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Social Studies
VIII Class E.M. Notes (2022-2023)
Prepared by
K.Venkata Rao, S.A. (S.S.)
M.C.H. School, Kaspa,
Vizianagaram
Ph. No. 9247166939
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INDEX
Chapter Name of the lesson Page No.
No.
Resources and Development
1 Resources 3
2 Land, Soil, Water, Natural Vegetation and Wildlife 3-4
Resources
3 Mineral and Power Resources 4-6
4 Agriculture 6-7
5 Industries 7-8
6 Human Resources 8-9
Our Pasts
1 How, When and Where 10
2 From Trade to Territory 10-11
The Company Establishes Power
3 Ruling the Countryside 12-13
4 Tribals, Dikus and Vision of a Golden Age 13-14
5 When People Rebel 1857 and After 14-15
6 Weavers, Iron Smelters and Factory Owners 15-16
7 Civilising the “Native”, Educating the Nation 16-17
8 Women, Caste and Reform 17-18
9 The Making of the National Movment : 1870s - 1947 19-21
10 India Afer Independence 21-22
Social and Political Life
1 The Indian Constitution 23-24
2 Understanding Secularism 24-26
3 Why do we need a Parliament? 26-27
4 Understanding Laws 27-28
5 Judiciary 28-30
6 Understanding Our Criminal Justice System 30-31
7 Understanding Marginalisation 31-32
8 Confronting Marginalisation 32-33
9 Public Facilities 33-35
10 Law and Social Justice 35-36

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 11. Resources
Exercises
1. Answer the following questions.
(i) Why are resources distributed unequally over the earth?
Answer:- The distribution of natural resources depends upon number of physical factors like terrain, climate
and altitude. The distribution of resources is unequal because these factors differ so much over the earth.
(ii) What is resource conservation?
Answer:- Using resources carefully and giving them time to get renewed is called resource conservation
(iii) Why are human resources important?
Answer:- People are human resources. Human resources are important because people can make the best use
of nature to create more resources by applying their knowledge, skill and the technology.
(iv) What is sustainable development?
Answer:- Balancing the need to use resources and also conserve them for the future is called sustainable
development.
2. Tick the correct answer.
(i) Which one of the following does NOT make substance a resource? (c)
(a) utility (b) value (c) quantity
(ii) Which one of the following is a human made resource? (a)
(a) medicines to treat cancer (b) spring water (c) tropical forests
(iii) complete the statement (a)
Non-renewable resources are
(a) those which have limited stock
(b) made by human beings
(c) derived from non-living things

2. Land, Soil, Water, Natural Vegetation and Wildlife Resources

Exercises
1. Answer the following questions.
(i) Which are the two main climatic factors responsible for soil formation?
Answer:- Temperature and rainfall are the two main climatic factors responsible for soil formation.
(ii) Write any two reasons for land degradation today.
Answer:- Two reasons for land degradation today are deforestation and overuse of chemical fertilisers
or pesticides.
(iii) Why is land considered an important resource?
Answer:- Land is considered an important resource because it is used for different purposes such as
agriculture, forestry, mining, building houses, roads and setting up of industries.
(iv) Name any two steps that government has taken to conserve plants and animals.
Answer:- 1. Government establishes National parks, wildlife sanctuaries, biosphere reserves to protect
our natural vegetation and wildlife.
2. Government organises awareness programmes like social forestry and Vanamahotsava i.e., the
planting of trees to conserve forests.
(v) Suggest three ways to conserve water.
Answer:- Construction of rain water harvesting pits, use of water sprinklers for irrigation, and following
drip or trickle irrigation are three ways to conserve water.
2. Tick the correct answer.
(i) Which one of the following is NOT a factor of soil formation? (b)
(a) time (b) soil texture (c) organic matter
(ii) Which one of the following methods is most appropriate to check soil erosion on steep slopes? (c)
(a) shelter belts (b) mulching (c) terrace cultivation
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 (iii) Which one of the following is NOT in favour of the conservation of nature? (c)
(a) switch off the bulb when not in use
(b) close the tap immediately after using
(c) dispose polypacks after shopping
3. Match the followings :
(i) Land use ( c ) (a) prevent soil erosion
(ii) Humus ( d ) (b) narrow zone of contact between the lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere
( iii) Rock dams ( a ) (c) productive use of land
(iv) Biosphere ( b ) (d) organic matter deposited on top soil
(e) contour ploughing
4. State whether the given statement is true or false. If true, write the reasons.
(i) Ganga–Brahmaputra plain of India is an overpopulated region.
Answer:- This statement is true.
Reason:- Gang-Brahmaputra plain has fertile land, which is most suitable for agriculture. Hence, this
region is overpopulated.
(ii) Water availability per person in India is declining.
Answer:- This statement is true.
Reason:- Water is getting polluted and is being consumed excessively. So, water availability per person
in India is declining.
(iii) Rows of trees planted in the coastal areas to check the wind movement is called intercropping.
Answer:- This statement is false.
Reason:- Rows of trees planted in the coastal areas to check the wind movement is called shelter belts.
(iv) Human interference and changes of climate can maintain the ecosystem.
Answer:- This statement is false.
Reason:- Changes of climate and human interferences can cause the loss of natural habitats for the
plants and animals. It damages the ecosystem.

3. Mineral and Power resources

Exercises
1. Answer the following questions.
(i) Name any three common minerals used by you every day?
Answer:- 1. Salt: We use salt every day in cooking.
2. Graphite: We use pencil every day which has graphite in it.
3. Liquid Petroleum Gas: We use Liquid Petroleum Gas for cooking every day.
(ii) What is an ore? Where are the ores of metallic minerals generally located?
Answer:- Rocks from which minerals are mined are known as ores. Generally, metallic minerals are
found in igneous and metamorphic rock formations that form large plateaus.
(iii) Name two regions rich in natural gas resources.
Answer:- In India, major natural gas reserves are located in the Mumbai High, Krishna Godavari basin,
Cambay basin, Tripura and Assam.
(iv) Which sources of energy would you suggest for
(a) rural areas (b) coastal areas (c) Arid regions
Answer:- (a) Biogas is suggested for rural areas.
(b) Wind and tidal energy is suggested for coastal areas.
(c) Wind solar energy is suggested for arid regions.
(v) Give five ways in which you can save energy at home.
Answer:- 1. Switching off lights and fans whenever not necessary.
2. Using energy-efficient light bulbs which save energy.
3. Using cold water for bathing.
4. Maintaining the electric appliances properly.
5. Using pressure cookers while cooking.

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2. Tick the correct answer.
(i) Which one of the following is NOT a characteristic of minerals?
(a) They are created by natural processes. (b) They have a definite chemical composition.
(c) They are inexhaustible (d) Their distribution is uneven.
Answer:- (c) They are inexhaustible
(ii) Which one of the following is a leading producer of copper in the world?
(a) Bolivia (b) Ghana (c) Chile (d) Zimbabwe
Answer:- (c) Chile
(ii) Which one of the following practices will NOT conserve LPG in your kitchen.
(a) Soaking the dal for some time before cooking it. (b) Cooking food in a pressure cooker.
(c) Keeping the vegetables chopped before lighting the gas for cooking.
(d) Cooking food in an open pan kept on low flame.
Answer:- (d) Cooking food in an open pan kept on low flame.
3. Give reasons.
(i) Environmental aspects must be carefully looked into before building huge dams.
Answer:- 1. Huge dams may trigger earth quakes.
2. Some forest areas will be submerged due to huge dams.
3. Some village will be submerged and the people in those village will be displaced.
4. Huge dams reduce biodiversity and cause the extinction of some aquatic species, particularly fish.
(ii) Most industries are concentrated around coal mines.
Answer:- Coal is used as a source of energy and power and also as a raw material in most of the
industries. They need coal in huge quantity. Transportation to faraway places is very expensive. So,
many industries are located near the coal mines to save money on transportation.
(iii) Petroleum is referred to as “black gold”.
Answer:- 1. A variety of products like diesel, petrol, kerosene, wax, plastics and lubricants are
produced when crude oil is refined.
2. We use these products for different purposes in our day-to day life. It becomes inevitable to use
these products.
3. Hence, petroleum and its derivatives are called Black Gold as they are very valuable.
(iv) Quarrying can become a major environmental concern.
Answer:- 1. Land will be degraded.
2. Quarrying in hilly areas causes erosion and it can result in siltation of canals, and rivers etc.
3. The quarrying process generates a lot of dust which causes air pollution.
4. Quarrying activities cause pollution of surrounding water resources and groundwater.
5. Quarrying operations involve many activities that generate significant levels of noise.
6. One of the biggest concerns of quarrying on the environment is the damage to biodiversity.
4. Distinguish between the followings.
(i) Conventional and non-conventional sources of energy.
Answer:-
Conventional sources of energy Non-conventional sources of energy
1. They have been in common use for a long 1. These have been used since recently.
time.
2. Fire wood and fossil fuels are the two main 2. Solar energy, wind energy, tidal energy etc.,
conventional energy sources. are the Non-conventional sources of energy.
3. The reserves of fossil fuels are limited. So, 3. These are renewable. Generally, these are
these are likely to be exhausted soon. inexhaustible.
4. Use of fossil fuels causes environmental 4. These are mostly non-polluting sources.
pollution.
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 (ii) Biogas and natural gas
Answer:-
BIOGAS NATURAL GAS
1. Organic waste such as dead plant and 1. Natural gas is found with petroleum
animal material, animal dung and kitchen deposits and is released when crude oil is
waste can be converted into a gaseous fuel brought to the surface
called biogas.
2. Biogas is an excellent fuel for cooking and 2. It can be used as a domestic and
lighting industrial fuel.
3 It produces huge amount of organic 3. This cannot be used as manure.
manure.
4. It is non-conventional source of energy 4. It is conventional source of energy.
(iii) Ferrous and nonferrous minerals
Answer:-
Ferrous minerals Nonferrous minerals
1. Ferrous minerals contain iron. 1. Nonferrous minerals does not contain iron.
2. Iron ore, manganese and chromites are 2. Gold, silver, copper or lead are examples of
examples of ferrous minerals. nonferrous minerals.
(iv) Metallic and nonmetallic minerals
Answer:-
Metallic minerals Nonmetallic minerals
1. Metallic minerals contain metal in raw form. 1. Non-metallic minerals do not contain
metals.
2. Metals are hard substances that conduct 2. These minerals don’t have a shiny
heat and electricity and have a characteristic appearance of their own.
lustre or shine.
3. Iron ore, bauxite, manganese ore are some 3. Limestone, mica and gypsum are some
examples. examples
4. Generally, metallic minerals are found in 4. Generally, nonmetallic minerals are found
igneous and metamorphic rock formations. in sedimentary rock formations.

4. Agriculture
1. Answer the following questions.
(i) What is agriculture?
A) The science and art of cultivation on the soil, raising crops and rearing livestock is agriculture. It is also called
farming.
(ii) Name the factors influencing agriculture.
Answer:- Favouralbe topography of soil and climate influence agriculture.
(iii) What is shifting cultivation? What are its disadvantages?
Answer:- A plot of land is cleared by felling the trees and burning them. The ashes are then mixed with the soil
and crops are grown. After the soil loses its fertility, the land is abandoned and the cultivator moves to a new
plot. Shifting cultivation is also known as ‘slash and burn’ agriculture.
Its disadvantages: 1. It causes deforestation. 2. Air is polluted, when trees are burnt.
3. Fertility of the soil decreases. 4. It leads to soil erosion.
(iv) What is plantation agriculture?
Answer:- Plantation agriculture is a type of commercial farming where single crop of tea, coffee, sugarcane,
cashew, rubber, banana or cotton are grown.
(v) Name the fibre crops and name the climatic conditions required for their growth.
Answer:- 1.Cotton and jute are fibre crops.
2. Cotton requires high temperature, light rainfall, two hundred and ten frost-free days and bright sunshine for
its growth. It grows best on black and alluvial soils.
3. Jute was also known as the ‘Golden Fibre’. It grows well on alluvial soil and requires high temperature,
heavy rainfall and humid climate.

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2. Tick the correct answer.
(i) Horticulture means
(a) growing of fruits and vegetables (b) primitive farming (c) growing of wheat.
Answer:- (a) growing of fruits and vegetables
(ii) Golden fibre refers to
(a) tea (b) cotton (c) jute Answer:- (c) Jute
(ii) Leading producers of coffee.
(a) Brazil (b) India (c) Russia Answer:- (a) and (b) Brazil and India
3. Give reasons.
(i) In India agriculture is a primary activity.
Answer:- 1. India requires large quantities of food, as it has a huge population. As, there is a great demand for
food, many people are practicing agriculture.
2. Many people know only about practicing agriculture. They acquired knowledge of farming from their
ancestors
3. Secondary and tertiary activities are not well developed. So, people are forced to practice agriculture.
(ii) Different crops are grown in different regions.
Answer:- 1. Type of soil, climatic conditions such as rainfall, temperature differ from one region to other region.
2. People living in different regions have different food habits.
3. Agricultural technology and labour influence crops grown. These factors are different in different regions.
4. Distinguish between the followings.
(i) Primary activities and tertiary activities.
Primary activities Tertiary activities
1. Primary activities include all those connected 1. Tertiary activities provide support to the
with extraction and production of natural primary and secondary sectors through services.
resources
2. Agriculture, fishing and gathering are good 2. Transport, trade, banking, insurance and
examples. advertising are examples.
(ii) Subsistence farming and intensive farming
Subsistence farming Intensive farming
1. This type of farming is practised to meet the 1. This type of farming is practiced in the thickly
needs of the farmer’s family. populated areas.
2. Traditionally, low levels of technology and 2. Simple tools and more labour are used to
household labour are used to produce on small produce on a small plot of land.
output.

5. INDUSTRIES
1. Answer the following questions.
(i) What meant by the term ‘industry’?
Answer:- Industry refers to an economic activity that is concerned with production of goods, extraction of
minerals or the provision of services.
(ii) Which are the main factors which influence the location of an industry?
Answer:- The factors affecting the location of industries are the availability of raw material, land, water, labour,
power, capital, transport and market.
(iii) Which industry is often referred to as the backbone of modern industry and why?
Answer:- Steel is often called the backbone of modern industry. Almost everything we use is either made
of iron or steel or has been made with tools and machinery of these metals. Ships, trains, trucks, and autos are
made largely of steel. Even the safety pins and the needles are made from steel.
(iv) Why cotton textile industry rapidly expanded in Mumbai?
Answer:- The warm, moist climate, a port for importing machinery, availability of raw material and skilled labour
resulted in rapid expansion of the cotton textile industry in Mumbai.
2. Tick the correct answer.
(i) Fort Gloster is located in
(a) West Bengal (b) California (c) Gujarat Answer:- (a) West Bengal
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 (ii) Which one of the following is a natural fibre?
(a) nylon (b) jute (c) acryclic Answer:- (b) jute
3. Distinguish between the followings.
(i) Agro-based and mineral based industry
Answer:-
Agro based industries Mineral based industries
1. Agro based industries use plant and animal 1. Mineral based industries are primary industries
based products as their raw materials. that use mineral ores as their raw materials.
2. Food processing, vegetable oil, cotton textile, 2. Iron made from iron ore is the product of
dairy products and leather industries are mineral based industry.
examples of agro-based industries.
(ii) Public sector and joint sector industry.
Answer:-
Public sector industry Joint sector industry
1. The public sector industries are owned and 1. Joint sector industries are owned and operated by
operated by the government. the state and individuals or a group of individuals.
2. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Steel 2. Maruti Udyog Limited is an example of joint sector
Authority of India Limited are examples industry

4. Give two examples of the following in the space provided:

(i) Raw Materials : Pulp and cotton
(ii) End products : Paper and cloth
(iii) Tertiary Activities : Transport and trade
(iv) Agro-based Industries: Food processing and vegetable oil
(v) Cottage Industries : Basket weaving and pottery
(vi) Co-operatives : Anand Milk Unior Limited (AMUL) and Sudha Dairy

6. Human Resources
1. Answer the following questions.
(i) Why are people considered a resource?
Answer:- Nature’s bounty becomes significant only when people find it useful. It is people with their demands
and abilities that turn them into ‘resources’. Hence, people are considered a resource.
(ii) What are the causes for the uneven distribution of population in the world?
Answer:- Factors affecting Distribution of Population:
1. Geographical Factors:
(a) Topography: People always prefer to live on plains rather than mountains and plateaus because these
areas are suitable for farming, manufacturing and service activities.
(b) Climate: People usually avoid extreme climates that are very hot or very cold. Hence, they have spare
population.
(c) Soil: Fertile soils provide suitable land for agriculture. Hence, they are densely populated.
(d) Water: People prefer to live in the areas where fresh water is easily available. The river valleys of the
world are densely populated while deserts have spare population.
(e) Minerals: Areas with mineral deposits are more populated.
2. Social, Cultural and Economic Factors
(a) Social: Areas of better housing, education and health facilities are more densely populated.
(b) Cultural: Places with religion or cultural significance attract people.
(c) Economic: Industrial areas provide employment opportunities. Large number of people are attracted to
these areas
(iii) The world population has grown very rapidly. Why?
Answer:- 1. The population increase in the world is mainly due to rapid increase in natural growth rate.
2. The difference between the birth rate and the death rate of a country is called the natural growth rate.
3. Deaths are reducing due to availability of better food supplies and medicine. So, the death rate is lower than
the birth rate. That is why the world's population has grown rapidly.
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 (iv) Discuss the role of any two factors influencing population change.
Answer:- 1. The population change refers to change in the number of people during a specific time.
2. Births and deaths:- Births and deaths influence the population change. At present, deaths are being reduced
due to availability of better food supplies and medicine. Hence, the world's population is growing rapidly.
3. Migrations:- Migration is another way by which population size changes. People may move within a country
or between countries. The U.S.A. has gained in population numbers due to immigration, while Kenya has
experienced a loss in population numbers due to emigration.
(v) What is meant by population composition?
Answer:- Population composition refers to the structure of the population, i.e., their age, sex, literacy level,
health condition, occupation, and income level.
(vi) What are population pyramids? How do they help in understanding about the population of a country?
Answer:- 1. A graphical presentation of the age, sex composition of a population is called population pyramid. It
is also called age-sex pyramid.
2. A population pyramid shows (a) the total population divided into various age groups, e.g., 5 to 9 years,
10 to 14 years (b) the percentage of the total population, subdivided into males and females, in each of those
groups.
3. The shape of the population pyramid tells the story of the people living in that particular country. The numbers
of children (below 15 years) are shown at the bottom and reflect the level of births. The size of the top shows
the numbers of aged people (above 65 years) and reflects the number of deaths.
4. The population pyramid also tells us how many dependents there are in a country. There are two groups
of dependents — young dependents (aged below 15 years) and elderly dependents (aged over 65 years). Those
of the working age are the economically active
2. Tick the correct answer.
(i) Which does the term population distribution refer to?
(a) How population in a specified area changes over time.
(b) The number of people who die in relation to the number of people born in a specified area.
(c) The way in which people are spread across a given area.
Answer: (c)
(ii) Which are three main factors that cause population change?
(a) Births, deaths and marriage
(b) Births, deaths and migration
(c) Births, deaths and life expectancy
Answer: (b)
(iii) In 1999, the world population reached
(a) 1 billion (b) 3 billion (c) 6 billion
Answer: (c)
(iv) What is a population pyramid?
(a) A graphical presentation of the age, sex composition of a population.
(b) When the population density of an area is so high that people live in tall buildings.
(c) Pattern of population distribution in large urban areas.
Answer: (a)
3. Complete the sentences below using some of the following words.
sparsely, favourable, fallow, artificial, fertile, natural, extreme, densely

When people are attracted to an area it becomes densely populated.

Factors that influence this include favourable climate; good supplies of natural resources and fertile land.
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 1 1. How, When and Where
Let’s recall:
1. State whether true or false:
(a) James Mill divided Indian history into three periods – Hindu, Muslim, Christian Answer:- False
(b) Official documents help us understand what the people of the country think. Answer:- False
(c) The British thought surveys were important for effective administration. Answer: True
Let’s discuss:
2. What is the problem with the periodisation of Indian history that James Mill offers?
Answer. 1. James Mill divided Indian history into three periods – Hindu, Muslim and British.
2. In any case, we can’t refer to any period of history as ‘Hindu’ or ‘Muslim’ because a variety of faiths
existed simultaneously in these periods.
3. It is also not justified to characterise an age only through the religion of the rulers of the time.
4. To do so is to suggest that the lives and practices of others do not really matter. We should also
remember that even rulers in ancient India did not all share the same faith.
3. Why did the British preserve official documents?
Answer: 1. The British believed that the act of writing was important.
2. Every instruction, plan, policy decision, agreement, investigation had to be clearly written up. These
are called official documents.
3. Things could be properly studied and debated through these official documents.
4. Hence, the British set up record rooms attached to all administrative institutions and preserved
official documents.
4. How will the information historians get from old newspapers be different from that found in police
reports?
Answer:- The police officials write in their reports that what they observe, and what they think about
an incident. The news papers publish opinions of the reporters, editors and public. Information from
the police report and from the news papers may be different. So, the historians depend not only police
reports but also some other resources.
Let’s do:
5. Can you think of examples of surveys in your world today? Think about how toy companies get
information about what young people enjoy playing with or how the government finds out about the number of
young people in school. What can a historian derive from such surveys?
Answer:- 1. Government and private organisations conduct different kinds of surveys to collect
information about different issues today in the world.
2. For example, a toy company appoints representatives to conduct surveys. It prepares a questionnaire to
know the interests of young people. The representatives collect the information by questioning the
young people and analyze the information. The toy company produces toys based on this information.
3. The government collects information through census and school records about how many young people
are studying.
4. A historian knows the education levels of society, and interests of young people, etc., by studying these surveys.

2. From Trade to Territory The Company Establishes Power

1. Match the following.
Answer:-
Diwani right to collect land revenue
“Tiger of Mysore” Tipu Sultan
faujdari adalat criminal court
Rani Channamma led an anti-British movement in Kitoor
sipahi Sepoy
2. Fill in the blanks:
(a) The British conquest of Bengal began with the Battle of Plassey.
(b) Haidar Ali and Tipu Sultan were the rulers of Mysore.

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 (c) Dalhousie implemented the Doctrine of Lapse.
(d) Maratha kingdoms were located mainly in the Western part of India.
3. State whether true or false:
(a) The Mughal empire became stronger in the eighteenth century. (False)
(b) The English East India Company was the only European company that traded with India.(False)
(c) Maharaja Ranjit Singh was the ruler of Punjab.(True)
(d) The British did not introduce administrative changes in the territories they conquered.(False)
4. What attracted European trading companies to India?
Answer:- 1. The European trading companies were attracted to India to trade in the goods of cotton, silk, pepper,
cloves, cardamom and cinnamon. These goods have great demand in Europe.
2. Cotton and silk produced in India are of fine quality.
3. The European companies wanted to purchase these goods at lower prices and sell them in Europe at higher prices.
5. What were the areas of conflict between the Bengal nawabs and the East India Company?
Answer:- 1. The Bengal nawabs refused to grant the Company concessions, demanded large tributes for the
Company’s right to trade, denied it any right to mint coins, and stopped it from extending its fortifications.
2. The company was refusing to pay taxes, writing disrespectful letters, and trying to humiliate the nawab.
3. The Company claimed that the unjust demands of the local officials were ruining the trade of the Company, and
that trade could flourish only if the duties were removed.
4. The Company was also convinced that to expand trade it had to enlarge its settlements, buy up villages, and
rebuild forts
6. How did the assumption of Diwani benefit the East India Company?
Answer:- 1. The Diwani allowed the Company to use the vast revenue resources of Bengal.
2. This solved a major problem that the Company had earlier faced. The Company had to buy most of the goods in
India with gold and silver imported from Britain. This was because at this time Britain had no goods to sell in India
3. The outflow of gold from Britain slowed after the Battle of Plassey, and entirely stopped after the assumption of
Diwani
4. The revenues from India could be used to purchase cotton and silk textiles in India, maintain Company troops, and
meet the cost of building the Company fort and offices at Calcutta.
7. Explain the system of “subsidiary alliance”.
Answer:- 1. According to the terms of this subsidiary alliance, Indian rulers were not allowed to have their
independent armed forces.
2. They were to be protected by the Company, but had to pay for the “subsidiary forces” that the Company was
supposed to maintain for the purpose of this protection.
3. If the Indian rulers failed to make the payment, then part of their territory was taken away as penalty.
8. In what way was the administration of the Company different from that of Indian rulers?
Answer:- 1. British territories were broadly divided into administrative units called Presidencies. There were
three Presidencies: Bengal, Madras and Bombay.
2. Each was ruled by a Governor. The supreme head of the administration was the Governor-General.
3. Warren Hastings introduced several administrative reforms, notably in the sphere of justice.
4. From 1772 a new system of justice was established. Each district was to have two courts – a criminal
court ( faujdari adalat ) and a civil court (diwani adalat ).
5. The principal figure in an Indian district was the Collector. His main job was to collect revenue and taxes
and maintain law and order in his district with the help of judges, police officers and darogas.
9. Describe the changes that occurred in the composition of the Company’s army.
Ans:- 1. As warfare technology changed from the 1820s, the cavalry requirements of the Company’s army declined.
2. The soldiers of the Company’s army had to keep pace with changing military requirements and its
infantry regiments now became more important.
3. In the early nineteenth century the British began to develop a uniform military culture. Soldiers were increasingly
subjected to European-style training, drill and discipline that regulated their life far more than before.

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 3. Ruling the Countryside
1. Match the following:
ryot village
mahal peasant
nij cultivation on ryot’s lands
ryoti cultivation on planter’s own land
Answer:-
ryot peasant
mahal village
nij cultivation on planter’s own land
ryoti cultivation on ryot’s lands
2. Fill in the blanks:
a) Growers of woad in Europe saw Indigo as a crop which would provide competition to their earnings.
b) The demand for indigo increased in late eighteenth-century Britain because of the expansion of the cotton
industry due to industrialisation.
c) The international demand for indigo was affected by the discovery of synthetic dyes
d) The Champaran movement was against the indigo planters.
Let’s discuss
3. Describe the main features of the Permanent Settlement.
Answer:- 1. The rajas and taluqdars were recognized as zamindars. They were asked to collect rent from
the peasants and pay revenue to the Company.
2. The amount to be paid was fixed permanently, that is, it was not to be increased ever in future.
3. It was felt that this would ensure a regular flow of revenue into the Company’s coffers and at the same
time encourage the zamindars to invest in improving the land.
4. Since the revenue demand of the state would not be increased, the zamindar would benefit from
increased production from the land.
4. How was the mahalwari system different from the Permanent Settlement?
Answer:-
Permanent Settlement Mahalwari System
1. The revenue demand was fixed permanently, that 1. The revenue demand was to be revised periodically,
is, it was not to be increased ever in future. not permanently fixed.
2. The charge of collecting the revenue and paying it 2. The charge of collecting the revenue and paying it
to the Company was given to the Zamindars. to the Company was given to the village headman.
5. Give two problems which arose with the new Munro system of fixing revenue.
Answer:- 1. Driven by the desire to increase the income from land, revenue officials fixed too high a revenue demand.
2. Peasants were unable to pay, ryots fled the countryside, and villages became deserted in many regions
6. Why were ryots reluctant to grow indigo?
Answer:- 1. The ryots got a very low price for the indigo they produced. Hence, they were unable to pay loans.
They were forced to take loans again to cultivate indigo. Thus, their cycle of loans never ended.
2. There were other problems too. The planters usually insisted that indigo be cultivated on the best soils in
which peasants preferred to cultivate rice. Indigo, moreover, had deep roots and it exhausted the soil rapidly.
After an indigo harvest the land could not be sown with rice.
7. What were the circumstances which led to the eventual collapse of indigo production in Bengal?
Answer:- 1. In March 1859 thousands of ryots in Bengal refused to grow indigo.
2. The village headmen and local zamindars supported the indigo peasants’ rebellion against the planters.
3. The British government set up the Indigo Commission to enquire into the system of indigo production.
4. The Commission held the planters guilty. It asked the ryots to fulfil their existing contracts but also told them that
they could refuse to produce indgo in future.
5. As a result, indigo production collapsed in Bengal.

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Let’s do
8. Find out more about the Champaran movement and Mahatma Gandhi’s role in it.
Answer:- 1. When the indigo production collapsed in Bengal, the planters of Indigo shifted their operation to Bihar.
2. The farmers of Champaran, a village in Bihar, were forced to grow indigo by the European planters instead of the
food crops which were necessary for their survival.
3. Mahatma Gandhi was invited by some of the peasants to look after their misery.
4. He went there and witnessed the miseries of the peasants. He started a peaceful and non-violent movement. This
was known as Champaran Satyagraha.
5. Finally, the British government made a law to protect the farmers from the indigo planters.
9. Look into the history of either tea or coffee plantations in India. See how the life of workers in these
plantations was similar to or different from that of workers in indigo plantations.
Answer:-1. The workers in the tea plantations were oppressed. They were given low wages. For making
more profits, the tea planters reclaimed wastelands where the workers had to labour hard to develop
plantation. For this, the planters introduced indentured labour system. The local as well as outside
labourers were employed under contract.
2. The outside labourers had to stay at the garden for a longer period. They were not permitted to meet
their family, even on occasions. They were exploited in many ways. They were not allowed to leave the
plantation garden during the contract period.
3. The labourers in the tea plantations and indigo farming were similar in the way that they were
exploited heavily. The profit was made by the owners and the labourers got almost nothing. They were
different in the way that, however, there was a contract with the planters, but indigo workers were
not under indentured labour system.

4. Tribals, Dikus and the Vision of a Golden Age

Let’s recall
1. Fill in the blanks:
a) The British described the tribal people as wild and savage.
b) The method of sowing seeds in jhum cultivation is known as broadcasting or scattering.
c) The tribal chiefs got land titles in central India under the British land settlements.
d) Tribals went to work in the tea plantations of Assam and coal mines in Bihar.
2. State whether true or false:
a) Jhum cultivators plough the land and sow seeds. (False)
b) Cocoons were bought from the Santhals and sold by the traders at five times the purchase price. (True)
c) Birsa urged his followers to purify themselves, give up drinking liquor and stop believing in witchcraft and
sorcery. (True)
d) The British wanted to preserve the tribal way of life. (False)
Let’s discuss:
3. What problems did shifting cultivators face under British rule?
Answer: 1. The British wanted tribal groups to settle down and become peasant cultivators. Because it is easy to
control and administer the settled peasants. The British also wanted a regular revenue source for the state.
2. Settled plough cultivation is not easy in areas where water is scarce and the soil is dry. In fact, jhum cultivators
who took to plough cultivation often suffered, since their fields did not produce good yields.
3. Jhum cultivation was not allowed in Reserved Forests. So, many Jhum cultivators were forced to move to other
areas in search of work and livelihood.
4. How did the powers of tribal chiefs change under colonial rule?
Answer:- 1. Under British rule, the functions and powers of the tribal chiefs changed considerably.
2. They were allowed to keep their land titles over a cluster of villages and rent out lands, but they lost much of
their administrative power and were forced to follow laws made by British officials in India.
3. They also had to pay tribute to the British, and discipline the tribal groups on behalf of the British.
4. They lost the authority they had earlier enjoyed amongst their people, and were unable to fulfil their traditional
functions.

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5. What accounts for the anger of the tribals against the dikus?
Answer:- 1. Traders exploited tribals by purchasing goods at cheaper prices and selling at higher prices.
2. Money lenders also exploited tribals giving loans to them at higher interest rates.
3. The triblas considered the moneylender and trader as evil outsiders and the cause of their misery.
4. Missionaries were criticising their traditional culture.
5. The land policies of the British were destroying their traditional land system.
6. Hindu landlords and moneylenders were taking over their land.
6. What was Birsa’s vision of a golden age? Why do you think such a vision appealed to the people of the region?
Answer:- 1. Birsa’s vision of golden age was
a. To free from Mundas from the oppression of dikus.
b. To restore the ancestral right of the community.
2. Before British rule, Mundas had rights over the forests where they lived. They lived following their traditions and
culture. They lived a good life.
3. Now, British laws have destroyed their culture. They lost their rights over forests. They were exploited by the
dikus. They were suffered so much. Hence, Birsa appealed to the people to unite and fight against the British to
achieve the golden age of the past.

5. When People Rebel 1857 and After

Let’s recall
1. What was the demand of Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi that was refused by the British?
Answer:- Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi wanted the East India Company to recognise her adopted son as the
heir to the kingdom after the death of her husband. The Company refused her demand.
2. What did the British do to protect the interests of those who converted to Christianity?
Answer:- In 1850, the British made a new law to make conversion to Christianity easier. This law allowed an Indian
who had converted to Christianity to inherit the property of his ancestors.
3. What objections did the sepoys have to the new cartridges that they were asked to use?
Answer:- Sepoys suspected that the new cartridges were coated with the fat of cows and pigs. According to their
religious sentiments, a cow is sacred for Hindus and a pig is forbidden to Muslims. Hence, some sepoys of the
regiment at Meerut refused to do the army drill using these new cartridges.
4. How did the last Mughal emperor live the last years of his life?
Answer:- The last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar was tried in court and sentenced to life imprisonment. He
and his wife Begum Zinat Mahal were sent to prison in Rangoon in October 1858. Bahadur Shah Zafar died in the
Rangoon jail in November 1862.
Let’s discuss
5. What could be the reasons for the confidence of the British rulers about their position in India before May 1857?
Answer:- 1. Several revolts occurred in different places in British India. These revolts did not spread to other areas.
The British succeeded in suppressing these revolts.
2. Nawabs and Rajas had gradually lost their authority and honour. Residents had been stationed in many courts,
the freedom of the rulers reduced, their armed forces disbanded, and their revenues and territories taken away.
3. The British would get each and every detail of the Kingdom from the residents. There was no unity among the
Nawabs.
6. What impact did Bahadur Shah Zafar’s support to the rebellion have on the people and the ruling families?
Answer:- 1. Bahadur Shah Zafar wrote letters to all the chiefs and rulers of the country to come forward and
organise a confederacy of Indian states to fight the British.
2. His decision to bless the rebellion changed the entire situation dramatically. Often when people see an
alternative possibility they feel inspired and enthused. It gives them the courage, hope and confidence to act.
3. The people of the towns and villages also rose up in rebellion and rallied around local leaders, zamindars and
chiefs who were prepared to establish their authority and fight the British.
4. Nana Saheb in Kanpur, Birjis Qadr in Lucknow, Rani Lakshmibai in Jhansi, Rani Avantibai Lodhi of Ramgarh in
Mandla region of Madhya Pradesh rebelled against the British.
7. How did the British succeed in securing the submission of the rebel landowners of Awadh?
Answer:- 1. The British announced rewards for loyal landholders would be allowed to continue to enjoy traditional
rights over their lands.

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 2. Those who had rebelled were told that if they submitted to the British, and if they had not killed any white
people, they would remain safe and their rights and claims to land would not be denied.
8. In what ways did the British change their policies as a result of the rebellion of 1857?
Answer:- 1. The British Parliament passed a new Act in 1858 and transferred the powers of the East India Company
to the British Crown.
2. All ruling chiefs of the country were assured that their territory would never be annexed in future. They were
allowed to rule their kingdoms as subordinates of the British Crown.
3. It was decided that the proportion of Indian soldiers in the army would be reduced and the number of European
soldiers would be increased.
4. The land and property of Muslims was confiscated on a large scale and they were treated with suspicion and
hostility.
5. The British decided to respect the customary religious and social practices of the people in India.
6. Policies were made to protect landlords and zamindars and give them security of rights over their lands.

6. Weavers, Iron Smelters and Factory Owners

1. What kinds of cloth had a large market in Europe?
Ans:- The cloths called Chintz, cossaes (or Khassa), bandanna and Jamdani had a large market in Europe.
2. What is jamdani? Answer:- Jamdani is a fine muslin on which decorative
motifs are woven on the loom, typically in grey and white. Often a mixture of cotton and gold thread was used.
3. What is bandanna? Answer:- Bandanna now refers to any brightly
coloured and printed scarf for the neck or head. Originally, the term derived from the word “bandhna” (Hindi for
tying), and referred to a variety of brightly coloured cloth produced through a method of tying and dying.
4. Who are the Agarias? Ans:- Agarias is a community of people who specialize in the craft of iron smelting.
5. Fill in the blanks:
(a) The word chintz comes from the word chhint
(b) Tipu’s sword was made of Wootz steel.
(c) India’s textile exports declined in the nineteenth century.
6. How do the names of different textiles tell us about their histories?
Answer:- 1. Muslin:- European traders first encountered fine cotton cloth from India carried by Arab merchants in
Mosul in present-day Iraq. So they began referring to all finely woven textiles as “muslin”.
2. Calico:- It is derived from Calicut. The Portuguese purchased cotton textiles in Calicut, hence they named the
cloth Calico. Subsequently calico became the general name for all cotton textiles.
3. Chintz:- It is derived from the Hindi word chhint, a cloth with small and colourful flowery designs.
4. Bandanna:- It is derived from the word “bandhna” (Hindi for tying), and referred to a variety of brightly coloured
cloth produced through a method of tying and dying.
7. Why did the wool and silk producers in England protest against the import of Indian textiles in the early
eighteenth century?
Answer:- 1. By the early eighteenth century, Indian textiles became famous in England for their exquisite
floral designs, fine texture and relative cheapness.
2. At this time textile industry had just begun to develop in England. So, the wool and silk producers in
England cannot compete with Indian textiles. They wanted a secure market within the country. Hence,
they protested against the import of Indian textiles in the early eighteenth century.
8. How did the development of cotton industries in Britain affect textile producers in India?
Answer:- The development of cotton industries in Britain affected textile producers in India in several ways.
1. Indian textiles now had to compete with British textiles in the European and American markets.
2. Exporting textiles to England also became increasingly difficult since very high duties were imposed on Indian
textiles imported into Britain.
3. As demand for Indian textiles declined, thousands of weavers and spinners were thrown out of employment.
9. Why did the Indian iron smelting industry decline in the nineteenth century?
Answer:- 1. The new forest laws prevented people from entering the reserved forests. So, iron smelters cannot
get iron ore and wood for charcoal.
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 2. Defying forest laws, they often entered the forests secretly and collected wood, but they could not sustain their
occupation on this basis for long.
3. In some areas the government did grant access to the forest. But the iron smelters had to pay a very high tax to
the forest department for every furnace they used. This reduced their income.
4. Moreover, by the late nineteenth century iron and steel was being imported from Britain. Ironsmiths in India
began using the imported iron to manufacture utensils and implements.
10. What problems did the Indian textile industry face in the early years of its development?
Answer:- 1. In the early years of its development, the Indian textile industry found it difficult to compete with
cheap textiles imported from Britain.
2. In most countries, governments supported industrialisation by imposing heavy duties on imports. So, exports
from India were decreased.
3. The colonial government in India usually refused such protection to local industries. So, imported textiles
became available at cheaper rates. This reduced sales of Indian textile.
11. What helped TISCO expand steel production during the Frist World War?
Answer:- 1. In 1914 the First World War broke out. Steel produced in Britain now had to meet the demands of war
in Europe. So imports of British steel into India declined dramatically.
2. The Indian Railways turned to TISCO for supply of rails.
3. As the war dragged on for several years, TISCO had to produce shells and carriage wheels for the war.
4. By 1919 the colonial government was buying 90 per cent of the steel manufactured by TISCO.

7. Civilising the “Native”, Educating the Nation

Let’s recall
1. Match the following:
William Jones Promotion of English education
Rabindranath Tagore respect for ancient cultures
Thomas Macaulay gurus
Mahatma Gandhi learning in a natural environment
Pathshalas critical of English education
Answer:-
William Jones respect for ancient cultures
Rabindranath Tagore learning in a natural environment
Thomas Macaulay Promotion of English education
Mahatma Gandhi learning in a natural environmen critical of English education
Pathshalas gurus
2. State whether true or false:
(a) James Mill was a severe critic of the Orientalists. (True)
(b) The 1854 Despatch on education was infavour of English being introduced as a medium of higher education in
India. (True)
(c) Mahatma Gandhi thought that promotion of literacy was the most important aim of education.(False)
(d) Rabindranath Tagore felt that children ought to be subjected to strict discipline. (False)
Let’s discuss
3. Why did William Jones feel the need to study Indian history, philosophy and law?
Answer:- 1. William Jones felt that the need to study Indian history, philosophy and law would not only help the
British learn from Indian culture, but it would also help Indians rediscover their own heritage, and understand the
lost glories of their past.
2. The British would become the guardians of Indian culture as well as its masters.
3. He hoped that the British could win a place in the hearts of the “natives” i.e., Indians.

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4. Why did James Mill and Thomas Macaulay think that European education was essential in India?
Answer:- 1. James Mill felt that the aim of education ought to be to teach what was useful and practical. So Indians
should be made familiar with the scientific and technical advances that the West had made, rather than with the
poetry and sacred literature of the Orient.
2. Thomas Macaulay emphasized the need to teach the English language. He felt that knowledge of English would
allow Indians to read some of the finest literature the world had produced; it would make them aware of the
developments in Western science and philosophy. Teaching of English could thus be a way of civilising people,
changing their tastes, values and culture.
5. Why did Mahatma Gandhi want to teach children handicrafts?
Answer:- 1. Mahatma Gandhi wanted to teach children handicrafts why because the highest development
of the mind and the soul is possible under such a system of education.
2. Only every handicraft has to be taught not merely mechanically as is done today but scientifically, i.e. the child
should know the why and the wherefore of every process.
6. Why did Mahatma Gandhi think that English education had enslaved Indians?
Answer:- 1. Mahatma Gandhi argued that colonial education created a sense of inferiority in the minds of Indians.
2. It made them see Western civilisation as superior, and destroyed the pride they had in their own culture.
3. He said that there was poison in this education and it was sinful, it enslaved Indians, it cast an evil spell on them.

8. Women, Caste and Reform

Let’s recall
1. What social ideas did the following people support.
Answer:- Rammohun Roy - Greater freedom and equality for women, ban of Sati.
Dayanand Saraswati - Widow remarriage
Veerasalingam Pantulu - Widow remarriage
Jyotirao Phule - Women education
Pandita Ramabai - Shelter for widows and training them to earn on their own
Periyar - Social equality to untouchables
Mumtaz Ali - Women education
Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar - Widow remarriage
2. State whether true or false:
(a) When the British captured Bengal they framed many new laws to regulate the rules regarding marriage,
adoption, inheritance of property, etc. (TRUE)
(b) Social reformers had to discard the ancient texts in order to argue for reform in social practices. (FALSE)
(c) Reformers got full support from all sections of the people of the country. (FALSE)
(d) The Child Marriage Restraint Act was passed in1829. (FALSE)
Let’s discuss
3. How did the knowledge of ancient texts help the reformers promote new laws?
Answer:- 1. Rammohun Roy was well versed in Sanskrit, Persian and several other Indian and European languages
2. He read so many ancient texts and said that the practice of widow burning was not mentioned in ancient texts
3. The British government supported the argument of Rammohun Roy and made a law banning “Sati” in 1829..
4. The strategy adopted by Rammohun was used by later reformers as well. Whenever they wished to
challenge a practice that seemed harmful, they tried to find a verse or sentence in the ancient sacred texts
that supported their point of view. They then suggested that the practice as it existed at present was against
early tradition.
5. Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar used the ancient texts to suggest that widows could remarry.
4. What were the different reasons people had for not sending girls to school?
Answer:- 1. When the first schools were opened for girls, many people were afraid of them.
2. They feared that schools would take girls away from home, prevent them from doing their domestic duties.
3. Moreover, girls had to travel through public places in order to reach school. Many people felt that this would
have a corrupting influence on them.
4. They felt that girls should stay away from public spaces.

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5. Why were Christian missionaries attacked by many people in the country? Would some people have supported
them too? If so, for what reasons?
Answer:- 1. During the course of the nineteenth century, Christian missionaries began setting up schools for
tribal groups and “lower”-caste children. These children became educated.
2. People felt that these Christian missionaries were converting Hindus into Christians by teaching about
Christianity in schools. Hence they began to attack these.
3. Some people, primarily tribals and lower caste people, supported these Christian Missionaries. Because, the
missionaries treated these people with respect and gave opportunity to be educated.
6. In the British period, what new opportunities opened up for people who came from castes that were regarded as
“low”?
Answer:- 1. During the course of the nineteenth century, the poor began leaving their villages to look for jobs
that were opening up in the cities.
2. There was work in the factories that were coming up, and jobs in municipalities.
3. The poor, many of them from low castes, got employment as coolies, diggers, carriers, bricklayers, sewage
cleaners, sweepers, palanquin bearers, rickshaw pullers.
4. Some also went to work in plantations in Assam, Mauritius, Trinidad and Indonesia. They saw this as an
opportunity to get away from the oppressive hold that upper-caste landowners exercised over their lives and
the daily humiliation they suffered.
7. How did Jyotirao the reformers justify their criticism of caste inequality in society?
Answer:- 1. Jyotirao Phule attacked the Brahmans’ claim that they were superior to others, since they
were Aryans.
2. He argued that the Aryans were foreigners. They came from outside the subcontinent and defeated
the local people. Hence, they treated local people as inferior, as low caste people.
3. He argued that this land belonged to indigenous people, the so-called low castes.
4. He claimed that before Aryan rule, there was a golden age. There was no caste inequality in society. These
inequalities were created by Brahmans.
8. Why did Phule dedicate his book Gulamgiri to the American movement to free slaves?
Answer:- 1. In 1873, Phule wrote a book named Gulamgiri, meaning slavery. Some ten years before this, the
American Civil War had been fought, leading to the end of slavery in America.
2. Phule dedicated his book to all those Americans who had fought to free slaves, thus establishing a link
between the conditions of the “lower” castes in India and the black slaves in America.
9. What did Ambedkar want to achieve through the temple entry movement?
Answer:- 1. Ambedkar started a temple entry movement in 1927. His Mahar caste followers participated in this
movement. They entered the temple and used water from the temple tank.
2. Ambedkar led three such movements for temple entry between 1927 and 1935. His aim was to make
everyone see the power of caste prejudices within society.
10. Why were Jyoti rao Phule and Ramaswamy Naicker critical of the national movement? Did their criticism help
the national struggle in any way?
Answer:- 1. Phule was critical of the national movement because it was led by upper-caste leaders. He was
always against upper caste people, as he called them the ‘outsiders.’ Phule thought that upper-caste leaders
would rule after the withdrawal of the British.
2. E.V.Ramaswamy Naicker was a member of the Congress. At a feast organised by nationalists, seating
arrangements were made in such a way that lower castes were made to sit at a distance from the upper
castes. He observed this and left the Congress. Thus he became the critic of the national movement.
3. Their criticism made national leaders think about caste differences. Reforms regarding caste differences
began. All the people, irrespective of caste, began to participate in the national movement. Thus, their
criticism helped the national struggle to become stronger.

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 9. The Making of the National Movement : 1870s – 1947

Let’s recall
1. Why were people dissatisfied with British rule in the 1870s and 1880s?
Answer:- The dissatisfaction with British rule intensified in the 1870s and 1880s. Because
1. The Arms Act was passed in 1878. It disallowed Indians from possessing arms.
2. The Vernacular Press Act was also enacted in 1878. The Act allowed the government to confiscate the assets
of newspapers, including their printing presses, if the newspapers published anything that was found
“objectionable”.
3. In 1883, the government attempted to introduce the Ilbert Bill. The bill provided for the trial of British or
European persons by Indians, and sought equality between British and Indian judges in the country.
The white people opposed this bill and the government withdrew this bill. This made the Indians anger.
2. Who did the Indian National Congress wish to speak for?
Answer:- 1. Badruddin Tyabji addressed the Congress as President in 1887 thus: this Congress is composed of
the representatives, not of any one class or community of India, but of all the different communities of India.
2. The Congress wished to speak for all the different communities of India.
3. What economic impact did the First World War have on India?
Answer:- 1. The First World War changed the economic and political situation in India.
2. It led to a huge rise in the defence expenditure of the Government of India.
3. The government increased taxes on individual incomes and business profits.
4. It led to a sharp rise in prices which created great difficulties for the common people.
5. The war created a demand for industrial goods (jute bags, cloth, rails) and caused a decline of imports from
other countries into India. So, Indian industries expanded during the war, and Indian business groups earned
high profits.
4. What did the Muslim League resolution of 1940 ask for?
Answer:- 1. In 1940, the Muslim League had moved a resolution demanding “Independent States” for Muslims
in the north-western and eastern areas of the country.
2. The resolution did not mention partition or Pakistan
Let’s discuss
5. Who were the Moderates? How did they propose to struggle against British rule?
Answer:- 1. Dadabhai Naoroji, Pherozeshah Mehta, Badruddin Tyabji, W.C. Bonnerji, Surendranath
Banerji, Romesh Chandra Dutt, and S. Subramania Iyer etc. were Moderates.
2. The Moderate leaders wanted to develop public awareness about the unjust nature of British rule.
3. They published newspapers, wrote articles, and showed how British rule was leading to the economic ruin
of the country.
4. They criticised British rule in their speeches and sent representatives to different parts of the country to
mobilise public opinion.

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 5. They felt that the British had respect for the ideals of freedom and justice, and so they would accept the just
demands of Indians.
6. What was necessary, therefore, was to express these demands, and make the government aware of the
feelings of Indians
6. How was the politics of the Radicals within the Congress different from that of the Moderates?
Answer:- 1. The radical leaders such as Bepin Chandra Pal, Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Lala Lajpat Rai
were beginning to explore more radical objectives and methods.
2. They criticised the Moderates for their “politics of prayers”, and emphasised the importance of
self-reliance and constructive work.
3. They argued that people must rely on their own strength, not on the “good” intentions of the government;
people must fight for swaraj.
4. The radicals advocated mass mobilization and boycott of British institutions and goods. They suggested that
revolutionary violence would be necessary to overthrow the British rule.
5. The Moderates were opposed to the use of boycott. They felt that it involved the use of force.
6. The Congress split into two different factions, i.e., Moderates and Extremists, in 1907.
7. Discuss the various forms that the Non-Cooperation Movement took in different parts of India. How did
the people understand Gandhiji?
Answer:- 1. In Kheda, Gujarat, Patidar peasants organised non-violent campaigns against the high land revenue
demand of the British.
2. In coastal Andhra and interior Tamil Nadu, liquor shops were picketed.
3. In the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh, tribals and poor peasants staged a number of “forest satyagrahas”,
sometimes sending their cattle into forests without paying grazing fee.
3. They believed that Gandhiji would get their taxes reduced and have the forest regulations abolished. In
many forest villages, peasants proclaimed swaraj and believed that “Gandhi Raj” was about to be
established.
4. The Khilafat agitation and Non-Cooperation movement was held in Sind (now in Pakistan) and in Bengal.
5. In Punjab, the Akali agitation of the Sikhs got closely identified with the Non-Cooperation Movement.
6. In Assam, tea garden labourers, shouting “Gandhi Maharaj ki Jai”, demanded a big increase in their wages.
7. We can see from the above that sometimes people thought of Gandhiji as a kind of messiah, as someone
who could help them overcome their misery and poverty.
8. Why did Gandhiji choose to break the salt law?
Answer:- 1. Mahatma Gandhi along with other nationalists reasoned that it was sinful to tax salt since it is such
an essential item of our food.
2. The Salt March related the general desire of freedom to a specific grievance shared by everybody, and thus
did not divide the rich and the poor.
3. That is why, Gandhiji declared in 1930 that he would lead a march to break the salt law
1
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 9. Discuss those developments of the 1937-47 period that led to the creation of Pakistan.
Answer:- 1. From the late 1930s, the Muslim League began viewing the Muslims as a separate “nation” from
the Hindus. The Muslim League’s leader Jinnah promoted the two-nation theory.
2. The provincial elections of 1937 seemed to have convinced the League that Muslims were a minority, and
they would always have to play second fiddle in any democratic structure.
3. The Congress’s rejection of the League’s desire to form a joint Congress- League government in the United
Provinces in 1937 also annoyed the League.
4. The Congress’s failure to mobilise the Muslim masses in the 1930s allowed the League to widen its social
support.
5. The British opened negotiations for the independence of India in 1945. The talks failed because the League
saw itself as the sole spokesperson of India’s Muslims. The Congress could not accept this claim since a large
number of Muslims still supported it.
6. In 1946 elections, the Congress did well in the “General” constituencies but the League’s success in the seats
reserved for Muslims was spectacular. It persisted with its demand for “Pakistan”.
7. In March 1946 the British cabinet sent a three-member mission. This mission suggested that India should
remain united and constitute itself as a loose confederation with some autonomy for Muslim-majority areas.
But it could not get the Congress and the Muslim League to agree to specific details of the proposal.
8. Finally, India was portioned into India and Pakistan in 1947.

10. INDIA AFTER INDEPENDENCE

Let’s recall
10. Name three problems that the newly independent nation of India faced.
Answer:- 1. Eight million refugees came into the country from what was now Pakistan. These people had to be
found homes and jobs.
2. There was the problem of the princely states, almost 500 of them, each ruled by a maharaja or a nawab,
each of whom had to be persuaded to join the new nation.
3. India’s population in 1947 was large, almost 345 million. It was also divided. Bringing unity among them was
another problem.
11. What was the role of the Planning Commission?
Answer:- 1) In 1950, the government set up a Planning Commission to help design and execute suitable policies
for economic development.
2. The Planning Commission decides the roles of the state and the private sector. It plans that which industries
should be initiated by the state and which by the market, how to achieve a balance between the different
regions and states.
12. Fill in the blanks:
(a) Subjects that were placed on the Union List were taxes, defence and foreign affairs.
(b) Subjects on the Concurrent List were forests and agriculture.
(c) Economic planning by which both the state and private sector played a role in development was called a
mixed economy model.
(d) The death of Potti Sriramulu sparked off such violent protests that the government was forced to give in to
the demand for the linguistic state of Andhra.

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 13. State whether true or false.
(a) At independence, the majority of Indians lived in villages. (True)
(b) The Constituent Assembly was made up of members of the Congress party. (False)
(c) In the first national election, only men were allowed to vote. (False)
(d) The Second Five Year Plan focused on the development of heavy industry. (True)
Let’s discuss
14. What did Dr Ambedkar mean when he said that “In politics we will have equality, and in social and economic
life we will have inequality”?
Answer:- Universal adult franchise was adopted. This means all adults regardless of caste, religion, wealth,
education, sex etc. are given right to vote. It represents political equality. But some persons belonging to some
castes are discriminated. This means there is no social equality. A few persons are so rich while so many are so
poor. This means there is economic inequality. Mere political equality is not enough for the development of
the nation, there should also be political and social equality.
15. After independence, why was there a reluctance to divide the country on linguistic lines?
Answer:- Both Prime Minister Nehru and Deputy Prime Minister Vallabhbhai Patel were against the creation of
linguistic states. They feared that division of the country on linguistic lines could threaten the unity of India and
it could lead to the further division of the country.
16. Give one reason why English continued to be used in India after Independence.
Answer:- While debate on the usage of English in the Constituent Assembly, some members wanted to leave
the English and suggested to use Hindi in its place. However, those who did not speak Hindi were of a
different opinion. They strongly opposed the imposition of Hindi on the South. They warned that there would
be a threat to separate from India if Hindi was imposed on the South. Finally, it was agreed that while Hindi
would be the “official language” of India, English would be used in the courts, the services, and
communications between one state and another.
17. How was the economic development of India visualised in the early decades after independence?
Answer:- 1. Lifting India and Indians out of poverty, and building a modern technical and industrial base was
one of the major objective of the independent India.
2. In 1950, the government set up a Planning Commission to help design and execute suitable policies for
economic development.
3. It was decided to follow a mixed economy model in which both the state and the private sector would play
an important role in increasing production and generating jobs.
4. Focused on the development of heavy industries such as steel, and on the building of large dams in the
Second Five Year Plan.
1
1
1
1
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 1. The Indian Constitution
Exercises:
1. Why does a democratic country need a constitution?
Answer:- A democratic country needs a constitution because
1. It lays out certain ideals that describe the fundamental nature of our society.
2. It defines the nature of a country’s political system.
3. It lays down rules that guard against the misuse of authority by our political leaders.
4. It ensure that a dominant group does not use its power against other, less powerful people or groups
5. It contains rules that ensure that minorities are not excluded from anything that is routinely available
to the majority.
6. It saves us from ourselves. It helps to protect us against certain decision that we might take that
could have an adverse effect on the larger principles that the country believes in.
2. Look at the wordings of the two documents given below. The first column is from the 1990 Nepal
Constitution. The second column is from the more recent Constitution of Nepal.
1990 Constitution of Nepal 2015 Constitution of Nepal
Article 35: Executive Power: The executive Article 75: Executive Power: The executive
power of the Kingdom of Nepal shall be vested power of Nepal shall, pursuant to this
in His Majesty and Council of Ministers. Constitution and law, be vested in the Council
of Ministers.
What is the difference in who exercises ‘Executive Power’ in the above two Constitutions of Nepal?
Answer:- 1. According to the Article 35 of the Constitution of Nepal adopted in 1990, the final authority
rested with the King.
2. According to the Article 75 of the Constitution of Nepal adopted in 2015, the final authority rested
with the Council of Ministers.
3. What would happen if there were no restrictions on the power of elected representatives?
Answer:- If there were no restrictions on the powers of elected representatives, they would have
misused their powers. For example, a minister calls up the police station asking them not to register a
complaint that is likely to be filed against his relative. So, in democratic societies, the Constitution often
lays down rules that guard against the misuse of authority by our political leaders.
4. In each of the following situations, identify the minority. Write one reason why you think it is
important to respect the views of the minority in each of these situations.
(a) In a school with 30 teachers, 20 of them are male.
Answer:- Female teachers are a minority. If Headmaster follows the majority’s opinion, then there
may be no space for female teachers’ opinion. But, it is necessary to consider the opinions of female
teachers for the school development.
(b) In a city, 5 per cent of the population are Buddhists.
Answer:- Buddhists are a minority. They want to follow their own customs and traditions. We should
respect them. So, while making rules, their opinions also should be taken into consideration.
(c) In a factory mess for all employees, 80 per cent are vegetarians.
Answer:- Non-vegetarians are a minority. If the management would have followed the majority’s
opinion, then a non-vegetarian diet would not have been prepared for a meal. But, it is necessary to
prepare non-vegetarian food for non-vegetarians, as they are also part of the workers of the factory.
(d) In a class of 50 students, 40 belong to more well-off families.
Answer:- Students belong to poor families are a minority. They can’t bear some expenses like an
excursion. So, poor students should be given concessions for such things. While fixing fees, their
financial position should be taken into consideration.
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 5. The column on the left lists some of the key features of the Indian Constitution. In the other column
write two sentences, in your own words, on why you think this feature is important:
Key Feature Significance
Federalism 1. India was made up of several different communities who spoke different
languages, belonged to different religions, and had distinct cultures.
2. All these communities should have the power to make decisions for their
communities which leads to national integration. There are three levels of
governments, i.e., central government, state governments, and Panchayati
Raj in India.

Separation of 1. Separation of Powers prevents the misuse of power by any one branch.
Powers 2. It ensures the balance of power between all three organs, i.e., the
legislature, the executive and the judiciary.
Fundamental Rights 1.Fundamental Rights protect citizens against the arbitrary and absolute
exercise of power by the State.
2. These help for the development of each individual
Parliamentary form 1. The people of India have a direct role in electing their representatives, as
of Government universal adult suffrage is being implemented.
2. The elected representatives are accountable to the people.
6. Write down the names of Indian States, which share borders with the following neighbouring nations:
Answer: (a) Bangladesh :-West Bengal, Assom, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram
(b) Bhutan : West Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and Assom
(c) Nepal: Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, and Sikkim.

2. Understanding Secularism
Exercises:
1. List the different types of religious practice that you find in your neighbourhood. This could be
different forms of prayer, worship of different gods, sacred sites, different kinds of religious music
and singing etc. Does this indicate freedom of religious practice?
Answer:- 1. Hindus : There are so many different temples in our area. They are Venkateswara Temple, Shiva
Temple, Shirdi Sai Temple etc. The Hindus go to temples and perform poojas, Abhishekams, Homas etc. They
hymn Bhajanas and Keerthanas. The Hindus’ sacred places are Simhachalam, Annavaram, Ramathirdham etc.
nearer to our area.
2. Muslims :- There are many Mosques in our area. The Muslims go to the Mosque and pray to their god
“Allah”. They recite Quran. They offer Namaz. The Masjid-E-Khadar Vali Baba is famous in Vizianagaram. The
Muslims and many Hindus also visit this holy place.

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 3. Christians:- There are many churches in our area. The Christians go to the Church and pray to their god
“Jesus”. They sing songs praying “Jesus”. They recite Bible. The Koduru Matha Church is in Koduru village,
Vizianagaram District. It is a holy place for Christians.
2. Will the government intervene if some religious group says that their religion allows them to
practise infanticide? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer:- Some religious group may say that our religion allows them to practice infanticide. But, the practice of
infanticide is against the fundamental right to life, which is provided by our constitution. This practice is also
against to the human rights. So, the government should intervene and should ban this practice.
3. Complete the following table:
Objective Why is this important? Example of a violation of this
objective
One religious community Any form of domination based on If the Muslims are not allowed
does not dominate another religion is in violation of the rights to build a Mosque in an area by
that a democratic society guarantees the Hindus of that area, then it
to each and every citizen irrespective will be a violation of religious
of their religion. freedom.
The State does not enforce To protect the freedom of individuals If a state provides houses to
any particular religion nor to exit from their religion or to follow poor people of one religion and
take away the religious another religion, which makes the not provides for the people of
freedom of individuals. state as a secular state. the other religion , then it will
be a violation of secularism.
That some members do not To have the freedom to interpret Some members want to reform
dominate other members religious teaching differently. the practice of untouchability. If
of the same religious it is objected by the other
community. members of the same religion,
then it will be a violation of this
objective.
4. Look up the annual calendar of holidays of your school. How many of them pertain to different
religions? What does this indicate?
Answer:- The annual calendar of our school marks holidays on the days of different religious festivals.
Dasara, Diwali, Ugadi, Vinayaka Chaviti etc are the festivals of Hindus. Moharram, Bakrid, Ramzan, Milad Ul Nabi
etc are the festivals of Muslims. Good Friday, Christmas etc. are the festivals of Christians. Guru Nanak Jayanthi
is the festival celebrated by the Sikhs. All these festivals are declared holidays. This indicates that India is a
secular country and that every individual is given the right to religious freedom.
5. Find out some examples of different views within the same religion.
Answer:- Different views are followed even within the same religion. For example, there are hundreds of
deities worshiped by different groups of people in the Hindu religion. Similarly, some muslims are Shiyas and
some others are Shunnis. Their views are different in following the religion. There is a division of Shwetanbar
and Digabar in the Jainism. In Buddha Dharma, there are Hinayaans and Mahayaans.
6. The Indian State both keeps away from religion as well as intervenes in religion. This idea can be
quite confusing. Discuss this once again in class using examples from the chapter as well as
those that you might have come up with.
Answer:- The Indian Constitution allows individuals the freedom to live by their religious beliefs and practices
as they interpret these. In keeping with this idea of religious freedom for all, India adopted a strategy of
separating the power of religion and the power of the State. Hence, the Indian state keeps away from religion.

The Indian Constitution allows right to life, right to equality and cultural and educational rights, etc.
When any religious practice violates these constitutional rights, then the Indian state intervenes in religious
matters. Example : the practice of untouchability in Hinduism is a violation of right to equality. The practice of
infanticide is a violation of the right to life. In such cases, the government intervenes in religious matters,
prohibits these types of religious practices.
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 7. This poster alongside highlights the need for ‘Peace’. It says, “Peace is a never-ending process....It
cannot ignore our differences or overlook our common interests.” Write in your own words what
you think the above sentences are trying to convey? How does it relate to the need for religious
tolerance?
Answer:- These sentences are trying to convey that “Peace depends on the religious tolerance”. When people
heart fully accept the presence of other religions, this will be lead to peace. Otherwise this will be lead to social
unrest in the country.

There may be differences in religious beliefs, religions among people. These differences should not be
ignored. There may be common interests of the society. These should not be overlooked. Ignoring differences
and overlooking common interests will lead to destruction. So, people should work and live together respecting
others religious beliefs and religions. This will establish peace in society.
Additional questions:
1. Who were persecuted in Hitler’s Germany? Answer:- Jews
2. Which is the Jewish state? Answer: Israel
3. What is Secularism?
Answer:- Secularism refers to the separation of religion from the state.
4. What is Indian Secularism?
Answer:- The Indian Constitution mandates that the Indian State be secular. According to the Constitution, only
a secular State can realise its objectives to ensure the following:
1. that one religious community does not dominate another;
2. that some members do not dominate other members of the same religious community;
3. that the State does not enforce any particular religion nor take away the religious freedom of individuals.
5. Why aren’t religious festivals celebrated in government schools?
Answer:- The celebration of the religious festivals within the school would have been a violation of the
government’s policy of treating all religious equally. Hence, religious festivals are not celebrated in government
schools.
6. Why aren’t Sikhs fined for not wearing a helmet while riding a bike?
Answer:- Wearing a pugri (turban) is a religious practice of Sikhs. The government should not interfere with this
practice. Hence, Sikhs are exempted from wearing helmet during bike riding.
7. What is the difference between American secularism and Indian secularism?
Answer:- There is a strict separation between religion and the State in American secularism. But, there is not
strict separation between religion and the state in Indian secularism. The Indian state can intervene in religious
affairs, if they violate fundamental rights.
8. In which country do students recite the “Pledge of Allegiance” in government schools? Answer:- U.S.A.
9. What does the First Amendment of the US Constitution guarantee?
Answer:- The First Amendment of the US guarantees the separation between church and state.
10. What were banned in France in February 2004?
Answer:- In February 2004, France passed a law banning students from wearing any conspicuous religious or
political signs or symbols such as the Islamic headscarf, the Jewish skullcap, or large Christian crosses.

3. Why Do We Need a Parliament?

Exercises:
1. Why do you think our national movement supported the idea that all adults have a right to vote?
Answer:- 1. Different people across India participated in the struggle for freedom.
2. It is thought that all persons should participate in making decisions in independent India.
3. The government had to be sensitive to people’s needs and demands.
4. The dreams and aspirations of the freedom struggle should be achieved.
5. All persons should participate in decision making if all persons are given the right to vote. Hence,
our national movement supported the idea that all adults have a right to vote.
2. In this 2004 map of Parliamentary constituencies alongside, roughly identify the constituencies in
your state. What is the name of the MP from your constituency? How many MPs does your state
have? Why are certain constituencies coloured green while others are coloured blue?
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 Answer:- 1. Our state is Andhra Pradesh.
2. There are 25 Parliamentary constituencies in our state.
3. MP from Vizianagaram Parliamentary constituency is Sri. Bellana Chandra Sekhar.
4. 47 constituencies are reserved for S.T. Hence, they are coloured green in this map.
5. 84 constituencies are reserved for S.C. Hence, they are coloured blue in this map.
3. You have read in Chapter 1 that the ‘Parliamentary form of government’ that exists in India has
three tires. This includes the Parliament (Central government) and the various State Legislatures
(State governments). Fill in the following table with information on the various representatives from
your area:
State Government Central Government
Which political party/parties YSRCP: Yuvajana Shramika Rytu BJP: Bharatiya Janata Party and
is/are currently in power? Congress Party its alliance parties
Who (name) is the current Sri Kolagatla Veerabhadra Sri Bellana Chandra Sekhar is
representative from your area? Swamy is MLA from MP from Vizianagaram
Vizianagaram Assembly Parliamentary Constituency.
Constituency
Which political parties currently TDP: Telugu Desam Party No opposition party in Lok
form the opposition? Sabha. Because any party did
not get a minimum of 10% of
Lok Sabha seats.
Indian National Congress party
won 53 seats in 2019 elections.
When were elections last held? 2019 2019
When will the next elections be 2024 2024
held?
How many women 15 4
representatives are there (from
your state)?

4. Understanding Laws
Exercises:
1. Write in your own words what you understand by the term the ‘rule of law’. In your response
include a fictitious or real example of a violation of the rule of law.
Answer:- 1. ‘Rule of law’ means all are equal before the law.
2. It means all laws apply equally to all citizens of the country and no one can be above the law.
3. Neither a government official, nor a wealthy person nor even the President of the country is above
the law.
4. Punishment for a crime or violation of law will be the same for any person. Suppose a famous hero
and an ordinary person committed the same crime; the punishment will be the same as per law.
A real example:-
Sanjay Dutt is a very famous Hindi actor. He was sentenced to prison by a TADA court in 2007
for illegal possession of weapons in a 1993 Mumbai Bomb Blasting Case. He spent in jail from 2013 to
2016. By observing this case, we can say that any person would be punished according to law, if he
committed a crime.
2. State two reasons why historians refute the claim that the British introduced the rule of law in India.
Answer:- 1. Some British laws were arbitrary. For example, the Sedition Act of 1870. As per this act,
any person protesting or criticising the British government could be arrested without due trial.
2. The Indian nationalists played a prominent role in the development of the legal sphere in British
India. They criticised the arbitrary use of authority by the British. They demanded to change the idea
of law from a set of rules that they were forced to obey, to law as including ideas of justice.
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 3. For the above two reasons, the historians refute the claim that the British introduced the rule of law
in India.
3. Re-read the storyboard on how a new law on domestic violence got passed. Describe in your own
words the different ways in which women’s groups worked to make this happen.
Answer:- 1. Discussions at offices:- Women discussed at their offices how they were beaten by their
husbands, and how they were neglected by their family members, etc. They began to think of a
solution.
2. Conducting Public meetings: Public meetings were conducted. The women representatives urged
the government for the necessity of a new civil law that protects women from domestic violence in
these meetings.
3. Discussions to draft the bill:- In 1999, Lawyers Collective, a group of lawyers, law students and
activists, drafted the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Bill. This draft bill was widely
circulated.
4. Making submissions:- The bill, which was introduced in Parliament in 2002, was not acceptable to
different women organisations. Hence, they and National Commission for Women made submissions
on the bill to the Parliamentary Standing Committee.
5. Finally, a new bill was reintroduced in Parliament in 2005. After getting assent from the President,
the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act came into effect in 2006.
4. Write in your own words what you understand by the following sentence on page 44-45: “They also
began fighting for greater equality and wanted to change the idea of law from a set of rules that
they were forced to obey, to law as including ideas of justice.”
Answer:- 1. The British made laws and forced Indians to obey. The British view was that obeying a set
of rules of an act was the “rule of law”.
2. Indian nationalists rejected this idea and demanded that the act should include ideas of justice.
They also demanded that the British should not use their power arbitrary while making laws and to
make laws based on justice.

5. Judiciary
Exercises:
1. You read that one of the main functions of the judiciary is ‘upholding the law and Enforcing Fundamental
Rights’. Why do you think an independent judiciary is necessary to carry out this important function?
Answer:- 1. An independent judiciary is necessary to prevent misuse of powers by the executive and legislature
and to protect fundamental rights
2. If the citizens feel that their fundamental rights have been violated, then they can approach the courts. In
independent judiciary system, the courts have the power to cancel or modify the laws which violate
fundamental rights.
4. Suppose a powerful politician has encroached on land belonging to a person, and suppose this politician has
the power to appoint and dismiss a judge from his office. When this is taken to court, the judge would
clearly partial to the politician. To avoid this, the judges should be independent. If the judges are
independent, they can give judgements impartially.
2. Re-read the list of Fundamental Rights provided in Chapter 1. How do you think the Right to Constitutional
Remedies connects to the idea of judicial review?
Answer:- 1. The right to constitutional remedies allows citizens to move the court if they believe that any of
their Fundamental Rights have been violated by the State.
2. The judiciary has the power to strike down particular laws passed by the Parliament if it believes that these
are a violation of the basic structure of the Constitution. This is called judicial review.
3. It is necessary to have the power of judicial review to the judiciary to protect the fundamental rights of
citizens. Otherwise, the government may abuse its power and violate the fundamental rights of citizens.
3. In the following illustration, fill in each tier with the judgments given by the various courts in the Sudha Goel
case. Check your responses with others in class.
Answer:- 1. Lower Court (Trial Court: The Trial Court convicted Laxman, his mother Shakuntala and his brother-
in-law Subash Chandra and sentenced all three of them to death.
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 2. High Court: The High Court, after hearing the arguments of all the lawyers, decided that Sudha had died due
to an accidental fire caused by the kerosene stove. Laxman, Shakuntala and Subash Chandra were acquitted.
3. Supreme Court: The Supreme Court found Laxman and his mother guilty but acquitted the brother-in-law
Subash because there was not enough evidence against him. The Supreme Court sentenced Laxman and
Shakuntala to life imprisonment.
4. Keeping the Sudha Goel case in mind, tick the sentences that are true and correct the ones that are false.
(a) The accused took the case to the High Court because they were unhappy with the decision of the Trial Court
Answer:- Right
(b) They went to the High Court after the Supreme Court had given its decision.
Answer:- This statement is wrong. Once the Supreme Court has given the judgement, there is no option to
approach the High Court.
(c) If they do not like the Supreme Court verdict, the accused can go back again to the Trial Court.
Answer: This statement is wrong. Once the Supreme Court has given the judgement, there is no option to
approach lower courts. The verdict of the Supreme Court is final.
5. Why do you think the introduction of Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the 1980s is a significant step in
ensuring access to justice for all?
Answer:- 1. While the courts are available for all, in reality access to courts has always been difficult for a vast
majority of the poor in India. Legal procedures involve a lot of money and paperwork as well as take up a lot of
time. For a poor person who cannot read and whose family depends on a daily wage, the idea of going to court
to get justice often seems remote.
2. Any individual or organisation can file a Public Interest Litigation in the High Court or the Supreme Court on
behalf of those whose rights were being violated. The legal process was greatly simplified and even a letter or
telegram addressed to the Supreme Court or the High Court could be treated as a PIL.
3. PIL allows ordinary people to access courts. So, introducing PIL is a significant step in ensuring access to
justice for all.
6. Re-read excerpts from the judgment on the Olga Tellis vs Bombay Municipal Corporation case. Now write in
your own words what the judges meant when they said that the Right to Livelihood was part of the Right to
Life.
Answer:- 1. The judgement of the Olga Tellis vs Bombay Municipal Corporation established the Right to
Livelihood as part of the Right to Life, because no person can live without the means of livelihood.
2. The petitioners in this case live in slums and on pavements because they do small jobs in the city and for
them there is nowhere else to live. They choose these places because they are near to their place of work.
3. The eviction of the petitioners will lead to deprivation of their livelihood and consequently to the deprivation
of life.
7. Write a story around the theme, ‘Justice delayed is justice denied’.
Answer:- The story around the theme “Justice delayed is justice denied’
1. Ramana is a small farmer. He has a small patch of land. He has no other assets except this land. He runs his
family by farming on this land.
2. An influenced politician encroached the land of Ramana. He went to court. Finally, he got his land back. But,
it took 10 years for the court to deliver judgment.
3. He worked as an agricultural labourer for all these 10 years. He borrowed money for this court case.
Meanwhile, his wife fell seriously ill. As there is no enough money, he cannot spend more money for his wife’s
treatment. So, she died. His children also became agricultural labourers.
4. Though he got his land back, he cannot get back his wife. Hence we can say that ‘Justice delayed is justice
denied’.
8. Make sentences with each of the glossary words given on the text page.
Answer:- 1. Acquit :- The court acquitted the person as there was no strong evidences against him.
2. To Appeal :- The person, who was found guilty by the trail court, appealed in the High Court.
3. Compensation :- The Municipality demolished the house of a person for the extension of road, giving
compensation to the person.
4. Eviction:- The eviction of poor people from the land of a municipality will lead to a miserable life for those.
5. Violation:- Violation of traffic rules will lead to accidents.
9. The following is a poster made by the Right to Food campaign.
Read this poster and list the duties of the government to uphold the Right to Food.
How does the phrase “Hungry stomachs, overflowing godowns! We will not accept it!” used in the poster
relate to the photo essay on the Right to Food on page 61?

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 Answer:- 1. Duties of the government:
a. That all persons get food.
b. That no one goes to sleep hungry.
c. That persons who are most vulnerable to hunger like the elderly, the disabled, widows etc., get special
attention.
d. That there is no death because of malnutrition or hunger.
2. Millions of people in Rajasthan and Orissa faced an acute shortage of food in 2001. Meanwhile the
government godowns were full of grain. Often this was being eaten away by rats. The People’s Union of Civil
Liberties (PUCL) filed a PIL in the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court ruled that the State had a duty to provide
food to all. It, therefore, directed the government to provide more employment, to provide food at cheaper
prices through the government ration shops, and to provide mid-day meals to children.
The phrase “Hungry stomachs, overflowing godowns! We will not accept it!” says that it is not acceptable that
many people suffer from hunger, when there are plenty of grains at godowns. The government should
distribute the grains to people affected by drought.

6. Understanding Our Criminal Justice System

Exercises:
Question-1
In a town called Peace Land, the supporters of the Fiesta football team learn that the supporters of the Jubilee
football team in the nearby city about 40 km away have damaged the ground on which the Final between both
teams is to be held the following day. A crowd of Fiesta fans armed with deadly weapons attacks the homes of
the supporters of the Jubilee football team in the town. In the attack, 10 men are killed, 5 women are gravely
hurt, many homes are destroyed and over 50 people injured.
Imagine that you and your classmates are now part of the criminal justice system. First divide the class into the
following four groups of persons:
1. Police 2. Public Prosecutor 3. Defence lawyer 4. Judge
The column on the right provides a list of functions. Match these with the roles that are listed on the left. Have
each group pick the functions that it needs to perform to bring justice to those who were affected by the violence
of the Fiesta fans. In what order, will these functions be performed?
Answer:
Roles Functions
Police Record the statements of witnesses
Take photographs of burnt homes
Record the evidence
Arrest the Fiesta fans
Get the assaulted women medically examined
Public Prosecutor Examine the witnesses in court
Argue the case for the victims
Defence Lawyer Cross examine the witnesses
Meet the accused persons
Judge Hear the witnesses
Writes judgment
Decide for how many years the accused will be put in jail
Pass the judgment
Conduct a fair trail

Question-2
Now take the same situation but ask one student who is a supporter of the Fiesta Club to perform all
the functions listed above. Do you think the victims would get justice if only one person performed
all of the functions of the criminal justice system? Why not?

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 Answer:- If only one person performed all the functions of the criminal system, the victims would not get justice.
Why because that person may abuse his/her powers. That person may take bribe from the accused persona and may
favour the accused.

Question-3
State two reasons why you believe that different persons need to play different roles as part of the
criminal justice system.
Answer:- 1. Powers should not be given to one. If given, the person may abuse powers. It is against the principle of
separation of powers.
2. The criminal justice system includes different activities. One person may not be efficient in all these activities.
They need specialised skills to perform their duties. So, different persons need to play different roles.

7. Understanding Marginalisation
Exercises:
1. Write in your own words two or more sentences of what you understand by the word ‘marginalisation’ .
Answer:- 1. The Exclusion of some groups of people or communities from society is marginalisation.
2. Their marginalisation can be because they speak a different language, follow different customs or belong to
a different religious group from the majority community.
3. They may also feel marginalised because they are poor, considered to be of ‘low’ social status and viewed as
being less human than others.
4. The marginalised sections don’t have access to resources and opportunities and thus they remain
economically underdeveloped.
2. List two reasons why Adivasis are becoming increasingly marginalised.
Answer:- 1. Many Adivasis are forced to leave forests and migrate to new places due to mining, construction of
dams, etc. As their culture, traditions, and language are different from other people in the new place, they
are marginalised.
2. Adivasis are invariably portrayed in very stereotypical ways. Besides this, we seem to know very little about
the realities of their lives. This often wrongly leads to people believing that they are exotic, primitive and
backward.
3. Write one reason why you think the Constitution’s safeguards to protect minority communities are very
important?
Answer:- The Indian Constitution recognised that the culture of the majority influences the way in which
society and government might express themselves. In such cases, size can be a disadvantage and lead to the
marginalisation of the relatively smaller communities. Thus, safeguards are needed to protect minority
communities against the possibility of being culturally dominated by the majority.
4. Re-read the section on Minorities and Marginalisation. What do you understand by the term minority?
Answer:- The term minority is most commonly used to refer to communities that are numerically small in
relation to the rest of the population. However, it is a concept that goes well beyond numbers. It encompasses
issues of power, access to resources and has social and cultural dimensions.
5. You are participating in a debate where you have to provide reasons to support the following
statement: ‘Muslims are a marginalised community’. Using the data provided in this chapter, list
two reasons that you would give.
Answer:- 1. As per the table “Literacy Rate by Religion, 2011 (percentages), literacy rate of the Muslim is the
lowest among that of other religions.
2. As per the table “Public Employment of Muslims (percentages), the percentage of Muslims that are employed
in different public services is very low when compared to the percentage of their population. Example: Only
3% of Muslims are employed in I.A.S., where as their population is 13.5%
6. Imagine that you are watching the Republic Day parade on TV with a friend and she remarks,
“Look at these tribal people. They look so exotic. And they seem to be dancing all the time”. List
three things that you would tell her about the lives of Adivasis in India.

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 Answer:- 1. We often believe that Adivasis are exotic, primitive and backward. But our belief is wrong. Adivasis
are portrayed in very stereotypical ways in different programmes. That is why we wrongly understand
Adivasis.
2. Adivasis practise a range of tribal religions that are different from Islam, Hinduism and Christianity. These
often involve the worship of ancestors, village and nature spirits, the last associated with and residing in
various sites in the landscape – ‘mountain-spirits’, ‘river-spirits’, ‘animal-spirits’, etc.
3. Adivasis have always been influenced by different surrounding religions like Shakta, Buddhist, Vaishnav,
Bhakti and Christianity. Simultaneously, Adivasi religions themselves have influenced dominant religions of
the empires around them.
7. In the storyboard you read about how Helen hopes to make a movie on the Adivasi story. Can you help her by
developing a short story on Adivasis?
Answer: 1. Once a group of Adivasis were living in a forest. An industrialist got permission from the government
to establish a factory in the forest where these Adivasis were living.
2. The Adivasis protested not to establish the factory in their place.
3. A boy belonging to this Adivasi family was studying X class in city.
4. One day the teacher observed the boy in the class room that he was very sad and asked for the reason.
5. The boy said that a factory was going to be set up in our residential area. The industrialist was forcing us to
vacate the land. We were protesting against the company.
6. The teacher explained the acts which protect the interests of the tribal people. With the help of a Voluntary
Organisation the boy filed a case in the court. Finally, they got justice. The government withdrew permission
to set up the factory at that place.
8. Would you agree with the statement that economic marginalisation and social marginalisation are
interlinked? Why?
Answer: 1. Social marginalisation means the exclusion of a group of people from society. Hence, they do not
have access to resources and opportunities. They cannot assert their rights.
2. Their earnings are very small as they have no access to better opportunities.
3. Their children will become uneducated as they have no access to education.
4. They often fell ill as they have no access to good healthcare.
5. They cannot improve their skills as they have no access to education.
6. All this happens because they are marginalised. Hence, we can say that economic marginalistation and social
marginalisation is interlinked.

8. Confronting Marginalisation
Exercises:
1. List two Fundamental Rights in the Constitution that Dalits can draw upon to insist that they be treated with
dignity and as equals. Re-read the Fundamental Rights listed on page 14 to help you answer this question.
Answer:- 1. Right to Equality: All persons are equal before the law. It also states that no citizen can be
discriminated against on the basis of their religion, caste or sex. Every person has access to all public places
including playgrounds, hotels, shops etc. Under this right, untouchability is abolished.
2. Right against Exploitation: The Constitution prohibits human trafficking, forced labour, and employment of
children under 14 years of age. Under this right, all forms of forced labour is prohibited.
2. Re-read the story on Rathnam as well as the provisions of the 1989 Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes
(Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Now list one reason why you think he used this law to file a complaint.
Answer:- 1. Rathnam sought the support of law, filing his complaint under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled
Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 to protest against the domination and violence of the powerful
castes in his village.
2. This Act prohibits ill treatment and humiliation of Dalits and tribal groups. So, if any one humiliates members
of these groups, they can complain to the police. As Rathnam was ill-treated, he filed a case against those
who had humiliated him and his family.
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 3. Why do Adivasi activists, including C.K. Janu, believe that Adivasis can also use this 1989 Act to fight against
dispossession? Is there anything specific in the provisions of the Act that allows her to believe this?
Answer:- 1. The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 lists actions that
dispossess Dalits and Adivasis of their meagre resources or which force them into performing slave labour.
The persons who commit these actions are liable to be punished under this act.
2. Adivasi activists, like C.K. Janu, refer to this provision to defend the Adivasis’ right to occupy land that was
traditionally theirs.
4. The poems and the song in this Unit allow you to see the range of ways in which individuals and communities
express their opinions, their anger and their sorrow. In class, do the following two exercises:
(a) Bring to class a poem that discusses a social issue. Share this with your classmates. Work in small groups
with two or more poems to discuss their meaning as well as what the poet is trying to communicate.
(b)Identify a marginalised community in your locality. Write a poem, or song, or draw a poster etc to express
your feelings as a member of this community.
(a) Answer: Pandit, Look in your heart for knowledge
Tell me where untouchability
Came from, since you believe in it.
Mix red juice, white juice and air
A body bakes in a body ...
We eat by touching, we wash
by touching, from a touch
the world was born.
So who’s untouched, asks Kabir?
Only she
Who is free from delusion
In this poem, Kabir is challenging the priest by directly questioning at him about where untouchability
came from.
(b) Answer:- (Students should write on their own)

9. Public Facilities
Exercises:
1. Why do you think there are so few cases of private water supply in the world?
Answer:- 1. Right to water is a part of the Right to Life. So, the government has the responsibility to supply
sufficient and safe water to people at affordable price. But, the government fails to supply water sufficiently.
2. Some people argue that we should allow private companies to take over the task of water supply. According to
them, private companies can perform better.
3. In a few cases, where the responsibility for water supply was handed over to private companies, there was a
steep rise in the price of water, making it unaffordable for many. Cities saw huge protests, with riots breaking
out in places like Bolivia, forcing the government to take back the service from private hands. Therefore, only a
few cases of private water supply exist in the world.
2. Do you think water in Chennai is available to and affordable by all? Discuss.
Answer:- 1. Water supply in Chennai is marked by shortages. Municipal supply meets only about half the needs of
the people of the city, on an average.
2. There are areas which get water more regularly than others. Those areas that are close to the storage points get
more water whereas colonies further away receive less water.
3. The burden of shortfalls in water supply falls mostly on the poor. Water is unaffordable for the poor.
4. The middle class are able to cope through a variety of private means such as digging bore wells, buying water
from tankers and using bottled water for drinking.
3. How is the sale of water by farmers to water dealers in Chennai affecting the local people? Do you think local
people can object to such exploitation of ground water? Can the government do anything in this regard?
Answer:- 1. In Chennai, water is taken from nearby towns and from villages to the north of the city.
2. Every month the water dealers pay farmers an advance for the rights to exploit water sources on their land.
3. This is water taken away not just from agriculture but also from the drinking water supplies of the villagers.
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 Ground water levels have dropped drastically in all these towns and villages as a result.
4. Hence, local people can object to such exploitation of ground water.
5. The government can make laws regarding the usage of water. The government can fix a limit on purchasing
water by water dealers or can ban the purchase of water.
4. Why are most of the private hospitals and private schools located in major cities and not in towns or rural areas?
Answer:- Most of the private hospitals and private schools are established to earn high profit. Hence, they charge
high fees. Rich people residing in major cities only can pay such high fees. So, they are located in major cities and
not in towns or rural areas.
5. Do you think the distribution of public facilities in our country is adequate and fair? Give an example of your
own to explain.
Answer: - 1. While there is no doubt that public facilities should be made available to all, in reality we see that
there is a great shortage of such facilities.
2. In Chennai, the areas that are close to the storage points get more water whereas colonies further away receive
less water.
3. The poor don’t get sufficient water from municipal water supply. They cannot afford water from other or
private means. The rich easily get safe and sufficient water, as they can afford.
4. There is a shortage in supply and there are inequalities in distribution. Compared to the metros and large cities,
towns and villages are under-provided. Compared to wealthy localities, the poorer localities are under-serviced
6. Take some of the public facilities in your area, such as water, electricity, etc. Is there scope to improve these?
What in your opinion should be done? Complete the table.
Answer:-
Is it available? How can it be improved?
Water Yes Construction of some more water tanks. Bringing water
from nearby rivers and filling the tanks.
Electricity Yes Supplying electricity 24 hours without power cuts.
Roads Yes Maintaining roads properly i.e., repairing roads from
time to time.
Public Transport Yes Increasing number of buses and increasing their
frequency
7. Are the above public facilities shared equally by all the people in your area? Elaborate.
Answer: - 1. No, all of the above-mentioned facilities are not shared equally in our area.
2.For example, very few municipal taps are there in the slum areas. Hence, people living in slums don’t get
sufficient water for their daily needs. On the other hand, in a middle-class locality, each house has a separate tap
connection for water.
3. Roads are not constructed in some slum areas and some newly constructed colonies. People are sharing equally
the facility of roads, where they are constructed. Some roads need to be repaired.
4. The facilities of electricity and public transport are shared by all the people.
8. Data on some of the public facilities are collected as part of the Census. Discuss with your teacher when and how
the Census is conducted.
Answer: -1. Census is conducted once in ten years. The last census was done in 2011. The next census to be
conducted in 2021, but it is postponed due to carona virus.
2. Employees visit every house and collect a lot of information including the facilities they have.
3. The government study the data and come to an understanding about the public facilities. Then, it makes plans
for providing public facilities and their proper maintenance.
9. Private educational institutions – schools, colleges, universities, technical and vocational training institutes are
coming up in our country in a big way. On the other hand, educational institutes run by the government are
becoming relatively less important. What do you think would be the impact of this? Discuss.
Answer: - 1. Private educational institutions are set up with the aim of earning high profits. People believe that
they give quality education and ready to pay high fees. Hence, rich people join their children in these private
educational institutions. Nowadays, middle class people also prefer to join their children in these institutions.
Hence, these institutions are increasing day by day.
2. On the other hand, many people don’t prefer to join their children in government educational institutes. Hence,
their number is decreasing day by day. This may result in deprived of education by the poor in future.
3. Thus, educational inequalities may be prevailed among the people. This is not good for democratic society.

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 10. Law and Social Justice
Exercises:
1. Talk to two workers (For example, construction workers, farm workers, factory workers, workers at any shop) to
find out if they are receiving the minimum wages laid down by law.
Answer:- 1. Generally, workers working in un-organised sectors get wages lower than minimum wages.
Construction workers, farm workers, and workers in small shops will get lower wages than minimum wages.
2. Generally, workers working in organised sectors will get minimum wages as mentioned in the act. Workers
working in large factories and large shops will get minimum wages.
2. What are the advantages to foreign companies in setting up production in India?
Answer:- 1. One reason why foreign companies come to India is for cheap labour. Wages that the companies pay to
workers, say in the U.S.A., are far higher than what they have to pay to workers in poorer countries like India.
2. For lower pay, companies can get longer hours of work.
3. Additional expenses such as for housing facilities for workers are also fewer.
4. Cost cutting can also be done by other more dangerous means. Lower working conditions including lower safety
measures are used as ways of cutting costs.
3. Do you think the victims of the Bhopal gas tragedy got justice? Discuss.
Answer:- 1. The government represented the victims of the Bhopal gas tragedy in a civil case against Union
Carbide. It filed a $3 billion compensation case in 1985, but accepted a lowly $470 million in 1989.
2. Survivors appealed against the settlement but the Supreme Court ruled that the settlement amount would
stand.
3. 24 years later ( by 2008), people are still fighting for justice: for safe drinking water, for health-care facilities and
jobs for the people poisoned by UC. They also demand that Anderson (he died in 2014), the UC chairman who
faces criminal charges, be prosecuted.
4. Hence, it can be said that the victims of the Bhopal gas tragedy did not get justice
4. What do we mean when we speak of law enforcement? Who is responsible for enforcement? Why is
enforcement so important?
Answer:- 1. Law enforcement means implementing law i.e., the government should look that everyone should
follow the provisions laid in the law.
2. The government is responsible for enforcement of law.
3. Enforcement becomes even more important when the law seeks to protect the weak from the strong.
4. For instance, to ensure that every worker gets fair wages, the government has to regularly inspect work sites and
punish those who violate the law.
5. When workers are poor or powerless, the fear of losing future earnings or facing reprisals often forces them to
accept low wages.
6. Employers know this well and use their power to pay workers less than the fair wage. In such cases, it is crucial
that laws are enforced
5. How can laws ensure that markets work in a manner that is fair? Give two examples to support your answer.
Answer:- Laws ensure that markets work in a fair manner by protecting the people from unfair practises. The two
examples are
1. Minimum Wages Act: This act specifies that wages should not be below a specified minimum. Workers working
in Large shopping Malls are getting wages as mentioned in the law.
2. Act regarding quality of goods: The quality of goods should meet certain prescribed standards. Products of big
companies are following the standards prescribed in the law.
6. Imagine yourself to be a worker working in a chemical factory, which has received orders from the government
to move to a different site 100 kms away from the present location. Write about how your life would change?
Read out your responses in the classroom.
Answer:- 1. First of all, I would lose my livelihood.
2. I would be forced to move to the new place where the factory would set up or I would search for another work.
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 3. I would become a daily labourer.
4. I would be forced to work in another factory in which wages are very low and working conditions are very poor.
5. My earning would be lowered and this would affect the standard of living of my family.
7. Write a paragraph on the various roles of the government that you have read about in this unit.
Answer:- 1. Making, enforcing and upholding laws.
2. Protecting the interests of workers, consumers, and producers.
3. Punishing the factories which violate the acts.
4. Encouraging the newer technologies which reduce pollution.
5. Encouraging to use Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) instead of diesel and petrol.
6. Protecting the environment by implementing laws effectively.
7. Conducting regular inspections to see whether the factories are following safety measures or not.
8. Taking steps for the benefits of the victims whenever industrial disasters occur.
8. What are the sources of environmental pollution in your area? Discuss with respect to (a) air; (b) water and (c)
soil. What are the steps being taken to reduce the pollution? Can you suggest some other measures?
Answer:- 1. The sources of environmental pollution in our area are vehicles, factories, and garbage etc.
2. Air:- The poisonous gases released by vehicles and factories are polluting the environment.
3. Water:- The factories are discharging wastes without treating them properly. These contaminating our water
sources. The garbage joins the water sources when rainfalls occur and pollutes the water.
3. Soil:- The garbage mainly plastic covers and wastes discharged by factories are polluting the soil.
4. The officials are inspecting factories and punishing them if they violate the acts.
5. The officials are inspecting vehicles and fining the owners who are not following rules regarding pollution
control.
6. The municipal authorities are collecting garbage from house to house.
7. The government should encourage the vehicles to use CNG.
8. The people also should help the government in protecting the environment from pollution.
9. How was environment treated earlier? What has been the change in perception? Discuss.
Answer:- 1. In 1984, there were very few laws protecting the environment in India, and the there was hardly any
enforcement of these laws. The environment was treated as a ‘free’ entity and any industry could pollute the air
and water without any restrictions.
2. This perception is changed after the Bhopal gas tragedy. Many environmentalists pressured the government to
make new laws to protect the environment.
3. The courts also gave a number of judgments upholding the right to a healthy environment as intrinsic to the
Fundamental Right to Life.
4. The government is responsible for setting up laws and procedures that can check pollution, clean rivers and
introduce heavy fines for those who pollute.
5. The concern for the environment is increasing among the people. People begin to agitate against the factories
which are setup near residential areas.
10. What do you think the famous cartoonist R.K. Laxman is trying to convey in this cartoon? How does it relate to
the 2016 law that you read about on page 123?
Answer:- 1. In 2016, Parliament amended the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, banning the
employment of children below the age of 14 years in all occupations and of adolescents (14-18 years) in
hazardous occupations and processes.
2. It is shown in the cartoon that the children’s bag with full of books become too heavy to carry. So, poor children
are hired to carry the bag.
3. The act’s aim is that all the children should attend school, but the school bags make the children as child
labourers. Thus, the cartoonist, R.K. Laxman, criticised the education system that it creates a lot of pressure on
the children. He also criticised the government for not implementing the Child Labour Act effectively.

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