SOCIAL SCIENCE (087)
CLASS X (2025 – 26)
Time : 3hrs Marks : 80
General Instructions:
1. There are 38 questions in the Question paper. All questions are compulsory.
2. The question paper has Four Sections – A-History, B-Geography C- Political Science, and D-
Economics.
3. Each Section is of 20 Marks and has MCQs, VSA, SA, LAs and CBQ.
4. Very Short Answer Type Questions (VSA), carry 2 marks each. Answers to each question
should not exceed 40 words.
5. Short Answer Type Questions (SA), carry 3 marks each. Answers to each question should
not exceed 60 words.
6. Long answer type questions (LA), carry 5 marks each. Answers to each question should not
exceed 120 words.
7. There are case based questions (CBQ) with three sub questions and are of 4 marks each.
Answers to each question should not exceed 100 words.
8. The map-based questions, carry 5 marks with two parts- Q9. In Section A-History (2 marks)
and Q19. In Section B -Geography (3 marks)
9. There is no overall choice in the question paper. However, an internal choice has been
provided in few questions. Only one of the choices in such questions must be attempted.
10. In addition to this, NOTE that a separate question has been provided for Visually Impaired
candidates in lieu of questions having visual inputs, map etc. Such questions are to be
attempted by Visually Impaired candidates only
SECTION A (HISTORY) (20 marks)
1 Match the Column I with Column II and select the correct answer. 1
Column I Column II
i) Bourbon Empire a) The empire ruled by the Turkish
Muslim
ii) Habsburg Empire b) Prussian empire that included large
parts of Western and Northern
Germany and Poland
iii) Ottoman Empire c) The empire that consisted of France
iv) Hohenzollern d) The empire that consisted of Austria-
Empire Hungary including the Alpine region
A) i - c, ii - d, iii - a, iv - b B) i - a, ii - b, iii - d, iv - c
C) i - c, ii - a, iii - d, iv - b D) i - a, ii - d, iii - b, iv - c
2 Which of the following is not considered a major feature of nationalist 1
movements in 19th century Europe?
A. Use of folk culture and language to create a sense of identity
B. Demand for liberal constitutions and civil liberties
C. Restoration of monarchy and absolute rule
D. Formation of secret societies to fight for national independence
3 What was a limitation of knowledge transfer in ancient times compared to 1
modern times?
A. Knowledge in ancient times was always incorrect and
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superstitious.
B. Ancient knowledge was easily accessible to everyone, unlike
modern knowledge.
C. Access to knowledge in ancient times was limited to a few,
whereas modern education systems promote wider access.
D. Ancient societies used the internet for knowledge sharing, while
modern societies do not.
4 Study the picture and answer the question that follows: 1
Which of the following is true regarding the cover page of ‘The Indian
Charivari’?
A) The Indian Charivari was one of the many journals highlighting the
experiences of women - about how women were imprisoned at home.
B) The Indian Charivari was one of the many journals depicting injustice done
to low caste people in India.
C) The Indian Charivari was one of the many journals of caricature and satire
published.
D) The Charivari was one of the many journals highlighting the experiences
of women – about how women were imprisoned at home.
5A How does the Silk Route illustrate the interdependence of trade and cultural 2
exchange in the pre-modern world? Support your answer with two relevant
examples.
OR
5B Explain how were Indian merchants and bankers involved in the export trade
in the early 18th century.
6A How did Mahatma Gandhi’s unique strategies transform the Indian freedom 3
struggle into a mass movement? Explain with examples.
OR
6B In what ways did the First World War serve as a turning point for political and
social transformation in colonial India?
7A Explain the evolution of nationalism and the emergence of the nation-state 5
in Europe.
OR
7B How did nationalist tensions in the Balkan region contribute to imperial
rivalries and the outbreak of the First World War?
8 Read the following source carefully and answer the questions that 4
follow:
This is how Mercier describes the impact of the printed word, and the power
of reading in one of his books:
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‘Anyone who had seen me reading would have compared me to a man dying
of thirst who was gulping down some fresh, pure water.... Lighting my lamp
with extraordinary caution, I threw myself hungrily into the reading.
An easy eloquence, effortless and animated, carried me from one page to
the next without my noticing it. A clock struck off the hours in the silence of
the shadows, and I heard nothing. My lamp began to run out of oil and
produced only a pale light, but still I read on. I could not even take out time
to raise the wick for fear of interrupting my pleasure. How those new ideas
rushed into my brain! How my intelligence adopted them!’
8.1 How does the passage reflect the immersive nature of reading
Mercier? 1
8.2 Why did Mercier describe himself as a virtual writer? 1
8.3 How did reading influence Mercier’s intellectual capacity and his
engagement with new concepts? Explain in any two points. 2
9 Two places A and B are marked on the given outline map of India. Identify 2
them and write their correct names on the lines drawn near them.
A) The place where Congress Session was held in 1927.
B) A place associated with Indigo workers.
SECTION B
GEOGRAPHY ( 20 MARKS)
10 In the Summit- 1
• More than 100 heads of states met in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil
• The Summit was convened to address urgent problems of
environmental protection
• The Rio Convention endorsed the global Forest Principles and adopted
Agenda 21 The Rio Convention endorsed the global Forest Principles
and adopted Agenda 21
Identify the event:
A. First International Earth B. Second International Earth
C. Third International Earth D. Fifth International Earth
11 Which of the following is correct for laterite soil? 1
(i) It develops under tropical and subtropical climate with alternative wet
and dry season.
(ii) There soil are sticky when wet.
A. Only (i) B. Only (ii)
C. Both (i) and (ii) D. Neither (i) or (ii)
12 Consider the following statements about reserved forests? 1
I. Reserved forests are owned by the government and all the human
activities are not allowed in these forests.
II. These forests are regarded as the most valuable forests in terms of
conservation of forests and wildlife.
III. These forests constitute about more than half of the total forest land in
India. Which of the following is correct?
A) I and II B) II and III C) I and III D) All of these
13 Which of the following is NOT a function of forests? 1
A. Prevention of soil erosion B. Source of timber
C. Increase in greenhouse gases D. Habitat for wildlife
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14 Look at the table below carefully and answer the question. 1
Sector in % 2013 - 14 2014 - 15 2015 - 16
Agriculture 4.2 –0.2 1.1
Industry 5.0 5.9 7.3
Services 7.8 10.3 9.2
GDP 6.6 7.2 7.6
Though the GDP growth rate is increasing over the years still the growth rate
in agriculture has been decelerating. Which of the following is the most
significant reason of the situation.
a) Increase in import duties on agricultural products
b) Reduction in public investment in the agricultural sector
c) Increase in subsidy on fertilizers
d) Alternative employment opportunities are decreasing
15 Which one of the following statements is not an argument in favour of 1
multipurpose river projects?
A. Multipurpose projects bring water to those areas which suffer from
water scarcity.
B. Multipurpose projects by regulating water flow help to control floods.
C. Multipurpose projects lead to large scale displacements and loss of
livelihood.
D. Multipurpose projects generate electricity for our industries and our
homes.
16 In a country like India, where a significant part of agriculture depends on 2
rainfall, how can breakthroughs in dry land farming transform rural
livelihoods and ensure food security?
17A Why is solar energy called the energy of future? Give reasons. 5
OR
17B Describe the hazards of mining or describe the impact of mining on the health
of the miners and on the environment. What is the position of miners in India?
18 Read the sources given below and answer the questions that follows: 4
In most industrial regions workers came from the districts around. Peasants
and artisans who found no work in the village went to the industrial centers
in search of work. Over 50 per cent workers in the Bombay cotton industries
in 1911 came from the neighbouring district of Ratnagiri, while the mills of
Kanpur got most of their textile hands from the villages within the district of
Kanpur. Most often mill workers moved between the village and the city,
returning to their village homes during harvests and festivals.
European Managing Agencies, which dominated industrial production in
India, were interested in certain kinds of products. They established tea and
coffee plantations, acquiring land at cheap rates from the colonial
government; and they invested in mining, indigo and jute. Most of these were
products required primarily for export trade and not for sale in India.
From 1906, moreover, the export of Indian yam to China declined since
produce from Chinese and Japanese mills flooded the Chinese market. So
industrialists in India began shifting from yam to cloth production. Cotton
piece-goods production in India doubled between 1900 and 1912.
18.1 Where did the workers come in cotton mills in India during 1900s? 1
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18.2 What helped the European Managing Agencies to dominate the Indian
markets? 1
18.3 Why did industrialists shift from yarn to cloth production? 2
19 On the same outline map of India locate and label the following with 3
suitable symbols:
I. (p) The dam on the Chenab River, which is being used for hydel power
production and irrigation.
OR
(q) The dam on the Narmada River that integrates conservation of water
with flood control.
II. Any two of the following:
(i) A major sea port in Karnataka
(ii) An international airport in West Bengal
(iii) An international airport in Punjab
SECTION C
POLITICAL SCIENCE (20 MARKS)
20 1
What do these newspaper clippings have to say about the efforts of
decentralisation in India?
A) Low share of women in Panchayats
B) Women is facing inequality in Panchayats
C) Increased participation of women in panchayaths in Lok Sabha
D) One third of the seats of women in Panchayats
21 Which of the following is a major ethnic group of Sri Lanka? 1
A. Christian and Tamil B. Buddhist and Hindu
C. Sinhala and Tamil D. Sinhala and Christian
22 In a ‘Holding together federation’: 1
i. A large country divides its power between constituent states and the
national government.
ii. Central government tends to be more powerful vis-a-vis the States.
iii. Constituent states have unequal powers. Which of the above statements
are correct?
A. i, ii, and iii B. i and ii C. ii and iii D. i and iii
23 Which is not a threat to Indian democracy? 1
A. Low gender ratio B. Caste system
C. Communalism D. None of these
24 Why is horizontal distribution of power sharing important? Explain 2
25 Does casteism affect democratic process in India? Discuss with reference 2
to its role in politics..
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26 Discuss any three factors that describe the successful working of 3
democracy in India.
27A In what ways do the ruling party and the opposition complement each other 5
to strengthen democracy? Explain with three functions each.
OR
If democracy is about equality and participation, why do most political
27B
parties in India lack internal democracy? Explain with suitable examples.
28 Read the passage and answer the questions that follow: 4
Political parties are crucial for the working of democracy. Since parties are
the most visible face of democracy, it is natural that people blame parties for
whatever is wrong with the working of democracy. All over the world, people
express strong dissatisfaction with the failure of political parties to perform
their functions well. This is the case in our country too. Popular dissatisfaction
and criticism have focussed on four problem areas in the working of political
parties. Political parties need to face and overcome these challenges in order
to remain effective instruments of democracy.
The first challenge is lack of internal democracy within parties. All over the
world there is a tendency in political parties towards the concentration of
power in one or few leaders at the top. Parties do not keep membership
registers, do not hold organizational meetings, and do not conduct internal
elections regularly. Ordinary members of the party do not get sufficient
information on what happens inside the party. They do not have the means
or the connections needed to influence the decisions. As a result, the leaders
assume greater power to make decisions in the name of the party.
28.1 Why do people blame political parties? 1
28.2 What do mean by the idea “lack of internal democracy”? 1
28.3 Write some of the problems faced by the political parties? 2
SECTION D ECONOMICS (20 MARKS)
29 Assertion: Sustainable development is essential for economic growth of the 1
countries.
Reason : Sustainable development ensures that environment friendly
measures are adopted for carrying out production processes.
A. Both assertion (A) and reason (R) are true, and reason (R) is the
correct explanation of assertion (A).
B. Both Assertion (A) and reason (R) are true, but reason (R) is not the
correct explanation of assertion (A).
C. Assertion (A) is true, but reason (R) is false.
D. Both assertion (A) and reason (R) is false.
30 In an economy, certain goods are not directly consumed but are used as 1
raw materials for further production. For example, sugar used in making
sweets or cotton used in making cloth. By what name are such goods
known?
A. Final goods B. Consumer goods
C. Material goods D. Intermediate goods
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31 Match the following: 1
Column A Column B
1. The reason behind i) Sector where the employment
people move from one terms are fixed and regular, and
country to another the employees get assured work.
country
2. Tax on import ii) Sector where the employment
terms are not fixed and regular, as
well as the enterprises, are not
registered with the government.
3. Organised sector iii) Trade barrier
4. Unorganised sector iv) Better jobs or better education
A. (1) - (i), (2) - (iii), (3) - (iv), (4) - (ii) B. (1) - (iv),(2) - (ii), (3) - (i), (4) - iii)
B. (1) - (iv), (2) - (iii), (3) - (ii), (4) - (i) D. (1) - (iv), (2) - (iii), (3) - (i), (4) -(ii)
32 A potter wants wheat and offers pots in exchange. Fortunately, he finds a 1
farmer who needs pots and is ready to exchange them for wheat. This
situation reflects which concept of trade in an economy?
A. Incidence of wants B. Double coincidence of wants
C. Barter system of wants D. None of the above
33 What is the most important function of money? 1
A. Used in banking transactions B. Payment of loans
C. Medium of exchange D. Stock market exchange
34 Globalisation has connected countries through trade, technology, and 1
investment. However, many developing nations argue that the benefits are
not shared equally. The situation in which all citizens or countries reap the
benefits of global trade equally is called:
A. Internationalisation B. Fair globalisation
C. Liberalisation D. Equal globalisation
35 Landless rural labourers often face poverty, unemployment, and social 3
discrimination. In such conditions, what kinds of developmental goals might
they aspire to improve their living standards and secure a better future for
their families? Explain why these goals are important.
36 How do self-help groups help borrowers to overcome the problem of lack of 3
collateral? Explain with an example.
37 In what ways does foreign trade integrate markets across different 3
countries, and how does this integration benefit both producers and
consumers?
38A Give few examples of public sector activities and explain why the government 5
has taken them up.
38B OR
How Irrigation and Marketing Facilities Increase Income & Employment.
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History Q No. 9 & Geography Q. No. 19
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