women have equal rights in every sphere of life. They are engaged in all kinds of jobs and businesses. They have also been made the beneficiary of reservations.

NIOS Social Science Class 10 Chapter 15 Solutions

INTEXT QUESTIONS 15.1

INTEXT QUESTIONS 15.2

INTEXT QUESTIONS 15.3

INTEXT QUESTIONS 15.4

INTEXT QUESTIONS 15.5

TERMINAL EXERCISES

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