Notes

Chapter No – 06 (CIVICS)-Class –IX

Democratic Rights.
1. Explain the Meaning of Rights.

Ans:Rights ate reasonable claims of persons recognized in society and sanctioned by law. When
fellow Citizens or the government do not respect their rights, we call it violation of our rights. In
such situations, citizen can approach courts to protect their rights

2. Explain what you understood by Democratic Rights.

Ans:When the rights are written into law in a democracy, they are called democratic rights. In a
democracy rights can be made available to citizens in an equal measure. A right always comes
with an obligation to respect other’s rights.

3. What is Amnesty International?

Ans:Amnesty International An international organization of volunteers, who campaign for

4. Explain how human rights are violated in the case “Guantanamo Bay” Prison.

The human rights are violated in the case of Prisoners in “Guantanamo Bay”. About 600 people
were secretly picked up by the US forces from all over the world and put in a prison in
Guantanamo Bay, near Cuba. According to the American Government, they were enemies of the
US and linked to the attack on New York on 11th September, 2001. As a result, there was no
trial before any magistrate in the US, nor could these prisoners approach courts in their own
country.

5. Explain the position of Citizens’ Rights in Saudi Arabia

The position of citizen’s rights in Saudi Arabia can be understood by the following facts

1. The country is ruled over by a hereditary king and the people have no role in electing or
changing their rulers.

2. The king selects the Legislature as well as the Executive. He appoints the judges and can
change any of their decisions.

3. Citizens cannot form political parties or any political organisations. Media cannot report
anything that the monarch does not like.
4. 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.

5. Women are subjected to many public restrictions. The testimony of one man is considered
equal to that of two women.

6. Write a note on Ethnic Massacre in Kosovo.

In Yugoslavia, Serbs were in majority and Albanians were in minority. A democratically elected
Serb leader Slobodan Milosevic wanted to dominate the country. Serbs thought that the
Albanians, (the Ethnic Minority Group) should leave the country or accept the dominance of
Serbs.A brutal massacre took place in Kosovo in which thousands of Albanians were killed.
Finally, several other countries intervened to stop the massacre. Milosevic lost power and was
tried by the International Court of Justice for crimes against humanity.

As a result, Kosovo with majority population of Albanians declared independence in February

7. Explain how Rights are important for a Democratic country.

Rights are necessary for the very sustenance of a democracy. In a democracy, every citizen has
to have the Right to Vote and the Right to be Elected to government.

Rights protect minorities from the oppression of majority. They ensure that majority cannot do
whatever it wishes to do. Rights are like guarantees which can be used when things go wrong.
Specially when some citizens may wish to take away the rights of others. In most democracies,
the basic rights of the citizen are written down in the Constitution.

8. What do you mean by Ethnic minority?

An ethnic minority group is a human population whose members usually identify each other on
the basis of a common ancestry. People of an ethnic group are united by cultural practices,
religious beliefs and historical memories.

9. Enumerate the Fundamental Rights Incorporated in The India Constitution.

Some rights which are fundamental to our life are given a special status in Indian Constitution.
They are called Fundamental Rights. These are the basic human rights, which are given to every
citizen in a democracy for the development of his/her personality. These rights are guaranted by
the Constitution. They promise to secure for all its citizens equality, liberty and justice. Hence,
they are an important basic feature of India’s Constitution.

The six Fundamental Rights incorporated in the Indian Constitution are

1. Right to Equality
2. Right to Freedom

3. Right against Exploitation

4. Right to Freedom of Religion

5. Cultural and Educational Rights

6. Right to Constitutional Remedies

10. Write the important aspects of Right to Freedom

Freedom means absence of constraint (restrictions). Under the Indian Constitution, all citizens
have the right to

* Freedom of speech and expression

* Assembly in a peaceful manner

* Form associations, unions and cooperative societies

* Move freely throughout the country

* Reside in any part of the country

* Practice any profession or to Carry on any occupation, trade or business.

11. Mention the Cultural and Educational Rights provided to the minorities in the Indian
constitution.
The following cultural and educational rights for minorities are specified by our Constitution
[Link] section of citizens with a distinct language or culture have a right to conserve it.
[Link] to any educational institution maintained by government or receiving- government
aid cannot be denied to any citizen on the grounds of religion or language.
[Link] minorities have the right to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice.

12. What are the various provisions specified in the Indian Constitution to prevent
exploitation of the weaker sections of the society.
The Constitution makers thought it is necessary to write down certain clear provisions to prevent
exploitation of the weaker sections of the society. The Constitution mentions three specific
evils and declares these illegal.
First, the Constitution prohibits ‘traffic’ in human beings. Traffic here means selling and buying
of human beings, usually, women or children, for immoral purposes.
Second, our Constitution also prohibits forced labour or Begar in any form. Begar is a practice
where the worker is forced to render service to the master free of charge or at a nominal
remuneration. When this practice takes place on a life long basis, it is called the practice of
bonded labour.
Finally, the Constitution prohibits child labour. No one can employ a child below the age of 14
to work in any factory or mine or any other hazardous work, such as railways and ports. Using
child labour as a basis, many laws have been made to prohibit children from working in
industries such as beed making, fire crackers and matches, printing and dyeing, etc.

13. Explain why Dr Ambedkar called the Right to Constitutional Remedies as the “heart
and soul” of our Constitution.

The Fundamental Rights in the Constitution are important because they are enforceable. We have
a right to seek the enforcement of these mentioned rights. This is called the Right to
Constitutional Remedies. This right makes other rights effective. When any of the Fundamental
Rights are violated, then citizens can directly approach the Supreme Court or the High Court.
Both courts have the power to writs (Habeas corpus, Manclamus, prohibition, Quo warranto and
Certiorari) for the enforcement of the rights. That’s why Dr Ambedkar called the Right to
Constitutional Remedies the heart and soul of our Constitution.

14. Write a note on the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

Ans:National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) is an independent commission established in

The Commission also considers the Human Rights mentioned in the UN sponsored international
treaties that India has signed. The NHRC makes independent and credible inquiries into any case
of violation of human rights. The Commission presents its findings and recommendations to the
government.