UDGAM SCHOOL FOR CHILDREN

SOCIAL SCIENCE (087): DEMOCRATIC POLITICS (2020-21)

CH-1/TOPIC-CONSTITUTIONAL DESIGN NOTES-4
Name _____________________ Std IX Sec: ___ Roll No. ________

Q1. What is apartheid system? In which way was the system of ‘apartheid’ oppressive?
Ans. Apartheid was the name given to a system of racial discrimination unique to South Africa,
which was imposed by the white Europeans on the blacks.
The apartheid system was particularly oppressive for the blacks in the following ways:
1. They were forbidden from living in white areas. They could work in white areas only if they
had a permit.
2. Trains, buses, taxis, hotels, hospitals, schools and colleges, swimming pools, public toilets
etc. were all separate for the whites and blacks.
3. They could not even visit the churches where the whites worshipped.
4. Blacks could not form associations or protest against the terrible treatment.

Q2. Describe the efforts made by the people of South Africa to fight against apartheid.
Ans. Since 1950, the blacks, people of mixed races called ‘coloured’ and Indians were treated as
inferiors by the white rulers.
The efforts made by the people of South Africa to fight against Apartheid were as follows:
1. They together fought against the apartheid system by launching protest marches and
strikes.
2. The African National Congress (ANC) was the umbrella organisation that led the struggle
against the policies of segregation.
3. Many workers' unions and the Communist Party joined this movement.
4. Even many sensitive whites also joined the ANC to oppose apartheid and played a leading
role in this movement.

Q3. How did the Apartheid system come to an end in South Africa?
Ans. The Apartheid system came to an end in South Africa as:
1. The ongoing protests and struggles against apartheid increased which made the
government realise that they could no longer keep the blacks under their rule through
repression.
2. The white regime changed its policies and discriminatory laws were repealed. Ban on
political parties and restrictions on the media were lifted.
3. After 28 years of imprisonment, Nelson Mandela walked out of the jail as a free man.
4. Finally, at the midnight of 26 April 1994, the new national flag of the Republic of South Africa
was unfurled marking the newly born democracy in the world.
The apartheid government came to an end, paving way for the formation of a multi- racial
government.

Q4. What was the appeal made by the black leaders to the fellow blacks after the emergence
of the new democratic South Africa?
Ans. After the emergence of the new democratic South Africa, black leaders made the following
appeals to the fellow blacks:
1. They asked the people to forgive the whites for the atrocities they had committed while in
power.
2. They urged the people to build a new South Africa based on equality of all races and men
and women, on democratic values, social justice and human rights.

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 Q5. ‘The South African Constitution inspires democrats all over the world’. Justify the
statement.
Ans. After two years of discussion and debate, the South African leaders came out with one of
the finest constitutions the world has ever had.
1. This constitution gave to its citizens the most extensive rights available in any country.
2. Together, the constitution writers decided that nobody should be excluded, no one should
be treated differently, irrespective of whatever they had done in the past.
3. The newly formed constitution of Africa was based on social equality and justice.
Thus, the South African constitution inspires the democrats all over the world.

Q6. Why was a constitution necessary for a country like South Africa?
Ans. Constitution was necessary for a country like South Africa because of the following reasons:
1. The oppressor and the oppressed, i.e. the whites and the blacks were planning to live
together, as equals.
2. It was not going to be easy for them to trust each other. They wanted to safeguard their
interests.
3. The only way to build and maintain trust was to write down some rules that everyone would
abide by. They also agreed that these rules will be supreme, and that no government will be
able to ignore these.
4. This set of basic rules was needed for the constitution of South Africa.

Q7. What is a ‘Constitution’? What are the objectives of framing a constitution?

Why do we need a constitution? OR What is the importance of constitution?
Ans. The Constitution is a set of written rules that are accepted by all people living together in a
country. It is the supreme law that determines the relationship among people living in a
territory (called citizens) and also the relationship between the people and the government.
The objectives of framing a constitution are as follows:
1. It generates the degree of trust and coordination which is necessary for different kind
of people to live together.
2. It specifies the formation of the government and its powers and functions.
3. It lays down limits on the powers of the government and also mentions the rights of the
citizens.
4. It expresses the aspirations of the people about creating a good society.

Q8. “Formation of Indian Constitution was no less struggle than that of South Africa”.
Justify the statement by giving five arguments.
OR
Describe any five difficulties faced by the framers of the Indian Constitution.
Ans. The making of the constitution for a huge and diverse country like India was not an easy affair.
The difficulties faced by the framers of the Indian Constitution were as follows:
1. At the time of independence, the people of India were emerging from the status of subjects
to that of citizens. The country was born through a partition on the basis of religious
differences. This was a traumatic experience for the people of India. At least ten lakh people
were killed on both sides of the border in partition related violence.
2. The British had left it to the rulers of the princely states to decide whether they wanted to
merge with India or with Pakistan or remain independent. The merger of these princely
states was a difficult and uncertain task.
3. India was a vast and varied country with diverse regions, languages, cultures, customs and
beliefs. When the constitution was being written, the future of the country did not look
secure.
4. The makers of the Indian Constitution had anxieties about the present and the future of the

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 country.
5. The framers of the constitution had to ensure that the people were given certain
fundamental rights, which had not been available earlier. They laid down the Directive
Principles of State Policy as they knew that it was difficult to ensure socio-economic equality
to the people of India.
Q9. Despite many difficulties, there was one big advantage for the makers of the Indian
Constitution which was absent in South Africa. What was it?
Ans. One big advantage for the makers of the Indian Constitution was that:
1. They did not have to create a consensus about what a democratic India should look like.
Much of this consent had evolved during the freedom struggle.
2. Our national movement was not merely a struggle against a foreign rule. It was also a
struggle to rejuvenate our country and to transform our society and politics.
3. There were sharp differences of opinion within the freedom struggle about the path India
should take after independence, yet some basic ideas had come to be accepted by almost
everyone.

Q10. In which session did the Indian National Congress plan on how Indian Constitution
should look like? State the importance of this session.
Ans. In 1931, the resolution at the Karachi session of the Indian National Congress dwelt on how
independent India’s constitution should look like.
The importance of this session is that:
Both the documents (the Constitution drafted by Moti Lal Nehru and eight other Congress
leaders in 1928 and the outlines of the Indian Constitution prepared by the Indian National
Congress at its Karachi session in 1931) enabled all the leaders to accept for the inclusion
of the basic values much before the Constituent Assembly met to deliberate on the
constitution. The values are as follows:
1. Universal Adult Franchise - for choosing person to govern the country i.e. how elections
will be conducted.
2. Right to Freedom and Equality - of all citizens irrespective of community, caste, religion or
gender.
3. To protect the rights of minorities in the constitution of independent India.

Q11. List the factors that contributed to the making of the Indian Constitution.
Ans. The factors that contributed to the making of the Indian Constitution are as follows:
1. The familiarity with the political institutions of the colonial rule enabled the Indians to gain
experience. Working in these Legislative Institutions proved to be very useful for the country
to set up its own institutions and adopt many institutional designs and procedures from the
colonial laws like the Government of India Act, 1935.
2. They got inspiration from the Constitution drafted by Moti Lal Nehru and eight other Congress
leaders in 1928 and the outlines of the Indian Constitution prepared by the Indian National
Congress at its Karachi session in 1931.
3. Many of our leaders were inspired by the ideals of French Revolution (Equality, Liberty,
Fraternity) the practice of Parliamentary democracy from Britain and the Bill of Rights from
the US. The Socialist Revolution of Russia and the Directive Principles of State Policy from
the Ireland also inspired many Indians to think of shaping a system based on social and
economic equality.
4. The members of the Constituent Assembly also got inspiration from the constitutions of
various countries of the world. Yet, they simply did not believe in imitating what other
countries had done but gave a deep thought whether it would suit our country. After years of
thinking and deliberation they incorporated some good points of these in the Indian
Constitution.

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 Q12. State the steps involved in the framing of the Indian constitution.
Ans. The following steps were involved in the framing of the Indian constitution:
1. The drafting of the document called the constitution was done by an assembly of elected
representatives called the Constituent Assembly. Elections to the Constituent Assembly were
held in July 1946. The first meeting of the Constituent Assembly was held in December 1946.
2. Soon after the partition of India, the constituent assembly was also divided into two. The
Constituent Assembly that wrote the Indian constitution had 299 members.
3. The assembly adopted the constitution on 26thNovember 1949, but it came into force on
26th January 1950.

Q13. State the reasons why should we accept the constitution framed by the Indian
Constituent Assembly more than sixty years ago?
OR
Why is the Indian Constitution acceptable to the Indian people even today?
Ans. The reasons for accepting the Constitution framed by the Indian Constituent Assembly
more than sixty years ago are:
1. The Constitution reflects the views of its members as well as it expresses a broad
consensus of its time. During last sixty years, several groups have questioned some
provisions of the Constitution, but no one has ever questioned the legitimacy of the
Constitution itself which is an unusual achievement for any constitution.
2. The Constituent Assembly was elected mainly by the members of the existing Provincial
Legislatures which ensured a fair geographical share of members from all the regions of
the country.
3. The assembly was dominated by the Congress, which represented a variety of people of all
regions, political groups and opinions, different language groups, classes, castes, religions
and occupations of the country.
4. The members of the Constituent Assembly deliberated for 114 days spread over three
years. The Assembly worked in a systematic, open and consensual manner, thus giving
sanctity
to the Constitution. Several rounds of thorough discussions took place on the Draft
Constitution clause by clause.
5. Today, the Indian Constitution is one of the lengthiest constitutions in the world. It is
acceptable by the Indian people today as it is partly rigid and partly flexible. It acts in
accordance with the aspirations and changes of the people It has enough scope for
amendments, if required for the welfare of its citizens.

Q14. Explain: ‘Constituent Assembly’ Debates. State their importance.

OR
Finally, the manner in which the Constituent Assembly worked gives sanctity to the
constitution of India.” Justify the statement with arguments.
Ans. The Constituent Assembly worked in a systematic, open and consensual manner for the
making of the Indian Constitution which was a herculean task.
1. A drafting committee chaired by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar prepared a draft constitution.
2. Several rounds of discussion, debates, suggestions and criticisms took place on the Draft
Constitution. The members deliberated for 114 days spread over three years.
3. Every line, every word, clause by clause was debated and more than two thousand
amendments were considered.
4. Every document presented and every word spoken in the Constituent Assembly has been
recorded and preserved. These are called ‘Constituent Assembly Debates’ that formed twelve
bulky volumes when printed.

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 5. The Constituent Assembly debates are important as they provide the rationale behind every
provision of the Constitution and are used to interpret the meaning of the constitution.

Q15. What did Ambedkar mean by ‘Contradiction’ in his concluding speech to the
Constituent Assembly?
Ans: Dr. B.R. Ambedkar is known as the ‘Father of Indian Constitution’. In his concluding
speech to the Constituent Assembly Dr. Ambedkar said that India was entering a life of
‘contractions’ on 26th Jan 1950.
1. By this he meant that in politics, Indians would have equality but in social and economic
life, there would be inequality.
2. In politics India would be recognizing the principle of one man one vote, with one value,
but in social and economic life, the principle of one man one value would be denied.
3. Denial of equality in our social and economic life will only put our political democracy in
peril.

Q16. What is a Preamble? Explain its significance with respect to the Indian Constitution.
Ans. The Preamble is an introductory statement in a constitution which states the reasons and
guiding values of the constitution.
With respect to the Indian Constitution it is very significant as:
1. It contains the philosophy on which the entire Constitution has been built.
2. It is like a poem on democracy as it contains the values that inspired and guided the
freedom struggle on which all the articles of the Indian Constitution are based.
3. It provides a standard to examine and evaluate any law and action of the government, to
find out whether it is good or bad.
4. It is regarded as the soul of the Indian Constitution.

Q17. What are Constitutional Amendments? State its significance in a democratic country
like India.
Ans. Constitutional Amendments are changes in the constitution made by the Supreme
Legislative body in a country.
The significance in a democratic country like India is as follows:
1. The constitution of India is a very long and detailed document. Therefore, it needs to be
amended quite regularly to keep it updated.
2. The framers of the Indian Constitution felt that it must be in accordance with the people’s
aspirations and changes in the society.
3. They did not see it as a sacred, static and unalterable law. So, they made provisions to
incorporate changes (Amendments in the Indian Constitution) from time to time.
4. The Parliament has been given the power to make changes in the Constitution for the
welfare of the people and for the progress of the country.

Q18. ‘The Indian constitution is both rigid and flexible’. Justify the statement.
Ans. Indian constitution is both rigid and flexible as:
1. The procedure of amendment is neither easy nor difficult.
2. The constitution has provided a federal structure for India and the jurisdiction of Centre
and state have been defined and demarcated.
3. Both the Centre and States have been authorized to exercise powers independently.
4. There are provisions which can change the federal structure into a unitary one.
5. Amendments can be made only with the consent of both Centre and states. A special
majority of the Union Parliament, i.e. a majority of not less than two-third votes are
required to amend the constitution.

Q19. How has the Indian Constitution embodied the basic values into constitutional
arrangement? Explain. OR

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 Write about the Institutional Design of Constitution of India.
Ans. A constitution is not merely a statement of values and philosophy. But it is mainly about
embodying these values into institutional arrangements.
Basically, the Indian constitution is a very long and detailed document. Therefore, it needs
to be amended quite regularly to keep it updated. It has provisions to incorporate changes
from time to time. These changes are called constitutional amendments.
1. The Constitution describes the institutional arrangements in a very legal language, but the
basic institutional design is not very difficult to understand.
2. Like any constitution, the Indian constitution lays down a procedure for choosing persons
to govern the country.
3. It defines who will have how much power to take which decisions.
4. It puts limits to what the government can do by providing some rights to the citizen that
cannot be violated.

Q20. Highlight the salient features of the Constitution of India.

Ans. The salient features of the Constitution of India are as follows:
1. India has a written constitution which is one of the lengthiest in the world. The values that
inspired and guided the freedom struggle are incorporated in the Constitution.
2. It generates a degree of trust and coordination that is necessary for different kinds of
people to live together in our country.
3. The Indian Constitution lays down a procedure for choosing people to govern the country.
It specifies how the government will be constituted and who will have power to take which
decision.
4. The Constitution guarantees Fundamental Rights to all its citizens. It follows a three - tier
system of Executive, Legislature and Judiciary.
5. The Indian Constitution is partly rigid and partly flexible. It has provisions to incorporate
changes from time to time according to the aspirations of the people and so, it is
amended quite regularly to keep it updated.

Q21. What is the significance of the phrase ‘We the people of India’ in the Preamble?
Explain the four ideals on which the Preamble to the Indian Constitution lays
emphasis.
Ans. The preamble is an introductory part of the Constitution. It is called the key of the
Constitution. “We the people of India” means the Constitution has been drawn up and
enacted by the people through their representatives, and not handed down to them by a
king or any outside power.
The four ideals on which the Preamble to the Indian Constitution lays special
Emphasis are:
1. Justice: This ideal implies that citizens of India cannot be discriminated on the grounds
of caste, religion and gender. It entrusts the Government of India with the removal
of social inequalities and the welfare of all, especially of the disadvantaged groups.

2. Liberty: This ideal establishes that there are no unreasonable restrictions on Indian
citizens in terms of what they think, their manner of expression and the way they wish to
follow up their thoughts in action.

3. Equality: It asserts that all Indian citizens are equal before the law of the land. It recognises
that the traditional social inequalities are irrelevant, and the government is obliged to
ensure equality of opportunity for all citizens.

4. Fraternity: All citizens should behave as if they are part of the same family and no one
should treat a fellow citizen as inferior.

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 Q22. Explain the following keywords used in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution.
a) Sovereign b) Socialist c) Secular d) Democratic e) Republic
Ans. Several key words have been used in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution. They are as
follows:

a) Sovereign. People have supreme right to make decisions on internal as well as external
matters. No external power can dictate the government of India.

b) Socialist. Wealth is generated socially and should be shared equally by society. Government
should regulate the ownership of land and industry to reduce socio-economic inequalities.

c) Secular. Citizens have complete freedom to follow any religion. But there is no official religion.
Government treats all religious beliefs and practices with equal respect.

d) Democratic. A form of government where people enjoy equal political rights, elect their rulers
and hold them accountable. The government is run according to some basic rules.

e) Republic. The head of the state is an elected person and not a hereditary position.

Q23. ‘The Constituent Assembly was the representative body of the people of India.’
Explain with examples.
Ans. The Assembly was dominated by the Indian National Congress.
1. Many important political leaders were also its members. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru,
Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Vallabhbhai Patel, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Dr. Shyama Prasad
Mukherjee, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, Mrs. Sarojini Naidu and Sardar Baldev Singh were its
important members, who guided the discussion in the Constituent Assembly.
2. There were more than 30 members belonging to the Scheduled Caste.
3. Minorities like the Anglo – Indians had Frank Anthony as their representative.
4. The Parsee community was represented by H.P. Modi.
5. Some Constitutional experts like Alladi Krishna Swamy Aiyer, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and K.M
Munshi were also there.
6. Mrs. Sarojini Naidu and Mrs. Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit were the two leading women of India
in the Constituent Assembly.

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