Class 12 - Political Science : Important 4 marks Questions and Answers

List of Questions and Answers

1.Highlight the lessons which we have learnt from the National Emergency imposed during the 1970s.
(Chapter 15-Crisis of the Democratic order)

Ans:
The Emergency saw both the weaknesses and the strengths of India's democracy.
Following are the lessons learnt from Emergency:

  • Emergency is extremely difficult to do away with democracy in India.
  • Secondly, it brought out some ambiguities regarding the Emergency provision in the constitution that have been rectified .Now 'internal' Emergency can be proclaimed only on the grounds of 'armed rebellion' and it is necessary that the advice to the President to proclaim Emergency must be given in writing by the Council of Ministers.
  • Thirdly, the Emergency made everyone more aware of the value of civil liberties. The Courts too, have taken an active role after the Emergency in protecting the civil liberties of the individuals.

2.Right from its origin in 1885 as a pressure group, how did Congress evolve as a social and ideological coalition?
(Chapter 2 : Era of One-Party Dominance)

Ans:
Right from its origin since 1885 as a pressure group ,Congress transformed into a mass political party.

  • Initially Congress began as a party dominated by the English speaking, upper caste, upper middle-class and urban elite. Later with every civil disobedience movement it launched, its social base started growing. It brought together different groups, whose interests were often contradictory. Peasants and industrialists, urban dwellers and villagers, workers and owners, middle, lower and upper classes and castes, all found space in the Congress.
  • The leadership of Congress party expanded beyond the upper caste and upper class professionals to agriculture based leaders with a rural orientation.
  • By the time of Independence, the Congress was transformed into a rainbow-like social coalition broadly representing India’s diversity in terms of classes and castes, religions and languages and various interests.
  • Most of the groups merged their identity with congress party.They worked with Congress as groups and individuals holding different beliefs. In this sense the Congress was an ideological coalition as well.
  • It accommodated the revolutionary and pacifist, conservative and radical, extremist and moderate and the right, left and all shades of the centre.
  • The Congress was a 'platform' for numerous groups, interests and even political parties to take part in the national movement.

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3.Discuss US Hegemony as hard power.
(Chapter 3 – US Hegemony in World Politics.)

Ans:

  • The first meaning of hegemony relates to the relations, patterns and balances of military capability between states.
  • One example of hard power is, Ayesha, who lost her leg in an American missile attack? It is hard power hegemony that has broken Ayesha’s body, if not her spirit.
  • US military dominance today is both absolute and relative and they have military capabilities that can reach any point on the planet and no one can match with them.
  • The US today spends more on its military capability, military research and development and technology.
  • The military dominance of the US is not just based on higher military spending, but on a qualitative gap, a technological and no one can compare with them and one example of it is the US invasion of Iraq.
  • US military capability has shown to have serious weaknesses in policing an occupied territory as after invasion of Iraq , the US has not been able to force the Iraqi people into submitting to the occupation forces of the US-led coalition.

4.Analyse the causes for the rise of the Chinese economy.
(Chapter 4 – Alternative Centres of Power)

Ans:
The chinese took some major policy decision which was the reason for the rise in the chinese economy.

  • The first major decision was to end its political and economic isolation with the establishment of relations with the United States in 1972.
  • China's leader Premier Zhou Enlai proposed the 'four modernisations'(agriculture, industry, science and technology and military) in 1973.
  • By 1978, the then leader Deng Xiaoping announced the 'open door' policy and economic reforms in China. The policy was to generate higher productivity by investments of capital and technology from abroad.
  • They started with privatisation of agriculture in 1982 , followed by the privatisation of industry in 1998.
  • Privatisation of agriculture led to a remarkable rise in agricultural production and rural incomes.
  • High personal savings in the rural economy lead to an exponential growth in rural industry. The Chinese economy, including both industry and agriculture, grew at a faster rate.
  • Trade barriers were eliminated only in Special Economic Zones (SEZs) where foreign investors could set up enterprises.The new trading laws and the creation of Special Economic Zones led to a phenomenal rise in foreign trade.

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5.Discuss the Political consequences of Globalisation.
(Chapter 9 - Globalisation)

Ans:
Globalisation results in an erosion of state capacity, that is, the ability of government to do what they do.

  • The state has minimum core functions such as the maintenance of law and order and the security of its citizens. However, it withdraws from many of its earlier welfare functions directed at economic and social well-being.
  • In place of the welfare state, it is the market that becomes the prime determinant of economic and social priorities.
  • The entry and the increased role of multinational companies all over the world leads to a reduction in the capacity of governments to take decisions on their own.
  • The primacy of the state continues to be the unchallenged basis of political community.
  • The old jealousies and rivalries between countries have not ceased to matter in world politics.
  • State capacity has received a boost as a consequence of globalisation, with enhanced technologies available at the disposal of the state to collect information about its citizens.

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6.Examine the consequences of the shock therapy.
(Chapter 2 – The End of Bipolarity)

Ans:
Following are the consequences of Shock-Therapy;

  • In Russia, the large state-controlled industrial complex almost collapsed, as about 90 per cent of its industries were put up for sale to private individuals and companies.
  • The restructuring was carried out through market forces and not by government-directed industrial policies, it led to the virtual disappearance of entire industries.
  • The valuable industries were undervalued and sold at throwaway prices and this was said to be 'the largest garage sale in history'
  • The value of the ruble, the Russian currency, declined dramatically.
  • The rate of inflation was so high that people lost all their savings.
  • The collective farm system disintegrated leaving people without food security, and Russia started to import food.
  • The old system of social welfare was systematically destroyed.
  • The withdrawal of government subsidies pushed large sections of the people into poverty.

7.Discuss the reforms proposed under the "New International Economic Order".
(Chapter 1 – The Cold War Era.)

Ans:
Following were the reforms proposed :
(i) give the LDCs control over their natural resources exploited by the developed Western countries,
(ii) obtain access to Western markets so that the LDCs could sell their products and, therefore, make trade more beneficial for the poorer countries,
(iii) reduce the cost of technology from the Western countries, and
(iv) provide the LDCs with a greater role in international economic institutions.

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8.How Presidential Election of 1969 was responsible for the split in the Congress Party ?
(Chapter 14 - Challenges to the Congress System)

Ans:

  • The factional rivalry between the Syndicate and Indira Gandhi came in the open in 1969.
  • Despite Mrs Gandhi's reservations the 'syndicate' managed to nominate her long time opponent and then speaker of the Lok Sabha, N. Sanjeeva Reddy, as the official Congress candidate for the ensuing Presidential elections.
  • Indira Gandhi in response to that encouraged the then Vice-President, V.V. Giri, to file his nomination as an independent candidate.
  • She also announced several big and popular policy measures like the nationalisation of fourteen leading private banks and the abolition of the ‘privy purse’ or the special privileges given to former princes. Morarji Desai was the Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister.This decisions led to differences between Desai and the Prime Minister resulting in Desai leaving the government.
  • S. Nijalingappa issued a 'whip' asking all the Congress MPs and MLAs to vote in favour of Sanjeeva Reddy, the official candidate of the party.
  • The Prime Minister supported V.V. Giri and openly called for a 'conscience vote' which meant that the MPs and MLAs from the Congress should be free to vote the way they want.
  • The election ultimately resulted in the victory of V.V. Giri, the independent candidate, and the defeat of Sanjeeva Reddy, the official Congress candidate.
  • The defeat of the official Congress candidate formalised the split in the party.

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9.What are the causes responsible for the political rise of other Backward Communities in India ?
(Chapter 18-Recent Developments in Indian Politics)

Ans:

  • In the 1980s, the Janata Dal brought together a similar combination of political groups with strong support among the OBCs.
  • The decision of the National Front government to implement the recommendations of the Mandal Commission further helped in shaping the politics of 'Other Backward Classes'.
  • The intense national debate for and against reservation in jobs made people from the OBC communities more aware of this identity.
  • This period saw the emergence of many parties that sought better opportunities for OBCs in education and employment and also raised the question of the share of power enjoyed by the OBCs.
  • These parties claimed that since OBCs constituted a large segment of Indian society, it was only democratic that the OBCs should get adequate representation in administration and have their due share of political power.

10.Explain any four cultural consequences of globalisation.
(Chapter 9 - Globalisation)

Ans:

  • Globalisation affects us in our home, in what we eat, drink, wear and indeed in what we think.
  • Globalisation lead to the imposition of Western culture on the rest of the world.
  • The culture of the politically and economically dominant society leaves its imprint on a less powerful society, and the world begins to look more like the dominant power wishes it to be.
  • This is dangerous not only for the poor countries but for the whole of humanity, for it leads to the shrinking of the rich cultural heritage of the entire globe.
  • Cultural consequences of globalisation are not always negative. Some external influences can reduce or increase our choices. They sometimes modify our culture without overwhelming the tradition.For example burger is no substitute for a masala dosa and, therefore, does not pose any real challenge. It is simply added on to our food choices. Also blue jeans, on the other hand, can go well with a homespun khadi kurta.
  • This clothing combination of kurta and jeans has been exported back to the country that gave us blue jeans so that it is possible to see young Americans wearing a kurta and jeans.

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11.Explain the consequences of the Partition of India during 1947.
(Chapter 1- Challenges of Nation-Building )

Ans:
Following were the consequences seen during the Partition of India :

  • There were killings and atrocities on both sides of the border. In the name of religion people of one community ruthlessly killed and maimed people of the other community.
  • Muslims would avoid going into an area where mainly Hindus or Sikhs lived; similarly the Hindus and Sikhs stayed away from areas of Muslim predominance.
  • Forced to abandon their homes and move across borders, people went through immense sufferings.Minorities on both sides of the border fled their home and often secured temporary shelter in 'refugee camps'.
  • People travelled to the other side of the new border by all sorts of means, often by foot. Even during this journey they were often attacked, killed or raped.
  • Thousands of women were abducted on both sides of the border. They were made to convert to the religion of the abductor and were forced into marriage.
  • In many cases women were killed by their own family members to preserve the 'family honour'. Many children were separated from their parents. Those who did manage to cross the border found that they had no home.
  • The Partition forced about 80 lakh people to migrate across the new border. Between five to ten lakh people were killed in Partition related violence.
  • The Partition had created severe conflict between the two communities (Hindu/Muslim).

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12.Explain the factors that have contributed to Pakistan’s failure in building a stable democracy.
(Chapter 5 – Contemporary South Asia)

Ans:
Several factors have contributed to Pakistan’s failure in building a stable democracy:

  • The social dominance of the military, clergy, and landowning aristocracy has led to the frequent overthrow of elected governments and the establishment of military government.
  • Pakistan's conflict with India has made the pro-military groups more powerful.
  • These groups have often said that political parties and democracy in Pakistan are flawed, that Pakistan's security would be harmed by selfish-minded parties and chaotic democracy, and that the army’s stay in power is, therefore, justified.
  • The lack of genuine international support for democratic rule in Pakistan has further encouraged the military to continue its dominance.
  • The fear of the threat of what they call ‘global Islamic terrorism’ and the apprehension that Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal might fall into the hands of these terrorist groups, the military regime in Pakistan has been seen as the protector of Western interests in West Asia and South Asia.

13.Why do some countries question India’s inclusion as a permanent member of the U.N.Security Council? Explain.
(Chapter 6 – International Organisations)

Ans:
Following are the reasons :

  • India's nuclear weapons capabilities.
  • India difficulties with Pakistan will make India ineffective as a permanent member.
  • India is included, then other emerging powers will have to be accommodated such as Brazil, Germany, Japan, perhaps even South Africa, whom they oppose.
  • There are those who feel that Africa and South America must be represented in any expansion of the permanent membership since those are the only continents not to have representation in the present structure.

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14.Explain the accession of Hyderabad to the Union of India.
(Chapter 1 - Challenges of Nation-Building)

Ans:

  • Hyderabad, the largest of the Princely States was surrounded entirely by Indian territory. Some parts of the old Hyderabad state are today parts of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
  • Its ruler carried the title, 'Nizam', and he was one of the world’s richest men.The Nizam wanted an independent status for Hyderabad. He entered into what was called the Standstill Agreement with India in November 1947 for a year while negotiations with the Indian government were going on.
  • People of Hyderabad state started movement against the Nizam’s rule.The peasants in the Telangana region who were worst affected and also women came in large numbers to support the movement.
  • The Nizam responded with para-military force known as the Razakars on the people.They murdered, maimed, raped and looted, targeting particularly the non Muslims.
  • In 1948 the central government ordered the army to tackle the situation.After a few days of intermittent fighting, the Nizam surrendered and this led to Hyderabad’s accession to India.

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15.Examine the causes for the disintegration of the Soviet Union.
(Chapter 2 – The End of Bipolarity.)

Ans:
Following are the reasons:

  • The internal weaknesses of Soviet political and economic institutions, which failed to meet the aspirations of the people, were responsible for the collapse of the system.
  • The Soviet economy used most of its resources in maintaining a nuclear and military , development of its satellite states.This led to a huge economic burden and at the same time, ordinary citizens became more knowledgeable about the economic advance of the West.
  • The Soviet Union had become stagnant in an administrative and political sense as well. The Communist Party that had ruled the Soviet Union for over 70 years was not accountable to the people.
  • Ordinary people were alienated by slow and stifling administration, rampant corruption, the inability of the system to correct mistakes it had made, the unwillingness to allow more openness in government, and the centralisation of authority in a vast land.
  • Gorbachev's reforms promised to deal with these problems but they too failed.

16.How has state capacity received a boost as a consequence of globalization? Explain.
(Chapter 9 - Globalisation)

Ans:

  • Globalisation results in an erosion of state capacity, that is, the ability of government to do what they do.
  • All over the world, the old "welfare state" is now giving way to a more minimalist state that performs certain core functions such as the maintenance of law and order and the security of its citizens.
  • In place of the welfare state, it is the market that becomes the prime determinant of economic and social priorities.
  • The entry and the increased role of multinational companies all over the world leads to a reduction in the capacity of governments to take decisions on their own.
  • The state continues to discharge its essential functions (law and order, national security) and consciously withdraws from certain domains from which it wishes to.
  • The use of enhanced technologies available at the disposal of the state to collect information about its citizens. Using this information, the state is able to rule better. Thus, states become more powerful than they were earlier as an outcome of the new technology.

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17.Examine the effects of Chinese invasion of 1962 on India.
(Chapter 13 - India's External Relations)

Ans:
Following are the effects of Chinese invasion of 1962.

  • A boundary dispute had surfaced between India and China. And another main dispute was China claimed two areas within the Indian territory: Aksai-chin area in the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir and much of the state of Arunachal Pradesh.
  • Between 1957 and 1959, the Chinese occupied the Aksai-chin area and built a strategic road there. Despite a very long correspondence and discussion among top leaders, these differences could not be resolved.
  • China launched a swift and massive invasion in October 1962 on both the disputed regions.
  • The China war dented India's image at home and abroad. India had to approach the Americans and the British for military assistance to tide over the crisis.
  • Nehru was severely criticised for his naïve assessment of the Chinese intentions and the lack of military preparedness and a no-confidence motion against his government was moved and debated in the Lok Sabha.
  • The war with China alerted Indian leadership to the volatile situation in the Northeast region.
  • After the China war Nagaland was granted statehood; Manipur and Tripura, though Union Territories, were given the right to elect their own legislative assemblies.

18.Explain the economic and political influence of European Union.
(Chapter 4 – Alternative Centres of Power)

Ans:
Economic Influence:

  • The EU is the world’s biggest economy with a GDP of more than $12 trillion in 2005, slightly larger than that of the United States.
  • Its currency, the euro, can pose a threat to the dominance of the US dollar.
  • Its share of world trade is three times larger than that of the United States allowing it to be more assertive in trade disputes with the US and China.
  • It functions as an important bloc in international France, hold permanent seats on the UN Security Council.
Political Influence:
  • The EU includes several non-permanent members of the UNSC.
  • This has enabled the EU to influence some US policies such as the current US position on Iran’s nuclear programme.

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19.Explain the dominance of the Congress Party in the first three general elections.
(Chapter 2-Era of One-Party Dominance)

Ans:

  • The Congress party had inherited the legacy of the national movement.It had a great leader Jawaharlal Nehru who led the Congress campaign and toured throughout the country.
  • Congress party won 364 of the 489 seats in the first Lok Sabha and finished way ahead of any other challenger. Jawaharlal Nehru became the Prime Minister after the first general election.
  • The state elections were held with the Lok Sabha elections. The Congress scored a big victory in those elections as well.The party ruled all over the country at the national and the state level.
  • In the second and the third general elections, held in 1957 and 1962 respectively, the Congress maintained the same position in the Lok Sabha by winning three-fourth of the seats.
  • The Congress won three out of every four seats but it did not get even half of the votes. In 1952, for example, the Congress obtained 45 per cent of the total votes. But it managed to win 74 per cent of the seats.

20.Examine the dramatic changes that took place in the party system in India during 1969 to 1977.
(Chapter 15 - Crisis of the Democratic order)

Ans:

  • Since 1969, the Congress party had started losing its character as an umbrella party which accommodated leaders and workers of different ideological dispensations and viewpoints and this was their main strength earlier under leader, Indira Gandhi.
  • With the change in the nature of the Congress party, other opposition parties relied more and more on what is known in Indian politics as "non-Congressism".This factor played a major role in the elections of 1977.
  • The Assembly elections held in 1977 state election, the northern States elected non-Congress governments in which the leaders of the backward castes played an important role.
  • The Emergency and the period around it can be described as a period of constitutional crisis because it had its origins in the constitutional battle over the jurisdiction of the Parliament and the judiciary.
  • Another critical issue that emerged during this period was the role and extent of mass protests in a parliamentary democracy. There was clearly a tension between institution-based democracy and democracy based on spontaneous popular participation.
  • This tension may be attributed to the inability of the party system to incorporate the aspirations of the people.

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21.Examine the challenge of political succession after the death of Jawaharlal Nehru.
(Chapter 14-Challenges to the Congress System)

Ans:

  • After Jawaharlal Nehru's death in 1960 there were doubts about whether India’s democratic experiment will survive or not.
  • The 1960s was labelled as the 'dangerous decade' when unresolved problems like poverty, inequality, communal and regional divisions etc. could lead to a failure of the democratic project or even the disintegration of the country.
  • When Nehru passed away, K. Kamraj, the president of the Congress party consulted party leaders and Congress members of Parliament and found a leader in Lal Bahadur Shastri.
  • He was unanimously chosen as the leader of the Congress parliamentary party and thus became the country’s next Prime Minister.
  • Shastri passed away on 10 January 1966, and again the challenge of political succession occurred.This time there was intense competition between Morarji Desai and Indira Gandhi.
  • Indira Gandhi, daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, had been Congress President in the past and had also been Union Minister for Information in the Shastri cabinet.
  • Indira Gandhi defeated Morarji Desai by securing the support of more than two-thirds of the party’s MPs. A peaceful transition of power, despite intense competition for leadership, was seen as a sign of maturity of India's democracy.

22.Discuss the emergence of opposition parties in India.
(Chapter 2 - Era of One-Party Dominance)

Ans:

  • The roots of almost all the non-Congress parties of today were opposition parties of the 1950s.
  • All these opposition parties succeeded in gaining only a token representation in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies during this period.
  • Yet their presence played a crucial role in maintaining the democratic character of the system.
  • These parties offered a sustained and often principled criticism of the policies and practices of the Congress party.
  • This kept the ruling party under check and often changed the balance of power within the Congress.
  • These parties also groomed the leaders who were to play a crucial role in the shaping of our country.

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23.Analyse the major consequences of the National Emergency of 1975.
(Chapter 15-Crisis of the Democratic order)

Ans:

  • Many opposition leaders were put in jail; the political situation became very quiet though tense.
  • The government suspended the freedom of the Press. Newspapers were asked to get prior approval for all material to be published. This is known as press censorship.
  • The government banned Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Jamait-e-Islami.Protests and strikes and public agitations were also disallowed.
  • The provisions of Emergency, the various Fundamental Rights of citizens stood suspended, including the right of citizens to move the Court for restoring their Fundamental Rights.
  • Using preventive detention acts, the government made large scale arrests during the Emergency.
  • Many political workers who were not arrested in the first wave, went ‘underground’ and organised protests against the government.

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24.Discuss the developments that took place after the demolition of Babri Masjid.
(Chapter 18 - Recent Developments in Indian Politics)

Ans:

  • The State government, with the BJP as the ruling party, was dismissed by the Centre. Along with that, other States where the BJP was in power, were also put under President's rule.
  • A case against the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh was registered in the Supreme Court for contempt of court since he had given an undertaking that the disputed structure will be protected.
  • The central government appointed a commission to investigate the circumstances leading to the demolition of the mosque.
  • Most political parties condemned the demolition and declared that this was against the principles of secularism.

25.Why India claims for the permanent membership of the UN Security Council ?
(Chapter 6 – International Organisations.)

Ans:
Following are the reasons on which India claims for the permanent membership:

  • India is the second most populous country in the world comprising almost one-fifth of the world population.
  • India is also the world’s largest democracy.
  • India has participated in virtually all of the initiatives of the UN.
  • Its role in the UN’s peacekeeping efforts is a long and substantial one.
  • The country's economic emergence on the world stage is another factor that perhaps justifies India's claim to a permanent seat in the Security Council.
  • India has also made regular financial contributions to the UN and never faltered on its payments.

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26.What are the factors leading to the Ayodhya dispute ?
(Chapter 18-Recent Developments in Indian Politics)

Ans:
Following are the factors leading to Ayodhya dispute:

  • A dispute had been going on for many decades over the mosque known as Babri Masjid at Ayodhya.Some hindus believe the mosque was built after demolishing temple of Lord Rama.
  • The dispute made a way to court and was going on for decades. In the late 1940s the mosque was locked up by court.
  • Later the court ordered that the Babri Masjid premises be unlocked so that Hindus could offer prayers at the site which they considered as a temple.
  • As soon as the locks of the Babri Masjid were opened, mobilisation began on both sides.
  • Many Hindu and Muslim organisations tried to mobilise their communities on this question and this dispute led to tensed atmosphere and many instances of communal violence.
  • The BJP made this issue its major electoral and political plank and to generate public support started a massive march called Rath Yatra from Somnath in Gujarat to Ayodhya in UP.

27.Write a note on "Movement Against Outsiders" in Assam.
(Chapter 17-Regional Aspirations)

Ans:

  • The Assam Movement called "Movement Against Outsiders" started from 1979 to 1985.
  • The reason for this movement was that the Assamese suspected a huge numbers of illegal Bengali Muslim from Bangladesh and they wanted them to be detected and deported otherwise the original assamese will get reduced to minority because of these immigrants.
  • There was widespread poverty and unemployment in Assam despite the existence of natural resources like oil, tea and coal. There was a feeling that all the resources were taken out of the state without any commensurate benefit to the people.
  • In 1979 "All Assam Students" Union (AASU), which were not part of any political party started anti-foreigner movement.
  • The movement was against illegal migrations, against the domination of Bengalis and other outsiders, and against faulty voters’ register that included the names of lakhs of immigrants.
  • The movement demanded that all outsiders who had entered the State after 1951 should be sent back.
  • The movement gathered a lot of support and in 1985 the Rajiv Gandhi-led government entered into negotiations with the AASU leaders, leading to the signing of an agreement, which states that the foreigners who migrated into Assam during and after Bangladesh war and since, were to be identified and deported.

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28.Explain the effects of Green Revolution.
(Chapter 12-Politics of Planned Development )

Ans:
Following are the effects of Green Revolution:

  • The green revolution delivered only a moderate agricultural growth mainly wheat production and raised the availability of food in the country, but increased polarisation between classes and regions.
  • Some regions like Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh became agriculturally prosperous, while others remained backward.
  • The complete contrast between the poor peasantry and the landlords produced conditions favourable for leftwing organisations to organise the poor peasants.
  • The green revolution resulted in the rise of what is called the middle peasant sections.

29.Describe the developments that took place after the demolition of Babri Masjid.
(Chapter 18-Recent Developments in Indian Politics)

Ans:

  • The demolition led to clashes between Hindus and Muslims in many parts of the country.
  • The State government, with the BJP as the ruling party, was dismissed by the Centre.
  • Other States where the BJP was in power, were also put under President’s rule.
  • A case was filed against the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh in the Supreme Court for contempt of court since he had given an undertaking that the disputed structure will be protected.
  • The central government appointed a commission to investigate the circumstances leading to the demolition of the mosque.

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30.Highlight any four factors which justify India’s claim to a permanent seat in the U.N. Security Council.
(Chapter 6 – International Organisations)

Ans:
Following factors justify India's claim to a permanent seat in the U.N. Security Council:

  • India is the second most populous country in the world comprising almost one-fifth of the world population.
  • India is also the world’s largest democracy.
  • India has participated in virtually all of the initiatives of the UN.
  • Its role in the UN's peacekeeping efforts is a long and substantial one.
  • The country's economic emergence on the world stage is another factor that perhaps justifies India’s claim to a permanent seat in the Security Council.
  • India has also made regular financial contributions to the UN and never faltered on its payments.

31.Examine the grievances regarding the special status conferred by Article 370 to Jammu and Kashmir.
(Chapter 17-Regional Aspirations)

Ans:

  • The people outside of J&K believes that the special status Article 370 does not allow full integration of the State with India and they feel that article 370 should therefore be revoked and J&K should be like any other State in India.
  • Most of the Kashmiris feel as per Article 370 there are some demand which are not fulfilled for example the special federal status guaranteed by Article 370, has been eroded in practice. This has led to the demand for restoration of autonomy or "Greater State Autonomy".
  • The democracy which is practiced in the rest of India has not been the same in the State of Jammu and Kashmir.

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32.Describe any four activities of the Dalit Panthers to promote their interests.
(Chapter 16-Rise of Popular Movements)

Ans:

  • The movement started by Dalit Panthers along with other organisations which were ready to support over the issue of injustice against Dalits managed to get the government passed a law in 1989 that provided for rigorous punishment for such acts.
  • The main agenda of the Panthers was to destroy the caste system and to build an organisation of all the sections which suffered like the landless poor peasants and urban industrial workers along with Dalits.
  • The movement provided a platform for Dalit educated youth to use their creativity as a protest activity.
  • Dalit writers protested against the brutalities of the caste system in their numerous autobiographies and other literary works published during this period.
  • Dalit Panthers also got involved in electoral compromises, but it did not last for a long time.

33.Explain the components of India’s security strategy.
(Chapter 7 – Security in the Contemporary World)

Ans:

  • The first component is to strengthen its military capabilities because India has been involved in conflicts with its neighbours — Pakistan and China.Also India is surrounded by nuclear armed countries so it was necessary to be prepared with nuclear tests and the first nuclear device test was done in 1974.
  • The second component of India’s security strategy has been to strengthen international norms and international institutions to protect its security interests.
  • The third component of Indian security strategy is geared towards meeting security challenges within the country.
  • And finally, there has been an attempt in India to develop its economy in a way that the vast mass of citizens are lifted out of poverty and misery and huge economic inequalities are not allowed to exist.

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34.Write a note on the main provisions of Rajiv Gandhi-Longowal Accord ?
(Chapter 17-Regional Aspirations)

Ans:

  • The Agreement known as Rajiv Gandhi-Longowal Accord was a step to bring normalcy to Punjab.
  • It was agreed that Chandigarh would be transferred to Punjab.
  • A separate commission would be appointed to resolve the border dispute between Punjab and Haryana.
  • A tribunal would be set up to decide the sharing of Ravi-Beas river water among Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan.
  • Compensation and better treatment would be given to those affected by the militancy in Punjab.
  • Withdrawal of the application of Armed Forces Special Powers Act in Punjab.

35.Why is Veto power called a negative vote? Should the Veto system be abolished or not?
(Chapter 6 – International Organisations.)

Ans:
The permanent members of security UN has the veto power and non permanent members does not have it. If any decision has to be taken and if any one of the permanent members gives a negative vote and the rest of the permanent and non permanent members are in favour of the decision, the decision will still get stalled for one negative vote from permanent member and hence the veto power is called a negative vote.
The veto system should not be abolished because there is the danger as in 1945 that the great powers would lose interest in the world body, that they would do what they pleased outside it, and that without their support and involvement the body would be ineffective.

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36.Explain Hegemony as Structural Power.
(Chapter 3 – US Hegemony in World Politics.)

Ans:

  • Hegemony in this second sense is reflected in the role played by the US in providing global public goods i.e goods that can be consumed by one person without reducing the amount of the good available for someone else. Example Fresh air and roads.
  • It is the naval power of the hegemon that underwrites the law of the sea and ensures freedom of navigation in international waters.
  • Another example of a global public good is the Internet. We should not forget that the Internet is the direct outcome of a US military research project that began in 1950. The Internet relies on a global network of satellites, most of which are owned by the US government.
  • The US is present in all parts of the world, in all sectors of the world economy and in all areas of technology.
  • The US share of the world economy remains an enormous 28%.The US also accounts for 15 percent of world trade.
  • The Bretton Woods system, set up by the US after the Second World War, still constitutes the basic structure of the world economy.The World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Trade Organisation (WTO) are the products of American hegemony.
  • A classic example of the structural power of the US is the academic degree called the Master’s in Business Administration (MBA).

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37.Discuss the main events of the Cuban Missile Crisis.
(Chapter 1 – The Cold War Era)

Ans:

  • Cuba was an ally of the Soviet Union and received both diplomatic and financial aid from it.
  • In April 1961, the leaders of the USSR were worried that the USA would invade communist-ruled in Cuba.
  • Nikita Khrushchev, the leader of the Soviet Union, decided to convert Cuba into a Russian base.
  • In 1962, he placed nuclear missiles in Cuba.
  • The installation of nuclear missiles put the US, for the first time, under fire from close range, US came to know about the nuclear missiles and were determined to get Khrushchev to remove the missiles and nuclear weapons from Cuba.
  • A clash between USSR and US seemed imminent in what came to be known as the Cuban Missile Crisis.
  • The Cuban Missile Crisis was a high point of what came to be known as the Cold War.

38.Mention the main events of 9/11.
OR
Describe 9/11 and the "Global War on Terror".
(Chapter 3: US Hegemony in World Politics)

Ans:

  • On 11 September 2001, nineteen hijackers coming from Arab countries took control of four American commercial aircraft shortly after takeoff and flew them into important buildings in the US.
  • One airliner each crashed into the North and South Towers of the World Trade Centre in New York.
  • A third aircraft crashed into the Pentagon building in Arlington, Virginia, where the US Defence Department is headquartered.
  • The fourth aircraft, presumably bound for the Capitol building of the US Congress, came down in a field in Pennsylvania.
  • The attacks killed nearly three thousand people.

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39.What is Amnesty International?State its main functions.
(Chapter 6 – International Organisations)

Ans:
Amnesty International is an NGO that campaigns for the protection of human rights all over the world.
It main function is respect for all the human rights in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.As per Amnesty human rights are interdependent and indivisible.It prepares and publishes reports on human rights.

40. Describe the outcome of the Anandpur Sahib Resolution of 1973.
(Chapter 17-Regional Aspirations)

Ans:

  • The Anandpur Sahib Resolution wanted to redefine centre-state relationship in the country.
  • The resolution also spoke of the aspirations of the Sikh qaum (community or nation) and declared its goal as attaining the bolbala (dominance or hegemony) of the Sikhs.
  • The Resolution was a plea for strengthening federalism, but it could also be interpreted as a plea for a separate Sikh nation.
  • The Resolution had a limited appeal among the Sikh masses.