PPT on Russian Revolution
Class IX - History II Chapter of I Unit
http://www.slideshare.net/viduvinodkumar/russian-revolution-39615492
Class IX - History II Chapter of I Unit
http://www.slideshare.net/viduvinodkumar/russian-revolution-39615492
Sunday, 28 September 2014
Wednesday, 17 September 2014
Meteorite that killed dinosaurs helped forests bloom
A giant meteorite that wiped out dinosaurs along with evergreen flowering plants 66 million years ago gave rise to deciduous plants — plants that lose their leaves at some point during the year, a significant study reveals.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/science/Meteorite-that-killed-dinosaurs-helped-forests-bloom/articleshow/42699320.cms
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/science/Meteorite-that-killed-dinosaurs-helped-forests-bloom/articleshow/42699320.cms
Friday, 12 September 2014
Class IX SA I (Sample Paper)
Class IX - Social Science
SA I
Time - 3 hrs Max. Marks - 90
General Instructions
The Question Paper has 31 Questions in all. All questions are compulsory.
Questions for serial number 1-10 are Multiple Choice Questions. Each Questions carries 1 marks
Questions for serial number 11-22 are 3 marks each questions. Answer of these questions should exceed 80 words each.
Questions for serial number 23-30 are 5 marks each questions. Answer of these questions should exceed 120 words each.
Question number 31 is a Map question of 4 marks from Geography. After completions, attach the map inside your answer book.
SECTION A
1. Which of these provisions were passed by the Assembly on the night of 4 August, 1789?
(a) Abolition of feudal system of obligations
(b) Clergy had to give up its privileges
(c) Tithes were abolished
(d) All the above
Ans. (d)
2. Which of the statements given about the Socialist Revolutionary Party is not true?
(a) The Socialist Revolutionary Party was formed by socialists active in the countryside
(b) They struggled for peasants' rights and demanded that land from nobles be transferred to them
(c) They were one united group fighting for their rights
(d) Both (a) and (b)
Ans. (c)
Or
Why did Helmuth's father kill himself in the spring of 1945?
(a) He was depressed by Germany's defeat in Second World War
(b) He feared that common people would mishandle him and his family
(c) He feared revenge by the Allied Powers
(d) He wanted to die because of the crimes he had committed during Nazi rule
Ans. (c)
3. Both the latitudinal and longitudinal extent of India's mainland is about 30°. But on looking at the map of India which of the following alternatives do you observe about India's size? (a) East-west extent appears to be smaller than north-south extent
(b) East-west extent appears to be larger than north-south extent
(c) East-west and north-south extent appears equal
(d) North-south extent appears to be smaller than east-west extent
Ans. (a)
4. The northward drift of the Indo-Australian plate resulted in its collision with the much larger Eurasian plate. Which of the following was the result of this collision?
(a) The Gondwanaland split into a number of plates. (b) The continents of Europe and Asia were formed.
(c) Sedimentary rocks accumulated in the Tethys geosyncline were folded. (d) India and Australia were formed.
Ans. (c)
5. The Wainganga and the Penganga are tributaries of which of the following rivers?
(a) The Mahanadi (b) The Narmada (c) The Godavari (d) The Krishna
Ans. (c)
6. Name the five permanent members of the Security Council.
(a) US, Germany, France, China, Italy (b) US, Britain, Germany, Italy, France
(c) US, France, Switzerland, China, Russia (d) US, France, Britain, Russia, China
Ans. (d)
7. Why can the Chinese government not be called a democratic government even though elections are held there?
(a) Army participates in election
(b) Government is not accountable to the people
(c) Some parts of China are not represented at all
(d) Government is always formed by the Communist Party
Ans. (d)
8.
9. Scope of farming activity is limited in Palampur due to
(a) fixed amount of land (b) lack of irrigation
(c) lack of labour (d) none of the above
Ans. (a)
10. Choose the non-market activities
(i) Vilas sells fish in the village market (ii) Vilas cooks food for his family
(iii) Sakal works in a private firm (iv) Sakal looks after his younger brother and sister
(a) (i) & (ii) (b) (iii) & (iv) (c) (i) & (iii) (d) (ii) & (iv)
Ans. (d)
SECTION B
11. How was French Society organised? What privileges did certain sections of society enjoy?
Ans. French society in the eighteenth century was divided into three Estates-two privileged estates, i.e. the clergy and the nobility, and the Third Estate comprising businessmen, traders, lawyers, peasants, workers, poor people. Out of these, only the members of the Third Estate paid taxes. The maximum burden of taxes was borne by the common people, which gave rise to the
'subsistence crisis'. The growth of an enlightened, educated middle class plus the role of philosophers like Locke and Rousseau, together brought about the changes caused by the revolution.
12. Who were the sans culottes? Who were able to control them in the end?
Ans. A large among the Jacobins decided to start wearing long striped trousers similar to those worn by dock workers. To set themselves apart from the fashionable sections of the society, especially nobles, who wore knee breeches. It was a way of proclaiming the end of the power wielded by wearers of knee breeches. These Jacobins came to be known as the sans culottes, literally meaning 'those without knee breeches'.
After the fall of Jacobins, power was seized by the wealthier middle class.
13. Discuss the civil war that took place in Russia after the October Revolution and its consequences.
Ans. When the Bolsheviks ordered land redistribution the Russian army began to break up. Non- Bolshevik socialists, liberals and supporters or autocracy condemned the Bolshevik uprising. They were supported by the French, American, British and Japanese troops. The Bolsheviks kept industries and banks nationalised during the civil war. A process of centralised planning was introduced. Rapid construction and industrialisation started. An extended schooling system developed. Stalin introduced collectivisation of the farms so that no shortage of grain should occur. The Bolsheviks controlled most of the farmer of Russian Empire.
Or
What responsibilities did the Nazi state impose on women.
Ans. According to Hitler's ideology, women were radically different from men. The democratic idea
of equal rights for men and women was wrong and would destroy society.
While boys were taught to be aggressive, masculine and steel-hearted, girls were told that they had to become good mothers and rear pure blooded Aryan children.
Girls had to maintain the purity of the race, distance themselves from Jews, look after the home and teach their children Nazi values. They had to be the bearers of the Aryan culture and race. Hitler said, ''In my state the mother is the most important citizen.'' But in Nazi Germany all
mothers were not treated equally.
14. How have mountain passes been helpful to India since historic times?
Ans. The various mountain passes across the Himalayan range and other mountains in the north have provided passages to travellers since ancient time. The land routes via mountain passes have contributed in the exchange of ideas and commodities since historic times. The ideas of Upanishads and the Ramayana, the stories of Panchtantra, the Indian numerals and the decimal system could thus reach many parts of the world. The spices, muslin and other merchandise were taken from India to different countries. On the other hand, the architectural styles of dome and minarets from West Asia and influence of Greek sculpture, which can be seen in different parts of India, came from other countries to India.
15. Name any three divisions of Himalayas on the basis of regions from West to East and also write one main feature of each.
Ans. The Himalayas have been divided on the basis of regions from west to east. These divisions
have been demarcated by river valleys.
(i) The part of Himalayas lying between Indus and Sutlej has been traditionally known as Punjab Himalayas. It is also regionally known as Kashmir Himachal Himalaya from west to east respectively.
(ii) The part of Himalayas lying between Sutlej and Kali rivers is known as Kumaon
Himalayas.
(iii) The Kali and Tista rivers demarcate the Nepal Himalayas and the part lying between Tista and Dihang rivers is known as Assam Himalayas.
16. What is a lake? How are lakes formed?
Ans. A lake is an area of water surrounded by land on all sides.
(i) There are lakes which are formed as a result of action of glaciers and ice sheets, while the others have been formed by wind, river action, and human activities.
(ii) Some lakes are formed as a result of the tectonic activity. For example, Wular Lake in
Jammu and Kashmir.
(iii) The damming of rivers for the generation of hydel power has also led to the formation of lakes.
17. Who was Lech Walesa? How did he become famous in Poland?
Ans. Lech Walesa was a former electrician of the Lenin Shipyard. He joined and then led the striking workers. He signed a 21 point agreement with the government that ended the strike.
A new trade union called Solidarity was formed.
General Jaruzeleski imposed martial law. Another wave of strike follwed in April 1989. Free election were held. Solidarity won 99 out of 100 seats. Walesa was elected President of Poland.
18. Explain any three diferences between democratic country and non-democratic country?
Ans. In a Democratic country-
(i) Each adult citizen has a vote; (ii) Each vote has one value; and (iii) Free and fair elections are held.
In a non-democratic country - (i) Election do not offer a choice and fair opportunity; (ii) Rulers are not elected by the people; and (ii) The rulers have unlimited power.
19. Regarding the constitution-making, what was the compromise reached at between the blacks and whites?
Ans. The constitution of South Africa was drawn together by the party of whites which had rules
through oppression and the party that led the freedom struggle. The constitution gave to its citizens the most extensive rights available in any country. After long negotiations both parties agreed to a compromise. The whites agreed to the principle of majority rule and that of one person one vote. They also agreed to accept some basic rights for the poor and the workers. The blacks agreed that the majority rule would not be absolute. They agreed that the majority would not take away the property of the white minority.
20. Describe how the Constituent Assembly worked to prepare the constitution for India. Ans. The Constituent Assembly worked in a systematic, open and consensual manner. First some
basic principles were decided and agreed upon. Then a Drafting Committee chaired by Dr. B.R.
Ambedkar prepared a draft constitution for discussion. Several rounds of thorough discussion took place, clause by clause. More than 2000 amendments were made. The members
deliberated for 114 days spread over 3 years. Every document presented and every word spoken in the Constituent Assembly was recorded and preserved. These are called 'Constituent Assembly Debates'.
21.What is the basic aim of production. What are the essential four requirements for production?
Ans. Basic aim of production was to produce goods and services that we want. Four requirements
for production of goods and services were :
(i) Land and other natural resources like water, forests, minerals
(ii) Labour, i.e. people who would do the work. Each worker is providing the labour necessary for production.
(iii) Third requirement is physical capital, i.e. variety of inputs required at every stage during production
(iv) Fourth requirement is knowledge and enterprise to be able to put together land, labour and physical capital and produce an output.
22. 'Unemployment is an economic as well as a social evil.' Explain the statement.
Ans. Unemployment - A Serious Problem
Today, unemployment is considered one of the most threatening problems before the country. The society is deprived of the goods and services that the unemployed people could have produced. Unemployment among the educated persons is more serious. This is due to investments made in them.
Unemployment is not only an economic evil, it is a social problem too. Unemployment spreads social unrest and tension as unemployed people are a frustrated class of the society.
23. Write a short note on sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.
Ans. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan' is a significant step towards providing elementary education to all the children of the age group 6-14 years by the year 2010. It is a time bound initiative of central government, in partnership with the states, the local government and the community for achieving the goal of universalisation of elementary education. They also took an initiative to increase the enrollment of students in elementary education by introducing the schemes like mid-day meal.
SECTION C
23. Who were the Jacobins? What was their contribution to the French Revolution?
Ans. Political clubs had become rallying point for people who wanted to discuss government
policies and plan their own forms of action. The most successful of these clubs was that of the Jacobins. They got their name from the former convent of St. Jacob in Paris. They belonged to the less prosperous sections of the society. They included small shopkeepers, artisans such as shoemakers, pastry cooks, watch-makers, printers, as well as servants and daily wage earners. Their leader was Maximilian Robespierre. A large group among the Jacobin decided to wear long striped trousers similar to those worn by dock workers. This was to set themselves apart from the fashionable sections of society especially the nobles who wore knee breeches. It was a way of proclaiming the end of the power wielded by the wearers of knee breeches. These Jacobins came to be known as sans-culottes, literally meaning 'those without knee breeches'. San-culottes men wore in addition the red cap that symbolised liberty. Women, however, were not allowed to do so.
In the summer of 1792, they planned an insurrection of a large number of Parisians who were angered by the short supplies and high prices of food. On August 10, they stormed the Palace of the Tuileries, massacred the king's guards and imprisoned the king. Elections were now held. The newly elected assembly was called the Convention. On 21st September, 1792 it abolished the monarchy and declared France a republic.
Louis XVI was sentenced to death by a court on the charge of treason and executed on 21st
January, 1793. The queen also met with the same fate.
24. What was Collectivisation? How did stalin use this programme?
Ans. Stalin felt that collectivisation would definitely solve the problem of shortage. From 1929 the Party forced the peasants to cultivate in collective farms (Kolkhoz). The bulk of land and implements were transferred to the ownership of collective farms. Peasants worked on the land and the Kolkhoz profit was shared. Enraged peasants resisted the authorities and destroyed their livestock. Between 1929 and 1931 the number of cattle fell by 1/3. Those who resisted collectivisation were severely punished. Many were exiled and deported. The peasants argued that they were not rich and were not against socialism but they opposed collectivisation for a variety of reasons. Some independent cultivation was allowed by Stalin's government but such cultivators were treated unsympathetically. In spite of all these measures production did not increase immediately.
Or
Explain Nazi ideologies regarding the Jews.
Ans. Once in power, the Nazis quickly began to implement their dream of creating an exclusive racial community of pure Germans by physically eliminating all those who were seen as
''undesirable'' in the extended empire were mentally or physically unfit Germans, Gypsies, blacks, Russians, Poles.
But Jews remained the worst sufferers in Nazi Germany. They were stereotyped as 'killers of
Christ and usurers'.
Until medieval times, Jews were barred from owning land. They survived mainly through trade and moneylending. They lived in separately marked areas called 'ghettos'. They were often persecuted through periodic organised violence and expulsion from land. All this had a precursor in the traditional Christian hostility towards Jews for being the killers of Christ.
However, Hitler's hatred of the Jews was based on pseudo-scientific theories of race, which held that conversion was no solution to 'the Jewish problem'. It could be solved only through their total elimination.
From 1933 to 1938, the Nazis terrorised, pauperised and segregated the Jews, compelling them to leave the country. The next phase of 1939-1945 aimed at concentrating them in certain areas and eventually killing them in gas chambers in Poland.
Under the shadow of war, the Nazis proceeded to realise their murderous, racial ideal. Genocide and war became two sides of the same coin.
25. Describe the important features of the Peninsular Plateau.
Ans. The Peninsular Plateau of India lies to the south of the Northern Plains and extends up to the tip of the Indian peninsula. The Peninsular Plateau is a tableland with gently rising rounded hills and broad, shallow valleys. It is roughly triangular in shape. It is the oldest and the most stable landmass of India. The plateau is formed of old crystalline igneous and metamorphic rocks. The Peninsular Plateau consists of two broad divisions - the Central Highlands and the Deccan Plateau. The part of the Peninsular plateau lying to the north of the Narmada river is known as Central Highlands. It comprises of Malwa Plateau, Bundelkhand and Baghelkhand plateaus, the Vindhya Range and extends as Chhota Nagpur Plateau. The Aravalis are highly denuded old hills that lie on the western and northwestern margins of the Peninsular Plateau.
The part of the Peninsular Plateau lying to the south of river Narmada is known as Deccan Plateau. It is a triangular landmass with broad base in the north and tapers southward. It is formed due to lava flows, so a greater part of it is composed of basaltic rocks of volcanic origin. It is flanked by the Satpura range in the north. The Mahadev, the Kaimur hills and Maikal range form its eastern extensions. The Deccan Plateau is flanked by the Western Ghats in the west and Eastern Ghats in the east. The Western Ghats have comparatively higher elevation of average 900 to 1600 metres. The Eastern Ghats have an average elevation of 600 metres. So the plateau is higher in the west and slopes gently eastwards. The black soil area of the Deccan Plateau is known as Deccan Trap.
26. Write a note on the Indus Drainage System.
Ans. The Indus is one of the longest rivers of the world.
The river Indus rises in Tibet, near lake Mansarovar. Flowing west, it enters India in the Ladakh district of Jammu and Kashmir. A spectacular gorge formed by the Indus marks this part. Several tributaries - the Zaskar, the Nabra, the Shyok and the Hunza - join the Indus in the Kashmir region. The Indus flows through Baltistan and Gilgit and emerges from the mountains at Attock. The tributaries of the Indus - the Jhelum, the Chenab, the Ravi, the Beas and the Satluj - flow partly through Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh and mainly through Punjab. They join together to enter the Indus near Mithankot in Pakistan.
The Indus then flows southwards and eventually reaches the Arabian Sea, east of Karachi. The Indus has a total length of 2900 km. The Indus plain has a very gentle slope. A little over one- third of the Indus basin lies in India in the states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab. Major part of its basin lies in Pakistan.
27. Prove with examples whether the International Organisations work in a democratic form or not.
Ans. General Assembly is like the Parliament of UN where all the discussions take place. In that sense, the UN would appear to be a very democratic organisation. But the General Assembly cannot take any decision about what action should be taken in a conflict between countries.
The Security Council has 15 members - 5 permanent and 10 non-permanent members. This 15 member Security Council of the the UN takes crucial decisions. However, the real power is with the five permanent members; and they possess the veto power. So, Security Council doesn't help much in making the UN a democratic body.
International Monetary Fund (IMF) is one of the biggest moneylenders in the world. But its
173 member states do not have equal voting rights as the vote of each country is weighed by how much money it has contributed to the IMF. Nearly half of the voting power in the IMF is in the hands of only seven countries (US, Japan, France, UK, Saudi Arabia, China and Russia).
28. ''Democracy improve the quality of decision making.'' Explain.
Ans. Democracy provides a method to deal with differences and conflicts. In any society people are bound to have difference of opinions and interests. These differences are particularly sharp a country like ours which has an amazing social diversity. People belong to different regions
speak different languages, practise different religions and have different castes. Preferences of
a groups can clash with those of other groups. Democracy provides the only peaceful solution to this problem. In democracy no one is a permanent winner. No one a permanent loser. In a diverse country like India, democracy keeps our country together.
29. What were the main terms on which Savita got a loan from Tejpal Singh? How can
Savita be benefitted if she gets a loan from the bank?
Ans. Savita arranged money for capital from a big farmer - Tejpal Singh, who belongs to the same village.
Main terms decided to get loan of Rs 3000.
(a) Interest rate of 24%.
(b) Loan given for the period of 4 months.
(c) Extra work to be done by Savita on Tejpal Singh's field. (d) Tejpal Singh would give her Rs 35 per day as wages.
These conditions were very tough for a small farmer like Savita but these had to be agreed upon. If she could arrange money from cooperative society or bank she could repay the loan in easy instalments on reasonable interest rate of 16-18% and no need to put extra working hours on other's land.
30. What is an economic activity? What are various activities undertaken in the primary sector, secondary sector and tertiary sector?
Ans. Economic activities : All such activities which give us some income are called economic
activities. Pulling cycle-rickshaw, cleaning houses, selling vegetables and working in schools, factories, banks etc. are economic activities.
Activities undertaken in Primary, Secondary and Tertiary sectors :
(i) Primary Sector : Activities concerned with collecting or making available material provided by nature are included in primary sector like agriculture, poultry farming, mining, fishing etc.
(ii) Secondary Sector : The activities which are associated with transforming raw material or primary products into commodities useful to man such as manufacturing etc.
(iii) Tertiary Sector : The activities which are essential for running modern factories in a big way are termed as tertiary sector. Activities like trading, banking, health, education, insurance etc. are included in tertiary sector.
SECTION D
31. On an outline map of India mark and label the following
(i) Highest peak of Western Ghats
(ii) Northern Plains
(iii) A state bordering with Nepal
(iv) Southern most point of the mainland of India.
Class X SA I Sample Paper
Class X SA I
Subject - Social Science
Time Allowed : 3 Hrs Maximum Marks : 90
General Instructions
(i) The Questions paper has 31 questions in all. All questions are compulsory
(ii) Questions from serial number 1 to 10 are Multiple Choice Questions. Each question carries 1 mark
(iii) Questions from serial number 11 to 22 are of 3 marks questions. Answer of these questions should not exceed 80 words each.
(iv) Questions from serial number 23 to 30 are of 5 marks questions. Answer of these questions should not exceed 120 words each.
(v) Question number 31 is a map question of 4 marks from Geography only. After completion, attache the map inside your answer book.
1. The reasons why the inflow of fine Indian cotton into Britain and other countries declined in the 19th century were :
(a) Industrialisation and expansion of cotton manufacture in Britian
(b) Imposition of tariff on cloth imported into Britian to protect local industries
(c) British manufacturers began to seek overseas markets for their cloth, Indians faced stiff competition in international markets
(d) All of the above
Ans (d)
or
The women in the woollen industry attacked the introduction of spinning jenny because
(a) fear of unemployment made the women workers hostile to the introduction of new technology
(b) the women did not know how to work the machine
(c) the women depended on hand-spinning
(d) all the above
Ans. (d)
or
The congestion in the 19th century industrial city led to a yearning for :
(a) A clean country air, a holiday home in the countryside for the rich
(b) Making 'new lungs', for the city, a Green Belt around London
(c) Building of the garden city, with common gender spaces, beautiful views, full of plants and trees
(d) All the above
Ans. (d)
2. What were low priced small books printed on poor quality paper and bound in cheap blue covers called in France?
(a) Chapbooks (b) Almanacs (c) Bibliotheque Bleue (d) Ballads
Ans. (c)
Or
The similarity between Chandu Menon of Kerala and Kandukuri Viresalingam of
Andhra Pradesh is that :
(a) they both wrote their first novels in their own mother tongue
(b) they were both sub-judges in their own states
(c) they both first attempted to translate English novels into their mother tongues
(d) none of the above
Ans. (c)
3. Which of the following two factors are majorly responsible for depletion of forest resources?
(a) Mining of fuel-wood collection (b) Mining and grazing
(c) Flood and Grazing (d) Grazing and fuel-wood collection
Ans. (d)
4. Which of the following types of farming is practised in areas with high population pressure on land?
(a) Primitive Subsistence Farming (b) Intensive Subsistence Farming
(c) Commercial Farming (d) Plantations
Ans. (b)
5. What led to tensions between the Dutch-speaking and French-speaking communities in Belgium during the 1950s and 1960s?
(a) Both the communities demanded special powers
(b) The minority French-speaking community was richer and more powerful than the majority
Dutch-speaking community
(c) The majority Dutch-speaking community was richer and more powerful than the minority
French-speaking community
(d) Both the communities were equal in socio-economic ladder and this was resented by the
French-speaking community
Ans. (b)
6. 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 for 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.
Ans. (c)
7. ..................... groups in our country have argued that most of the victims of communal riots in our country are people from religious minorities.
(a) Trade Union (b) Feminist (c) Students (d) Human Rights
Ans. (d)
8. Net Attendence Ratio is the total number of children of age group .......................... attending schools as a percentage of total number of children in the same age group
(a) 0-3 years (b) 8-10 years (c) 5-7 years (d) 6-10 years
Ans. (d)
9. What does Infant Mortality Rate indicate?
(a) Literate population in the 7 and above age group.
(b) The number of children that die before the age of one year as a proportion of
1000 live children.
(c) The total number of children attending the school. (d) The number of children born in a year.
Ans. (b)
10. Which of the following Acts would not apply to a company like TISCO ?
(a) Minimum Wages Act (b) National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
(c) Factories Act (d) Payment of Gratuity Act
Ans. (b)
11. Define the term 'trade surplus'. How was the income received from trade surplus with India used by Britian ? [3]
Ans. Over the 19th century, British manufactures flooded the Indian market. Food grain and raw material exports from India to Britain increased. But the value of British exports to India was much higher than the value of British imports from India. Thus, Britain had a trade surplus with India.
(i) Britain used this surplus to balance its trade deficits with other countries, that is, with countries from which Britain was importing more than it was selling to them.
(ii) Britain's trade surplus in India also helped pay the so called "home charges" that included private remittances sent home by British officials and traders, interest payments on India's external debt and pensions of British officials in India.
Or
Explain any three major problems faced by new European merchants in setting up their industries in towns before the Industrial Revolution. [3]
Ans. New European merchants faced problems in setting up their industries in towns for three major reasons :
(i) The urban crafts and trade guilds were powerful. These were associations of producers that trained craftspeople and maintained control over production.
(ii) They regulated competition and prices and restricted the entry of new people into the trade.
(iii) Rulers granted different guilds monopoly right to produce and trade in specific products.
Or
Why, along with growth as a city, London became a centre for crime?
Ans. It is reported that in the 1870s, 20,000 criminals were living in London. Crime had become a matter of great concern to the police and the philanthropists. Police was worried about the law and order and the philanthropists were anxious about public morality. The industrialists wanted a hard-working and orderly labour force.
According to Henry Mayhew, who wrote several books on London labour, the 'criminals' were in fact poor people who lived by stealing lead from roofs, food from shops, lumps of coal, clothes drying on hedges. Others were more skilled in their trade, experts in their jobs. There were cheats and tricksters, pickpockets and petty thieves crowding London streets. The main reason was the huge population of London, less number of jobs and the poverty of the majority which made it a city of crime.
12. "The print culture created the conditions within which the French Revolution occurred." Support the statement giving three arguments. [2009, 2010, 2011 (T-1)]
Ans. (i) Print popularised the ideas of enlightened thinkers, the writings of Voltaire and Rousseau were read widely. They made a critical commentary on tradition, superstition and despotism. It opened the eyes of the readers, made them question, be critical and rational.
(ii) Print created a new culture of dialogue and debate. All values, norms and institutions were revalued and discussed by a public that had become aware of the power of reason. New ideas of social revolution came into being.
(iii) By the 1780s, there was an outpouring of literature, that mocked royalty and criticised their morality. In the process, it raised questions about the existing social order. It led to hostile sentiments against the monarchy. Thus, the print culture created the conditions in which the French Revolution occurred.
Or
Describe in brief the role of novels in popularising the sense of belongingness to a common nation.
Ans. (i) Imagining a heroic past was one way in which the novel helped in popularising the sense of beloging to a common nation.
(ii) Another was to include various classes in the novel so that they could be seen to belong to a shared world. Premchand's novels, for example, were filled with all kinds of powerful characters drawn from all levels of society.
(iii) The novels promoted an understanding of different people, different values and different communities. Bhudeb Mukhopadhyay's - Anguriyo Binimoy (1857) was the first historical novel written in Bengali. It glorifies Shivaji and his many battles against the clever and treacherous Aurangzeb, the Mughal ruler. It describes how Shivaji escaped from the clutches of Aurangzeb. It helped the reader in imagining a nation full of adventure, heroism, romance and sacrifice. Shivaji became a nationalist figure fighting for the freedom of the Hindus.
13. Highlight any three problems associated with the indiscriminate use of resources by the human beings. [3]
Ans. Indiscriminate use of resources creates following problems :-
(i) Global ecological crises such as global warming.
(ii) It has also led to depletion of the ozone layer.
(iii) It has also caused environmental pollution and land degradation.
The resultant threat to ecology and environment has put the future of our planet in danger. Natural disasters have become very frequent. Many species of flora and fauna have already become extinct.
14. The destruction of forests and wildlife is not just a biological issue. The biological loss is strongly correlated with the loss of cultural diversity. Elucidate.
Ans. The destruction of forests and wildlife is not just a biological issue. The biological loss is strongly correlated with the loss of cultural diversity. Many indigenous and other forest dependent communities have been increasingly marginalised and impoverished by such losses as they directly depend on various components of the forest and wildlife for food, drink, medicine, culture, sprituality, etc.
In many societies women bear the major responsibility of collection of fuel, fodder, water and
other basic subsistence needs. Depletion of these resources increases drudgery of women affecting their health as well as leading to negligence of home and family due to longer hours required to acquire the resources. This often has serious social implications.
The indirect impact of degradation are severe drought or deforestation induced floods or dust storms due to soil erosion, etc. These hit the poor the hardest. Poverty in these cases is a direct outcome of environmental destruction. The indigenous culture of these forest dependent communities are severely affected as a result.
15. Why is the conservation and management of water resources important? Give any three reasons.
Ans. The conservation and proper management of water is necessary because of following reasons:
(i) Growing population :- As population is growing its need for water is also growing, so it is necessary to properly manage the availability of water.
(ii) Increasing Urbanisation :- More and more people are moving to cities where need of water is growing. On the other hand, cities are overexploiting and polluting water resources, so there is need to conserve water.
(iii) Due to industrialisation also water is being overexploited. So, without proper conservation it would be difficult to survive.
16. An area or region may have ample water resources but still face water scarcity. Explain why such circumstances arise.
Ans. (i) Water scarcity in most of the cities are an outcome of dense and growing population. The multiplying urban centres and urban lifestyles of the huge population have not only added to water and power requirements but have also aggravated the problem by over-exploiting available groundwater resources.
(ii) A large and growing population results in greater demands of water and consequently unequal access to it, especially in rural areas.
(iii) More water is required for domestic use by the multiplying population. Over and above, available water resources are over- exploited for expanding irrigation and dry season farming to facilitate higher foodgrain production. Over-irrigation may lead to falling groundwater levels, adversely affecting water availability and food security of the people.
(iv) Ever-increasing number of industries with their heavy consumption of water and hydroelectricity have placed undue pressure on the existing freshwater resources.
(v) Another situation of water scarcity arises when the available water resources are rendered unusable due to pollution by discharge of effluents from industries, use of pesticides and chemical fertilisers in agriculture and due to dumping of domestic wastes.
17. What is the difference between the policies adopted by Belgium and Sri Lanka regarding power sharing arrangement?
Ans. The ethnic composition of Belgium is very complex. The Belgium 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 majority of members from each linguistic group. Thus no single community can make decisions unilaterally. Many powers of the central government has been given to state governments but the state governments are not subordinate to the central government. Brussels (the capital) has a separate government in which both the communities have equal representation.
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. It has the power regarding cultural, educational and language-related issues.
In Sri Lanka, two major social groups are there - Sinhala speakers (74%) and Tamil speakers (18%). The leaders of the Sinhala community sought to secure dominance over government. As a result, the democratically elected government adopted a series of majoritarian.
Under it, Sinhala is recognised as the only official language. The government followed Sinhala preferential policies. The state shall protect and foster Buddhism.
As a result, the relations between the Sinhala and Tamil communities strained over time.
18. Discuss two reasons why differences occur in society. Give an example to show that social differences do not lead to social division.
Ans. The social differences are mostly based on accident of birth. Normally we do not choose to belong to our community. We belong to it simply because we were born into it. People around us are male or female, they are tall or short, having different complexion or have different physical abilities or disabilities. But all kind of social differences are not based on accident of birth. Some of the differences are based on our choices. Example - some people are atheists. They don't believe in god or any religion. All these lead to formation of social groups that are based on our choices.
Every social difference does not lead to social division. Social differences divide similar people from one another, but they also unite very different people.
19. Discuss the various factors that determine the outcomes of politics of social division. Ans. (i) All the outcomes depend on how people perceive their identities. If people see their
identities in singular and exclusive terms, it becomes very difficult to accommodate. It is
much better if the people see that their indentities are multiple and are complementary with the national identity. For example, in our country people think of themselves as Indians as well as belonging to a state or a language group or a social or religious community.
(ii) It depends on how political leaders raise the demands of any community. It is easier to accommodate demand that are within the constitutional framework and are not at the cost of another community. The demand for 'only Sinhala' was at the cost of the interest and indentity of the Tamil community in Sri Lanka.
(iii) It depends on how the government reacts to the demands of different groups. If the government is willing to share power and accommodate the reasonable demands of the minority community, social divisions become less threatening for the country, as it happened in the case of Belgium.
20. What are the main types of soil found in India? Which type of soil is the most widespread and important soil of India ? Describe in detail about this soil type.
Ans. The main types of soil found in various parts of India are as follows : (i) Alluvial soil.
(ii) Black soil.
(iii) Red and yellow soil
(iv) Laterite soil
(v) Arid or Desert soil.
(vi) Forest and Mountainous soil.
Alluvial soil is the most fertile, widespread and important soil of India. They are riverine soil transported and deposited by the three great river systems- the Indus, the Ganga and Brahmaputra - which have formed the entire Northern Plains. They are also found in the deltas of the Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna and the Kaveri rivers along the Eastern Coastal plains. They also extend in a narrow corridor to Rajasthan and Gujarat.
The fertility of the alluvial soil has made the Northern Plains and the Eastern Coastal Plain the most productive agricultural regions of India with a high density of population. The alluvial soil contain adequate proportion of potash, phosphoric acid and lime which are ideal for cultivation of paddy, wheat, other cereals and pulses and sugarcane.
The alluvial soil consists of various proportions of sand, silt and clay. The soil near the
floodplain are more or less fine and in the deltas they are finest. They are coarse in the upper reaches of the river valley specially near break of slope and in piedment plains like Duars, Chos and Terai.
Alluvial soils are renewed every year during annual floods. The new, fertile, light coloured and fine alluvial deposited near the river is called khadar. The old alluvial deposited earlier are found at about 30 metres above the floodlevel of the rivers. They are clayey, dark in colour, coarse with kanker nodules and less fertile.
21. Why is the tertiary sector becoming more important than other sectors in India? Give four reasons.
Ans. Tertiary sector has become important in India due to
(i) Basic services like hospitals, education, post and telegraph, courts etc. are the responsibility of the government.
(ii) Demand for services such as transport, trade, storage has increased with the development of primary and secondary sectors.
(iii) Demand for tourism, shopping, private schools, private hospitals etc. increased with the increase in the level of income.
(iv) Rapid growth of service sector also benefitted from external demand such as software industry and call centre services.
22. Explain how public sector contributes to the economic development of India.
Ans. Public sector is an important sector for the development of economy.
(i) There are several things needed by the society as a whole but which the private sector will not provide at a reasonable cost. As huge sum of amount is needed which private sector can not afford, so public sector is needed there. For example, building bridges, railway etc.
(ii) There are several basic activities which government has to support, for example, selling electricity at lower cost, providing driking water at affordable rate etc.
(iii) There are some activities which government has to perform like providing health and education facilities. So public sector is needed.
23. Explain any four measures adopted by America for post-war recovery. [5]
Ans. One measure adopted by America for post-war recovery was :
(i) Mass production; it became a feature of industrial production in US. An example is Henry Ford, the car manufacturer. He adopted 'assembly line' method for faster and cheaper production. Car production increased from 2 million in 1919 to more than five million units in 1929.
(ii) Similarly, there was boom in production of refrigerators, washing machines, all purchased through a ''hire purchase' system, credit repaid in weekly or monthly instalments.
(iii) There were large investments in housing and household goods which created a cycle of higher employment and incomes, rising consumption demand, more investment.
(iv) The US resumed exporting capital to the world in 1923. US exports and imports boosted
European recovery and world trade and income growth over the next six years.
Or
How did the British manufacturers attempt to take over the Indian market with the help of advertisements? Explain with three examples. [5]
Ans. (i) When Manchester industrialists began selling cloth in India, they put labels on the cloth bundles. The label served two purposes. One was to make the place of manufacture and the name of the company familiar to the people. The second was that the label was also a mark of quality. When the buyers saw "Made in Manchester" written in bold on the label, they felt confident about buying the cloth.
(ii) Besides words and texts, they also carried images. Beautifully illustrated images of Indian Gods and Goddesses appeared on these labels. For example, images of Kartika, Laxmi, Saraswati were shown on imported cloth label.
(iii) Historic figures like those of Maharaja Ranjit Singh were used to create respect for the product. The image, the labels, the historic figures were intended to make the manufacture from a foreign land appear somewhat familiar to Indian people.
(iv) Manufacturers printed calendars to popularise their products calendars could be used ever by people who could not read. Advertisement could be seen day after day, throughout the year, when hung on the walls.
Or
What was the impact of industrialisation and urbanization on the family in Britain in the nineteenth century?
Ans. The function and shape of the family was completely transformed by life in the industrial city. (i) Ties between members of households loosened
(ii) Among working class the institution of marriage tended to break down
(iii) Women of upper and middles classes in Britain, faced increasingly high level of isolation.
Their lives though were made easier by maids who cooked, cleared and cared for young children on low wages.
(iv) Women who worked had some control over their lives, specially among the lower social classes. Many reformers felt that marriage as an institution had broken down.
(v) When women lost their industrial jobs, conservative people forced them to withdraw into their homes. 20th century saw another change, the family became the heart of new market - of goods, services and of ideas. Families after the war became smaller units.
24.What did the spread of print culture in the 19th century do to : (a) children (b) women and (c) workers in Europe? [5]
Ans. (a) As primary education became compulsory in late 19th century, children became an important category of readers. Therefore,
(i) Production of textbooks became important for publishing industry.
(ii) A children's press, for producing only children's books, was set up in France in 1857. l The press published fairytales and folktales. Grimm Brothers of Germany collected many stories from villages and edited them, before publishing them in 1812. Anything
unsuitable for children was not published.
(b) Women became not only important readers but writers also. Special magazines were printed for women which catered to their tastes. Penny magazines of England taught etiquette and house-keeping. Women became voracious readers of novels when they appeared and some of the best novelists of this period were women - Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters and George Eliot. They portrayed a different woman - strong, independent, determined, and able to think.
(c) The white collar workers of England became members of lending libraries and read a lot.
Workers, artisans and lower middle-class people educated themselves with the help of these libraries. In the mid-19th century, the working day was shortened and workers had more time for self-improvement. They not only read but started writing also - mostly political pamphlets and autobiographies.
Or
Name the first modern novel of Hindi. Who wrote this novel? State four characteristics of this novel.
Ans. The first modern novel in Hindi was 'Pariksha Guru' written by Srinivas Das of Delhi. It was published in 1882.
(i) The novel depicted the conflict between the ideas of new society emerging under colonial rule and the old cultural values.
(ii) The characters find the new world fascinating, yet frightening. They take to new methods of cultivation, try to be modern in their practices, try to make their language capable of teaching western sciences. The young develop healthy habits of reading newspapers.
(iii) The moral pointed out by the writer to choose the right to live with dignity and honour.
Stick to your roots but be wise and practical.
(iv) It was too preachy and did not become too popular.
25."Print did not only stimulate the publications of conflicting opinions among different communities but also connected them in the 19th century in India." Support the statement with examples. [5]
Ans. In the 19th century, there were intense debates around religious issues. Different groups had different opinions about changes taking place in colonial society. Some criticised existing practices and championed the cause of reforms, while others opposed reforms vehemently. Print not only spread the new ideas, but along with newspapers, it shaped the nature of debate.
This was a time of controversies between social and religious reformers and Hindu Orthodoxy over matters like widow immolation (Sati), monotheism, Brahmanical priesthood and idolatry. The ideas were printed everyday in spoken language of ordinary people. Rammohun Roy published Sambad Kaumudi from 1821 and the Hindu Orthodoxy commissioned the Samachar Chandrika to oppose his opinions. From 1822, two Persian newspapers were published - Jam-i-Jahannuma and Shamsul Akhbar. In the same year, a Gujarati newspaper, the Bombay Samachar, was published.
In north India, the Ulema were deeply worried about the collapse of Muslim dynasties, and the colonial rulers changing the Muslim Personal Law. The Deoband Seminary, founded in 1867, published thousands of fatwas telling Muslim readers how to conduct themselves in their everyday life, and explaining the meanings of Islamic doctrines.
Among Hindus, print helped in reading of religious texts. The first printed edition of Ramcharitmanas of Tulsidas, a 16th century text, came out from Calcutta in 1810. From the 1880s the Nawal Kishore Press at Lucknow and Shri Venkateshwar Press of Bombay published numerous religious texts in vernaculars. Not only they could be read easily by faithful at any place and time, but they could also be read to a large audience of illiterate people. Religious texts reached a very wide circle of people, encouraging discussions, debates and controversies within and among different religions.
Or
"Leading Indian novelists of the 19th century wrote for a national cause." Do you agree with the statement? Justify your answer. [5]
Ans. Many historical novels were about India's glorious past. Many historical novels were written about Marathas and Rajputs which produced a sense of pan-Indian belonging. They imagined the nation to be full of adventure, heroism, romance and sacrifice - qualities that could not be found in the offices and sheets of 19th centuries. Bhudev Mukhopadhay's Anguriya Binimoy (1857) was the first historical novel written in Bengal. Its hero Shivaji fought many battles against a clever and treacherons belief that he was a nationalist fighting for the freedom of Hindus.
Bankimchandra's Anandmath was about a Hindu militia that fought Muslims to establish a
Hindu kingdom. It was a novel that inspired many kinds of freedom fighters.
Writers like Premchand wrote novels which included various classes in the novels. He created characters who believed in a community based on democratic values. He made us think of social issues like caste oppression.
All the above wrote for a national cause.
26. Write four geographical requirements each for the growth of tea and sugarcane. (2010) Ans. Tea is the main beverage crop of India. Four geographical requirements for its growth are :
(a) The tea plant grows best in tropical and sub tropical climate.
(b) Tea bushes require warm and moist and frost free climate with temperature between 20°C
to 30°C and annual rainfall of 150 to 250 cm.
(c) Frequent showers evenly distributed over the year ensure continuous growth of tender leaves.
(d) Deep, fertile, well-drained soil, rich in humus and organic matter are ideal for its growth.
Hence, gently rolling topography in uplands is favourable for its cultivation. Four geographical conditions required for growth of sugarcane are :
(a) Sugarcane grows best in tropical and sub-tropical climate. It is an annual crop requiring a year for maturing.
(b) It grows well in hot and humid climate with temperature of 21°C to 27°C and an annual rainfall between 75 cm and 100 cm.
(c) Frost is injurious for the plant and rainfall before ripening decreases sucrose content.
Hence, frost free weather short, cool, dry winter during ripening and harvesting is favourable.
(d) It can grow on a variety of soil, but clayey alluvial soil of Northern Plains and black soil in south are ideal for its growth.
27. In which way does the language policy in India help our country avoid the situation that Sri Lanka is in today?
Ans. Our Constitution did not give the status of national language to any one language. Although Hindi was identified as the official language but there were many safeguards to protect other
languages.
According to the Constitution, the use of English for official purpose was to stop in 1965. However, many non-Hindi speaking states demanded that the use of English should continue. The Central government decided to continue the use of English alongwith Hindi for official purposes. Hindi is not imposed on states where people speak a different language. The flexibility shown by Indian political leaders helped our country avoid the kind of situation that Shri Lanka finds itself in.
In Sri Lanka, the major social groups are the Sinhala-speakers (74%) and the Tamil-speakers (18%). In 1956, an Act was passed to recognize Sinhala as the only official language, thus disregarding Tamil. Due to this, and other reasons, the relations between the Sinhala and the Tamil communities got strained over time.
28. What forms can caste take in politics? [5]
Ans. The caste can take following forms in politics :
(i) Sometimes candidates are chosen on the basis of their caste. When political parties choose candidates, they keep in mind the caste composition of their voters.
(ii) In many places voters vote on the basis of caste and fail to choose suitable candidates.
(iii) When a government is formed after elections, political parties take care that different castes are represented in the government.
(iv) Political parties appeal to caste sentiments during elections.
(v) To gain support political parties raise caste-based issues during elections. This they do to get political support, as 'one man one vote' system or adult franchise has made the voter very powerful.
(vi) The castes considered inferior or low until now have been made conscious of their rights by the political parties.
29. "The Earth has enough resources to meet the needs of all but not enough to satisfy the greed of even one person." How is this statement relevant to the discussion of the topic? Discuss.
Ans. The concept of sustainability explains the capacity to use the resources judiciously and maintain their balance. Thus, sustainability is a matter of sharing development opportunity and not the poverty and human deprivation. If the present is miserable and unacceptable to the majority of the world's people, it must be changed before it is sustained.
Every generation wants to get the maximum benefits from the available resources but it would be disastrous because the available resources will be exhausted at a rapid speed and in such circumstance the future generation will be deprived of such resources.
Resources such as mineral wealth, iron, gold, copper, silver etc. are exhaustable; hence we should use them judiciously.
30. Explain how a shift has taken place between sectors in developed countries?
Ans. About more than 100 years ago new methods of manufacturing and technological revolution
took place. People who worked in farms began working in factories in large numbers in new
urban centres. Secondary sector gradually became the most important in terms of production and employment. Hence, over a time, a shift had taken place from primary to secondary sector.
In the past 100 years there has been a further shift from secondary to tertiary sector in developed countries. The service sector has become the most important in terms of total production. Most of the working people are currently employed in the service sector. This is the general pattern observed in developed countries.
Subject - Social Science
Time Allowed : 3 Hrs Maximum Marks : 90
General Instructions
(i) The Questions paper has 31 questions in all. All questions are compulsory
(ii) Questions from serial number 1 to 10 are Multiple Choice Questions. Each question carries 1 mark
(iii) Questions from serial number 11 to 22 are of 3 marks questions. Answer of these questions should not exceed 80 words each.
(iv) Questions from serial number 23 to 30 are of 5 marks questions. Answer of these questions should not exceed 120 words each.
(v) Question number 31 is a map question of 4 marks from Geography only. After completion, attache the map inside your answer book.
1. The reasons why the inflow of fine Indian cotton into Britain and other countries declined in the 19th century were :
(a) Industrialisation and expansion of cotton manufacture in Britian
(b) Imposition of tariff on cloth imported into Britian to protect local industries
(c) British manufacturers began to seek overseas markets for their cloth, Indians faced stiff competition in international markets
(d) All of the above
Ans (d)
or
The women in the woollen industry attacked the introduction of spinning jenny because
(a) fear of unemployment made the women workers hostile to the introduction of new technology
(b) the women did not know how to work the machine
(c) the women depended on hand-spinning
(d) all the above
Ans. (d)
or
The congestion in the 19th century industrial city led to a yearning for :
(a) A clean country air, a holiday home in the countryside for the rich
(b) Making 'new lungs', for the city, a Green Belt around London
(c) Building of the garden city, with common gender spaces, beautiful views, full of plants and trees
(d) All the above
Ans. (d)
2. What were low priced small books printed on poor quality paper and bound in cheap blue covers called in France?
(a) Chapbooks (b) Almanacs (c) Bibliotheque Bleue (d) Ballads
Ans. (c)
Or
The similarity between Chandu Menon of Kerala and Kandukuri Viresalingam of
Andhra Pradesh is that :
(a) they both wrote their first novels in their own mother tongue
(b) they were both sub-judges in their own states
(c) they both first attempted to translate English novels into their mother tongues
(d) none of the above
Ans. (c)
3. Which of the following two factors are majorly responsible for depletion of forest resources?
(a) Mining of fuel-wood collection (b) Mining and grazing
(c) Flood and Grazing (d) Grazing and fuel-wood collection
Ans. (d)
4. Which of the following types of farming is practised in areas with high population pressure on land?
(a) Primitive Subsistence Farming (b) Intensive Subsistence Farming
(c) Commercial Farming (d) Plantations
Ans. (b)
5. What led to tensions between the Dutch-speaking and French-speaking communities in Belgium during the 1950s and 1960s?
(a) Both the communities demanded special powers
(b) The minority French-speaking community was richer and more powerful than the majority
Dutch-speaking community
(c) The majority Dutch-speaking community was richer and more powerful than the minority
French-speaking community
(d) Both the communities were equal in socio-economic ladder and this was resented by the
French-speaking community
Ans. (b)
6. 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 for 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.
Ans. (c)
7. ..................... groups in our country have argued that most of the victims of communal riots in our country are people from religious minorities.
(a) Trade Union (b) Feminist (c) Students (d) Human Rights
Ans. (d)
8. Net Attendence Ratio is the total number of children of age group .......................... attending schools as a percentage of total number of children in the same age group
(a) 0-3 years (b) 8-10 years (c) 5-7 years (d) 6-10 years
Ans. (d)
9. What does Infant Mortality Rate indicate?
(a) Literate population in the 7 and above age group.
(b) The number of children that die before the age of one year as a proportion of
1000 live children.
(c) The total number of children attending the school. (d) The number of children born in a year.
Ans. (b)
10. Which of the following Acts would not apply to a company like TISCO ?
(a) Minimum Wages Act (b) National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
(c) Factories Act (d) Payment of Gratuity Act
Ans. (b)
11. Define the term 'trade surplus'. How was the income received from trade surplus with India used by Britian ? [3]
Ans. Over the 19th century, British manufactures flooded the Indian market. Food grain and raw material exports from India to Britain increased. But the value of British exports to India was much higher than the value of British imports from India. Thus, Britain had a trade surplus with India.
(i) Britain used this surplus to balance its trade deficits with other countries, that is, with countries from which Britain was importing more than it was selling to them.
(ii) Britain's trade surplus in India also helped pay the so called "home charges" that included private remittances sent home by British officials and traders, interest payments on India's external debt and pensions of British officials in India.
Or
Explain any three major problems faced by new European merchants in setting up their industries in towns before the Industrial Revolution. [3]
Ans. New European merchants faced problems in setting up their industries in towns for three major reasons :
(i) The urban crafts and trade guilds were powerful. These were associations of producers that trained craftspeople and maintained control over production.
(ii) They regulated competition and prices and restricted the entry of new people into the trade.
(iii) Rulers granted different guilds monopoly right to produce and trade in specific products.
Or
Why, along with growth as a city, London became a centre for crime?
Ans. It is reported that in the 1870s, 20,000 criminals were living in London. Crime had become a matter of great concern to the police and the philanthropists. Police was worried about the law and order and the philanthropists were anxious about public morality. The industrialists wanted a hard-working and orderly labour force.
According to Henry Mayhew, who wrote several books on London labour, the 'criminals' were in fact poor people who lived by stealing lead from roofs, food from shops, lumps of coal, clothes drying on hedges. Others were more skilled in their trade, experts in their jobs. There were cheats and tricksters, pickpockets and petty thieves crowding London streets. The main reason was the huge population of London, less number of jobs and the poverty of the majority which made it a city of crime.
12. "The print culture created the conditions within which the French Revolution occurred." Support the statement giving three arguments. [2009, 2010, 2011 (T-1)]
Ans. (i) Print popularised the ideas of enlightened thinkers, the writings of Voltaire and Rousseau were read widely. They made a critical commentary on tradition, superstition and despotism. It opened the eyes of the readers, made them question, be critical and rational.
(ii) Print created a new culture of dialogue and debate. All values, norms and institutions were revalued and discussed by a public that had become aware of the power of reason. New ideas of social revolution came into being.
(iii) By the 1780s, there was an outpouring of literature, that mocked royalty and criticised their morality. In the process, it raised questions about the existing social order. It led to hostile sentiments against the monarchy. Thus, the print culture created the conditions in which the French Revolution occurred.
Or
Describe in brief the role of novels in popularising the sense of belongingness to a common nation.
Ans. (i) Imagining a heroic past was one way in which the novel helped in popularising the sense of beloging to a common nation.
(ii) Another was to include various classes in the novel so that they could be seen to belong to a shared world. Premchand's novels, for example, were filled with all kinds of powerful characters drawn from all levels of society.
(iii) The novels promoted an understanding of different people, different values and different communities. Bhudeb Mukhopadhyay's - Anguriyo Binimoy (1857) was the first historical novel written in Bengali. It glorifies Shivaji and his many battles against the clever and treacherous Aurangzeb, the Mughal ruler. It describes how Shivaji escaped from the clutches of Aurangzeb. It helped the reader in imagining a nation full of adventure, heroism, romance and sacrifice. Shivaji became a nationalist figure fighting for the freedom of the Hindus.
13. Highlight any three problems associated with the indiscriminate use of resources by the human beings. [3]
Ans. Indiscriminate use of resources creates following problems :-
(i) Global ecological crises such as global warming.
(ii) It has also led to depletion of the ozone layer.
(iii) It has also caused environmental pollution and land degradation.
The resultant threat to ecology and environment has put the future of our planet in danger. Natural disasters have become very frequent. Many species of flora and fauna have already become extinct.
14. The destruction of forests and wildlife is not just a biological issue. The biological loss is strongly correlated with the loss of cultural diversity. Elucidate.
Ans. The destruction of forests and wildlife is not just a biological issue. The biological loss is strongly correlated with the loss of cultural diversity. Many indigenous and other forest dependent communities have been increasingly marginalised and impoverished by such losses as they directly depend on various components of the forest and wildlife for food, drink, medicine, culture, sprituality, etc.
In many societies women bear the major responsibility of collection of fuel, fodder, water and
other basic subsistence needs. Depletion of these resources increases drudgery of women affecting their health as well as leading to negligence of home and family due to longer hours required to acquire the resources. This often has serious social implications.
The indirect impact of degradation are severe drought or deforestation induced floods or dust storms due to soil erosion, etc. These hit the poor the hardest. Poverty in these cases is a direct outcome of environmental destruction. The indigenous culture of these forest dependent communities are severely affected as a result.
15. Why is the conservation and management of water resources important? Give any three reasons.
Ans. The conservation and proper management of water is necessary because of following reasons:
(i) Growing population :- As population is growing its need for water is also growing, so it is necessary to properly manage the availability of water.
(ii) Increasing Urbanisation :- More and more people are moving to cities where need of water is growing. On the other hand, cities are overexploiting and polluting water resources, so there is need to conserve water.
(iii) Due to industrialisation also water is being overexploited. So, without proper conservation it would be difficult to survive.
16. An area or region may have ample water resources but still face water scarcity. Explain why such circumstances arise.
Ans. (i) Water scarcity in most of the cities are an outcome of dense and growing population. The multiplying urban centres and urban lifestyles of the huge population have not only added to water and power requirements but have also aggravated the problem by over-exploiting available groundwater resources.
(ii) A large and growing population results in greater demands of water and consequently unequal access to it, especially in rural areas.
(iii) More water is required for domestic use by the multiplying population. Over and above, available water resources are over- exploited for expanding irrigation and dry season farming to facilitate higher foodgrain production. Over-irrigation may lead to falling groundwater levels, adversely affecting water availability and food security of the people.
(iv) Ever-increasing number of industries with their heavy consumption of water and hydroelectricity have placed undue pressure on the existing freshwater resources.
(v) Another situation of water scarcity arises when the available water resources are rendered unusable due to pollution by discharge of effluents from industries, use of pesticides and chemical fertilisers in agriculture and due to dumping of domestic wastes.
17. What is the difference between the policies adopted by Belgium and Sri Lanka regarding power sharing arrangement?
Ans. The ethnic composition of Belgium is very complex. The Belgium 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 majority of members from each linguistic group. Thus no single community can make decisions unilaterally. Many powers of the central government has been given to state governments but the state governments are not subordinate to the central government. Brussels (the capital) has a separate government in which both the communities have equal representation.
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. It has the power regarding cultural, educational and language-related issues.
In Sri Lanka, two major social groups are there - Sinhala speakers (74%) and Tamil speakers (18%). The leaders of the Sinhala community sought to secure dominance over government. As a result, the democratically elected government adopted a series of majoritarian.
Under it, Sinhala is recognised as the only official language. The government followed Sinhala preferential policies. The state shall protect and foster Buddhism.
As a result, the relations between the Sinhala and Tamil communities strained over time.
18. Discuss two reasons why differences occur in society. Give an example to show that social differences do not lead to social division.
Ans. The social differences are mostly based on accident of birth. Normally we do not choose to belong to our community. We belong to it simply because we were born into it. People around us are male or female, they are tall or short, having different complexion or have different physical abilities or disabilities. But all kind of social differences are not based on accident of birth. Some of the differences are based on our choices. Example - some people are atheists. They don't believe in god or any religion. All these lead to formation of social groups that are based on our choices.
Every social difference does not lead to social division. Social differences divide similar people from one another, but they also unite very different people.
19. Discuss the various factors that determine the outcomes of politics of social division. Ans. (i) All the outcomes depend on how people perceive their identities. If people see their
identities in singular and exclusive terms, it becomes very difficult to accommodate. It is
much better if the people see that their indentities are multiple and are complementary with the national identity. For example, in our country people think of themselves as Indians as well as belonging to a state or a language group or a social or religious community.
(ii) It depends on how political leaders raise the demands of any community. It is easier to accommodate demand that are within the constitutional framework and are not at the cost of another community. The demand for 'only Sinhala' was at the cost of the interest and indentity of the Tamil community in Sri Lanka.
(iii) It depends on how the government reacts to the demands of different groups. If the government is willing to share power and accommodate the reasonable demands of the minority community, social divisions become less threatening for the country, as it happened in the case of Belgium.
20. What are the main types of soil found in India? Which type of soil is the most widespread and important soil of India ? Describe in detail about this soil type.
Ans. The main types of soil found in various parts of India are as follows : (i) Alluvial soil.
(ii) Black soil.
(iii) Red and yellow soil
(iv) Laterite soil
(v) Arid or Desert soil.
(vi) Forest and Mountainous soil.
Alluvial soil is the most fertile, widespread and important soil of India. They are riverine soil transported and deposited by the three great river systems- the Indus, the Ganga and Brahmaputra - which have formed the entire Northern Plains. They are also found in the deltas of the Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna and the Kaveri rivers along the Eastern Coastal plains. They also extend in a narrow corridor to Rajasthan and Gujarat.
The fertility of the alluvial soil has made the Northern Plains and the Eastern Coastal Plain the most productive agricultural regions of India with a high density of population. The alluvial soil contain adequate proportion of potash, phosphoric acid and lime which are ideal for cultivation of paddy, wheat, other cereals and pulses and sugarcane.
The alluvial soil consists of various proportions of sand, silt and clay. The soil near the
floodplain are more or less fine and in the deltas they are finest. They are coarse in the upper reaches of the river valley specially near break of slope and in piedment plains like Duars, Chos and Terai.
Alluvial soils are renewed every year during annual floods. The new, fertile, light coloured and fine alluvial deposited near the river is called khadar. The old alluvial deposited earlier are found at about 30 metres above the floodlevel of the rivers. They are clayey, dark in colour, coarse with kanker nodules and less fertile.
21. Why is the tertiary sector becoming more important than other sectors in India? Give four reasons.
Ans. Tertiary sector has become important in India due to
(i) Basic services like hospitals, education, post and telegraph, courts etc. are the responsibility of the government.
(ii) Demand for services such as transport, trade, storage has increased with the development of primary and secondary sectors.
(iii) Demand for tourism, shopping, private schools, private hospitals etc. increased with the increase in the level of income.
(iv) Rapid growth of service sector also benefitted from external demand such as software industry and call centre services.
22. Explain how public sector contributes to the economic development of India.
Ans. Public sector is an important sector for the development of economy.
(i) There are several things needed by the society as a whole but which the private sector will not provide at a reasonable cost. As huge sum of amount is needed which private sector can not afford, so public sector is needed there. For example, building bridges, railway etc.
(ii) There are several basic activities which government has to support, for example, selling electricity at lower cost, providing driking water at affordable rate etc.
(iii) There are some activities which government has to perform like providing health and education facilities. So public sector is needed.
23. Explain any four measures adopted by America for post-war recovery. [5]
Ans. One measure adopted by America for post-war recovery was :
(i) Mass production; it became a feature of industrial production in US. An example is Henry Ford, the car manufacturer. He adopted 'assembly line' method for faster and cheaper production. Car production increased from 2 million in 1919 to more than five million units in 1929.
(ii) Similarly, there was boom in production of refrigerators, washing machines, all purchased through a ''hire purchase' system, credit repaid in weekly or monthly instalments.
(iii) There were large investments in housing and household goods which created a cycle of higher employment and incomes, rising consumption demand, more investment.
(iv) The US resumed exporting capital to the world in 1923. US exports and imports boosted
European recovery and world trade and income growth over the next six years.
Or
How did the British manufacturers attempt to take over the Indian market with the help of advertisements? Explain with three examples. [5]
Ans. (i) When Manchester industrialists began selling cloth in India, they put labels on the cloth bundles. The label served two purposes. One was to make the place of manufacture and the name of the company familiar to the people. The second was that the label was also a mark of quality. When the buyers saw "Made in Manchester" written in bold on the label, they felt confident about buying the cloth.
(ii) Besides words and texts, they also carried images. Beautifully illustrated images of Indian Gods and Goddesses appeared on these labels. For example, images of Kartika, Laxmi, Saraswati were shown on imported cloth label.
(iii) Historic figures like those of Maharaja Ranjit Singh were used to create respect for the product. The image, the labels, the historic figures were intended to make the manufacture from a foreign land appear somewhat familiar to Indian people.
(iv) Manufacturers printed calendars to popularise their products calendars could be used ever by people who could not read. Advertisement could be seen day after day, throughout the year, when hung on the walls.
Or
What was the impact of industrialisation and urbanization on the family in Britain in the nineteenth century?
Ans. The function and shape of the family was completely transformed by life in the industrial city. (i) Ties between members of households loosened
(ii) Among working class the institution of marriage tended to break down
(iii) Women of upper and middles classes in Britain, faced increasingly high level of isolation.
Their lives though were made easier by maids who cooked, cleared and cared for young children on low wages.
(iv) Women who worked had some control over their lives, specially among the lower social classes. Many reformers felt that marriage as an institution had broken down.
(v) When women lost their industrial jobs, conservative people forced them to withdraw into their homes. 20th century saw another change, the family became the heart of new market - of goods, services and of ideas. Families after the war became smaller units.
24.What did the spread of print culture in the 19th century do to : (a) children (b) women and (c) workers in Europe? [5]
Ans. (a) As primary education became compulsory in late 19th century, children became an important category of readers. Therefore,
(i) Production of textbooks became important for publishing industry.
(ii) A children's press, for producing only children's books, was set up in France in 1857. l The press published fairytales and folktales. Grimm Brothers of Germany collected many stories from villages and edited them, before publishing them in 1812. Anything
unsuitable for children was not published.
(b) Women became not only important readers but writers also. Special magazines were printed for women which catered to their tastes. Penny magazines of England taught etiquette and house-keeping. Women became voracious readers of novels when they appeared and some of the best novelists of this period were women - Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters and George Eliot. They portrayed a different woman - strong, independent, determined, and able to think.
(c) The white collar workers of England became members of lending libraries and read a lot.
Workers, artisans and lower middle-class people educated themselves with the help of these libraries. In the mid-19th century, the working day was shortened and workers had more time for self-improvement. They not only read but started writing also - mostly political pamphlets and autobiographies.
Or
Name the first modern novel of Hindi. Who wrote this novel? State four characteristics of this novel.
Ans. The first modern novel in Hindi was 'Pariksha Guru' written by Srinivas Das of Delhi. It was published in 1882.
(i) The novel depicted the conflict between the ideas of new society emerging under colonial rule and the old cultural values.
(ii) The characters find the new world fascinating, yet frightening. They take to new methods of cultivation, try to be modern in their practices, try to make their language capable of teaching western sciences. The young develop healthy habits of reading newspapers.
(iii) The moral pointed out by the writer to choose the right to live with dignity and honour.
Stick to your roots but be wise and practical.
(iv) It was too preachy and did not become too popular.
25."Print did not only stimulate the publications of conflicting opinions among different communities but also connected them in the 19th century in India." Support the statement with examples. [5]
Ans. In the 19th century, there were intense debates around religious issues. Different groups had different opinions about changes taking place in colonial society. Some criticised existing practices and championed the cause of reforms, while others opposed reforms vehemently. Print not only spread the new ideas, but along with newspapers, it shaped the nature of debate.
This was a time of controversies between social and religious reformers and Hindu Orthodoxy over matters like widow immolation (Sati), monotheism, Brahmanical priesthood and idolatry. The ideas were printed everyday in spoken language of ordinary people. Rammohun Roy published Sambad Kaumudi from 1821 and the Hindu Orthodoxy commissioned the Samachar Chandrika to oppose his opinions. From 1822, two Persian newspapers were published - Jam-i-Jahannuma and Shamsul Akhbar. In the same year, a Gujarati newspaper, the Bombay Samachar, was published.
In north India, the Ulema were deeply worried about the collapse of Muslim dynasties, and the colonial rulers changing the Muslim Personal Law. The Deoband Seminary, founded in 1867, published thousands of fatwas telling Muslim readers how to conduct themselves in their everyday life, and explaining the meanings of Islamic doctrines.
Among Hindus, print helped in reading of religious texts. The first printed edition of Ramcharitmanas of Tulsidas, a 16th century text, came out from Calcutta in 1810. From the 1880s the Nawal Kishore Press at Lucknow and Shri Venkateshwar Press of Bombay published numerous religious texts in vernaculars. Not only they could be read easily by faithful at any place and time, but they could also be read to a large audience of illiterate people. Religious texts reached a very wide circle of people, encouraging discussions, debates and controversies within and among different religions.
Or
"Leading Indian novelists of the 19th century wrote for a national cause." Do you agree with the statement? Justify your answer. [5]
Ans. Many historical novels were about India's glorious past. Many historical novels were written about Marathas and Rajputs which produced a sense of pan-Indian belonging. They imagined the nation to be full of adventure, heroism, romance and sacrifice - qualities that could not be found in the offices and sheets of 19th centuries. Bhudev Mukhopadhay's Anguriya Binimoy (1857) was the first historical novel written in Bengal. Its hero Shivaji fought many battles against a clever and treacherons belief that he was a nationalist fighting for the freedom of Hindus.
Bankimchandra's Anandmath was about a Hindu militia that fought Muslims to establish a
Hindu kingdom. It was a novel that inspired many kinds of freedom fighters.
Writers like Premchand wrote novels which included various classes in the novels. He created characters who believed in a community based on democratic values. He made us think of social issues like caste oppression.
All the above wrote for a national cause.
26. Write four geographical requirements each for the growth of tea and sugarcane. (2010) Ans. Tea is the main beverage crop of India. Four geographical requirements for its growth are :
(a) The tea plant grows best in tropical and sub tropical climate.
(b) Tea bushes require warm and moist and frost free climate with temperature between 20°C
to 30°C and annual rainfall of 150 to 250 cm.
(c) Frequent showers evenly distributed over the year ensure continuous growth of tender leaves.
(d) Deep, fertile, well-drained soil, rich in humus and organic matter are ideal for its growth.
Hence, gently rolling topography in uplands is favourable for its cultivation. Four geographical conditions required for growth of sugarcane are :
(a) Sugarcane grows best in tropical and sub-tropical climate. It is an annual crop requiring a year for maturing.
(b) It grows well in hot and humid climate with temperature of 21°C to 27°C and an annual rainfall between 75 cm and 100 cm.
(c) Frost is injurious for the plant and rainfall before ripening decreases sucrose content.
Hence, frost free weather short, cool, dry winter during ripening and harvesting is favourable.
(d) It can grow on a variety of soil, but clayey alluvial soil of Northern Plains and black soil in south are ideal for its growth.
27. In which way does the language policy in India help our country avoid the situation that Sri Lanka is in today?
Ans. Our Constitution did not give the status of national language to any one language. Although Hindi was identified as the official language but there were many safeguards to protect other
languages.
According to the Constitution, the use of English for official purpose was to stop in 1965. However, many non-Hindi speaking states demanded that the use of English should continue. The Central government decided to continue the use of English alongwith Hindi for official purposes. Hindi is not imposed on states where people speak a different language. The flexibility shown by Indian political leaders helped our country avoid the kind of situation that Shri Lanka finds itself in.
In Sri Lanka, the major social groups are the Sinhala-speakers (74%) and the Tamil-speakers (18%). In 1956, an Act was passed to recognize Sinhala as the only official language, thus disregarding Tamil. Due to this, and other reasons, the relations between the Sinhala and the Tamil communities got strained over time.
28. What forms can caste take in politics? [5]
Ans. The caste can take following forms in politics :
(i) Sometimes candidates are chosen on the basis of their caste. When political parties choose candidates, they keep in mind the caste composition of their voters.
(ii) In many places voters vote on the basis of caste and fail to choose suitable candidates.
(iii) When a government is formed after elections, political parties take care that different castes are represented in the government.
(iv) Political parties appeal to caste sentiments during elections.
(v) To gain support political parties raise caste-based issues during elections. This they do to get political support, as 'one man one vote' system or adult franchise has made the voter very powerful.
(vi) The castes considered inferior or low until now have been made conscious of their rights by the political parties.
29. "The Earth has enough resources to meet the needs of all but not enough to satisfy the greed of even one person." How is this statement relevant to the discussion of the topic? Discuss.
Ans. The concept of sustainability explains the capacity to use the resources judiciously and maintain their balance. Thus, sustainability is a matter of sharing development opportunity and not the poverty and human deprivation. If the present is miserable and unacceptable to the majority of the world's people, it must be changed before it is sustained.
Every generation wants to get the maximum benefits from the available resources but it would be disastrous because the available resources will be exhausted at a rapid speed and in such circumstance the future generation will be deprived of such resources.
Resources such as mineral wealth, iron, gold, copper, silver etc. are exhaustable; hence we should use them judiciously.
30. Explain how a shift has taken place between sectors in developed countries?
Ans. About more than 100 years ago new methods of manufacturing and technological revolution
took place. People who worked in farms began working in factories in large numbers in new
urban centres. Secondary sector gradually became the most important in terms of production and employment. Hence, over a time, a shift had taken place from primary to secondary sector.
In the past 100 years there has been a further shift from secondary to tertiary sector in developed countries. The service sector has become the most important in terms of total production. Most of the working people are currently employed in the service sector. This is the general pattern observed in developed countries.
Tuesday, 9 September 2014
Wednesday, 3 September 2014
NTSE Stage I Sample Test Paper (Social Science)
Q.1. Which one of the following states mostly has laterite soil?
(a) Uttar Pradesh (b) Bihar
(c) Rajasthan (d) Meghalaya
Ans. (d)
Q.2. Which of the following is not one of the reasons for criticism of multipurpose river valley projects?
(a) They create a rockier stream bed
(b) They create poorer habitats for the river's acquatic life
(c) The reservoirs created in the floodplain submerge vegetation
(d) They help in generation of hydroelectricity
Ans. (d)
Q.3. Which of the following types of species are known as the extinct species?
(a) Species whose population levels are normal (b) Whose population has declined
(c) Species with small population (d) Species which are not found
Ans. (d)
Q.4. India's reserves and production of which of the following types of minerals is not very satisfactory?
(a) Ferrous Minerals
(b) Non-Ferrous Minerals
(c) Energy Minerals
(d) None of the above
Ans. (b)
Q.5. Which one of the following groups of states have the largest number of cotton textile centres ? (a) Gujarat and Maharashtra
(b) Karnataka and Tamil Nadu
(c) Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh
(d) Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat
Ans. (a)
Q.6. The helicopter services to Oil and Natural Commission in its offshore operations are provided by :
(a) Air India (b) Indian Airlines (c) Pawanhans helicopters (d) Alliance Air
Ans. (c)
Q.7. What is the position of India in the world in respect of area?
(a) 8th position (b) 7th position (c) 6th position (d) 2nd position
Ans. (b)
Q.8. Due to which of the following factors does Pune receive much lesser rainfall as compared to Mumbai?
(a) It is located on the leeward side of Western Ghats
(b) It is located on windward side of Western Ghats
(c) Continentality
(d) Distance from the sea
Ans. (a)
Q.9. The Yak (ox) and the Bharal are found in .
(a) Uttarakhand (b) Himachal Pradesh (c) Jammu and Kashmir (d) Ladakh
Ans. (d)
Q.10. What was the population density of India according to 2001?
(a) 124 person/km2 (b) 224 person/km2
(c) 324 person/km2 (d) 24 person/km2
Ans. (c)
Q.11. Frederic Serrieu, a French artist, in his series of four prints (1848) visualised his dream of a world as :
(a) A world made up of 'democratic and social republics'
(b) A world made up of one nation, one world
(c) A world with one absolute ruler
(d) A world following one religion, one language
Ans. (a)
Q.12. The two events which shaped Indian politics in the 1920s were :
(a) The setting up of the Simon Commission by the Tory Government in Britain which had not a single Indian member
(b) The worldwide economic depression which led to a fall in agricultural prices
(c) Both (a) and (b)
(d) The division within the Congress
Ans. (c)
Q.13. Post-war reconstruction was shaped by two crucial influences. They were :
(a) The US emerged as the dominant economic, political and military power in the western world
(b) The capitalist world collapsed
(c) The Soviet Union emerged as a world power
(d) Both (a) and (c)
Ans. (d)
Q.14. 'Temperance Movement' was :
(a) An attempt by the social reformers aimed at reducing consumption of alcoholic drinks amongst the upper classes
(b) A reform movement led by the rich to stop drinking on the streets
(c) A middle-class led social reform movement in Britain and USA, aimed at reducing alcoholism amongst the working classes
(d) None of these
Ans. (c)
Q.15. Who was Kitagawa Utamaro and why is he famous?
(a) A famous Japanese artist, famous for his prints
(b) A Japanese artist, famous for his art form 'Ukiyo'
(c) A Japanese artist who influenced European artists like Manet, Monet and Van Gogh
(d) A Japanese artist born in Edo in 1753, famous for his contribution to an art form called
'Ukiyo' which influenced European artists like Manet, Monet and Van Gogh
Ans. (d)
Q.16. What was the 'Subsistence Crisis' which occurred frequently in France?
(a) An extreme situation endangering the basic means of livelihood
(b) Subsidy in foodgrains
(c) Large-scale production of foodgrains
(d) None of the above
Ans. (a)
Q.17. Which of the following statements is true about the economic crisis in Germany in 1923?
(a) The value of 'Mark' (German currency) collapsed
(b) Prices of goods soared high
(c) Weimer Republic brought economic prosperity
(d) Both (a) and (b)
Ans. (d)
Q.18. Which is the most appropriate reason that exhorted rioters to destroy the threshing machines in England during the 1830s?
(a) It deprived workmen of their livelihood
(b) They were indulging in loot
(c) The countryside was partitioned into enclosed lands
(d) Landlords wanted to earn more profits and pay less to the workers
Ans. (a)
Q.19. In which way did the Forest Acts change the lives of the pastoralists?
(a) In the areas of forests where the pastoralists were allowed, their movements were regulated
(b) They needed a permit for entry
(c) The timing of their entry and departure was specified
(d) All the above
Ans. (d)
Q.20. Gandhiji's decision to wear loin cloth only (and chaddar if necessary to protect his body)
throughout his life was seen by him as
(a) his duty to the poor (b) saving country's resources
(c) giving in to the wishes of Britishers (d) none of the above
Ans. (a)
Q.21. Which is a prudent reason for power-sharing?
(a) It reduces the possibility of conflict between communities and ensures the stability of political order
(b) Power-sharing is the very spirit of democracy
(c) Both the above
(d) None of the above
Ans. (a)
Q.22. 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.
Ans. (a)
Q.23. 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
Ans. (c)
Q.24. Usually sectional interest groups seek to promote
(a) the interests of a particular section of group of society
(b) the interests of the society in general
(c) the well-being and betterment of their members
(d) both (a) and (c)
Ans. (d)
Q.25. Use one of the following statements to complete the sentence:
Democracy in the international organisations requires that ....
(a) The rich countries should have a greater say.
(b) Countries should have a say according to their military power.
(c) Countries should be treated with respect in proportion to their population.
(d) All countries in the world should be treated equally.
Ans. All countries in the world should be treated equally.
Q.26. In any society, people are bound to have difference of opinions and interests. Which is a better way of dealing with these conflicts?
(a) By brutal power exercised by the government
(b) By allowing one group to dictate terms to others
(c) By providing equal opportunities to all
(d) By opting for a strong leader who should have all the powers.
Ans. (c)
Q.27. Who said the following?
"I shall work for an India in which the poorest shall feel that it is their country ..... in which all communities shall live in perfect harmony."
(a) Mahatma Gandhi (b) Jawahar Lal Nehru
(c) Dr. B.R. Ambedkar (d) Sarojini Naidu
Ans. (a)
Q.28. What does the term 'incumbent' mean?
(a) The current holder of a political office (b) The candidate contesting the election
(c) The outgoing candidate of the dissolved House (d) None of the above
Ans. (a)
Q.29. Why does the political executive have more powers than the permanent executive?
(a) Because hardly any expertise is required in taking policy decisions
(b) Because political executive consists of the direct representatives of the people
(c) Political leaders are more educated (d) None of the above
Ans. (b)
Q.30. What does the Constitution say about the practice of untouchability?
(a) It stands abolished
(b) Its practice in any form is punishable by law
(c) Since it is an age-old custom, it should be respected
(d) Both (a) and (b)
Ans. (d)
Q.31. Which of the following programmes was launched in the year 2000?
(a) National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
(b) Prime Minister Rojgar Yojana
(c) Swarna Jayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojna
(d) Pradhan Mantri Gramodaya Yojana
Ans. (d)
Q.32. Minimum Support Price (MSP) is announced by the government to provide :
(a) incentives to farmers for raising production
(b) incentives to traders to earn maximum profit from farmers
(c) incentives to moneylenders to lend maximum to farmers
(d) none of the above
Ans. (a)
Q.33. Which of the following is not true regarding the in convenience of Barter Exchange ? (a) Lack of double coincidence of want
(b) Absence of divisibility
(c) Difficulty in storing wealth
(d) Availability of money as a medium of exchange.
Ans. (d)
Q.34. What is the impact of LPG policy of the government?
(a) Stiff competition among producers
(b) Increase in inequalities
(c) Greater choice to consumers
(d) All the above
Ans. (d)
Q.35. Name the Act under which consumer courts have been established :
(a) National Consumer Commission Act
(b) State Consumer Commission
(c) Consumer Protection Act
(d) None of these
Ans. (c)
Tuesday, 2 September 2014
NTSE Stage I 2014 paper of West Bengal
http://www.scribd.com/doc/238390940/Ntse-2014-West-Bengal-Question-Paper
http://www.scribd.com/doc/238390940/Ntse-2014-West-Bengal-Question-Paper
Monday, 1 September 2014
NTSE Stage I Test Paper for Social Science
1. The aim of Romanticism, a cultural movement, was :
(a) To create a sense of shared collective heritage, a common cultural past, as the basis of the nation
(b) Glorification of science and reason
(c) To focus on emotions, intuitions and mystical feeling
(d) Both (a) and (c)
2. Who was the first writer to create the image of 'Bharat Mata' as an identity of India and how?
(a) Abanindranath Tagore by his paintings of a mother figure in 1905
(b) Rabindranath Tagore through his collection of ballads, nursery rhymes and myths
(c) Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in
1870, by writing the song "Vande Mataram" and later including it in his novel 'Anand Math'
(d) None of the above
3. Indian nationalist leaders began opposing the system of indentured labour migration from the 1900s because :
(a) They considered it abusive, cruel and a new form of slavery
(b) Indian indentured workers were considered "coolies" in the Caribbean
(c) The minority migrants were given few legal rights, and their living and working conditions were harsh
(d) All the above.
4. 'Individualism' is a theory which promotes :
(a) A new spirit among men and women, freedom from collective values
(b) The liberty, rights or independent action of the individual rather that of the community
(c) Superiority of men over women
(d) Public space as a male preserve and domestic sphere as the proper place for women
5. 'Tremble, therefore, tyrants of the world! Tremble before the virtual writer.' Whose words are these and what warning is given through them?
(a) Mercier, a French novelist of 18th century, who believed that printing press is so powerful that it would sweep despotism away
(b) Louise Sebastien Mercier, a novelist of the 18th century England, who gave this warning to despots
(c) Mercier, an American novelist of the 18th century, who believed in the power of print and warned against despotism
(d) A French novelist Mercier (19th century), who believed in the power of print
6. In the meeting of the Estates General, the members of the Third Estate demanded that
(a) All the three Estates should have one vote altogether
(b) Each member of the three Estates should have one vote
(c) Each Estate should have one vote
(d) None of the above
7. Why does the story of the forests and people of Bastar not end with the rebellion of 1910?
(a) Practice of keeping people out of the forests and reserving them for industrial use continued even after Independence
(b) The World Bank proposed that 4,600 hectares of national sal forest should be replaced by tropical pine for paper industry. It was scrapped later.
(c) Both (a) and (b) (d) None of the above
8. Why did the ordinary dust storm took the form of Black Blizzard in US plains in the 1930s?
(a) The whole plain was an arid zone
(b) The entire ploughed landscape was stripped of all grass
(c) The area faced heavy flooding
(d) There was no rainfall in the region
9. Which of these statements is not true?
(a) Pastoralists are a matter of past now
(b) Pastoralists have tried to adapt to new times
(c) They have changed the paths of their annual movement
(d) They have demanded a right in the management of forests and water resources
10. On what grounds were the traditional feminine clothes criticised in the USA?
(a) Long skirts swept the grounds collecting filth and causing illness
(b) The skirts were voluminous and difficult to handle
(c) They hampered movement and prevented women from working and earning
(d) All the above
11. There is enough for everybody's need and not for any body's greed,'' who among the following has given the above statement?
(a) Vinoba Bhave (b) Mahatma Gandhi
(c) Jawaharlal Nehru (d) Atal Behari Vajpayee
12. Which of the following hydraulic structures was constructed by Iltutmish in the 14th century for supplying water to Siri Fort area?
(a) Water harvesting at Sringaverapura near Allahabad
(b) Bhopal Lake
(c) Tank in Hauz Khas, Delhi
(d) Irrigation work at Nagarjunakonda
13. Which of the following is the primary objective of India's food security policy?
(a) To ensure availability of foodgrains to the common people at an affordable price.
(b) To diversify crop production to increase income of the farmers.
(c) To provide insurance against crop failures.
(d) To shift from foodgrain production to commercial crops.
14. Regular supply of electricity and an assured source of raw material at minimum cost are the two prime factors for the location of which one of the following industries :
(a) Iron and Steel (b) Automobile (c) Aluminium smelting (d) Electronics
15. Which one of the following is considered as the First Class Mail by the Indian postal network ? (a) Cards and envelopes
(b) Registered periodicals
(c) Book packets
(d) Registered newspapers
16. Due to which of the following reasons is the Indian Ocean named after India?
(a) India has a strategic location along the trans-Indian Ocean routes
(b) No other country has a long coastline on the Indian Ocean as India
(c) India is centrally located at the head of the Indian Ocean
(d) All the above
17. Which type of lakes contain water only during the rainy season?
(a) Oxbow lakes (b) Lagoons
(c) Lakes in basins of inland drainage (d) Glacial lakes
18. India's natural vegetation has undergone many changes due to which of the following factors?
(a) Growing demands for cultivated land (b) Development of industries and mining
(c) Overgrazing of pastures (d) All the above
19. Which of the following reasons is responsible for uneven population distribution in India?
(a) Variations in topography or relief in different parts of India
(b) Variations in climate and rainfall distribution
(c) Variations in the rate of industrialisation and urbanisation
(d) All the above
20. Where was the first Cement Plant set up in India ?
(a) Mumbai (b) Kolkata (c) Chennai (d) Delhi
21. 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 for 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.
22. The percentage of elected women members in the Lok Sabha has hardly reached ____ per cent of its total strength.
(a) 25% (b) 15% (c) 10% (d) 5%
23. Which of the following is not a movement?
(a) Narmada Bachao Andolan
(b) Struggle in Nepal for democracy
(c) Women's movement
(d) All India Trade Union Congress
24. Those parties which are given the special privilege of 'election symbol' and other facilities are said to be :
(a) 'identified' by the Election Commission
(b) 'recognised' by the Election Commission
(c) 'patronised' by the Election Commission
(d) 'attached' by the Election Commission
25. Why is there a delay in decision-making and implementation in a democracy? (a) The government is afraid of taking decisions
(b) The government is hesitant in taking decisions
(c) Democracy is based on the idea of deliberation and negotiation
(d) A democratic government is not interested in taking quick decisions
26. After Independence, who became the first Prime Minister and then the President of Ghana?
(a) Patrice Lumamba (b) Jomo Kenyatta (c) Sam Nujoma (d) Kwame Nkrumah
27. When did South Africa become a democratic country?
(a) 26 April, 1995 (b) 26 April, 1994
(c) 24 March, 1994 (d) 27 April, 1996
28. Which of the following statement is incorrect?
(a) All citizens above the age of 21 can vote in an election
(b) Every citizen has the right to vote regardless of caste religion or gender
(c) Some criminals and persons with unsound mind can be denied the right to vote in rare situations
(d) It is the responsibility of the government to get the names of all eligible voters put in the voters list.
29. Which of the following is not an instance of an exercise of a Fundamental Right?
(a) Workers from Bihar go to Punjab to work on the farms
(b) Parents' property is inherited by their children
(c) Christian mission sets up a chain of missionary schools
(d) Religion is not taken into consideration during admission in schools
30. Which of these is not an instance of broader meaning of democracy?
(a) Taking opinion of all the family members before taking a decision
(b) Being allowed to ask questions in the class
(c) Having no say in one's marriage plan (d) None of the above
31. Which of the following is not applicable for a worker, who works in the organised sector?
(a) She gets a regular salary at the end of the month
(b) She is not paid for leave
(c) She gets medical allowance
(d) She got an appointment letter stating the terms and conditions of work when she joins work.
32. Liberalisation refers to
(a) freeing the economy from direct control
(b) putting an end to various restrictions
(c) opening up the economy
(d) all the above
Ans. (d)
33. Name the right under which a consumer can claim compensation for the damage caused by any product.
(a) Right to Safety
(b) Right to Seek Redressal
(c) Both (a) and (b) (d) None of these
34. Which one of the following statements is correct with reference to tertiary sector?
(a) In these activities goods are either grown on the earth or dug out from the earth
(b) These activities transform primary goods into some commodities with the help of manual labour or machines
(c) These activities generate services rather than goods
(d) This sector is primarily known as service sector
35. The current anti-poverty programme consists of two planks. They are:
(a) Socio-economic reasons and public distribution system.
(b) Promotion of economic growth and targeted anti-poverty programme. (c) Anti-poverty programme and public distribution system.
(d) None of the above.
Answer Key - 1. (d), 2. (c), 3. (a), 4. (b), 5. (a), 6. (a), 7. (c), 8. (b), 9. (a), 10. (d), 11. (b), 12. (c), 13. (a), 14. (c), 15. (a), 16. (d), 17. (c), 18. (d), 19. (d), 20. (c), 21. (c), 22. (c), 23. (d), 24. (b), 25. (c), 26. (b), 27. (b), 28. (a), 29. (b), 30. (c), 31. (b), 32. (b), 33. (b), 34. (d), 35. (b).
(a) To create a sense of shared collective heritage, a common cultural past, as the basis of the nation
(b) Glorification of science and reason
(c) To focus on emotions, intuitions and mystical feeling
(d) Both (a) and (c)
2. Who was the first writer to create the image of 'Bharat Mata' as an identity of India and how?
(a) Abanindranath Tagore by his paintings of a mother figure in 1905
(b) Rabindranath Tagore through his collection of ballads, nursery rhymes and myths
(c) Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in
1870, by writing the song "Vande Mataram" and later including it in his novel 'Anand Math'
(d) None of the above
3. Indian nationalist leaders began opposing the system of indentured labour migration from the 1900s because :
(a) They considered it abusive, cruel and a new form of slavery
(b) Indian indentured workers were considered "coolies" in the Caribbean
(c) The minority migrants were given few legal rights, and their living and working conditions were harsh
(d) All the above.
4. 'Individualism' is a theory which promotes :
(a) A new spirit among men and women, freedom from collective values
(b) The liberty, rights or independent action of the individual rather that of the community
(c) Superiority of men over women
(d) Public space as a male preserve and domestic sphere as the proper place for women
5. 'Tremble, therefore, tyrants of the world! Tremble before the virtual writer.' Whose words are these and what warning is given through them?
(a) Mercier, a French novelist of 18th century, who believed that printing press is so powerful that it would sweep despotism away
(b) Louise Sebastien Mercier, a novelist of the 18th century England, who gave this warning to despots
(c) Mercier, an American novelist of the 18th century, who believed in the power of print and warned against despotism
(d) A French novelist Mercier (19th century), who believed in the power of print
6. In the meeting of the Estates General, the members of the Third Estate demanded that
(a) All the three Estates should have one vote altogether
(b) Each member of the three Estates should have one vote
(c) Each Estate should have one vote
(d) None of the above
7. Why does the story of the forests and people of Bastar not end with the rebellion of 1910?
(a) Practice of keeping people out of the forests and reserving them for industrial use continued even after Independence
(b) The World Bank proposed that 4,600 hectares of national sal forest should be replaced by tropical pine for paper industry. It was scrapped later.
(c) Both (a) and (b) (d) None of the above
8. Why did the ordinary dust storm took the form of Black Blizzard in US plains in the 1930s?
(a) The whole plain was an arid zone
(b) The entire ploughed landscape was stripped of all grass
(c) The area faced heavy flooding
(d) There was no rainfall in the region
9. Which of these statements is not true?
(a) Pastoralists are a matter of past now
(b) Pastoralists have tried to adapt to new times
(c) They have changed the paths of their annual movement
(d) They have demanded a right in the management of forests and water resources
10. On what grounds were the traditional feminine clothes criticised in the USA?
(a) Long skirts swept the grounds collecting filth and causing illness
(b) The skirts were voluminous and difficult to handle
(c) They hampered movement and prevented women from working and earning
(d) All the above
11. There is enough for everybody's need and not for any body's greed,'' who among the following has given the above statement?
(a) Vinoba Bhave (b) Mahatma Gandhi
(c) Jawaharlal Nehru (d) Atal Behari Vajpayee
12. Which of the following hydraulic structures was constructed by Iltutmish in the 14th century for supplying water to Siri Fort area?
(a) Water harvesting at Sringaverapura near Allahabad
(b) Bhopal Lake
(c) Tank in Hauz Khas, Delhi
(d) Irrigation work at Nagarjunakonda
13. Which of the following is the primary objective of India's food security policy?
(a) To ensure availability of foodgrains to the common people at an affordable price.
(b) To diversify crop production to increase income of the farmers.
(c) To provide insurance against crop failures.
(d) To shift from foodgrain production to commercial crops.
14. Regular supply of electricity and an assured source of raw material at minimum cost are the two prime factors for the location of which one of the following industries :
(a) Iron and Steel (b) Automobile (c) Aluminium smelting (d) Electronics
15. Which one of the following is considered as the First Class Mail by the Indian postal network ? (a) Cards and envelopes
(b) Registered periodicals
(c) Book packets
(d) Registered newspapers
16. Due to which of the following reasons is the Indian Ocean named after India?
(a) India has a strategic location along the trans-Indian Ocean routes
(b) No other country has a long coastline on the Indian Ocean as India
(c) India is centrally located at the head of the Indian Ocean
(d) All the above
17. Which type of lakes contain water only during the rainy season?
(a) Oxbow lakes (b) Lagoons
(c) Lakes in basins of inland drainage (d) Glacial lakes
18. India's natural vegetation has undergone many changes due to which of the following factors?
(a) Growing demands for cultivated land (b) Development of industries and mining
(c) Overgrazing of pastures (d) All the above
19. Which of the following reasons is responsible for uneven population distribution in India?
(a) Variations in topography or relief in different parts of India
(b) Variations in climate and rainfall distribution
(c) Variations in the rate of industrialisation and urbanisation
(d) All the above
20. Where was the first Cement Plant set up in India ?
(a) Mumbai (b) Kolkata (c) Chennai (d) Delhi
21. 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 for 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.
22. The percentage of elected women members in the Lok Sabha has hardly reached ____ per cent of its total strength.
(a) 25% (b) 15% (c) 10% (d) 5%
23. Which of the following is not a movement?
(a) Narmada Bachao Andolan
(b) Struggle in Nepal for democracy
(c) Women's movement
(d) All India Trade Union Congress
24. Those parties which are given the special privilege of 'election symbol' and other facilities are said to be :
(a) 'identified' by the Election Commission
(b) 'recognised' by the Election Commission
(c) 'patronised' by the Election Commission
(d) 'attached' by the Election Commission
25. Why is there a delay in decision-making and implementation in a democracy? (a) The government is afraid of taking decisions
(b) The government is hesitant in taking decisions
(c) Democracy is based on the idea of deliberation and negotiation
(d) A democratic government is not interested in taking quick decisions
26. After Independence, who became the first Prime Minister and then the President of Ghana?
(a) Patrice Lumamba (b) Jomo Kenyatta (c) Sam Nujoma (d) Kwame Nkrumah
27. When did South Africa become a democratic country?
(a) 26 April, 1995 (b) 26 April, 1994
(c) 24 March, 1994 (d) 27 April, 1996
28. Which of the following statement is incorrect?
(a) All citizens above the age of 21 can vote in an election
(b) Every citizen has the right to vote regardless of caste religion or gender
(c) Some criminals and persons with unsound mind can be denied the right to vote in rare situations
(d) It is the responsibility of the government to get the names of all eligible voters put in the voters list.
29. Which of the following is not an instance of an exercise of a Fundamental Right?
(a) Workers from Bihar go to Punjab to work on the farms
(b) Parents' property is inherited by their children
(c) Christian mission sets up a chain of missionary schools
(d) Religion is not taken into consideration during admission in schools
30. Which of these is not an instance of broader meaning of democracy?
(a) Taking opinion of all the family members before taking a decision
(b) Being allowed to ask questions in the class
(c) Having no say in one's marriage plan (d) None of the above
31. Which of the following is not applicable for a worker, who works in the organised sector?
(a) She gets a regular salary at the end of the month
(b) She is not paid for leave
(c) She gets medical allowance
(d) She got an appointment letter stating the terms and conditions of work when she joins work.
32. Liberalisation refers to
(a) freeing the economy from direct control
(b) putting an end to various restrictions
(c) opening up the economy
(d) all the above
Ans. (d)
33. Name the right under which a consumer can claim compensation for the damage caused by any product.
(a) Right to Safety
(b) Right to Seek Redressal
(c) Both (a) and (b) (d) None of these
34. Which one of the following statements is correct with reference to tertiary sector?
(a) In these activities goods are either grown on the earth or dug out from the earth
(b) These activities transform primary goods into some commodities with the help of manual labour or machines
(c) These activities generate services rather than goods
(d) This sector is primarily known as service sector
35. The current anti-poverty programme consists of two planks. They are:
(a) Socio-economic reasons and public distribution system.
(b) Promotion of economic growth and targeted anti-poverty programme. (c) Anti-poverty programme and public distribution system.
(d) None of the above.
Answer Key - 1. (d), 2. (c), 3. (a), 4. (b), 5. (a), 6. (a), 7. (c), 8. (b), 9. (a), 10. (d), 11. (b), 12. (c), 13. (a), 14. (c), 15. (a), 16. (d), 17. (c), 18. (d), 19. (d), 20. (c), 21. (c), 22. (c), 23. (d), 24. (b), 25. (c), 26. (b), 27. (b), 28. (a), 29. (b), 30. (c), 31. (b), 32. (b), 33. (b), 34. (d), 35. (b).
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