Detailed, Step-by-Step NCERT Solutions for 11 Political Science Chapter 1 Constitution: Why and How? Questions and Answers were solved by Expert Teachers as per NCERT (CBSE) Book guidelines covering each topic in chapter to ensure complete preparation.
Constitution: Why and How? NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Political Science Chapter 1
Constitution: Why and How? Questions and Answers Class 11 Political Science Chapter 1
Question 1.
Which of these is not a function of the constitution?
(a) It gives a guarantee of the rights of the citizen.
(b) It marks out different spheres of power for different branches of government
(c) It ensures that good people come to power.
(d) It gives expression to some shored values.
Answer:
(c) It ensures that good people come to power.
Question 2.
Which of the following is a good reason to conclude that the authority of the constitution is higher than that of the parliament.
(a) The constitution was framed before the parliament came into being
(b) The constitution makers were more eminent leaders than that the members of parliament.
(c) The constitution specifics how parliament is to be formed and what are its powers.
(d) The constitution cannot be amended by the parliament
Answer:
(c) The Constitution specifics how parliament is to be formed and what are its powers.
Question 3.
State whether the following statements about a constitution are True or False.
(a) Constitutions are written documents about formation and power of the government
Answer:
True
(b) Constitutions exist and are required only in democratic countries.
Answer:
False
(c) Constitution is a legal document that does not deal with ideals and values.
Answer:
False
(d) A Constitution gives its citizen a new identity.
Answer:
True
Question 4.
State whether the following inferences about the making of the Indian Constitution are Correct or Incorrect. Give reasons to support you answer.
(a) The Constituent Assembly did hot represent the Indian people since it was not elected by all citizens. Incorrect.
Answer:
It is incorrect because the constituent Assembly was a representative body in spite of the fact that it was not elected directly by the people. In fact it was an indirectly elected body. To make it representative people of all shades and opinion were gives representation by means of nomination. Constituent Assembly was dominated by Congress which was itself a representative party of all sections of the society.
(b) Constitution making did not involve any major decision since there was general concensus among the leaders at that time about its basic framework. (Incorrect)
Answer:
It is also incorrect because lot of efforts had to be made to achieve concensus on number of controvisal issues. There was no immediate consensus on the basic structure of the constitution. It was the spirit of accommodation and broad mindedness of the members of Constituent Assembly which helped in achieving consensus and taking decisions on many thorny issues.
(c) There was little originality in the Constitution, for much of it was borrowed from other countries, (correct)
Answer:
It is correct as we did not have our constitution for a long time due to being victim of British Colonialism. We were governed by the laws of British Parliament. Therefore when we got independence we had to borrow many institutions form different parts of the world.
Question 5.
Give two examples each to support the following conclusions about the Indian Constitution.
(a) The Constitution was made by credible leaders who commanded people’s respact
Answer:
(a) Constitution Assembly was not constituted by direct elections but it was manned by credible leaders who commended people’s respect. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Pt. Jawahar Lai Nehru, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Alexendrowich and M.V. Pylee were some such important members of the Constituent Assembly.
(b) The constitution has distributed power in such a way as to make it difficult to subvest it.
Answer:
The Constitution has distributed the powers between centre and states as per three lists ie central list consisting 97 subjects, state list consisting 66 subjects and concurrent list with 47 subjects. No one can subvert this system of division of powers because judiciary in there to see that no area of power could be violated by any organ. For this judiciary is given power of Judicial review.
(c) The Constitution is the focus of people’s hopes and aspirations.
Answer:
The Constitution is the focus of people’s hopes because we have a constitutional: government which means the government will have to work as per provisions of the government. Therefore the ruler cannot be arbitrary. The constitution puts a check on the functioning of the government. Con-stitution is an instrument of welfare of the people. It is the embodiment of people’s values and commitments. Therefore it is the last hope of the people.
Question 6.
Why is it necessary for a country to have clear demarcation of powers and responsibilities in the Constitution? What would happen in the absence of such a demarcation?
Answer:
Separation of powers of each organ of the government i.e. Executive, Legislature and Judiciary is very necessary for the safeguard of the liberties and rights of the citizens. It all the powers are vested in one organ, it would lead to authoritarianism and arrogancy which would ultimately restrict and harm the people’s liberties and there will be mis-governance. Now a days most of the democratic governments are working on the basis of separation of powers and responsibilities.
Question 7.
Why is it necessary for a constitution to place limitation on the rulers? Can there be a Constitution that gives no power at all to the citizens?
Answer:
Constitution is the product of doctrine of Constitutionalism which stands for check on the use of powers by the rulers. Constitutionalism stands for rule by Constitutional Law to check the whims and arbitrariness of the rulers. It the rulers are not checked by such constitutional Laws, he or she would be autocratic and people’s rights and liberties will be in danger. There is hardly any Constitution in true sense which does not give any right to the citizens.
Question 8.
The Japanese Constitution was made when the US army is occupation was still in control of Japan after its defeat in the Second World War. The Japanese Constitution could not have had any provision that the US government did not like. Do you see any problem is this way of making the Constitution? In which way was the Indian experience different from this?
Answer:
It is historical fact that when The Japanese Constitution was being written, the US Army was still in control. It is also a fact that the Constitution was being written as per the likings of the US government. Since the people of Japan worshiped the Monarch (Emperor), therefore Monarchy was retained and Parliamentary democracy with Monarch as nominal head was set up.
Indian experience was totally different to that of experience of Japan in this regard. When we adopted our Constitution on 26th Jan. 1950 we were sovereign and independent democracy. Our constitution was written by duly elected, representative and sovereign Constituent Assembly. There was no any kind of control of British Government on our Constitution making process.
Question 9.
Rajat asked his teacher this question “The Constitution is a fifty year old and therefore out dated book. No one took my consent for implementing it. It is written is such a tough language that I cannot understand it. Tell me why should I Qbey this document.” It you were the teacher, how would you answer Rajat?
Answer:
Outbrust of Mr. Rajat in the form of a question to the teacher is childish based on his immaturity and mis- understanding because in fifty years of its working our Constitution has not become outdated, rather, it is in the process of evolution, retaining its’well tested and successful working of the basic features.
If I were a teacher I would have answered to Rajat in the most satisfactory way, I would have told him the meaning and purpose of the Constitution and apprised him of the circumstances and the manner in which the Constitutions was written. I would have made him understood that the language of the Constitution is legal and judiciary is there to explain and interpret it. It is not supposed to be the language of common man. Legitimate government are competent to implement the constitution.
Question 10.
In a discussion on the experience of the working of our Constitution, three speakers took three different positions.
Answer:
(a) Harbans: The Indian Constitution has succeeded in giving us a framework of democratic government
(b) Neha
The Constitution made solemn promises of ensuring liberty, equality and fraternity. Since this has not happened, the Constitution has failed.
(c) Nazima :-The Constitution has not failed us. We have failed the constitution.
Do you agree with any of these positions? If yes, why? It not, what is your own position?
Answer:
I fully agree with Mr. Harbans that’ Indian Constitution has suc-ceeded in giving us a frame work of democratic government as it is written in the preamble of the Constitution that India will be sovereign, socialistic, secular democratic Republic.
As far as Neha’s position is concerned, it is true that Constitution has ensured in its preamble the justice equality, liberty and fraternity and has also provided mechanism of achieving them in the form of Fundamental Rights, Directive Principles of policy and provision of Adult franchise and also existence of independent Judiciary. Neha is wrong when she says that Constitution has failed. In fact inspite of the fact that we have not been able to build a complete equalitarian society, we cannot say that our Constitution has failed.
As a matter of fact Nazima seems to be right that the Constitution has not failed us but we have failed the Constitution. We lack in National Character. We have to learn a lot to be a good citizen. Ultimately the conclusion is that our Constitution is a perfect document having the values, philosophy and institutions suiting our ethos and goal and has the capacities to adjust itself to the changing needs.