Democratic Rights

[Link] is Guantanamo Bay? What is it known for?

Answer:Guantanamo Bay is an area near Cuba controlled by the American Navy. It was known
as a prison where the Americans kept 600 people without trail on suspicion of taking part in
attack on New York on September 11, 2011.

[Link] organisation reported about human rights violation in Guantanamo Bay?.

Answer:Amnesty International, an lnternational human rights organisation tried to expose the

violation of human rights

[Link] one fundamental rights which the Saudi Arabia denies to its citizens.

Answer:1. Citizens cannot form any political parties. Media cannot write anything that the king
does not like. So freedom of speech and expression is denied.

2. There is no freedom of religion. Every citizen has to be a Muslim. Non-Muslim residents can
follow their religion in private but not in public. (any one)

[Link] did ethnic massacre take place in Kosovo?

Answer:Kosovo, a province of Yugoslavia, had majority population of Albanians. But Serbs were
in majority in the entire country. The government of Milosevic was hostile to the Kosovo
Albanians. He ordered the massacre of Albanians who did not leave the country.

[Link] are rights? [CBSE 2015]

Answer:Rights are reasonable claims of a person recognised by society and sanctioned by law.

[Link] are fundamental rights? How many fundamental rights are granted by our Constitution?

Answer:Some rights are given special status as they are essential or fundamental or basic to
our life. These rights are called fundamental rights and every citizen is given these rights. Six
fundamental rights are granted by our Constitution.

[Link] are some rights placed higher than the government? How?

Answer:Some rights are placed higher than the government so that it cannot violate them. They
are written in constitution and are enforceable.

[Link] does Right to Freedom mean?

Answer:It means living without interference by other in one's affairs. Others should not dictate
us what we should do. It means that citizens are free to do everything but do not violates other's
right to freedom.
[Link] fundamental right says that no person

can be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by

law? [CBSE 2015]

Answer:Right to freedom.

[Link] three evils have been declared illegal bythe constitution?

Answer:The evils are:

1. Traffic in human beings especially Women for immoral purposes.

2. Forced labour or begar in any form.

3. Child labour

[Link] do you mean by 'traffic in human beings'?

Answer:Traffic means buying and selling of human being for immoral purpose.

[Link] is Begar?

Answer:Begar is practice where the worker is forced to render service to the master free of
charge or at a nominal remuneration.

[Link] is a secularism?

Answer:Secularism means that the state is concerned only with relations among human beings
and not with the relation between human [Link] the God. Indian secularism practices
anattitude of a principled and equal distance from all religions.

[Link] does Right to Constitutional Remedies imply?

Answer:In case of violation of our rights by fellow citizens, private bodies or by the government,

we can approach the courts and seek remedy.

[Link] is writ?

Answer:It is a formal document containing an order of the court to the government issued nly by
High Court or the Supreme Court.

[Link] is PIL?

Answer:The expanded form of PIL is Public Interest Litigation.

It a right under which, citizen or group of citizens can approach the Supremee Court or High
Court for the protection of public interest against a particular law or action of the government.

[Link] which sections of society government of India give reservations?

Answer:The government of India give reservations to Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribes and
Other Backward Classes.

[Link] do you mean by equality?

Answer:Equality means that all citizens are treated equally and there should be no
discrimination on basis of caste, colour, creed, gender, and giving everyone an equal opportunity
to achieve whatever one is capable of.

[Link] does the right to eaucation mean?

Answer:According to this right, children up to the age of 14 years are entitled for free and
compulsory education under this law.

[Link] is RTI?

Answer:Right to Information is the expanded form of

RTI. RTI is the right to seek information from government offices regarding public [Link]
right comes under the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression.

[Link] are Human Rights?

Answer:Human Rights are universal moral claims that may or may not have been recognised by
laW. But there rights give a right to be treated as equal by law. Every human being born

Short answers

[Link] three qualities are required for calling any claima right?

Answer:The three qualities which are required for calling any claim a right
are as follows.

1. The claims should be reasonable.

2. It has to be recognised by the society

3. It has to be sanctioned by the law.

[Link] the ethnic massacre in Kosovo.[CBSE 2016

Or What was the background of the ethnic massacre that took place in
Kosovo?

Answer.1. KosovO was a province of Yugoslavia before it split. In this

province, the Serbs were in minority and Albanians were is majority while it
was the other way round in the rest of the country.

2. A narrow-minded Serb nationalist Milosevic had won the elections. His

government was hostile to the Kosovo Albanians.

3. He wanted the Serbs to dominate the COuntry. According to many Serbs

leaders, ethnic minorities like the Albanians should either leave the country
or accept the dominance of the Serbs.

[Link] are rights? Why are they essential in a democracy? Give two
reasons. [HOTS]

Answer:Rights are claims of persons recognised by society and sanctioned

by law. Rights are necessary for the very sustainance of a democracy in the
following manner.

1. Rights protect minorities from the oppression of majority. They ensure

that the majority cannot do whatever it likes.

Rights are guarantees which can be used when things go wrong, when
some citizens may wish to take away the rights of others. This happens
when those in majority want to dominate those in minority. In such a
situation, the government should protect the citizen's rights.

2. Rights are necessary so that citizens can express their opinion, form
political parties and take political activities.

[Link] are features of right to equality.?

The main features of 'Right to Equality are:

1. The constitution says that the government shall not deny to any person

in India equality before law or the equal protection of the laws. This means
that the laws apply in the same manner to all, regardless of a person's
status, i.e., every citizen of India is subjected to the same law e.g. from the
PrimeMinister to a villager. This is known as the rule of law.

2. The government shall not discriminate against any citizen on the

grounds of religion, caste, ethnicity,gender or place of birth. Every citizen
shall have equal access to public-places like shops, restaurants,hotels and
cinema halls etc.

3. All Citizens get equal opportunityin matters relating to employment or

appointment to any position in the government. No citizen shall be
discriminated against or made uneligible for employment on these grounds.

[Link] Government of India has provided reservations for Scheduled

Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes. Are these
reservations against the right to equality? Explain. [HOTS]

Answer:1. Such reservations are not against the right to equality. Equality
does not mean giving everyone the

same treatment, no matter what they need. Equality in real sense means
giving everyone an equal

opportunity to achieve whatever one is capable of.

2. Sometimes, it is necessary to give special treatment to someone in order

to ensure equal opportunity.

3. This is what job reservations do. To clarify this, the constitutiorn says
that reservations of this kind are not violation of the right to equality.

[Link] tne three evIIS declared llegal under the Rignt against
Exploitation.

Answer:The constitution mentions three evils and declares them illegal.

1. Traffic in human beings. Traffic here means selling and buying of human
beings, usually women for immoral purposes.

2. Begar. our constitution also prohibits forced labour or begar in any form.
It isa pratice where the worker is forced to render service to the master,
free of cost/charge or at nominal salary. When this takes place on life-long
basis, it is called bonded labour.

3. 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 such as in the railways and at ports. Many
laws have been made to prohibits children from working in industries such
as beedi making, fire crackers and matchbox, printing and dyeing.

[Link] does PIL Work? Mention the importance of PIL

Answer:Under this (PIL), any citizen or group of Citizens can approach ttye
supreme court or high court for the protection of publiC interest against a
particular law or action of the government. Public Interest Litigation is use
of litigation or legal action, which seeks to advance the cause of minority or
disadvantaged groups or individuals. It raises issues of broad public
cancern. It is a way of using the law strategically to effect social change

[Link] the powers/functions of the NHRC.

Answer:The NHRC has the following powers/functions:

1. To make independent and credible inquiry into any case of violation of

human rights.

2. It inquires into any case of abetment of such violation or negligence in

controlling it by any government officer and takes other general steps to
promote human rights in the country.

3. It presents its findings and recommendations to the government or

intervene in the. court on behalf of the victims.

4. It has wide ranging powers to carry out its inquiry. 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.

Long answers
[Link] type of government does Saudi Arabia have? What are its main
features?

Answer:Saudi Arabia is a monarchy, ruled by a hereditary king and the

people have no role in electing or changing their [Link] main features of
this type of government are:

The king selects the legislature, the executive and also appoints the judges
and can change any of their decisIons.

2. Citizens cannot form political parties or any political organIzation.

3. Media cannot report anything that the monarch does not like.

4. There is no freedom of religion. Every cítizen is required to be a 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. (any four)

[Link] are fundamental rights? HoW many fundamental rights are

mentioned in our constitution? Why are they important?

Answer:In India, like in other democracies in the world, some rights are
mentioned in the constitution. These rights are fundamental to our life and
therefore they are given a special status. They are called fundamental
rights.

Six fundamental rights are:

1. Right to Equality

2. Right to Freedom
3. Right to Freedom of Religion

4. Right against Exploitation

5. Right to Constitutional Remedies

6. Cultural and Educational Rights

The fundamental rights are important as:

1. Fundamental rights are an important basic feature of the Indian

constitution.

2. The preamble of the constitution takes about securing for all fts citizens
equality, liberty and justice Fundamental rights put these into effect.

3. They provide the security to the minorities in the country.

4. They keep a check on the government.

[Link] any five Freedom granted to the citizens of India under the
Right to Freedom. [CBSE 2016

or

What is rights to Freedom? Mention different rights that come under it.

Answer:Everybody wants to live in freedom which means absence of

constraints. We want to live in a society but we want to be free and do not
want to be dictated by anyone. So the constitution of India has given to its

citizens the following rights:

1. Right to freedom of speech and expression.

2. Right to assemble ina peaceful manner.

3. Right to form associations and unions.

4. Right to move freely throughout the country.

5. Right to reside in any part of the country.

6. Right to practice any proression or carry out any occupation, trade or

[Link] freedoms are not unlimited licences to do anything we
want. I he government has/can impose certain restrictions on these
freedoms of the citizens under certain conditions for the good of the
society.

[Link] briefly the Right to Constitutional remedies. How this right could
be enforced?

Answer:1. The fundamental rights in the constitution are important

because they are enforceable. We have the right to seek the enforcement
of their rights. This is called the Right to Constitutional. Remedies. This
itself is a fundamental right. This right was rightly called the heart and soul
of the constitution by Dr BR Ambedkar. It makes other rights effective.

2. Sometimes our rights may be violated by fellow citizens, private bodies

or by the government. When any of our rights is violated we can seek
remedy through the supreme court or high court of a state.

3. The supreme court and high court have the power to issue directions,

orders or writs for the enforcement of fundamental rights. They can also
award compensation on the victims and

punishment to the violators.

[Link] is the role of International Covenant in the expansion of rights?

Answer:International Covenant has also contributed to the expansion of

rights. It binds the signatory countries to provide some rights to the
citizens. International Covenant on economic, social and cultural rights
recognises many rights that are not directly a part of the fundamental
rights in the India Constitution. This includes:

.Right to work, opportunity to everyone to earn livelihood by working.

2. Right to safe and healthy working conditions with fair wages that can
provide a decent standard of living for workers and their families.

3. Right to adequate standard of living including adequate food, clothing

and housing.

5.. Right to sOcial security and insurance.

5. Right to health, medical care during illnes, special care for women during
childcare and prevention of epidemics

.6. Right to education, free and compulsory primary education, equal

access to higher education. Thus International covenants play a significant
role in expanding the scope of rights, (any five)

[Link] how the scope of rights has expanded in recent times. [HOTS)

Answer:The scope of rights has expanded in the foll owing ways.

1. The court judgements have helped in expanding the scope of rights in

the following ways.

1. Certain rights like right to freedom of press, right to information and right
to education are derived from the fundamental rights

2. The government is responsible for prOviding free and compulsory

education to all children up to the age of 14 years.

3. The Supreme Court has expanded the meaning of right to life to include
the right to food also.

2. The Parliament has enacted a law giving the right to information to the
citizens. This is under the

freedom of thought and expression.

3. Constitution provides certain rights which are not fundamental e.g. right
to property.
4. Right to vote is a constitutional right.

5. Human rights that are universal moral claims also help in expansion of
rights.

6. International movements also help in expansion of rights

7. International covenants also contribute to expansion of rights.

8. Last, but not the least sometimes new rights are guaranteed under the
constitution as a result of thestruggle of the people e.g. the constitution of
South Africa guaranteed its citizens the following rights.

1. Right to privacy.

2. Right to environment that is not harmful to their health or well being.

3. Right to have access to adequate housing.

4. Right to access to health care services, sufficient food and water and
medical treatment in an emergency. (any five)