CH 1 Civics The Indian Constitution

Chapter 1 The Indian Constitution
Q 1 Why does a democratic country need a constitution?
Ans The Constitution serves several purposes as listed below:
1. It lays down the rules that forms the basis of the kind of country people aspire to live in.
2. A Constitution tells us about the fundamental nature of country’s political and social
system.
3. In democratic societies, the Constitution often lays down rules that guard against
the misuse of authority by our political leaders.
4. The Constitution ensures that a dominant group does not use its power against less
powerful people or groups.
Q 2. Look at the wordings of the two documents given below. The first column is from the 1990
Nepal Constitution. The second column is from the more recent interim Constitution of Nepal.
1990 Constitution of Nepal 2007 Interim Constitution

Part 7: Executive Part 5: Executive
Article 37: Executive Power: The executive power of

Article 35: Executive Power: The executive Nepal shall, pursuant to this Constitution and other
power of the Kingdom of Nepal shall be laws, be vested in the Council of Ministers.
exercised exclusively by His Majesty. The executive functions of Nepal shall be taken in the
name of the Prime Minister.
What is the difference in who exercises ‘Executive Power’ in the above two Constitutions of
Nepal? Keeping this in mind, why do you think Nepal needs a new Constitution today?
Ans. The difference in who exercises “Executive Power” in the given two Constitutions of Nepal is that
in the 1990 Constitution, the power was vested in the King, while in the 2007 Interim Constitution of
Nepal, “Executive Power” changed hands making Nepal a democracy from being a monarchy.
Nepal needs a new Constitution today because it is no longer a monarchy. A new Constitution is needed
to reflect the “democratic” ideals of Nepal that the people’s movement desired and fought for. In order
to achieve this, all its constitutive rules must be changed to usher towards a new democratic society.
Q 3. What would happen if there were no restrictions on the power of elected representatives?
Ans. If there were no restrictions on the power of elected representatives, then
 The leaders might misuse their authorities.

 The misuse of authority might lead to gross injustice and mismanagement.
 It might result in the slow development of that area.
Q 4. In each of the following situations, identify the minority. Write one reason why you think it is
important to respect the views of the minority in each of these situations.
(a) In a school with 30 teachers, 20 of them are male.
(b) In a city, 5 percent of the population are Buddhists.
(c) In a factory mess for all employees, 80 percent are vegetarians.
(d) In a class of 50 students, 40 belong to more well-off families.
Ans.
a. Female teachers are in minority. The female teachers must be allowed space to voice
their opinion so that their efforts and methods of teaching are not hindered by their minority
status.
b. Buddhists are in minority. Every individual has the right to follow and practice the
religion of his/her choice. People of other faith must respect the religion other than their
own.
c. Non-vegetarians are in minority. Food choice is a personal wish, so each individual
should have the freedom to eat what he/she wants. They have the rights to have the food
of their choice.
d. Underprivileged are in minority. Citizens cannot be discriminated on the basis of their
birth so their views have to be respected and they should be able to avail the opportunity
to develop their talents.
Q 5. The column on the left lists some of the key features of the Indian Constitution. In the other
column write two sentences, in your own words, on why you think this feature is important:
Key Feature Significance
Federalism
Separation of Powers
Fundamental Rights
Parliamentary Form of Government.
Ans. Key features
Federalism
Refers to the existence of more than one level of government in the country. In India, we
have governments at the state level, at the centre, and Panchayati Raj at the village
level. All persons in India are governed by laws and policies made t h e s e government.
Separation Of Powers
According to the constitution there are three organs of government (a) the Legislature (b) the
Executive and (c) the Judiciary.
 The legislature refers to our elected representative who makes laws.
 The executive is a smaller group of people responsible for implementing laws and running
the government
 The judiciary refers to the system of courts in the country; that settles disputes and makes
sure that laws are obeyed.
Each organ acts as a check on the other organs & ensures the balance of power among all three
Parliamentary Form of Government

The Constitution of Indian guarantees universal adult suffrage for all citizens above
the age of 18 years. This means people have a direct role in electing their
representatives. Also, every citizen of the country, irrespective of his/her social
background, can contest in elections.
Fundamental Rights
The Fundamental Rights refers to as the ‘conscience’ of Indian Constitution. These rights protect
citizens against the arbitrary and absolute exercise of power by the state. There are 6
Fundamental Rights in the Indian Constitution.
The 6 Fundamental Rights

(i) Right to Equality; (ii) Right to Freedom; (iii) Right against Exploitation;
(iv) Right to Freedom of Religion; (v) Cultural and Educational Rights;
(vi) Right to Constitution Remedies.
The objective of Fundamental Rights

As stated by Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, the object of Fundamental Rights is two-fold.
 The first objective is that every citizen must be in a person to claim those rights.
 Secondly, these rights must be binding upon every authority that has got the power to make
laws.
Directive Principles of State Policy
 It ensures greater social and economic reforms.

 It serves as a guide to independent Indian state to institute laws and policies that help
reduce the poverty of the masses.
Secularism
A secular state is one in which the state does not officially promote any one religion as the state
religion.
What is a constitution?
Ans It is a set of rules (laws) by which the government rules the country. Indian Constitution came into
effect on 26th January 1950. Our Constitution is based on the principles of democracy, socialism and
secularism.
What are the key features of Indian Constitution?
Ans: The key features of the Indian Constitution are :

1. Federalism: the existence of more than one level of Government.
2. Parliamentary Form of Government: the right to vote for each citizen of the country
irrespective of caste or creed.
3. Separation of Powers: the 3 organs of government legislature, executive & judiciary.
4. Fundamental Rights: The 6 fundamental rights that every citizen of the country deserves as
per the Indian Constitution.
5. Secularism: A country that promotes religious freedom for all its citizens.
Write a brief note on the making of the Indian Constitution.
Ans: The Indian Constitutional Assembly was convened in December 1946. Dr. Ambedkar was
the Chairman of the Constitution drafting committee. The Constitution of India was
implemented on January 26,1950. The constitution declares India to be a sovereign,
democratic, republic country and establishes the structure, powers, and duties, of the
government and r i g h t s a n d duties of the citizens

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Chapter 1 The Indian Constitution

Q 1 Why does a democratic country need a constitution?

Ans The Constitution serves several purposes as listed below:

1990 Constitution of Nepal 2007 Interim Constitution

Article 37: Executive Power: The executive power of

 The leaders might misuse their authorities.

Key Feature Significance

Parliamentary Form of Government

The 6 Fundamental Rights

The objective of Fundamental Rights

Directive Principles of State Policy

 It ensures greater social and economic reforms.

Ans: The key features of the Indian Constitution are :

Write a brief note on the making of the Indian Constitution.

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