NCERT Solutions Class 9 Social Science (Civics – Democratic Politics-I)
The NCERT Solutions in English Language for Class 9 Social Science (Civics – Democratic Politics-I) Chapter – 2 (Constitutional Design) has been provided here to help the students in solving the questions from this exercise.
Chapter – 2 (Constitutional Design)
Exercises
1. Here are some false statements. Identify the mistake in each case and rewrite these correctly based on what you have read in this chapter.
(a) Leaders of the freedom movement had an open mind about whether the country should be democratic or not after independence.
(b) Members of the Constituent Assembly of India held the same views on all provisions of the Constitution.
(c) A country that has a constitution must be a democracy.
(d) Constitution cannot be amended because it is the supreme law of a country.
Answer –
(a) Leaders of the freedom movement had a consensus that after independence, India will be a democratic nation.
(b) Members of the constituent assembly of India held the same views on the basic principles of the Constitution.
(c) A country that is a democratic country must have a Constitution.
(d) A Constitution can be amended with time and the needs of the citizens.
2. Which of these was the most salient underlying conflict in the making of a democratic constitution in South Africa?
(a) Between South Africa and its neighbours
(b) Between men and women
(c) Between the white majority and the black minority
(d) Between the coloured minority and the black majority
Answer – (d) Between the coloured minority and the black majority
3. Which of these is a provision that a democratic constitution does not have?
(a) Powers of the head of the state
(b) Name of the head of the state
(c) Powers of the legislature
(d) Name of the country
Answer – (b) Name of the head of the state
4. Match the following leaders with their roles in the making of the Constitution:
| (a) Motilal Nehru | (i) President of the Constituent Assembly |
| (b) B.R. Ambedkar | (ii) Member of the Constituent Assembly |
| (c) Rajendra Prasad | (iii) Chairman of the Drafting Committee |
| (d) Sarojini Naidu | (iv) Prepared a Constitution for India in 1928 |
Answer –
| (a) Motilal Nehru | (iv) Prepared a Constitution for India in 1928 |
| (b) B.R. Ambedkar | (iii) Chairman of the Drafting Committee |
| (c) Rajendra Prasad | (i) President of the Constituent Assembly |
| (d) Sarojini Naidu | (ii) Member of the Constituent Assembly |
5. Read again the extracts from Nehru’s speech ‘Tryst with Destiny’ and answer the following:
(a) Why did Nehru use the expression “not wholly or in full measure” in the first sentence?
(b) What pledge did he want the makers of the Indian Constitution to take?
(c) “The ambition of the greatest man of our generation has been to wipe every tear from every eye”. Who was he referring to?
Answer –
(a) Nehru used the expression “not wholly or in full measure” because according to him the task of building a nation is a gargantuan task which cannot be fulfilled in one’s lifetime.
(b) The pledge that he wanted the makers of the Indian Constitution to take was to dedicate their lives to the service of India, the Indian people and the humanity at large.
(c) Nehru was referring to Mahatma Gandhi, the father of our nation.
6. Here are some of the guiding values of the Constitution and its meaning. Rewrite them by matching them correctly.
| (a) Sovereign | The government will not favour any religion |
| (b) Republic | People have the supreme right to make decisions |
| (c) Fraternity | Head of the state is an elected person |
| (d) Secular | People should live like brothers and sisters |
Answer –
| (a) Sovereign | (ii) People have the supreme right to make decisions |
| (b) Republic | (iii) Head of the state is an elected person |
| (c) Fraternity | (iv) People should live like brothers and sisters |
| (d) Secular | (i) The government will not favour any religion |
7. How did your school celebrate Constitution Day on November 26th? Prepare a brief report.
Answer – We celebrate Constitution Day to commemorate the adoption of the country’s constitution. During that day, our teachers discussed about constitutions. As of January 26, 1950, which is Republic Day, the constitution became effective on 26 November, 1949.
8. Here are different opinions about what made India a democracy. How much importance would you give to each of these factors?
(a) Democracy in India is a gift of the British rulers. We received training to work with representative legislative institutions under the British rule.
(b) Freedom Struggle challenged the colonial exploitation and denial of different freedoms to Indians. Free India could not be anything but democratic.
(c) We were lucky to have leaders who had democratic convictions. The denial of democracy in several other newly independent countries shows the important role of these leaders.
Answer –
(a) Democracy is not a gift of the British rulers. Britishers gradually and slowly gave powers to the elected representatives.
(b) Freedom struggle did challenge the colonial exploitation but it worked for democracy by making laws with consensus and not imposing anything on anyone.
(c) Our freedom struggle fought a bloodless struggle with tools like ‘Satyagraha’ and ‘Ahimsa.’ These struggles were undertaken to free India from the clutches of the British and give Indians the freedom they deserved.
9. Read the following extract from a conduct book for ‘married women’, published in 1912. ‘God has made the female species delicate and fragile both physically and emotionally, pitiably incapable of self-defence. They are destined thus by God to remain in male protection – of father, husband and son – all their lives. Women should, therefore, not despair, but feel obliged that they can dedicate themselves to the service of men’. Do you think the values expressed in this para reflected the values underlying our constitution? Or does this go against the constitutional values?
Answer – The Indian Constitution goes at lengths to ensure that the virtue of equality is upheld to all the citizens irrespective of their caste, creed, gender, social or economic standing. The above phrase clearly establishes women as the weaker sex, which is in direct conflict of the constitutional provisions.
10. Read the following statements about a constitution. Give reasons why each of these is true or not true.
(a) The authority of the rules of the constitution is the same as that of any other law.
(b) Constitution lays down how different organs of the government will be formed.
(c) Rights of citizens and limits on the power of the government are laid down in the constitution.
(d) A constitution is about institutions, not about values.
Answer –
(a) Not true because the Constitution is the supreme law.
(b) True, as the constitution lays out the roles and powers the legislature, executive and judiciary.
(c) True, as the Constitution has provided Fundamental Rights to each and every citizen of India.
(d) Not true as the Constitution holds values on which all institutions work. Our preamble states about values – justice, liberty, fraternity, and equality.
