These DAV SST Book Class 8 Solutions Pdf and DAV Class 8 SST Chapter 19 Question Answer – The Union Government: The Executive are thoughtfully prepared by experienced teachers.
DAV Class 8 SST Ch 19 Question Answer – The Union Government: The Executive
DAV Class 8 SST Ch 19 Solutions – The Union Government: The Executive
Something to Know
A. Tick (✓) the correct option.
Question 1.
Who among the following is the Head of the Union Government?
(a) The Prime Minister
(b) The President of India
(c) The Vice President of India
(d) The Chief Justice of India
Answer:
(a) The Prime Minister
Question 2.
The Supreme Commander of India’s defence forces is-
(a) The Defence Minister of India
(b) The senior most among the Army Chief, Air Chief and the Naval Chief
(c) The Prime Minister of India
(d) The President of India
Answer:
(d) The President of India
Question 3.
Which one of the following statements is true?
(a) The Union Home Minister acts as a link between the President and the Cabinet.
(b) The Vice President of India is not entitled to all the powers and privileges due to the President even if she/he is officiating.
(c) All the members of RajyaSabha are entitled to vote in the Presidential election.
(d) The President of India is an integral part of Indian Parliament.
Answer:
(c) All the members of RajyaSabha are entitled to vote in the Presidential election.
Question 4.
The President can dissolve the Lok Sabha on the advice of-
(a) The Speaker of Lok Sabha
(b) The Chairman of Rajya Sabha
(c) The Union Council of Ministers
(d) The Prime Minister of India
Answer:
(d) The Prime Minister of India
Question 5.
In case of certain extraordinary situations, the President can sanction money to the government out of-
(a) Emergency fund
(b) Contingency fund
(c) Army welfare fund
(d) Consolidated fund
Answer:
(b) Contingency fund
B. Fill in the blanks.
1. In Parliamentary form of government, the two types of executives are ________ and ________ .
Answer:
nominal; real
2. The process to remove the President of India is called ________ .
Answer:
impeachment
3. The Union Council of Ministers is there to ________ and ________ the President of India.
Answer:
aid; advise
4. Responsibility of all the ministers to defend their acts and decisions is called ________ .
Answer:
collective responsibility
5. The President of India is elected by a ________ vote system.
Answer:
Single Transferable
C. Write True or False for the following statements.
1. The Union Executive comprises of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers.
Answer:
False
2. The President of India cannot be re¬elected for a second term.
Answer:
False
3. All the elected members of Parliament and the State Legislative Assemblies elect the President of India.
Answer:
True
4. The imposition of emergency in a State is called President’s rule.
Answer:
True
5. The Chairman of Rajya Sabha must be a member of Rajya Sabha.
Answer:
False
D. Answer the following questions in brief.
Question 1.
Explain the judicial powers of the President of India.
Answer:
Judicial powers of the President of India:
(i) The President appoints all the judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts including the Chief Justice.
(ii) On appeal of mercy, the President has the power to reduce the sentence or grant pardon or amnesty.
(iii) He/She can change the death sentence or can postpone it also.
Question 2.
Explain the process of electing the President of India.
Answer:
The President of India is elected indirectly by an electoral college consisting of only the elected members of the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and Legislative Assemblies of the states. The election is held in accordance with the Single Transferable Vote System of Proportional Representation. Under this system, it is essential to secure the fixed quota of votes to get elected.
Question 3.
Differentiate between the real and the nominal executive of India.
Answer:
The real executive is the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers, whereas the President is the nominal executive because she/he is bound to act on the advice of the Council of Ministers.
Question 4.
How can the President of India be removed and on what grounds? Explain.
Answer:
If the President of India violates the Constitution, he/she can be removed from the office by a resolution of impeachment which is passed by both the Houses of the Parliament by two-third majority of the total membership.
Question 5.
Describe the powers and functions of the Vice President of India.
Answer:
Powers and functions of the Vice President of India:
- He/She is the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. He presides over the meetings of the Rajya Sabha, conducts its proceedings and maintains the discipline and decorum of the House.
- Since the Vice President is not a member of the Rajya Sabha, he/she does not participate in voting in the House. But in case of tie, he/she can exercise his casting vote.
- When the office of the President falls vacant due to death, resignation or impeachment, he/she takes over as the officiating President till a fresh election is held. As officiating President, he/she exercises all the powers privileges, etc. of the President of India.
E. Answer the following questions.
Question 1.
How is the Union Council of Ministers appointed? Explain its main functions.
Answer:
The Union Council of Ministers comprises of the Prime Minister, the Cabinet Ministers and the Ministers of State. The composition of the Council of Ministers starts with the appointment of the Prime Minister by the President of India. Other ministers are appointed afterwards by the President on the advice of the. Prime Minister.
The main functions of the Council of Ministers:
- It frames internal and external policy of the country.
- It takes decisions at the national and international levels.
- It runs administration through various ministries, like Defence, Finance, Agriculture, Foreign Affairs, Health, etc.
- The Council of Ministers also performs certain legislative function like preparing and approving the
annual budget and making laws.
Question 2.
List any five powers and functions of the Prime Minister of India.
Answer:
The Prime Minister of India is the pivot and the entire administration revolves around him/her. He/she is the head of government and performs the following functions:
- Forms Council of Ministers.
- Presides over the meeting of the Cabinet as well as the Council of Ministers.
- Co-ordinate the working of various departments.
- Advises the President to summon or prorogue the session or to dissolve the Lok Sabha before its term expires.
- Advises the President about important appointments like that of Chairman of UPSC, Auditor General of India, Ambassadors, etc.
- Acts as a link between the President and the Cabinet.
Question 3.
Describe the legislative and financial powers of the President of India.
Answer:
Legislative powers:
- He/She can summon, prorogue and address the two Houses of the Parliament. Every year, the first session of the Parliament begins with his/her address.
- The President can dissolve the Lok Sabha before the expiry of its normal term if he /she is adviced to do so by the Prime Minister.
- No bill passed by both the Houses of the Parliament, becomes a law without his/her consent. Prior approval of the President is essential before a money bill is introduced in the Lok Sabha.
Financial powers:
- The annual budget of the country is presented in the Parliament in the name of the President.
- All money bills also require his/her approval before introducing them in the Lok Sabha.
- He/She has the power to appoint members of the Finance Commission. In case, certain extraordinary situations arise, the President can sanction money to the government out of Contigency Fund to meet the situation.
Question 4.
Explain the three situations under which the President of India can proclaim Emergency.
Answer:
The President of India declares Emergency in the following situations:
- If the security of the country is threatened by war or external aggression or internal armed rebellion, the President can declare a state of emergency for the whole country.
- If the government of a state is not being run in accordance with the Constitution, the President can declare emergency in that state. It is also called Imposition of President’s Rule in a state.
- When the financial stability of the country is threatened, the President can declare a state of financial emergency.
Question 5.
Explain the following terms:
(a) Coalition Government
(b) Impeachment
(c) Collective Responsibility
(d) Parliamentary Form of Government
(e) Electoral College
Answer:
(a) Coalition Government: It is a government formed by an alliance of two or more political parties, usually when no single party gets a clear majority in a legislature.
(b) Impeachment: The process to remove the President of India is called impeachment. If a President violates the Constitution, he/she can be removed from office by a resolution of impeachment which is passed by both the Houses of Parliament by two-third majority of the total membership.
(c) Collective Responsibility: This means that all the Ministers together are answerable to the Parliament for any decision taken by the Cabinet. All of them swim or sink together.
(d) ParliamentaryFormofGovemment: The form of government which is answerable to the Parliament or the Union legislature.
(e) Electoral College: It consists of the elected members of the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and the Legislative Assemblies of the state.
Value Based Question
The First President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, when retired, refused to accept to live in the official bunglow alloted by the Government of India and opted to live in his native village instead.
Question 1.
What would you do if you were given a similar option, and why?
Answer:
Do yourself.
Question 2.
Identify any value you have learnt from this incident.
Answer:
Do yourself.
Question 3.
Write one similar anecdote from your family, friends or any leader/person that has inspired you.
Answer:
Do yourself.
Map Skill
Question 1.
On an outline political map of India, locate and label the following states.
(a) The home State of the First President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad. – Bihar
(b) The State to which the First Woman President of India, Smt. Pratibha Patil, belonged. – Maharashtra
(c) The State where the First Vice President of India, Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, was born. – Tamil Nadu
(d) The State where the First Speaker of Lok Sabha, G.V. Mavalankar, was bom. – Gujarat
(e) The State to which the First Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, belonged. – Uttar Pradesh
Answer:
Something to Do
Question 1.
Divide your class into groups of four or five and collect interesting information about the Presidents, Vice Presidents and Prime Ministers of India. Some interesting facts are given below:
(a) The Vice Presidents who later became Presidents.
(b) The Vice President who resigned his post first and then contested the Presidential election.
(c) The Presidents who could not complete their term. Why could they not do so?
(d) The youngest Prime Minister of India.
(e) The Prime Ministers who were in office for less than a month.
Put this information along with the concerned photographs on the display board of your class.
Answer:
(a) Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, Dr. Zakir Husain, V.V. Giri, R. Venkataraman, Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma.
(b) V.V. Giri
(c) Dr. Zakir Husain and Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed. Both the Presidents died during their term.
(d) Rajiv Gandhi.
(e) Gulzari Lai Nanda (11.1.1966 – 24.1.1966), Atal Bihari Vajpayee (16.5.1996 – 1.6.1996)
Question 2.
Study the following photographs of some of the Presidents, Vice Presidents and the Prime Ministers of India. Identify them and mention their names, the post they held and the tenure of their office.
Answer:
| Name | Post Held | Tenure |
| 1. B.D. Jatti | Vice President | 1974-1979 |
| 2. Dr. Zakir Husain | President | 1967-1969 |
| 3. V.P. Singh | Prime Minister | 1989-1990 |
| 4. Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma | President | 1992-1997 |
| 5. Morarji Desai | Prime Minister | 1977-1979 |
| 6. A.B. Vajpayee | Prime Minister | 1998-2004 |
| 7. R. Venkataraman | President | 1987-1992 |
| 8. Bhairon Singh Shekhawat | Vice-President | 2002-2007 |
| 9. Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy | President | 1977-1982 |
| 10. Ram Nath Kovind | President | 2017-till date |
Question 3.
Prepare a Power Point presentation on the Present Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister and their portfolios along with their photos.
Answer:
Do yourself.
DAV Class 8 Social Science Chapter 19 Question Answer – The Union Government: The Executive
A. Tick (✓) the correct option.
Question 1.
The Head of the State is the-
(a) Prime Minister
(b) President
(c) Chief Justice
(d) Lok Sabha Speaker
Answer:
(b) President
Question 2.
The Head of the Government is the-
(a) Prime Minister
(b) Chief Minister
(c) Attorney General
(d) President
Answer:
(a) Prime Minister
Question 3.
Who was the only President to have been re-elected for a second time?
(a) Dr. Rajendra Prasad
(b) Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma
(c) Smt. Pratibha Devi Singh Patil
(d) Shri N. Sanjeeva Reddy
Answer:
(a) Dr. Rajendra Prasad
Question 4.
The term of the President’s office is-
(a) 10 years
(b) 8 years
(c) 6 years
(d) 5 years
Answer:
(d) 5 years
Question 5.
Who among the following is not appointed by the President?
(a) Attorney General for India
(b) Prime Minister of India
(c) Governors of States
(d) Chief Ministers of States
Answer:
(d) Chief Ministers of States
Question 6.
Which of the following statements is wrong about the Vice President of India?
(a) He/She is elected for a period of five years.
(b) He/She is the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
(c) He/She is the head of the Union executive.
Answer:
(c) He/She is the head of the Union executive.
Question 7.
Who among the following was the first President of Independent India? (DAV Board)
(a) Jawaharlal Nehru
(b) Dr. Rajendra Prasad
(c) Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
(d) Mahatma Gandhi
Answer:
(b) Dr. Rajendra Prasad
Question 8.
Who can nominate two representatives of the Anglo-Indian community to Lok Sabha in case Anglo-Indian community is not adequately repre¬sented? (DAV Board)
(a) Governor of a state
(b) President of India
(c) Prime Minister of India
(d) Vice President of India
Answer:
(b) President of India
Question 9.
The Council of Ministers comprises of the
(a) Cabinet Ministers
(b) Ministers of State
(c) Deputy Ministers
(d) All of these
Answer:
(d) All of these
Question 10.
Whenever the office of the President falls vacant, the Vice President takes over as the officiating President till a fresh election is held. The new President must be elected within
(a) one year
(b) nine months
(c) six months
(d) three months
Answer:
(c) six months
B. Very Short Answer Type Questions
Question 1.
The election of the President of India is held in accordance with the Single Transferable Vote System of Proportional Representation. What is essential for him/her to secure under this system?
Answer:
Under this system, it is essential for him to secure the fixed quota of votes to get elected.
Question 2.
What is the process to remove the President of India called?
Answer:
The process to remove the President of India is called impeachment.
Question 3.
Under what circumstances can a President be impeached?
Answer:
If a President violates the Constitution, he/she can be impeached.
Question 4.
What do you mean by ‘succession to presidency?
Answer:
In case the office of the President falls vacant due to his/her resignation, death or impeachment, the Vice President of India takes over the responsibility to officiate as President till the new President is elected. Election must be held within six months to fill up the office of the President.
Question 5.
Under what circumstances does the Chief Justice of India take over as the officiating President of India?
Answer:
If the office of the Vice President also falls vacant, when there is an already existing vacancy at the President’s office, then the Chief Justice of India takes over as officiating President of India till new President is elected.
Question 6.
How can you say that the Prime Minister occupies the most important position in a parliamentary form of government?
Answer:
As a leader of the party, his/her opinion carries maximum weight in taking all party decisions. His/ Her views on various political and economic issues are valued and respected. He weilds a lot of power.
Question 7.
What are the main functions of the executive as an organ of the government?
Answer:
The main functions of the executive as an organ of the government are to enforce laws made by the legislature, execute them and run the administration of the country.
Question 8.
What qualifications should a candidate possess for the office of the President of India?
Answer:
(i) A candidate for the office of the President of India must be a citizen of India and has completed 35 years of age.
(ii) He/She should be qualified to be a member of the Lok Sabha.
(in) He/She should not hold any office of profit under the government at any level.
Question 9.
How is the Vice President of India elected?
Answer:
The Vice President of India is elected for a period of five years by all the members of both the Houses of Parliament by Single Transferable Vote System of the Proportional Representation.
C. Short Answer Type Questions
Question 1.
The President of India is the nominal executive. What does this mean?
Answer:
This means that the President is vested with all the executive powers but they are all exercised by the Union Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister. He/She is bound to act on the advice of the Council of Ministers. If the President does not wish to accept any advice, he/ she may refer it back to the Council of Ministers. But if the same advice is sent back again, the President is bound to accept it.
Question 2.
Describe the executive powers of the President.
Answer:
The President of India is the head of the Union executive. His executive powers are given below:
- All the administrative decisions are taken in his/her name.
- He/She makes all the important appointments including those of the Prime Minister, Council of Ministers, Governors, Judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts, Controller and Auditor General of India and Attorney General of India.
- He/She also appoints the members of Election Commission, Finance Commissioner, etc. He/She is the Supreme Commander of India’s defence forces.
Question 3.
Who appoints the Prime Minister and how?
Answer:
The President of India appoints the Prime Minister. While appointing him/her, the President has no choice or discretion. Normally, he/ she appoints the leader of the majority party in the Lok Sabha. In case, no single party gets a clear majority, he/ she calls upon the leader of the two or more parties combined together or an alliance to become the Prime Minister.
Question 4.
“The Prime Minister is the pivot around whom the entire administration revolves”. Justify this statement by giving any five powers of the Prime Minister. (DAV Board)
Answer:
The Prime Minister of India is the pivot and the entire administration revolves around him/her. He/she is the head of government and performs the following functions:
- Forms Council of Ministers.
- Presides over the meeting of the Cabinet as well as the Council of Ministers.
- Co-ordinate the working of various departments.
- Advises the President to summon or prorogue the session or to dissolve the Lok Sabha before its term expires.
- Advises the President about important appointments like that of Chairman of UPSC, Auditor General of India, Ambassadors, etc.
- Acts as a link between the President and the Cabinet.