Practice Worksheet

SUB : S.S/10/1
NAME: ________________________ DATE: __________________
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
POWER SHARING (WORKSHEET – 1)
CIVICS
 MCQS
1. Which one of the following communities constituted majority in Brussels?
(a) French Speaking
(b) Dutch Speaking
(c) German Speaking
(d) None of them
2. Power can be shared in modern democracies in the following ways:
(a) Among different organs of the government
(b) Among various levels
(c) Among different social groups
(d) All the above
3. Choose the incorrect statement.
(a) Belgium and Sri Lanka are democracies
(b) Both of them dealt with the question of power-sharing similarly
(c) In Belgium, leaders realised that unity of the country was possible only by respecting the feelings and
interests of all communities
(d) In Sri Lanka, majority community forced its domination over others and refused to share power.
4. Who elects the community government in Belgium?
(a) People belonging to one language community only
(b) By the leader of Belgium
(c) The citizens of the whole country
(d) The community leaders to Belgium
5. In which one of the following countries principle of majoritarianism led to civil war?
(a) Pakistan
(b) Belgium
(c) Sri Lanka
(d) India
6. Which of the following statements is not true?
(a) In Belgium, leaders realised that unity of the country is possible only by sharing power
(b) In Sri Lanka, the majority community wants to force domination over others
(c) In Sri Lanka, the demand for more autonomy to provinces populated by Tamils has been granted
(d) Division of Belgium along linguistic lines was averted due to power sharing
7. Brussels is the capital of
(a) Belgium
(b) The Netharland
(c) Sri Lanka
(d) West Indies
8. The word ‘ethnic’ signifies :
(a) different religions.
(b) social division on shared culture.
(c) a violent conflict between opposite groups.
(d) a careful calculation of gains and losses.
9. Which of the following ethnic groups in Belgium has the largest population?
(a) Walloon
(b) Flemish
(c) German
(d) None of the above
10. Division of powers between higher and lower levels of government is called
(a) horizontal distribution
(b) parallel distribution
(c) vertical division
(d) diagonal division
11. Which one of the following statements about coalition Government is true?
(a) Power is shared among the different organs of the government
(b) Power is shared among governments at different levels
(c) Power is shared by different social groups
(d) Power is shared by two or more political parties
12. _________ means a social division based on shared culture.
a) Ethnic
b) Democracy
c) Secularism
d) None of the above
13. _________ in Belgium is a good example of power sharing among different social groups.
a) Community Government
b) District Government
c) Central Government
d) State Government
14. When many countries of Europe came together to form the European Union ______ was chosen as its
headquarters.
a) Paris
b) London
c) Brussels
d) Zurich
15. Out of the total population of Belgium, ________ of people live in the Wallonia region and speak
French.
a) 50%
b) 40%
c) 10%
d) 20%
16. In ________, an Act was passed to recognize Sinhala as the only official language, thus disregarding
Tamil.
a) 1958
b) 1968
c) 1970
d) 1956
17. The amended Constitution of Belgium prescribed that the number of ______ and French-speaking
ministers shall be equal in the Central Government.
a) Italian
b) German
c) English
d) Dutch
18. The major social groups in Sri Lanka are the Sinhala speakers, which constitute _____ of the population.
a) 35 per cent
b) 50 per cent
c) 74 per cent
d) 30 per cent
19. Which of the following statements is true?
a) A legitimate government is one where citizens, through participation, acquire a stake in the system.
b) Prudential reasons stress that power sharing will bring out better outcomes; moral reasons emphasis
the very act of power sharing as valuable.
c) A democratic rule involves sharing power with those affected by its exercise and who have to live
with its effects.
d) All of the above.
20. ________ was started in Sri Lanka due to distrust between the two communities.
a) Civil War
b) First World war
c) Second World War
d) Belgium War

21. LIST -I LIST - II

1. Belgium constitution amended a) 1992
2. Sri Lanka as an independent b) Between 1970-1993
nation
3. Sinhala as the only official c) 1948
language
4. Decentralisation d) 1956

a) 1. b) , 2. c), 3. d), 4. a)
b) 1. c) , 2. b), 3. d), 4. a)
c) 1. c), 2. a), 3. b), 4. d)
d) 1.a), 2. c), 3. d),4. b)
22. Which of the following countries does not share its boundary with Belgium?
a) France
b) Sweden
c) Netherlands
d) Luxembourg
23. A belief that the majority community should be able to rule a country in whichever way it wants, by
disregarding the wishes and needs of the minority is:
(a) Power Sharing
(b) Central Government
(c) Majoritarianism
(d) Community Government
24. Prudential reasons of power sharing stress on the facts that:
A. It ensures the stability of political order.
B. It reduces the possibility of conflict between social groups.
C. It gives a fair share to minority.
D. It is the very spirit of democracy.
 Which of the above statements are correct?
(a) A, B
(b) A, C and D
(c) All are correct
(d) A, B & C
25. Consider the following statements about the ethnic composition of Sri Lanka:
A. Major social groups are the Sinhala- speaking (74%) and Tamil-speaking (18%)?
B. Among the Tamils, there are two sub-groups, Sri Lankan Tamils and Indian Tamils.
C. There are about 7% Christians, who are both Tamil and Sinhala.
D. Most of the Sinhala-speaking are Hindus or Muslims and most of the Tamil-speaking are Buddhists.
Which of the above statements are correct?
(a) A, B, C
(b) A, B, D
(c) B, C, D
(d) A, B, C, D

ANSWERS:

1] A 2] D 3] B 4] A 5] C 6] A 7] A 8] B 9] B 10] C 11] D 12] A 13] A 14] C

15] D 16] D 17] D 18] C 19] D 20] A 21] A 22] B 23] C 24] D 25] A

TRUE OR FALSE

1. Power sharing increases the possibility of conflict between social groups.

2. Sri Lanka is facing the problems because of supporting the Tamilians in the state.
3. Belgium has French people in majority whereas the others struggle for their rights.
4. Belgium and Sri Lanka are the two similar causes in the struggle of people.
5. The feeling of accommodation has led to the problem in Sri Lanka.

ANSWERS:
1] F 2] T 3] T 4] F 5] T
 Practice Worksheet
SUB : S.S/10/2
NAME: ________________________ DATE: __________________
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
.HHJHJHJVGB POWER SHARING ( WORKSHEET- 2)
CIVICS
 VERY SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS:
1. Which ethnic group in Belgium has the largest population?
Ans: Flemish
2. What do you mean by the word ethnic?
Ans: A social division based on shared culture. People belonging to the same ethnic group believe in
their common descent because of similarities of physical type or of culture or both.
3. The tension between Dutch-speaking and French-speaking communities was more acute in Brussels’.
Give reason.
Ans: The minority French-speaking community was relatively rich and powerful. So the Dutch speaking
community, who got the benefit of economic development and education much later showed the
resentment between the Dutch-speaking and the French-speaking communities.
4. Which are the most important social groups of Sri Lanka?
Ans: (i) Sinhala speaking (ii) Tamil speaking
5. Which ethnic group is in majority in Sri Lanka?
Ans: Sinhala
6. Name the two sub groups of Tamils in Sri Lanka.
Ans: (i) Sri Lankan Tamils (ii) Indian Tamils
7. When did Sri Lanka emerge as an independent nation?
Ans: 1948
8. What is a Civil War?
Ans: It is a violent conflict between the opposing groups within a country, for example the conflict
between Sinhalese and Indian Tamils in Sri Lanka.
9. Name the ethnic group of Sri Lanka which were involved in a Civil War.
Ans: (i) Sri Lankan Tamils or the Sinhalese (ii) Indian Tamils
10. What is majoritarianism? Name a country which has lost peace due to this.
Ans: A belief that the majority community should be able to rule a country in whichever way it wants,
by disregarding the wishes and needs of the minority. Sri Lanka has lost peace due to this.
11. Power shared among different organs of government is known as horizontal distribution of power. Give
reason.
Ans: Because it allows different organs of government placed at the same level to exercise different
powers.
12. State one prudential reason and one moral reason for power sharing from the Indian content.
Ans: (i) India is a multicultural society.
(ii) India is a democratic country.
13. What is different between prudential and moral reasons for power sharing?
Ans: Prudential reasons stress that power sharing will bring out better outcomes, whereas moral
reasons emphasis the very act of power sharing as valuable.
14. Apart from the Central and the State Government, there is a third kind of government in Belgium.
Which is that third kind of government?
Ans: Community government.
15. What is the basic principle of democracy?
Ans: The basic principle of democracy is that people are the source of all political power.
16. What is a community government?
Ans: A community government is one in which different social groups are given the power to handle the
affairs related to their communities. They are expected to work jointly for the benefit of the common
masses without undermining any one community.
17. Name the most important organs of the government.
Ans: Legislature, Executive and Judiciary
18. What is a federal government?
Ans: It is a government under which two or more than two sets of governments govern the country.
19. What is a reserved constituency?
Ans: A reserved constituency is a constituency which is reserved for a particular section of the society.
20. What is the importance of reserved constituency?
Ans: This type of arrangement is meant to give space in the government and administration to diverse
social group who otherwise would feel alienated from the government.
21. The system of ‘checks and balances’ comes under which form of power sharing.
Ans: Horizontal power sharing.
22. What is a coalition government?
Ans: A coalition government is a cabinet of parliamentary government in which several parties
cooperate. It generally happens when no party gets a majority in the parliament and several parties join
together to prove their majority.
23. State two main bases of social division in Sri Lanka.
Answer: (i) Religion (ii) Language
24. Which is the state religion of Sri Lanka?
Ans: Buddhism
25. Which two languages are generally spoken in Belgium?
Answer: French and Dutch
26. Give one example of horizontal sharing of power.
Ans: Power sharing among Legislature, Executive and Judiciary.
27. Who elects the community government in Belgium?
Ans: People belonging to one language community- Dutch, French and German.
 Practice Worksheet
SUB : S.S/10/3
NAME: ________________________ DATE: __________________
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
POWER SHARING ( WORKSHEET – 3)
CIVICS

 SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS:

1. What led to the ethnic tension in Belgium? Why was it more acute in Brussels?
Answer: The minority French-speaking community was relatively rich and powerful. So the Dutch
speaking community, who got the benefit of economic development and education much later showed
the resentment between the Dutch-speaking and the French-speaking communities during the 1950s
and the 1960s. The conflict between the two communities was more severe in Brussels because the
Dutch speaking people constituted a majority in the country, but a minority in the capital.

2. Describe the ethnic composition of Belgium.

Answer: The ethnic composition of Belgium, a small country is very complex. Of the country’s total
population, 59 per cent live in the Flemish region and speak Dutch language. Another 40 per cent
people live in the Wallonia region and speak French. Remaining 1 per cent of the Belgians speak
German. In the capital city, Brussels, about 80 per cent people speak French while 20 per cent are
Dutch-speaking.

3. Mention any four steps which were taken by the Sri Lankan government to achieve majoritarianism.
Answer: (i) In 1956, an Act was passed under which English was replaced as the country’s official
language not by the Sinhala and Tamil but by the Sinhala only.
(ii) The governments followed preferential policies that favoured the Sinhala applicants for university
positions and government jobs.
(iii) A new constitution stipulated that the state shall protect and foster Buddhism.
(iv) Denial of citizenship to estate Tamils.

4. What is a Civil War? Explain with context to Sri Lanka.

Answer: (i) It is a violent conflict between the opposing groups within a country, for example the
Sinhalese and the Tamils.
(ii) Due to the violent conflict between both these ethnic groups thousands of people of both the
communities have been killed. Many families were forced to leave the country as refugees and many
more lost their livelihoods.
(iii) The civil war has caused a terrible setback to the social, cultural and economic life of the country.

5. What is community government? Explain the concept of community government with context to
Belgium.
Answer : (i) A community government is one in which different social groups are given the power to
handle the affairs related to their communities. They are expected to work jointly for the benefit of the
common masses without undermining any one community.
 (ii) The ‘community government’ is elected by people belonging to one language community-Dutch,
French and German speaking – no matter where they live.
(iii) This government has the power regarding cultural, educational and language-related issues.

6. What is power sharing? Explain.

Answer : (i) The concept of providing a permanent share of power in the government different
communities or regions is termed as power sharing.
(ii) Under this the people and the leaders of the nation respect the feelings and interests of different
commodities and regions.
(iii) The principle of power sharing is very important for the unity and growth of democracy.

7. Explain the principle of federal division of power.

Answer : (i) Under the federal division of power the power is divided among different levels of
government; for example in India the power is shared among the three levels of governments, i.e.,
Union government, the state governments and the local governments.
(ii) This type of system is known as vertical division of power.
(iii) Under this the Constitution clearly lays down the power of each level of government.

8. ‘Power-sharing is the spirit of democracy’ Justify this statement.

Answer: (i) Power sharing ensures that all people have stake in government.
(ii) Power sharing ensures maximum participation and upholds the concept of people’s rule. It always
brings better outcomes in democracy. It ensures the political stability in democracy.
(iii) Power sharing accommodates diverse groups and helps to reduce the possibility of conflict between
social groups.

9. ‘Belgium and Sri Lanka are democratic countries but both countries follow different system of power
sharing’. Elaborate this statement.
Answer: (i) In Belgium, the government does not follow preferential policies in matters of jobs and
education. In Sri Lanka, the government follows preferential policies in matters of government jobs and
education.
(ii) In Belgium, there is a special government called ‘Community Government’ to look after the cultural,
educational and language related issues. In Sri Lanka, the major political parties are not sensitive to the
language and culture of the Tamils.
(iii) In Belgium, there is no discrimination between different religions. In Sri Lanka, Buddhism is the
official religion.

10. What is majoritarianism? Is it wrong if a majority community in a country rules? Give reasons to justify
your answer.
Answer : A belief that the majority community should be able to rule a country in whichever way it
wants, by disregarding the wishes and needs of the minority is majoritarianism.
Yes, it is wrong if a majority community in a country rules.
(i)The very idea of power-sharing has emerged in opposition to the notions of undivided political power.
(ii)A positive attitude towards diversity and willingness to accommodate it, is good for democracy.
(iii) Power in the hands of one community will make the other community feel marginalised, deprived
and discriminated.
(iv) The struggle against such inequalities sometimes takes the path of conflict and defiance of State
power as in Sri Lanka.
 Practice Worksheet
SUB : S.S/10/4
NAME: ________________________ DATE: __________________
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
POWER SHARING (WORKSHEET- 4)
CIVICS

 ASSERTION- REASON BASED QUESTIONS:

Directions:- In the following questions, the Assertions (A) and Reason(s) (R) have been put forward. Read
both statements carefully and choose the correct answer from the below:

1. Assertion (A): In Belgium, the leaders realized that the unity of the country is possible by respecting
the feelings and interest of different countries.
Reason (R) : Belgium favoured Dutch speaking community.
(A) If both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of
Assertion (A).
(B) If both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of
Assertion (A)
(C) Assertion (A) is true but Reason (R) is false.
(D) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are false.

2. Assertion (A): Horizontal distribution of power allows different organs of the government placed at
same level to exercise different powers.
Reason(R): The separation ensures that different organs can exercise unlimited power.
(A) If both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of
Assertion (A).
(B) If both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of
Assertion (A)
(C) Assertion (A) is true but Reason (R) is false.
(D) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are false.

3. Assertion (A): In a democracy, everyone has voice in the shaping of public policies.
Reason (R) : India has federal system.
(A) If both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of
Assertion (A).
(B) If both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of
Assertion (A)
 (C) Assertion (A) is true but Reason (R) is false.
(D) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are false.

4. Assertion (A): Power sharing is good for democracy.

Reason (R): It helps to reduce the possibility of conflict between the social groups.
(A) If both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of
Assertion (A).
(B) If both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of
Assertion (A)
(C) Assertion (A) is true but Reason (R) is false.
(D) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are false.

5. Assertion (A): Power Sharing is good.

Reason (R): It leads to ethical tension.
(A) If both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of
Assertion (A).
(B) If both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of
Assertion (A)
(C) Assertion (A) is true but Reason (R) is false.
(D) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are false.

6. Assertion (A): French speaking community in Belgium was rich and powerful.
Reason (R): Belgium Government favoured French speaking community.
(A) If both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of
Assertion (A).
(B) If both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of
Assertion (A)
(C) Assertion (A) is true but Reason (R) is false.
(D) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are false.

7. Assertion (A): Sri Lanka emerged as an independent country in 1949.

Reason(R): The leaders of the Sinhala community sought to secure dominance over government by
virtue of their majority.
(A) If both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of
Assertion (A).
(B) If both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of
Assertion (A)
 (C) Assertion (A) is true but Reason (R) is false.
(D) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are false.

8. Assertion (A): Community government in Belgium is elected by one language community.

Reason (R): Community government helped in resolving conflict between different linguistic groups.
(A) If both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of
Assertion (A).
(B) If both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of
Assertion (A)
(C) Assertion (A) is true but Reason (R) is false.
(D) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are false.

9. Assertion (A): Community government in Belgium allows to share power among religious and
linguistic groups.
Reason(R): In India there are legal and constitutional arrangements where by socially weaker sections
and women are represented in the legislatures and administration.
(A) If both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of
Assertion (A).
(B) If both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of
Assertion (A)
(C) Assertion (A) is true but Reason (R) is false.
(D) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are false.

10. Assertion (A): Power is shared among different organs of government, such as the legislature,
executive and judiciary
Reason: Horizontal distribution of power allows different organs of government placed at the same
level to exercise different powers.
(A) If both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of
Assertion (A).
(B) If both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of
Assertion (A)
(C) Assertion (A) is true but Reason (R) is false.
(D) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are false.

ANSWERS:
1] B 2] C 3] C 4] A 5] B 6] A 7] D 8] B 9] B 10] A
 Practice Worksheet
SUB : S.S/10/5
NAME: ________________________ DATE: __________________
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
POWER SHARING (WORKSHEET - 5)
CIVICS

 CASE BASED STUDY QUESTIONS:

PASSAGE - 1
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
The Belgium leaders recognised the existence of regional differences and cultural diversities. Between
1970 and 1993, they amended their constitution four times so as to work out an arrangement that
would enable everyone to live together within the same country. The arrangement they worked out is
different from any other country and is very innovative. Here are some of the elements of the Belgian
model:

Constitution prescribes that the number of Dutch and French-speaking ministers shall be equal in the
central government. Some special laws require the support of the majority of members from each
linguistic group.
Many powers of the central government have been given to state governments of the two regions of
the country. The state governments are not subordinate to the Central Government.
Brussels has a separate government in which both the communities have equal representation. The
French-speaking people accepted equal representation in Brussels because the Dutch-speaking
community has accepted equal representation in the Central Government.
Apart from the Central and the State Government, there is a third kind of government. This ‘community
government’ is elected by people belonging to one language community – Dutch, French and German-
speaking – no matter where they live. This government has the power regarding cultural, educational
and language-related issues.

Answer the following MCQs by choosing the most appropriate option:

1. ______ and ________ dealt with the question of power-sharing differently.

(a) India, Sri Lanka
(b) Belgium, Sri Lanka
(c) Wallonia, Brussels
(d) Flemish, Wallonia
2. Which of the following is not the element of “Belgian model”?
(a) Equal number of ministers for both the groups
(b) Setting up of Community Government
(c) More power to the central government
(d) Equal representation at the state and central level
3. “Apart from the Central and the State Government, there is a third kind of government”. Which of the
following is incorrect with respect to this?
(a) The unique government is Community Government
(b) A single social group is given powers to handle community-related affairs
(c) Elected by people belonging to Dutch, French and German-speaking
(d) Power regarding cultural, educational and language-related issues
4. Which of the following title best describes the given passage?
(a) The ethnic composition of Belgium
(b) Accommodation in Sri Lanka
(c) Accommodation in Belgium
(d) The ethnic composition of Sri Lanka

Answers: 1] B 2] C 3] B 4] C

PASSAGE – 2
Power sharing arrangements can also be seen in the way political parties, pressure groups and
movements control or influence those in power. In a democracy, the citizens must have freedom to
choose among various contenders for power. In contemporary democracies, this takes the form of
competition among different parties. Such competition ensures that power does not remain in one
hand. In the long run, power is shared among different political parties that represent different
ideologies and social groups. Sometimes this kind of sharing can be direct, when two or more parties
form an alliance to contest elections. If their alliance is elected, they form a coalition government and
thus share power. In a democracy, we find interest groups such as those of traders, businessmen,
industrialists, farmers and industrial workers. They also will have a share in governmental power, either
through participation in governmental committees or bringing influence on the decision-making
process.
Questions:
1. ‘Power Sharing is an essential component of democracy’. Give one example to prove the statement.
2. How is alliance building an example of power sharing?
3. How do political parties, pressure groups and movements help in controlling or influencing those
who are in power?

Answers:

1. Importance of power-sharing arrangement in the democracy are:

 It helps in reducing the possibility of conflict between social groups.
 Power sharing is a good way to ensure the stability of political order.
2. Alliance formation is a way of power sharing due to following reasons:
 When two or more parties form an alliance to contest elections or to form a government is
called a power sharing.
 Alliance could be between regional and national parties which is again an example of power
sharing.
 Political ideas are shared.
3. Political parties and pressure groups influences people and politics in the country in the
following ways:
 Freedom of choice entails competition among the different parties.
 Such competition ensure that power does not remain in one hand, but is shared among
different political parties representing different ideologies and social groups.

PASSAGE – 3
Sri Lanka emerged as an independent country in 1948. The leaders of the Sinhala community
sought to secure dominance over government by virtue of their majority. As a result, the
democratically elected government adopted a series of MAJORITARIAN measures to establish
Sinhala supremacy. In 1956, an Act was passed to recognize Sinhala as the only official language,
thus, disregarding Tamil. The governments followed preferential policies that favoured Sinhala
applicants for university positions and government jobs. A new constitution stipulated that the
state shall protect and foster Buddhism.
Questions :
1. In which country Majoritarianism is followed?
(a) Sri Lanka
(b) India
(c) Belgium
(d) None of the Above
2. Most of the Sinhala speaking people in Sri Lanka are-
(a) Hindu
(b) Buddhist
(c) Telugu
(d) Christian
3. Name the most vibrant minority social group in Sri Lanka are?
(a) Sinhala
(b) Buddhist
(c) Tamil
(d) Christian
4. Which of the following are the ethnic communities of Sri Lanka?
(a) Indian Tamilians and Sri LankanTamilians
(b) Tamils, Buddhist, Hindus
(c) Indian Tamils, Sri Lankan Tamils and Buddhists
(d) Sinhala speakers, Sri Lankan Tamils and Indian Tamils.

Answers:

1] C 2] D 3] B 4] B
 Practice Worksheet
SUB : S.S/10/1
NAME: ________________________ DATE: __________________
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
FEDERALISM (WORKSHEET – 1)
CIVICS
 MCQS:

1. How many of the world’s 193 countries have federal political systems?
A. 25
B. 124
C. 145
D. 70

2. Which of the following does not have a federal system of government?

A. India
B. USA
C. Russia
D. None of the above

3. As per the census, India has _____ major languages.

A. 22
B. 131
C. 121
D. 161

4. The system of Panchayat Raj involves:

A. Village, block and district levels
B. Village and state levels
C. Village, district and state levels
D. Village, state and union levels

5. Which one of the following countries is good examples of ‘holding together federations’?
A. USA
B. Switzerland
C. Australia
D. India

6. Which of the following was not a provision of the Act of 1956 passed in Sri Lanka?
A. Sinhala was recognised as the only official language
B. Buddhism was to be protected by the state
C. Provinces were given autonomy
D. Sinhalas were favoured in government jobs
7. When power is taken away from central and state governments and given to local government, it is called:
A. Distribution
B. Centralisation
C. Reorganisation
D. Decentralisation

8. Which one of the following States in India has its own Constitution?
A. Uttarakhand
B. Madhya Pradesh
C. J & K
D. Nagaland

9. Which of the following countries is an example of “coming together federation”?

A. U.S.A
B. India
C. Spain
D. Belgium

10. Which period saw the rise of regional political parties in many states of the country?
A. Period after 1990
B. Period after 2000
C. Period after 1980
D. Period after 1970

11. In the local government elections at least ……… of all positions are reserved for women.
A. One – third
B. Two- third
C. 50%
D. 25%

12. The distinguishing feature of a federal government is:

A. National government gives some powers to the provincial governments.
B. Power is distributed among the legislature, executive and judiciary.
C. Elected officials exercise supreme power in the government.
D. Governmental power is divided between different levels of government.

13. Hindi is the mother tongue of only about …… percent of Indians.

A. 60%
B. 30%
C. 40%
D. 50%

14. When was the beginning of the era of Coalition Governments at the Centre which led to a new culture of
power sharing and respect for the autonomy of State Governments?
A. 1980s
B. 1990s
C. 1870s
D. 2000 onward
15. Federal power sharing in India needs another tier of government below that of the State governments, it is
called………..
A. State offices
B. District government
C. Local government
D. Tehsils

16. As for English, only ……….per cent Indians recorded it as their mother tongue?
A. 20%
B. 5%
C. 0.5 %
D. 0.02%

17. In the data for Scheduled Languages of India which is the second highest in proportion of speakers (%)
after Hindi?
A. Telugu
B. Tamil
C. Bengali
D. Urdu

18. The creation of ………….. was the first and a major test for democratic politics in our country.
A. States according to religion
B. States according to culture
C. Linguistic states
D. States according to topography

19. The official language of our country is:

A. Hindi
B. Bengali
C. Urdu
D. Punjabi

20. A major step towards decentralization was taken in :

A. 1991
B. 1992
C. 1993
D.1994

21. The head of the Gram Panchayat is called:

A. Panch
B. Sarpanch
C. Mukhia
D. None of the above
22. Police, trade, commerce, agriculture etc. are subjects included in the:
A. State List
B. Concurrent List
C. Union List
D. None of the above

23. Computer software is a:

A. Local subject
B. Important subject
C. Residuary subject
D. None of the above

24. Give one feature of Union territories?

A. They have powers of a state
B. They enjoy independent power
C. The Central Government has special powers in running these areas.
D. These are areas which are too small to become an independent State but which can be merged with any of
the existing States

25. Which of the following subjects is not included in the Union list?
A. Defence
B. Foreign Affairs
C. Police
D. Banking

26. What is true regarding sources of revenue in a federal system?

A. States have no financial powers or independent sources of revenue.
B. States are dependent on revenue or funds on the central government.
C. Sources of revenue for each level of government are clearly specified to ensure its financial autonomy.
D. States have no financial autonomy.

27. In federalism, power is divided between various constituent units and:

A. Central authority
B. States
C. both (a) and (b)
D. None of the above

28. In Unitary form of government

A. All the power is divided between the centre/union and the state provincial government
B. All the power is with the citizens.
C. State Government has all the powers
D. Power is concentrated with the Central Government.

29. The Constitution of India

A. divided powers between centre and states in three lists.
B. divided powers between centre and states in two lists.
C. listed the powers of the states and left the undefined powers to the state.
D. Specified the powers of the states and left the residuary powers with the centre.

30. Consider the following statements on the practice of federalism in India. Identify those
which hold true for decentralisation after 1992.
A. Local governments did not have any power or resources of their own.
B. It became constitutionally mandatory to hold regular elections to local government bodies.
C. The state governments are required to share some powers and revenue with local
government bodies.
D. No seats are reserved in the elected bodies for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and other backward
classes.
A. B and C
B. A and C
C. A and D
D. B and D

ANSWERS:
1] A 2] D 3] C 4] A 5] D 6] C 7] D 8] C 9] B 10] A 11] A 12] B 13] C 14] B 15] C
16] D 17] C 18] C 19] A 20] B 21] B 22] A 23] C 24] C 25] C 26] C 27] A 28] D 29] A 30] A

 FILL IN THE BLANKS:

1. The ………… Government alone can make laws relating to the subjects mentioned in the Union List.

2. The Union Government has the power to legislate on ………… subjects which do not fall in any of the three lists.
3. The ………… plays an important role in overseeing the implementation of constitutional provisions and
procedures.
4. If there is a conflict in the laws made in the concurrent list, the law made by the ………… Government
will prevail.
5. A third tier of government is called ………… government.
6. When power is taken away from Central and State governments and given to local government, it is
called …………
7. ………… are the local governing bodies in the villages and ………… in urban areas.
8. The political head of a Municipal Corporation is called the ………… .
9. The ……........... overseas the implementation of constitutional and procedures.
Answers
1. Union
2. Residuary
3. Judiciary
4. Union
5. Local
6. Decentralisation
7. (i) Panchayats, (ii) Municipalities
8. Mayor
9. Judiciary
 Practice Worksheet
SUB : S.S/10/2
NAME: ________________________ DATE: __________________
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
FEDERALISM (WORKSHEET-2)
CIVICS

 VERY SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS:

1. What is a homogeneous society?

Ans. A society that has similar kinds of people, especially where there are no significant ethnic differences.
For example, Germany and Sweden.

2. Highlight the case of Northern Irelands in reference to cross-cutting of social differences.

Ans. In Northern Ireland, people are predominantly Christian but divided between Catholic and Protestants.
Class and religion overlap with each other. Thus creating a possibility of deep social divisions and tensions.
If you are Catholic, you are also more likely to be poor and you may have suffered a history of
discrimination. The result is that Catholics and Protestants have conflicts in Northern Ireland.

3. Which group of countries did face the problem of social division?

Ans. Belgium, Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom.

4. What is federalism?
Ans. Federalism is a system of government under which power is divided between a central authority and
its various constituent units. The various constituent units and the central authority run their
administration independently and do not interfere unnecessarily in the affairs of one another.

5. What is Unitary Government?

Ans. Under the unitary system, either there is only one level of government or the sub units are
subordinate to the central government.

6. ‘The federal system has dual objective’. Mention the dual objectives.
Ans. To safeguard and promote the unity of the country, while at the same time accommodate regional
diversity.

7. Mention any two features of federalism.

Ans. (i) There are two or more levels of government, (ii) Different tiers of government govern the same
citizens.

8. ‘There are two kinds of routes through which federations have been formed.’ Name the two routes by
giving one example of each.
Ans. (i) Coming together federations – USA
(ii) Holding together federations – India.

9. Name any two examples of coming together federation.

Ans. USA and Australia.
10. Name any two holding together federation.
Ans. India and Spain

11. Mention the three tier system prevailing in India.

Ans. (i) Union Government
(ii) State Government
(iii) Local Government

12. What is a Union List?

Ans. Subjects of national importance like defence, foreign affairs, atomic energy, banking, post and
telegraph are included in the Union List. Only the central government can pass laws on the subjects
mentioned in the Union List because we need a uniform policy on important or national issues throughout
the country. The Union List has 97 subjects.

13. What is a State List?

Ans. It comprises those important subjects on which the state government can pass laws. Subjects like
police, local governments, trade and commerce, agriculture within the state are included in the State List.
The State List has 66 subjects.

14. What are Residuary Powers?

Ans. Matters which are not included in the division of powers, are known as residuary powers. It was felt
that there can be subjects which are not mentioned in either of these lists. The central government has
been given the power to legislate on these ‘residuary’ subjects.

15. Name an Indian state which enjoys a special status.

Ans. Jammu and Kashmir.

16. What are Union Territories?

Answer: These are areas which are too small to become an independent State but which could not be
merged with any of the existing states.

17. Who governs the Union Territories?

Ans. The Union Government.

18. What is decentralisation?

Answer. When power is taken away from Central and State governments and given to local government, it
is called decentralisation.

19. What is Gram Panchayat?

Ans. It is a council consisting of several ward members, often called panch and a president or sarpanch.

20. What is Panchayat Samiti?

Ans. A few gram panchayats are grouped together to form a Panchayat Samiti or block or mandal.

21. How are village Sarpanch or Panches elected?

Ans. They are directly elected by all the adult population living in that ward or village.
22. What is Zila Parishad?
Ans. All the Panchayat Samiti’s or Mandals in a district together constitute the Zila Parishad.

23. Who is a Mayor?

Ans. He is an elected Chairperson of the Municipal Corporation.

24. How had federalism helped Belgium to solve the ethnic problem?
Ans. (i) Before 1993 most of the powers in Belgium were in the hands of the central government, i.e.,
Belgium had a unitary government.
(ii) After 1993 the regional governments were given constitutional powers. Thus Belgium shifted from a
unitary to a federal form of government.

25. Which law will remain prevalent if there is any conflict over a subject mentioned in the Concurrent list?
Ans. The law passed by the Union Government will prevail.

26. How many languages have been recognised as scheduled languages?

Ans. 22 languages.

27. What happened in Pokharan? Where is it?

Ans. Pokharan is the place where India conducted its nuclear tests. It is in Rajasthan.

28. When was the report of the States Reorganization Commission implemented?
Ans. 1 November, 1956.

29. What is the nature of Indian federal system?

Ans. Indian federal system is an example of ‘holding together’ type of federation.

30. Which are the subjects included in the state list? Mention any two.
Ans. Police and Agriculture.
 Practice Worksheet
SUB : S. S/10/3
NAME: ________________________ DATE: __________________
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
FEDERALISM (WORKSHEET-3)
CIVICS

 SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS:

1. There are two kinds of routes through which federations have been formed. Describe them.
Ans. (i) ‘Coming together’ federation: This is the first route which involves independent states coming
together on their own to form a bigger unit and the states surrender some of their sovereignty to it. This
type of federation includes the USA, Switzerland and Australia. All the constituent states in this type usually
have equal power and are strong with regard to the federal government.

ii) ‘Holding together’ federation: This is the second route. Here a large country decides to divide its power
between the constituent states and the national government. These types of federations are found in India,
Spain and Belgium. In this category, the central government tends to be more powerful in comparison to
the states. Very often different constituent units of the federation have unequal powers. Some units are
even granted special powers.

2. Contrast federal form of governments with those of unitary governments.

Ans. Under the unitary system, either there is only one level of government or the sub-units are
subordinate to the central government. The central government can pass on orders to the provincial or the
local government. But in a federal system, the central government cannot order the state government to
do something. State government has power of its own for which it is not answerable to the central
government. Both these governments are separately answerable to the people.

3. All states in Indian Union do not have identical powers. Explain with reference to Jammu and Kashmir.
Ans. Some states in Indian Union enjoy a special status. Jammu and Kashmir is one of them.
 This state has its own constitution.
 Many provisions of the Indian Constitution are not applicable to this state without the approval of the
State Assembly.
 Indians who are not permanent residents of this state cannot buy land or house here.

4. Give three reasons that highlight the need for power sharing within the states of India.
Answer:
 India is a vast country and cannot be run only through the two-tiers (the Union Government, rep-
resenting the entire country and the state governments).
 States in India are as large as independent countries of Europe. Many of these states are internally very
diverse.
 Federal power sharing in India needs another tier of government, below that of the State governments,
in order to solve the grass root problems more efficiently and quickly.

5. What is Gram Sabha? Mention its important functions.

Ans. Gram Sabha is one of the three main bodies of the panchayat system. It consists of all adult men and
women in a village. Its functions are-
 The panchayat works under the overall supervision of the gram sabha.
 It has to meet at least twice or thrice in a year to approve the annual budget of the gram panchayat and
to review the performance of the gram panchayat.
 If not satisfied with the work of the panchayat, it has the power to remove its members by a vote of no-
confidence.

6. What were the reasons behind the creation of linguistic states? What are their advantages?
Ans. (i) In 1947, the boundaries of several old states of India were changed in order to create new states.
This was done to ensure that people who spoke the same language lived in the same state.

(ii) Some states like Nagaland, Uttarakhand and Jharkhand were created to recognise differences based on
culture, ethnicity or geography.

In the beginning, the Central government was not in the favour of linguistic states. But the experience has
shown that the formation of linguistic states has actually made the country more united, and stronger. It
has also made administration easier.

7. Mention two achievements and two difficulties of the local self-governments in India.
Answer:
Two achievements

Local-self governments have made the local administration easier and more effective.
Constitutional status for local government has helped to deepen democracy in our country. It has also
increased women’s representation and voice in our democracy.

Two difficulties

While elections are held regularly, gram sabhas are not held regularly.
Most state governments have not transferred significant powers to the local governments. Nor have they
given adequate resources.

8. What do you know about Zilla Parishad and its composition? Also mention its functions.
Ans. Zilla Parishad is the highest institution of the panchayati raj system.
Composition: All the panchayat samities or mandals in a district together constitute the zilla parishad. Most
members of the zilla parishad are elected. Members of the Lok Sabha and MLAs of that district and some
other officials of other district level bodies are also its members. Zilla Parishad chairperson is the political
head of the zilla parishad.

Functions:
Zilla Parishad extends support to gram panchayats and block samitis. It also gives advice to these bodies
whenever required. It supervises the community development programmes of the district.
9. Explain the vertical division of power by giving examples from India.
Ans. When power is shared among governments at different levels, i.e., the Union or the Central
Government, the State Government and the Municipality and Panchayat at the lower level. This division of
power involving higher and lower levels of government is called the vertical division of power.
Vertical division of power in India:

The Constitution declares India as a Union of States. Although the word ‘Federation’ is not used, the Indian
Union is based on the principles of federation. The Constitution originally provided for a two-tier system of
government, the Union Government or the Central Government representing Union of India and the State
Governments.

A third-tier of federation was added in the form of Panchayats and Municipalities. As in any federation,
these different tiers enjoy separate jurisdiction. The Constitution provides for a three-fold distribution of
legislative powers between the Union Government and State Government. It contains three lists:
 Union List (97 Subjects)
 State List (66 Subjects)
 Concurrent List (47 Subjects)

10. India comes under which type of federation and why?

Ans. India comes under ‘a holding together’ type federation. In this type of federation, a large country
divides its power between the constituent States and the National government. There is one government
for the entire country and the others are governments at the State level. Both Central and State
Governments enjoy their power independent of the other.

The Central government tends to be more powerful vis-a-vis the states. Often different constituent units of
the federation have unequal powers. For example, special powers have been granted to Jammu & Kashmir.
 Practice Worksheet
SUB : S.S/10/4
NAME: ________________________ DATE: __________________
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
FEDERALISM (WORKSHEET-4)
CIVICS
• ASSERTION- REASON BASED QUESTIONS:

Directions:- In the following questions, the Assertions (A) and Reason(s) (R) have been put forward. Read
both statements carefully and choose the correct answer from the below:

1. Assertion (A) : Belgium and Spain has ‘holding together’ federation.

Reason (R) : A big country divides power between constituent states and national government.

(A) If both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of
Assertion (A).
(B) If both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of
Assertion (A)
(C) Assertion (A) is true but Reason (R) is false.
(D) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are false.

2. Assertion (A) : Hindi is identified as the only official language of India.

Reason (R) : It helped in creating supremacy of Hindi speaking people over others.

(A) If both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of
Assertion (A).
(B) If both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of
Assertion (A)
(C) Assertion (A) is true but Reason (R) is false.
(D) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are false.

3. Assertion (A) : It is very simple to make the changes in the basic structure of the constitution.
Reason (R) : Both the houses have power to amend the constitution independently.

(A) If both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of
Assertion (A).
(B) If both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of
Assertion (A)
(C) Assertion (A) is true but Reason (R) is false.
(D) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are false.

4. Assertion (A) : India is a federation.

Reason (R) : Power resides with the central authority.

(A) If both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of
Assertion (A).
(B) If both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of
 Assertion (A)
(C) Assertion (A) is true but Reason (R) is false.
(D) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are false.

5. Assertion (A): Coalition government is formed during dearth of coal in the country.
Reason (R): It helps in overcoming coal crisis.

(A) If both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of
Assertion (A).
(B) If both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of
Assertion (A)
(C) Assertion (A) is true but Reason (R) is false.
(D) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are false.

6. Assertion (A) : The subjects which are not included in Union List, State List and Concurrent List are
considered as residuary subjects.
Reason(R) : The subjects included that came after constitution was made and thus could not be
classified

(A) If both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of
Assertion (A).
(B) If both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of
Assertion (A)
(C) Assertion (A) is true but Reason (R) is false.
(D) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are false.

7. Assertion (A) : India has a federal system.

Reason (R) : Under a unitary system, either there is only one level of government or the subunits are
subordinate to central government.

(A) If both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of
Assertion (A).
(B) If both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of
Assertion (A)
(C) Assertion (A) is true but Reason (R) is false.
(D) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are false.

8. Assertion (A) : Zilla Parishad Chairperson is the political head of the zilla parishad.
Reason (R) : Mayor is the head of municipalities.

(A) If both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of
Assertion (A).
(B) If both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of
Assertion (A)
(C) Assertion (A) is true but Reason (R) is false.
(D) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are false.
9. Assertion (A) : A major step towards decentralization was taken in 1992 by amending the
constitution
Reason (R) : Constitution was amended to make the third tier of democracy more powerful and
effective

(A) If both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of
Assertion (A).
(B) If both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of
Assertion (A)
(C) Assertion (A) is true but Reason (R) is false.
(D) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are false.

10. Assertion (A) : Third-tier of government is local government.

Reason (R) : It made democracy weak.

(A) If both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of
Assertion (A).
(B) If both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of
Assertion (A)
(C) Assertion (A) is true but Reason (R) is false.
(D) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are false.

11. Assertion (A): Besides Hindi there are 21 other languages recognized as scheduled languages by the
constitution.
Reason (R) : Restructuring the centre state relations is one more way in which federalism has been
strengthened in practice.

(A) If both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of
Assertion (A).
(B) If both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of
Assertion (A)
(C) Assertion (A) is true but Reason (R) is false.
(D) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are false.

ANSWERS:
1] A 2] C 3] D 4] A 5] D 6] A 7] B 8] B 9] A 10] C 11] B
 Practice Worksheet
SUB : S.S/10/5
NAME: ________________________ DATE: __________________
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
FEDERALISM (WORKSHEET - 5)
CIVICS
 CASE BASED STUDY QUESTIONS:

PASSAGE -1

The creation of linguistic States was the first and a major test for democratic politics in our country. Many old
States have vanished and many new States have been created. Areas, boundaries and names of the States have
been changed. In 1947, the boundaries of several old States of India were changed in order to create new
States. This was done to ensure that people who spoke the same language lived in the same State. Some States
were created not on the basis of language but to recognise differences based on culture, ethnicity or
geography. These include States like Nagaland, Uttarakhand and Jharkhand. When the demand for the
formation of States on the basis of language was raised, some national leaders feared that it would lead to the
disintegration of the country. The Central Government resisted linguistic States for some time. But the
experience has shown that the formation of linguistic States has actually made the country, more united. It has
also made administration easier.

1. Select the two bases on which new states of India have been created
(A) Religion and geography
(B) Language and regional culture
(C) Culture and religion
(D) Language and community
2. Which state of India was first form on the bases of language?
(A) Karnataka
(B) Tamil Nadu
(C) Andhra Pradesh
(D) Telangana
3. Here are four reactions to the language policy followed in India. Which are true in the case of India?
(A) Language based states have divided us by making everyone conscious of their language.
(B) The policy of accommodation has strengthened national unity.
(C) The language policy has only helped to consolidate the dominance of English over all other languages.
(D) It lead to the disintegration of the country
4. Which was the first test for democratic politics in our Country?
(A) Caste problem
(B) Language problem
(C) Problems related to union territories
(D) Creation of linguistic state
ANSWERS:

1] A 2] B 3] C 4] C

PASSAGE – 2

The need for decentralisation was recognised in our Constitution. Since then, there have been several attempts
to decentralise power to the level of villages and towns. Panchayat in villages and municipalities in urban areas
were set up in all the States. But these were directly under the control of state governments. Elections to these
local governments were not held regularly. Local governments did not have any powers or resources of their
own. Thus, there was very little decentralisation in effective terms. A major step towards decentralisation was
taken in 1992. The Constitution was amended to make the third-tier of democracy more powerful and
effective. Now it is constitutionally mandatory to hold regular elections to local government bodies. Seats are
reserved in the elected bodies and the executive heads of these institutions for the Scheduled Castes,
Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes. At least one-third of all positions are reserved for women. An
independent institution called the State Election Commission has been created in each State to conduct
panchayat and municipal elections. The State governments are required to share some powers and revenue
governments are required to share some powers and revenue with local government bodies. The nature of
sharing varies from State to State.

1. What is the basic idea behind decentralization?

(A) There are a large number of problems and issues which are best settled at the local level
(B) Besides, at the local level it is possible for the people to directly participate in decision making. This
helps to inculcate a habit of democratic participation.
(C) Local government is the best way to realise one important principle of democracy, namely local
self-government.
(D) All of the above
2. In local self-government institutions at least one-third of all positions are reserved for?
(A) Men
(B) Women
(C) Scheduled caste
(D) Scheduled tribe
3. Which of these is incorrect, based on the Consitutional Amendment, 1992?
(A) One-fourth of positions are reserved for women.
(B) Regular elections should be held to the local government bodies.
(C) Seats are reserved for SCs, STs and OBCs.
(D) State Election Commission looks after these elections

ANSWERS:

1] B 2] D 3] D
 PASSAGE- 3
Rural local government is popularly known by the name panchayati raj. Each village, or a
group of villages in some States, has a gram panchayat. This is a council consisting of
several ward members, often called panch, and a president or sarpanch. They are directly
elected by all the adult population living in that ward or village. It is the decision-making
body for the entire village. The panchayat works under the overall supervision of the gram
sabha. All the voters in the village are its members. It has to meet at least twice or thrice in
a year to approve the annual budget of the gram panchayat and to review the performance
of the gram panchayat.
The local government structure goes right up to the district level. A few gram panchayats are
grouped together to form what is usually called a panchayat samiti or block or mandal. The
members of this representative body are elected by all the panchyat members in that area.
All the panchayat samitis or mandals in a district together constitute the zilla parishad. Most
members of the zilla parishad are elected. Members of the Lok Sabha and MLAs of that
district and some other officials of other district level bodies are also its members. Zilla parishad
chairperson is the political head of the Zilla parishad.

1. What is the third tier of government in India known as?

(A) Village Panchayat
(B) State government
(C) Local self-government
(D) Zila Parishad
2. Which statement is true about Panchayati Raj?
(A) The Panchayat samiti and Zila Parishad should be constituted with directly elected member
(B) Minimum age should be 18 year to contest the election at the panchayat level
(C) For the financial review of Panchayats, the state finance commission is established
(D) Election of Panchayati Raj institution is conducted under the guidance of the State Election
Commisssion
3. Which government works at district level?
(A) Panchayat Samiti
(B) Zila Parishad
(C) Village Panchayat
(D) Gram Panchayat
4. What was the main purpose behind bringing the Panchayati Raj system in India?
(A) To Prevent Criminalization of Politics
(B) Decentralization of the political power to the general public
(C) To reduce election Expenses
(D) Development of Villages

ANSWERS:
1] A 2] B 3] C 4] D
 Practice Worksheet
SUB : S.S/10/1
NAME: ________________________ DATE: __________________
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
GENDER, RELIGION AND CASTE (WORKSHEET-1)
CIVICS

 MCQs:

1. In India, the official religion of the state is:

(A) Hinduism
(B) Islam
(C) Christianity
(D)None

2. A system that values men more and gives them power over women is called:
(A) Feminist
(B) Socialist
(C) Patriarchy
(D) Communist

3. Laws concerning family matters such as marriage, divorce, adoption etc. are known as:
(A) Family laws
(B) Constitutional Laws
(C) Criminal Laws
(D) Civil Laws

4. Which of these countries has an official state religion?

(A) Sri Lanka
(B) Pakistan
(C) England
(D) All of these

5. In which system of elected bodies about one-third seats are reserved for women?
(A) Panchayats and Municipals
(B) Lok Sabha
(C) State Assemblies
(D) None of these

6. Which of the following statement about India as a secular state is incorrect?

(A) Allows freedom to practice any religion
(B) There is no official religion
(C) Prohibits discrimination on religious grounds
(D) It reserves seats for religious minorities
7. What does caste hierarchy mean?
(A) A shift from rural areas to urban areas
(B) Shift from one occupation to another
(C) A ladder-like formation in which all caste groups are placed from the highest to the lowest
(D) None of these

8. On which of the following ideas is communal politics based?

(A) One religion is considered superior than the others
(B) Creating a vote bank of the basis on religion
(C) Parties promote religious stereotypes
(D) All the above

9. Who among the following said that religion can never be separated from politics?
(A) Acharya Vinobha Bhave
(B) Mahatma Gandhi
(C) Sarojini Naidu
(D) Rajendra Prasad

10. A person who does not discriminate others on the basis of religious beliefs is called?
(A) Communalist
(B) Secular
(C) Casteist
(D) Feminist

11. Which one of the following is the literacy rate among women in India?
(A) 50%
(B) 76%
(C) 28%
(D) 54%

12. In which one of the following countries the participation of women in public life is very high?
(A) India
(B) Sweden
(C) Bangladesh
(D) Pakistan

13. Which of the following divisions is unique to India?

(A) Gender division
(B) Caste division
(C) Economic division
(D) Religious division

14. Which of the following is correct for partiarchal society?

(A) Women dominated society
(B) Male-dominated society
(C) Educated society
(D) Cultured society
15. Which one of the following is not a cause of communalism?
(A) Religion is taken as the basis of nation
(B) When one religion is discriminated against other
(C) State has no official religion
(D) Demands of one religious group are formed in opposition to another

16. Who among the following is a feminist?

(A) Someone who does not believe in equal rights and opportunities for women and men
(B) Someone who believes in equal rights and opportunities for women and men
(C) Someone who believes in secularism
(D) None of the above

17. In which of these countries, the participation of women is not very large?
(A) Sweden
(B) Norway
(C) India
(D) Finland

18. What is meant by ‘gender division’?

(A) Division between rich and poor
(B) Division between males and females
(C) Division between educated and uneducated
(D) None of the above

19. The representation of women in state assemblies is less than:

(A) 2%
(B) 5%
(C) 6%
(D) 3%

20. What did Gandhiji mean when he said that religion and politics can never be separated?
(A) Effect of Hinduism on politics is more
(B) Effect of Islam on politics is more
(C) Need moral values in politics
(D) None of these

21. In some places in India, the child sex ratio has fallen to as low as:
(A) 927
(B) 840
(C) 820
(D) 800

22. Which of these Acts provides that equal wages should be paid for equal work to both men and women?
(A) Same Wages Act
(B) Equal Wages Act
(C) Wages Equality Act
(D) Equality Wages Act
23. Which of these matters deal with the ‘Family Laws’?
(A) Marriage and divorce
(B) Adoption
(C) Inheritance
(D) All of these

24. What is meant by ‘Communal Politics’?

(A) Participation of different communities in politics
(B) When state power is used to establish domination of one religious group over the rest
(C) Communist type of government
(D) All the above

25. What is leading to the breakdown of caste hierarchy?

(A) Large-scale urbanisation
(B) Growth of literacy and education
(C) Occupational mobility
(D) All the above

ANSWERS:
1] D 2] C 3] A 4] D 5] A 6] D 7] C 8] D 9] B 10] B 11] D 12] B 13] B 14] B
15] C 16] B 17] C 18] B 19] B 20] C 21] D 22] B 23] D 24] B 25] D
 Practice Worksheet
SUB : S.S/10/2
NAME: ________________________ DATE: __________________
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
GENDER, RELIGION AND CASTE (WORKSHEET-2)
CIVICS

 VERY SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS:

1. What are feminist movements?

Ans. The movements which aimed at equality of men and women in all spheres of life.

2. Name any two countries in which the participation of woman in public life is very high.

Ans. Sweden and Norway

3. What is Equal Wages Act?

Ans. According to this Act equal wages should be paid to equal work.

4. What are family laws?

Ans. Those laws that deal with family related matters such as marriage, divorce, adoption, inheritance, etc.
In our country, different family law apply to followers of different religions.

5. What were Gandhiji’s views regarding religion and politics?

Ans. Gandhiji used to say that religion can never be separated from politics. What he meant by religion was
not any particular religion like Hinduism or Islam but moral values that form the basis of all religions. He
believed that politics must be guided by ethics drawn from religions.

6. ‘The most common expression of communalism is in every-day beliefs’. Explain.

Ans. These routinely involves religious prejudices, stereotypes of religious communities and belief in the
superiority of one’s religion over other religions.

7. ‘Political mobilisation on religious line is frequent form of communalism’. Explain.

Answer: Political mobilisation on communal lines involves the use of sacred symbols, religious leaders,
emotional appeal and plain fear in order to bring the followers of one religion together in the political
arena. In electoral politics this often involves special appeal to the interests or emotions of voters of one
religion in preference to others.
8. What is a secular state?

Answer: A state in which the constitution provides to all individuals and communities freedom to profess,
practice and propogate any religion, or not to follow any.

9. Mention any two provisions of Indian Constitution which makes India a secular state.

Answer: (i) There is no official religion for the Indian state

(ii) The Constitution prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion.

10. What is communalism?

Answer: It is a situation when a particular community tries to promote its own interests at the cost of other
communities.

11. Name any four social reformers who advocated and worked to establish a society in which caste
inequalities are absent.

Answer: Jotiba Phule, Gandhiji, B.R. Ambedkar and Periyar Ramaswami.

12. What is the basis of communal politics?

Answer: Communal politics is based on the idea that religion is the principal basis of social community.

13. Mention any one provision in the Indian Constitution which makes India a secular state.

Answer: Under the Right to Freedom of Religion all citizens are free to profess, practise and propagate any
religion, or not to follow any.

14. Explain the term ‘feminist movements’.

Ans. Feminist Movements are radical women’s movements aiming at attaining equality for women in
personal and family life and public affairs. These movements have organized and agitated to raise channels
for enhancing the political and legal status of women and improving their educational and career
opportunities.

15. What is the percentage of seats reserved for women in local bodies?

Ans. 33%

16. What is a patriarchal society?

Ans. A patriarchal society is essentially male dominated. The line of descent is traced through the father.
Men are valued more in terms of work they do and the place they hold in society. This gives them more
power than women.
17. Why do Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes have the prefix ‘Scheduled’ in their names?

Ans. Both these broad groups include hundreds of castes or tribes whose names are listed in an official
Schedule. Hence, the prefix ‘scheduled’ in their name.

18. What is the Equal Remuneration (Wages) Act?

Ans. The Equal Remuneration Act was passed in 1976. This Act provides that equal wages should be paid to
equal work regardless of gender status.

19. Is the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 successfully implemented?

Ans. No. In spite of this Act, women are not paid equally. In almost all areas of work, women are paid less
than men, even when both do exactly the same work.

20. What was caste system in India based on?

Ans. Caste system in India was based on exclusion of and discrimination against the outcast groups which
included dalits and adivasis. These people were subjected to inhuman treatment by the upper castes.

21. What does it mean when people say that a caste is a ‘vote bank’ of one party?

Ans. It usually means that a large proportion of the voters from that caste vote for that party.

22. What is the literacy rate among men and women in India?

Ans. The literacy rate among men and women is 76 percent and 54 percent respectively.

23. What is the male/female ratio in India, as per the census of 2011?

Ans. It is 1000 males and 914 females.

 Practice Worksheet
SUB : S.S/10/3
NAME: ________________________ DATE: __________________
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
GENDER, RELIGION AND CASTE (WORKSHEET-3)
CIVICS
 SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS:
1. Give two instances that involve a relationship between religion and politics.

Ans. (i) Human rights groups in our country have argued that most of the victims of communal riots in
our country are people from religious minorities. They have demanded that the government take
special steps to protect religious minorities.

(ii) Women’s movement has argued that family laws of all religions discriminate against women. So
they have demanded that government should change these laws to make them more equitable.

2.‘Political mobilisation on religious lines is a frequent form of communalism.’ Explain.

Ans. Political mobilisation on communal lines involves the use of sacred symbols, religious leaders,
emotional appeal and plain fear in order to bring the followers of one religion together in the political
arena. In electoral politics, this often involves special appeal to the interests or emotions of voters of
one religion in preference to others.

3. Mention any two constitutional provisions that make India a Secular State.

Ans. Two constitutional provisions that make India a Secular State are:

 There is no official religion for the Indian State. Unlike the status of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, Islam in
Pakistan and Christianity in England, our Constitution does not give a special status to any religion.
 At the same time, the Constitution allows the State to intervene in the matters of religion in order
to ensure equality within religious communities; for example, it bans untouchability.

4. Suppose a politician seeks your vote on the religious ground. Why is his act considered against the
norms of democracy? Explain.

Ans. If a politician seeks votes on religious grounds, he is acting against the norms of democracy
because—

 This act of his is against the Constitution. He is exploiting social differences which may create
social discard and lead to social division.
 Religion becomes a problem when it is expressed in politics and when one religion and its
followers are pitted against another.
 When beliefs of one religion are presented as superior to those of other religions and the demands
of one religious group are formed in opposition to another and the state power is used to establish
the domination of one religious group over the rest, it leads to communal politics.
5. Explain the status of women’s representation in India’s legislative bodies.

Ans. The one way to ensure that women related problems get adequate attention is to have more
women as elected representatives. To achieve this, it is legally binding to have a fair proportion of
women in the elected bodies.

 Panchayati Raj in India has reserved one-third seats in Local Government bodies for women.
 In India, the proportion of women in legislature has been very low. The percentage of elected
women members in Lok Sabha is not even 10 per cent and in State Assemblies less than 5 per cent.
India is behind several developing countries of Africa and Latin America. Women organisations
have been demanding reservations of at least one-third seats in Lok Sabha and State Assemblies
for women.
 And only recently, in March 2010, the women’s reservation bill was passed in the R ajya Sabha
ensuring 33% reservation to women in Parliament and State Legislative bodies.

6. State how caste inequalities are still continuing in India.

Ans. Ans: The Caste Inequalities are still continuing in India because of the following reasons:

 People use their caste names as their last names to keep themselves associated with their caste.
 Inter-caste marriages are less common in rural India.
 The provision of reservations has led to a divide of the Indian society into OBCs, SCs, and STs apart
from the unreserved ones.
 Practice Worksheet
SUB : S.S/10/4
NAME: ________________________ DATE: __________________
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
GENDER, RELIGION AND CASTE (WORKSHEET-4)
CIVICS

 ASSERTION- REASON BASED QUESTIONS:

Directions - Directions:- In the following questions, the Assertions (A) and Reason(s) (R) have been put
forward. Read both statements carefully and choose the correct answer from the below:

(A) If both assertion (A) and reason (R) are true and reason (R) is the correct explanation of assertion (A).
(B) If both assertion (A) and reason (R) are true but reason (R) is not the correct explanation of assertion
(A).
(C) Assertion (A) is true but reason (R) is false.
(D) Both assertion (A) and reason (R) are false.

1. ASSERTION (A): Women face discrimination and disadvantage in India in many ways.
REASON (R): India is a patriarchal society.

(A) If both assertion (A) and reason (R) are true and reason (R) is the correct explanation of assertion (A).
(B) If both assertion (A) and reason (R) are true but reason (R) is not the correct explanation of assertion (A).
(C) Assertion (A) is true but reason (R) is false.
(D) Both assertion (A) and reason (R) are false.

2. ASSERTION (A): India is a secular state.

REASON (R) : Constitution gives freedom to everyone to profess, practice and propagate any religion
without prejudices or any discrimination.

(A) If both assertion (A) and reason (R) are true and reason (R) is the correct explanation of assertion (A).
(B) If both assertion (A) and reason (R) are true but reason (R) is not the correct explanation of assertion (A).
(C) Assertion (A) is true but reason (R) is false.
(D) Both assertion (A) and reason (R) are false.

3. ASSERTION (A): A casteist is a person who thinks that caste is the principal basis of community.
REASON (R): All castes are equal and man-made.

(A) If both assertion (A) and reason (R) are true and reason (R) is the correct explanation of assertion (A).
(B) If both assertion (A) and reason (R) are true but reason (R) is not the correct explanation of assertion (A).
(C) Assertion (A) is true but reason (R) is false.
(D) Both assertion (A) and reason (R) are false.

4. ASSERTION (A): Stereotypical gender roles for males and females helps in avoiding conflicts.
REASON (R) : India is a matriarchal society
 (A) If both assertion (A) and reason (R) are true and reason (R) is the correct explanation of assertion (A).
(B) If both assertion (A) and reason (R) are true but reason (R) is not the correct explanation of assertion (A).
(C) Assertion (A) is true but reason (R) is false.
(D) Both assertion (A) and reason (R) are false.

5. ASSERTION (A): Equal Remuneration Act, 1976, provides that equal wages should be paid for equal work,
irrespective of gender and caste.
REASON (R): Women are physically weak so they are righteously paid less than men.

(A) If both assertion (A) and reason (R) are true and reason (R) is the correct explanation of assertion (A).
(B) If both assertion (A) and reason (R) are true but reason (R) is not the correct explanation of assertion (A).
(C) Assertion (A) is true but reason (R) is false.
(D) Both assertion (A) and reason (R) are false.

ANSWERS:
1] A 2] A 3] C 4] D 5] C
 Practice Worksheet
SUB : S.S/10/5
NAME: ________________________ DATE: __________________
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
GENDER, RELIGION AND CASTE (WORKSHEET-5)
CIVICS

 CASE BASED STUDY QUESTIONS:

PASSAGE -1
Gradually the gender issue was raised in politics. Women in different parts of the world organised and
agitated for equal rights. There were agitations in different countries for the extension of voting rights to
women. These agitations demanded enhancing the political and legal status of women and improving their
educational and career opportunities. More radical women’s movements aimed at equality in personal and
family life as well. These movements are called feminist movements.

QUESTIONS:

1. What does the term patriarchy refer to?

2. What do you mean by ‘Feminist’?

3. What were the demands of the women’s movements?

ANSWERS:

1. A system that values men more and gives them power over women.

2. A man or woman who believes in equal rights and opportunities for men and women.

3. (i) Enhance the political and legal status of women.

(ii) Improving educational and career opportunities for women.

(iii) Equality I personal and family life.

PASSAGE – 2

Secularism is not just an ideology of some parties or persons. This idea constitutes one of the foundations of
our country. Communalism should not be seen as a threat to some people in India. It threatens the very idea of
India. That is why communalism needs to be combated. A secular Constitution like ours is necessary but not
sufficient to combat communalism. Communal prejudices and propaganda need to be countered in everyday
life and religion based mobilization needs to be countered in the arena of politics.

QUESTIONS:

1. What is secularism?
2. What constitutional provisions declare India to be a secular state?

3. Why do we need to combat communalism?

ANSWERS:

1. It is a principle that treats all religion equal and advocates that state do not favour any particular religion.

2. The constitutional provisions that declare India to be a secular state are:

(i) There is no official religion for the Indian state.

(ii) The constitution provides freedom to profess, practice and propagate any religion, or not to follow any.

(iii) The constitution prohibits discrimination on the grounds of religion

3. Communalism should not be seen as a threat to some people in India. It threatens the very idea of India. It
creates violence and disharmony in the society. That is why communalism needs to be combated.