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Case Study Questions for Class 9 Social Science Civics Chapter 3 Constitutional Design

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Case Study Questions for Class 9 Social Science Geography Chapter 3 Constitutional Design

Case Study Questions

Question 1:

Read the following passage and answer the questions that follows:

A Constitution is not merely a statement of values and philosophy. As we noted above, a Constitution is mainly about embodying these values into institutional arrangements. Much of the document called Constitution of India is about these arrangements. It is a very long and detailed document. Therefore, it needs to be amended quite regularly to keep it updated. Those who crafted the Indian Constitution felt that it has to be in accordance with people’s aspirations and changes in society. They did not see it as a sacred, static and unalterable law. So, they made provisions to incorporate changes from time to time. These changes are called Constitutional amendments.

The Constitution describes the institutional arrangements in a very legal language. If you read the Constitution for the first time, it can be quite difficult to understand. Yet the basic institutional design is not very difficult to understand.

Q 1. What are constitutional amendments? Ans. The makers of the Constitution made a provision for making amendments to the Constitution from time to time. These changes are called constitutional amendments.

Q 2. Mention the two major aspects in the working of institutional design.

Ans. The two major aspects in the working of institutional design are : (i) It lays down the procedure for choosing persons to govern the country, i.e., about elections. (ii) It defines who will have much power to take the decision, i.e., distribution of power among the Legislature, Executive and Judiciary.

Q 3. In what way institutional design puts limits to what the government can do?

Ans. Institutional design puts limits to what the government can do by providing some rights to the citizen that cannot be violated and are called fundamental rights.

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Class 9 Social Science Case Study Questions

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If you’re seeking Class 9 Social Science Case Study Questions, you’ve come to the correct spot. Students can use Class 9 Social Science Case Study Questions to help them answer a variety of questions about the Class 9 Social Science case study.

The CBSE Board has included case study questions in Class 9 Social Science examination pattern. As a result, it becomes an indispensable study tool.

The need for a student-friendly app to explain and facilitate the understanding of the social sciences subject has been felt for a long. Especially for students who do not have a strong foundation in Class 9 Social Science. With myCBSEguide , class 9 social science students now have a place where they can find resources that are student-friendly, interesting and easy to understand.

Class 9 Social Science Case Study questions are intended to assess student’s abilities to apply their learning to practical scenarios. You’ll need to employ your critical thinking and problem-solving skills to come up with the best solution. Class 9 Social Science case study questions are designed to test your knowledge and help you improve your skills.

Class 9 Social Science Case Study Questions Samples

myCBSEguide has identified the essential themes connected to CBSE case study questions for Class 9 Social Science that every student should be aware of following a comprehensive examination of CBSE Sample Papers and Marking Scheme. Students in Class 9 Social Science will benefit from this information in understanding the changes in the Class 9 Social Science. For a better understanding and analysis, students should refer to the example of Class 9 Social Science case study questions attached below:

Class 9 Social Science Case Study Question 1

Read the source given below and answer the questions that follow: On the morning of 14 July 1789, the city of Paris was in a state of alarm. The king had commanded troops to move into the city. Rumours spread that he would soon order the army to open fire upon the citizens. Some 7,000 men and women gathered in front of the town hall and decided to form a peoples’ militia. They broke into a number of government buildings in search of arms. Finally, a group of several hundred people marched towards the eastern part of the city and stormed the fortress-prison, the Bastille, where they hoped to find hoarded ammunition. In the armed fight that followed, the commander of the Bastille was killed and the prisoners released – though there were only seven of them. Yet the Bastille was hated by all because it stood for the despotic power of the king. The fortress was demolished and its stone fragments were sold in the markets to all those who wished to keep a souvenir of its destruction. The days that followed saw more rioting both in Paris and the countryside. Most people were protesting against the high price of bread. Much later, when historians looked back upon this time, they saw it as the beginning of a chain of events that ultimately led to the execution of the king in France, though most people at the time did not anticipate this outcome. Answer the following MCQs by choosing the most appropriate option:

On 14th July, 1789 the people of the ________ estate attacked the Bastille prison and freed all the prisoners signalling the start of the _________.

• first, civil war
• fourth, Russian war
• second, movement
• third, revolution

Which of the following statement is incorrect?

• The Bastille was the fortress-prison.
• The Bastille stood for the democratic power of the king.
• On the morning of 14 July 1789, the people of Paris stormed Bastille
• All are correct

In the question given below, there are two statements marked as Assertion (A) and Reason (R). Read the statements and chose the correct option: Assertion (A): The people of France storm the Bastille. Reason (R): They were hopeful to find King Louis XIV and commander of the Bastille there.

• Both A and R are correct and R is the correct explanation of A.
• Both A and R are correct but R is not the correct explanation of A.
• A is correct but R is wrong.
• Both A and R are wrong.

What was the immediate cause of rioting in Paris?

• Atrocities by the commander
• The high price of bread
• The killing of women and children
• All of these

Answer Key:

• (d) third, revolution
• (b) The Bastille stood for the democratic power of the king. [Explanation: The Bastille stood for the despotic power of the king.]
• (c) A is correct but R is wrong. [Explanation: The people of France stormed the fortress-prison, the Bastille because they were hopeful to find hoarded ammunition there.]
• (b) high price of bread

Class 9Social Science Case Study Question 2

Read the extracts and answer the question that follows:

The Himalayas, geologically young and structurally fold mountains stretch over the Himalayas northern borders of India. These mountain ranges run in a west-east direction from the Indus to the Brahmaputra. The Himalayas represent the loftiest and one of the most rugged mountain barriers of the world. They form an arc, which covers a distance of about 2,400 Km. Their width varies from 400 Km in Kashmir to 150 Km in Arunachal Pradesh. The altitudinal variations are greater in the eastern half than those in the western half. The Himalaya consists of three parallel ranges in its longitudinal extent. A number of valleys lie between these ranges. The northern most range is known as the Great or Inner Himalayas. It is the most continuous range consisting of the loftiest peaks with an average height of 6,000 metres. It contains all the prominent Himalayan peaks.

The folds of Great Himalayas are asymmetrical in nature. The core of this part of Himalayas is composed of granite. It is perennially snow bound, and a number of glaciers descend from this range.

• The Great or Inner Himalayas is also known as?
• Give two features of the folds of Great Himalayas.
• Give two features of the Inner Himalayas.
• The Great or Inner Himalayas is also known as the ‘Himadri’.
• (Any two relevant points)
• The folds of Great Himalayas are asymmetrical in nature.
• The core of this part of Himalayas is composed of granite.
• It is perennially snow bound, and a number of glaciers descend from this range.
• Features of the Inner Himalayas:
• It is the most continuous range consisting of the loftiest peaks with an average height of 6,000 metres.
• It contains all the prominent Himalayan peaks.  

Class 9 Social Science Case Study Question 3

Read the source given below and answer the questions that follow: In Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf led a military coup in October 1999. He overthrew a democratically elected government and declared himself the ‘Chief Executive’ of the country. Later he changed his designation to President and in 2002 held a referendum in the country that granted him a five-year extension. Pakistani media, human rights organisations and democracy activists said that the referendum was based on malpractices and fraud. In August 2002 he issued a ‘Legal Framework Order’ that amended the Constitution of Pakistan. According to this Order, the President can dismiss the national and provincial assemblies. The work of the civilian cabinet is supervised by a National Security Council which is dominated by military officers. After passing this law, elections were held to the national and provincial assemblies. So Pakistan has had elections, elected representatives have some powers. But the final power rested with military officers and General Musharraf himself. Clearly, there are many reasons why Pakistan under General Musharraf should not be called a democracy. People may have elected their representatives to the national and provincial assemblies but those elected representatives were not really the rulers. They cannot take the final decisions. The power to take final decision rested with army officials and with General Musharraf, and none of them were elected by the people. This happens in many dictatorships and monarchies. They formally have an elected parliament and government but the real power is with those who are not elected. In a few countries, the real power was with some external powers and not with locally elected representatives. This cannot be called people’s rule. Answer the following MCQs by choosing the most appropriate option:

What is the meaning of Referendum?

• Direct vote in which the entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal
• A form of government in which the rulers are elected by the people
• A system where the majority or elected representatives are allowed to take decisions on behalf of all the people

In the question given below, there are two statements marked as Assertion (A) and Reason (R). Read the statements and chose the correct option: Assertion (A): Pakistan not considered a democratic country even after having elections Reason (R): Despite elections to the national and provincial assemblies, the final powers rested with General Musharraf and military officers.

• Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
• Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
• A is wrong but R is correct.

After the passage of the ________, elections were held to the national and state assemblies.

• Military rule
• Legal Framework Order
• Both (b) and (c)

Does the given source explain the significance of which feature of democracy?

• Democracy must be based on a free and fair election
• In a democracy, the final decision-making power must rest with those elected by the people
• In a democracy, each adult citizen must have one vote
• Democratic government rules within limits set by constitutional law and citizens’ rights
• (a) Direct vote in which the entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal
• (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
• (c) Legal Framework Order
• (b) In a democracy, the final decision-making power must rest with those elected by the people

Steps to Master Class 9 Social Science Case Study Questions

Class 9 Social Science case study questions can be daunting, but there are some strategies you can use to ace them. There is no one-size-fits-all answer to Class 9 social science case study questions. The best way to solve a social science case study will vary depending on the specific case in question. However, there are some general tips that can be followed in order to improve your chances of success while answering class 9 social science case study questions.

• First, make sure to read the question carefully and understand what is being asked. It is often helpful to re-read the question after gathering all of your information.
• Next, organize your thoughts and create an outline of your answer. This will help you to stay on track and include all relevant information.
• Finally, write your answer in a clear and concise manner.

Class 9 Social Science Content Structure

Class 9 social science content is divided into four parts: History, Geography, Economics and Political Science. Each part is further divided into smaller themes/chapters.

Each of these topics given in Class 9 Social Science is important in its own right, and together they provide a comprehensive overview that affect our world today. The content is structured in such a way as to provide Class 9 Social Science students with a broad understanding of each issue, while also allowing them to focus on specific areas that are of particular interest to Class 9 Social Science students.

Class 9 Social Science COURSE CONTENT 

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• CBSE Notes For Class 9
• Class 9 Social Science Notes
• Class 9 Political Science Notes
• Chapter 2 Constitutional Design

CBSE Notes Class 9 Political Science Chapter 2 Constitutional Design

Why do we need a constitution? How are constitutions drawn up? Who designs them, and in what way? What are the values that shape the constitutions in democratic states? Once a constitution is accepted, can we make changes later? These are some of the basic questions asked in Chapter 2 of CBSE Class 9 Political Science. To obtain a clear and crisp overview of all the concepts from this chapter, students can browse through these CBSE Notes Class 9 Political Science Chapter 2 Constitutional Design.

Given below in this article is the link to access the CBSE Class 9 Social Science Notes of Chapter 2 from Political Science. Students can just browse through these notes and prepare for the exam.

• Chapter 1 What Is Democracy Why Democracy
• Chapter 3 Electoral Politics
• Chapter 4 Working Of Institutions
• Chapter 5 Democratic Rights

Constitutional Design

Democratic Constitution in South Africa

Apartheid is a system of racial discrimination unique to South Africa imposed by white Europeans. During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the trading companies from Europe occupied it with arms and force and became the local rulers. The system of apartheid divided the people and labelled them on the basis of their skin colour. The white rulers treated all nonwhites as inferiors. The non-whites did not have voting rights and were forbidden from living in white areas. The blacks, coloured and Indians fought against the apartheid system from 1950. The African National Congress (ANC) was the umbrella organisation that led the struggle against the policies of segregation. Nelson Mandela was one of the leaders amongst the eight who were tried for treason by the white South African government. They were sentenced to life imprisonment in 1964 for daring to oppose the apartheid regime in the country.

Giving Rise to a New Constitution

As the protests and struggles against apartheid increased, the blacks could no longer be kept under the rule of the government through repression. The white regime changed its policies. Discriminatory laws were repealed. Ban on political parties and restrictions on the media were lifted. Nelson Mandela was released after 28 years in the Robben Island Prison. The apartheid government came to an end on midnight of 26 April 1994, paving the way for the formation of a multi-racial government.

Following the emergence of the new democratic South Africa, the party that ruled through oppression and brutal killings and the party that led the freedom struggle sat together to draw up a common constitution. This constitution gave its citizens the most extensive rights available in any country. Together, they decided that in the search for a solution to the problems, nobody should be excluded.

Why the Need for a Constitution?

Take the example of South Africa to see why we need the Constitution and what the constitutions do. The oppressor and oppressed were planning to live together as equals in the new democracy. Each section wanted to safeguard its interests and wanted substantial social and economic rights. Through negotiations, both parties came to a compromise. The whites agreed to the principle of majority rule and that of one person, one vote. They also agreed to accept some basic rights for the poor and the workers. The blacks agreed that majority rule would not be absolute and that the majority would not take away the property of the white minority. How was this compromise to be implemented? The only way to build and maintain trust in such a situation was to write down some rules of the game that everyone would abide by. These supreme rules that no government would be able to ignore are called a constitution.

Every country has diverse groups of people. All over the world, people have differences of opinion and interests. The constitution is the supreme law that determines the relationship among people living in a territory (called citizens) and also the relationship between the people and the government. Find what constitutions do below:

• First, it generates a degree of trust and coordination that is necessary for different kinds of people to live together.
• Second, it specifies how the government will be constituted and who will have the power to take which decisions.
• Third, it lays down limits on the powers of the government and tells us what the rights of the citizens are.
• Fourth, it expresses the aspirations of the people about creating a good society.

All countries that have constitutions are not necessarily democratic. But all countries that are democratic will have constitutions.

Making of the Indian Constitution

India’s Constitution was drawn up under very difficult circumstances. The country was born through a partition on the basis of religious differences, and it was a traumatic experience for the people of India and Pakistan. The British had left it to the rulers of the princely states to decide whether they wanted to merge with India or with Pakistan or remain independent. The merger of these princely states was a difficult and uncertain task. When the Constitution was written, the future of the country did not look as secure as it does today.

The Path to the Constitution

One of the major advantages for the makers of the Indian Constitution was that consensus about what a democratic India should look like had already evolved during the freedom struggle. In 1928, Motilal Nehru and eight other Congress leaders drafted a constitution for India, and In 1931, the resolution at the Karachi session of the Indian National Congress dwelt on how independent India’s Constitution should look. Both these documents included features such as Universal Adult Franchise, the Right to Freedom and Equality, and to protect the rights of minorities in the constitution of independent India. These basic values were accepted by all leaders much before the Constituent Assembly met to deliberate on the Constitution. That is why the Indian constitution adopted many institutional details and procedures from colonial laws like the Government of India Act 1935. Many of our leaders were inspired by the ideals of the French Revolution, the practice of parliamentary democracy in Britain and the Bill of Rights in the US.

For more information on Types Of Human Rights, watch the below video

The Constituent Assembly

The drafting of the constitution was done by an assembly of elected representatives called the Constituent Assembly. Elections to the Constituent Assembly were held in July 1946, and its first meeting was held in December 1946. Soon after, the country was divided into India and Pakistan and the Constituent Assembly was also divided into the Constituent Assembly of India and of Pakistan. The Constituent Assembly that wrote the Indian constitution had 299 members. The Assembly adopted the Constitution on 26 November 1949, but it came into effect on 26 January 1950. To mark this day, we celebrate January 26 as Republic Day every year.

Why should we accept the Constitution made by this Assembly more than six decades ago?

• The Constitution does not reflect the views of its members alone. It expresses a broad consensus of its time.
• The second reason for accepting the Constitution is that the Constituent Assembly represented the people of India.
• Finally, the manner in which the Constituent Assembly worked gives sanctity to the Constitution. The Constituent Assembly worked in a systematic, open and consensual manner.

First, some basic principles were decided and agreed upon. Then a Drafting Committee chaired by Dr B.R. Ambedkar prepared a draft constitution for discussion. Several rounds of thorough discussion took place on the Draft Constitution, clause by clause. More than two thousand amendments were considered. Every document was presented, and every word spoken in the Constituent Assembly has been recorded and preserved. These are called ‘Constituent Assembly Debates.’

To find out “What Are The Socialist Directive Principles?”, watch the below video

Guiding Values of the Indian Constitution

First, understand the overall philosophy of what our Constitution is all about. Read the views of some of our major leaders on our Constitution and read what the Constitution says about its own philosophy. This is what the preamble to the Constitution does.

The Dream and the Promise

There were many members who followed the vision of Mahatma Gandhi. This dream of an India that has eliminated inequality was shared by Dr Ambedkar, who played a key role in the making of the Constitution, but his vision of removing inequalities from India was different from Gandhiji’s.

Philosophy of the Constitution

Values that inspired and guided the freedom struggle and were, in turn, nurtured by it formed the foundation for India’s democracy. Given below are the values embedded in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution.

We, the People of India: The Constitution has been drawn up and enacted by the people through their representatives and not handed down to them by a king or any outside powers.

Sovereign: People have the supreme right to make decisions on internal as well as external matters. No external power can dictate the Government of India.

Socialist: Wealth is generated socially and should be shared equally by society. The government should regulate the ownership of land and industry to reduce socioeconomic inequalities.

Secular : Citizens have complete freedom to follow any religion. But there is no official religion. The government treats all religious beliefs and practices with equal respect.

Democratic: A form of government where people enjoy equal political rights, elect their rulers and hold them accountable. The government is run according to some basic rules.

Republic: The head of the state is an elected person and not a hereditary position.

Justice: Citizens cannot be discriminated against on the grounds of caste, religion and gender. Social inequalities have to be reduced. The government should work for the welfare of all, especially the disadvantaged groups.

Liberty: There are no unreasonable restrictions on the citizens in what they think, how they wish to express their thoughts and the way they wish to follow up their thoughts in action.

Equality : All are equal before the law. The traditional social inequalities have to be ended. The government should ensure equal opportunity for all.

Fraternity: All of us should behave as if we are members of the same family. No one should treat a fellow citizen as inferior.

Institutional Design

A Constitution is not merely a statement of values and philosophy. It is mainly about embodying these values into institutional arrangements. It is a very long and detailed document. Therefore, it needs to be amended quite regularly to keep it updated. Provisions are made to incorporate changes, known as constitutional amendments, from time to time. Like any Constitution, the Indian Constitution also lays down a procedure for choosing persons to govern the country. It defines who will have how much power to make which decisions. And it puts limits to what the government can do by providing some rights to the citizen that cannot be violated.

For Information On Apartheid , Watch The Below Videos:

Frequently Asked Questions on CBSE Class 9 Social Science Notes Chapter 2 Constitutional Design

What does ‘apartheid’ really mean.

Apartheid was the name that the party gave to its racial segregation policies.

What are the types of human rights in India?

There are six fundamental rights in India. They are Right to Equality, Right to Freedom, Right against Exploitation, Right to Freedom of Religion, Cultural and Educational Rights, and Right to Constitutional Remedies.

What is the meaning of a ‘republic’ country?

A republic is a form of government where the citizens have the supreme power, and they exercise that power by voting and electing representatives to make decisions and govern.

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Extra Questions for Class 9 Civics Chapter 2 Constitutional Design

Class 9 Social Science Civics Chapter 2 Constitutional Design extra questions and answers available here in PDF format. Solving class 9 extra questions help students to revise the Chapter most competently. We prepared these questions with PDF as per the latest NCERT book and CBSE syllabus. Practising these questions before the exam will ensure excellent marks in the exam.

Class 9 Civics Chapter 2 Extra Questions and Answers

Very short answer questions.

1. How many members did the Constituent Assembly have that wrote the Indian Constitution?

Answer:  The Constituent Assembly that wrote the Indian Constitution had 299 members. 

2. Name the President of the Constituent Assembly?

Answer:  Dr Rajendra Prasad was the President of the Constituent Assembly. 

3. Is it true that non-democratic countries do not have a Constitution?

Answer: No, it is not true. Whether democratic or not, most countries in the world need to have some basic rules which are called the Constitution. 

4. Name the Chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee of India?

Answer:  Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar, an eminent lawyer and politician, was the Chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee of India. 

5. Earlier to 1992, South Africa practiced a form of racial discrimination. What is it termed as?

Answer:   The racial discrimination practiced in South Africa prior to 1992 was called apartheid.

6. In a republic, how is the Head of State decided or chosen?

Answer:  In a republic, the Head of State is a person elected by people. 

7. Nelson Mandela remained in prison for treason for how many years?

Answer:  Nelson Mandela remained in prison for about 28 years. 

8. On which day did South Africa gain independence from the rule of the White minority?

Answer:  South Africa gained independence from the rule of the White minority on 26th April, 1994. 

9. What is the title of the autobiography of Nelson Mandela?

Answer: The title of the autobiography of Nelson Mandela is, “Long Walk to Freedom”. 

10. Which national leader tried to draft a Constitution for India as far back as in 1928?

Answer:  Pandit Moti Lal Nehru tried to draft a Constitution for India in 1928.

11. When were the elections to the Constituent Assembly held in India?

Answer:  The elections to the Constituent Assembly were held in July, 1946

12. The Constituent Assembly originally had how many members and was left with how many after the partition of the country?

Answer: Originally the Constituent Assembly had 389 members, but was reduced to 299 members after the partition of the country. 

13. In which country did a large number of ‘Whites’ settle and become the local rulers?

Answer:  The country is South Africa. 

14. Who said, “…. I shall work for an India in which the poorest shall feel that it is their country in whose making they have an effective voice. ……”?

Answer: Mahatma Gandhi said this statement. 

15. Did the ideals of the Quit India Movement contribute to the making of the Indian Constitution?

Answer:  No, they did not. However, the Socialist Revolution in Russia, the Bill of the Rights of the US and the ideals of the French Revolution were the contributing factors. 

16. Which organisation led the freedom movement in South Africa?

Answer:  The African National Congress (ANC) was the umbrella organisation that led the struggle against the policies of segregation. 

17. From which country’s Constitution have most countries of the world chosen to begin their Constitution with a Preamble?

Answer:  Most countries of the world have chosen to begin their Constitution with a Preamble from the Constitution of the USA. 

18.  Did all members of the Constituent Assembly of India hold the same views on all provisions of the Constitution?

Answer:  No, they did not. But the Constituent Assembly worked in a systematic, open and consensual manner to decide all matters. 

19. Why is India considered as a sovereign country?

Answer:  India is a sovereign country because people have supreme right to make decisions. 

20. How do you define a country where citizens have complete freedom to follow any religion?

Answer:  A country where citizens have complete freedom to follow any religion in known as secular state. 

21. Define the Preamble.

Answer:  An introductory statement containing guiding values in a Constitution is known as Preamble. 

22. Name the leader who used to write in the magazine ‘Young India’ in 1931.

Answer:   Mahatma Gandhi used to write in the magazine ‘Young India’ in 1931. 

23. Who is known as the Father of Indian Constitution?

Answer:  Dr BR Ambedkar is known as the Father of Indian Constitution.

24. What is ‘Constituent Assembly Debates’?

Answer:  Each and every document presented and every word spoken in the Constituent Assembly have been recorded and preserved as ‘Constituent Assembly Debates’. 

25. In which session of the Congress did Indian National Congress Plan on how independent India’s Constitution should look like?

Answer: In Karachi Session(1931), Indian National Congress planned on how independent India’s Constitution should look like

26. When did the Indian Constitution come into force?

Answer:  On 26th January, 1950, the Indian Constitution came into force. 

27. In the Constituent Assembly, the first captain of the Indian hockey team also has a role. Who was he?

Answer:  He was Jaipal Singh. 

28. Which country has the largest written Constitution of the world?

Answer:  India has the largest written Constitution of the world. 

29. Who often bitterly criticised Mahatma Gandhi and his vision regarding how to remove inequalities from our society?

Answer:   Dr BR Ambedkar had a different understanding of how inequalities could be removed from our society, thus he often bitterly criticised Mahatma Gandhi and his vision.

30. On the basis of what did the system of apartheid divide people?

Answer:  On the basis of skin colour the system of apartheid divided    people.  

31. “I have fought against the white domination and I have fought against the Black domination”. Who said this sentence?

Answer:  Nelson Mandela said this statement.

32. If the head of the state is an elected person and not a hereditary position. What is it called?

Answer:  It is called as Republic.

33. Name the founder of Andhra Mahila Sabha. 

Answer:   G Durgabai Deshmukh was the founder of Andhra Mahila Sabha.  

34. Who was Nelson Mandela?

Answer:   Nelson Mandela was the leader of African National Congress (ANC). He remained in for jail for 28 years in South Africa’s most dreaded prison, Robben Island opposing the apartheid regime. 

35. What does ‘Apartheid’ mean?

Answer: The official policy of racial discrimination and ill treatment of blacks followed by the government of South Africa between 1948 and 1989. 

36. Who were called ‘blacks’ in South Africa?

Answer:  The native people of South Africa are black in colour, they made up about three-fourth of the population and were called ‘blacks’.

37. How non-whites were treated in South Africa?

Answer:  The white rulers treated all non-whites as inferiors. The non-whites did not have voting rights. 

38. What was ANC?

Answer:  It was African National Congress, an umbrella organisation that led the struggle against the policies of segregation. This included many workers’ unions and the Communist Party. 

39. Who formed the constitution of New democratic South Africa?

Answer:  The party that ruled through oppression and brutal killings and the party that led the freedom struggle sat together to draw up a common constitution. 

40. When was the constitution of South Africa completed?

Answer:  After two years of discussion and debate these constitution makers came out with one of the finest constitutions the world has ever had. 

41. How a state denounced by the entire world was being seen as a model of democracy?

Answer:   What made this change possible was the determination of the people of South Africa to work together, to transform bitter experiences into the binding glue of a rainbow nation.

42. What compromise was made by whites minority in South Africa?

Answer:  The whites agreed to the principle of majority rule and that of one person one vote. They also agreed to accept some basic rights for the poor and the workers. 

43. What compromise was made by black majority in South Africa?

Answer:  The blacks agreed that majority rule would not be absolute. They agreed that the majority would not take away the property of the white minority. 

44. With which rules trust was built between blacks and whites in South Africa?

Answer:  These rules determine what the elected governments are empowered to do and what they cannot do. They also decided the right of the citizens. 

45. What is this set of basic rules called?

Answer: This set of basic rules is called a ‘Constitution’.

46. What is a ‘Constitution’?

Answer: The Constitution of a country is a set of written rules that are accepted by all the people living together in a country. 

47. Why is Constitution considered the Supreme law?

Answer:  The Constitution is the supreme law that determines the relationship among people living a territory (called citizens) and also the relationship between the people and the government. 

48. What advantage did Indian Constitution makers have unlike South Africa?

Answer: There was one big advantage for the makers of the Indian Constitution. Unlike South Africa, they did not have to create a consensus about what a democratic India should look like. 

49. Who was the first one to draft a constitution for India?

Answer:  In 1928, Motilal Nehru and eight other Congress leaders drafted a constitution for India. 

50. What resolution was made in 1931, Karachi session?

Answer: In 1931, tne resolution at the Karachi session of, the Indian National Congress dwelt on how independent India’s constitution should look like. 

51. Which basic values were incorporated in our constitution from these pre- independence decisions?

Answer:  (i) Universal Adult Franchise. (ii) Right to freedom and equality. (iii) protecting the rights of minorities. 

52. Which countries constitutional features inspired Indian Constitution makers?

Answer:  (i) Ideals of French Revolution (ii) Parliamentary democracy of Britain (iii) Bills of Rights in US and (iv) Socialist Revolution in Russia. 

53. What was ‘Constituent Assembly’?

Answer:  The drafting of the document called the constitution was done by an assembly of elected representatives called the Constituent Assembly. 

54. How many members did the Constituent Assembly have?

55. When was the Constitution work completed and when did it come into effect?

Answer:  The Assembly adopted the Constitution on 26th November 1949 but it came into effect on January 26, 1950. To mark this day we celebrate 26th January as Republic Day every year. 

56. Why did the Constitution come into effect on 26th January 1950?

Answer:   Since the Constitution makers wanted to give importance to the date 26th January as Jawaharlal Nehru declared Independence Day of India on 26th January 1931. 

57. What is the unusual achievement of our Constitution?

Answer:  No large social group or political party has ever questioned the legitimacy of the Constitution itself. 

58. In which manner Constituent Assembly worked?

Answer:  The Constituent Assembly worked in a systematic, open and consensual manner. 

59. Why was a drafting committee formulated? Who was its Chairman?

Answer:  The drafting Committee was formed to prepare a draft of the constitution for discussion. Its Chairman was Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.

60. Who was the Chairman of the Constituent Assembly?

Answer: Dr. Rajendra Prasad was the Chairman of the Constituent Assembly. 

61. How many amendments were considered on the draft?

Answer:  More than two thousand amendments were considered by the drafting Committee.

62. What was ‘Constituent Assembly’?

63. How many members did the Constituent Assembly have?

64. When was the Constitution work completed and when did it come into effect?

65. Why did the Constitution come into effect on 26th January 1950?

66. What is the unusual achievement of our Constitution?

67. In which manner Constituent Assembly worked?

68. Why was a drafting committee formulated? Who was its Chairman?

69. Who was the Chairman of the Constituent Assembly?

70. How many amendments were considered on the draft?

71. How much time it took to form the Constitution of India?

Answer:   It took about 114 days spread over three years for documenting the Indian Constitution.

72. What are ‘Constituent Assembly Debates’?

Answer: Every document presented and every word spoken in the Constituent Assembly has been recorded and preserved. These are called Constituent Assembly Debates. 

73. How these Constituent Assembly Debates are used?

Answer:  These debates provide the rationale behind every provision of the Constitution. These are used to interpret the meaning of the Constitution. 

74. What features formed the foundation for India’s democracy?

Answer: The Values that inspired and guided the freedom struggle and were then nurtured by it, formed the foundation for India’s democracy. 

75. What is Preamble?

Answer:  The Preamble is like preface of a book, it is the soul of the Indian Constitution. It gives in brief all the laws and action of the government. 

76. What does ‘Sovereign’ mean?

Answer:   It means people have supreme right to make decisions on internal as well as external matters. No external power can dictate the government of India. 

77. What does ‘Socialist’ in a democratic Constitution mean?

Answer: Wealth is generated socially and should be shared equally by society. Government should try to reduce socio-economic inequalities. 

78. What is the meaning of the form ‘Secular’?

Answer: Citizens have complete freedom to follow any religion. But there is no official religion. Government treats all religions, beliefs and practices with equal respect. 

79. What does ‘democratic’ mean?

Answer: It is a form of government where people enjoy equal political rights, elect their rulers and hold them accountable. 

80. What does ‘Republic’ mean?

Answer:  In a republic, the head of the state is an elected person and not on a hereditary position. 

81. Why is the term ‘Justice’ included in our Preamble?

Answer:  Citizens cannot be discriminated on the grounds of caste, religion and gender. Social inequalities have to be reduced. The government should work for the welfare of all and provide justice. 

82. What kind of liberty is given in the Preamble?

Answer:  There are no unreasonable restrictions on the citizens in what they think, how they wish to express their thoughts and the way they wish to follow up their thoughts in action. 

83. What does ‘Equality’ term mean in the Indian Constitution?

Answer: All are equal before the law. The traditional social inequalities have to be ended. The government should ensure equal opportunities for all. 

84. What does the term ‘Fraternity’ signify in the Preamble?

Answer:  All of us should behave as if we are members of the same family. No one should treat a follow citizen as inferior. 

85. What are ‘Constitutional Amendments’?

Answer: Provisions are made to incorporate changes from time to time in our constitution. These changes are called ‘Constitutional Amendments’.

86. Why do we need to make amendments in our constitution?

Answer:  Our Constitution is a very long and detailed document. Therefore it needs to be amended quite regularly to keep it updated. 

87. Name the leader who has played a decisive role in the integration of the Indian princely state.

Answer: Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel played a decisive role in the integration of the Indian princely state.

88.  Name the Education Minister in the first Union Cabinet.

Answer: Abul Kalam Azad was the Education Minister in the first Union Cabinet.

89. Name the founder President of Bharatiya Jansangh.

Answer:  Shyama Prasad Mukherjee was the founder President of Bharatiya Jansangh.

90. When did the Constituent Assembly adopt the Constitution of India? When did it come into force?

Answer:  The Constitution of India was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 26th November, 1949. It came into force on the 26th January, 1950.

91. Who framed the Constitution of India?

Answer: The Constitution of India was flamed by the Constituent Assembly which was established in 1946

92. Name some important members of the Constituent Assembly.

Answer:   Some important members of the Constituent Assembly were Dr Rajendra Prasad, Dr BR Ambedkar, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Dr S Radhakrishnan, KM Munshi etc. 

Short Answer Type Questions

1. Which Indian politician bitterly criticized Mahatma Gandhi’s vision?

Answer:  Dr BR Ambedkar, who played a key role in the making of the Constitution, had a different understanding from Mahatma Gandhi of how inequalities could be removed. He often bitterly criticised Mahatma Gandhi and his vision. 

2. Which of the guiding values of the Constitution of India means that people have the supreme right to make decisions?

Answer:    The guiding value called ‘Sovereign’ means that people have the supreme right to make decisions on internal as well as external matters. No external power can dictate to the Government of India. 

3. What does ‘Segregation’ mean in South Africa?

Answer:   Trains, buses, taxis, hotels, hospitals, schools and colleges, libraries, cinema halls, theaters, beaches, swimming pools, public toilets, were all separate for the whites and blacks in South Africa. This was called ‘Segregation’. 

4. How white racist continued their apartheid besides protests?

Answer:   Many sensitive whites also joined the African National Congress to oppose apartheid. Several countries denounced apartheid as unjust and racist. But the white racist government continued to rule by torturing and killing black and coloured people. 

5.  When did apartheid end in South Africa?

Answer:  As protests and strugglers against apartheid had increased, the government realised that they could no longer keep the blacks under their rule through repression. Finally at midnight of 26th April 1994, the Republic of South Africa got freedom from apartheid. 

6. What policies were changed by white regime in South Africa?

Answer:   Discriminatory laws were repealed. Ban on political parties and restrictions on media was lifted. After 28 years of imprisonment Nelson Mandela came released from Jail. The apartheid government came to an end. 

7. What does South African constitution teach us?

Answer:   It teaches us that the oppressor and the oppressed in this new democracy were planning to live together as equals. It was not easy for them to trust each other but still they set a good example in front of the other democratic countries of the world. 

8. How difficult it was for India to frame a constitution for united India after independence?

Answer:  At that time the people of India were emerging from the status of subjects to that of citizens. The country was born through a partition on the religious basis This was a traumatic experience for the people of India and Pakistan. 

9. What institutional details and procedures Indians derive from colonial laws?

Answer:  The experience gained by Indians in the working of the legislative institutions proved to be very useful for the country in setting up its own institutions and working in them. Many institutional details and procedures from colonial laws like the Government of India Act of 1935 have been referred while drafting the constitution. 

10. How was Constituent Assembly formed?

Answer: Elections to the Constituent Assembly were held in July 1946. Its first meeting was held in December 1946. When the country was partitioned into India and Pakistan, the Constituent Assembly was also divided into the Constituent Assembly of India and that of Pakistan. 

11. How was Constituent Assembly formed?

12. Who was the Chairman of the Constituent Assembly?

Answer: The first session of the Constituent Assembly started on 9th December, 1946 where Dr Sachidanand Sinha was chosen as the temporary Chairman of the Assembly. On 11th December, 1946, Dr Rajendra Prasad was unanimously elected its permanent Chairman. 

13. What do you understand by the term ‘apartheid’?

Answer:   Apartheid refers to the official policy of racial separation and ill-treatment of blacks followed by the white government of South Africa between 1948 and 1989. This practice of racial discrimination remained for the longest period in South Africa. 

14. What basic rules are followed to form a Constitution?

Answer:  The basic rules are: (i) The rules should lay down how the rulers are to be chosen in future. (ii) These rules should also determine what the elected governments are empowered to do and what they cannot do. (iii) These rules should decide the rights of the citizens. 

15.  What documents were taken by the Constituent Assembly to form the Indian Constitution?

Answer:  The documents taken to form the Indian Constitution were: (i) The Indian Constitution was drafted by Motilal Nehru and eight other leaders in 1928. (ii) The resolution at the Karachi Session of the INC on how independent India’s Constitution should look like, in 1931. (iii) Both these documents were committed to the inclusion of universal adult franchise right to freedom and quality and protecting the right of minorities in the constitution of independent India.

16. Indian leaders were inspired by which countries to frame the Indian Constitution?

Answer:  The countries which inspired the Indian Constitution were: (i) France: Many Indian leaders were inspired by the ideals of the French Revolution and their resolution on liberty, equality and fraternity. (ii) Britain: Indian leaders were inspired by the practice of Parliamentary democracy in Britain. (iii) US: Their Bill of Rights was a great inspiration. (iv) Russia: The socialist revolution and the socialist economy of Russia also inspired the leaders of India. 

17. How was the Constituent Assembly formed?

Answer:  The drafting of the Constitution was done by an assembly of elected representatives called the Constituent Assembly. (i) Elections to the Constituent Assembly were held in July 1946. (ii) Its first meeting was held in December 1946. (iii) The Constituent Assembly was also divided into the Constituent Assembly of India and Pakistan after the partition.  (iv) The Constituent Assembly that wrote the Indian Constitution constituted as many as 299 members. It adopted the Constitution on 26 November 1949, but it came into effect on 26 January 1950.

18. When was the Constitution completed and why was it imposed on 26 January 1950?

Answer:  (i) The Constituent Assembly completed the Constitution on 26 November 1949. (ii) But it was imposed on 26 January 1950 to give due importance to the date, 26th January. (iii) To mark this day we celebrate it as the Republic Day every year. 

19. Give reasons for accepting the Constitution made by the Constituent Assembly more than 50 years ago.

Answer:  Some reasons for accepting the same Constitution till today are: (i) The Constitution does not reflect the views of its members alone. It expresses a broad consensus of its time. (ii) The Constituent Assembly represented the people of India. There was no Universal Adult Franchise at that time. So, the Constituent Assembly could not have been chosen directly by all the people of India but it was elected mainly by the members of Provincial Legislatures, which ensured a fair share of all the regions of the country. (iii) The Constituent Assembly worked in a systematic, open and consensual manner. 

20. What was the ‘Drafting Committee’?

Answer: The ‘Drafting Committee’ prepared a draft of the Constitution for discussion: (i) It was chaired by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. (ii) Several rounds of thorough discussion took place on the Draft of the Constitution, clause by clause. (iii) The members worked for 114 days spread over three years. Later on, it was thrown to the public to get their opinion.

21. What are ‘Constituent Assembly Debates’?

Answer: Every document presented and every word spoken in the Constituent Assembly has been recorded and preserved. These are called ‘Constituent Assembly Debates’. (i) These debates provide the rationale behind every provision of the Constitution. (ii) These are used to interpret the meaning of the Constitution. (iii) When printed, these debates constitute 12 bulky volumes.

22. In which two ways can the philosophy of the Indian Constitution be understood?

Answer:  The two ways in which the philosophy of the Indian Constitution can be understood are: (i) It can be understood by reading the views of some of the major leaders on the Indian Constitution. (ii) We can understand by reading what the Constitution says about its own philosophy. 

23. What is the role of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in making the Constitution?

Answer: Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was the Chairman of the Drafting Committee. He played a key role in making the Constitution but had a different view on how inequalities could be removed from the society. He thought that in politics, there should be equality but in social and economic life inequalities should be removed. 

24. How did the blacks of South Africa fight against the practice of apartheid?

Answer:  Since 1950, the blacks, coloured and Indians fought against the apartheid system. They launched protest marches and strikes. The African National Congress (ANC) was the umbrella organisation which led the struggle against the policies of segregation. This included many workers’ union and the Communist Party. Many sensitive whites also joined the ANC to oppose apartheid and played a leading role in this struggle. Several countries also denounced apartheid as unjust and racist. 

25. What kind of inspiration do we get from South Africa?

Answer:  The South African constitution inspires democrats all over the world. A state denounced by the entire world till recently as the most undemocratic one is now seen as a model of democracy. What made this change possible was the determination of the people of South Africa to work together to transform bitter experiences into the binding glue of a rainbow  nation. 

26. What were Nelson Mandela’s views on the South African constitution?

Answer:  He felt that the Constitution of South Africa speaks of both past and its future. On one hand, it is a solemn pact in which they, as South Africans, declare to one another that they shall never permit a repetition of their racist, brutal and repressive past. it is also a charter for the transformation of their country into one which is truly shared by all its people’s country which in the fullest sense belongs to all of them, black and white, women and men. 

27. What compromises were made by both ethnic groups of South Africa for their constitution?

Answer:   The whites agreed to the principle of majority rule and that of one-person- one-vote. They also agreed to accept some basic rights for the poor and the workers. The blacks agreed that majority rule would not be absolute. They agreed that the majority would not take away the property of the white minority. 

28.  Why are rules formed in the constitutions of countries?

Answer:  These rules lay down how the rulers are to be chosen in future. They also determine what the elected governments are empowered to do and what they cannot do. These rules also decide the rights of the citizens. This set of basic rules is called a constitution. 

29.  Which basic values were accepted by all leaders before the Constituent Assembly met to form the constitution?

Answer: (i) Inclusion of Universal Adult Franchise by giving all the citizens of India the right to vote and contest elections. (ii) Right to freedom and equality to be granted. Since India remained under British control for a long time and being a country of diversities, it needed equality. (iii) It also proposed for protecting the rights of minorities in the constitution of independent India.

30. Who was Dr. B.R. Ambedkar? How did he play a key role in the making of Indian constitution?

Answer:   Dr. Ambedkar was the chairman of the Drafting Committee. He was a social revolutionary, thinker and agitator against caste divisions and caste-based inequalities. Dr. Ambedkar played a key role in the making of the constitution but had a different understanding of how inequalities could be removed. He often bitterly criticised Mahatma Gandhi and his vision. 

31. How values of freedom struggle were embedded in the Preamble of the Indian constitution?

Answer:  Values that inspired and guided the freedom struggle and were in turn nurtured by it, formed the foundation for India’s democracy. These values are embedded in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution. They guide all the articles of the Indian Constitution. The Constitution begins with a short statement of its basic values. This is called the Preamble of the Indian 

32. What does the Indian Preamble on the constitution contain? 

Answer:   The Preamble of the Constitution reads like a poem on democracy. It contains the philosophy on which the entire Constitution has been built. It provides a standard to examine and evaluate any law and action of the government, to find out whether it is good or bad. It is the soul of the Indian Constitution. 

33. What would have happened in South Africa if the black majority had decided to take revenge on the whites for all their oppression and exploitation?

Answer:  If the blacks had not forgiven the whites for all their oppression and exploitation and decided to take revenge upon them, there would have been bloodshed everywhere. It could have led to a division of the country and we would not have seen a united and peaceful South Africa that exists now. Fortunately, the black community followed the policy of non-violence in their freedom struggle. 

34. What do you understand by the term ‘apartheid’?

Answer:   Apartheid was the name of a system of racial discrimination unique to South Africa, which was imposed on black by the white Europe In this system, the blacks were forbidden from living in white areas. They could work in white areas only if they had a permit. Trains, buses, taxis, hotels hospitals, schools, colleges, libraries, cinema halls, theatres, beaches, swimming pools, public toilets, etc were all separate for the whites and the blacks. 

35. What was the ‘Drafting Committee’?

Answer:  The ‘Drafting Committee’ chaired by Dr BR Ambedkar prepared a draft of the Constitution for discussion. Several rounds of thorough discussion took place on the Draft Constitution, clause by clause. The members worked for 114   days spread over three years. More than two thousand amendments were considered. Every document presented and every word spoken in the Constituent Assembly has been recorded and preserved.

36. How did the Blacks of South Africa fight against the practice of apartheid? What is meant by apartheid? How did the people of South Africa struggle against it? Or Describe any three efforts made by the people of South Africa to struggle against the apartheid system.

Answer: Apartheid was the name of a system of racial discrimination unique to South Africa, which was imposed by the white Europeans on the blacks. (i) Since 1950, the blacks, coloureds and Indians fought against the apartheid system. They launched protest marches and strikes. (ii) The African National Congress led the struggle against this policy of segregation. (iii) Many workers’ unions and the Communist Party joined this movement. (iv) Even many sensitive Whites joined the ANC and played a leading role in this movement.

Long Answer Type Questions

1. What is meant by ‘sovereign, socialist and secular’ as the key words of our Constitution?

Answer:   The Constitution of India declares India as a sovereign, socialist, secular and democratic republic. (i) Sovereign The sovereign nature of India signifies that people of India have supreme right to make decisions on internal as well as external matters. (ii) Socialist The socialist nature of India suggests that wealth is generated socially and should be shared equally by society. (iii) Secular The word ‘secular’ signifies that the state has no official religion of its own. Every citizen has complete freedom to follow any religion. 

2. The South African Constitution inspires democrats all over the world’. Justify the statement.

Answer:   After two years of discussion and debate the Constitution of South Africa was produced. It gave its citizens the most extensive rights available in any country. The Constitution writers included everybody, no one has treated differently whatever they have done in the past. So all communities sat down together to transform the bitter experience into a binding glue of a rainbow nation. They wanted to solve the problems of the country collectively. The Constitution was based on social equality and justice. Thus the Constitution inspires democrats all over the world. 

3. Who led the struggle against apartheid? State any four practices following in the system of apartheid in South Africa.

Answer: African National Congress (ANC) led the struggle against apartheid. Many sensitive whites also joined the ANC to oppose apartheid and played a leading role in the struggle movement. Apartheid was the name of a system or policy of racial discrimination unique to South Africa. (i) The white Europeans imposed this system on non-white people of South Africa. (ii) The blacks were forbidden from living in white areas. They could work in these areas only if they had a permit. (ii) There were separate schools, colleges, hotels, hospitals, trains, buses, cinema halls, theatres, shopping areas and public toilets, swimming pools and beaches, etc for the whites and blacks. (iii) The blacks could not even visit the churches where the whites worshipped. (iv) The non-whites were denied the voting rights and even the basic human right. 

4. What is a Constitution? Why do we need a Constitution? Give any five reasons. Or Why do we need a Constitution in a democracy? Explain any three reasons. Or What is a Constitution? Why do we need a Constitution? Give any four reasons.

Answer:   The Constitution of a country is a set of written rules that are accepted by all people living together in a country. Constitution is the supreme law that determines the relationship among people living in a territory (called citizens) and also the relationship between the people and government. We need a Constitution because (i) It generates a degree of trust and coordination that is necessary for different   kind of people to live together. (ii) It specifies how the government will be constituted, who will have power to take which decisions.   (iii) It lays down limits on the powers of the   government and tells us what the rights of the citizens are. (iv) It expresses the aspirations of the people about creating a good society. (v) Indian Constitution safe guards the interests of minority, OBC, poor and weaker section of our society. It gives universal adult franchise to all and establishes equality for all. 

5. “The manner in which the Constituent Assembly worked gives sanctity to the constitution of India. “Justify the statement with three arguments.

Answer:   The manner in which the Constituent Assembly worked gives sanctity to the Constitution. This statement can be justified by following points (i) It worked in a systematic, open and consensual manner. (ii) First some basic principles were decided and agreed upon and a draft of Constitution was prepared. (iii) Several rounds of thorough discussion took place, clause by clause. (iv) More than two thousands amendments were considered. (v) Every document presented and every word spoken in the Constituent Assembly was recorded and preserved. These ‘Constituent Assembly Debates, were printed in 12 volumes. 

6. How has the Indian Constitution embodied the basic values into institutional arrangements? Explain.

Answer:   Indian Constitution is embodying the basic values into institutional arrangements by following ways (i) The Constitution of India is a detailed document. It needs to be amended quite regularly to keep it updated. It has to be changed in accordance with people’s aspirations and changes in society. These changes are called Constitutional Amendments. (ii) The Constitution lays down a procedure for choosing persons to govern the country. (iii) It defines who will have how much power to take which decisions. (iv) It limits the powers of the government by providing some rights to the citizen that cannot be violated. 

7. Explain the major factors that contributed to the making of Indian Constitution. Or List the factors that contributed to the making of Indian Constitution. 

Answer:   The making of a Constitution for a huge and diverse country like India was not an easy task. The various factors that contributed in the making of our Constitution were (i) Many of our leaders were inspired by the ideals of French Revolution (ii) They were also influenced by the practice of parliamentary democracy in Britain and the Bill of Rights in the US. (iii) Socialist Revolution in Russia inspired them to think of a system based on social and economic equality. (iv) At each step they questioned whether the things suited our country or not.

8. What do you understand by Preamble? What is the significance of ‘We the people of India’ and ‘Secular’ in the Preamble?

Answer:  The Preamble states the objectives which the Constitution seeks to establish and promote. It is a short statement of basic values with which a Constitution begins. It deals with the ideals, principles and aims of the Constitution. Preamble is the soul of our Constitution. It contains the philosophy on which the entire Constitution has been built. The words ‘We, the people of India’ lay stress on the point that political sovereignty in India rests with the people. The word ‘secular’ means that every citizen has complete right to follow any religion. There is no official religion. Government treats all religious beliefs and practices with equal respect. 

9. Why did the Constitution framers make provisions for amendments in the Indian Constitution?

Answer:  The Constitution of India has enough scope for amendment if required for the welfare of its citizens. The makers of the Indian Constitution felt that it needs to be amended regularly to keep it updated. Amendments must be done in accordance with people’s aspirations and needs. To maintain law and order, the dignity and rights of the citizens, the Constitution made some provisions for amendment from time to time. At the same time, the process of amendment is not very easy. All amendments can be initiated only in the Union Parliament, not in any state Igislature. A special majority by two-thirds vote in favour is required to amend the Constitution. 

10. “Like the Constitution of South Africa, Indian Constitution was also drawn up under very difficult circumstances.” Elaborate this statement with the help of any four circumstances.

Answer:  The four circumstances that elaborate the statement (i) At that time, the people of India were emerging from the status of a subject to that of citizens. The country was born through a partition on the basis of religious differences. It was an    extremely traumatic experience for the people. (ii) The British rulers had left it to the rulers of the princely states to decide whether to merge with India or with Pakistan or remain independent. (iii) The future of the nation did not look very secure at that time. The makers of the Constitution had anxieties about the present and the future of the country. (iv) There were sharp differences of opinion about the path, the country should take after attaining freedom. 

11. Why is the Preamble very important?

Answer:   The Constitution of the Republic of India is introduced to us through a wisely formulated and well written Preamble. It makes the intentions of our constitution makers quite clear through the following points (i) It declares India to be a Sovereign, Socialist, Secular and Democratic Republic. (ii) It envisages Justice-Social, economic and political for all the citizens of India. (iii) It promises Liberty of all types necessary for the individual, i.e., freedom of thought and expression, freedom of faith, freedom of belief and of worship. (iv) It would strive for Equality of status and opportunity to all individuals. (v) It promotes Fraternity which assures the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the nation. 

12. Throw some light on the composition of the Constituent Assembly.

Answer:  The Constitution of our country was framed by the Constituent Assembly which was constituted in 1946 under the provisions of the Cabinet Mission Plan. This Assembly originally had 389 members. Of them, most were elected by the Provincial Assemblies and some were nominated by the rulers of the native states. As a result of the partition of the country, its membership was reduced to 308 in 1947. This Assembly   included   eminent   persons   like  Dr Rajendra Prasad, Pt Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Dr BR Ambedkar,  KM   Munshi,   Rajagopalachari, HC Mukherjee, Baldev Singh etc. Women members like Sarojini Naidu, G Durgabai Deshmukh etc also played an important role in the Constituent Assembly. When the Constitution was completed it had only 299 members in the Assembly.

13. How was the new Constitution of South Africa formed?

Answer:  After the emergence of the new democratic South Africa, black leaders said, “let us build a new South Africa based on equality of all races and men and women, democratic values, social justice and human rights.” The party that ruled through oppression and brutal killings and the party that led the freedom struggle sat together to draw up a common constitution. After two years of debate and discussion they came out with a Constitution, which gave to its citizens the most extensive rights available in any country. The Constitution makers decided that everybody should become a part of the new South Africa, despite whatever they had done in the past. 

14. How did South Africa get independence?

Answer: The white European leaders imposed apartheid, i.e. racial discrimination on the blacks of South Africa. Since 1950, the blacks, coloureds and Indians fought against the apartheid system. As protest and struggle against apartheid had increased, the government realised that they could no longer keep the blacks and coloured people suppressed. The government changed its policies and discriminatory laws were repealed. Bans on political parties and restrictions on the media were lifted. On 26th April, 1994, South Africa got independence. The apartheid government came to an end in the newly born democracy, paving the way for the formation of a multi-racial government. 

15. Why do you think there is more importance of a Constitution to a democratic country?

Answer:  The Constitution of a country is a set of written rules that are  accepted by all people of a country. The Constitution has more importance in a democratic form of government   because (i) In a democracy, the government is formed according to the Constitution and also works according to it. (ii) The Constitution delimits the scope of activity of the various organs of the government. The Constitution specifies who will have the power to take which   decisions.  (iii) In a democracy, the Constitution safeguards the rights of the citizens. (iv) The Constitution expresses the aspirations of the   people about creating a good society. It constantly goes on growing and evolving according to the needs and aspirations of the people.  

16. “Indian Constitution is both rigid and flexible”, explain.

Answer:  Indian Constitution is both rigid and flexible, because the procedure of amendment is neither easy nor difficult. The Constitution has provided a federal structure for India. The jurisdictions of the centre and state have been defined and demarcated. Both the centre and the states have been authorised to exercise powers independency. There are provisions which can change the Federal structure into a Unitary one. Amendments can be made only with the consent of both the Centre and the States. A special majority of the Union Parliament, i.e., a majority of not less then two-thirds vote is required to amend the Constitution. Thus Indian Constitution enjoys the advantages of a combination of flexibility and rigidity.

17. “Formation of Indian Constitution was no less struggle than that of Africa” – Do you agree Explain with five arguments.

Answer:  Like South Africa, India’s Constitution was written under very difficult situation. The making of a Constitution for such a huge and diverse country like India is not an easy task. (i) After partition the people of India were emerging from the status of subjects to that of citizens. (ii) India was born through a partition of the undivided India an the basis of religious differences. It was a traumatic experience for both the people of India and Pakistan. (iii) The British had left it to the rulers of the princely states to decide whether they wanted to merge with India or with Pakistan or remain independent. The merger of these princely states was a difficult and uncertain task. (iv) When the constitution was being written, the future of the country did not look as secure as it does today. (v) The makers of the Constitution had anxieties about the present and future of the country. 

18. This is not fair! What was the point in having a Constituent Assembly in India if all the basics were already decided?

Answer:  We cannot say that there was no point in having a Constituent Assembly to discuss and frame a Constitution if the basics had already been decided. The basics were relating right to freedom, universal adult franchise, rights on minorities which are the basis of any democratic society. These basics were the guiding principles which were further developed and expanded to establish a welfare state. In a democracy it is the Constituent Assembly which makes the Constitutions with the help of the basics. So, the Constituent Assembly in India was established, even if all the basics were already decided. 

19. Name some of the members of the Constituent Assembly? 

Answer:  Dr. Rajendra Prasad (Chairman). Jaipal Singh (A sportsman and educationist) Baldev Singh (An entrepreneur and a leader of the Panthic Akali Party) B.RAmbedkar (Chairman Drafting Committee) JawaharLal Nehru (Prime Minister of the Interim Government) Sarojini Naidu (Poet, writer and political activist) Shyama Prasad Mukherjee (Educationist and lawyer).

20. What do you know about Nelson Mandela?

Answer:  (i) Nelson Mandela was a South African leader who was tried for treason by the White South African government. (ii) He and seven other leaders were sentenced to life imprisonment in 1964, for daring to oppose the apartheid regime in his country. (iii) He spent the next 28 years in Robben Island, South Africa’s most dreaded prison. (iv) He was released after 28 years from jail, and at midnight of the 26th of April 1994, South Africa got independence. He became the first President of independent South Africa. 

21. How was ‘apartheid’ practised in South Africa?

Answer: (i) The system of apartheid divided the people and labelled them on the basis of their skin colour. (ii) The natives of South Africa were the ‘Blacks’, the people of mixed races were ‘Coloured’ and the people who migrated from India, ‘The Indians’. (iii) All Non-Whites were treated as inferiors and were deprived of their right to vote. (iv) They were forbidden from living in white areas. (v) They could work in white areas only if they had a permit. (vi) Trains, buses, taxis, hotels, hospitals, schools, colleges, libraries, cinema halls, beaches, swimming pools, public toilets were all separate for whites and blacks. (vii) The Blacks could not visit the churches where the whites worshipped. 

22. What efforts were made to form a new constitution after independence in South Africa?

Answer:  (i) After the emergence of the new democratic South Africa, black leaders appealed to fellow blacks to forgive the whites for the atrocities they had committed while in power. (ii) They thought of building a new South Africa based on equality of all races and men and women on democratic values, social justice and human rights. (iii) The party that ruled through oppression and brutal killings and the party that led the freedom struggle sat together to draw up a common constitution. (iv) After two years of discussion and debate, they came out with one of the finest constitutions the world had ever had. (v) This Constitution gave to its citizens the most extensive rights available in any country.

23. What are the main functions of a Constitution?

Answer:  (i) It generates a degree of trust and coordination that is necessary for different kinds of people to live together. (ii) It specifies how the government will be constituted, who will have power to take which decisions. (iii) It lays down limits on the powers of the government and tells us what the rights of the citizens are. (iv) It expresses the aspirations of the people about creating a good society. (v) Constitution is the supreme law that determines the relationship among people living in a territory and also the relationship between the people and the government. 

24. How was the institutional design formed for the Indian Constitution?

Answer:  (i) A constitution is mainly about embodying the values into institutional arrangements (ii) It is a very long and detailed document. Therefore, it needs to be amended quite regularly to keep it updated. (iii) So the makers of the Indian constitution made provisions to incorporate changes from time to time. These changes are called constitutional amendment. (iv) The Constitution describes the institutional arrangements in a legal language. (v) Like any constitution, the Indian Constitution lays down a procedure for choosing persons to govern the country. It defines who will have how much power to take which decisions. (vi) And it also puts limits to what the government can do by providing some rights to the citizen that cannot be violated. 

25. Write a short note on the main features of the Preamble of the Indian Constitution.

Answer:  (i) We the people of India: The Constitution has been drawn up and enacted by the people through their representatives, and not handed down to them by a King or any outside powers. (ii) Sovereign: People have supreme right to make decisions on internal as well as external matters. No external power can dictate the government of India. (iii) Socialist: Wealth is generated socially and should be shared equally by the society. Government should regulate the ownership of land and industry to reduce socio economic inequalities. (iv) Secular: Citizens have complete freedom to follow any religion. But there is no official religion.  Government treats all religious beliefs and practices with equal respect. (v) Democratic: A form of government where people enjoy equal political rights, elect their rulers and hold them accountable. (vi) Republic: The head of the state is an elected person and its not a hereditary position. (vii) Justice: Citizens cannot be discriminated on the grounds of caste, religion and gender. Social inequalities have to be reduced. Government should work for the welfare of all, especially for the disadvantaged groups. (viii) Liberty: There are no unreasonable restrictions on the citizens about what they think, how they wish to express their thoughts and the way they wish to follow up their thoughts in actions. (ix) Equality: All are equal before the law. The traditional social inequalities have to be ended. The government should ensure equal opportunity for all. (x) Fraternity: All of us should behave as if we are members of the same family. No one should treat a fellow citizen as inferior. 

26. How did South Africa get Independence?

Answer:  As protests and struggles against apartheid had increased, the government realised that they could no longer keep the blacks under their rule through repression. The White regime changed its policies. Discriminatory laws were repealed. Ban on political parties and restrictions on the media were lifted. After 28 years of imprisonment, Nelson Mandela walked out of jail as a free man. Finally at the midnight of 26th April 1994 the new national flag of Republic of South Africa was unfurled marking the newly born democracy in the world. The apartheid government came to an end, paving the way for the formation of a multi-racial government. 

27. How was a new constitution of South Africa formed?

Answer:   After the emergence of the new democratic South Africa, black leaders appealed to fellow blacks to forgive the whites for atrocities they had committed while in power. They said let us build a new South Africa based on equality of all races and men and women, on democratic values, social justice and human rights. The party that ruled through oppression and brutal killings and the party that led the freedom struggle sat together to draw up a common constitution. After two years of debate and discussions, they came out with one of the finest constitutions the world has ever had. This constitution gave to its citizens the most extensive rights available in any country. Together, they decided that in search for a solution to the problems, nobody should be excluded, no one should be treated as a demon. They agreed that everybody should become part of the solution, whatever they might have done or represented in the past. 

28. What problems were faced by the South Africans before the formation of the constitution?

Answer:  The oppressor and the oppressed in this new democracy were planning to live together as equals. It was not going to be easy for them to trust each other. They had their fears. They wanted to safeguard their interests. The black majority was keen to ensure that the democratic principle of majority rule was not compromised. They wanted substantial social and economic rights. The white minority was keen to protect its privileges and property. 

29. Is it true that the constitution of India expresses a broad consensus of its time?

Answer:  Many countries of the world have had to rewrite their constitution afresh because the basic rules were not acceptable to all major social groups or political parties. In some other countries, the constitution exists as a mere piece of paper. No one actually follows it. The experience of our Constitution is different. Over the last half a century, several groups have questioned some provisions of the Constitution. But no large social group or political party has ever questioned the legitimacy of the Constitution itself.

30.What steps were taken by the Constituent Assembly to form the Indian Constitution? 

Answer:  The Constituent Assembly worked in a systematic, open and consensual manner. Firstly some basic principles were decided or agreed upon. Then a Drafting Committee chaired by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar prepared a draft constitution for discussion. Several rounds of thorough discussion took place on the Draft Constitution, clause by clause. More than 2000 amendments were considered. The members deliberated for 114 days spread over three years. Every document presented and every word spoken in the Constituent Assembly has been recorded and preserved to form 12 bulky volumes of Constituent Assembly Debates.   

31. What is a constitution? Why do we need a constitution for a country?

Answer: The constitution of a country is a set of written rules that are accepted by all the people living together in a country. It is the supreme law that determines the relationship among people living in a territory and also the relationship between the people and the government. Need of the constitution: (i) It generates a degree of trust and coordination that is necessary for different kinds of people to live together. (ii) It specifies how the government will be constituted, who will have power to take which decisions. (iii) It lays down limits on the powers of the government and tell us what the rights of the citizens are. (iv) It also expresses the aspirations of the people about creating a good society. 

32. “Most of the countries of the world keep changing their constitution as needed but Indian Constitutions is accepted even today.” Is it an unusual achievement for any constitution? Give reasons in support of your answer.

Answer:  (i) The constitution does not reflect the views of its members alone. It expresses a broad consensus of its time. (ii) Many countries of the world have had to rewrite their constitution afresh because the basic rules were not accepted to all major social groups or political parties. (iii) The Constituent Assembly represented the people of India. There was no universal adult franchise at that time. So the Constituent Assembly could not have been chosen directly by all the people of India. (iv) In social terms, the Assembly represented members from different language groups, castes, classes, religions and occupations. It was elected by the members of the existing provincial legislatures, ensuring a fair geographical share of members from all the regions of the country. (v) The Constituent Assembly worked in a systematic, open and consensual manner. First, some basic principles were declared and agreed upon. Then a Drafting Committee chaired by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar prepared a draft constitution for discussion. These documents were thoroughly studied with several debates and then presented. Over the last half a century, several groups have questioned some provisions of the constitution. But no large social group or political party has ever questioned the legitimacy of the constitution itself. This is an unusual achievement for any constitution. 

33. What are the exclusive features of the Indian constitution? 

Answer:  (i) Indian constitution is a very long and detailed constitution. Therefore, it needs to be amended quite regularly to keep it updated. (ii) Those who crafted the constitution felt that it has to be in accordance with people’s aspirations and changes in society. They did not see it as a sacred, static and an unalterable law. (iii) They made provisions to incorporate changes from time to time. These changes are called amendments. (iv) The constitution describes the institutional arrangements in a very legal language. (v) It put limits to what the government can do by providing some rights to the citizens that cannot be violated.

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CBSE Class 9 Political Science (Civics) Important Questions Chapter 2 Constitutional Design

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Class 9 Civics Chapter 2 Important Questions explores how the Constitution of a country is created and why it is important. This chapter explains the role of a constitution in establishing the basic rules and principles for governing a country. It discusses the processes and ideas that went into making the Indian Constitution, and how these decisions help to shape a fair and just society.

Vedantu makes it easier for students to understand the Constitutional Design Class 9 Important Questions and Answers and the ideas it wants to express in Class 9 Political Science (Civics) Important Questions . Students can get the PDF of these notes, making it simple to study and review whenever they need with the updated CBSE Class 9 Social Science Syllabus .

Access the Important Questions for Class 9 Political Science (Civics) Chapter 2 Constitutional Design

1. Draft a Constitutional note. Describe the roles that the Constitution plays.

A constitution is a fundamental document that outlines the principles and framework for how a country is governed. It serves as the highest law, defining the structure of government, the distribution of powers, and the rights and responsibilities of its citizens. The constitution provides a legal foundation for creating laws and guiding the functioning of various government institutions.

The functions of a constitution include establishing the structure of government by defining the roles and powers of different branches, such as the executive, legislature, and judiciary. It ensures that power is distributed appropriately, often through mechanisms like federalism or separation of powers. 

The Constitution protects the rights and freedoms of citizens by setting out fundamental rights and liberties, ensuring that they are safeguarded against any potential abuse by the government. Moreover, it provides a framework for resolving disputes and making amendments, allowing for adaptability and continuity in governance.

2. Describe the South African Democratic Constitution in further detail.

The Democratic Constitution of South Africa, adopted in 1996, represents a landmark in the country's history, marking the transition from apartheid to a democratic society. This constitution is celebrated for its commitment to human rights, equality, and democratic governance.

It establishes South Africa as a democratic state with a strong emphasis on protecting the rights and freedoms of all individuals. The Constitution enshrines fundamental rights, including equality before the law, freedom of speech, and the right to a fair trial, ensuring that these principles are upheld in all aspects of governance.

It also outlines the structure of government, including a President as both the head of state and government, a bicameral parliament, and an independent judiciary. The Constitution promotes the principles of accountability and transparency, requiring government officials to act within the bounds of the law and in the best interest of the public. 

It provides mechanisms for citizens to participate in the political process and seek redress through various institutions, reflecting a commitment to inclusive and representative democracy. This democratic framework aims to address past injustices and build a society based on equality and respect for human dignity.

3. Describe the fight against apartheid.

The struggle against apartheid in South Africa was a long and intense battle against a system of racial segregation and discrimination imposed by the government. Apartheid, which means "apartness" in Afrikaans, was officially established in 1948 and enforced policies that separated people based on race, limiting the rights of the non-white majority.

The struggle against apartheid began with various forms of resistance, including protests, boycotts, and strikes, led by groups such as the African National Congress (ANC), the South African Communist Party (SACP), and other anti-apartheid organisations. Prominent leaders like Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, and Steve Biko played crucial roles in rallying both domestic and international support against the regime.

The resistance faced brutal repression from the government, including imprisonment, torture, and violence. Despite these challenges, the movement gained momentum, leading to increased pressure on the apartheid regime from within South Africa and around the world. International sanctions, divestment campaigns, and global advocacy further isolated the apartheid government.

In the early 1990s, negotiations between the apartheid government and anti-apartheid leaders resulted in the dismantling of the system. This culminated in the first multiracial elections in 1994, which saw Nelson Mandela elected as South Africa’s first black president, marking the end of apartheid and the beginning of a new era of democracy and equality in the country.

4. Examine the Preamble's Secularism section.

Secularism, as stated in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution, denotes that India is a secular state where the government maintains an impartial stance towards all religions. This principle ensures that the state treats all religions equally and does not favour or discriminate against any religious group. The idea is to promote harmony and coexistence among diverse religious communities by safeguarding their right to practice and propagate their beliefs freely.

5. Explain what a "socialist" is. If India is a socialist state, explain.

The term “Socialist” refers to a political and economic system in which the government plays a significant role in regulating and controlling the means of production, distribution, and exchange. The aim is to reduce economic inequalities and ensure that wealth and resources are distributed more equitably among the population. 

Socialism seeks to create a society where wealth and power are shared more fairly, often through policies that promote social welfare and public ownership of key industries.

India is described as a Socialist State in the Preamble of its Constitution. This designation reflects the country's commitment to reducing economic disparities and ensuring that the benefits of economic development are distributed more equally among its citizens.

6. In light of the end of apartheid and the establishment of a multiracial administration, what words did Nelson Mandela have to say?

Nelson Mandela, a key figure in the struggle against apartheid, expressed profound optimism and a vision of reconciliation when apartheid came to an end and a multi-racial government was formed. In his famous inauguration speech on May 10, 1994, Mandela celebrated the transition from decades of racial oppression to a new era of democracy and equality. He highlighted the significance of the moment as a triumph of justice and unity over injustice and division.

Mandela acknowledged the sacrifices and struggles of those who fought against apartheid, emphasising that the new government would be a beacon of hope and a testament to the resilience of the South African people. He underscored the importance of building a society where all individuals, regardless of race, could enjoy equal rights and opportunities. Mandela’s vision was not just about political change but also about fostering national reconciliation, healing, and forging a collective identity based on mutual respect and shared values.

7. Does the narrative of the liberation fight in South Africa evoke memories of the Indian national movement? Write out all the ways the two are similar and different.

Similarities:

Colonial Oppression: Both movements were aimed at ending oppressive colonial rule and achieving self-governance. South Africa fought against British colonialism and apartheid, while India sought independence from British colonial rule.

Leadership of Prominent Figures: Both struggles were led by charismatic leaders who played crucial roles in mobilizing and inspiring people. Nelson Mandela led the fight against apartheid in South Africa, while figures like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Subhas Chandra Bose led the Indian independence movement.

Non-Violent Resistance: Both movements used non-violent methods as a key strategy. In India, Gandhi’s principle of non-violence (Satyagraha) was central, while in South Africa, non-violent protests and boycotts were also important, although armed resistance was part of the struggle.

International Support: Both movements received significant international attention and support. The Indian independence movement garnered global sympathy and support through various campaigns and diplomacy, while the anti-apartheid struggle benefited from global sanctions and solidarity.

Mass Mobilisation: Both movements involved the mass mobilisation of people across various social and economic backgrounds. In India, this included widespread participation across different communities, while in South Africa, diverse groups united against apartheid.

Dissimilarities:

Nature of Oppression: The Indian national movement was primarily against British colonial rule, whereas the South African struggle was against a system of racial segregation and apartheid imposed by a predominantly white minority government.

Timeline and Duration: The Indian independence movement spanned over several decades, culminating in 1947, while the South African struggle for freedom, especially against apartheid, was more concentrated in the latter half of the 20th century, with apartheid formally ending in 1994.

Political Structure: India’s struggle was against direct colonial rule to achieve a sovereign nation-state, whereas South Africa struggled to dismantle an internal system of racial discrimination and establish a democratic multi-racial government within the framework of existing colonial structures.

Methods of Resistance: While both movements utilised non-violent resistance, the South African struggle also included armed resistance by groups like the African National Congress’s military wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe, which was less prominent in India’s movement.

Post-Independence Challenges: The post-independence challenges faced by the two countries differed. India faced challenges related to partition, communal violence, and establishing a unified state, while South Africa had to address deep-seated racial inequalities and implement reconciliation processes.

8. What makes a Constitution necessary?

Establishing the Framework of Government: It provides a clear structure for the organisation and functioning of government institutions. This includes defining the roles and powers of different branches, such as the executive, legislature, and judiciary.

Ensuring the Rule of Law: The Constitution upholds the rule of law by setting out legal principles and standards that everyone, including government officials, must follow. This helps prevent arbitrary rule and ensures that laws are applied consistently and fairly.

Protecting Rights and Freedoms: It guarantees fundamental rights and freedoms to all citizens, such as freedom of speech, equality before the law, and the right to a fair trial. These protections help safeguard individual liberties and prevent abuses of power.

Providing Stability and Continuity: A constitution serves as a stable foundation for governance, offering continuity and consistency over time. It helps maintain order and provides a framework for resolving conflicts and making amendments as needed.

Promoting Accountability and Transparency: By outlining the roles and responsibilities of government officials and institutions, a constitution ensures accountability and transparency in governance. It establishes mechanisms for checks and balances, making sure that no single branch of government becomes too powerful.

9. Compose a brief remark about Dr. Rajendra Prasad.

Dr. Rajendra Prasad was a prominent Indian leader and the first President of India, serving from 1950 to 1962. Born on December 3, 1884, in Bihar, he was a distinguished scholar and a key figure in the Indian independence movement. 

As a devoted follower of Mahatma Gandhi, he actively participated in various campaigns against British colonial rule, including the Non-Cooperation Movement and the Quit India Movement. 

Dr. Prasad's leadership extended to his role in framing the Indian Constitution as the President of the Constituent Assembly. Renowned for his humility, dedication, and commitment to public service, he played a significant role in shaping the early years of independent India and promoting unity and progress.

10. Examine how the Preambles differ from the US, Indian, and South African constitutions. Make a note of at least one of these key distinctions.

The Preambles to the constitutions of the United States, India, and South Africa each reflect the foundational principles and values of their respective nations. Here’s a comparison highlighting one major difference between them:

United States

Preamble: "We the People of the United States, to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquillity, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

Emphasises the creation of a more perfect union and the establishment of justice.

Focuses on the principles of justice, tranquillity, defence, welfare, and liberty.

The language reflects a commitment to creating and improving the union of states and securing freedoms for future generations.

Preamble: "We, the People of India, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic and to secure to all its citizens: Justice, social, economic and political; Liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship; Equality of status and opportunity; and to promote among them all Fraternity assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation."

Highlights the establishment of India as a Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic.

Focuses on justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity.

Stresses the unity and integrity of the nation, with a clear commitment to socialism and secularism.

South Africa

Preamble: "We, the people of South Africa, Recognise the injustices of our past; Honour those who suffered for justice and freedom in our land; Respect those who have worked to build and develop our country; and Believe that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, united in our diversity."

Acknowledges the injustices of the past and honours those who fought for justice and freedom.

Emphasises unity in diversity and respect for all citizens who contribute to the nation’s development.

Reflects a commitment to reconciliation and building a unified, inclusive nation.

Difference:

Focus on Historical Context: The South African Preamble explicitly addresses and acknowledges the historical injustices and struggles against apartheid, emphasising reconciliation and respect for all citizens. In contrast, the U.S. Preamble focuses on the creation and improvement of the union and the protection of liberties, while the Indian Preamble emphasises the establishment of a specific type of republic (socialist, secular, democratic) and the promotion of justice and equality.

11. Discuss the forms of discrimination experienced by Black South Africans.

Racial Segregation: Blacks were forced to live in designated areas known as "townships" or "homelands," which were often underdeveloped and lacked basic amenities compared to areas allocated for white people.

Restricted Rights: Blacks were denied basic civil and political rights, such as the right to vote, the right to run for office, and the right to participate fully in government.

Education Inequality: Educational resources and facilities for black students were severely underfunded and inferior compared to those available to white students, perpetuating educational and economic disparities.

Employment Restrictions: Blacks faced job discrimination and were often relegated to low-paying, unskilled jobs. They were also excluded from many professions and higher-paying positions.

Legal Discrimination: Laws enforced racial segregation in public places, including parks, restaurants, and transport services. Blacks were legally required to use separate facilities and services.

Political Suppression: Political organizations and activities led by blacks were banned or heavily restricted. Leaders and activists were often imprisoned, banned, or subjected to violence.

Pass Laws: Blacks were required to carry passbooks and had to obtain permission to travel or live in areas designated for whites, severely restricting their freedom of movement.

Discrimination in Health Services: Health services for blacks were inadequate and under-resourced compared to those available to whites, leading to poorer health outcomes.

Economic Exploitation: The apartheid system enforced economic policies that exploited black labour while providing minimal economic benefits to black workers and communities.

Cultural Suppression: Black cultural practices and languages were often suppressed or undervalued, with the apartheid regime promoting the dominance of white cultural norms.

12. How was Constitution Day observed at your school on November 26? Write a succinct report.

On November 26, our school celebrated Constitution Day with a series of enriching activities. The day began with a flag-hoisting ceremony and the singing of the national anthem, fostering a sense of patriotism. A special assembly followed, where our principal highlighted the significance of the Indian Constitution. 

Students participated in an interactive quiz about the Constitution, attended an educational workshop, and engaged in essay and poster competitions on related themes. 

A cultural program, including skits and performances, illustrated the values of equality and justice enshrined in the Constitution. The event was concluded with a guest speaker session, providing deeper insights into the Constitution’s impact on society. 

Overall, the celebration was a valuable opportunity for students to deepen their understanding of the Constitution and its importance in our democracy.

13. Summarise "Sovereignty" in a few sentences.

Sovereignty refers to the supreme authority and independence of a state to govern itself without external interference. It encompasses a state's ability to make its laws, conduct its affairs, and manage its internal and external relations. 

Sovereignty is a fundamental principle of international law, affirming that a nation has ultimate control over its territory and governance. 

This concept ensures that a state is recognised as an autonomous entity, free from external control or influence, and capable of making decisions that affect its citizens and its borders. In essence, sovereignty underpins the idea of a nation’s self-determination and political independence.

14. Explain what is meant by "Constituent Assembly."

A Constituent Assembly is a special body convened to draft or adopt a new constitution or to make significant amendments to an existing one. Its primary role is to create or revise the fundamental legal framework that governs a country, defining the structure of government, the distribution of powers, and the rights and responsibilities of its citizens. 

Members of a Constituent Assembly are typically elected or appointed to represent various segments of society and political interests. 

The assembly deliberates on constitutional provisions, drafts the document, and ensures that it reflects the values and aspirations of the people. Once the constitution is finalised, it is usually subjected to approval by a referendum or legislative body before being formally adopted.

15. "The members of the Constituent Assembly had a difficult task in framing the Indian Constitution." What challenges did the drafters of the Constitution face? Make four mentions.

Diverse Aspirations and Interests: The assembly had to address the varied needs and aspirations of a diverse population with different linguistic, cultural, and religious backgrounds. Balancing these interests while ensuring inclusivity and unity was a significant challenge.

Partition and its Aftermath: The Constitution was drafted in the context of the recent partition of India, which had led to communal violence and displacement. Addressing the issues arising from partition and ensuring the integration of newly formed states was a complex task.

Balancing Federal and Central Powers: Crafting a federal structure that balances powers between the central government and states requires careful deliberation. The members needed to ensure that the federal arrangement accommodated the autonomy of states while maintaining national unity.

Drafting Comprehensive and Flexible Provisions: The framers had to create a document that was both comprehensive and adaptable to future changes. They needed to include provisions that would endure over time, while also allowing for amendments to address evolving needs and challenges.

16. What does the word "fraternity" mean?

Fraternity refers to a sense of brotherhood and solidarity among people, fostering a spirit of unity and mutual respect. In the context of a constitution or a political system, it emphasises the importance of social cohesion and the collective well-being of all citizens.

17. Sarojini Naidu: who was she?

Sarojini Naidu, also known as the "Nightingale of India," was a prominent Indian independence activist, poet, and politician. Born on February 13, 1879, in Hyderabad, she was one of the leading figures in the Indian freedom movement and a key member of the Indian National Congress.

Naidu was renowned for her literary work, which included poems in English that celebrated India's culture and struggles. Her poetry earned her acclaim both in India and abroad. She was also a significant political figure, actively participating in various movements such as the Non-Cooperation Movement and the Salt March led by Mahatma Gandhi.

In 1947, Sarojini Naidu became the first woman to serve as a governor in independent India, taking on the role of Governor of Uttar Pradesh. Her contributions to both literature and politics made her a respected and influential figure in Indian history. She passed away on March 2, 1949, leaving behind a legacy of courage, literary brilliance, and dedication to the cause of Indian independence.

18. The country of India is a Democratic Republic. Describe.

India is a Democratic Republic, which means it operates as a system where power is derived from the people through elected representatives and governed by laws rather than a monarchy. 

As a democracy, it ensures that citizens have the right to vote and participate in free and fair elections to choose their leaders. 

The republic aspect signifies that the head of state, the President, is elected rather than inherited, upholding the principles of equality and accountability. 

This structure combines democratic governance with a system of elected representation and the rule of law, ensuring that the government remains accountable to the people and adheres to constitutional principles.

19. “In politics, we will have equality and in social and economic life we will have inequality”. By whom was this comment made?

The statement, "In politics, we will have equality and in social and economic life we will have inequality," was made by Dr B.R. Ambedkar. He expressed this view during the debates on the Indian Constitution, highlighting the distinction between political equality and the persistent social and economic inequalities that existed in society. Dr Ambedkar, a key architect of the Indian Constitution and a champion of social justice, emphasised the need for political equality through democratic processes while recognising the challenge of addressing entrenched social and economic disparities.

20. In ___________, South Africa attained democracy

21. Describe the processes that went into drafting the Indian Constitution.

Formation of the Constituent Assembly: The Constituent Assembly was established in 1946 to draft the Constitution. Members were elected by the provincial legislatures, and the Assembly included representatives from various political parties and regions.

Drafting of the Constitution: A Drafting Committee, chaired by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, was appointed to prepare the draft of the Constitution. This committee was responsible for consolidating various provisions and ensuring that the document reflected the principles of justice, equality, and democracy.

Debates and Deliberations: The Draft Constitution was debated and discussed in detail by the Constituent Assembly. Members proposed amendments, modifications, and additions to ensure that the Constitution addressed the diverse needs and concerns of the Indian population.

Adoption and Approval: After extensive discussions and revisions, the final draft was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949. This marked the completion of the drafting process, but the Constitution came into effect on January 26, 1950, which is celebrated as Republic Day.

Ratification: The adopted Constitution was ratified by the various states and regions of India. This step ensured that the Constitution was recognised and accepted throughout the country.

22. “The South African Constitution inspires democrats all over the world.” Provide evidence for this claim.

Commitment to Human Rights: The South African Constitution enshrines a broad range of human rights, including civil, political, economic, and social rights. It emphasises the protection and promotion of fundamental freedoms, such as equality, dignity, and freedom from discrimination, making it a model for comprehensive human rights legislation.

Reconciliation and Inclusivity: Crafted in the aftermath of apartheid, the Constitution prioritises reconciliation and nation-building. It seeks to address historical injustices while fostering an inclusive society where all citizens, regardless of race, gender, or background, have a stake in the democratic process.

Democratic Principles: It establishes a robust framework for democracy, including a separation of powers among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. This ensures checks and balances and upholds democratic governance by preventing any one branch from gaining excessive power.

Constitutional Supremacy: The Constitution is the supreme law of the land, and all laws and government actions must conform to it. This principle ensures that the rule of law is maintained and that constitutional rights and freedoms are protected.

Independent Judiciary: The Constitution guarantees an independent judiciary, which is crucial for upholding the rule of law and protecting individual rights. The Constitutional Court plays a key role in interpreting the Constitution and ensuring that laws and government actions comply with constitutional standards.

Important Topics of Class 9 Political Science (Civics) Chapter 2 Important Questions and Answers 

Class 9 Civics Chapter 2 Important Questions explores the creation and significance of a constitution in establishing governance and protecting citizens' rights.

Benefits of Learning with Constitutional Design Class 9 Important Questions and Answers PDF

Studying Political Science (Civics) Class 9 Constitutional Design Class 9 Important Questions and Answers offers students several benefits.

Provides a detailed overview of key concepts, helping students grasp the fundamental principles of constitutional design and governance.

Offers targeted questions and answers that are essential for exam preparation, making it easier to review and retain important information.

Breaks down complex topics into simple explanations, aiding in better comprehension and clarity of constitutional principles and their significance.

Serves as a convenient resource for quick reference and revision, saving time and ensuring that students are well-prepared for their exams.

Learning from the Constitutional Design Class 9 Important Questions and Answers PDF can significantly enhance your understanding of the essential concepts related to governance and constitutional principles. By using this resource, you gain a clear grasp of the key topics, improve your exam preparation, and develop a solid foundation in civics. For more practice and detailed explanations, consider exploring additional resources on Vedantu. This will help you build a comprehensive understanding and perform confidently in your exams.

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FAQs on CBSE Class 9 Political Science (Civics) Important Questions Chapter 2 Constitutional Design

1. Why is the Constitutional Design Class 9 Important Questions and Answers PDF beneficial for exam preparation?

This PDF provides targeted practice questions and detailed answers, helping you focus on key topics and understand important concepts, which improves your exam performance.

2. How does this Constitutional Design Class 9 Extra Questions help in understanding complex constitutional concepts?

It simplifies complex ideas into clear explanations, making it easier to grasp and retain fundamental principles of constitutional design.

3. Can I rely on this PDF for all my study needs for this chapter?

While this PDF is a valuable resource, it's best used in conjunction with textbooks and other study materials for a comprehensive understanding.

4. How does this Constitutional Design Class 9 Extra Questions aid in efficient revision?

The PDF organises key questions and answers, allowing for focused and effective revision sessions, which helps in retaining crucial information.

5. What types of questions are included in these extra questions for class 9 civics chapter 2 constitutional design?

The PDF contains important questions that cover major topics of the chapter, including the need for a constitution, its features, and the process of making it.

6. Is this PDF useful for both beginners and advanced students?

Yes, it is designed to be beneficial for students at various levels by providing a clear overview and practice questions that cater to different understanding levels.

7. How can I use these extra questions for class 9 civics chapter 2 constitutional design to improve my problem-solving skills?

By practising the questions and reviewing the detailed answers, you can enhance your analytical and problem-solving skills related to constitutional design.

8. Can this Class 9 Civics Chapter 2 Extra Questions and Answers help in understanding the Indian Constitution better?

It covers essential features and the process of drafting the Indian Constitution, helping you gain a deeper understanding of its significance.

9. What should I do if I find a concept difficult to understand in this Class 9 Civics Chapter 2 Extra Questions and Answers?

If you encounter difficulties, refer to additional resources like revision notes, and textbooks or seek help from teachers at Vedantu.

10. Where can I find Constitutional Design Class 9 Important Questions and Answers?

Students can visit Vedantu, which offers more exercises and detailed explanations to further enhance their preparation.

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Class 9 Civics Chapter 2 Previous Year Questions - Constitutional Design

Short Answer Type Questions

Q1: Describe the steps taken to form the Constituent Assembly.     [CBSE 2016, 2023] Or  How was the Indian Constituent Assembly formed?    [hots]  Ans: The Indian Constituent Assembly was formed for the task of framing the Constitution for independent India. The elections to the Provisional Legislative Assembly were held in July 1946. The elected members of the Provisional Legislative Assembly elected the members for the Constituent Assembly through a proportional representation system. There were in total of 389 members in the Constituent Assembly. Later with the Partition of India into India and Pakistan, 299 members wrote the constitution. It included 70 members from princely states and nine women. 284 present members gave their assent and the Indian Constitution was passed.

Long Answer Type Questions

Q1: The formation of the Indian constitution was no less difficult than that of the constitution of South Africa. Do you agree? Explain with five arguments.     [CBSE 2017, 2022] Or “India emerged as an independent country against heavy turmoil.” Justify the statement.     [CBSE 2019] Ans:   It is a fact that like South Africa, India’s Constitution was also drawn up under very difficult circumstances as mentioned below : (i) India is a huge and diverse country. This made making the constitution a difficult task. (ii) We got independence in 1947, People were emerging from the status of subjects to that of citizens. (iii) The country was born as a result of partition on the basis of religious differences. A large number of people were killed in communal clashes. This was a traumatic experience for the people of India as well as Pakistan. (iv) The British had left it to the rulers of the princely states to decide whether they wanted to merge with India or with Pakistan or remain independent. It was a very difficult task. (iv) The future of the country was not as secure as it is today. Thus the condition was that of turmoil and uncertainty. People were facing problems such as unemployment, violence and anxiety, separation from their loved ones due to partition. Q2: “The familiarity with political institutions of the colonial rule helped to develop an agreement over the institutional design.” Justify the statement.    [CBSE 2016, 2022] Ans:  The familiarity with political institutions of colonial rule helped to develop an agreement over the institutional design in the following ways. (a) The British rule gave voting rights to only a few. Later Election Commission was set up and voting rights were granted to all. (b) Elections were held in 1937 to Provincial Legislatures and Ministries were formed all over British India. The experience gained by Indians in the working of these institutions proved to be very useful for the country in setting up its own institutions and working in them. (c) The Indian Constitution adopted many institutional details and procedures from colonial laws like the Government of India Act, 1935. (d) The ideals of the French Revolution, the practice of Parliamentary democracy in Britain and the Bill of Rights in the US-inspired us to set up fundamental rights and duties. (e) The political institutions of the colonial rule are not just copied. They are questioned at every step to suit our nation’s conditions and set-up. In a way, they serve as a blueprint for setting up our institutions. Q3: Explain the importance of the institutional design of the Constitution of India.     [CBSE 2016, 2018] Ans: The importance of the institutional design of the Constitution of India as follows: (a) The constitution is mainly about embodying its values into institutional arrangements. (b) It is a long and detailed document. Therefore, it needs to be amended quite regularly to keep it updated. (c) The constitution describes the constitutional arrangements in a very legal language. (d) The Constitution lays down a procedure for choosing persons to govern the country. It defines who will and how much power one will have to make which decisions. (e) It also puts limits on what the government can do by providing some rights to the citizens that cannot be violated.

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Question 1 - Case Based Questions - Chapter 2 Class 9 Political Science - Constitutional Design - Political Science

Last updated at April 16, 2024 by Teachoo

Read the source given below and answer the  following questions: 

Like South Africa, India’s Constitution was also  drawn up under very difficult circumstances. The  making of the Constitution for a huge and diverse  country like India was not an easy affair. At that  time the people of India were emerging from the  status of subjects to that of citizens. The country  was born through a partition on the basis of religious differences. This was a traumatic experience  for the people of India and Pakistan. At least ten  lakh people were killed on both sides of the border  in partition related violence. There was another  problem. The British had left it to the rulers of the  princely states to decide whether they wanted to  merge with India or with Pakistan or remain independent. The merger of these princely states was  a difficult and uncertain task. When the constitution was being written, the future of the country  did not look as secure as it does today. The makers  of the constitution had anxieties about the present  and the future of the country.

Question 1.1

Which country’s constitution was drawn under very difficult circumstances, besides india.

Besides India, South Africa’s constitution was drawn under very difficult circumstances.

Question 1.2

The partition was between which two countries .

The partition was between India and Pakistan.

Question 1.3

Why did the makers of the constitution have anxieties when the constitution was being written.

The makers of the constitution have anxieties when the constitution was being written because they were worried about the present and future of the country ,

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Constitutional Design Class 9 Extra Questions Civics Chapter 3

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Extra Questions for Class 9 Social Science Civics Chapter 3 Constitutional Design

Constitutional Design Class 9 Extra Questions Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1. The official policy of racial separation of ill treatment of blacks followed by the government of South Africa was called _______ . Answer: Apartheid

Question 2. An assembly of people’s representatives that writes a constitution for a country is _______ . Answer: Constituent assembly

Question 3. What do you know about ‘The Long Walk to Freedom’? Answer: It is an autobiography of Nelson Mandela.

Question 4. An introductory statement in a constitution which states the reasons and guiding values of the constitution is _______ . Answer: Preamble

Question 5. When did South Africa become a democratic country? Answer: 26 April, 1994

Question 6. Leaders of the freedom movement were clear that their country should be _______ . Answer: Democratic

Question 7. One of the guiding values of the constitution is sovereignty which means _______ . Answer: People have the supreme right to make decisions

Question 8. ‘Republic’ in consent to our constitution means _______ . Answer: Head of the state is an elected person

Question 9. All of us should behave as if we are members of the same family. No one should treat a fellow citizen as inferior. This defines a word given in Preamble of our Constitution which is _______ . Answer: Fraternity

Question 10. The famous speech given by Pt. Nehru on the eve of Independence Day is known as _______ . Answer: Tryst with Destiny

Question 11. In 1928, who along with eight other congress leaders? Answer: Motilal Nehru

Question 12. The Assembly adopted the Constitution on 26 November 1949 but it came into effect on 26 January _______ . Answer: 1950

Question 13. Who was the Chairmen of the drafting committee of Indian Constitution, social revolutionary, thinker and agitator against caste divisions? Answer: Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar

Question 14. In Indian Constitution, the Secular means _______ . Answer: Citizens have complete freedom to follow any religion

Question 15. There are no unreasonable restrictions on the citizens in India, in what way they think, how they wish to express their thoughts. This means they enjoy _______ . Answer: Liberty

Question 16. What was apartheid? Answer: Racial discrimination

Question 17. What is the full form of ANC? Answer: The African National Congress

Question 18. Where did Nelson Mandela spend his prison term? Answer: Nelson Mandela spent 28 years in South Africa’s most dreaded prison, Robben Island.

Question 19. Who was the first president of the newly born democracy in South Africa? Answer: Nelson Mandela

Question 20. Name the umbrella organisation that led the struggle against the policies , of segregation in South Africa. Answer: The African National Congress (ANC) was the umbrella organisation that led the struggle against the policies of segregation in South Africa.

Question 21. What determines the rights of citizens and the powers of the government? Answer: As the supreme law of the country, the Constitution determines the rights of citizens, the powers of the government and how the government should function.

Question 22. Who played a key role in the making of the Indian Constitution? Answer: Dr. B.R. Amdedkar played a key role in the making of the Indian Constitution.

Question 23. When did the process of the Making of the Indian Constitution begin? Answer: In 1928, Motilal Nehru and eight other Congress leaders drafted a constitution for India which marked the beginning of this process.

Question 24. Who was Rajendra Prasad? Answer: Rajendra Prasad was bom in Bihar. He was the President of the Constituent Assembly. He was also the first President of India.

Question 25. What does the phrase ‘Service of India’ mean? Answer: The phrase ‘Service of India’ means the service of the millions who suffer. It means the ending of poverty and ignorance and disease and inequality of opportunity.

Question 26. What is meant by ‘Constituent Assembly Debates’? Answer: The members deliberated for 114 days spread over three years. Every document presented and every word spoken in the Constituent Assembly has been recorded and preserved. These are called ‘Constituent Assembly Debates’.

Question 27. What do you understand by the term ‘the Preamble to the Constitution’? Answer: The Constitution begins with a short statement of its basic values. This is called the Preamble to the Constitution.

Question 28. What do you mean by the term ‘sovereign’? Answer: It means people have supreme right to make decisions on internal as well as external matters. No external power can dictate the government of India.

Question 29. What do you mean by the term ‘secular’? Answer: It means citizens have complete freedom to follow any religion, but there is no official religion. Government treats all religious beliefs and practices with equal respect.

Question 30. Why is the Preamble called the soul of the Indian Constitution? Answer: Because it contains the philosophy on which the entire constitution has been built. It provides a standard to examine and evaluate any law and action of government, to find out whether it is good or bad. It is the soul of the Indian Constitution.

Question 31. What is the significance of the phrase ‘We the people of India’ in the Preamble? Answer: The preamble is an introductory part of the Constitution. It is called the key of the Constitution. “We the people of India” means the Constitution has been drawn up and enacted by the people through their representatives, and not handed down to them by a king or any outside powers.

Constitutional Design Class 9 Extra Questions Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1. What is meant by apartheid? How was it oppressive for the blacks? Answer: Apartheid was the name of a system of racial discrimination unique to South Africa. The white Europeans imposed this system on South Africa. The system of apartheid divided the people and labelled them according to their skin colour.

Many ‘whites’ had settled in South Africa and became the local rulers. The system of public toilets, were all separate for the whites and blacks. This, was called segregation. They could not even visit the churches where the whites worshipped. Blacks could not form associations or protest the terrible treatment.

Question 2. What do you mean by ‘Constitution’? Answer: The constitution of a country is a set of written rules that are accepted by all people living together in a country. Constitution is the supreme law that determines the relationship among people living in a territory (called citizens) and also the relationship between the people and government.

Question 3. What were the steps involved in the framing of the Indian Constitution? Answer: The drafting of the document called the constitution was done by an assembly of elected representatives called the Constituent Assembly. Elections to the Constituent Assembly were held in July 1946. Its first meeting was held in December 1946. Soon after, the country was divided into India and Pakistan. The Constituent Assembly was also divided into the Constituent Assembly of India and that of Pakistan. The Constituent Assembly that wrote the Indian Constitution had 299 members. The Assembly adopted the Constitution on 26 November, 1949 and it came into force on 26 January, 1950.

Question 4. What are the four main ideals enshrined in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution? Answer: The ideals written in the Preamble of the Constitution are as under :

• Justice: Every citizen of India will have social, economic and political justice.
• Liberty: Every citizen will have the liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship.
• Equality: Every citizen will be provided with the equality of status and opportunity.
• fraternity: All the citizens of India have been assured about the dignity of individual and the unity and integrity of the nation.

Question 5. How did the Constituent Assembly work to prepare the Constitution for India? Answer: The Constituent Assembly worked in a systematic, open and consensual manner. First, some basic principles were decided and agreed upon. Then, a Drafting Committee chaired by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar prepared a draft constitution for discussion. Several rounds of thorough discussion took place, clause by clause. More than 2000 amendments were considered. The members deliberated for 114 days spread over 3 years. Every document presented and every word spoken in the Constituent Assembly was recorded and preserved. These are called ‘Constituent Assembly Debates’.

Question 6. What are constitutional amendments? Answer: A constitution is not merely a statement of values and philosophy. A constitution is mainly about embodying these values into institutional arrangements. Indian Constitution is a very long and detailed document. Therefore, it needs to be amended quite regularly to keep it updated. Those who crafted the Indian Constitution felt that it must be in accordance with people’s aspirations and changes in society. They did not see it as a sacred, static and unalterable law. So, they made provisions to incorporate changes from time to time. These changes are called constitutional amendments.

Question 7. On what terms did the blacks agreed upon while making a Constitution for South Africa? Answer: After two years of discussion and debate, they came out with one of the finest constitutions the world has ever had. This constitution gave to its citizens the most extensive rights available in any country. Together, they decided that in the search for a solution to the problems, nobody should be excluded, no one should be treated as a demon. They agreed that everybody should become part of the solution, whatever they might have done or represented in the past.

Question 8. What was the reaction of the government towards the protest movement against the apartheid in South Africa? Answer: In South Africa, the white racist government continued to rule by detaining, torturing and killing thousands of black and coloured people. As protests and struggles against apartheid had increased, the government realised that they could no longer keep the blacks under their rule through repression. The white regime changed its policies. Discriminatory laws were repealed. Ban on political parties and restrictions on the media were lifted. After 28 years of imprisonment, Nelson Mandela walked out of the jail as a free man.

Question 9. Why did the South African people need a Constitution? Answer: The people of South Africa, need a constitution because :

• The oppressor and the oppressed in this new democracy were planning to live together as equals. It was not going to be easy for them to trust each other. They had their fears.
• They wanted to safeguard their interests. The black majority was keen to ensure that the democratic principle of majority rule was not compromised.
• They wanted substantial social and economic rights.

Question 10. What was the philosophy behind the Constitution? Answer:

• The values that inspired and guided the freedom struggle and were, in turn, nurtured by it, formed the foundation for India’s democracy. These values are embedded in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution.
• They guide all the articles of the Indian Constitution. The Constitution begins with a short statement of its basic values. This is called the Preamble to the constitution.
• Taking inspiration from American model, most countries in the contemporary world have chosen to begin their constitutions with a preamble.

Question 11. What compromises did the blacks and white make? Answer: It was not an easy task for the two divergent people of South Africa—the White oppressors and the Black Oppressed one—to draw up a common Constitution for the country when it became free in 1994. After long negotiations both parties agreed to a compromises.

• The whites agreed to the principle of majority rule that of one person one vote.
• They also agreed to some basic rights for the poor and the workers.
• The blacks agreed that majority rule would not be absolute.
• They also agreed that the majority would not take away the property of the white minority. (Any three)

Question 12. What was the composition of the Constituent Assembly? Answer: The Constituent Assembly was elected mainly by the members of the existing Provincial Legislatures. This ensured a fair geographical share of members from all the regions of the country. The Assembly was dominated by the Indian National Congress, the party that led India’s freedom struggle. But, the Congress itself included a variety of political groups and opinions. The Assembly had many members who did not agree with the Congress. In social terms too, the Assembly represented members from different language groups, castes, classes, religions and occupations.

Question 13. What did Ambedkar mean by ‘contradictions’ in his concluding speech to the Constituent Assembly? 4]Q8I Answer: Dr. Ambedkar, who played a key role in the making of the Constitution, but he had a different understanding of how inequalities could be removed. In his concluding speech to the Constituent Assembly, Dr. Ambedkar said that India was entering a life of ‘contradictions’ on 26th January, 1950. According to him in politics, Indians would have equality but in social and economic life, there would be inequality. The politics should be based on the principle of one man one vote and one vote one value. In social and economic life, by reason of social and economic structure one must continue to deny the principle of one man one value.

Question 14. What are the various functions of a Constitution? Answer: A Constitution performs several functions such as :

• It generates a degree of trust and coordination that is necessary for different kind of people to live together.
• It specifies how the government will be constituted, and who will have power of taking which decisions.
• It lays down limits on the powers of the government and tells us what the rights of the citizens are.
• It expresses the aspirations of the people about creating a good society. (Any three)

Question 15. How does the Indian Constitution describes the institutional arrangements? Answer: The Constitution describes the institutional arrangements in a very legal language.

• The Indian Constitution lays down a procedure for choosing persons to govern the country.
• It defines who will have how much power to take which decisions.
• It puts limits to what the government can do by providing some rights to the citizen that cannot be violated.

Constitutional Design Class 9 Extra Questions Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1. Why was the making of the Indian Constitution not an easy affair? Answer: Like South Africa, India’s Constitution was also drawn up under very difficult circumstances.

• The making of the constitution for a huge and diverse country like India was not an easy affair. At that time the people of India were emerging from the status of subjects to that of citizens. The country was born through a partition on the basis of religious differences.
• This was a traumatic experience for the people of India and Pakistan. Atleast ten lakh people were killed on both sides of the border in partition related violence.
• The British had left it to the rulers of the princely states to decide whether they wanted to merge with India or with Pakistan or remain independent.
• The merger of these princely states was a difficult and uncertain task. When the Constitution was being written, the future of the country did not look as secure as it does today.
• The makers of the Constitution had anxieties about the present and the future of the country.

Question 2. Why should we accept the Constitution made by the Assembly more than fifty years ago? Answer: The Constitution does not reflect the views of its members alone. It expresses a broad consensus of its time. Many countries of the world have had to rewrite their Constitution afresh because the basic rules were not accepted to all major social groups or political parties.

Over the last half a century, several groups have questioned some provisions of the Constitution. But no large social group or political party has ever questioned the legitimacy of the Constitution itself. This is an unusual achievement for any constitution. The second reason for accepting the Constitution is that the Constituent Assembly represented the people of India. There was no universal adult franchise at that time. So, the Constituent Assembly could not have been chosen directly by all the people of India.

The way in which the Constituent Assembly worked gives sanctity to the Constitution. The Constituent Assembly worked in a systematic, open and consensual manner. First some basic principles were decided and agreed upon. Then a Drafting Committee chaired by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar prepared a draft constitution for discussion. Several rounds of thorough discussion took place on the Draft Constitution, clause by clause. More than two thousand amendments were considered.

Every document presented, and every word spoken in the Constituent Assembly has been recorded and preserved. These are called ‘Constituent Assembly Debates’. These debates provide the rationale behind every provision of the Constitution. These are used to interpret the meaning of the Constitution.

Question 3. Explain the different key words used in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution. Answer: Several key words have been used in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution :

(i) WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA: The constitution has been drawn up and enacted by the people through their representatives, and not handed down to them by a king or any outside powers.

(ii) SOVEREIGN: People have supreme right to make decisions on internal as well as external matters. No external power can dictate the government of India.

(iii) SOCIALIST: Wealth is generated socially and should be shared equally by society. Government should regulate the ownership of land and industry to reduce socio-economic inequalities.

(iv) SECULAR: Citizens have complete freedom to follow any religion. But there is no official religion. Government treats all religious beliefs and practices with equal respect.

(v) DEMOCRATIC: A form of government where people enjoy equal political rights, elect their rulers and hold them accountable. The government is run according to some basic rules.

(vi) REPUBLIC: The head of the stats is an elected person and not a hereditary . position.

(vii) JUSTICE: Citizens cannot be discriminated on the grounds of caste, religion and gender. Social inequalities must be reduced. Government should work for the welfare of all, especially of the disadvantaged groups.

(viii) LIBERTY: There are no unreasonable restrictions on the citizens in what they think, how they wish to express their thoughts and the way they wish to follow up their thoughts in action.

(ix) EQUALITY: All are equal before the law. The traditional social inequalities must be ended. The government should ensure equal opportunity for all.

(x) FRATERNITY: All of us should behave as if we are members of the same family. No one should treat a fellow citizen as inferior.

Question 4. “The South African Constitution inspires democrats all over the world” Comment. Answer: The South African constitution inspires democrats all over the world in the following ways.

• A state denounced by the entire world till recently as the most undemocratic one is now seen as a model of democracy.
• What made this change possible was the determination of the South African people to work together, to transform bitter experience into the binding glue of a rainbow nation.
• The people of South Africa have of agreed that everybody should become a part of the solution, whatever they might have done or represented in the past.
• It is also a charter for the transformation of our country into one which is truly shared by all its people. It is a country in which the fullest sense belongs to all blacks and whites, women and men.”
• The Preamble to the South African Constitution sums up the spirit.

Constitutional Design Class 9 NCERT Extra Questions

Question 1. Write a short note on Nelson Mandela. Solution: Nelson Mandela fought against white domination in South Africa. He cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities.

The South African government tried him for treason and imprisoned him for daring to oppose the apartheid regime in his country. Mandela spent 28 years in South Africa’s most dreaded prison, Robben Island.

After 28 years of imprisonment, Nelson Mandela was released. On 26th April 1994, the new national flag of the Republic of South Africa was unfurled marking the newly born democracy in the world. Nelson Mandela was made the first President of this new democracy.

Question 2. What is a Constitution? Solution: Unlike a monarchy, in a democracy the rulers are not free to do what they like. Certain basic rules have to be followed by the citizens and the government. These rules put together are called the Constitution. As the supreme law of the country, the constitution determines the rights of citizens, the powers of the government and how the government should function.

Question 3. What was basis of the apartheid regime in South Africa? Solution: The apartheid regime differentiated people on the basis of their skin colour. The native people of South Africa who were black skinned were called ‘blacks’. They made up about three fourth of the population. People of mixed races who were called ‘coloured’. The White Europeans were called ‘Whites’. The white rulers treated all non whites as inferior.

Question 4. How were the non whites discriminated? Solution: The non whites did not have any voting rights. The apartheid regime was particularly oppressive for the ‘blacks’ and the ‘coloured’. They were forbidden from living in white areas. They could work in white areas only if they had a permit.

There were separate trains, buses, taxis, hotels, hospitals, schools and colleges, libraries, cinema halls, theatres, beaches, swimming pools and public toilets, for the whites and blacks. The blacks were not allowed into the Churches frequented by the whites. There were not allowed to form any association to represent their problems. This system of racial discrimination, unique to South Africa, was called Apartheid.

Question 5. Which was the first organisation that led the first against Apartheid? Solution: The African National Congress (ANC) was the first organisation that led the struggle against Apartheid.

Question 6. Why is South Africa called a ‘rainbow nation’ today? Solution: There is no social or any discrimination based on skin colour in free south Africa, today. Blacks, whites and coloured people, men and women, live as free citizens, in total harmony. This is why they call South Africa a ‘rainbow nation’.

Question 7. What was the situation at the time India achieved independence? Solution: At that time of independence, the people of India were emerging from the status of subjects to that of citizens. India and Pakistan were born through a partition on the basis of religious differences. This was a traumatic experience for the people of India and Pakistan. Lakhs of people were killed on both sides of the border in partition related violence. The British had left it to the rulers of the princely states to decide whether they wanted to merge with India or with Pakistan or remain independent. This created a lot of turmoil.

Question 8. Write a short note on the first Constituent assembly. Solution: Elections to the first Constituent Assembly were held in July 1946. The elected members drafted the document called the Constitution. The Constituent Assembly held its first meeting in November 1946. Soon after the country was divided into India and Pakistan. The Constituent Assembly was also divided into the Constituent Assembly of India and that of Pakistan. The Indian Constituent assembly had 299 members. The Assembly adopted the Constitution on 26 November 1949. The constitution only came into effect on January 26, 1950. So Republic Day is celebrated on the 26 th of January , every year.

Question 9. How is the South African Constitution looked upon today? Solution: The South African constitution inspires democrats all over the world. South Africa was a State which was looked down upon by many during the Apartheid regime. Today the determination of the people of South Africa to work together, without bearing any grudges against the white regime in looked upon with great respect. The South African Constitution sees people of all skin colours as equal. Men and women are treated equally.

Question 10. What is a Preamble? Quote the Preamble of our constitution. Solution: A Preamble is an introductory statement in a constitution which states the reasons and guiding values of the constitution.

” We, the people of India having solemnly resolved to constitute India into SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and secure to all its citizens justice, social, economic and political. Liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship. Equality of statue and of opportunity and to promote among them all fraternity, assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the nation, in our constitutional assembly, this 26 th day of November.1949, do hereby adopt, enact and give to ourselves this constitution.”

Question 11. Who constituted the Constituent assembly? Solution: The Assembly was dominated by the Indian National Congress, which led India’s freedom struggle. The Indian National Congress included a variety of political groups . these different groups had different opinions.

The Assembly also had many members who did not agree with the Congress. On the social platform, the Assembly was represented by members from different language groups, castes, classes, religions and occupations.

Question 12. What is secularism? Solution: When a Government treats all religious beliefs and practices with equal respect it called a secular government. There is no official religion. Citizens have complete freedom to follow any religion.

Question 13. Define ‘ Democratic Republic’. Solution: ‘ Democratic Republic’ is a form of government where people enjoy equal political rights, elect their rulers and hold them accountable. The government is run according to some basic rules. The head of the state is an elected person and not a hereditary ruler.

Question 14. Write a brief note on the following personalities. (a) Jawaharlal Nehru (b) Sarojini Naidu (c) Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar Solution: (a) Jawaharlal Nehru was born in the year 1889 and died in the year 1964. He was born in the state of Uttar Pradesh. He was a lawyer by profession. He was the Prime Minister of the interim government. As a Congress leader he advocated socialism, democracy and anti imperialism. Later he was appointed the First Prime Minister of India.

(b) Sarojini Naidu was born in the year 1879 and died in the year 1949. She was born in Andhra Pradesh. She was a poet, writer and political activist. She was among the foremost women leaders in the Congress. Later she was appointed the Governor of Uttar Pradesh.

(c) Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar was born in the year 1891 and died in the year 1956. He was born in Maharashtra. He was the Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Constitution. He was a Social revolutionary thinker and agitated against caste divisions and caste based inequalities. He was made the Law minister in the first cabinet of post independence India.

Question 15. Was Mahatma Gandhi a member of the Constituent Assembly? Solution: No, Mahatma Gandhi was not a member of the Constituent Assembly.

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CBSE Class 9 Political Science Chapter 2 Revision Notes (Free PDF Download)

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Constitutional Design: Class 9 Political Science Revision Notes Chapter 2 - PDF Download

CBSE class 9 chapter 2 Constitutional Design deals with concepts like what is a constitution, their needs, values of the constitution and amendments. All of the key ideas covered in the chapter are included in the Vedantu PDF that is available on the official website of Vedantu. Experts have curated the revision materials so that students would have a clearer knowledge of democracy and its characteristics.

The revision notes are created while taking the CBSE board's requirements into account. People can thus consult them and benefit from the notes, thereby doing well on exams. Start learning whenever and wherever you choose by gaining access to the Revision notes of Class 9 in a free printable PDF format.

Important Topics Covered in Chapter 2 - Constitutional Design 

The following are the important topics covered in the CBSE Class 9 Political Science Chapter 2 Revision Notes.

Constitutional Design

Democratic Constitution in South Africa

Giving Rise to a New Constitution

Need for constitution

Making of the Indian Constitution

The Path to the Constitution

The Constituent Assembly

Guiding Values of the Indian Constitution

The Dream and the Promise

Philosophy of the Constitution

Institutional Design

Advantages of CBSE Class 9 Political Science Chapter 2 Revision Notes (Free PDF Download)

The following are a few of the most significant benefits of using Vedantu's Class 9 Political Science Chapter 2 Revision Notes.

It covers each of the chapter's key points.

The principles are explained in clear, understandable terms.

The revision notes follow the most recent CBSE syllabus requirements.

The most effective method of exam preparation is to review your notes. This will ensure faster revision without compromising on quality preparation.

It allows applicants to master all the fundamentals while saving time.

It aids in improving one's comprehension of the subjects.

The notes are supplemented with solved questions to aid in student’s enhanced preparation and exploring of their level of knowledge and understanding.

Important Questions for CBSE Class 9 Political Science Revision Notes for Chapter 2 Constitutional Design

1. what does secularity mean.

Ans: The condition of being neutral toward all religions is known as secularity, often referred to as the secular. The practice of any religion is completely free for anyone to do. However, there is no recognised religion. All religious practices and beliefs are respected equally by the government.

2. What is Apartheid?

Ans: Apartheid is a system of racial segregation that was established by white Europeans alone in South Africa. The European commerce enterprises occupied it with force and imposed their dominance during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. People were segregated and given labels based on their skin colour during the apartheid regime.

3 What is constituent assembly?

Ans: The constituent assembly is the term used to refer to the drafting committee of the constitution. Elections to the Constituent Assembly were held in July 1946 and its first meeting was held in December 1946.

Exam Preparation Tips for CBSE Class 9 Political Science

Let's have a look at some recommendations for students who want to do well in their forthcoming tests.

Cover the entire curriculum.

Write down point-wise notes for the last-minute revision session.

Solve test questions and practise papers from past years.

Always examine your errors and improve.

As most of the questions are taken from the NCERT book, concentrate on the NCERT exercises and examples.

Create flowcharts and diagrams to help you clarify the challenging concepts. This would improve pupils' memorisation skills and aid in their ability to remember material for longer.

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Access Revision Notes of Class 9 Political Science Civics Chapter 2 - Constitutional Design

What is a constitution.

There are certain basic rules that the citizens and the government of a nation have to follow. All such rules together are called the constitution. As the supreme law of the country, the constitution determines the rights and duties of the citizens, the powers of the government and how the government should function. This chapter throws light on all these aspects and provides a comprehensive idea of the constitution of a country.

Democratic Constitution In South Africa

Struggle against apartheid.

Racial discrimination in South Africa is set by white Europeans. During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, trading companies from Europe settled in and became local administrators. The apartheid system divided people and marked them by the colour of their skin. White rulers treated all white people as superior. Non-whites had no voting rights and were barred from living in white areas. Blacks, coloured and Indians have been fighting apartheid since 1950.  The African National Congress (ANC) was an umbrella organization that was against the apartheid policies. Nelson Mandela was one of eight leaders accused of sedition by the white South African government. They were sentenced to life in prison in 1964 on charges of opposing the country's apartheid regime.

Formation of the New Constitution

As anti-apartheid protests intensified, blacks could no longer be held hostage under dictatorship. The white government changed its policies. Discriminatory laws were repealed. The ban on political parties and media restrictions has been lifted. Nelson Mandela was released after 28 years in Robben Island prison. The apartheid government ended at midnight on April 26, 1994, paving the way for the formation of a multi-racial government.

After the emergence of a new democratic South Africa, the ruling dictatorship and the genocide and the party that led the liberation struggle came together to form a common constitution. This constitution gives its citizens the greatest rights available in any country. Together, they decided that in the pursuit of a solution, no one should be excluded.

Why a Constitution?

Take the example of South Africa to see why we need a constitution and what constitutions do. The oppressor and the oppressed planned to live together as equals in the new democracy. Each section wanted to protect their interests and demanded greater social and economic rights. Through negotiations, both sides agreed. Whites agree with the principle of democracy and that one person has one vote. They also agreed to accept certain basic rights for the poor and the working class. Blacks have agreed that much of the law will not be complete and that the majority will not dispossess the white minority. How should this relaxation be made? The only way to build and maintain confidence in such a situation would be to write down some rules of the game for everyone to follow. These supreme laws that no government can ignore are called the constitution.

Each country has its own distinct groups of people. People all over the world have different opinions and interests. The constitution is the supreme law that determines the relationship between the people living in an area (called citizens) and the relationship between the people and the government. Find out what the following principles are:

First, it creates the level of trust and communication needed for different types of people to live together

Second, it sets out how the government will be formed, who will have the power to make decisions.

Third, it puts limits on the powers of government and tells us what citizens' rights are.

Fourth, it reflects people's desires for a better society

All countries with constitutions are not democratic but on the other side all democratic countries will have constitutions.

Guidelines for the Constitution of India

First, we need to understand what our Constitution is all about. Read the views of our great leaders on our Constitution and read what the Constitution says about its philosophy. This is done in the preamble of the Constitution.

Dream and Promise:

There were many members who followed the view of Mahatma Gandhi. India's dream of eradicating inequality was shared by Dr. Ambedkar, who played a key role in drafting the Constitution, but his vision for eliminating inequality in India was different from Gandhiji's.

We, the People of India: The Constitution was drafted and made by the people through representatives, and was not given by the king any foreign power.

Governor: People have the right to make decisions on internal and external matters. No foreign power can control and suppress the Indian Government.

Socialist: Wealth is created in society and should be shared equally by society. Government must regulate land and industry ownership to reduce social and economic inequalities.

Country: Citizens have complete freedom to practice any religion. But there is no official religion. The government will treat all religious beliefs and practices with the same equal respect.

Democratic: A form of government where people enjoy equal political rights, elect their own rulers and hold them accountable. The government is governed by certain basic rules.

Republic: The head of state is the elected person.

Justice: Citizens cannot be discriminated against on the basis of race, religion, or sexual orientation. Social inequality should be reduced. The government should work for the well-being of all, especially the poor.

Freedom: There are no unreasonable restrictions on citizens' thinking, how they wish to express their thoughts and how they wish to follow their ideas in action.

Equality: All are equal before the law. Traditional social inequality must end. The government needs to ensure that all people must have equal opportunities.

Brotherhood: We should all act as members of one family. No one should treat his fellow citizen as inferior.

Modeling Council

The drafting of the constitution was done in a meeting of elected representatives referred to as the Constituent Assembly. Election Council elections were held in July 1946 and its first meeting was held in December 1946. Shortly thereafter, the country was divided into India and Pakistan and the Constituent Assembly was also divided into the Constituent Assembly of India and Pakistan. The Constituent Assembly which drafted the Indian constitution had a total of 299 members. The Assembly adopted the Constitution on 26 November 1949 but came into operation on 26 January 1950. To mark this day we celebrate January 26 as Republic Day every year.

Institutional design

This is about integrating these principles into institutional arrangements. Very long and detailed text. Therefore, it needs to be updated regularly to keep it updated. It is provided for the introduction of changes, known as periodic amendments to the constitution. Like any other Constitution, the Constitution of India also provides for the election of a new president. It describes who will have the power to make decisions. It also limits what the government can do by granting certain unrestricted citizens' rights.

Class 9 Social Science Political Science Chapter 2 Constitutional Design

Students while preparing the chapter of constitutional design always have a common question in mind which is what is constitutional design? And to give a perfect answer to this question, constitutional design notes explained the democratic Constitution of South Africa and Apartheid.

The racial discrimination that was imposed in South Africa by the White Europeans is termed as Apartheid. The White Europeans with arms and forces started ruling South Africa in the seventeenth and eighteenth century. They started Apartheid and divided people based on their skin colour. Under their rule, all non-whites were treated as inferiors and as slaves. Voting rights were not given to non-white citizens of the country, and they are also not allowed to stay in areas where white people were residing.

The black coloured and Indian start their fight against this discrimination from the year 1950 by making an umbrella organisation which was named as African National Congress. Nelson Mandela was one of the leaders who was fighting against this struggle and was sentenced to imprisonment in 1964 on the context of his opposition against the Apartheid.

Rise of New Democratic Constitution of South Africa

The protest and struggle against the Apartheid risen every day, making it hard for the white government to keep the blacks under the policies of Apartheid due to which the white government was bound to change its policies. All the discriminatory laws of the country were declared void and banned parties were again operational. Nelson Mandela was released from jail after a long duration of 28 years. The Apartheid government finally came to an end on the night of 26th April 1994.

Following the rise of New Democratic South Africa, this party has gone through all oppression and brutal killings. This party was leading the freedom struggle and was the main reason for the creation of a new non-racial Constitution. This Constitution gave rights to every citizen of South Africa without any racial discrimination.

Need For Constitution

The need for Constitution can be witnessed in the Apartheid situation of South Africa. The rulers and the people who were being ruled in South Africa were planning to live under one democracy where they both will be considered as equals. Each section was of the motive to safeguard its interest and was keen to enjoy some social and economic rights. After a lot of negotiations, both the parties cracked a deal which was acceptable by both the parties. In this deal, the whites were in support of the principle of majority rule in which one person has the right to give one vote. They also agreed to impose some rights for the poor and workers. In this deal, the blacks agreed to the point that if they win in the majority, they will not take away the properties of the white minority. The only way to make this legal was to write the rules that everyone should follow. The rules that can't be ignored by any government is termed as the Constitution.

Every country has different types of people with diverse thoughts. People have a difference of opinion and interests. The Constitution is the supreme law which is responsible for determining the relationship among people living in a territory and the relationship between government and people. Below, there is a list of functions that a constitution performs:

It is responsible for generating a certain amount of trust and coordination among people who have different opinions.

It informs the rules and regulations under which a government will get selected who is meant for ruling the country.

The Constitution is responsible for limiting the powers of the government over citizens and also informs the citizens about their rights.

It is responsible for expressing the aspirations of the people which is required for creating a good society.

This was the complete discussion on the CBSE Class 9 Political Science Chapter 2 Revision Notes (Free PDF Download). Get your queries resolved by experts at  Vedantu. We follow the updated NCERT criteria for curating the content for CBSE Class 9 Political Science Chapter 2 Revision Notes.

The revision notes offered here are intended to aid students in grasping the essential characteristics of constitutional democracy. Students would indeed be able to answer questions like: Why do we need a Constitution? How was the constitution written? What are the values of a constitution? How can amendments in the constitution be introduced?  These CBSE Notes Class 9 Political Science Chapter 1 notes answer all such questions.

Conclusion  

Vedantu's provision of free PDF downloads for CBSE Class 9 Political Science Chapter 2 Revision Notes is an exceptional resource for students. These comprehensive notes distill complex political concepts into easily digestible information, aiding in effective exam preparation. They offer a structured and organized overview of the chapter, making it simpler for students to grasp crucial content. Vedantu's commitment to providing these notes for free enhances accessibility to quality educational materials, benefiting students regardless of their geographical location or financial resources. These revision notes not only facilitate better understanding but also empower students to excel in their political science studies, ultimately contributing to their academic success. So dont wait Download revision notes of Political Science now!

FAQs on CBSE Class 9 Political Science Chapter 2 Revision Notes (Free PDF Download)

1. Discuss the making of the Indian Constitution.

Indian Constitution was drafted under tough and challenging situations. The country was born along with a partition which was based upon religious differences. After independence, India was divided into India and Pakistan, which was a challenging situation for both the countries. In all this situation, our freedom fighters with dedication and coordination drafted a democratic constitution for India. Indian Constitution showed the rights and duties of a citizen of India. It also specified the amount of power the government can put upon the citizens. There was no discrimination based on caste, creed and colour in the  Indian Constitution. Every citizen was considered equal. Some of the laws included in the Constitution are adopted from the colonial laws.

2. What is a constituent assembly?

An assembly drafted the Constitution of India with elected representatives. This assembly is known as a constituent assembly. The constituent assembly representatives election was held in July 1946. The first meeting of the constituent assembly was held in December 1946. The constituent assembly of India had a total of 299 members. The assembly adopted the Constitution on 26 November 1949, but it came into effect from 26 January 1949. To mark this day, the country celebrates this day as the republic day. The assembly was constituted of the freedom fighters of India who have struggled for years for this moment.

3. What is constitutional design in Chapter 2 of Class 9 Political Science (Civics) notes?

The constitutional design records the procedure for the formation of the government. It defines the power distributed among various sections of the government. The constitutional design also puts forth some of the restrictions on the power of the constitutional design body. To gain more insights on this chapter, students are advised to follow the revision notes provided by the Vedantu to perform well in the exam. These notes are prepared by the experts for the students to understand the concepts well. The notes and solutions are present on Vedantu's official website (vedantu.com) and mobile app for free of cost.

4. What are the basic rules that are followed to form a constitution in Chapter 2 of Class 9 Political Science (Civics)?

The constitution is formed by three basic rules. They are:

The rules record how the leaders of the country should be elected in the future

The constitution lays down rules on what the elected governments are empowered to do and what they cannot do.

These rules should ensure a relationship between the citizens and the government and determine the rights of the people.

Students can learn more about this in the Revision Notes of Chapter 2 of Class 9 Social Science Political Science notes.

5. What is a Constitution in Chapter 2 of Class 9 Political Science (Civics) in short?

The constitution is the most important law of the country. It records the powers and the functions of the government. It lays down the procedure for choosing an individual to govern the country and also mentions the amount of power each person in the government will have to make decisions for the welfare of the country and its people. Vedantu offers a lot more knowledgeable information in this chapter to make the concepts easier for the students to comprehend. Download the revision notes and prepare for your exams.

6. How are revision notes of Chapter 2 of Class 9 Political Science (Civics) beneficial to the students for Social Studies?

Social Science is a scoring subject. Students need to understand the concepts and concentrate on how to score full marks in this subject. To secure good marks, revision is very important as it helps in memory retention. Vedantu, with help of experts, has prepared revision notes of Chapter 2 of Class 9 Political Science that students can use to the fullest as it provides authentic information. Students need not waste their time making notes of important concepts as the revision notes designed by Vedantu has it all.

7. Is Chapter 2 of Class 9 Social Science easy to understand?

The students will learn about the constitution and its functions in Chapter 2. Since Social Science is a theoretical subject, students can easily understand the concepts. Vedantu provides revision notes for all the chapters designed by the experts in an easy and simple manner for the students to grasp the topics quickly. Students while preparing for their exams can make use of the revision notes to make the learning process easy. Download the free pdf of the revision notes on the Vedantu website or the app.

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