SENIOR SECTION
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SCIENCE
CLASS: IX : DEMOCRATIC P0LITICS
CHAPTER: 6 DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
1 What is ‘Amnesty International’?
An international organization of volunteers who campaign for human rights. This organization brings out independent reports on the violation of human rights all over
the world [ Its vision is one of a world in which every person - regardless of race, religion, gender, or ethnicity - enjoys all of the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights ]
2. Describe the human rights violation of the prisoners of Guantanamo Bay by the US Government.
1. About 600 people were secretly picked up by the US forces from all over the world and put in a prison in Guantanamo Bay and alleged labelled as the enemies of America.
2. The US arrested them, interrogated them and decided to keep them there or not. There was no trial before any magistrate in the US.
3. These prisoners could not approach courts in their own country
4. Families of prisoners, media or even UN representatives were not allowed to meet them.
5. In most cases the governments of their countries were not asked or even informed about their imprisonment.
3. Describe the status of the Citizens Rights in Saudi Arabia
1. A hereditary king rules the country and the people have no role in electing the rulers. The king selects the legislature, executive and judiciary.
2. Citizens can’t form Political parties or any political organizations.
3. Women are subjected to many public restrictions.
4. Media cannot report anything that the monarch does not like
5. There is no freedom of religion. Every citizen is required to be Muslim. Non- Muslim residents can follow their religion in private, but not in public
4 Describe how the Serbian majority denied the Albanian minority of their rights in Kosovo.
1. Kosovo was a province of Yugoslavia before its split and as of 2007 it was a part of Serbia. Kosovo has an Albanian majority but in the entire country Serbs were in majority.
2. Milosevic, the then President of Serbia was hostile to Albanians in Kosovo and he wanted Serbians to dominate the country.
3. Many Serb leaders thought that Albanians should leave the country or accept the dominance of Serbs. Working under Milosevic who came to power by democratic election, Serbian military massacred thousands of Albanians in Kosovo.
4. (Now Kosovo is an independent country).
5 What are ‘rights’? Explain.(1)
Rights are reasonable claims of persons recognized by society and sanctioned by law. Rights acquire meaning only in a society. What is recognized by the society as rightful becomes the basis of rights.
6 Why do we need rights in a democracy?
Or
‘Rights are necessary for the very sustenance of a democracy’ Justify the statement.
1. In a democracy, every citizen has to have the right to vote and elect a government. For participating in a democratic election, it’s necessary that citizens should have the right to express their opinion and form political organizations.
2. Democracy is often called the rule of the majority. Rights protect the minorities from the oppression of majority and ensure that majority can’t do whatever it likes.
3. Sometimes the elected governments may not protect or even may attack the rights of their own citizens. That’s why some rights need to be placed above the government, so that the government can’t violate the rights.
7 What do you understand by the term’ Rule of Law’?
a) Rule of Law means that the laws apply in the same manner to all, regardless of a person’s status.
b) Rule of law is the foundation of any democracy. It means that no person is above the law.
c) There can’t be any discrimination between political leader, government official and an ordinary citizen.
8 What is the Significance of ‘Fundamental Rights’?
1. Fundamental Rights are guaranteed against the actions of the legislature, the executive and any other authorities instituted by the Government.
2. There can be no law or action that violates the fundamental rights. If any act of the legislature or the executive that takes away or limits any of the Fundamental Rights, it will be invalid.
3. The courts are responsible for enforcing the Fundamental Rights against private individual and bodies. The Supreme Court and The High Courts have the power to issue directions for the enforcement of Fundamental Rights and also to award compensation to victims and to punishment to the violators.
9 Explain Right to equality.
OR
Explain the right to equality enjoyed by the citizens of India. What is its importance?(CBSE 2010)
1. The constitution of India says that the government shall not deny any person in India equality before the law or equal protection of the laws.
2. The government shall not discriminate any citizen on grounds of religion, caste, ethnicity, sex or place of birth. Every citizen shall have access to public places, cinema halls, etc.
3. All citizens have equality of opportunity in matters relating to employment to any position in the government.
10 Why reservations for physically challenged people, socially and economically backward classes are not a violation of right to equality?
1. The government of India has provided reservations for scheduled castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, Women, poor or physically challenged people in government jobs.
2. Equality doesn’t mean giving everyone the same treatment but giving everyone an equal opportunity to achieve whatever one is capable of.
3. Some times its necessary to give special treatment to someone in order to ensure equal opportunity. The constitution says such reservations are not violation of the Right to Equality.
11 ‘Right to Freedom’ is a cluster of various freedoms. Explain.
Or
Point out the freedoms assured by the Indian constitution to its citizens under ‘Right to Freedom’.
According to the constitution ,the right tp freedom implies ,
1. Freedom of speech and expression
2. Assembly in a peaceful manner
3. Form associations and unions
4. Move freely throughout the country
5. Reside in any part of the country, and
6. Practice any profession, or to carry on any occupation, trade or business.
Hence , the Right to Freedom’ is a cluster of various freedoms
12 Point out the rights of an Indian citizen if arrested by the police.
1. A person who is arrested and detained in custody will have to be informed of the reasons for such arrest and detention.
2. A person who is arrested and detained shall be produced before the nearest magistrate within a period of 24 hours of arrest.
3. Such a person has the right to consult a lawyer or engage a lawyer for his defense.
13How does ‘Right against exploitation’ protects and prevents weaker sectionsof the society from exploitation?
OR
Discuss the provisions included in the Right against Exploitation. What does Constitution say about child labour?
The Indian Constitution provides certain provisions to prevent exploitation of the weaker sections of the society and mentions three specific evils and declares them illegal.
1. The constitution prohibits ‘Human Traffic’ .ie. Selling and buying of human being is illegal in India.
2. The constitution prohibits the forced labour or beggar in any form. Begar is a practice where the worker is forced to render service to the master free of charge or at nominal wages. It is also called bonded labour.
3. The Constitution also prohibits child labour. No one can employ a child below the age of fourteen years.
Please click on below link to download CBSE Class 9 Social Science Democratic Rights Worksheet
