PRELUDE PUBLIC SCHOOL, AGRA
SUBJECT: SOCIAL SCIENCE
DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS
EXTRA QUESTION ANSWERS
GRADE: IX
1. What is RTI?
(i) RTI is Right to Information. Parliament has enacted a law giving the right to information to the citizens.
(ii) This Act was made under the Fundamental Right to freedom of thought and expression.
(iii) We have a right to seek information from government offices.
2. How were prisoners tortured by the US army in Guantanamo Bay prison?
(i) The prisoners were being tortured in ways that violated the US laws.
(ii) They were being denied the treatment that even prisoners of war must get as per the international treaties.
(iii) Prisoners were not released even after they were officially declared ‘not guilty’.
3. Which three qualities are required for calling any claim, a right?
(i) Rights are reasonable claims of persons.
(ii) Rights are recognised by the society.
(iii) Rights are sanctioned by law.
4. What procedure should a citizen follow to get proper legal justification, if he or she is arrested?
(i) A person who is arrested and detained in custody will have to be informed of the reasons for such arrest and detention.
(ii) A person who is arrested and detained shall be produced before the nearest magistrate within a period of 24 hours of
arrest.
(iii) Such a person has the right to consult a lawyer or engage a lawyer for his defence.
5. How does a person exercise his right to freedom of religion?
(i) Every person has a right to profess, practise and propagate the religion he or she believes in.
(ii) Every religious group or sect is free to manage its religious affairs.
(iii) A right to propagate one’s religion, however, does not mean that a person has the right to compel another person to
convert into his religion by means of force, fraud, inducement or allurement.
6. The Indian Constitution under right against exploitation highlights certain values. What are these?
(i) To prohibit selling and buying of human beings
(ii) To prohibit forced labour
(iii) To ban bonded labour
(iv) To ban child labour in hazardous industries.
7. What is meant by ‘Rule of Law’?
(i) The constitution says that the government shall not deny to any person, in India, equality before the law or the equal
protection of the laws.
(ii) It means that the laws apply in the same manner to all, regardless of a person’s status. This is called Rule of Law.
(iii) Rule of Law is the foundation of any democracy. It means that no person is above the law. There cannot be any
distinction between a political leader, government official and an ordinary citizen.
8. ‘Right to Freedom’ called a cluster of several rights. Comment.
OR
“Right to Freedom” is the most important Fundamental right. Analyse this statement.
Under the Indian Constitution, all citizens exercise a number of freedoms which are all covered in the right to freedom.
So every citizen has the right to all of the following freedoms:
(i) Freedom of speech and expression
(ii) Freedom of assembly in a peaceful manner
(iii) Freedom to form associations and unions
(iv) Freedom to move freely throughout the country
(v) Freedom to reside in any part of the country
(vi) Freedom to practise any profession, or to carry on any occupation, trade or business.
9. How can you say that freedom of speech and expression is one of the essential features of any democracy?
(i) Our ideas and personality develop only when we are able to freely communicate with others.
(ii) Even if hundred people think in one way, we should have the freedom to think differently and express our views
accordingly.
(ii) We may disagree with a policy of the government or activities of an association. We are free to criticize the
government in our conversation with parents, friends and relatives.
(iii) We may publicize your views through a pamphlet, magazine or newspaper. We can do the same through paintings,
poetry or songs.
10. How can citizens exercise their freedom to hold rallies and demonstrations?
(i) Citizens have the freedom to hold rallies and demonstrations in our country guaranteed by the constitution.
(ii) But such meetings have to be peaceful.
(iii) They should not lead to public disorder or breach of peace in society.
(iv) Those who participate in these activities and meetings should not carry weapons with them.
(v) Citizens can also form associations like workers in a factory can form a workers’ union to promote their interests.
11. Which three evils are tackled by right against exploitation?
The Constitution mentions three specific evils and declares them illegal.
(i) Traffic in human beings: Traffic here means selling and buying of human beings, usually women, for immoral
purposes.
(ii) Begar: Our constitution also prohibits forced labour or begar in any form. It is a practice where the worker is forced
to render service to the ‘master’, free of charge or at a nominal salary. When this practice takes place on a lifelong basis,
it is called ‘bonded labour’.
(iii) Child labour: The Constitution also prohibits child labour. No one can employ a child below the age of 14 years to
work in any factory or mine or in any other hazardous work.
12. What are the provisions of cultural and educational rights?
The Constitution specifies the cultural and educational rights of the minorities.
(i) Any section of citizens with a distinct language or culture has a right to conserve it.
(ii) Admission to any educational institution maintained by the government or receiving government aid cannot be
denied to any citizen on the grounds of religion or language.
(iii) All minorities have the right to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice. Here, minority does
not mean only religious minority at the national level.
13. What is PIL? How does it work?
(i) In case of any violation of a Fundamental Right, the aggrieved person can go to a court for remedy.
(ii) But now, any person can go to court against the violation of a Fundamental Right, if it is of social or public interest.
This is called Public Interest Litigation (PIL).
(iii) Under the PIL, any citizen or group of citizens can approach the Supreme Court or the High Court for the protection
of public interest against a particular law or action of the government.
14. What did Amnesty International do to get Guantanamo Bay prison closed?
(i) Amnesty International, an international human rights organisation, collected information on the condition of the
prisoners in Guantanamo Bay and reported that prisoners were being tortured in ways that violated the US laws.
(ii) They were being denied the treatment that even prisoners of war must get as per international treaties. Prisoners were
not released even after they were officially declared not guilty.
(iii) The UN Secretary General said that the prison in Guantanamo Bay should be closed down. The US government
refused to accept these pleas.
15. Why has constitution made untouchability a punishable offence?
(i) The constitution mentions an extreme form of social discrimination, the practice of un touch ability and clearly directs
the government to put an end to it.
(ii) The practice of untouchability has been forbidden in any form.
(iii) Untouchability here does not only mean refusal to touch people belonging to certain castes. It refers to any belief or
social practice which looks down upon people on account of their birth with certain caste labels.
(iv) Such practice denies them interaction with others or access to public places as equal citizens. So, the constitution
made untouchability a punishable offence.
16. Why do we need rights in a democracy?
(i) Rights are necessary for the very sustenance of a democracy.
(ii) In a democracy, every citizen has to have the right to vote and the right to be elected to the government.
(iii) For democratic elections, it is necessary that citizens should have the right to express their opinion, form political
parties and take part in political activities.
(iv) Rights protect the minorities from the oppression of the majority.
(v) Rights are a guarantee which can be used when things go wrong. Things may go wrong when some citizens may wish
to take away the rights of others. So, rights perform a very special role in democracy.
17. What are the main features of Right to Equality?
(i) Every citizen, from the Prime Minister to a small farmer in a remote village, is subject to the same laws.
(ii) Under Right to Equality, the government shall not discriminate against any citizen on the grounds of religion,
ethnicity, sex or place of birth.
(iii) Every citizen shall have access to public places like shops, restaurants, hotels and cinema halls.
(iv) All citizens have equality of opportunity in matters relating to employment or appointment to any position in the
government. No citizen shall be discriminated against or made ineligible for employment on any grounds.
(v) Equality means giving everyone an equal opportunity to achieve whatever one is capable of. Sometimes, it is
necessary to give special treatment to someone in order to ensure equal opportunity.
18. How does the constitution protect our rights?
(i) Fundamental Rights are guaranteed against the actions of the Legislature, the Executive and any other authority
instituted by the government.
(ii) There can be no law or action that violates the Fundamental Rights.
(iii) Courts also enforce the Fundamental Rights against private individuals and bodies.
(iv) The Supreme Court and High Courts have the power to issue orders or ‘writs’ for the enforcement of the
Fundamental Rights.
(v) They can also award compensation to the victims and punishment to the violators. In case of any violation of a
Fundamental Right, the aggrieved person can go to a court for remedy.
19. Write a short note on the National Human Rights Commission.
(i) NHRC is an independent commission set up by the law in 1993.
(ii) Like the Judiciary, the commission is independent of the government.
(iii) The commission is appointed by the President and includes retired judges, officers and eminent citizens.
(iv) It does not bear the burden of deciding cases. So it can focus on helping the victims secure their human rights.
(v) These include all the rights granted to the citizens by the constitution.
(vi) The NHRC cannot punish the guilty. That is the responsibility of the courts.
(vii) Like any court, it can summon witnesses, question any government official, demand any official paper, visit any
prison for inspection or send its own team for on-the-spot inquiry
20. How is the scope of rights expanded?
(i) Certain rights like right to freedom of press, right to information, and right to education are derived from the
Fundamental Rights.
(ii) Now school education has become a right for Indian citizens. The governments are responsible for providing free and
compulsory education to all children up to the age of 14 years.
(iii) Parliament has enacted a law giving the right to information to the citizens. This Act was made under the
Fundamental Right to freedom of thought and expression.
(iv) Constitution provides many more rights, which may not be Fundamental Rights. For example, the right to property is
not a Fundamental Right, but it is a constitutional right.
(v) Sometimes, the expansion takes place in what is called human rights. There are universal moral claims that may or
may not have been recognised by law.
21. What are Fundamental Rights? Mention the six Fundamental Rights provided in the Indian Constitutions.
Which Fundamental Right protects the rest of the Fundamental Rights?
(i) Some rights which are fundamental to our life are given a special status in the Constitution. They are called
Fundamental Rights.
(ii) The Constitution provides six
Fundamental Rights:
(1) Right to Equality
(2) Right to Freedom
(3) Right to Freedom of Religion
(4) Cultural and Educational Rights
(5) Right against Exploitation
(6) Right to Constitutional Remedies.
(iii) Right to constitutional remedies protects the rest of the Fundamental Rights.
22. “The Right to Constitutional Remedy is the ‘heart and soul’ of the Indian Constitution” Justify the statement.
OR
Who said that the Right to Constitutional Remedies is the ‘heart and soul of our Constitution? What does this
statement mean?
The Right to Constitutional Remedy is the ‘heart and soul’ of the Indian Constitution the following ways:
(i) When any of our rights is violated, we can seek remedy through courts. If it is a fundamental right, we can directly
approach the Supreme Court or the High Court of the state.
(ii) If any act of legislature or executive takes away or limits any of the fundamental rights, it will be invalid. We can
challenge such laws of the central or the State Government in the court of law.
(iii) The Supreme Court and the High Courts have the power to issue directions, orders or writs for the enforcement of
the Fundamental Rights.
(iv) Right to Constitutional Remedies makes other rights effective. This right is the guardian of other rights.