Grade X

S.ST
TOP 100 Questions

#GrowWithGreen
 SST TOP 100 IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

Q1. “The elimination of flaws of political parties seems difficult, but not impossible.”
Justify the statement with suggestions.

Q2. What would happen if all the depositors went to the bank to ask for their money at
the same time?

Q3. “Bio-gas has turned into a blessing for the rural population”. Discuss.

Q4. What type of flag was designed during the Swadeshi movement in Bengal? What are
its features?

Q5. “Culture had played an important role in the development of nationalism in Europe
during eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.” Explain.

Q6. Do you think it is right to blame the politicians and government officials for the
rising corruption in a democracy ?

Q7. In what ways will the production of cars by Ford Motors in India lead to the
interlinking of production ?

Q8. “Agriculture and industry are complementary to each other.” Explain with examples .

Q9. “Napoleon had destroyed democracy in France, but in the administrative field he had
incorporated revolutionary principles in order to make the whole system more rational
and efficient.” Analyse the statement with arguments .

Q10. Three features A, B and C are marked on the given political outline map of India.
Identify these features with the help of the following information and write their correct
names on the lines marked on the map :
(A.) INC Session of 1927
(B.) Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
(C.) Peasant's movement against Indigo Plantation

Q11. Three features A, B and C are marked on the given political outline map of India.
Identify these features with the help of the following information and write their correct
names on the lines marked on the map :
(A.) The place where Non-Cooperation Movement was called off
(B.) The place where the Peasant's Satyagraha was started
(C.) The place where the Cotton Mill Workers satyagraha was started

Q12.On the given political outline map of India locate and label the following with
appropriate symbols :
(A.) Sea Port – Cochin
(B.) Software Technological Park – Mohali
(C.) Nuclear Power Plant – Kaiga

Q13. On the given political outline map of India locate and label the following with
appropriate symbols :
(A.) Iron and Steel centre – Salem
(B.) Sea Port – Kandla
(C.) Nuclear Power Plant – Kalpakkam

Q14. How had the female figures become an allegory of the nation during nineteenth
century in Europe? Analyse.

Q15. What was the major change that occured in the political and constitutional scenario
due to French Revolution in Europe?

Q16. “After print revolution, as literacy and schools spread in European countries, there
was a virtual reading mania”. Explain the statement.

Q17. Explain the contribution of Prem Chand in Hindi novels.

Q18. What is rain water harvesting? Mention the principal objectives of rainwater
harvesting.

Q19. Shitij owns a farm in Madhya Pradesh; he wishes to cultivate either Maize or Tea.
He shall cultivate which crop out of these two keeping in the conditions required for their
growth? Explain.
Q20. How can you say that Federal form of government is better than unitary form of
government?

Q21. “Democratic government is a legitimate government.” Explain.

Q22. “In actual life, democracies do not appear to be very successful in reducing
economic inequalities.” Explain by giving examples.

Q23. “Education is an important tool to empower the nation.” Explain.

Q24. “Money eliminates the need for double coincidence of wants.” Explain this
statement.

Q25. Which factors have enabled globalisation in India? Explain.

Q26. “Consumer movements can be effective only with the consumers active
involvement.” Give arguments to support this statement.

Q27. How did the silk route link the world?

Q28. What lead to the decline of Indian textile exports in the beginning of nineteenth
century?

Q29. Discuss the idea of satyagraha.

Q30. Describe the significance of the Civil Disobedience Movement in the freedom
struggle of India.

Q31. What situations were responsible for launching the Non-Cooperation Khilafat
movement?

Q32. “The economic strength of a country is measured by the development of

manufacturing industries.” Support the statement with examples.

Q33. “Roadways have an edge over the railways.” Give reasons.

Q34. Today's world is called 'global village'. Give reasons to support your answer.
Q35. “Communalism can take various forms in politics.” Elaborate this statement.

Q36. What would have been the situation if there were no political parties?
OR
What is the need or importance or functions of political parties?

Q37. What are some of the challenges of political parties?

Q38. Why is the service sector growing so fast? Give reasons.

Q39. What are the merits and demerits of the organised and unorganised sector?

Q40. What do you understand by land reclamation?

Q41. What is deforestation? What are its ill-effects on the surrounding?

Q42. What is the procedure for amending the power-sharing arrangement between the
union and state governments in India?

Q43. What is the criterion used by the World Development Report for comparing the
development of countries?

Q44. What were the main objectives of the international economic system adopted after
the Second World War?

Q45. “Caste politics does not always succeed in India”. Justify the statement.

Q46. How do migrants change the social setup of a particular region?

Q47. What is human development index (HDI)?

Q48. What were the benefits of the factory system that became popular in the 18​th
century?

Q49. Write a short note on NSSO.

Q50. Write a short note on the Bhakra-Nangal Project.

Q51. Why is power sharing essential in democratic countries?

Q52. What do you understand by the sexual division of labour?

Q53. What were the reasons that attracted the big MNCs to set up their businesses in
China in the post cold war period?

Q54. What do you understand by tertiary sector?

Q55. What are the main features of intensive subsistence farming?

Q56. What were the main causes that resulted in the great economic depression of 1929?

Q57. What is the importance of conservation of natural resources with respect to a

country’s economic development?

Q58. What are the changes that have resulted in breaking the caste hierarchy in the Indian
society?

Q59. In what form are minerals found in rocks?

Q60. What do you understand by conservatism?

Q61. What is the role of banks in propelling the growth of a nation’s economy?

Q62. What are the major iron-producing regions of India?

Q63. What criteria should be met by a political party in order to be recognized as a

national party in India?

Q64. What were the main features of the Vietnamese economy under the French rule?

Q65. What factors play an important role in determining the location of industries?
Q66. Which type of party system is prevalent in India?

Q67. What is the role of the Election Commission of India in shaping the country’s
democracy?

Q68. Write a short note on the Champaran Satyagraha launched by Gandhiji.

Q69. What do you understand by foreign direct investment?

Q70. Which are the major inland waterways of India?

Q71. What is WTO? What are its aims and objectives?

Q72. Why is the period from 1830 to 1848 described as the ‘Age of revolutions’?

Q73. “The people must seize their own freedom.” In the context of this statement, explain
how the French nationalists unified the French masses.

Q74. What are the advantages and disadvantages of democracy?

Q75. What steps can be taken by the government for spreading consumer awareness in
the country?

Q76. During the nineteenth century, which were the three types of movements that took
place within international economic exchanges?

Q77. What do you understand by proto-industrialisation?

Q78. What are the social changes that took place in the cities of the contemporary world?

Q79. Name the various types of resources on the basis of exhaustibility.

Q80. Discuss the peculiarities of industrial growth in India.

Q81. What are dams and how do they help us?

Q82. What are the different types of non-food crops produced in India?

Q83. What are the different power sharing forms in modern democracies?

Q84. What are the key features of federalism?

Q85. What are the three factors that decide the outcome of politics of social divisions?

Q86. What are the developmental goals or aspirations of the landless rural labourers?

Q87. What is per capita income and how is it calculated?

Q88. What are the three sectors of the Indian economy?

Q89. What is gross domestic product (GDP)?

Q90) What was the impact of the Great Depression on India?

Q91. What are the different ways in which women in India face discrimination and
oppression?

Q92. Explain the rising importance of the tertiary sector in production.

Q93. What is collateral?

Q94. What do you know about the Non-Cooperation Movement in India?

Q95. Write a short note on the Consumer Protection Act of 1986.

Q96. Explain the two categories of loans into which the various types of loans can be
grouped.

Q97. What is a multinational corporation (MNC)? Name three Indian companies that
have emerged as multinational corporations.
Q98. In which state of India is bamboo drip water irrigation prevalent?

Q99. Explain tourism as a trade.

Q100. “The role of money in politics will remove whatever little voice the poor have in
the democracy of our country.” Give three proposals to reform the process of political
funding in India.
 Grade X
S.ST
TOP 100 Answers

#GrowWithGreen
 SST TOP 100 IMPORTANT ANSWERS

Ans 1. The following suggestions can help to eliminate the flaws in the political parties :
(i.) Creation of a law to manage internal affairs
● Compulsory maintenance of a register of members.
● To follow a set of rules and regulations under their own internal constitution.
● To have an independent authority.
● To act as a judge in case of party disputes.
● To hold open elections to the highest post
(ii.) Women reservation
● Mandatory for all political parties to give a minimum number of tickets (about
1/3rd) to women candidates. Quota for women in the decision making process of
party.
(iii.) State funding of elections
● Government should give parties, money to support election expenses.

Ans 2. If there is a situation where all depositors or most of the depositors want to
withdraw their deposits from the bank at the same time, it would lead to a bank run. It
arises mainly due to rumours that the bank may become insolvent and default on
payments. This leads to panic among depositors who rush to withdraw their deposits.
This large scale withdrawal causes further panic as it actually increases the likelihood of
defaults. Thus, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy to the point that it may cause
bankruptcy.

Ans 3. Bio-gas has turned into a blessing for the rural population in the following ways :
● Reduces the hard labour of collecting firewood and making dung cakes.
● Saves from the high price of kerosene and LPG cylinders.
● Problem of electricity is solved by the use of gas generators run using
biogas.
● Biogas lanterns have become popular for use during the night.
● Large biogas plants provide job opportunities to the rural people.

Ans 4. From the late nineteenth century the search for symbols of national unification
emerged as one of the most potent driving factor of the national movement. With this aim
the nationalists in Bengal designed a tri-colour flag for India. The three colours in this
flag were red, green and yellow. This flag depicted both India as under the British and
also that India which comprised of different sections of people. Thus the eight lotuses
were drawn on the flag to depict the eight provinces under the British India and a crescent
shaped moon was depicted to represent the Hindus and Muslims.

Ans 5. Culture played an important role in creating the idea of the nation in Europe in the
following ways :
● Romanticism, a cultural movement, sought to develop a particular form of
nationalist sentiment. It generally criticised the glorification of reason and Science
and focused instead on emotions, intuition and mystical feelings. Its effort was to
create a sense of a shared collective heritage, a common cultural past, as the basis
of a nation.
● Collection and recording forms of folk culture was essential to the project of
nation building. Karol Kurpinski, for example, celebrated the national struggle
through his operas and music, turning folk dances like the polonaise and
mazurka into nationalist symbols.
● Language too played an important role in developing nationalist sentiments. After
Russian occupation, the Polish language was forced out of schools and the
Russian language was imposed everywhere. The use of Polish came to be seen as a
symbol of the struggle against Russian dominance.

Ans 6. It is not correct to blame the politicians and govt officials alone. The common man
is equally responsible for the rising corruption in India.
● If the politicians and govt officials adopt corrupt means to fulfil their selfish
motives, it is the duty of the citizen to stop them from doing so.
● People encourage bribery by giving bribe instead of taking any strict action against
the person doing such illegal act.
● One can see the nexus between the politicians, bureaucrats, and the industrialists
which has resulted into corruption and corrupt practices.
● It is with the cooperation of the common man that corruption has affected all
organs of government, including the judiciary.
Ans 7. Ford Motors has taken the following steps which will lead to the interlinking of
production across countries :
● It has set up a production plant for cars in Chennai in collaboration with Mahindra
and Mahindra.
● It produces cars not only for the Indian market but also exports cars to other
developing countries.
● The local companies supply car parts to Ford Motors which are also exported to
the various factories around the world.

Ans 8. The following are the five significant ways in which agricultural and industrial
sector complement each other :
● Raw materials : Agriculture provides basic raw material to the industrial sector,
e.g. cotton to a cloth industry and sugarcane to a sugar industry. Industrial sector,
in turn, provides the basic inputs to the agricultural sector. Industrial goods such
as tractor, harvesting machines, fertilisers are a few basic inputs that are used
by the agricultural sector.
● Market : Agricultural sector provides market to the industrial sector. This implies
that the people engaged in agriculture consume the products produced by the
industries. These products, to name a few, include soaps, fridges, televisions
and so on.
● Labour : Agricultural sector provides labour to the industrial sector. In other
words, the industrial sector provides employment to the excess labour (disguised
unemployment) in the agricultural sector.
● Wage goods : The most important support that agriculture provides to the
industries is the wage goods (or simply food grains). In simple words, agricultural
sector feeds the industrial labourers, which keeps them healthy, and thereby makes
them more productive.
● Mutual dependence : Both the agricultural and industrial sector are mutually
dependent on each other. In case of good harvest, the farmers have high incomes,
which they use to demand more industrial goods. For example, during good
harvests, many farmers buy new televisions, mobiles, clothes, etc. Similarly, when
the people engaged in the industrial sector experience good income, they demand
higher quantities of food grains, eat more fish, meat and drink milk.
Ans 9. Napoleon had brought an end to the democracy that had been achieved in France
after the long-drawn French revolution. His constant attacks on other countries too had
earned him the image of an oppressor and an aggressive conqueror. However, his
administrative reforms introduced were very effective and well-crafted. Few of these
policies are as follows :
● Established equality before law.
● Abolished all privileges based on birth.
● Granted the right to property to French citizens.
● Simplified administrative divisions.
● Abolished feudal system and freed peasants from serfdom.
● Removed restrictions on guilds in towns.
● Improved transport and communication.

Ans 10.
Ans 11.

Ans 12.
Ans 13.

Ans 14. Nationalism required personalizing a nation. Countries were often portrayed as
female to give shape to an abstract idea. Often cultural icons such as trees or aspirational
values such as liberty and justice needed icons and preferably female figures to get the
message across. The female figure became an allegory of the nation. For eg. under
French Revolution, Justice is generally a blindfolded woman carrying a pair of weighing
scales. Later in France, Marianne emerged as the representation of France. Her features
were also drawn from the symbol of liberty and the republic. She wore a red cap and the
tricolour.

Ans 15. The major change that occurred in the political and constitutional scenario due to
French Revolution in Europe is that it led to the transfer of power from monarchy to a
body of French citizens. France developed as a democratic nation state and the ideas of
liberty and democratic rights were spread far and wide.
Ans 16. The above mentioned statement can be explained in the below given points :
● The extension of schools and library : During the seventeenth and the eighteenth
century a lot of new schools were opened in Europe. Church had also opened
schools for the peasants and artisans. As literacy and school spread in the
continent, there was a virtual reading mania. There was a great demand of books,
the publishers began to print books in large number.
● Printing of Journals: In the beginning of eighteenth century, the publication of
journals started in Europe.
● Printing of various types of literature: New forms of literature appeared in print
targeting new readers in Europe. Booksellers employed peddlers, who roamed
around villages carrying little books for sale. There were almanacs along with
ballads and folktales.

Ans 17. Munshi Premchand first started writing in Urdu and later shifted to Hindi. He
was an influential writer in both the languages. He drew inspiration from the traditional
art of storytelling, kissa-goi. His narration and storytelling style not only captivated the
readers, but the subjects he chose to write about and the issues he dealt with invited much
social response. For instance, in his work Seva-Sadan, published in 1916, Premchand
wrote about the deplorable conditions of women in the society and he addressed issues
like child marriage, poverty and dowry in his work. These were the evils present in the
society at that time and his work drew attention of his readers to these evils. He sensitized
his readers towards the issues related to women and society in general. This work gives
us today's readers a peek into the times when upper class, educated Indians tried to use
the colonial governance in eradicating most of the social evils of the time.

Ans 18. Rain water harvesting is one of the most effective methods of water management
and water conservation. It is the term used to indicate the collection and storage of
rainwater used for human, animals and plant needs. It involves collection and storage of
rainwater at the surface or in subsurface aquifer, before it is lost as surface run off. The
augmented resource can be harvested in the time of :
● Inadequacy of surface water.
● To arrest decline in ground water levels.
● To increase agricultural production.
Ans 19. Suitable conditions required for the growth of maize are :
● Maize usually grows well in the alluvial soil.
● Maize is used both as food and fodder.
● It is a kharif crop , therefore require kharif season.
● Temperature of 21°C to 27°C.
These are the conditions that are found in Madhya Pradesh. Therefore, Shitij should focus
on growing maize.

Ans 20. Federal government is better than unitary government because of the following
reasons :
● The power is not concentrated in only in the centre but it is distributed at the state
or lower levels as well. This helps to avoid conflicts.
● Belgium shifted to federalism in 1993 whereas Sri Lanka is still a unitary
government.
● Tamilians in Sri Lanka want a federal government which may help to resolve the
conflicts.

Ans 21. Democratic form of government is a legitimate government as it is based on

people's consent.
● It allows for participation of the people in the political process, it is people's own
government thus it is legitimate.
● It provides for smooth and legitimate transformation from one government to
another by means of electoral competition.
● This way it ensures that no government is elected for life and hence becomes
tyrannical.
● It allows for peaceful change in the society, by means of elections.
● Representatives so elected make laws and policies on behalf of the people.

Ans 22. Democracy isn't very successful in reducing economic inequality and so are other
forms of government too. There can be many factors that are prevailing in a country that
make it incapable to bring about equitable distribution of wealth. They can be as follows :
● Large population
● Unemployment
● Unskilled labour
 ● Vicious circle of poverty
● Low literacy rates

Ans 23. The points given below explain the importance of education :
● To modify human behaviour.
● To make trained and skilled manpower.
● To promote science and technology.
● To provide sound structure for economic growth.

Ans 24. Money solves the problem of double coincidence of wants by acting as a medium
of exchange. Double coincidence of wants implies a situation where two parties agree to
sell and buy each other’s commodities., i.e., what one party desires to sell is exactly what
the other party wishes to buy. Money does away with this tedious and complex situation
by acting as a medium of exchange that can be used for one and all commodities. For
example, if an ice-cream vendor wants a bicycle but the bicycle manufacturer wants
clothes, and not ice-creams, then the vendor can use money to obtain a bicycle. He does
need to adhere to the bicycle man’s needs because money acts as the common medium of
exchange. Similarly, the bicycle manufacturer can then use the money to buy clothes.

Ans 25. The factors that have enabled globalisation are given below :
● Technology : In the past 50 years, several improvements in technology have
taken place. For example, in transportation technology, containers are used for the
transportation of goods. This has led to huge reduction in cost and increase in
speed in reaching the markets.
● Information Technology : Telecommunication facilities-telegraph, mobile phones,
fax are used to contact one another around the world and to communicate from
remote areas. Internet enables us to send instant electronic mail and talk across the
world at negligible costs. Now a days news magazine published for London
readers can be designed and printed in Delhi.
● Liberalisation of foreign trade and foreign investment policy : Removing barriers
or restrictions set by the govt. is liberalisation. Under liberalisation goods can be
exported and imported easily. Foreign companies are allowed to set up factories
and offices in other countries. Thus liberalisation has enabled MNCs to increase
their investments in other countries like India. As a result of greater foreign
 investment and greater foreign trade, there is greater integration of production and
markets across countries.
Globalisation is this process of rapid integration or interconnection between countries.

Ans 26. It is true, consumer movements can be effective only with the consumers active
involvement :
● It would be difficult for a single customer to press charges against a company for
mis-selling.
● A group of customers will also find it easier to bargain and also search for other
harassed customers.
● If consumers are actively involved, companies will also be on their guard and offer
better services and products, offering greater value.
● Active participation of customers also leads to transparency, especially by the
government in giving information about its functioning.
● An active participation by consumers gives protection to all involved in
manufacturing chain from workers to consumers.

Ans 27. The silk route is a good example of vibrant pre-modern trade and cultural links
between distant parts of the world.
● The silk route was used by Chinese traders to export silk to other countries.
● These routes were used by traders to trade goods and exchange culture from
one country to another.
● Trade and cultural exchange always went hand in hand. Early Christian
missionaries, almost certainly travelled through this route to Asia, as did early
Muslim preachers a few centuries later.
● These routes were also used to spread religions. Buddhism emerged from eastern
India and spread in several directions through intersecting points on the silk route.

Ans 28. Textile exports declined from beginning of the nineteenth century because of the
following reasons :
● Export of British cotton goods increased dramatically in the beginning of the
nineteenth century.
● The Indian textile manufacturers were unable to compete with the cheap and
durable goods from Manchester.
 ● Cotton weavers in India thus, faced two problems at the same time their export
market collapsed and the local market shrank.
● By decade of 1860, weavers faced an additional problem. They could not get
sufficient supply of good quality raw cotton. During the time of American civil
war as well Britain turned to India to meet the needs of its industries for raw
cotton.
● As the raw cotton export from India increased the price of the raw cotton increased
and weavers in India were forced to buy cotton at the increased price. They had no
option but to migrate to places and switch their occupation.
● By the end of the nineteenth century factories set up in India. These too started
flooding the market with machine made goods. These factors contributed to the
decline in Indian weaving industries.

Ans 29. Mahatma Gandhi returned to India in 1915 after he successfully fought the racist
regime in South Africa. He named his novel method of mass agitation as satyagraha. The
idea of satyagraha was based on the power of truth and the need to search for it. If the
cause is true and the struggle is against injustice, then according to the concept of
satyagraha no physical force was required for fighting an oppressor. Thus, without being
aggressive or seeking vengeance, a satyagrahi could win a battle through non-violence.
Truth will triumph if the people and the oppressor are persuaded to see the truth instead
of being forced to accept it. Mahatma Gandhi believed that non-violence could unite all
Indians.

Ans 30. The Civil Disobedience Movement was significant in the following ways :
● People were expected to not only refuse cooperation with the British (as they had
done in 1921-22), but also break the colonial laws.
● Thousands in different parts of the country broke the salt law, manufactured salt
and demonstrated in front of government salt factories.
● As the movement spread, foreign cloth was boycotted and liquor shops were
picketed.
● Peasants refused to pay revenue and chaukidari taxes and village officials
resigned.
● In many places, forest people violated forest laws by going into reserved forests to
● collect wood and graze cattle.
 ● It was a movement that unified the whole nation in one way or the other.

Ans 31. The situations responsible for launching the Non-Cooperation Khilafat
movement are given below :
● The caliph of Turkey was the temporal and spiritual leader of the Muslims all over
the World. During the I world War the British had promised the the caliph would
not be deprived of his powers and that the Turkey would not be partitioned. But
after the war, the caliph was deprived of his powers.
● The Khilafat Movement was launched as a measure of protest by the Muslims
against the treatment meted out to Ottoman Turkey by the imperial powers.
● The Khilafat Committee was formed in Bombay in March 1919 to defend the
powers of the caliph Muslim leaders Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali were at the
fore-front of this agitation that was eventually incorporated with the
non-cooperation movement by Gandhi.
● The first world war lead to huge increase in defense expenditure and increased
taxes. Forced recruitment caused widespread anger. Famine and epidemic badly
affected people. This outraged the people.
● In 1919 the Imperial Legislative council hurriedly passed the Rowlatt Act, despite
of mass and united opposition of indian members. The law gave the govt
enormous power to repress political activities and allow detention of people
without trial in the court.
● Jallianwala Bagh Massacre and the Khilafat issue collectively united the country
to oppose the colonial powers and not to cooperate with the British, ultimately
leading to the non-cooperation movement by Gandhiji who felt the need of
organising a broad movement incorporating all sections of Indian society
● The main objective was to cripple the British administration and make them
realise that they cannot function without the actual support.
● The Congress gave a call for Swaraj at its Nagpur session Congress had now
changed its character. It became an organizer of masses giving active role to the
people of the country. The decision to defy the government , to not to cooperate
with government was endorsed in the Nagpur Session of 1920.

Ans 32. Manufacturing sector is considered as the backbone of development in general

and economic development in particular mainly because of the following reasons :
 ● Manufacturing sector help in modernising agriculture which is considered as
backbone of our economy. It also reduce the heavy dependence of people on
agricultural income by providing them jobs in secondary and tertiary sectors.
● Industrial development is a precondition for eradication of unemployment and
poverty from our country. This was the main philosophy behind public sector
industries and joint sector ventures in India.
● Export of manufactured goods expands trade and commerce, and brings in much
needed foreign exchange.
● Countries that transform their raw materials into a wide variety of furnished
goods of higher value are prosperous.
Hence, India’s prosperity lies in increasing and diversifying its manufacturing industries
at a faster phase. It can also be said that economic strength of a country is measured by
the development of manufacturing industries.

Ans 33. Roadways have an edge over the railways in view of the ease with which they
can be built and maintained. The growing importance of road transport vis-à-vis rail
transport is rooted in the following reasons :
● Construction cost of roads is much lower than that of railway lines.
● Roads can traverse comparatively more dissected and undulating topography.

● Roads can negotiate higher gradients of slopes and as such can traverse
mountains such as the Himalayas.
● Road transport is economical in transportation of few persons and relatively
smaller amount of goods over short distances.
● It also provides door-to-door service, thus the cost of loading and unloading is
much lower.
● Road transport is also used as a feeder to other modes of transport such as they
provide a link between railway stations, air and sea ports.

Ans 34. Today's world is called 'global village' because of the following reasons :
● Efficient and fast means of transport.
● Development of telecommunication and satellite.
● Communication and transportation have reduced time and distance.
 ● Brought the world closer and physical distance have become meaningless For eg.
trading from local levels have been extended to the international level, and
financial transactions can take place round the world in no time. All this has been
possible only because of efficient and quick means of transport and
communication.

Ans 35. Communalism is based on the idea that religion is the principal basis of social
community. All the followers of one religion belong to one community and their basic
interests are the same. It is interpreted negatively when a group following a particular
religion sees its interest as mutually hostile and antagonistic with that of another religious
group.
● Religious differences have rather have become a source of conflict and tension in a
society when represented by political parties it may allow minority religious
groups to ventilate their grievances and voice their dissent but Political parties
often tend to exploit issues based on religion for narrow political gains to be used
as vote bank during elections. It can take various forms in politics.
● The common form of communalism practiced everyday is based on certain
customarily beliefs, religious prejudices, stereotypes of religions communities,
belief of supremacy of one religion over the other religions. This belief of
superiority of one religion becomes the root cause of conflict in the society
threatening the secular edifice of a country.
● Political parties have used religious preaching, sacred symbols to divide the
people, The best example is that of Rath Yatra in 1992 for Construction of Ram
Temple in Ayodhya which was intended to mobilize a particular community
against another.
● We may give example of communal clashes between Hindus and Muslims from
time to time are more politically motivated where political parties have pitted one
group against another for electoral gains.

Ans 36. The main functions of a political party are as follows :

● To contest elections : In most democracies, elections are fought mainly among the
candidates put up by political parties. Parties select their candidates in different
ways. In India, top party leaders choose candidates for contesting elections.
 ● Forming policies and programmes : Parties put forward different policies and
programmes and the voters choose from them. Each of us may have different
opinions and views on what policies are suitable for the society.
● Making laws : When parties come to power, they make laws for the country.
Formally, laws are debated and passed in the legislature. Members of the ruling
party follow the directions of party leaders, irrespective of their personal opinions.
● Parties form and run governments : Parties recruit leaders, train them and then
make them ministers to run the government in the way they want.
● Role of opposition : Parties that lose in elections, play the role of opposition to
the parties in power by criticising the government for its failures or wrong
policies.
● Shaping public opinion : They raise and highlight issues. Parties have lakhs of
members and activists spread all over country. Many of the pressure groups are the
extension of political parties among different sections of society. Parties,
sometimes also launch movements for the resolution of problems faced by people.
● Access to government machinery and welfare schemes : For an ordinary citizen, it
is easy to approach a local party leader than a government officer. That is why
they feel close to parties even when they do not fully trust them. Parties have to be
responsive to people's needs and demands.

Ans 37. Some of the challenges which the political parties face are as follows :
● Lack of Internal Democracy : In most of the political parties, the power is
concentrated in the hands of one or a handful of leaders. Ordinary members of the
party cannot even dream of rising to the top. The top leadership is often
disconnected with the grassroots workers. Loyalty to the policies and principles
of the party has less value than the loyalty to the top leadership.
● Dynastic Succession : The top positions in many political parties are usually
controlled by members of one family. A person born in a particular family
becomes the leader by virtue of his birth; which is not the sign of a healthy
democracy. This tendency is present in most of the political parties in India.
This is not the case in India alone, but in many other countries as well.
● Money and Muscle Power : Winning an election is the ultimate challenge for a
political party. For this, a political party leaves no stone unturned and spends huge
 sum of money on electioneering. Parties often take help of criminals and goons to
terrorise voters and polling officers.
● Being a Meaningful Choice : Most of the political parties sound similar to one
another. Very few political parties give any real alternative. People have no choice
than choosing the better of the two evils. In some states, the party in
power just changes every five year but people seldom experience change on
the ground.

Ans 38. In recent times the service sector is increasing at a very fast pace. After the
liberalization in the year 1991, the contribution of service sector is continuously
increasing in the growth of our economy. However, agriculture is still dominating the
Indian economy. Service sector are growing not only in volume but also in sophistication
and complexity. The growth of service industry is the result of combination of several
reasons which are given below :
● Increasing affluence (wealth) : Here with the increasing affluence, there has been
an increase in the demand for those services, which the customers used to perform
by themselves. For example, service provided by the gardener, servants, car driver
etc.
● More leisure (free) time : This factor has lead to an increase in those services
which are related to entertainment, because of increase in leisure time in today's
people life. For example, tourism industry has grown because of more leisure time
available to the people.
● Increasing number of new products : There are certain products which, if invented
will lead to growth in the service sector. Computer being the invention of the 21st
century, has lead to boom of the software industry.

Ans 39. Organized sector is the formal sector carrying out production or sale of goods
and services. The sector is generally characterized with labor laws, labor unions,
minimum wages act and safe working conditions. Strength of workers is more and profits
are huge.
Merits : Workers are safer and better paid than workers in informal sector. There are
labor laws and regulation for working which don't let them get exploited. Profits are
significant and motivates enterprises to maintain the quality of work. Being organized,
the enterprises are introduced to new technology and government's support. Accounts are
well maintained and submitted.
Demerits : Organized sector is good for an economy but the enterprises have to work
under many regulations and limitations.The sector faces frequent strikes and lock ups
from laborers side.
Unorganized sector on the other hand, are in contrast of organized sector. The sector has
no protection for workers and there is no allowance of labor unions and no regulations on
wages and working hours. Labor is exploited in the sector. Officially, unorganized sector
enterprise is that private enterprise which has less than 10 workers.
Merits : ​Unorganized sector is not a good characteristic for any economy.Most of the
developed economies have organized sector. But,in India the sector comprises of 93% of
laborers and contributes around 60% in the NDP. India has a big agricultural sector and
most of it is unorganized but contributes significantly in the growth of economy. Beedis,
cigars,crackers and many more industries fall under unorganized sector.The sector, if
regulated and managed well can speed up India's growth pace.
Demerits : There is no legal hearing for workers.No laws regulating working hours.
Therefore labor gets exploited. Working conditions in this sector are very unsafe and
unhygienic. Manual work in Glass factories and cracker factories is hazardous and
generally costs life of workers. Unorganized sector is hindrance in the way of growth.

Ans 40. Land reclamation is a process by which new land is created from the sea. It is
done by creating barriers for stopping sea water from submerging a particular land area.
The reclaimed land is then dried up and used for human activities. The city of Bombay
was formed by reclaiming a large tract of land from sea and joining the seven islands of
Bombay into one.

Ans 41. Deforestation means clearing natural forest cover by human action.
It has many ill-effects on the ecology and environment of a region. The depletion of
forest cover leads to land degradation owing to excessive soil erosion by fast moving
winds and running water. The absence of trees disturbs the water cycle of a region and
contributes to global warming. Forests are the natural habitat of numerous animal species.
Their destruction creates survival problems for these species. Thus, deforestation leads to
ecological imbalances and should be prevented at all costs.
Ans 42. The power-sharing arrangement between the centre and the states in India is a
basic structure of the Indian Constitution. To amend this arrangement, two-thirds
majority of both the houses of Parliament is required. After that, it has to be ratified by
the legislatures of at least half of the total states in India and finally the consent of
President is required for amending the power sharing arrangement.

Ans 43. The World Development Report is published annually by the World Bank. It
uses the criterion of per capita income (PCI) for measuring a country’s development and
comparing the development of different countries. Countries having a PCI above Rs
4,53,000 are categorized as rich, whereas those having a PCI of less than Rs 37,0000 are
considered poor or low-income countries by the World Development Report.

Ans 44. The main objectives of the international economic system that was adopted at the
Bretton Woods Conference in the USA in 1944 were :
● Ensuring full employment in the industrial sector.
● Safeguarding the economic stability of the world.
● Managing external surpluses and deficits of nations through the International
Monetary Fund (IMF).
● Facilitating post-war reconstruction through financial support from the World
Bank.
● Managing the international exchange rates of currencies.

Ans 45. Caste system has been well entrenched in Indian society from time immemorial
and has brought about worst kind discrimination and exclusion of the outcaste group who
were subjected to inhuman treatment and injustice. Caste has been the basis of social
order and has created worst kind of division in the society. However, it is also true that
caste politics does not always succeed India.
● So far, no constituency has got a clear majority of one single caste. Political
parties have to woo other caste community members as well.
● A party has never won getting votes from one single caste, it may have a broad
support base amongst them.
● Even while fielding candidates, parties may field either no candidate based on
caste and may take into account other factors like popularity, work record of the
candidate.
 ● Caste is not the only factors determining electoral verdict issues like economic
factors, development agenda, personality factor, gender, political alternative may
also influence the politics in India.
● Further, people have risen above caste based identities due to increased awareness,
literacy, increased urbanisation, due to which people value other determinants in
politics, most importantly performance by a leader of a party.
● People may also have a certain ideological inclination which may overshadow
the caste identity.
Indian politics today is rather based on performance, economic growth and development
of the country, whether government has been responsive to the local issues pertaining to
water, health, food, education, etc. are taking precedence over anything else.

Ans 46. The migration of people occurs because of various socio-economic factors. The
migrants to a region bring about some changes in the social setup of the region in which
they settle. They bring along with them their own culture and values, which intermingles
with the culture and traditions of the new place. This creates a heterogeneous society. The
matrimonial alliances of migrants with the local people also contribute towards changing
the social setup

Ans 47. Human development index (HDI) is a part of the Human Development Report
(HDR) prepared by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). HDI ranks the
countries of the world on the basis of human development goals achieved by them in a
year. It uses three criteria for ranking the countries :
● Life expectancy at birth
● Gross enrolment ratio at primary, secondary and higher level
● Per capita income

Ans 48. There were several benefits of the factory system. Some of them are :
● Factories brought together under one roof all the factors of production such as
labour, capital, machinery etc.
● Having all resources at one place facilitated effective supervision and management
of work.
● The use of modern machinery in factories increased production considerably and
also lowered the cost of production.
 ● Factories also provided labourers a common place to discuss their problems and
consolidate their strengths.
Ans 49. NSSO stands for National Sample Survey Organisation. It is an organisation of
the Government of India under the Ministry of Statistics, Planning and Programme
Implementation. NSSO is entrusted with the work of conducting surveys and determining
the health of the Indian economy and its growth. NSSO collects data regarding
unemployment, poverty, literacy, enrolment ratio, sex ratio etc. that constitute the
economic growth of a country.

Ans 50. Bhakra-Nangal is a multipurpose river valley project situated in Sutlej-Beas river
basin. The project is a joint venture among the states of Punjab, Rajasthan and Haryana.
It is the biggest multipurpose project in India and was initiated in 1948. The project
serves the purposes of generation of hydroelectric power and irrigating the agricultural
fields in Punjab and Haryana. Jawaharlal Nehru described the project as the ‘New
Temple of Resurgent India’.

Ans 51. Power sharing is essential in democratic countries because of the following
reasons :
● Power sharing makes the government more accountable to the people for its
actions because responsibilities are fixed.
● Power sharing minimizes the possibility of social conflicts by accommodating the
interests of diverse social groups and by giving voice to their concerns.
● Power sharing increases the participation of people in the decision-making
process of the country.

Ans 52. The sexual division of labour refers to the bifurcation of work between men and
women. It is a concept that considers women suitable only for household chores such as
cooking, washing and cleaning; whereas men are considered the heads of families who
take care of the family by working outside the house for earning money. The sexual
division of labour is an outdated concept as more and more women nowadays work
outside the house and contribute to the family income.

Ans 53. After the end of the cold war, many MNCs invested huge capital in China. The
main reasons behind this were as follows :
 ● After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1990, the communist control of Soviet
Union over China loosened and China opened-up its economy.
● The easy availability of cheap labour was the biggest attraction for MNCs to invest
in China.
● The Chinese government provided the necessary infrastructure to MNCs for
setting up their manufacturing units in China.

Ans 54. Tertiary sector refers to those income generating activities in an economy that
help in the development of the primary and secondary sectors. Tertiary sector is also
called service sector because of the support it provides to other sectors of the economy.
Services in the tertiary sector include education, health services, transportation services,
banking services and information technology services. Tertiary sector has witnessed
immense growth in the last few decades in India.

Ans 55. Intensive subsistence farming refers to the practice of cultivating land for
subsistence needs. The main features of this type of farming are as follows :
● It is practised in areas having huge population.
● The size of land-holdings is small.
● Labour-intensive farming is done and there is minimum use of technology.
● Cultivation is done for obtaining maximum production from a small piece of land.
● Members of the same family work on the same piece of land.

Ans 56. The great economic depression engulfed the world in the year 1929 and
continued till 1935. Several reasons could be clubbed together which were responsible
for this economic downfall. Some of them are given below :
● After the First World War, the economy of all major industrial powers was
in a bad shape. All the major European nations were under huge debt that was
taken to meet the war-time expenses.
● After the war, agricultural production rose, thereby leading to a decline in the
prices of agricultural products. Farmers tried to sell as much produce in the
markets as possible. This resulted in excess supply and led to a further decline in
prices.
 ● The U.S. withdrew its financial assistance from many nations, which further
aggravated the economic crisis in these nations. Banks collapsed because of
non-recovery of loan amounts from the people whose incomes had declined.
Ans 57. The conservation of natural resources is essential for ensuring the growth of an
economy. Natural resources such as coal, petroleum and natural gas are engines of
growth of a country. All the industrial projects are undertaken on the basis of the energy
provided by these natural resources. They provide electricity to industrial establishments
and households in the country. They are the\ only source of fuel for propelling vehicles,
railways and air transport. They are used as fuel for cooking food. A country’s survival
and development largely depends on these natural resources and hence their conservation
is of utmost importance.

Ans 58. Several changes over the years have resulted in weakening the caste hierarchy in
India. Some of them are given below :
● Rapid industrialisation created new forms of employment opportunities for
people. This enabled people from all castes and classes to work together at the
same place and intermingle with each other.
● The growth in education broadened people’s outlook and made them understand
the futility of caste system.
● Equal opportunities provided by the Indian constitution to all citizens of India
irrespective of their castes, religion, race or sex greatly contributed in weakening
the caste hierarchy in the Indian society.

Ans 59. Minerals are found in igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks. In igneous
and metamorphic rocks, minerals are found in the cracks, crevices and joints of the rocks.
Metallic minerals such as copper, zinc and lead are found in these rocks. Minerals occur
in the beds or layers of sedimentary rocks. They are accumulated between the two layers
of the rock in compressed form. Gypsum, potash, coal and iron are the minerals found in
sedimentary rocks.

Ans 60. Conservatism is a way of thinking that seeks to preserve the traditional
institutions of power such as monarchy, aristocracy, church and family. Conservatism
arose as a political ideology after the defeat of Napoleon in 1815. The Treaty of Vienna,
which was signed after Napoleon’s defeat, sought to establish the old monarchical
regimes in the countries captured by Napoleon. Conservative regimes were autocratic and
opposed to the ideas of liberty and equality.
Ans 61. Banks are vital organs of a nation’s economic system. They provide a safe
platform for depositing money and also provide interest on the money deposited by their
depositors. This helps increase the financial stability of their customers. Banks also play
an important role in maintaining the liquidity of money. They provide loans to those in
need and charge interest on the loan provided. This results in generation of capital and in
turn facilitates the growth of economy.

Ans 62. India is rich in iron resources. Iron is the backbone of India’s industrial growth.
The major iron ore producing regions in India are as follows :
● Orissa−Jharkhand : Iron is in abundance in the mines located in this region. Some
of the important mines include Badampahar, Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar in Orissa
and Singhbhum in Jharkhand.
● Chattisgarh−Maharashtra : The major iron mines in this region include Bailadila
and Chandrapur.
● Karnataka : Kudremukh mine is one of the largest iron ore mines in the world.

Ans 63. National parties are those political parties that have their presence all over India.
The Election Commission of India has set some criteria that have to be fulfilled by a
political party before it can be recognized as a national party. A party should win at least
6% of the total votes in Lok Sabha or state assembly elections in at least four states and
win at least four seats in Lok Sabha to be recognized as a national party. There are six
national parties in India. They are BJP, Congress, CPI, CPI (M), BSP and NCP.

Ans 64. The main features of Vietnam’s economy under the French rule were as follows :
● Economy was based on rice cultivation and rubber plantations owned by the
French.
● Economy was largely rural.
● Export of rice and rubber garnered huge profits for the French.
● The general population of Vietnam was poor. The standard of living further
declined under the French rule.
Ans 65. The location of an industry is the most important thing that determines the
economic viability of the project. Several factors contribute in determining the location of
an industry. Some of these are as follows :
● Availability of raw materials
● Availability of cheap labour
● Availability of necessary infrastructure such as water, power, transportation etc.
● Proximity to the market

Ans 66. India has a multi-party system. Around 750 political parties are recognized by
the Election Commission of India. A multi-party system is followed in India because
India is a country of diverse cultures and social backgrounds. Different political parties
give voice to the demands and concerns of different social groups. It is not possible for
one or two parties to accommodate the interests of such a large population. Hence, a
multi-party system is quite suitable for India.

Ans 67. The Election Commission of India is the apex body that creates the structure of
the democratic setup of India. It has certain functions to follow :
● It organizes elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
● It gives recognition to political parties in the country.
● It grants election symbols to the political parties.
● It acts as a watchdog of the entire election procedure and monitors the conduct of
all political parties.
● It makes rules and regulations for making the Indian election process as
transparent and fair as possible.

Ans 68. The Champaran Satyagraha (1916) was the first popular uprising organized by
Gandhiji. The farmers of Champaran, which is located in Bihar, were forced to grow
indigo by the British as indigo was a cash crop that reaped huge profits for the British
planters. However, the cultivation of indigo destroyed the fertility of soil, thereby making
it unsuitable for the growth of food crops. Farmers were not allowed to grow food crops
by the British. This created a survival crisis for them. Gandhiji organized the farmers of
Champaran for opposing the forceful cultivation of indigo.
Ans 69. Foreign direct investment or FDI is the investment done by a foreign company in
a country in the form of creation of assets. When a foreign multi-national company
establishes its manufacturing units in a country and starts production of goods in that
country, then it is termed as FDI. FDI is the most effective form of investment as it is
economically profitable for both the host country and the MNC.

Ans 70. India has limited inland water transport. There are three waterways that have
been declared as the national waterways of India. They are as follows :
● The Ganga river from Allahabad to Haldia (N.W. 1), having a total navigable
length of 1620km.
● The Brahmaputra river from Sadiya to Dhubri (N.W. 2), having a total navigable
length of 891km.
● The west coast canal in Kerala (N.W. 3), having a total navigable length of
205km.
Ans 71. WTO stands for World Trade Organization. It came into being in 1995 and has a
membership of about 150 countries. WTO’s main objective is to liberalize international
trade and persuade countries to open-up their economies. WTO also acts as the supervisor
of international trade and ensures that international trade rules are strictly adhered to by
all member nations. WTO aims at reducing trade barriers and promoting free trade among
nations.

Ans 72. The period from 1830 to 1848 is called as the ‘Age of revolution’ because of the
outbreak of several revolutions in different countries of the world during this period. The
period witnessed the July Revolution of 1830 in France, the Greek Revolution in 1830,
the Italian Revolution in 1848, revolutions in Hungary and Ireland in 1848 and many
more small and big uprisings. The period saw a change in political power in almost all
the countries of the world. The conservative and monarchical regimes were thrown out
and democratic and republican forms of government were established. During this period,
the world transformed itself into a more liberal and equal place.

Ans 73. The French Revolution introduced various measures to unite the French people
so that they could fight for their own freedom. These factors were as follows :
● The ideas of ‘la patrie’ (the fatherland) and ‘le citoyen’ (the citizen) brought in
the feeling of a united community.
 ● The new French flag (the tricolour) replaced the royal standard flag of the
monarchy.
● The Estate General was elected by the body of active citizens because of which a
new assembly came up.
● New hymns were made and several oaths were taken to serve the country.
● The French nationalists discouraged regional dialects and favoured the use of
French as the official language of Paris.

Ans 74. Democracy is the most prevalent form of government all over the world. It has
many advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages
● Democracy is a government of the people. Hence, it promotes the interests of the
people.
● Democracy takes into account the concerns of its citizens and tries to implement
policies for the welfare of all.
● Democracy gives respect to the individual by granting decision-making power to
its citizens.
● Democracy ensures the freedom and equality of the people.
Disadvantages
● Democracy is not a stable form of government as it depends on the will of the
majority.
● Democracy involves a lot of debates and discussions that slow down the
decision-making process and hamper the growth of the nation.

Ans 75. Consumers all over the world are often cheated by the manufacturers and sellers
of goods and services. This happens because consumers are not always aware. They
believe the false claims made by the sellers regarding the product and secondly, they do
not know as to what action they should take on being cheated. Hence, there is a great
need to make consumers aware about their rights and the remedies available to them in
case of a grievance. The government must start a consumer awareness campaign,
educating consumers about their rights and the approach that should be taken by them in
case they are cheated by the seller. Self-help groups must also be mobilized so as to
spread awareness among consumers all over the country.
Ans 76. The three movements that took place within international economic exchanges
were as follows :
● Flow of trade or trade in goods (e.g. wheat or cloth).
● Flow of labour or migration of people in search of jobs.
● Movement of capital for short/long-term investments.

Ans 77. We understand that the origin of industrialisation began with the setting-up of the
first factories. However, before factories were introduced and became widespread
throughout England and Europe, large scale industrial production for international
markets was taking place, which was not the outcome of factories. This phase of
industrialisation is often referred to as proto industrialisation by many historians.

Ans 78. The ties among the members of a family became loose. In case of the working
class people, marriages did not work and often broke down. The upper and middle class
women in Britain started suffering from isolation. Lower class women who worked for
wages had some control over their lives. Family as an institution was breaking down and
women were required to stay back at home to prevent further damages to matrimony.

Ans 79. There are two types of resources on the basis of exhaustibility. They are as
follows :
● Renewable resources : Resources that can be renewed by physical, mechanical or
chemical processes. For e.g. solar energy, wind energy etc.
● Non-renewable resources: Resources that cannot be renewed and take millions of
years to form. For e.g. coal, petroleum etc.

Ans 80. The India cotton industry and textiles , including silk, had for centuries made
India's name a byword in the world. Merchants from Central Asia through land and sea
routes established a vast network of export trade. This trade network also involved
bankers giving finances/advances to weavers and merchants supplying goods to
exporters.
● In India however, new trading centres came up under the control of European
Colonial powers. For instance, with the advent of European companies in India,
new trading centres of Bengal, Bombay rose to prominence.
 ● This was followed by the setting up of factories and expansion of production in
the colonies. For instance, how the first cotton mill was established in India in
1854, followed by jute mill in Bengal.
● Indian entrepreneurs played a very important role in setting up of Indian industries
as they linked the British trade with China, Many Indians like Dwarkanath Tagore,
Parsis like Dinshaw Petit and Jamsetjee Nusserwanjee Tata became important
players in this trade by providing finances and procuring, shipping supplies.
● This helped them make huge wealth from the trade with China, they were also
involved in trade networks in Burma, Africa etc. They later set up huge industrial
empires in India.
● Industrial growth is associated with the rise of working class, who migrated from
villages to cities in search of better job opportunities. This primarily included
peasants and artisans who were affected by colonial policies.

Ans 81. A dam is an obstruction created across running water bodies so that it directs,
retards or obstructs the flow of water. It acts as a reservoir or a lake for future use. This
reserved water is mainly used for irrigation of agricultural fields. Other than irrigation,
dams also help in generating electricity, flood control, water supply, industrial uses, fish
breeding, inland navigation etc.

Ans 82. The different types of non-food crops produced in India are as follows :
● Rubber : It is grown in tropical and sub-tropical areas of our country and requires a
moist and humid climate for proper growth. It is mainly grown in Tamil Nadu,
Kerala, Karnataka, Meghalaya and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
● Cotton : India, being the original home of cotton plantation, is the third-largest
cotton producer in the world. Cotton requires dry climate for proper growth. It is
mainly grown in Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat,
Tamil Nadu and Haryana.
● Fibre crops : The major fibre crops grown in India are jute, hemp, cotton and
natural silk. While jute, hemp and cotton grow in soil, silk is obtained from the
cocoons of silkworms, which are fed on mulberry leaves.
● Jute : It grows in fertile soils that are well-drained. It requires high temperature
during its growth. It is mainly produced in Assam, Bihar, West Bengal, Orissa and
Meghalaya.
Ans 83. The different power sharing forms in modern democracies are as follows :
● Power is shared among different organs of a government such as the executive,
the legislature and the judiciary.
● Power is shared among governments at different levels. Example: a government
for the entire country and governments for different regions in the country.
● Power is shared among social groups such as linguistic groups, religious groups
etc.
● Power is shared among political parties, movements and pressure groups. They try
to control and influence the one in power.

Ans 84. The key features of federalism are as follows :

● Different levels of the government rule the same set of people though each level
has its own jurisdiction.
● There are two or more levels of the government.
● The jurisdiction of each level of the government is mentioned in the
Constitution. Therefore, the authority of a particular level of the government is
constitutionally guaranteed.
● The primary provisions of the Constitution cannot be hampered by a single
level of the government. It requires the consent of both the levels of the
government.
● Courts can interpret the constitution and the powers of the government at
different levels.
● To maintain financial autonomy, the revenue for each level of the government is
clearly stated.
● A federal system accommodates regional diversity and promotes the unity of the
country.

Ans 85. The three factors deciding the outcome of politics of social divisions are as
follows :
● The outcome depends on how people recognise their identities. It becomes
difficult to contain if people see their identities in singular terms.
● The outcome depends on how political leaders raise demands regarding their
communities.
● The outcome depends on how the government reacts to the demands of different
groups.
Ans 86. The developmental goals or aspirations of the landless rural labourers are as
follows :
● More working days and better wages.
● Quality education for their children.
● No social discrimination and exploitation.

Ans 87. Per capita income is a numerical quotient that decides the national production of
a country by its population. It is calculated in monetary terms. The average income
(which is also the total income of a country) divided by the total population of the
country gives the per capita income of that country.

Ans 88. The three sectors of the Indian economy are as follows :
● Primary sector : This sector is the base of all the products that we finally make. It
is a sector in which goods are produced by exploiting natural resources. Some
activities that come under primary sector include agriculture, dairy and fishing etc.
This sector is also referred to as the agricultural sector.
● Secondary sector: It is the sector in which natural products or raw materials are
converted into other forms by the process of manufacturing. Some activities that
come under secondary sector include making clothes from raw cotton by
manufacturing, making bricks from earth in order to make houses etc. This sector
is also referred to as the industrial sector.
● Tertiary sector: The development of primary and secondary sectors happens in this
sector. Some activities under this sector include communication, banking,
transport and storage etc.

Ans 89. Gross domestic product is the total production of a sector for a particular year is
the value of all the final goods and services produced in the sector in that year. The gross
domestic product (GDP) of a country is the sum of the total production in the three
sectors. It is the value of all goods and services produced in the country during a given
year. GDP depicts how big a country’s economy is.

Ans 90. During the nineteenth century, India exported agricultural goods and imported
manufactured goods. After the Great Depression, these exports and imports nearly
halved. As the depression lead to international price-crash, the prices in India also sank.
Prices of wheat fell by 50 per cent. Peasants and farmers suffered dearly and had to incur
huge losses. However, the urban dwellers were not affected much. Peasants who were
producing for the world market were the worst hit. As such, the peasants who borrowed
in order to repay during better times fell deeper into debts. Peasants’ indebtedness
increased throughout the country. During this period, India started exporting gold, which
in a way promoted global economic recovery.

Ans 91. Different ways in which women in India face discrimination and oppression are
as follows :
● On a given day, on an average, a woman works one hour more than a man.
However, most of her work is not valued and she is not paid appropriately. As a
result, women earn very little and very few women are placed in highly paid and
valued jobs.
● The literacy rate for men is 76 per cent whereas that for women is 54 percent only.
Only a small proportion of girls are allowed to go for higher studies, even though
they perform as well as boys do.
● According to the Equal Wages Act, equal wages should be paid for equal amount
of work done. However, in all streams of work including sports, business,
manufacturing, cinema etc. women are always seen earning less. Simply put, the
Equal Wages Act is ineffective in case of women.
● In India, parents have an inclination towards the male child. Owing to this fact,
female infanticide has been a prevalent practice is several parts of the country. As
a consequence, child sex ratio has fallen considerably. There are numerous reports
of violence, harassment and exploitation against women in India, especially in
rural areas.
● In several parts of the country, including big metros, women are at the
receiving end of terrible forms of violence, harassment etc.

Ans 92. The following points explain the rising importance of the tertiary sector :
● Any country requires several services such as those of post and telegraph offices,
police stations, hospitals, banks, insurance agencies, transport, defence, courts etc.
Hence, the government has to take the responsibility of providing these services to
its citizens.
 ● Various services developed with the development of agriculture and industries.
Some of them include transport, storage and trade. Demands for such services will
only increase with the development of the primary and secondary sectors.
● With a rise in people’s incomes, demands for services such as tourism, retail,
schools, private hospitals etc. also increases. However, these demands are
higher in big cities.
● In the past few years, services based on communication technology and
information have also increased. There has been a rapid rise in the production of
these services.

Ans 93. An asset owned by the borrower that is used as a guarantee by the lender till the
time the loan is repaid is called collateral. If the borrower fails to return the loan at the
given time, then the lender has the right to sell off the collateral in order to get back the
loaned amount. Examples of collateral include land, building, vehicle and deposits with
bank etc.

Ans 94. The Non-Cooperation Movement was one of the major events during India’s
freedom struggle with the British. Led by Mahatma Gandhi, it had active support from
Indian National Congress. It involved the surrender of the titles that the government
awarded to Indians and the boycott of army, civil services, police, courts and legislative
councils, schools and foreign goods. Overall, it involved the boycott of everything started
by the British government. Titles and important posts held in the government by Indians
were vacated and employees had to resign. Even the usage of foreign clothes was banned.
Lead by local leaders, almost all the regions in the country were involved in this
movement. Gandhiji maintained that if the government used repression, then a civil
disobedience movement would come into action.

Ans 95. In 1986, the Government of India enacted the Consumer Protection Act in order
to remove the unfair means practised against consumers. Commonly known as COPRA,
it has a three-level quasi-judicial machinery at the district, state and national levels. Cases
with claims up to Rs 20 lakhs are dealt with in district level courts, cases with claims
between Rs 20 lakhs and Rs 1 crore are dealt with in state level courts and cases with
claims exceeding Rs 1 crore are dealt with in national level courts.
Ans 96. The two categories of loans are as follows :
● Formal sector loans : Loans from banks and cooperatives are called formal sector
loans. The functioning of formal sector loans is closely supervised by the Reserve
Bank of India. Here, the rate of interest on loans in standard and same for all.
● Informal sector loans : Loans received from moneylenders, employers, traders,
relatives, friends etc. comes under informal sector loans. No organization
supervises the credit activities in this sector. The rate of interest put on the loans
depends totally on the lender and this might include unfair means. Normally, the
rate of interest charged in this sector is much higher than that in formal sector
loans.

Ans 97. A MNC is a company that owns and controls its production in more than one
country. It sets its factories and offices in those places where labour and resources are
cheap. It does so in order to lower the cost of production and earn greater profits. Three
Indian companies that have emerged as MNCs are Tata Motors, Asian Paints and Infosys.

Ans 98. Meghalaya

Ans 99. In the last three decades, tourism has grown steadily. Year 2004 saw an increase
of 23.5 per cent, contributing Rs 21,828 crore of foreign exchange. About 2.6 million
tourists visit India every year and about 15 million people are directly connected with the
tourism industry. Tourism helps in the development of international understanding about
our country’s heritage and culture.

Ans 100. The three proposals to reform the process of political funding in India are as
follows :
● Each political party’s financial accounts should be made public and
government auditors should examine these accounts.
● To meet the election expenditure of a party, the government should allocate
adequate amount of money to the party. Elections should be state-funded.
● The citizens of India should be encouraged to give donations to the political party
of their preference.