CBSE Class 10 Political Science Popular Struggles And Movements Worksheet

Objective Questions

Important Questions NCERT Class 10 Social Science Chapter 5 Popular Struggles and Movements

Question. Name the organizations which are formed to promote self interest?
Answer. Interest groups

Question. Write a characteristic of mass movement?
Answer. Weak organization

Question. Give an example of public interest group.
Answer. Backward and Minorities Community Employees Federation (BAMCEF)

Question. What was FEDECOR?
Answer. The organization in Bolivia comprised of local professionals including engineers and environmentalists.

Question : Give an example of 'pressure group' of India which functions as a branch of political party.
Answer :  Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad functions as a branch of political party Bhartiya Janta Party. 

Question : Which organisation led the protest against water privatisation in Bolivia?
Answer :  The protest against water privatization in Bolivia was led by FEDECOR. This organization was comprised of local professionals, including engineers and environmentalists. 

Question : What was the main role of 'FEDECOR' organisation in Bolivia?
Answer :  The protest against water privatization in Bolivia was led by FEDECOR and it made the government concede to all the demands of the protesters. 

Question : Differentiate between Nepal's Movement and Bolivia's popular struggle.
Answer :  (A) The movement in Nepal was a claim of an elected democratic government to restore itself; whereas in Bolivia it was against a particular issue of huge price rise for water, an essential commodity.
(B) The movement in Nepal was against the king whereas it was against the government in Bolivia. Both these are instances of political conflict led to popular struggles.
(i) In both cases, the struggle involved mass mobilizations and public demonstration of mass support that solved the dispute.
(ii) Both instances involved the critical role of political organization. 

Question : What inspiration do we get from Bolivia's popular struggle? Explain any three values that we can learn from it.
Answer :  Bolivia is a poor country in Latin America where government had sold the rights of water supply for the city of Cochabamba to a multi- national company. The company immediately increased the price of water four times. This led to a spontaneous protest from the people and ultimately made the government concede to all the demands of the protesters. This success of the popular struggle reminded us about power of the people.
From this movement we get inspiration that unity of common men can overcome the big problems in our life.
Three values related with this popular struggle are
(i) Democratic right to form association
(ii) Unity of voice against unjust policies
(iii) Achieve collective goal 

Question : Pressure groups and movements exert influence on politics in a variety of ways? Explain any four ways.
Answer :  Pressure groups and movements exert influence on politics in a variety of ways.
(i) They try to gain public support and sympathy for their cause by carrying out information campaigns, organizing meetings, filing petitions, etc.
(ii) By organizing strikes and disruptions, they seek to make the government take note of their demands.
(iii) They also influence decision-making by lobbying.
(iv) The issues raised by them often influence the policies of political parties. 

Question : What events led to the restoration of democracy in Nepal?
Answer :  (i) All the political parties in the Parliament formed an alliance—Seven Party Alliance (SPA)—and called for four day strike in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal.
(ii) The protests turned into indefinite strike in which Maoist and various organisations also joined hands.
(iii) People defied curfew and came to streets. More than lakhs of people gathered almost every day to demand restoration of democracy.
(iv) On 21 April, they served an ultimatum to the king and the leaders of the movement rejected the half-hearted concessions given by the king and stuck to their demand for restoration of parliament, power to all party government and a new constituent assembly.
(v) 24th April 2006 was the last day of the ultimatum; the king was forced to grant all the demands. 

Question : Who dissolved the popularly elected parliament in February 2005, in Nepal?
Answer :  King Gyanendra dissolved the popularly elected parliament in February 2005, in Nepal. 

Question : What was the main role of ‘FEDECOR’ organisation in Bolivia?
Answer :  The protest against water privatisation in Bolivia was led by ‘FEDECOR’ organisation. 

Question : In what ways do the Environmental Movement and Women’s Movement differ from the Narmada Bachao Andolan?
Answer :  The Environmental Movement and Women’s Movement target a broad goal in the very long run. They involve more than one issues. The Environmental Movement is a label for a large number of organisations and issue-specific movements. All of these have separate organisations, independent leadership and often different views on policy related matters. Yet all of these share a broad objective and have a similar approach. That is why they are called a movement. On the other hand, movements like the Narmada Bachao Andolan are issue-specific movements that seek to achieve a single objective within a limited time frame. This movement started with the specific issue of the people displaced by the creation of Sardar Sarovar dam on the Narmada river. Its objective was to stop the dam from being constructed. Gradually it became a wider movement that questioned all such big dams. 

Question : What are pressure groups?
Answer :  Pressure groups are organisation that attempt to influence government policies. 

Question : How far are pressure groups good for democracy?
Answer :  (i) It may appear that it is not healthy for the groups that promote interest of one section to have influence in democracy. A democracy must look after the interest of all, not just one section. Also, it may seem that these groups wield power without responsibility.
(ii) Political parties have to face the people in elections, but these groups are not accountable to the people. Pressure groups and movements may not get their funds and support from people. Sometimes pressure groups with small public support but lots of money can hijack public discussion in favour of their narrow agenda.
(iii) But pressure groups and movements have deepened democracy. Putting pressure on rulers is not an unhealthy activity in democracy as long as everyone gets this opportunity.
(iv) Governments can often come under the pressure of rich and powerful group but these public interest groups and movements perform a useful role of countering this undue influence and reminding government of needs and concerns of ordinary citizens.
(v) Even social interest groups play a valuable role. Where different groups function actively no single group can achieve dominance over society. If one group brings pressure on the government the other will bring counter pressure not to make policies in the way the first group desires. The government hears about what people want. This brings a rough balance of power and accomodation of conflicting interests. 

Question : How are pressure groups different from political parties?
Answer :  Unlike political parties, pressure groups do not aim to directly control or share political power. 

Question : What is the principal concern of the sectional interest groups?
Answer :  Their principal concern is the betterment and well-being of their members, not society in general.

Question : What are public interest groups?
                            Or
How do they look after the public interest? Explain.
Answer :  (i) Public interest groups or promotional groups represent some common or general interest that need to be defended.
(ii) They promote collective rather than selective good. They aim to help group other than their own members. For example, a group fighting against bonded labour fights not for itself but for those who are suffering under such bondage.
(iii) The member of a public interest group may undertake activity that benefits them as well as other too. For example, BAMCEF (backward and Minority Communities Employees Federation) is an organisation largely made up of government employees that campaigns against caste discrimination.
(iv) Public interest group perform a useful role of countering the undue pressure put on the government by a small group of rich and powerful people and reminding the government of the needs and concerns of ordinary citizens.