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Social StudiesClass 10CBSE

Consider the following statements about power-sharing arrangements in Belgium and Sri Lanka. A. In Belgium, the Dutch-speaking majority people tried to impose their domination on the minority French-speaking community. B. In Sri Lanka, the policies of the government sought to ensure the dominance of the Sinhala-speaking majority. C. The Tamils in Sri Lanka demanded a federal arrangement of power-sharing to protect their culture, language and equality of opportunity in education and jobs. D. The transformation of Belgium from a unitary government to a federal one prevented a possible division of the country on linguistic lines. Which of the statements given above is correct? (a) A, B, C and D (b) A, B and D (c) C and D (d) B, C and D

(d) B, C and D

Social StudiesClass 10CBSE

Different arguments are usually put forth in favour of and against power-sharing. Identify those which are in favour of power-sharing and select the answer using the codes given below. Power-sharing: A. reduces conflict among different communities B. decreases the possibility of arbitrariness C. delays the decision-making process D. accommodates diversities E. increases instability and divisiveness F. promotes people’s participation in government G. undermines the unity of a country (a) A B D F (b) A C E F (c) A B D G (d) B C D G

Answer. (a) A B D F

Social StudiesClass 10CBSE

Read the following passage and pick out any one of the prudential reasons for power sharing offered in this. “We need to give more power to the panchayats to realise the dream of Mahatma Gandhi and the hopes of the makers of our Constitution. Panchayati Raj establishes true democracy. It restores power to the only place where power belongs in a democracy – in the hands of the people. Giving power to Panchayats is also a way to reduce corruption and increase administrative efficiency. When people participate in the planning and implementation of developmental schemes, they would naturally exercise greater control over these schemes. This would eliminate the corrupt middlemen. Thus, Panchayati Raj will strengthen the foundations of our democracy.”

The prudential reason in the given passage is – “Giving power to Panchayats is also a way to reduce corruption and increase administrative efficiency.”

Social StudiesClass 10CBSE

The Mayor of Merchtem, a town near Brussels in Belgium, has defended a ban on speaking French in the town’s schools. He said that the ban would help all non-Dutch speakers integrate into this Flemish town. Do you think that this measure is in keeping with the spirit of Belgium’s power-sharing arrangements? Give your reasons in about 50 words.

The measure of the Mayor of Merchtem to ban French-speaking in the town’s schools near Brussels is unfair. It does not keep with Belgium’s power-sharing arrangement. Power-sharing helps maintain a balance between different sections of society. In Belgium, there is a need to maintain the power-sharing between the Dutch and the French to avoid civil unrest. Banning the French will promote the tendency of civil unrest. To promote peace among different communities, the Mayor should promote a bilingual education system in the town’s schools.

Social StudiesClass 10CBSE

After reading this chapter, three students drew different conclusions. Which of these do you agree with and why? Give your reasons in about 50 words. Thomman – Power sharing is necessary only in societies which have religious, linguistic or ethnic divisions. Mathayi – Power sharing is suitable only for big countries that have regional divisions. Ouseph – Every society needs some form of power-sharing, even if it is small or does not have social divisions.

Ouseph’s conclusion is the right one. Every state should have some or other form of power-sharing. Power-sharing ensures an optimum balance between different sections of society. The chances of conflict lessen, and so does the injustice. Hence, power-sharing becomes the value of democracy. Also, power-sharing is a good way to ensure the stability of political order

Social StudiesClass 10CBSE

State one prudential reason and one moral reason for power-sharing with an example from the Indian context.

While prudential reasons stress that power-sharing will bring out better outcomes. In India, the power is shared horizontally among various organs of government. The Legislature, Executive and Judiciary are responsible for administering India. Reservation is applicable in India, where various sections are given benefits over others to avoid conflicts. Moral reasons emphasise the very act of power-sharing as valuable. In India, citizens are conferred with fundamental rights and directive principles of state policies are implied in the government.

Social StudiesClass 10CBSE

What are the different forms of power-sharing in modern democracies? Give an example of each of these.

There are different forms of power-sharing in modern democracies. They are given below: Horizontal distribution of power – Power is shared among different organs of government, such as the legislature, executive and judiciary. Example: India The federal division of power – Power can be shared among governments at different levels – a general government for the entire country and governments at the provincial or regional level. Example: India (Union Government and State Governments) Community government – Power may also be shared among different social groups, such as religious and linguistic groups. Example: Belgium Power-sharing between political parties, pressure groups and movements – Such competition ensures that power does not remain in one hand. In the long run, power is shared among different political parties that represent different ideologies and social groups.

Social StudiesClass 10CBSE

Describe how modern adaptations of traditional rainwater harvesting methods are being carried out to conserve and store water.

Water harvesting system is a viable alternative, both socio-economically and environmentally. In ancient India, along with the sophisticated hydraulic structures, there existed an extraordinary tradition of water-harvesting system. People had in-depth knowledge of rainfall regimes and soil types and developed wide-ranging techniques to harvest rainwater, groundwater, river water and floodwater in keeping with the local ecological conditions and their water needs. In hill and mountainous regions, people built diversion channels like the ‘guls’ or ‘kuls’ of the Western Himalayas for agriculture. ‘Rooftop rainwater harvesting’ was commonly practised to store drinking water, particularly in Rajasthan. In the flood plains of Bengal, people developed inundation channels to irrigate their fields. In arid and semi-arid regions, agricultural fields were converted into rain-fed storage structures that allowed the water to stand and moisten the soil like the ‘khadins’ in Jaisalmer and ‘Johads’ in other parts of Rajasthan. In Gendathur, a remote backward village in Mysuru, Karnataka, villagers have installed, in their household’s rooftop, rainwater harvesting system to meet their water needs. Nearly 200 households have installed this system and the village has earned the rare distinction of being rich in rainwater. Rooftop rainwater harvesting is the most common practice in Shillong, Meghalaya. It is interesting because Cherapunjee and Mawsynram situated at a distance of 55 km. from Shillong receive the highest rainfall in the world. Yet, the state capital Shillong faces an acute shortage of water. Nearly every household in the city has a rooftop rainwater harvesting structure. Nearly 15-25 per cent of the total water requirement of the household comes from rooftop water harvesting. Tamil Nadu is the first state in India which has made rooftop rainwater harvesting structure compulsory for all the houses across the state.

Social StudiesClass 10CBSE

Discuss how rainwater harvesting in semi-arid regions of Rajasthan is carried out.

In the semi-arid and arid regions of Rajasthan, particularly in Bikaner, Phalodi and Barmer, almost all the houses traditionally had underground tanks or tankas for storing drinking water. The tanks could be as large as a big room; one household in Phalodi had a tank that was 6.1 metres deep, 4.27 metres long and 2.44 metres wide. The tankas were part of the well-developed rooftop rainwater harvesting system and were built inside the main house or the courtyard. They were connected to the sloping roofs of the houses through a pipe. Rain falling on the rooftops would travel down the pipe and be stored in these underground ‘tankas’. The first spell of rain was usually not collected as this would clean the roofs and the pipes. The rainwater from the subsequent showers was then collected. The rainwater can be stored in the tankas till the next rainfall, making it an extremely reliable source of drinking water when all other sources are dried up, particularly in the summers. Rainwater, or ‘palar pani’, as commonly referred to in these parts, is considered the purest form of natural water.

Social StudiesClass 10CBSE

Compare the advantages and disadvantages of multi-purpose river projects.

Advantages: Irrigation Electricity generation Flood control Water supply for industrial and domestic purposes Tourist attraction Inland navigation Disadvantages: The natural flow of water is affected Aquatic life gets affected Submergence of land in the surrounding areas Ecological consequences Large scale displacement of local people

Social StudiesClass 10CBSE

What is water scarcity and what are its main causes?

Many of our cities are such examples. Thus, water scarcity may be an outcome of large and growing population and consequent greater demands for water, and unequal access to it. A large population requires more water not only for domestic use but also to produce more food. Hence, to facilitate higher food-grain production, water resources are being over-exploited to expand irrigated areas for dry-season agriculture. Irrigated agriculture is the largest consumer of water. Most farmers have their own wells and tube-wells in their farms for irrigation to increase their productivity. This has adversely affected water availability and food security of the people.

Social StudiesClass 10CBSE

Explain how water becomes a renewable resource.

Answer: Water can be considered as a renewable resource since there will be rains and surface water and groundwater will get recharged continuously due to the 3 process involved in the hydrological cycle. The 3 processes of the hydrological cycle are Evaporations Condensation Precipitation

Social StudiesClass 10CBSE

Here are some false statements. Identify the mistakes and rewrite them correctly. (a) Multiplying urban centres with large and dense populations and urban lifestyles have helped in proper utilisation of water resources. (b) Regulating and damming of rivers does not affect the river’s natural flow and its sediment flow. (c) In Gujarat, the Sabarmati basin farmers were not agitated when higher priority was given to water supply in urban areas, particularly during droughts. (d) Today in Rajasthan, the practice of rooftop rainwater water harvesting has gained popularity despite high water availability due to the Indira Gandhi Canal.

) Multiplying urban centres with large and dense populations and urban lifestyles have resulted in improper utilisation of water resources. (b) Regulating and damming of rivers does affect the river’s natural flow and its sediment flow. (c) In Gujarat, the Sabarmati basin farmers were agitated when higher priority was given to water supply in urban areas, particularly during droughts. (d) Today in Rajasthan, the practice of rooftop rainwater water harvesting popularity has declined due to high water availability from Indira Gandhi Canal.

Social StudiesClass 10CBSE

Which one of the following statements is not an argument in favour of multipurpose river projects? (a) Multi-purpose projects bring water to those areas which suffer from water scarcity. (b) Multi-purpose projects by regulating water flow help to control floods. (c) Multi-purpose projects lead to large scale displacements and loss of livelihood. (d) Multi-purpose projects generate electricity for our industries and our homes.

Multi-purpose projects lead to large scale displacements and loss of livelihood

Social StudiesClass 10CBSE

Based on the information given below classify each of the situations as ‘suffering from water scarcity’ or ‘not suffering from water scarcity’. (a) A region with high annual rainfall. (b) A region having high annual rainfall and large population. (c) A region having high annual rainfall but water is highly polluted. (d) A region having low rainfall and low population.

(a) A region with high annual rainfall – Not suffering from water scarcity (b) A region having high annual rainfall and large population – Suffering from water scarcity (c) A region having high annual rainfall but water is highly polluted – Suffering from water scarcity (d) A region having low rainfall and low population- Not suffering from water scarcity

Social StudiesClass 10CBSE

Write a note on good practices towards conserving forest and wildlife.

In India, joint forest management (JFM) programme is a good example for the involvement of local communities in the management and restoration of degraded forests. The programme has been in formal existence since 1988 when the state of Odisha passed the first resolution for joint forest management. JFM depends on the formation of local (village) institutions that undertake protection activities mostly on degraded forest land managed by the forest department. In return, the members of these communities are entitled to intermediary benefits like non-timber forest produces and a share in the timber harvested by ‘successful protection’. The clear lesson from the dynamics of both environmental destruction and reconstruction in India is that local communities everywhere have to be involved in some kind of natural resource management. But there is still a long way to go before local communities are at the centre stage in decision-making. Accept only those economic or developmental activities that are people-centric, environment-friendly and economically rewarding.

Social StudiesClass 10CBSE

Describe how communities have conserved and protected forests and wildlife in India.

Chipko Movement: The famous Chipko movement in the Himalayas has not only successfully resisted deforestation in several areas, but has also shown that community afforestation with indigenous species can be enormously successful. Certain societies revere a particular tree which they have preserved from time immemorial. The Mundas and the Santhals of Chota Nagpur region worship mahua (Bassia latifolia) and kadamba (Anthocaphalus cadamba) trees. The tribals of Odisha and Bihar worship the tamarind (Tamarindus indica) and mango (Mangifera indica) trees during weddings. Many people also consider peepal and banyan trees sacred. In Sariska Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan, villagers have fought against mining by citing the Wildlife Protection Act. In many areas, villagers themselves are protecting habitats and are explicitly rejecting government involvement. The inhabitants of five villages in the Alwar district of Rajasthan have declared 1,200 hectares of forest as the Bhairodev Dakav ‘Sonchuri’, declaring their own set of rules and regulations which do not allow hunting and are protecting the wildlife against any outside encroachments.

Social StudiesClass 10CBSE

How have human activities affected the depletion of flora and fauna? Explain

Various river valley projects have affected the flora and fauna. Many illegal mining projects have depleted the flora and fauna. Too many development projects for leisure activities in the forests have negatively affected them. Too many human activities in the forest area due to rising population and lack of space has created human-animal conflict.

Social StudiesClass 10CBSE

Match the following. Reserved Forests Other forests and wastelands belonging to both government and private individuals and communities Protected Forests Forests are regarded as most valuable as far as the conservation of forest and wildlife resources is concerned Unclassed Forests Forest lands are protected from any further depletion

Answer: Reserved Forests Forests are regarded as most valuable as far as the conservation of forest and wildlife resources is concerned Protected Forests Forest lands are protected from any further depletion Unclassed Forests Other forests and wastelands belonging to both government and private individuals and communities

Social StudiesClass 10CBSE

Match the following animals with their category of existence. Animals/Plants Category of existence Black Buck Extinct Asiatic Elephant Rare Andaman wild pig Endangered Himalayan Brown Bear Vulnerable Pink Head Duck Endemic

nswer: Animals/Plants Category of existence Black Buck Endangered Asiatic Elephant Vulnerable Andaman wild pig Endemic Himalayan Brown Bear Rare Pink Head Duck Extinct

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