Understanding Secularism.

1. Will the government intervene if some religious group says that their religion allows them to practice infanticide? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer
The government in any democratic nation would intervene if some religious group says that their religion allows them to practice infanticide because this tradition goes against the Fundamental Right to Life. It involves the killing of an innocent and is, hence, unacceptable. The government, in this case, interferes by coercion. However; sometimes, the government may also intervene via support. For example, Sikhs in Delhi are excused from wearing helmets on two-wheeler because their religion demands them to wear a turban-a sacred tradition for them.
2 Complete the  table given in book exercise with examples.
Answer
(a) This is important to protect the Fundamental Right to Freedom of Religion. Example of violation: the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya on 6th December, 1992 by Hindu nationalists.
(b) This is important to uphold the ideals of a democratic nation which allows its citizens freedom to choose whichever religion they wish to follow. Example: France, in February 2004, banned headscarves and turbans in public places, thereby hurting the sentiments of Muslim and Sikh minorities.
(c) This is necessary to uphold individual freedom in the light of pressure from a group or religious community that one belongs to. Example, the Christian community is divided into Protestants and Catholics; Irish Catholics are looked down upon and troubled by the officials of the Church of England who are pre-dominantly Protestants.

3. The Indian State both keeps away from religion as well as intervenes in religion. Explain with examples. 
Answer
- The Indian State distances itself from the religion and it is not rules by a religious group & nor does it support any one religion. - Equal respect is given to all the religions. In order to prevent domination by one particular community, the state may interfere in the religion. - State may interfere in the religion to ensure that all the religions are treated equally. - Sometimes, the State may have to intervene in the religion based on personal laws' of the communities to ensure that laws relating to equal inheritance are protected.

4. What is Secularism? • 
Secularism refers to this separation of religion from the State. Why is it Important to Separate Religion from the State? • The separation of religion from State power is important for a country to function democratically.
• Almost all countries of the world will have more than one religious group living in them. - If majority religious group has access to State power, then they misuse their power to other religions.
• Also, we need to protect the freedom of individuals to preach the religion of their choice.
5. What is Indian Secularism? 
• According to the Constitution, 
• The Indian State is not ruled by a religious group and nor does it support any one religion.
• In India, government spaces like law courts, police stations, government schools and offices are not supposed to display or promote any one religion.
• In order to respect the sentiments of all religions and not interfere with religious practices, the State makes certain exceptions for particular religious communities. For example: a sikh while riding bike can wear pugri (turban) instead of helmet.

India after independence question answers

1. Name three problems that the newly independent nation of India faced.

Answer three problems that the newly independent nation of India faced:

→ As a result of Partition, 8 million refugees had come into the country from Pakistan. These people had to be found homes and jobs.

→ The maharajas and nawabs of the princely states (almost 500) had to be persuaded to join the new nation.

→ A political system had to be adopted which would best serve the hopes and expectations of the Indian population.

2. What was the role of the Planning Commission?

Answer The Planning Commission was set up to help design and sexecutes suitable policies for the economic development of India.

5. What did Dr Ambedkar mean when he said that "In politics we will have equality, and in social and economic life we will have inequality"?

Answer According to Dr Ambedkar giving the right to vote would not automatically lead to the removal of other inequalities such as between rich and poor, or between upper and lower castes. He believed that India needed to work towards eradicating all forms of inequality in the economic and social spheres Otherwise, India would just be a land of contradictions - following the principle of “one man, one vote and one value” in its political life, and denying the principle of “one man, one value” in its economic and social lives.

6. After Independence, why was there a reluctance to divide the country on linguistic lines?

Answer There was a reason for this. India had already been divided on the basis of religion. The joy of freedom had come along with the tragedy of Partition.

This Partition had led to the killing of a million people in riots.

Congress leaders believed that any further divisions of the country would only disrupt its unity and progress.

They felt that the need of the hour was for India to remain strong and united, and work towards becoming a nation, and anything that hindered the growth of nationalism had to be rejected.

7. Give one reason why English continued to be used in India after Independence.

Answer People of the south those who could not speak Hindi, opposed Hindi as National Language. They threatened to separate from India if Hindi was imposed on them. The Constituent Assembly finally decided that Hindi would be the "official language" of India and English would be used in the courts, the services, and communications between one state and another.


8. How was the economic development of India visualized in the early decades after Independence?

Answer
The economic development of India visualized in the early decades after Independence were:
→ Objectives: Lifting India and Indians out of poverty, and building a modern technical and industrial base were among the major objectives of the new nation.

→ Planning Commission and Five Year Plans: A Planning Commission was set up to help design and executes suitable policies for economic development.

→ Mixed-economy: A mixed-economy model was agreed upon. In this economic model, both the State and the private sector would play important and complementary roles in increasing production and generating jobs.

→ Focus on heavy industries and dams: In 1956, the Second Five Year Plan was formulated. This focused strongly on the development of heavy industries such as steel, and on the building of large dams.

→ the focus on heavy industry, and the effort at state regulation of the economy (which was to guide the economic policy for the next few decades) had many critics.

This approach was criticized because:

(i) It put inadequate emphasis on agriculture

(ii) It neglected primary education

(iii) It did not take into account the environmental implications of concentrating on science and machinery

9. Who was Mira Behn? Find out more about her life and her ideas.

Answer Mira Behn was a follower of Mahatma Gandhi. She was greatly impressed by the ideals, philosophy and ways of working of Gandhiji.

 Mira Behn worked against caste discrimination, untouchability, in favour of women equality and rights. 

She emphasized the development of agriculture, cottage, industries and education. Mira Behn worked for protection of environment. 

She opposed blindly use of modem science and technology. 

Mira Behn wrote in 1949, by "science and machinery he (mankind) may get huge returns for a time, but ultimately will come desolation. We have got to study Nature's balance, and develop our lives within her laws.

laws and social justice question answers

Question 1: What are the advantages to foreign companies in setting up production in India?

Answer:  

1.    Availability of skilled workforce at a cheap rate.

2.    Cost savings by means of lower safety measures and poor facilities for the workers and employees.

3.    To take advantage of weaker laws.

4.    Availability of space at their choice.

5.    Availability of good quality raw materials at low rates.

6.    Government incentives.

Question 2: How can laws ensure that markets work in a manner that is fair? Give two examples to support your answer.

Answer: Law can ensure that markets work in a manner that is fair by ensuring the enforcement of the law in letter and spirit.

Law against hoarding and black marketing must be enforced in such a way that hard punishment is given to the violators of the law and the hoarded goods.

Anti-Child Labour Act must be enforced, not a single child must be allowed to work in shops, tea stalls and restaurants.

Question 3: Imagine yourself to be a worker working in a chemical factory, which has received orders from the government to move to a different site 100 kms away from the present location. Write about how your life would change? Read our responses in the classroom.

Answer: My life would change drastically.

There will be no pollution.

Wages would increase.

Housing facilities would be provided.

Some problems would come initially to be settled at a new place.

Employer would pay more attention to the workers.

4 Do you think the victims of the Bhopal gas tragedy got justice? Discuss.
Answer
No, the victims of Bhopal gas tragedy are still fighting for justice.
At first, the company which owned the pesticide factory- Union Carbide (UC) refused to accept responsibility.

The UC got away after paying a bare minimum compensation to the survivors of this tragedy. 

Even after 24 years the survivors are still fighting for justice, for safe drinking water, for health-care facilities and jobs for the poisoned by UC. 

Their cases are still pending in numerous courts.

5. What do we mean when we speak of law enforcement? Who is responsible for enforcement? Why is enforcement so important?
Answer
Law enforcement implies the government's responsibility as lawmaker and enforcer, to ensure obedience to its laws by everyone within the State that it governs. 

It is the responsibility of the government to ascertain that laws are not violated by anyone.  

if foreign companies are allowed to maintain low working conditions, then this interferes with the Fundamental Right of the Right to Life, of a worker. Hence, enforcement is necessary to protect the people.

6. How was environment treated earlier? What has been the change in perception? Discuss.
Answer
Earlier the environment was treated as a 'free' entity and any industry or even an individual could pollute the air and water without any restrictions since there were no laws in this regard.
In the recent years and particularly the Bhopal gas tragedy,  there has been an increasing awareness among all that a clean environment is a public facility that cannot be destroyed merely for industrial development. 

The courts also gave a number of judgments upholding the right to a healthy environment.

Ch 6 Human Resources

1. Answer the following questions.
(i) Why are people considered a resource?
Answer
People are considered a resource because with their demands and capabilities they can create new resources.

Hence, human resource is also considered an important and potential resource for the society.
(ii) What are the causes for the uneven distribution of population in the world?
Answer
The distribution of population in the world is uneven - some areas are very crowded while some are sparsely populated. There are various reasons behind uneven distribution:
→ Geographical factors: Favourable topography, availability of mineral and fresh water resources, favourable climate and soil fertility are some of the reasons affecting population distribution e.g., Indo Gangetic Plains, Diamond Mines of South Africa etc are densely populated.
→ Social and Cultural factors: Areas of better housing, education and health facilities are more populated. Places of religious and cultural significance also attract people e.g., Varanasi, Jerusalem etc.
→ Economic factors: Places having more industries, transportation and communication facilities provide better employment opportunities. People are attracted to these places because of the above reasons e.g., Mumbai, Osaka etc.
(iii) The world population has grown very rapidly. Why?
Answer
The world population has grown very rapidly because the death rate has gone down as a result of the growth of food supplies and the improvement of medical facilities. Also, unlike the death rate, the birth rate has remained quite high.

(iv) Discuss the role of any two factors influencing population change.
Answer
The birth rate and the death rate are two factors that influence population change. 

The birth rate is the number of live births per 1000 people while the death rate is the number of deaths per 1000 people. 

These are the natural causes of population change. When the birth rate is higher than the death rate, population increases. 

When the death rate is more than the birth rate, population decreases. When the two rates are equal, the population remains constant. Thus, the birth and death rates affect the balance of population.
(v) What is meant by population composition?
Answer
Population composition refers to the structure of the population. Population composition helps to know the number of males or female, their age-groups, literacy, their occupation, their income level and health conditions etc.
(vi) What are population pyramids? How do they help in understanding about the population of a country?
Answer
The graphical illustration that is used for studying the population composition of a country is called population pyramids. 

It shows the present number of males and females in a country along with their age groups. 

The age-group distribution of population tells us the number of dependents and the number of economically active individuals present in the population.
2. Tick the correct answer.
(i) Which does the term population distribution refer to?
(a) How population in a specified area changes over time.
(b) The number of people who die in relation to the number of people born in a specified area.
(c) The way in which people are spread across a given area.
► (c) The way in which people are spread across a given area.
(ii) Which are three main factors that cause population change?
(a) Births, deaths and marriage
(b) Births, deaths and migration
(c) Births, deaths and life expectancy
► (b) Births, deaths and migration
(iii) In 1999, the world population reached
(a) 1 billion
(b) 3 billion
(c) 6 billion
► (c) 6 billion
(iv) What is a population pyramid?
(a) A graphical presentation of the age, sex composition of a population. (b) When the population density of an area is so high that people live in tall buildings.
(c) Pattern of population
► (a) A graphical presentation of the age, sex composition of a population.

3. Complete the sentences below using some of the following words.
sparsely, favourable, fallow, artificial, fertile, natural, extreme, densely
When people are attracted to an area it becomes ___________ populated. Factors that influence this include _________ climate; good supplies of ____________ resources and _____________ land.
Answer
When people are attracted to an area it becomes densely populated. Factors that influence this include favourable climate; good supplies of natural resources and fertile land

assignments for practice chapter agriculture and understanding margin

The making of nationalist movement ncert question answers

 Question 1: Why were people dissatisfied with British rule in the 1870s and 1880s?

Answer: Some of the reasons for dissatisfaction with British rule in the 1870s and 1880s are as follows:

• The Arms Act was passed in 1878. This Act disallowed Indians from possessing arms.
• The Vernacular Press Act was passed in 1878. This Act empowered the government to confiscate the assets of newspapers including their printing presses, if the newspaper published anything “objectionable”.
• The government tried to introduce the Ilbert Bill in 1883. The bill made provisions for trial of British or European persons by Indians. Thus, the Ilbert Bill sought equality between British and Indian judges in the country. But the whites opposed the Bill and forced the government to withdraw it.

·         Question 2: Who did the Indian National Congress wish to speak for?

·         Answer: In spite of being a body of the educated elite, the Congress also talked about the common people.

·         Question 3: What economic impact did the First World War have on India?

·         Answer: The First World War changed the economic and political situation in India. There was a sharp price rise which increased the problems of the common people.

·         The business groups reaped huge profits because the war increased the demand for all kinds of goods. Reduced imports meant that the new demand was being met by the Indian business houses.

·         Question 4: What did the Muslim League resolution of 1940 ask for?

·         Answer: In the 1940, the Muslim League moved a resolution to demand “Independent States” for the Muslims in the north-western and eastern areas of the country.

Question 5: Who were the Moderates? How did they propose to struggle against British rule?

Answer: In its first twenty years, the Congress was “moderate” in its objectives and methods. The Congress leaders of this period were called the Moderates. During this period, the main demand of Congress was about getting a greater voice for Indians in the government and administration.

Question 6: How was the politics of the Radicals within the Congress different from that of the Moderates?

Answer: They criticized the Moderates for their “policy of prayers”. They argued that people should not believe on the so called good intentions of the government and must fight for swaraj. They wanted to explore radical methods to ensure freedom.

Question 7: Discuss the various forms that the Non-Cooperation Movement took in different parts of India. How did the people understand Gandhiji?

Answer: The Non-Cooperation Movement remained non-violent at most of the places. But some people interpreted the message of Mahatma Gandhi in their own ways; mostly to suit their local grievances.

• The Patidar peasants of Kheda (Gujarat) organized non-violent campaigns against the high land revenue demand.
• Liquor shops were picketed in coastal Andhra and interior Tamil Nadu.
• The tribals and poor peasants in Guntur district (Andhra Pradesh) staged a number of forest satyagrahas; to protest against the new forest laws.
• The Khilafat-Non-Cooperation Movement gave enormous support in Sind and Bengal.
• In Punjab, the Akali agitation of the Sikhs demanded to remove the corrupt mahants from gurdwaras.
• In Assam, the tea garden labourers demanded a big hike in their wages. They shouted the slogan, “Gandhi Maharaj ki jai”. In many folk songs of Assam; Gandhiji was referred to as “Gandhi Raja”.

 Question 8: Why did Gandhiji choose to break the salt law?

Answer: Mahatma Gandhi and other nationalist leaders argued that salt was an essential item of our food and hence it was wrong to impose a tax on salt. Moreover, the issue of salt affected all; the rich and poor; alike. Hence, Gandhiji choose to break the salt law.

Question 9: Discuss those developments of the 1937-47 period that led to the creation of Pakistan.

Answer: After the 1937 provincial elections, Congress refused to form a coalition government with the League in United Provinces. This irked the League leaders. The Muslim League passed a resolution in 1940 to demand independent states for the Muslims in the north-west and eastern India. The Cabinet Mission came to Delhi in 1946. Its aim was suggesting some framework for the independent nation. It suggested loose confederation and some degree of autonomy for the Muslim-majority areas. But negotiations between the Congress and the League failed. After that, Muslim League persisted with its demand for Pakistan. Large scale violence occurred throughout the northern part of the peninsula. The country was finally partitioned in August 1947.

Human resources

Q1 Why is people considered as resource?

Answer

People are considered a resource because with their demands and capabilities they can create new resources. Nature's bounty becomes important only when people find it and make it useful for them. Hence, human resource is also considered an important and potential resource for the society.

(ii) What are the causes for the uneven distribution of population in the world?

Answer

The distribution of population in the world is uneven - some areas are very crowded while some are sparsely populated. There are various reasons behind uneven distribution:

Geographical factors: Favourable topography, availability of mineral and fresh water resources, favorable climate and soil fertility are some of the reasons affecting population distribution e.g., Indo Gangetic  Plains, Diamond Mines of South Africa etc are densely populated.

Social and Cultural factors: Areas of better housing, education and health facilities are more populated. Places of religious and cultural significance also attract people e.g., Varanasi, Jerusalem etc.

Economic factors: Places having more industries, transportation and communication facilities provide better employment opportunities. People are attracted to these places because of the above reasons e.g., Mumbai, Osaka etc.

Question 3: The world population has grown very rapidly. Why?

Answer: With advancements in science and technology, food production has increased. Development in healthcare facilities has helped in reducing death rate. Due to this, the world population has grown very rapidly.

(iv)    Discuss the role of any two factors influencing population change.

Answer

The birth rate and the death rate are two factors that influence population change. The birth rate is the number of live births per 1000 people while the death rate is the number of deaths per 1000 people. These are the natural causes of population change. When the birth rate is higher than the death rate, population increases. When the death rate is more than the birth rate, population decreases. When the two rates are equal, the population remains constant. Thus, the birth and death rates affect the balance of population.

(v)     What is meant by population composition?

Answer

Population composition refers to the structure of the population. Population composition helps to know the number of males or female, their age-groups, literacy, their occupation, their income level and health conditions etc.

(vi)    What are population pyramids? How do they help in understanding about the population of a country?

Answer

The graphical illustration that is used for studying the population composition of a country is called population pyramid. It shows the present number of males and females in a country along with their age groups. The age groups of population tell us the number of dependent and the number of economically active individual present in the population.