These DAV SST Book Class 8 Solutions Pdf and DAV Class 8 SST Chapter 16 Question Answer – Our Constitution are thoughtfully prepared by experienced teachers.
DAV Class 8 SST Ch 169 Question Answer – Our Constitution
DAV Class 8 SST Ch 16 Solutions – Our Constitution
Something to Know
A. Tick (✓) the correct option.
Question 1.
In a parliamentary form of government:
(a) the executive is answerable to the Parliament.
(b) there is no relationship between the legislature and the executive.
(c) the President enjoys real powers as Head of the state.
(d) the Council of Ministers can be dismissed by the President.
Answer:
(b) there is no relationship between the legislature and the executive.
Question 2.
The Constituent Assembly of India consisted of:
(a) directly elected members.
(b) indirectly elected numbers.
(c) members nominated by the Queen.
(d) members nominated by Governor- General of India.
Answer:
(b) indirectly elected numbers.
Question 3.
Most of the provisions of Indian Constitution can be amended by:
(a) simple majority.
(b) special majority.
(c) special majority with ratification by the State Legislature.
(d) simple majority with ratification by the State Legislature.
Answer:
(a) simple majority.
Question 4.
Freedom of religion makes India a:
(a) Socialist state
(b) Sovereign state
(c) Secular state
(d) Republic
Answer:
(c) Secular state
Question 5.
Which one of the following statements goes against the spirit of federalism in India?
(a) India has a written and rigid Constitution.
(b) Powers have been divided between the Centre and the States.
(c) The government at the Centre is very strong.
(d) India has an independent judiciary.
Answer:
(a) India has a written and rigid Constitution.
B. Fill in the blanks.
Question 1.
________ is the basic unit of society.
Answer:
Family
Question 2.
India is a vast country with various ________ ________ and ________ diversities.
Answer:
physical, cultural; social
Question 3.
The Constitution provides a set of rules, ________ and ________ acceptable to almost all.
Answer:
principles; laws
Question 4.
England is not a republic because its Head of the State is ________
Answer:
hereditary
Question 5.
India has a single ________ judicial system.
Answer:
integrated
C. Write True or False for the following statements:
Question 1.
Mohan is a Gujarati but lives in Himachal Pradesh and has a dual citizenship.
Answer:
False
Question 2.
The President of India has the power to remove any judge of the Supreme Court.
Answer:
False
Question 3.
There were 15 female members in the Constituent Assembly of India.
Answer:
True
Question 4.
A Constitution is called rigid or flexible on the basis of the procedure for its amendments.
Answer:
True
Question 5.
India is a sovereign and socialist state but not secular.
Answer:
False
D. Answer the following questions in brief:
Question 1.
Cite three examples to prove that Indian Constitution is quite dynamic.
Answer:
Whenever the need was felt, the Indian Constitution was suitably amended according to the relevant demands to achieve national goals or to eradicate certain evil practices. Abolition of Privy Purse, Nationalisation of bank, Reservation for OBCs, Right to Information, Right to Education, Reservation of seats in the local self-bodies for women are some examples which prove that Indian Constitution is quite dynamic.
Question 2.
Identify any three provisions which make the Constitution of India rigid as well as flexible.
Answer:
A Constitution is called rigid or flexible on the basis of the procedure of its amendments. A rigid Constitution is one which cannot be amended easily. On the contrary, a flexible Constitution can be amended easily. The strength of a rigid Constitution is that it is stable and is a guarantee against hasty changes. A flexible constitution is considered progressive in nature and helpful in development of the nation. Keeping this in mind, the Constitution of India is a combination of both rigid as well as flexible.
Question 3.
“India has a parliamentary form of government.” Give any three examples to support this statement.
Answer:
India has a parliamentary form of government both at the centre and in the states. In a parliamentary democracy, there is a close relationship between the legislature and the executive. The Council of Ministers is constituted from amongst the members of the legislature. It holds the office as long as it continues to enjoy the confidence of the legislature. In a parliamentary form of government, the Head of the State, the President in case of India, is a nominal head. Although, she/he enjoys many powers, but in practice all these powers are exercised by the Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister.
Question 4.
Why is Indian federation called quite unique? Explain.
Answer:
In India federation, the Central Government, which is also called the Union Government, is so powerful that at times it appears that India is not really a federation but a unitary state. However, the Constitution of India has several features of a federation combined with the elements of a unitary state. Some people describe India as a federation with a very strong central government.
Question 5.
Explain the procedures of amending the Indian Constitution.
Answer:
(i) By Simple Majority: Certain provisions of the Constitution can easily be changed by passing the Amendment Bill by simple majority, which means the bill should be approved by a majority of the members present and voting in both the Houses of the Parliament.
(ii) By Special Majority: The Amendment Bill shall have to be approved by both the Houses of the Parliament by (i) absolute majority of total membership and (ii) two-third majority of members present and voting. Most of the provisions of our Constitution are amended by this method.
(iii) Special Majority and Ratification: After the bill is passed by Special Majority in both the Houses of the Parliament, it may be approved by the legislatures of at least half of the total number of states.
E. Answer the following questions:
Question 1.
Describe the composition and contribution of the Constituent Assembly of India.
Answer:
The Constitution of India is the result of serious deliberations of a representative body called the Constituent Assembly, which was an indirectly elected body. Most of the members of this Constituent Assembly represented Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Anglo-Indians, Christians, Harijans, Parsis, etc. The Assembly included eminent personalities like Jawaharlal Nehru, Vallabhbhai Patel, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, MaulanaAzad, K.M. Munshi, J.B. Kripalani, C. Rajagopalachari, Pattabhi Sitarammyya, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, M. Gopala Swamy Ayyangar, etc. There were 15 female members also in the Constituent Assembly like Sacheta Kriplani, Sarojini Naidu, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, etc.
Some ideals are included in the Constitution of free India like commitment to democracy and guarantee of justice, equality and freedom to all the people. The makers of the Constitution were also very much concerned about feeding the starved, clothing the naked and ending the exploitation of the already deprived and depressed sections of society.
Question 2.
Describe any five salient features of the Indian Constitution.
Answer:
- The chief characteristic of the Constitution of India is its uniqueness. The best features of many existing constitutions of the world were modified and adapted to our needs and conditions.
- The Constitution of India is the lengthiest and the most detailed Constitution of the world. It is divided into 22 parts and has 395 Articles and 12 Schedules.
- Indian Constitution is a written Constitution. It was drafted and enacted by the Constituent Assembly, specially elected for this purpose. It was presided over by Dr. Rajendra Prasad. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was the Chairman of its Drafting Committee.
- It is called rigid or flexible on the basis of the procedure of its amendments.
- It is not only a sacred document, that is, a frame-work for democratic governance but also an instrument that may need modifications.
Question 3.
Mention any five purposes which the Constitution of India serves towards strengthening democracy.
Answer:
The Constitution of India serves the following purposes:
- defines the nature of a country’s political system.
- Provides certain significant guidelines that help in decision making within a democratic set-up.
- Lays down rules and provides safeguards against misuse of power and abuse of authority which leads to gross injustice by those in power.
- Guarantees certain rights based on equality to establish social, political and economic justice.
- Ensures that the majority group does not dominate the minorities.
- Guards our national interests.
- Does not allow dictatorial or biased decisions which may change the very basic structure of the Constitution.
- Plays a crucial role in democratic societies towards the achievement of desired goals, (any five)
Question 4.
Why is Indian federation called quite unique? Explain.
Answer:
- India is a sovereign state because the country is free all external controls. Internally, we are free to take our own decisions. No other country can dictate its policies or terms to us and no body can interfere in our internal affairs.
- India is a socialist state because socialism is one of the national goals to be achieved. Thus, India is against exploitation in all forms and will try to establish economic justice, without being attached to any particular ideology.
- India is a secular state. All religions enjoy equal freedom. No discrimination is made on grounds of religion. Right to Freedom of Religion is granted by our Constitution under the Fundamental Rights.
- India is a democratic state. Our government is elected by the people and the administration of the country is carried out by the elected representatives of the people. The government is run according to some basic rules.
Question 5.
Why do some people say that India is a federation with unitary features? Explain with the help of any five constitutional provisions.
Answer:
The Constitution of India has several features of a federation combined with the elements of a unitary state. So, India is also described as a federation with a very strong central government.
(i) Universal Adult Franchise means that eveiy citizen of India, who is 18 years and above, is entitled to vote in the elections, without any discrimination of caste, colour, class, religion or gender. It is based on equality which is a basic principle of democracy. This right enables all citizens to be involved in the governance of the country through their elected representatives.
(ii) In India, we have single citizenship. Therefore, every Indian, irrespective of the place where she/he lives, is a citizen of India.
(iii) In India, the entire judiciary is one hierarchy of courts. The Supreme Court of India and the High Courts form a single integrated judicial structure with jurisdiction over all laws.
(iv) India has an independent judiciary, free from the influence of the executive and the legislature.
(v) The Fundamental Rights, Directive Principles of State Policy and the Fundamental Duties are also the basic features of the Indian Constitution that prescribe the fundamental obligations of the state to its citizens and the duties of the citizen to the state.
Value Based Question:
The Constitution of India is the result of serious deliberations of Constituent Assembly which represented almost all communities. They were concerned about feeding the starved, clothing the naked and ending the exploitation of the deprived and depressed sections of society. So, the ideals of justice, equality and freedom for all the people were included in the Constitution.
Question 1.
Which ideal given in the Constitution of India do you like the most and why?
Answer:
The Indian Constitution provides equality of status and of opportunity among all. It is most important right. For example, the voting right enables all adult citizens to be involved in the governance of the country through their elected representatives. It is based on equality, which is a basic principle of democracy.
Question 2.
How far have we achieved these targets/ideals?
Answer:
On 15 August 2017, India celebrated seventy years of its existence as a free nation. Some ideals are included in the Constitution of free India like commitment to democracy and guarantee of justice, equality and freedom to all the people. But despite constitutional guarantees, in some areas the deprived and depressed sections of society are still facing violence and discrimination.
In many parts of rural India they are not allowed access to water sources, temples, parks and other public places. And despite the secular ideals enshrined in the Constitution, there have been clashes between different religious groups in many states. The gulf between the rich and the poor has grown over the years. Some parts of India and some groups of Indians have benefited a great deal from economic development.
They live in large houses, dine in expensive restaurants and send their children to expensive private schools. At the same time many others continue to live below the poverty line. Housed in urban slums, or living in remote villages on lands that yield little, they cannot afford to send their children to school. Judged by the standards it set itself at Independence, the Republic of India has not been a great success. But it has not been a failure either.
Question 3.
Suggest any two ways to improve the condition of the deprived sections of our society.
Answer:
(i) Providing them food and clean water.
(ii) Clothing the poor.
(iii) Ending the exploitation against them.
Map Skill
On an outline political map of the world, locate the following countries from whom India adopted varied features enshrined in our Constitution.
(a) United Kingdom (UK)
(b) United States of America (USA)
(c) Canada
(d) Russia (Part of erstwhile USSR)
(e) Ireland
Answer:
Something to Do:
Question 1.
Arrange a competition to recite the full text of the Preamble of the Constitution of India with emphasis on pauses and pronunciation. The recitation should be followed by 1-2 minutes speech about the importance of Preamble.
Answer:
Do yourself.
Question 2.
Organise an interclass declamation contest on the following topics.
(a) What would happen if there was no written Constitution of free India.
(b) If we had a rigid Constitution, what would have been the impact on regionalism?
(c) If there were no rules and regulations in the school.
Answer:
Do yourself.
Question 3.
Arrange a Pledge-taking ceremony in the Morning Assembly of your school where students and teachers take a pledge to follow the ideals given in the Preamble of our Constitution.
Answer:
Do yourself.
DAV Class 8 Social Science Chapter 16 Question Answer – Our Constitution
A. Tick (✓) the correct option.
Question 1.
Which of the following is a provision that a democratic Constitution does not contain?
(a) The rights of the people
(b) The ideals of the people
(c) Powers and functions of the Legislature, Executive and Judiciary
(d) The name of the President of a country.
Answer:
(d) The name of the President of a country.
Question 2.
Which of the following is not mentioned in the Preamble of India?
(a) The Federal System
(b) Justice
(c) Liberty
(d) Equality
Answer:
(a) The Federal System
Question 3.
Which of the following personalities was not a member of the Constituent Assembly?
(a) Dr. S. Radhakrishnan
(b) Dr. Rajendra Prasad
(c) Mahatma Gandhi
(d) J.B. Kriplani
Answer:
(b) Dr. Rajendra Prasad
Question 4.
Who is regarded as the father of the Indian Constitution?
(a) Jawaharlal Nehru
(b) Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
(c) Vallabhbhai Patel
(d) C. Rajagopalachari
Answer:
(a) Jawaharlal Nehru
Question 5.
Universal Adult Franchise, i.e., the Right to Vote was granted in:
(a) 1947
(b) 1949
(c) 1950
(d) 1941
Answer:
(c) 1950
B. Very Short Answer Type Questions:
Question 1.
What is a Constitution?
Answer:
A Constitution is a body of fundamental rules according to which the government of a country functions.
Question 2.
What does the Constitution reflect?
Answer:
The Constitution of a country reflects its distinctive features, culture and ethos.
Question 3.
What does the Constitution include?
Answer:
The Indian Constitution is the supreme law of India. It lays down the framework defining fundamental principles, establishes the structure and duties of citizens.
C. Short Answer Type Questions:
Question 1.
Define Preamble of the Indian Constitution.
Answer:
The Indian Constitution begins with a preface or a short introduction called the Preamble. It provides a key to the understanding and interpretation of the Constitution. It lists the source of authority, the system of government, the objectives to be achieved by the political system and the ways of adoption and enactment of our Constitution. It highlights the goals and aspirations of the Indians. Therefore, it has been described as the soul of the Indian Constitution.
Question 2.
How can you say the Constitution of India is the lengthiest of the word?
Answer:
The Constitution of India is the lengthiest and the most detailed Constitution of the world. It is divided into 22 parts and has 395 Articles and 12 Schedules. The Constituent Assembly spent 2 years 11 month and 18 days to complete its final draft on November 26, 1949 but it was adopted and enforced on January 26, 1950.
D. Long Answer Type Question:
Question 1.
India has a single integrated judicial system. Explain it.
Answer:
India has a single integrated judicial system. Unlike the judicial system of the United States, we do not have separate federal and state courts. In our country, the entire judiciary is one hierarchy of courts. The Supreme Court of India and the High Courts form a single integrated judicial structure with jurisdiction over all laws. The High Courts have the right of supervision over the Subordinate Courts.
India has an independent judiciary, free from the influence of the executive and the legislature. The judges are appointed on the basis of their qualifications but they cannot be easily removed by the executive. The Fundamental Rights, Directive Principles of State Policy and Fundamental Duties are also the basic features of the Constitution of India that prescribe the fundamental obligations of the state to its citizens and the duties of the citizen to the state.