CONSTITUTIONAL DESIGN | ARJUN_MOHANAN_MM

QUESTION BANK PART 1

1. The official policy of racial separation of ill treatment of blacks followed by the government of
South Africa was called _______ .

2. An assembly of people’s representatives that writes a constitution for a country is _______ .

3. What do you know about ‘The Long Walk to Freedom’?

4. An introductory statement in a constitution which states the reasons and guiding values of
the constitution is _______ .

5. When did South Africa become a democratic country?

6. Leaders of the freedom movement were clear that their country should be _______ .

7. One of the guiding values of the constitution is sovereignty which means _______ .

8. ‘Republic’ in consent to our constitution means _______ .

9. All of us should behave as if we are members of the same family. No one should treat a
fellow citizen as inferior. This defines a word given in Preamble of our Constitution which is
_______ .

10. The famous speech given by Pt. Nehru on the eve of Independence Day is known as _______ .

11. In 1928, who along with eight other congress leaders?

12. The Assembly adopted the Constitution on 26 November 1949 but it came into effect on 26
January _______ .

13. Who was the Chairmen of the drafting committee of Indian Constitution, social revolutionary,
thinker and agitator against caste divisions?

14. In Indian Constitution, the Secular means _______ .

15. There are no unreasonable restrictions on the citizens in India, in what way they think, how
they wish to express their thoughts. This means they enjoy _______ .

16. What was apartheid?

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 CONSTITUTIONAL DESIGN | ARJUN_MOHANAN_MM

17. What is the full form of ANC?

18. Where did Nelson Mandela spend his prison term?

19. Who was the first president of the newly born democracy in South Africa?

20. Name the umbrella organisation that led the struggle against the policies of segregation in
South Africa.

21. What determines the rights of citizens and the powers of the government?

22. Who played a key role in the making of the Indian Constitution?

23. When did the process of the Making of the Indian Constitution begin?

24. Who was Rajendra Prasad?

25. What does the phrase ‘Service of India’ mean?

26. What is meant by ‘Constituent Assembly Debates’?

27. What do you understand by the term ‘the Preamble to the Constitution’?

28. What do you mean by the term ‘sovereign’?

29. What do you mean by the term ‘secular’?

30. Why is the Preamble called the soul of the Indian Constitution?

31. What is the significance of the phrase ‘We the people of India’ in the Preamble?

ANSWER BANK PART 1

1. Apartheid 2. Constituent assembly 3. It is an autobiography of Nelson Mandela. 4. Preamble

5. 26 April, 1994 6. Democratic 7. People have the supreme right to make decisions

8. Head of the state is an elected person 9. Fraternity 10. Tryst with Destiny 11. Motilal Nehru

12. 1950 13. Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar 14. Citizens have complete freedom to follow any religion

15. Liberty 16. Racial discrimination 17. The African National Congress

18. Nelson Mandela spent 28 years in South Africa’s most dreaded prison, Robben Island.

19. Nelson Mandela 20. The African National Congress (ANC) 21. The Constitution determines
the rights of citizens, the powers of the government and how the government should function.

22. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar 23. In 1928, Motilal Nehru and eight other Congress leaders drafted a

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 CONSTITUTIONAL DESIGN | ARJUN_MOHANAN_MM

constitution for India.

24. Rajendra Prasad was born in Bihar. He was the President of the Constituent Assembly and
the first President of India.

25. The service of the millions who suffer; ending poverty, ignorance, disease, and inequality of
opportunity.

26. The recorded and preserved discussions and documents of the Constituent Assembly.

27. A short statement of the basic values of the Constitution.

28. People have supreme right to make decisions on internal as well as external matters.

29. Citizens have complete freedom to follow any religion; no official religion; equal respect to
all religions.

30. Because it contains the philosophy on which the Constitution is built; the standard to judge
laws and actions; it is the soul of the Constitution.

31. It means the Constitution was drawn up and enacted by the people through their
representatives, not given by a king or outside power.

QUESTION BANK PART 2

1. What is meant by apartheid? How was it oppressive for the blacks?

2. What do you mean by ‘Constitution’?

3. What were the steps involved in the framing of the Indian Constitution?

4. What are the four main ideals enshrined in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution?

5. How did the Constituent Assembly work to prepare the Constitution for India?

6. What are constitutional amendments?

7. On what terms did the blacks agree upon while making a Constitution for South Africa?

8. What was the reaction of the government towards the protest movement against the
apartheid in South Africa?

9. Why did the South African people need a Constitution?

10. What was the philosophy behind the Constitution?

11. What compromises did the blacks and whites make?

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 CONSTITUTIONAL DESIGN | ARJUN_MOHANAN_MM

12. What was the composition of the Constituent Assembly?

13. What did Ambedkar mean by ‘contradictions’ in his concluding speech to the Constituent
Assembly?

14. What are the various functions of a Constitution?

15. How does the Indian Constitution describe the institutional arrangements?

ANSWER BANK PART 2

1. Apartheid was a system of racial discrimination in South Africa imposed by white Europeans,
dividing people by skin colour. Blacks faced segregation in public facilities, could not visit white
churches, form associations, or protest against oppression.

2. The constitution is a set of written rules accepted by all citizens, serving as the supreme law
defining relationships among people and between people and government.

3. The Constituent Assembly was elected in July 1946, first met in December 1946, and after
India’s partition, it drafted the Indian Constitution with 299 members. It was adopted on 26
November 1949 and came into force on 26 January 1950.

4. Justice (social, economic, political), Liberty (thought, expression, belief, worship), Equality
(status and opportunity), Fraternity (dignity of individual, unity, and integrity of the nation).

5. The Assembly worked systematically: basic principles were decided, a Drafting Committee
led by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar prepared a draft, discussed clause by clause, considered over 2000
amendments, deliberated for 114 days over 3 years, and preserved all debates

6. Constitutional amendments are changes made to the Constitution to keep it updated and in
line with people’s aspirations and societal changes.

7. They agreed that nobody should be excluded or treated as a demon; everyone would be part
of the solution, and extensive rights would be guaranteed for all citizens.

8. The government initially detained, tortured, and killed blacks, but later repealed discriminatory
laws, lifted bans on political parties and media restrictions, and released Nelson Mandela after
28 years in prison.

9. To ensure equality between oppressors and oppressed, safeguard interests, maintain

democratic majority rule, and provide social and economic rights.

10. The Constitution is guided by values from the freedom struggle, embedded in the Preamble,
serving as a foundation for democracy and inspired by the American model.

11. Whites agreed to majority rule and basic rights for poor/workers; blacks agreed majority rule

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 CONSTITUTIONAL DESIGN | ARJUN_MOHANAN_MM

would not be absolute and would not take away white property.

12. Elected mainly by Provincial Legislatures, ensuring geographical representation; dominated

by Indian National Congress but included diverse political, social, linguistic, caste, class, and
religious groups.

13. Dr. Ambedkar said India would enter a life of contradictions: political equality but social and
economic inequality due to existing structures, with “one man, one vote” in politics but not in
social/economic life.

14. Generates trust and coordination among people, specifies government formation and
decision-making powers, lays limits on government powers, and expresses aspirations for a
good society.

15. Describes procedures for choosing government leaders, defines powers and decision-
making limits, and protects citizen rights that cannot be violated.

QUESTION BANK PART 3

1. Why was the making of the Indian Constitution not an easy affair?

2. Why should we accept the Constitution made by the Assembly more than fifty years ago?

3. Explain the different key words used in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution.

4. “The South African Constitution inspires democrats all over the world.” Comment.

ANSWER BANK PART 3

1. The making of the Constitution for a huge and diverse country like India was not easy. India
was born through partition on religious lines, leading to violence and the death of around ten
lakh people. The future of princely states was uncertain, as they had to decide whether to join
India, Pakistan, or remain independent. At that time, India was moving from the status of
subjects to citizens, and the makers of the Constitution had deep anxieties about the nation’s
unity, security, and future.

2. The Constitution reflects a broad consensus of its time, not just the views of its members.
Unlike many countries, no major social group or political party has ever questioned its
legitimacy. The Constituent Assembly represented the people of India, even though universal
adult franchise did not exist then. It worked systematically and openly, with basic principles
agreed upon, a draft prepared by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, and detailed discussions with over two
thousand amendments. Every word and debate was recorded and preserved as Constituent
Assembly Debates, which explain the rationale behind its provisions.

3. We, the people of India: Drawn up by the people through representatives, not given by a king

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 CONSTITUTIONAL DESIGN | ARJUN_MOHANAN_MM

or external power.

Sovereign: People have the supreme right to make internal and external decisions without
outside interference.

Socialist: Wealth must be shared equally; the government should reduce socio-economic
inequalities.

Secular: No official religion; all religions are treated equally.

Democratic: People enjoy equal rights, elect rulers, and hold them accountable.

Republic: The head of state is elected, not hereditary.

Justice: No discrimination by caste, religion, or gender; inequalities must be reduced.

Liberty: Freedom of thought, expression, and action without unreasonable restrictions.

Equality: All are equal before the law with equal opportunities.

Fraternity: Citizens should live like one family, treating each other with dignity.

4. South Africa, once denounced as undemocratic, is now a model of democracy. This

transformation was made possible by the determination of its people to overcome bitterness
and build a “rainbow nation.” They agreed that everyone—black or white, regardless of the
past—would be part of the solution. The South African Constitution became a charter for unity,
equality, and shared belonging, inspiring democrats worldwide. Its Preamble reflects this spirit
of justice, equality, and fraternity.

QUESTION BANK PART 4

1. Write a short note on Nelson Mandela.

2. What is a Constitution?

3. What was the basis of the apartheid regime in South Africa?

4. How were the non-whites discriminated?

5. Which was the first organisation that led the fight against Apartheid?

6. Why is South Africa called a ‘rainbow nation’ today?

7. What was the situation at the time India achieved independence?

8. Write a short note on the first Constituent Assembly.

9. How is the South African Constitution looked upon today?

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 CONSTITUTIONAL DESIGN | ARJUN_MOHANAN_MM

10. What is a Preamble? Quote the Preamble of our Constitution.

11. Who constituted the Constituent Assembly?

12. What is secularism?

13. Define ‘Democratic Republic’.

14. Write a brief note on the following personalities:

(a) Jawaharlal Nehru

(b) Sarojini Naidu

(c) Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar

15. Was Mahatma Gandhi a member of the Constituent Assembly?

ANSWER BANK PART 4

1. Nelson Mandela fought against white domination in South Africa, cherished the ideal of a
democratic and free society, and spent 28 years in prison. He was released in 1990 and became
the first President of democratic South Africa in 1994.

2. A Constitution is the supreme law of a country that lays down rules to be followed by both
citizens and government, determining rights, powers, and functioning of the government.

3. The apartheid regime was based on skin colour, dividing people into ‘blacks,’ ‘coloured,’ and
‘whites,’ with whites treating non-whites as inferior.

4. Non-whites had no voting rights, were segregated in housing, transport, schools, hospitals,
and public places, and were denied the right to form associations.

5. The African National Congress (ANC) was the first organisation to lead the struggle against
Apartheid.

6. South Africa is called a ‘rainbow nation’ because today all people, irrespective of colour or
gender, live together as free citizens without discrimination.

7. At independence, India was divided on religious lines into India and Pakistan, causing violence
and deaths. Princely states had to decide on merging, creating uncertainty and turmoil.

8. Elections to the Constituent Assembly were held in 1946. After partition, the Indian Assembly
had 299 members. The Constitution was adopted on 26 November 1949 and came into effect
on 26 January 1950.

9. The South African Constitution is respected worldwide for ensuring equality for all citizens,

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 CONSTITUTIONAL DESIGN | ARJUN_MOHANAN_MM

regardless of race or gender, and inspiring democratic values.

10. A Preamble is an introductory statement stating the guiding principles of a Constitution.

India’s Preamble declares it a Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic Republic ensuring
justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity.

11. The Constituent Assembly was dominated by the Indian National Congress but included
diverse political groups and members from various languages, castes, classes, and religions.

12. Secularism means the government treats all religions equally, with no official religion, and
guarantees citizens freedom to practice any faith.

13. A Democratic Republic is a system where people enjoy equal political rights, elect rulers, and
the head of state is an elected representative, not hereditary.

14. (a) Jawaharlal Nehru was India’s first Prime Minister, a Congress leader, lawyer, and
advocate of democracy, socialism, and anti-imperialism.

(b) Sarojini Naidu was a poet, writer, freedom fighter, and the first woman Governor of Uttar
Pradesh.

(c) B.R. Ambedkar was Chairman of the Drafting Committee, a social reformer against caste
discrimination, and India’s first Law Minister.

15. No, Mahatma Gandhi was not a member of the Constituent Assembly.

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CONSTITUTIONAL DESIGN | ARJUN_MOHANAN_MM

CONSTITUTIONAL DESIGN | ARJUN_MOHANAN_MM