VIII Social Studies Page | 1

ELESSONS 1,4,5,6, 7, 10, 11, 14

L-11 UNITED NATIONS (U.N)
Ex.1 MCQ.
1.Who first presented the idea of an International Organisation?
a.George Washington
B.Abraham Lincoln
C.WoodrowWilson
D. F.D Roosevelt
2.When was the league of Nations established?
a. In 1920 A.D
b. In 1941 A.D
c.In 1924 A.D
d. In 1945 A.D
3.Who made efforts to establish a World organisation after the Second World War?
a. The prime minister of England Churchil
b. The American president George Washington
c. The American president F.D Roosevelt
d. Indian Politician Jawaharlal Nehru
4.When was the United NationS [U.N.] established ?
a.On 26th June,1945
B.On 1st August ,1944
th
C.On10 Octomber ,1945
D. 24 th October 1945
5.Which day is celebrated as the U.N day every year?
a.15th January
b. 24thOctober
c. 20th December
d.20th December
6.Which is the largest organ of the U.N?
A. SecretariatB. security council C. Trusteeship council
D. General Assembly
7. How many representatives can a member nation send to the General Assembly to the U.N?
A. 4
B. 5
C. 6 D. 10
8.Who was ELECTED President of the General Assembly of U.N in 1953-54 AD?
a. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru
b. SardarVallabhbhai Patel
C.SrimatiVijaylaxmiPandit
d. Dr.Nagendra shah
9.When was the Universal Declaration of Human Rights presented by the General assembly of U.N?
a. On 24thOctomber ,1945
b. On 10thDecember ,1948
c.On 1st January ,1951
d. On 31stDecember , 1960
10.With whom does the power to allot new membership to U.N lie?
a. General assembly
b. General secretary of U.N
c. security council
d. secretariat
11. Which of the following nations is a permanent member of the Security Council of U.N ?
A. India
B. Germany
C. China
D. Egypt
12.Which of the following nations is not a permanent member of the security council of U.N?
A. U.S.A
B. France
C. Germany D. China
13. How many positive votes of permanent members are necessary for any decision of Security
Council?
a. Four
b. three
c. five
d. two
14.Where are the head quarters of the World health organisation situated ?
a. In Paris
b.In New York
c. In London
d. In Geneva
15.Where are headquarters of UNESCO situated?
A. In berlin
B. in Paris
C. in New York
D. in Geneva
16. Where are the headquarters of International labour Organisation situated?
A. .in Geneva B.in New York
C. in Rome D. in Washington d.c
17.Where are headquarters of UNECEF situated?
A.in Paris
b. in New York
c. in Geneva
d. in Washington d.c
18.Where are headquarters of Food and Agricultural organisation situated?
A.in Rome
b. in Delhi
c. in Berlin
d. in Paris
19. Where are headquarters of World Bank situated?
a. in Moscow
B. in Beijing
C. In Washington D.C
D. in London.
20 . In which war did India send a team of doctor for the treatment of wounded soldiers?
A. in the Vietnam war
B. in the Cambodian War

VIII Social Studies Page | 2

C. in the Korean war

D. in the Somalian war

LESSON 14
1. In which zone does maximum part of Africa lie ?
A Northern temperate zone
B Torrid zone
C Frigid zone
D Sourthern Temperate Zone
2. Which latitude passes almost through the middle of Africa?
A Tropic of Capricorn
B Antarctic circle
C Tropic of Cancer
D Equator
3. Which continent was known as the Dark Continent till the end of the 18th century
A Antarctic
B Australia
C Africa
D South America
4. From which river valley was the missing link of human evolution from ape to man found ?
A Congo
B Niger
C Nile
D Zambezi
5. In which year did Vasco da- Gama discover the sea route to India from Europe ?
A 1502
B 1493
C 1498
D 1490
6. How much land mass of the earth does the African continent cover?
A 30 %
B 25%
C 20%
D 23%
7. What are the major land forms of Africa?
A plains
B deserts
C mountains
D] highlands
8. What is the areawise position of Africa among all continents?
A First
B Second
C Third
D Fourth
9. In which part of Africa is the Atlas mountain range located ?
A North-east
B South-west
C North-west
D North
10. Which is the highest mountain in Africa ?
A Kilimanjaro
B Atlas
C.Drakensberg
D. Kenya
11. Near which latitude is the Kilimanjaro mountain located ?
A. Tropic of cancer B. Equator C. Tropic of Capricorn
D Antarctic circle
12. What is the height of the Ethiopian highland?
A 3160 metres
B 3580 metres
C]3050 metres
D] 3220 metres
13 Which desert is located to the north of Africa?
A GobI
B.Sahara
C Kalahari
D Thar
14. Which river of Africa is the longest in the world?
A Congo
B]Niger
C]Nile
D Zambezi
15. Which sea does the river Nile meet?
A The North Sea
B TheCaspain Sea
C The Mediterranean
D]The Red Sea
16. Which type of jungles are found in the African continent ?
A Coniferous Forests
B]Autumnal Forests
C Deciduous Forests
D]Equatorial Forest
17. Which is the biggest lake of Africa?
A Chad
B Victoria
C TanganyikaD]Malawi (Nyasa)
18. Which sweet water lake is the longest lake in the world?
A Superior
B Michigan
C Baikal
D]Tanganyika
19. In which season does it rain in the regions of Mediterranean type of climate?
A Round the year
B Summer
C Winter
D]Spring
20. On which river of Africa are the world famous Victoria Falls located?
A Nile
B] Zambezi
C]Niger
D Congo
21. Which island of Africa is called the the island of cloves?
A Zanzibar
B Madagascar
C Mauritius D Comoros
22. Which tropic passes through South Egypt?
A Equator
B Tropic of cancer C.Tropic of Capricorn
D]North polar latitude

VIII Social Studies Page | 3

23. Which are the main crops of Egypt?

A Jute and cotton
B Sugarcane and jute
C]cottonand dates
D]Tobacco and dates
24. Which is the capital city of Egypt?
A Khartum
B Kahira (cairo)
C Algiers
D Baimako
25. Which is the most developed country of the African continent?
A Ethiopia
B Sudan
C]Egypt
D] South Africa
26. Which city is the capital of South Africa?
A Cape Town
B]Pretoria
C]Johannesburg
D . Durban
Asia
Ex- 1 MCQ
1. Which is the largest continent of the world with respect to population and area?
A Asia
B Africa
C North America
D Europe
2. Which ocean is located to the South of Asia?
A Indian Ocean
B Pacific Ocean
C Atlantic Ocean
D Arctic Ocean
3. Which ocean is located to east of Asia?
A The Arctic Ocean
B The Pacific Ocean
C The Indian Ocean
D The Atlantic Ocean
4. Which mountain of Asia is the highest mountain of the world?
A Himalayas B Kunlun Shan
C Altai
D Tibet
5. Which is the highest and biggest plateau of the world?
A Mongolia
B Siberia
C Iran
D Tibet
6. Which of the following desert is a cold desert?
A Kalahari Desert
B Arabian Desert
C Gobi Desert
D Thar Desert
7. Which of the following regions gets the highest rainfall?
A Mawsynram
B Hanoima
C Bejing
D Jakarta
8. Which city experiences the hottest Climate in the world?
A Verkhoyansk
B Tehran
C Jacobabad D Bagdad
9. Which city experiences the coldest Climate in the world?
A Moscow
B Chicago
C Verkhoyansk
D Stockholm
10. Which is the longest river of Asia?
A Yangtze
B Hwang Ho
C Lena
D Sindhu
11. Which of the following is the largest lake of the world?
A Caspian Sea
B Aral Sea
C Victoria Lake
D Baikal Lake
12. Which is the deepest lake of the world?
A Aral
B Balkash
C Baikal
D Tonlesap
13. Which of the following lakes has maximum salinity?
A Caspian Sea
B Dead Sea
C Sambhar
D Aral Sea
14. Which ocean does river Lena Meet?
A Pacific Ocean
B Artic Ocean
C Indian Ocean
D Atlantic Ocean
15. Which ocean does river Ganga meet?
A Indian Ocean
B Atlantic Ocean
C Pacific Ocean
D Artic Ocean
16. Which of the following is the inland river?
A Mekong
B Seikyang
C Amudariya
D Oab
17. Which sea do the rivers Amudariya and Sirdariya meet?
A The Aral Sea
B The Mediterranean Sea
C The North Sea
D The Black Sea
18. Which of the following is a salt water lake?
A Pulicat
B Wular
C Baikal
D.Dhebar

VIII Social Studies Page | 4

19. Which of the following is a sweet water lake?

A Chilka
B Pulkit
C Wular
D. Caspian
20. Which of the following animals belong to the frigid zone?
A Camel
B Mule
C Reindeer
D.Ghudkhar
21. Which of the following animal belong to the hot region?
A Ghudkhar
B Yak C Reindeer
D. Beaver
22. Which of the following is a domestic animal?
. A Ghudkhar
B .Bumla
C. Seal
D. Camel
23. Of which country is the yak a distinct animal?
A Pakistan
B Bhutan
C Bangladesh
D Sri Lanka
24. In which country is Khyber pass situated?
A Pakistan
B India
C Iran
D Afghanistan
25. Which country is known as the pearl of the East
A Bangladesh
B Pakistan
C Sri Lanka
D Myanmar
26. From which neighbouring country does India import mineral oil?
A Pakistan
B Bangladesh
C Myanmar D SriLanka
Fill in the blanks
LESSON 11
1.An organisation named League of Nations_ was established in 1920 A.D for world peace.
2. The highly destructive weapon, the __atom bomb_ was used in the Second World War.
3.The United Nations Organisation is known as _United Nations [U.N.] now.
4. The head quarters of United Nations [U.N.] is situated in __New York city.
5.Every member - nation can send a maximum five representatives to the _General Assembly_ of U.N
6.The power to admit new members to the _United Nations [U.N.] lies with the General Assembly.
7.Security Council_ is the most important organ of United Nations.
8. The number of member in the Security Council is ___15 .
9.Out of the total number of members of the Security Council , _5_ are permanent members , while
10_ are the temporary members .
10. Ban-Ki-Moon has been serving as the General Secretary of U.N. since 2007.
11.The appointment of the Secretary of the United Nations is made by the general assembly on
recommendation of __Security Council.
12. The head 0f the United Nations is known as the General Secretary.
LESSON 14
1. South Africa ranks _second___________ in area among the continents of the world .
2. The major area of Africa lies in the __Torrid_________ zone.
3. Till the end of the 18th century Africa was known as the __Dark continent.
4. The Africa continent is in the Eastern__ hemisphere.
5. Africa possess an approximately _30,000_________ thousand km long coastline.
6. The___Mediterranean_______ sea lies between between Africa and Europe.
7. The_Red_ sea lies between north east of Africa and between Africa and Asia.
8. The ___Indian_ ocean lies to the east of Africa.
9. The ___Atlantic_______ ocean lies to the west of Africa.
10. The land form of Africa mainly consists of _highlands___.
11. __Atlas_________ mountain range is situated to the north west of Africa.
12. _Toubkal_________ is the highest mountain peak of Africa.
13. The high land of ___Ethiopia_____ with 3050 m height is the highest highland Africa.
14. The __Sahara_________ desert lies to the north of America.
15. the __Nile_____ river of Africa is the longest river of the world.
16. There are mostly __Equatorial____ jungles in Africa.
17. There are winter rains along the costal areas of _Mediterranean________sea.

VIII Social Studies Page | 5

18. _Zanzibar_______ is known as the Island of cloves.

19. _Egypt______ country is known for its ancient pyramid and sphinx.
20. The _Suez Canal has brought Europe and Asia closer to each other.
21. _Cairo_______ is the capital and an industrial city of Egypt.
22. Suez canal joins _____ sea and ________ sea.
23 The most developed country of the African continent is ___South Africa_ .
24. In 1867 , in the area of River Val of South Africa mines of ___diamond_ and ___gold were
discovered.
LESSON 14
Ex-2 Fill in the blanks
1. __Africa_ continent is situated to the south west of Asia.
2. Mount Everest_ is the highest mountain peak of the world.
3. Tibet_ highland is known as the Roof of the World.
4. Maximum rainfall occurs in _Mawysynram_ and _Cherrapunji__ of India in Asia.
5. Maximum heat falls in _Jacobabad______ cities of Pakistan of Asia in summer.
6. One cannot drown in the __Dead__ lake.
7. Half of the worlds total population lives in the continent of _______.
8. The people belonging to ___West Asia___ region of the Asia continent eat wheat and milk as their
staple food.
9. The capital city of Pakistan is Islamabad .
10. The most important crop of Pakistan is __cotton_.
11. Agriculture revolution has taken place in Pakistan due to water of river __Sindhu.
12. _Dhaka_ is the capital city of Bangladesh.
13. Dhaka is famous for _silk industry.
14. _Katmandu_ is the capital city of Nepal.
15. __40__ % of area of Nepal is covered with forest.
16. Only __16_ % of land of Nepal is cultivable.
17. __Bhutan__ was called as the The Land of Thunder Dragon by the British.
18. People of Bhutan mainly practice ___Buddism___.
19. The __Palk __ Strait and Gulf of Mannarlie between India and Sri-Lanka.
20. The name of the largest river of Sri Lanka is _Mahaveli Ganga_.
21. The capital city of Myanmar is __Rangoon_.
TRUE OR FALSE
LESSON 11
Ex .3 True or False.
1 Veto power means the right of deny is a negative vote cast against a proposal in the Security
Council . TRUE
2 India was not independent nation when League of Nations was established . TRUE
3 Mrs. VijayalaxmiPandit was elected as the Indian representative of UNESCO . FALSE
4 United Nations day is celebrated on 26th January every year . FALSE
5 Five countries are the permanent members of the Security Council of the United Nations.
TRUE
6 The General Assembly can be called as the Parliament of United Nations . FALSE
7 France is a permanent member of the Security Council . TRUE
8 India possesses Veto power in Security Council .FALSE
9 The world bank leads money to Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation .TRUE
LESSON 14
2
1. 3 rd part of the African continent lies in northern hemisphere. TRUE

VIII Social Studies Page | 6

2. The equator divides the African continent into two halves. FALSE
3. Most of the region of Africa is in Torrid Zone.TRUE
4. The African continent lies in the western hemisphere. FALSE
5. Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain of Africa. FALSE
6. The Congo river is the longest river of Africa. FALSE
7. The magnificent culture of Egypt developed on the banks of the river nile. TRUE
LESSON 14
1. The continent of Asia lies in the southern hemi-sphere. False
2. The temperature is high in summer in central Asia. True
3. The winds blowing over Arabian Sea bring rain in winter. False
4. Cherrapunji is located in Assam state of India. False
5. The Japanese live in tents made of leather. -- False
6. Camel is used for transportation in mountains regions. -- False
7. The Arabs wear woollen clothes in summer. -- False
8. There is very dense population in Bangladesh. --- True
MATCH THE FOLLOWING
LESSON 11 Ex. 4 Match .
1. Establishment of League of Nations
1920 A.D
2. Establishment of United Nations
1945 A.D
3. Largest organ of the United Nations
General assembly
4. The most important organ of the United Nations Security council1921 A.D
LESSON 14
Ex-4 Match
(1) A
B
1.Victoria - falls
2. Atlas
- mountain
3.Ethiopia - highland
4. Niger
river
(2) Section A
B
1. Banks of river Congo Pygmy
2. Kalahari Desert- Bushmen
3. Kenya Bantu
4. Egypt
Fellah
Ex- 3 Match
1. Pakistan - Islamabad
2. Sri Lanka Colombo
3. Bhutan - Thimphu
4. Bangladesh Dhaka
Ex- 5 Identify me [match the following]
1. I live in the forests of Africa and -- Lion
2. I am the tree of the coastal region.-- coconut
3. I am the animal useful for agriculture. -- ox
4. I am the main tree of equatorial region. -- mahogany
5. I am the country in central Himalayas. -- Nepal
6. I am the large , cold desert of Asia. -- Gobi
7. I am Known as Ratnadweep . Sri Lanka
8. I am the main river of Pakistan. -- Sindhu
ANSWER IN A SENTENCE
LESSON 1
Ex-5 Ans in one sentence

VIII Social Studies Page | 7

1.Who started social reforms for the first time in the 19th centuary in India?
A. .1. Raja Ram Mohan Roy started social reforms for the first time in the 19th century A.D.
2. Where and when was Raja Ram Mohan Roy born ?
A. . Raja Ram Mohan Roy was born in 1772 A.D. in Radhanagar village of Hooghly district in Bengal.
3. Against which evils did Raja Ram Mohan Roy start an aggressive protest?
A. A.3. Raja Ram Mohan Roy started an aggressive protest against evils like sati, child marriage,
forbidding widow remarriage, caste system, female infanticide by drowning the baby in milk
[dudhpiti], etc.
4. What recommendations were made to the British government by Raja Ram Mohan Roy [A. 4.
Write answer in Brief Questions.]
5. Who framed the law banning the 'sati system? When was it framed?
A. 5. Governor General William Bentinck framed the law banning the sati system in 1829 A.D.
6. Where was Swami Dayanand born?
A. 6. Swami DayanandSaraswati was born in Tankara village situated near Morbi in Saurashtra.
7. What advice did Swami DayanandSaraswati give to the people?
A. 7. Swami DayanandSaraswati advised the people to Return to the Vedas.
8. When and which gurukul (school) did Swami Shraddhanand establish?
A.8. Swami Shraddhanand established the Kangdi Gurukul near Haridwar in 1902 A.D.
9. Where was Ram Krishna Paramhans born?
A. 9. Ram Krishna Paramhans was born in Kamarpukur village of Hooghly district in West Bengal.
10. What advice did Swami Vivekanand give to the people of India?
A. 10 Swami Vivekanand advised the people to serve the poor and needy and seek God in this service
and these people.
11. What effect did Swami Vivekanand have on the youths of India?
A. 11. Swami Vivekanand inculcated pride for the glorious past of India in the minds of the youths and
encouraged them to have faith in the future.
12. Which moto was given to India by Swami Vivekanand?
A. 12. Swami Vivekanand gave the slogan of Arise, awake and stop not till the goal is achieved. to the
people of India.
13. Who established the Ram Krishna Mission? When and where?
A.13. Swami Vivekanand established the Ram Krishna Mission at Bellur in 1897 A.D.
14. Which motto did the Ram Krishna Mission follow?
A. 14. Ram Krishna Mission followed the motto Service to man is service to God.
15. In the 19th centuary who tried to bring about awakening in the Muslim society for the first time ?
A. A.15. In the 19th century religious awakening was initiated in the Muslim society under the
leadership of people like Shariatulla from Bengal and Saiyad Ahmed Khan from RaiBareily in Uttar
Pradesh.
16. Who started the 'Wahabi Revolution' in India?
A. 16. Leaders like Shariatulla from Bengal and Saiyad Ahmed Khan from RaiBareily in Uttar
Pradesh started Wahabi Revolution in India.
17. Who established the Muslim college in Aligarh ? When and Why?
A. 17. Sir Saiyad Ahmed Khan established the Muslim College at Aligadhin 1875 C.E to enable
Muslims to get higher education.
18. Why was the 'ShiromaniGurudwaraPrabandhakSamiti' established ?
A. 18. The ShiromaniGurudwaraPrabandhakSamiti was established to remove the evils that had
infiltrated into the Gurudwaras and also for better management.
19. Who did the work of religious and social reform in the Parsi community?
A.19. Mr. K.R.Cama and Mr.BehramjiMalbari also worked to reform the Parsi religion and society.
20. When and where was AmrutlalThakkarborn ?
A.20. ThakkarBapa [AmritlalThakkar] was born in Bhavnagar in 1869 A.D.

VIII Social Studies Page | 8

LESSON 4 SUPREME COURT

ANSWER IN A SENTENCE.
4. Which disputes does the Supreme Court solve?
A.4. The Supreme Court can dissolve disputes between two citizens, between citizens and the
Government and between two or more states and the centre.
5. Who protested against increasing the height of Narmada Dam above 110 metres?
A.5. The state of Madhya Pradesh and voluntary agencies working for the conservation of
environment protested to see that the height of Narmada dam does not exceed above 110 metres.
7. What will happen if powerful or influential people control the judiciary ?
A.7. If powerful or influential people controlthe judiciary,then the judges will not be able to pass
judgments in an unbiased and independent manner.
8. In our Constitution, what has the judiciary been kept independent of?
A.8. In our constitution, the judiciary has been kept independent of the other two organs of the
government- the legislature and the executive bodies.
10. What arrangement has the Supreme Court made to ensure that poor people also get justice?
A.10. To ensure that poor people also receive proper justice the Supreme Court has accepted a
structure of Application of Public Welfare.
11. Why is it difficult for the poor people to go to court?
A.11. Poor people do not have money. They can neither read nor write and they earn their livelihood
by doing manual labour for the whole day. Thus, due to lack of funds and time, it is difficult for poor
people
to go to courts.
LESSON 5
EX. 6 ANSWER IN ONE SENTENCE
2. Which vow did VasudevFadke take?
A.2.. The vow taken by VasudevFadke was not to apply tilak on his forehead and not to cut his hair till
he did not free India from the clutches of the British.
4. When and where was VinayakDamodarSavarkar born?
4. VinayakDamodarSavarkar was born on 28th May, 1883 at Bhugur village of Nasik district in
Maharashtra
6. Which book did Veer Savarkar write?
6. Veer Savarkar wrote a book titled 1857: Indias First Freedom Struggle.
8. Who inspired Khudiram Bose to be a revolutionary?
A teacher named SatyenBabu taught Khudiram Bose to walk on the path of revolution and be a
revolutionary.
10. Which revolutionary set an example of Hindu-Muslim unity?
A. 10. A revolutionary named AshfaqUllah Khan set an example of Hindu-Muslim unity.
13. How did Chandrashekhar come to be known by the name of 'Azad'? OR How did
Chandrashekhar become popular as 'Azad'?
A.13. Chandrashekar was arrested and presented before court for participating in the non-cooperation
movement started by Gandhiji. When the judge asked him his name, he gave him his name as Azad.
From then on, he has been known by the name of Azad.
16. Who threw a bomb in the Legislative Assembly at Delhi? Why?
Bhagat Singh and BatukeshwarDutt threw a bomb in the legislative assembly at Delhi to awaken the
British Government.
17. Which three revolutionaries and fast friends were hanged on the same day?
17. Three revolutionaries and fast friends who were hanged on the same day were Bhagat Singh,
Sukdev and Rajguru.
19. Which revolutionaries helped ShyamjiKrishnaVerma to carry out revolutionary activities?

VIII Social Studies Page | 9

19. Revolutionaries like VinayakSavarkar, LalaHardayal, MadanlalDhingra, Sardar Singh Rana,

Madam Cama and others helped ShyamjiKrishnaVerma to carry out revolutionary activities.
LESSON 6
HUMAN RESOURCES
EX. 5 ANSWER IN ONE SENTENCE
1. Explain the meaning of census.
A.1. To collect information and register people living in a particular area of any part of the country is
known as 'census. It is done every 10 years as per the order of the central government of India.
2. In which year was the last census held in India?
A.2. The last census was held in India in the year 2011.
3. What was the special feature of the census held in 2011 A.D.?
A.3. The special feature of the census held in the year 2011A.D. was that a unique ID number and
identity card was given to every citizen.
Q.6. Which records does the forest department keep?
A.6. Records of the census of animals, birds and trees that are getting extinct and the counting of the
domestic animals is done by the forest government.
7. What is the area of India in sq. Km? How many per cent of the worlds area does it equal?
A.7. The area of India is 32,87,263 sq. km. which is 2.42% of total worlds land area.
9. Due to which reasons has birth rate not decreased?
A.9. Birth rate has not decreased due to illiteracy, superstitious beliefs, orthodox thinking, customs,
child marriage, poverty, widow remarriage, lack of ideal concept of small family, etc.
10. Problems in the management of what arise due to population explosion?
A.10. Due to population explosion certain management related problems have cropped up. For eg.
Food, water, residence, environmental pollution, conservation, employment, traffic control etc.
11. Define Population Density.
A.11. The proportion of people residing in per square kilometer of a specific area is known as
population density of that area.
12. In which regions do we find high population density?
A.12. Population density is more in areas near river banks, industrial areas, fertile regions of
peninsular rivers, etc
13. In which regions do we find low population density?
.13. We find low population density in extremely cold region, places of lofty mountains, deserts and
dense forest areas due to unfavourable conditions
14. What is birth rate? OR What do you understand by birth rate?
A.14. The average of the total live babies born per 1000 persons in a year in any specific area is known
as birth rate.
16. What is death rate? OR What do you understand by death rate?
A.16. The average number of deaths in one year per 1000 persons in any specific area is known as
death rate.
18. What is migration? OR What do you understand by migration?
A.18. When humans go from one place and settle in another place for their livelihood or for their
progress, it is known as migration.
Q.21 Why do quantitative changes happen in population?
A.21. Quantitative changes happen mainly due to rate of population growth and migration of people.
Moreover, proportionately less land area, condition of farmers, urbanization as well as social and
economic reasons cause quantitative changes in population.
22. Which languages has been given the status of official language and which has the status of global
language in India?
A.22. Hindi and English have been given the status of official and global languages respectively in
India.
LESSON 7

V I I I S o c i a l S t u d i e s P a g e | 10

Answer in sentence
1 Why did Gandhiji go to South Africa?
A1 Gandhiji went to South Africa to practice law.
2 Which were the two main aspects of Satyagraha?
A.2. Two main aspects of Satyagraha were truth and non-violence.
3 What did Gandhiji do on the advice of GopalKrishanaGokhale?
A.3. On the advice of Gopal Krishna GokhaleGandhiji toured the whole of India and tried to
understand the needs and plights of the conditions of the people.
4 . Where and when did Gandhijiestablish an ashram in Ahmedabad?
A.4. Gandhiji established his Satyagraha Ashram at Kochrab, Ahmedabad on 25th May, 1915. After a
year Gandhiji shifted this Satyagraha ashram to the banks of the Sabarmati.
5 Where is Champaran located? What was it famous for?
A.5. Champaran is located at the foot of the Himalayas in Bihar near Nepal. It was famous for its
mango plantations.
7 What were the benefits the Kheda Satyagraha even though it did not yield much result?
A.7. With the success of the Kheda Satyagraha, the farmers of Gujarat as well as India became
fearless and there was a new awakening among them. Moreover the nation found a devoted and
committed leader like Vallabhbhai Patel who had an extremely strong will power.
8 Why did Gandhiicall the Rowlatt Act as the Black Act?
A.8.The Rowlatt Act had total control over the fundamental rights of expression and freedom of
speech of every individual. It also gave more powers and rights to the British police. So Gandhiji called
the Rowlatt Act as the Black Act.
9 When and why was a meeting held in Jallianwala Baugh?
A.9. A meeting was held in Jallianwala Baugh to pay tribute to the martyrs who had been the victims
of British exploitation and also to protest against the arrest of popular leaders Dr Satyapal and Dr
Kichlu.
10 Who were the main leaders of the Khilafat movement?
A.10. The main leaders of the Khilafat Movement were the Ali brothers MaulanaShakaut Ali and
Maulana Mohammed Ali.
14 Which national education institutions were established to facilitate education during the Noncooperation Moovement?
A.14. During the non-cooperation movement many national institutions like Gujarat Vidyapith [in
Ahmedabad], Bihar Vidyapith, KashiVidyapith, JaamiaMiliaIslamiaVidyapith [in Delhi],
TilakVidyapith [in Pune] etc. were established.
15 Why did all the political parties of India decide to boycott the Simon Commission?
A.15. In the seven-member Simon Commission all the members were British. There wasnt a single
Indian representative. Therefore, all political institutions of India boycotted the Simon Commission.
21 Why did British government not accept the Nehru Report?
A21 The British government did not accept the Nehru Report because the Muslim League did not
accept the report.
Q.23. When did the congress convention take the pledge of freedom?
A.23. In December 1929, under the chairmanship of Jawaharlal Nehru, the congress passed a
resolution of Complete Freedom on the banks of River Ravi in Lahore.
LESSON 10 FOLLOWING THE MAHATMA: PART II
ANSWER IN A SENTENCE
Q.1. Which authority was given to Gandhiji by the executive committee of Indian National Congress
that met in Ahmedabad?
A.1. The Indian National Congress that met in Ahmedabad gave Gandhiji all the rights to start the
movement for breaking laws in a disciplined way in order to attain Swaraj.
Q.2. Who started the Dandi March? From where and when was it started?

V I I I S o c i a l S t u d i e s P a g e | 11

A.2. Gandhiji started Dandi March along with 78 companions from Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad
on 12th March, 1930.
Q.3. Why did Gandhiji march to Dandi? [reason]
A.3. Gandhiji started Dandi March because the British laid tax on the most important component of
our daily diet, salt. He felt that it was unjust on the part of the British to levy tax on the salt. Hence
Gandhiji started the historic march to break the salt law.
Q.4. Why did the British Government arrange Round Table Conference? [reason]
A.4. The British Government arranged Round Table Conference in London to discuss what kind of
constitution should be given to India and the amendments to be made in it.
Q.5. Why was the First Round Table unsuccessful? [reason]
A.5. The First Round Table Conference was unsuccessful because there was no representative from
the Indian National Congress at the conference organized in London.
Q.7. Why did various committees resign in 1939?
A.7. When the 2nd World War started in 1939 A.D. the then viceroy Linlithgow made India fight from
the British side without first consulting the central committee or any other Indian national leaders. So,
to protest this, the heads of various committees resigned their posts in 1939 A.D.
Q.11. Why did Gandhiji start Individual Satyagraha? [REASON]
A.11. During the World War II, Gandhiji started Individual Satyagraha instead of group Satyagraha
as he did not want to give more trouble to the British government during the trying times of war.
Q.13. What order did Gandhiji give to the people of India in 1942?
A.13. In 1942 A.D. Gandhiji ordered the people of India to follow the principle of Do or Die and to
continue the non-violent struggle.
Q.14. When and where was the historical resolution of Quit India passed?
A.14. The historical resolution of Quit India was passed on 8th August, 1942, during the meeting of
the Indian National Congress in Mumbai.
Q.15. When and why did British Prime Minister Atklee make on 20th February, 1947?
[REASON]
A.15. The Prime Minister of Britain, Mr Atlee sent a Cabinet Mission to India in 1946 .D. in order to
put forward a plan of giving complete freedom to India.
Q.17. What was the effect of British Prime Minister Atlees announcement of transferring
A.17. The enthusiasm of Gandhiji and all the national leaders of India as well as the common people
increased with this announcement. Gandhiji welcomed this decision of the British by saying that it was
their best act.
LESSON 11
Ex. 5 Answer in sentence.
1.Who first presented the idea of the world organisation ?
A.1. American President Woodrow Wilson was the first one to present the idea of the world
organisation.
2.When and why was the League of Nations established ?
A.2. League of Nations was established after the First World War in April 1920 A.D. in order to
maintain peace and security in the world.
3.Which day is celebrated as the U.N day ?
A.3. 24th October is celebrated as U.N day.
5.What can be called World parliament why?
A.5. The General Assembly of United Nations [U.N] can be called as World Parliament because it is
made of the representatives of all member nations of United Nations.
Q. 7. Which is the most important organ of the United Nation? How many total members does it have?
A.7. Security Council is the most important organ of United Nations. It has a total of 15 members, of
which 5 are permanent and 10 are temporary.
8.Which nations are the permanent members of the security council?

V I I I S o c i a l S t u d i e s P a g e | 12

A.8. The permanent members of the Security Council are U.S.A., Britan, France, Russia and China.
9.What is the main function of security council of United Nations?
A.9. The main function of the Security Council of United Nations is to maintain peace and security in
the world.
10. What is the head of secretariat of U.N.O known as? Who appoints the Secretary?
A.10. The head of secretariat of UNO is known as Secretary. He is appointed by the General
Assembly on the recommendation of Security Council.
12.What is meant by right to deny (Veto power )? What is its importance?
A.12. Right to Deny means the exceptional right enjoyed by the five permanent members of Security
Council to pass a negative vote. If anyone of these five permanent member nations possessing this right
passes a negative vote, then the decisions or resolutions cannot be passed.
14.What is the main function of UNESCO?
A.14. The main function of UNESCO is t establish co-operation among various countries of the world,
in areas of education, science and culture.
15.What is the main function of International labour organisation (ILO)?
A.15. The main function of ILO is to make efforts so that workers in different countries of the world
are not exploited and they get proper salary.
Q.16. What is the main function of UNICEF?
A.16. The main function of UNICEF is to arrange welfare programmes for children, so that, there is an
improvement in the quality of health of the children of the world and they get nutritious food.
LESSON 14
Q.1.Answer in a sentence
Q.1. Through which continent do three important latitudes pass?
A.1. . Three important latitudes like Tropic of Cancer, Equator and Tropic of Capricorn pass through
the continent of Africa
Q.2. Which strait separates the African and the European continent?
A.2. The Strait of Gibraltar separates the African and the European continent.
Q.3. Which region separates Asia and Africa?
A.3. Sinai Peninsula of Egypt separates Asia and Africa.
4. Which mountain ranges are situated in north west part Africa ?
A.4. Atlas mountain ranges are situated in north west part of Africa.
Q.5. Which are the seas and 0ceans found near the continent of Africa?
A.5. Mediterranean Sea to the north of Africa, Red Sea to the north-east, Indian Ocean to the east and
Atlantic Ocean to the west are found near the continent of Africa.
Q.7. Why does the peak of Kilimanjaro always remain covered with snow though it is situated near
the equator?
A.7. The height of Kilimanjaro is 5895 metres. Owing to its great height, even though it is situated near
the equator, its peaks always remain covered with snow.
8. Which desert is located to the North of Africa ? How many sq. Metres area does it cover ?
A Sahara desert is located to the north of Africa. It is spread over an area of 90,65,000 sq km.
Q.9. Which is the longest rift valley of the world ? Which three lakes are formed here ?
A.9. The longest rift valley of the world is in East Africa, in which Tanganyika, Chad, Turkana
[Rudolph] are the three main lakes.
10. Which is the longest river of the world ? Wt is its length?
A.10. The Nile is the longest river of the world. Zits length is 6436 kms.
Q.11. Through which countries does the river Nile flow and which sea does it meet?
A.11. The River Nile flows through Uganda, Sudan and Egypt. Blue Nile, which is its main tributary,
flows from Ethopia and meets it near Khartoum in Sudan. The joint flow of both the rivers meets the
Mediterranean Sea, moving through Sudan and Egypt.
12. Which trees are found in the Equatorial forests?

V I I I S o c i a l S t u d i e s P a g e | 13

A.12. The trees like maghogany, ebony, logwood, rosewood, ironwood, rubber, chinchona and bamboo
are found in t he Equatorial forests.
13. By which name are the plains of grass regions of the torrid zone known?
A.13The plains of grass regions of the torrid zone are known by the name of Savannah grass plains.
14. Which fruits are cultivated in the costal regions along the Mediterranean sea?
A.14.Sweet and sour fruits like oranges, lemons, peaches, grapes, etc are cultivated in the costal
regions along the Mediterranean sea.
15. Why is Egypt famous over all the world?
A.15. Egypt is famous for Pyramids all over the world.
16. Where is the country of South Africa located?
A.16. South Africa is located in the temperate zone of the Southern Hemisphere.
17. What brought about the rapid change in the economy of the South Africa?
A. The rapid change in the economy of the South Africa has been brought due to the discovery of gold
and diamond mines near the river Val in 1867.
18. Which are the main cities of South Africa?
A Durban and Johanesburg are the main cities of South Africa.
PAGE 130
Q.1. Which oceans lie to the east and north-south direction of the continent of Asia.?
A.1. Indian Ocean lies to the south of Asia, Pacific Ocean lies to its east and Arctic Ocean lies to its
north.
Q.2 Why are rivers that meet Arctic Ocean not useful as waterways?
A.2. The rivers like Ob, Yangtze and Lena which meet the Arctic Ocean remain frozen for most part of
the year. So, these rivers are not useful as waterways.
Q.5. Why cant one drown in the Dead Sea?
A.5. Dead Sea is the saltiest lake of the world. The salinity of its water is eight times, the average
salinity of sea-water. Therefore its water is very heavy. Its density is more than the density of a human
body. Materials with less density than water do not sink in it but float upon it. According to this rule it
is not possible to sink in the Dead Sea.
Q.8. Name the main rivers of Asia.
A.8 The main rivers of Asia are Oab, Yenisei, Amur, Hwang Ho, Yangtzekiang, Seikiyang, Mekong,
Irrawaddy, Brahmaputra, Ganga, Yamuna, Sindhu, etc,.
Q.10. Name the sweet water lakes of Asia.
A.10 The sweet water lakes of Asia are Baikal, Wular, Dal, Dhebar, Tonlesap, Tongkong, etc.
Q.11. Name the animals living in the cold areas of Asia.
A.11. Reindeer and dogs are the animals that are found and can be tamed in very cold
regions of Siberia. Moreover, Polar bears, wolves, muskrat sable, raccoon, beaver and
caribou are the main wild animals living in the cold areas of Asia.
Q.15. State the staple food of the people of West Asia.
A.15. The staple food of the people of West Asia is wheat, meat, fish and date-palm in their food.
Q.17. Give the names of the neighbouring countries of India.
A.17. Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar are theneighbouring
countries on the land borders of India, while Sri Lanka and Maldives are other neighbouring
countries situated in the Indian sub-continent.
LESSON 1
REASONS
A.1. Lord William Bentinck framed a law banning the 'sati' system.
Ans. The first social reformer Raja Ram Mohan Roy started an aggressive protest against the sati
system and requested the British government to frame a law banning this evil practice. Therefore,
Lord William Bentinck framed a law banning the sati system.
2. Swami DayanandSaraswati advised the people to 'Return to the Vedas.

V I I I S o c i a l S t u d i e s P a g e | 14

A.2. Swami DayanandSaraswati had studied the Vedas and other religious books in great depth. He
realized the greatness of Indian religion and culture as depicted in the Vedas. Therefore, he spread the
message of the Vedas and requested people to Return back to Vedas.
3. SwamiVivekanand established the 'Ram Krishna Mission'
A.3. Following the advice of his guru, Swami Vivekanand established the Ram Krishna Mission to
serve the poor and downtrodden people
4. ThakkarBapa established the 'Panchmahal Bhil SewaMandal'
A.4. ThakkarBapa established the PanchmahalSewaMandal to bring about a reform in the lives of
the Bhil tribes that lived in the jungles and hilly regions of Panchmahal district and to the uplift them.
LESSON 5
REASONS
1. Khudiram Bose was hanged death because he and his friend Praful Chaki threw a bomb on the
horse cart of Judge Kingsford on 30th April, 1908 and attempted t kill the judge.
2. Madanlal Dhingra was hanged because he assassinated William Wylie in broad day light at point
blank range at Trafalgar Square in London in 1909 A.D.
BRIEF QUESTIONS
LESSON 1
Q.1. Which were the various evil customs prevalent in our society before independence?
A.1. Evil customs like blind faith, superstition, child marriage, forbidding widow remarriage, the sati
system, female infanticide by drowning her in the milk [dudhpiti], polygamy, dowry system and selling
the girl child were prevalent in India before independence.
Q.2. What recommendations were made to the British government by Raja Ram Mohan Roy?
A.1. Raja Ram Mohan Roy made the following recommendations to the British government :
1.to remove the control over newspapers- i.e. to allow freedom of speech and individual freedom to
press,
2.to grant freedom of speech and individual freedom to people,
3.to give women their rights,
4.to keep the judiciary separate from the administration and
5.to give more government jobs to Indians.
LESSON 4
Q.1. How can we say that there is a continuous judiciary in our country?
A.1. The Supreme Court is at the highest position in the Indian Judicial system. After this, in
chronological order are the state High Courts, the District Courts and the Taluka Courts. Due to this
arrangement one can say that there is a continuous judiciary in our country.
Q.2. Why should the judiciary be independent?
A.1. If a powerful person captures our land, we take the matter to the court. But we would find that a
judge would always favour a strong person. If a strong person has a control over the judge, he cannot
take any decision independently. Judiciary deprived of freedom will always force the judge to give the
judgement in favour of powerful person. But our constitution does not allow such kind of interference.
That is why judiciary has been kept independent from legislative and executive in our constitution. So,
once the judges are appointed in the High Court and the Supreme Court, it is difficult to remove them
from their place/post. If an individual feels that his fundamental rights are violated, he can go to the
court.
LESSON 5 BRIEF
Q.1. Write few lines on Shyamji Krishna Verma.
A.1. Shyamji Krishna Verma was born on 4th October 1857 in Mandvi village of Kutch. He established
Indian Home Rule Society in order to attain Swaraj. For the propagation of his institution, he started
a magazine entitled Indian Sociologist. He got various companions to run his revolutionary activities.
He arranged scholarship for Indians. When MadanlalDhingra was shot dead, he felt unsafe in London.
So he went to Paris and after sometime to Switzerland. He died in 1930 AD.

V I I I S o c i a l S t u d i e s P a g e | 15

LESSON 6
Q.1. What is census? Why is a census done?
A.1. To collect information and register people living in a particular area of any part of the country is
known as census.
Census is done due to following reasons.
1. Through human census, the government obtains details about qualitative characteristics of the
people.
2. Such information helps the government to know the qualities of its people or say its human
resource.
3. This information then helps the government to plan its economic development.
4. Census serves as an important source of information for five-year plans, planning for food,
water, residence management, industries, electricity, employment, education, defence, etc.
Q.2. Why is there more population in Uttar Pradesh?
A.2. There is more population in Uttar Pradesh because:
1. Uttar Pradesh is a region of the fertile region of the fertile plains of rivers Ganga and
Yamuna.
2. There is sufficient water for irrigation and other purposes in this land due to the proper
rainfall, perennial rivers, canals as well as ground water. Therefore agriculture has developed
well in this region.
3. Moreover, a complex network of roads has been easily built on this flat land to facilitate
transport. So there is rapid economic progress here.
Q.3. Why is there less population in Sikkim state?
A.3. There is less population in Sikkim state because:
1. Sikkim is a hilly area situated in the Himalayas.
2. Perennial snow covered lofty mountains, dense forests and the cold climate of the state is not
favourable for agriculture.
3. The transport facilities are less. Most of the region of the state has uneven mountainous
region.
4. The industries have not well developed over here.
LESSON 7
Q.1 Why did Gandhiji withdraw the non-cooperation movement?
OR
[Reason: Gandhiji withdraw the non-cooperation movements ]
A.1. In 1922 A.D. the angry farmers of Chauri-Chaura village of Gorakhpur district of Uttar Pradesh
revolted against the sudden uncontrolled firing done by the police on a peaceful rally and set fire to a
police station. All the 22 policemen inside were killed. Due to this violent incident, Gndhiji withdrew
the non-cooperation movement.
Q.2. Why did the Khilafat movement start in India?
A.2. The allied nations were victorious in the First World War. Turkey that had joined hands with
Germany had been defeated in the war. So the allied nations signed a treaty with Turkey. England was
also a part of this treaty. The conditions of this treaty were unfair to the Turks. At that time, the sultan
of Turkey was the religious head of Islam. According to t he treaty the Turk Sultans title of Khalifa
was cancelled. Under the leadership of the two brothers, MaulanaShaukat Ali and Maulana
Mohammed Ali, Indian Muslims started the Khilafat Movement to protest against this treaty.
Q.3. Write few lines on Kheda Satyagrah Movement
A.3 Kheda experienced heavy rainfall in the year 1917 and the agricultural production got destroyed.
Still the British government insisted the farmers to pay the tax. So, the farmers of Kheda started
Satyagrah under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. Mahatma Gandhi told the farmers not to pay
the tax until the British government accepts their demand.
Sardar Patel left his advocacy and joined the Satyagrah. Gandhiji wrote a letter to the Commissioner
that if the tax of the farmers will be waived off, the rich would pay the tax. At the end, the collector

V I I I S o c i a l S t u d i e s P a g e | 16

passed an order for the same and the movement was successful. Due to the success of the Satyagrah,
there was an awakening among the farmers and their fear from the Britishers became less.
LESSON 10 FOLLOWING THE MAHATMA: PART II
Q.1. Why was the second Round Table Conference unsuccessful?
A.1. The second Round Table Conference was organized in London in 1931 A.D. Gandhiji was the sole
representative of the Indian National Congress. In this conference, the people who came as
representatives from various committees wanted different election committees for their own
community. Gandhiji was displeased about this view point because this would lead to a shattered
India. Gandhiji could not attain uniformity between the various unions of communal representatives
and therefore this conference also proved unsuccessful. Gandhiji returned t India with a sad heart.
Q.2. Which proposals were included in the Cabinet Mission?
A.2. The various proposals included in the Cabinet Mission were:
1. To establish total self rule in the country.
2. To divide the whole country into three provinces.
a] Provinces of Hindu majority,
b] Provinces of Muslim majority and
c] Provinces with mixed population
3. Freedom was given to the nation to frame its own constitution.
4. Till the constitution was enforced, an interim government would work.
LESSON 11
1.What are the main objectives of U.N.O?
A.1. The main objectives of U.N.O are:
1] to maintain international peace and safety.
2] to cultivate the feeling of friendship among member nations.
3] to bring out solutions to the economic, social, cultural and humanity related problems at
international level.
4] to seek co-operation to create a feeling of respect for an individuals fundamental rights and the
basic right to freedom.
Q.2.Which are the main organs of United Nations ?
A.2.The main organs of United Nations are as follows:
1. General Assembly
2. Security Council
3. Economic and Social Council
4. Trusteeship Council
5. International Court of Justice
6. Secretariat
3.Which are the special bodies of United Nations ?
A.3.The special bodies of United Nations are:
1. World Health Organization [W.H.O]
2.United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization [UNESCO]
3. International Labour Organization [ILO]
4. United Nations International Childrens Emergency Fund [UNICEF]
5. Food and Agricultural Organization [FAO]
6. World Bank [IBRD]
LESSON 14
Q.1. Give a brief introduction of South Africa.
1. A.1. Most of the part of this country which is situated to the extreme south of the African
continent lies in the temperate zone of the southern hemisphere.
2. The Tropic of Capricorn passes through its northern part.

V I I I S o c i a l S t u d i e s P a g e | 17

3. South Africa was an agricultural country earlier, but due to diamonds and gold mines found in
the region of river Vaal in 1867, big changes took place in its economy and within no time
became a developed and affluent country of the African continent.
4. Its administrative capital is Pretoria, but its parliamentary capital is Cape Town and judicial
capital is Blomfontein.
5. Johannesburg and Durban are its main cities.
Q.2. Write few lines on the rivers and lakes of Africa.
1. The main rivers of Africa are Nile, Congo, Niger and Zambezi.
2. Nile is the longest river of the world, with 6436 km length. It originates from highlands of
Ethopia and moves to Sudan. It further moves through Egypt and meets the Mediterranean
Sea.
3. Most of the rivers of Africa originate from the middle of the highlands and meet the sea.
4. These rivers are not very useful as waterways because they floe through uneven and rocky
areas.
5. However, most of the rivers are useful for generating electricity.
6. The chief lakes of Africa are Nyasha, Victoria, Chad, Rudolph, etc.
7. A few lakes like Victoria, Chad and Gani are inside the valley in East Africa.
3. Write few lines on Sri Lanka.
1. The island country which was known as Ceylon or Sinhaldweep in the past, is also
known as Island of Gems or the Pearl of the East.
2. Palk Strait in the north and Gulf of Mannar n the west separates it from India. As it is
near the equator, its climate is hot and humid, though the climate of its central highland
region is pleasant.
3. Due to heavy rains in this region there are about 104 rivers. Maheveli Ganga is the
biggest river.
4. Crops like rice, tea, spices, coconut and rubber grow here in plenty.
5. Its main languages are Sinhalese and Tamil.
Q.4. Write few lines on Bangladesh.
1. Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated nations of Asia.
2. Its capital is Dacca.
3. It is an agricultural country.
4. Bangladesh has been a very fertile land due to the alluvial soil from rivers of Ganga and
Brahmaputra.
5. The country grows a lot of paddy and is famous for its jute industry.
6. Lots of waterways have developed in Bangladesh
DETAIL ANSWERS
LESSON 1
Q.1. Which activities was the AryaSamaj doing for society?
A.1. TheAryaSamaj was doing following activities for the society:
1.It advocated girls education, widow remarriage, inter-caste marriages, abolishing untouchability,
etc.
2. The purification drive was conducted to bring Hindus who had changed their religion back into
the Hindu religion.
3. It established gurukuls [schools], girls schools, homes for widows, orphanages and hospitals at
many places.
4. Through the book SatyarthPrakash DayanandSaraswati proved that there is no mention of idol
worship, religious rituals, child marriage, Sati system, untouchability in the Vedas and so he revolted
against these vices.
Q.2. What work was done by ThakkarBapa and his companions?
A.2. The following work was done by ThakkarBapa and his companions.

V I I I S o c i a l S t u d i e s P a g e | 18

1. ThakkarBapa established the Panchmahal Bhil SewaMandal.

2. He brought about reforms in the lives of the Bhil tribes that lived in the jungles and hilly regions of
the Panchmahal district through this institute.
3. He helped these tribal people to free themselves from addiction of liquor and from their vices and
superstitions.
4. He opened schools for the tribal children in their regions.
5. He taught them how to spin the wheel [charkha] and also involved them in many cottage industries.
LESSON 4 SUPREME COURT
Q.1. Narmada Yogna is an important plan. No fundamental right of any individual will be violated due
to this. Why was such judgement given by the Supreme Court? Discuss.
Madhya Pradesh and voluntary agencies working for the conservation of environment protested
against the fact that the height of the dam on the water body near Navagam on Narmada River should
not be more than 110 meters. They felt that the fundamental rights of the tribal people be violated due
to this plan. So, the Supreme Court passed a resolution on 8th March 2006 that this plan is very
important from the view point of increasing population of the country. Various areas of Rajasthan,
Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh can get water and the spreading of the desert can be controlled. It
assured that the planning of habitation would be done to the people who would have to face adverse
effects due to this yogna. In this way, the Supreme Court said that the fundamental rights will not be
violated.
Q.2.Why is the Application for Public Welfare considered to be animportant step?
A.2.It becomes very tough for a person who is poor and illiterate to go to the court to demand justice.
Keeping this situation in mind, the Supreme Court accepted the structure Application for Public
Welfare in the year 1980. With this, the Supreme Court has made such an effort that maximum people
can reach up to court for justice. The judicial system has given the right to file an application to any
individual or institution. It can be done by all those whose fundamental rights are being violated. An
individual can file a petition in the High Court or the Supreme Court. After 1980, with this medium
many matters have been solved and justice has been imparted to the people. To free the labourers from
inhuman labour and to free few prisoners from Bihar this scheme of application of the Supreme Court
has been used.
LESSON 5
Q.1. Write few lines on VirBhagat Singh
A.2. Bhagat Singh was born on25th September, 1907 in Banga village of Layalpur district of Punjab.
He was an active participant in burning the foreign clothes during Non Cooperation Movement. He
got a good backing for his revolutionary ideas when he came in touch with Shukdev, BhagwatCharan
and Yashpal. Along with Batukeshwar Butt, he threw a bomb in the Legislative Assembly on 8 th April
1928. His main objective behind throwing a bomb was to awaken the deaf British Government.
Various pamphlets were distributed carrying revolutionary messages and they fired shots in the air
and surrendered themselves peacefully. Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru killed the British officer
named Saunders to take revenge for the murder of LalaLajpatRai. The three of them were hung to
death on 23rd March.
Q.2. Write few lines on Vir Savarkar.
A.2. Vinayak Damodar Savarkar was born on 28th May 1883 in Bhagur village of Nasik. He
established an institution named Mitra Mela which was later known as Abhinav Bharat. The main
objective of this institution was to free India from the British rule with the help of weapons and
through revolt. He lit fire to foreign clothes. He went to London for further studies. He wrote a book
titled 1857: Indias first freedom struggle. He was sent to Kala Pani punishment to Andaman in the
charge of the murder of a British official. Due to his poor health, he was kept hidden in India as a
prisoner. He died on 26thFebruary, 1966.
LESSON 6
HUMAN RESOURCES
Q.1. Why is human resource considered the most important capital of a nation?

V I I I S o c i a l S t u d i e s P a g e | 19

A.1.Human resource is considered the most important capital of a nation due to following
reasons.
1. Human resource is the most important resource because manpower is needed for the
successful implementation of any plan for development.
2. Nature has endowed humans with intelligence, power of thinking, ambition, power to take
decisions and to implement them. As a result people who have acquired good education and
skillful training become a worthy asset of the nation.
3. Education and technical knowledge is very important for training of mankind. It is only with
this that each work can be accomplished efficiently by man. For this there should be 100%
literacy in the nation.
4. Number of working class percentage should be more in a country. To achieve this end, it is
necessary to control birth rate in India.
Q.2. . Explain the reasons for population explosion.
Reasons for population explosion in India are due to following reasons.
1. Food and nutrition is available easily and sufficiently.
2. Due to advanced medical facilities, patients can be treated well and spread of communicable
diseases can be stopped.
3. Transport and communication are quite efficient now, which means that sick people are carried
to hospital on time.
4. Disaster management has become very advanced and it can forecast floods, tsunamis, etc. and
alert the people.
5. Disaster management rehabilitates needy people and provides them necessary help. All these
improved facilities and advancement has decreased the death rate and hence the population has
taken place.
6. Apart from these reasons, even the life span of the people has increased.
7. People migrate from smaller towns to cities or from one country to another for education,
business, etc. which adds to the population explosion.
LESSON 7
Q.1. Write few lines on Non Co-operation Movement
A.1Gandhiji started the Non Co-operation Movement with the mere thought of not supporting the
Britishers. The movement had two main aspects:
A] The first was the complete boycott of government jobs, legislative meetings, government
educational institutions, honours, foreign clothes and goods.
B] The second aspect was the removal of untouchability, Hindu-Muslim unity, saying no to alcohol and
propagation of Swadeshi and national education.
The movement became more widespread in 1921-22.
1. Students left the schools and colleges.
2. Leaders like Motilal Nehru, C.Rajagopalachari and Asaf Ali left their advocacy.
3. Most of the members of legislative assembly and local self government institutions resigned
their jobs.
4. The foreign clothes were lighted at various places.
5. The Charka started taking its place in every home and Swadeshi was propagated.
6. Many educational institutions were established.
7. After the violent incident at Chauri Chaura, Gandhiji ended the Non Co-operation Movement.
2 Write few lines on :Jallianwala Baugh Massacre:To protest against the Rowlatt Act, the people of Punjab announced strike on 30th March and
13thApril, 1919. On 13th April, people organized a meeting to pay tribute to martyrs and also to protest
against the arrest of Dr.Satyapal and Dr.Kichu. Military officer General Dyer came to know about this
and he reached the Baug with the military.

V I I I S o c i a l S t u d i e s P a g e | 20

Without giving a single warning to stop the meeting, he opened fire on the armies and the helpless
people who had gathered there to attend the meeting. The garden had only one narrow common entry
and exit. The soldiers blocked this entry and fired from there and so people couldnt escape. The
soldiers started firing from the high walls also. It ended when General Dyer and his army fell short of
bullets.
As per government records, 379 died and 1200 were injured. In reality, the number was quite more
than that. After this incident, Gandhiji completely lost his faith towards the British Government in
terms of justice and commitment.
L-10 ON THE FOOTSTEPS OF MAHATMA GANDHI [PART II]
SHORT NOTES [answer in detail]
1. QUIT INDIA MOVEMENT
The Quit India Movement was started in 1942 A.D. to make the British leave India and to attain
complete freedom. Gandhiji warned the British that they should leave India immediately. Gandhiji
ordered the people of India to follow the principle of Do or Die and to continue the non violent
struggle against the British. The historical resolution of British, Quit India was passed on the 8 th
August, 1942, during the meeting of Indian National Congress.
Gandhiji, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Jawaharlal Nehru, Maulana Azad and other important leaders of
Congress were arrested and put in jail on 9th August in the early hours of morning. The anger of the
people was aroused. Thus, the Quit India Movement spread all over the country. There were huge
strikes, public meetings, processions and protest rallies all over India. Maximum farmers and
youngsters joined this movement. People ruined government houses and the media. To curb this
movement, the government adopted cruel measures like group arrests, capture, imprisonment, etc. on
a large scale; however, they were unsuccessful in doing so. So the British government realized that now
their hold over the people of India would not remain for long.
2. DANDI MARCH OR BREAKING OF LAWA IN A DISCIPLINED WAY [1930]
The Indian National Congress that met in Ahmedabad gave Gandhiji gave all the rights to start the
movement for breaking laws in a disciplined way in order to attain Swaraj [freedom]. So Gandhiji
decided to break the salt by going from Ahmedabad to the seacoast of Dandi in Navsaridistrict.To
break the unjust salt law with the civil disobedience movement, Gandhiji, along with 78 companions,
started out for Dandi from Sabarmati Ashram on 12th March, 1930. This historic march became
famous as the Dandi March.
Thousands of people as well as journalists from various countries flocked India to witness the Dandi
March. On the way Gandhi held meetings in each village and explained the people the justified way of
breaking the salt law, the importance of Swaraj and Satyagraha. Gandhiji reached Dandi on 5th April,
1930. On the next day 6th April at daybreak, he reached the seashore and collected the scattered salt in
his palm and broke the salt law. He was arrested. At that time, thousands of people shouted that they
have broken the salt law. The British government implemented cruel measures on Satyagrahis.
Thousands of Satyagrahis were arrested.
Due to Gandhijis Dandi March, unmatched awareness and enthusiasm was seen in the people of
Gujarat and India.
LESSON 11
1.Under which circumstances was U.N.O established?
A.1. An atom bomb was used during the Second World War. Due to this, this war became more
horrible and destructive in comparison to all the previous wars. Millions of innocent people had died
and property worth billions of rupees was destroyed in this war. If such a world war takes place again,
entire humankind will be destroyed. So, the prominent leaders of the world united to make the world
free from the fear of war.
With the efforts of the President of U.S.A. F.D. Roosevelt, it was planned to form a World
Organization. The Constitution of United Nations [U.N.O] was given its final form in 1945 A.D. at a
council held at San Francisco city of U.S.A. that had 51 representatives of friendly nations and United

V I I I S o c i a l S t u d i e s P a g e | 21

Nations Organization [U.N.O.] was established. Today this organization is known by the name United
Nations.
Q.2. What is the contribution of India in the achievement of U.N.O. ?
World peace is the main part of foreign policy of India. So, India has always co-operated in the
achievement of the objectives of U.N.O.
1] India had sent medicines and a team of doctors to attend the wounded soldiers of the Korean War.
2. India had executed the work as chairman of council formed to establish peace in Korea.
3. India had sent its troops of soldiers to Gaza, Cyprus and Congo at the time of emergency as per the
directive of U.N.
4. India had played an important role in the world of establishing peace in Nambia.
5. India has given the advantage of its knowledge and experience to United Nations by accepting
important posts in different committees over and above the Security Council. Thus the contribution of
India in the achievement of the objectives of United Nations is noteworthy.
LESSON 14
Q.1. Give a brief information about the location and area of the African continent.
The African continent is located between 35S. to 37N latitude and 17W. to 50E. longitude.
The Equator passes almost through its centre, the Tropic of Cancer through its northern part
and the Tropic of Capricorn through its southern part. Therefore, the majority of its area lies in
the Torrid Zone.
Africa has the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Red Sea to the North-East, the Indian Ocean to
the east and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The strait of Gibraltar separates it from Europe.
The peninsula of Sinai joins Asia and Africa.
Africa is the second biggest continent of the world. It possesses 20% of the land portion of the
world.
It has a long coastal boundary of 30.000 km.
Q.2. Write a note on the landforms of Africa.
A.2. The landforms of Africa are as follows.
PLATEAUS: Maximum landform of Africa comprises of plateaus. There are plateaus with an average
height of 915 metres in the south of Africa. The highest highland of Africa is Ethopia with 3050 m
height.
MOUNTAINS: The Atlas mountain ranges lie on the north-eastern side of Africa. Atlas is the highest
mountain of Africa with 3965 m height. In the east of Africa is the Mt. Kilimanjaro, which is the
highest volcanic mountain of Africa. This mountain is near Equator, still owing to the height, it is
always covered with snow.
DESERT: In the northern part of Africa is the Sahara Desert spread over 90, 65,000 sq.km. This area
is full of rocky region.
VALLEYS: The longest valley of the world lies in East Africa. Lakes like Victoria, Chad and Gani
have been formed inside the valley.
Q.3. Write a short note on climate of Asia.
A.3. Asia is a very large continent. Hence a variety of climate is seen in different regions.
1. The climate of the Equatorial regions of south-east Asia is hot and humid. It rains here round the
year.
2. In the seasonal climate region to its north, the overall climate is hot and dry. Here mainly the
seasonal winds of summer bring rain. Mawsynram and Cheerapunji of India in this region receive the
highest rainfall in the world.
3. To the west of this region and in the Central parts of Asia, there is mainly desert climate. The
rainfall is very scanty here. There is maximum heat in Jacobabad city of Pakistan in Asia.
4. The climate of Siberia, which is located to the extreme north of Asia, is extremely cold. The
Verkhoyansk city of this region is the coldest city of the world.

V I I I S o c i a l S t u d i e s P a g e | 22

5. There is rainfall in summer in east and south Asia, while there is rainfall in winter in the regions
located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in West Asia.