CH 2 CONSTITUTIONAL DESIGN

CLASS IX
QUESTIONS - ANSWERS

WRITE ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS IN YOUR HIS/POL/ECO REGISTER.

Also write key terms in the register (given at the back of the chapter)

Short answer type questions (3 marks): Answer these questions in not more than 80 words

1. Why Preamble is called preface of the Constitution?

2. What was drafting committee? Who was its chairman?
3. What were the factors that helped the Indian leaders to develop the constitution?
4. ‘All countries that have constitution are not necessarily democratic. But all countries that are democratic
will have a constitution.’ Explain.
Answer: (a) Constitutions are merely a set of rules that dictate how a state functions. Constitutions do not
have to be democratic, they do not have to provide people with the ability to run for office, to vote or even
to be free and equal. They give structure to the state. Therefore, it is entirely possible to have a
constitution that is not democratic but is instead monarchic or of some other kind.

(b) All democracies will have constitutions, however, to ensure that there are legal safeguards preventing
democracy from turning into any system less desirable than democracy.

(c) Democracy is regarded in these countries to be of utmost importance in securing equal rights and
freedom and it is therefore important that there is a strong legal framework to maintain it.

Long answer type questions (5 marks): Answer these questions in not more than 120 words

5. ‘India emerged as an independent country amidst heavy turmoil’. Justify the statement explaining the
challenges before the Constitution makers of India.
OR
India's Constitution was drawn up under strange circumstances. What were the problems faced by the
Indian leaders to make the Indian Constitution?
6. Explain ideals of the preamble of the Indian Constitution.
7. What is a constitution? Why do we need it?
OR
What are the main functions of the Constitution?
8. “Most of the countries of the world keep changing their constitution as needed but the same Indian
Constitution is accepted even today as it was at the time of preparation.” Is it an unusual achievement?
Explain.
OR
Why should we accept the constitution made by the Constituent Assembly more than 50 years ago?
9. Write a short note on the institutional design of the Indian Constitution.
Answer: Institutional design of the Indian Constitution
(i) The Constitution of India embodies the values into the constitutional arrangements. It has developed a
basic institutional design which has its own importance.
(ii) It is a very long and detailed document. Therefore, it needs to be amended quite regularly to keep it
updated.
(iii) So, the makers of the Indian constitution made provisions to incorporate changes from time to time.
These changes are called constitutional amendments.
(iv) The Constitution describes the institutional arrangements in a legal language. Like any constitution, the
Indian Constitution lays down a procedure for choosing persons to govern the country. It defines who will
have how much power to take which decisions.
 (v) It puts a check on the arbitrary powers of the government by providing certain fundamental rights to
the citizens which cannot be violated.
10. Who were the makers of the Indian Constitution?
(Hint: Path to Indian Constitution).
Answer:
1) In 1928, Motilal Nehru and 8 other Congress leaders drafted a Constitution for India.
2) In 1931, in the resolution at the Karachi session, it was decided how independent India's constitution
should look like.
3) Both these documents committed to the inclusion of i) universal adult franchise ii) Right to freedom &
equality iii) to protect rights of minority
4) The elections held in 1937 to Provincial Legislatures and Ministries were not fully democratic and made
Indians realize the need for setting up their own institutions.
5) The Constituent Assembly that wrote the Indian constitution had 299 members.
6) People like Dr. BR Ambedkar, TT Krishnamachari, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Sarojini Naidu etc also played an
active role in the making of the Indian Constitution.