MyClass24 logo
myclass24
YOUR CLASS. YOUR PACE.
Q&A Bank

Questions & Answers

197 answers across all subjects

Subject:MathematicsScienceEnglishSocial StudiesHindiPhysicsChemistryBiologyComputer Science
Class:123456789101112
Social StudiesClass 9CBSE

Describe the problems faced by the Weimar Republic.

The defeat of Imperial Germany at the hands of the Allied powers in World War I led to the abdication of the emperor Wilhelm II. This gave an opportunity to parliamentary parties to recast the German polity. Thus, a National Assembly met at the town of Weimar to form a republic with a democratic constitution and a federal structure. But this newborn republic was not well received by its own people for the following reasons: (I) The Allied powers imposed a harsh and humiliating treaty at Versailles, which squarely placed the blame of starting World War I on Germany’s soldiers. It was the Weimar Republic that signed the treaty much to the displeasure of the German populace. (II) Germany lost all of its overseas colonies and a tenth of its population, along with 75% of its iron and 26% of its coal to France, Poland, Denmark and Lithuania. (III) The War Guilt Clause held Germany responsible for the war and the subsequent damage it caused in the Allied nations. They were forced to pay compensation of £6 billion in total. Due to the loss of most of its revenue-generating colonies, Germany was unable to repay the amount. (IV) Due to the failure to pay compensation, the Allied Armies occupied the resource-rich Rhineland for a time. The Weimar Republic reacted to this by printing paper currency in large numbers to pay off the huge debt. This led to hyperinflation and the eventual collapse of the economy. (V) Coupled with the humiliation of a foreign power occupying German territory and economic collapse, the German public held the new Weimar Republic responsible for the defeat in World War I and accepting the disgrace at Versailles.

Social StudiesClass 9CBSE

There are many similarities in the way in which the modern world forced changes in the lives of pastoral communities in India and East Africa. Write about any two examples of changes which were similar for Indian pastoralists and the Maasai herders.

Solution: India and East Africa were under occupation by European colonial powers. There were many similarities in which both regions were exploited by these powers. (I) Forest laws Various forest laws were also responsible for changing the lives of pastoralists both in India and Africa. In India, the forest was classed as reserved and protected. No pastoralist was allowed access to the reserved forest. One of the problems the Maasai people have faced is the continuous loss of their grazing lands. The colonial government increase the number of local peasants to expand cultivation. b) Closing of borders In Africa, Maasailand was cut in half with the International boundary between British Kenya and German Tanganyika. The best land was taken over by the White settlers, and the locals were pushed into a small area with restricted pastures. In India, the division of the country forced the Raikas to find out new pastures in Haryana as, due to political division, they were no longer allowed to go to Sindh, which later became a province of Pakistan. After the Sindh province became a part of Pakistan, the herders could not go there.

Social StudiesClass 9CBSE

Give reasons to explain why the Maasai community lost their grazing lands.

Solution: In the late nineteenth century, in what would be knowns as the ‘scramble for Africa’, European imperial powers sliced up the region into different colonies with little to no regard for the local sentiments. In 1885, the land of the Maasai, Maasailand, was cut into half with an international boundary between British Kenya and German Tanzania. As a result, the best grazing lands were reserved for white settlers, with Maasai being pushed into a small area in southern Kenya and northern Tanzania. Large areas of grazing land were also turned into game reserves, like the Maasai Mara and Samburu National Park in Kenya and Serengeti Park in Tanzania. Pastoralists were not allowed to enter these reserves; they could neither hunt animals nor graze their herds in these areas.

Social StudiesClass 9CBSE

Discuss why the colonial Government in India brought in the following laws. In each case, explain how the law changed the lives of the pastoralists. a. Wasteland Rules b. Forest Acts c. Criminal Tribes Act d. Grazing Tax

Solution: a. Wasteland rules: The colonial government considered all uncultivated lands or wastelands as unproductive as they neither generated revenue nor agricultural produce. In order to bring these ‘wasteland’ under cultivation, the Waste Land Rules were enacted throughout India from the mid-nineteenth century. These lands were given to select individuals with various concessions and encouraged to settle them. Most of these lands were earlier used by pastoralists for grazing. So the expansion of cultivation meant that there was a decline in the number of pastures, which was a problem for pastoralists. Forest Acts: Various forest acts were enacted in order to produce commercially viable timber like deodar or sal. Some tracts of forests were declared ‘Reserved’, which meant pastoralists were denied access to these forests. In those areas classified as ‘Protected’, pastoralists had some customary grazing rights, but their movements were restricted severely. These laws were enacted as the colonial authorities believed that grazing destroyed roots and depleted the fertility of the forests. It affected the pastoralists in the sense that their movements were restricted with specific timings to control how much time they spent in the forests. One can safely say their lives were ruled by the permits of the forest departments. Criminal Tribes Act: The British authorities regarded nomadic people with suspicion and contempt. Nomadic tribes were moved from one place to another in search of grazing grounds. This made it difficult for them to control and identify such people. While on the other hand, they saw the settled people as peaceful and law-abiding. Thus, in order to bring nomadic and pastoralist people under their control, the British passed the Criminal Tribes Act in 1871. Through this act, communities of craftsmen, traders and pastoralists were classified as criminals by birth and nature. They were forced to settle in one location and could not move without a permit. The village police kept a close watch on them as a result. Grazing Tax: In order to increase its revenue, the colonial government imposed a tax on land, salt, canal water, and also animals. Pastoralists had to pay a tax on every animal they took to graze in the pastures. The Grazing Tax was introduced in India by the mid-nineteenth century. In the 1850s, the right to collect these taxes was auctioned off to contractors. The contractors, on their part, tried to extract as much tax as possible in order to recover the money they paid to the government. In order to pay less, the pastoralists had to decrease the number of animals they took for grazing.

Social StudiesClass 9CBSE

Explain why nomadic tribes need to move from one place to another. What are the advantages to the environment of this continuous movement?

Solution: Nomadic tribes move from one location in order to maintain their sustenance and way of life. As they are involved in animal husbandry, the availability of water is paramount to their existence, along with fresh pastures for their animals. When the pasture is depleted, they move to the next area, looking for new grazing grounds. The advantages to the environment are as follows: (I) The environment gets a chance to regrow and recover, thus maintaining the ecological balance of the area. (II) It prevents overgrazing, as it will lead to the depletion of future grazing grounds. (III) The manure of the animals helps in fertilising the soil, which will be instrumental in repeating the nomadic process of moving from one location to another a possibility.

Social StudiesClass 9CBSE

Between 1880 and 1920 forests cover in the Indian subcontinent declined by 9.7 million hectares, from 108.6 million hectares to 98.9 million hectares. Discuss the role of the following factors in this decline: 1. Railways 2. Shipbuilding 3. Agricultural expansion 4. Commercial farming 5. Tea/Coffee plantations 6. Adivasis and other peasants users

Railways were an important asset that was essential in maintaining trade through the transport of goods and the domination of the colonies through the transport of troops. Wood was needed to lay the sleepers for railway tracks. The sleepers are what held the tracks from breaking apart. For one kilometre of railway track, anywhere between 1760 and 2000 sleepers were required. Thus, vast tracts of forest were cut down to provide the materials for the railways. (b) Ship Building Before the coming of the industrial revolution, the ships of the early 19th century were made of wood. Britain maintained its colonial possessions through the Royal Navy with its huge number of naval fleets. But in order to maintain them, vast tracts of oak forests in England were cut down. This caused a logistical problem for the Royal Navy as a regular supply of timber was required to build new ships and maintain the old ones. It was easily remedied by cutting down forests of its colonies. Huge acres of forests disappeared as a result, with some areas seeing almost complete deforestation. (c) Agricultural Expansion As the population rose, so did the demand for food. Forestlands were cleared in order to make way for new agricultural tracts. The colonial authorities believed that they could produce more food if they cleared the forests. In addition, forests were considered unproductive, to begin with, so they had little qualms about cutting them down in huge numbers. Agricultural land rose by 6.7 million hectares between 1880 and 1920. It can be safely said that agricultural expansions contributed the most towards deforestation. (d) Commercial Farming of Trees Forests are diverse not just in fauna but also flora. So when they were cleared to make way for commercial farming, many species of trees were lost in the process, as commercial farming only uses one specific type of tree in commercial farming, depending on the type of plantation. (e) Tea/Coffee Plantation In order to meet the growing demand for tea and coffee, colonial authorities sold huge hectares of forest land to mostly European plantation firms. These firms then cut down the forests to make way for tea and coffee plantations. As a result, many acres of forest were lost. (f) Adivasis and Other Peasant Users: Adivasis and other peasant communities practised shifting cultivation. It involved cutting down parts of forest area and burning the tree roots. Seeds were then sown into the burnt patch, and come the monsoon season, they were harvested. When fertility declined in that particular area, the same practice was repeated in a different location. So, along with losing some of the forest tracts, there were fewer chances of the trees growing back due to loss in soil fertility

Social StudiesClass 9CBSE

What are the similarities between colonial management of the forests in Bastar and in Java?

Solution: The forest management of Bastar in India was under the control of the British, while in Java, it was under Dutch management (I) Just like the British, the Dutch required timber to make sleepers for railway tracks. (II) The British and Dutch colonial authorities enacted their own version of the forest laws that gave them total control over the forests and deprived the customary rights of the forest dwellers. (III) Both the Dutch and the British put a ban on shifting cultivation on the grounds that they were dangerous to the existence of forests. (IV) The villagers of Bastar were allowed to stay in the forests on the condition that they provide free labour to the forest department. While in Java, the Dutch exempted those villages from paying taxes when they provided free labour to the forest department.

Social StudiesClass 9CBSE

Discuss how the changes in forest management in the colonial period affected the following groups of people: 1. Shifting cultivators 2. Nomadic and pastoralist communities 3. Firms trading in timber/forest produce 4. Plantation owners 5. Kings/British officials engaged in shikar (hunting)

(I) Shifting cultivators: European colonists regarded shifting cultivation as harmful to the existence of forests. Also, it stood in the way of commercial timber forestry. There was always the chance of fires spreading out of control and burning down all the precious timber. Thus, keeping these factors in mind, the colonial government banned shifting cultivation. Many of these cultivators lost their livelihood in the process, and most were also displaced from their homes in the forest. (II) Nomadic and pastoralist communities: Nomadic and pastoralist communities like the Korava, Karacha and Yerukula from the Madras Presidency lost their livelihoods. They were designated as ‘criminal tribes’ by the British authorities and were forced to work in factories, mines and plantations under government supervision. (III) Firms trading in timber/forest products: The British gave European timber trading firms the sole right to trade in forest products in particular areas. Grazing and hunting by the local population were restricted by law. (IV) Plantation owners: Vast tracts of natural forests were cleared to make way for tea, coffee and rubber plantations in order to fulfil the demand for these commodities in Europe. Plantation owners, who were overwhelmingly European, were given land at a cheap rate. They were enclosed and cleared of forests and plated with tea or coffee. (V) Kings/ British officials engaged in hunting: The forest laws deprived forest dwellers of their means of livelihood. Before the enactment of these laws, the forest dwellers practised hunting as a means to sustain themselves. After their enactment, they were forbidden from hunting. Hunting instead became a sport where kings and British officials equally hunted big game in huge numbers, bringing some of them to the very brink of extinction.

Social StudiesClass 9CBSE

Ramesh was not in class when this chapter was being taught. He came the next day and repeated what he had heard from his father. Can you tell Ramesh what is wrong with these statements? a. Women always vote the way men tell them to. So what is the point of giving them the right to vote? b. Party politics creates tension in society. Elections should be decided by consensus not by competition. c. Only graduates should be allowed to stand as candidates for elections.

In elections, the secret-ballot system is used where an individual can vote for the party he/she likes. Hence, women can also use their discretion and cast a vote as per their wish. Competition is important for any profession, as it motivates one to improve. Competition in elections ensures that candidates work hard for society. Hence, it should be encouraged. Educational qualification is not the only factor for a candidate to understand the social needs of the people. Hence, it should be fair if someone who is not a graduate decides to run for an election.

Social StudiesClass 9CBSE

Here are some reports of malpractices in Indian elections. Identify what the problem in each case is. What should be done to correct the situation? a. Following the announcement of elections, the minister promised to provide financial aid to reopen the closed sugar mill. b. Opposition parties alleged that their statements and campaign was not given due attention in Doordarshan and All India Radio. c. An inquiry by the Election Commission showed that electoral rolls of a state contain name of 20 lakh fake voters. d. The hoodlums of a political party were moving with guns, physically preventing supporters of other political parties to meet the voters and attacking meetings of other parties.

As per the code of conduct that a candidate has to obey during the election, they should not announce any promises. Hence, in this case, the Election Commission should take this up with the minister. Election Commission should ensure free and fair representation to all parties in the government-owned media. Election Commission should announce re-elections, as the presence of fake votes shows the vote-rigging. Election Commission should ban the party, as the use of muscle power and money power is totally illegal.

Social StudiesClass 9CBSE

Here are some reports of electoral malpractices from different parts of the world. Is there anything that these countries can learn from India to improve their elections? What would you suggest in each case? a. During an election in Nigeria, the officer in charge of counting votes deliberately increased the votes of one candidate and declared him elected. The court later found out that more than five lakh votes cast for one candidate were counted in favour of another. b. Just before elections in Fiji, a pamphlet was distributed warning voters that a vote for former Prime Minister, Mahendra Chaudhry will lead to bloodshed. This was a threat to voters of Indian origin. c. In the US, each state has its own method of voting, its own procedure of counting and its own authority for conducting elections. Authorities in the state of Florida took many controversial decisions that favoured Mr. Bush in the presidential elections in 2000. But no one could change those decisions.

On the vote-counting day, the representatives of each party that has contested in the election should be present. Nigeria should follow this rule of the election that is practised in India. In Fiji, the election commission should set up an enquiry-committee, and the party or the candidate who was involved in this negative propaganda should be debarred from the election. The US should have one Election Commission, who can make rules for states for the election.

Social StudiesClass 9CBSE

Chinappa was convicted of torturing his wife for dowry. Satbir was held guilty of practising untouchability. The court did not allow either of them to contest elections. Does this decision go against the principles of democratic elections?

No. The decision to not allow both Chinappa and Satbir to contest elections for the crime they committed is totally fair. According to the elections’ rule, no criminal can participate in elections. Hence, it is a fair verdict.

Social StudiesClass 9CBSE

Can we draw the following conclusions from the information given in this chapter? Give two facts to support your position for each of these. a. Election Commission of India does not have enough powers to conduct free and fair elections in the country. b. There is a high level of popular participation in the elections in our country. c. It is very easy for the party in power to win an election. d. Many reforms are needed to make our elections completely free and fair.

No. The given conclusion for the Election Commission cannot be drawn because: Election Commission released the code of conduct for elections and has the power to punish whoever violates them. During elections, the election in-charge works under the Election Commission of India and not the government. Yes, the given conclusion can be drawn because: Voter-turnout has soared in the past few years There has been an increase in people’s participation in election-related activities No, it is not the right conclusion because: The ruling party in one election loses the power in the next Despite a lot of expenditure in the election campaign, candidates lose Yes, the conclusion is fair because: Reforms will make it easier for small parties to face no major challenge in fighting an election To stop candidates’ facing criminal charges from running an election

Social StudiesClass 9CBSE

The table below gives the proportion of different communities among the candidates who won elections to the US Congress. Compare these to the proportion of these communities in the population of the US. Based on this, would you suggest a system of reservations in the US Congress? If yes, why and for which communities? If no, why not? Communities The proportion of the Community (in per cent) House of representatives Population of US Blacks 8 13 Hispanics 5 13 Whites 86 70

Yes, the system of reservation should be present in the US Congress for Hispanics and Blacks. Their representation in the US Congress is comparatively lower than Whites, who are the majority in the US.

Social StudiesClass 9CBSE

Surekha is an officer-in-charge of ensuring free and fair elections in an assembly constituency in a state. Describe what she should focus on for each of the following stages of election: a. Election campaign b. Polling day c. Counting day

Answer. Election Campaign Check law and order Keep a check on muscle and money power Keep a check on the expenditure limit of a candidate To ensure no promotion on the grounds of religion, caste or sex Polling Day Check the voters’ list Check on voters’ id Prevent booth capturing Ensure free and fair elections Counting Day Keep a fair counting practice Prevent the rigging of votes

Social StudiesClass 9CBSE

List all the different election-related activities mentioned in the chapter and arrange them in a time sequence, beginning with the first activity and ending with the last. Some of these activities are given below: releasing election manifestos counting of votes making of voters’ list election campaign declaration of election results casting of votes ordering of re-poll announcing election schedule filing nomination

Making of Voters’ List Announcing Election Schedule Releasing Election Manifesto Election Campaign Filing Nomination Casting of Votes Ordering of Re-poll Counting of Votes Declaration of Election Results

Social StudiesClass 9CBSE

Match the following : It is necessary to keep the voters list up to date because There is a fair representation of all sections of our society Some constituencies are reserved for SCs and STs so that Everyone has an equal opportunity to elect their representative Everyone has one and only one vote so that All candidates must have a fair chance of competing in elections Party in power is not allowed to use government vehicles because Some people may have moved away from the area where they voted last

It is necessary to keep the voters list up to date because Some people may have moved away from the area where they voted last Some constituencies are reserved for SCs and STs so that There is a fair representation of all sections of our society Everyone has one and only one vote so that Everyone has an equal opportunity to elect their representative Party in power is not allowed to use government vehicles because All candidates must have a fair chance of competing in elections

Social StudiesClass 9CBSE

Which of these is not a good reason to say that Indian elections are democratic? a. India has the largest number of voters in the world. b. India’s Election Commission is very powerful. c. In India, everyone above the age of 18 has a right to vote. d. In India, the losing parties accept the electoral verdict.

a) India has the largest number of voters in the world.

Social StudiesClass 9CBSE

. Which of the following statements about the reasons for conducting elections are false? a. Elections enable people to judge the performance of the government. b. People select the representative of their choice in an election. c. Elections enable people to evaluate the performance of the judiciary. d. People can indicate which policies they prefer.

Elections enable people to evaluate the performance of the judiciary.

Social StudiesClass 9CBSE

Read the following statements about a constitution. Give reasons why each of these is true or not true. a. The authority of the rules of the constitution is the same as that of any other law. b. Constitution lays down how different organs of the government will be formed. c. Rights of citizens and limits on the power of the government are laid down in the constitution. d. A constitution is about institutions, not about values

Answer. Not true because the Constitution is the supreme law. True, as the constitution lays out the roles and powers the legislature, executive and judiciary. True, as the Constitution has provided Fundamental Rights to each and every citizen of India. Not true as the Constitution holds values on which all institutions work. Our preamble states about values – justice, liberty, fraternity, and equality.

12345678910