Civics Solutions
Class 6
Social science
Democracy
A.1: Democracy means that all the __________ are free to express their opinions
a. governments
b. cultures
c. citizens
d. media
ANSWER: (c).
Explanation: Democracy is a form of government where all citizens are free to express their opinions. The role of citizens is given prime importance in this type of government.
A.2: In India the system of democracy followed is
a. presentative
b. representative
c. authoritarian
d. rigid
ANSWER: (b).
Explanation: India follows a representative form of government. In such a government, people elect their own representatives to run the government.
A.3: Universal adult franchise gives the right to
a. education
b. vote
c. exams
d. government
ANSWER: (b).
Explanation: Universal adult franchise is a system in which every citizen of the country who has attained an age of 18 years is eligible to vote. India adopted this after achieving independence to provide the democracy with a wide base.
A.4: A law banning defections was passed by our parliament in
a. 1984
b. 1985
c. 1987
d. 1986
ANSWER: (b).
Explanation: Indian Parliament passed an act against defection in the year 1985 considering defection as an entity of lower moral standards in the political life.
A.5: A group of parties combining to form a government is called
a. opposition
b. authoritarian
c. a coalition
d. presidential
ANSWER: (c).
Explanation: When no party gets a majority in the legislature to form the government, then few parties sharing a common ideological base come together to form the government. This type of government is known as coalition government and is usually formed by agreeing to common objectives.
A.6: The Kaveri river dispute involves the states of Tamil Nadu, __________ and _________
a. Punjab, Haryana
b. Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh
c. Kerala, Andhra Pradesh
ANSWER:(c).
Explanation: The sharing and distribution of river water has been a constant source of tension between several states. The river Kaveri has been an ongoing dispute between the states of Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
B.1: The citizens of a country should be aware of the problems of their own region only. ___________
ANSWER: False.
Explanation: The citizens of the country should be aware of the problems of their region along with other areas too. This will help them gain a broader perspective and choose their government in the same manner.
B.2: In a democracy, citizens can freely express their opinion in public. ____________
ANSWER: True.
Explanation: The citizens in a democratic government are free to express their view points. They can even criticise the government if it is not working in accordance to the needs of general public.
B.3:Independent candidates cannot contest any elections. ____________
ANSWER: False.
Explanation: Citizens can contest elections either by taking ticket from any political party or as an independent candidate. They can be affiliated to some party or can contest independently.
B.4: The majority party forms the opposition. _____________
ANSWER: False.
Explanation: The party that gets a majority in the parliament forms the government. The party that obtains the second highest votes/seats sits in opposition. Having an opposition is very fruitful for the effective functioning of the parliamentary government.
B.5: The candidate who defects shows that she/he is sincere and working in the interest of the public. ____________
ANSWER: False.
Explanation: Defection is a very degrading phenomenon and is a blot on the moral character of the political life of any party.The candidate who defects shows that she/he is not sincere and not working in the interest of the public.
C.1: What system of government does India follow? What does it mean?
ANSWER: India follows a representative democratic form of government. This implies that the people who run the government are elected by the people as their representatives. In such a system, political parties are formed on the basis of several ideologies. These parties select their candidates to contest the elections and the elected candidates run the government.
C.2: What is a party manifesto?
ANSWER: Party manifesto is the document containing programmes and policies of the political party that it will follow if it gets into power. These policies are declared by the party candidates to provide the citizens with an informed choice. This enables the people to have a judgemental view in order to choose the right candidate that will run their government.
C.3: List three reasons why people do not vote
ANSWER: Following are the reasons people do not vote:-
Few people do not vote because they are too lazy to go out and cast their vote.
Some citizens feel that their vote will not make any difference in the election of any candidate.
Citizens are, at times, not aware of their candidate so they are not able to make an informed choice.
C.4: What rights do minorities have in a democracy?
ANSWER: In a democracy, no person can be discriminated against on the basis of his/her religion, caste or gender.
Following are the set of rights enjoyed by the minorities:
All the citizens including the minorities have the right to protect/practice their own culture.
Every minority, whether religious or linguistic, has the right to preserve its individuality.
The minorities have the right to reside in any part of the country.
D.1:What is the important of the role of citizen in a democracy?
ANSWER: In a democracy, citizens play a very important role. Since they are the ones who elect their representative to rule themselves; therefore, they must be aware of their rights and responsibilities. Their role can be understood with following points:
Citizens must be aware of the policies undertaken by the government meant for their welfare and the larger issues affecting the society.
For the same, it is required that the citizens are updated about the current policies and other developments happening around them.
Citizens can provide a constructive criticism to the government schemes and policies.
The citizens in a democracy must exercise their rights along with performing their duties.
D.2: How can a voter elect the right candidate or political party?
ANSWER: In a democracy, it is the duty of the voter to elect the right candidate who will be running the affairs of the government. However, since large number of candidates contest the elections, it is a hard choice for people to choose the appropriate candidate.
While electing the right candidate, the voters should keep the following points in mind:
The sense of service of the candidate
His dedication towards his work and responsibilities
Personal honesty
His achievements in public life and capability to lead and administer
D.3: List five condition essential for the successful working of a democratic government.
ANSWER: The five essential conditions for the successful working of a democratic government are as follows:
Citizen awareness: In a democracy, citizens need to be aware of their rights and responsibilities. It is a pre-requisite for smooth working of the parliamentary democracy.
Sound public opinion: Public opinion can be understood as the views of general public on issues of general and national importance. It is needed to identify goals that need to be achieved by the government with collective efforts.
Citizen discipline: Citizens must be tolerant and both majority and minority should get adequate weightage.
Political discipline: Rather than fragmenting the citizens for garnering votes, the political parties should maintain a decorum to work towards the larger goal of development of the nation.
Equality: It is the most desirable characteristic feature of democracy. It must be endorsed at all levels be it social, economic or political.
D.4: How do newspaper and periodicals help people in forming their opinion?
ANSWER: The formulation of public opinion is an important task that gets affected by a range of factors. Newspapers and periodicals spread awareness among people regarding any issue or topic of public or general importance. They are very effective because they are easily accessible to the general public at a minimal cost they use easy language, which can be understood by the public
Newspapers and periodicals also provide opinions regarding the policies of the government and hence generate the public opinion in a constructive manner. However, their only shortcoming is that they can mould the views of literate public only.
D.5: List three causes of water disputes.
ANSWER: Following are the three causes of water disputes between several states:
Since a river flows through multiple states, agreements have been signed regarding the sharing of water. However, the lack of proper details of the agreements provides room for disputes among several states regarding the sharing of water.
Ambiguity regarding control and distribution of water of the rivers flowing through several states and river valleys becomes a source of conflict between states.
The irregular implementation of such agreements and levying of undue water tax ignite tension between the concerned states.
D.6: Why is it necessary to have elections at regular intervals in a country?
ANSWER: It is necessary to have elections at regular intervals in a country to ensure the proper functioning of the government. e.g. if the term of current incumbent expires but regular elections are not held then it will lead to chaos and anarchy. No party will be at power so vacuum will be created which might give chance to anti-social elements to capture power and such a situation won't be healthy for the working of the democracy. Hence it is required that regular elections are held in a democracy.
