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Our Constitution
Class 9 - Total History & Civics Solutions
Multiple-Choice Questions
Question 1
1. A comprehensive document
2. A set of rules of governance
3. Position and power of the States
4. All of the above
Answer
Question 2
Answer
Question 3
1. 390
2. 292
3. 389
4. 384
Answer
389
Question 4
1. December 5, 1946
2. December 25, 1945
3. December 9, 1946
4. December 24, 1946
Answer
December 9, 1946
Question 5
Answer
Question 6
Answer
Jawaharlal Nehru
Question 7
Name the legal sanction that allowed the Constituent Assembly to function post partition
Answer
Question 8
The Cabinet Mission Plan had ensured representation to general category and
Answer
Question 9
Answer
Question 10
Who was appointed as the Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Constitution?
Answer
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar
Question 1
Answer
Constitution is a comprehensive document containing the set of rules that describe the rights and
duties of its citizens and the manner according to which the governance of a country is to be
carried out. It regulates the position and powers of the three organs of the Government — the
legislative, the executive and the judiciary; and states how they are inter-related.
Question 2
What is known as the 'Objectives Resolution'? By whom was the Objectives Resolution
proposed?
Answer
When the Constituent Assembly started the work of drafting the Constitution, Pt. Jawaharlal
Nehru proposed the 'Objectives Resolution' on December 13, 1946. The Resolution highlighted
the objectives and laid down the national goals. The main points of the Objectives Resolution
were:
Question 3
When was the constitution adopted and passed? When did the constitution come into force?
Answer
The constitution was adopted and passed on 26th November, 1949.
Question 4
Answer
The date January 26 was chosen for the commencement of the constitution because of its
historical importance. At the Lahore Session of the Congress held in December 1929, a
resolution was passed which declared Poorna Swaraj or Complete Independence to be the
objective of the Congress. January 26, 1930 was fixed as the first Independence Day, which was
to be celebrated every year. Since then the day was celebrated as Independence Day up to 1947.
Later, to maintain its importance January 26 was chosen for enforcement of constitution and was
designated as Republic day.
Question 5
Answer
Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, was one of the architects of the constitution of India. As the chairman of
the Drafting Committee, he provided constitutional guarantees and protections for civil liberties
like freedom of religion, abolition of untouchability, and social rights for women in the Indian
Constitution. He provided a job reservation system for Scheduled Castes and Tribes.
To shape India as a Sovereign Democratic Republic that ensured individual liberty, dignity, and
national integrity, Dr. Ambedkar incorporated the following principles in the Indian
Constitution:
1. Made the Indian constitution workable, flexible and strong enough to hold the country
together both in peace and in war.
2. Provided special safeguards to the minorities and certain classes, who are socially and
educationally backward.
3. Incorporated the Right to Constitutional Remedies to ensure that the Fundamental Rights
of the individuals are not infringed by the Center or the State governments.
4. Single citizenship, single judiciary and uniformity in fundamental laws to integrate Indian
society. Therefore, he proposed a strong Centre to maintain territorial integrity and
administrative discipline.
5. Incorporated Directive Principles to ensure social and economic democracy and welfare
of the people of India.
Structured Questions
Question 1
(a) Name the plan which proposed to set up the Constituent Assembly. How were the members
of the Constituent Assembly elected?
(b) How was the membership of the Constituent Assembly reduced as a result of partition of the
country?
(c) How can you say that the Constituent Assembly gave adequate representation to all sections
of the Indian society?
Answer
(a) The Cabinet Mission Plan (1946) proposed to set up the Constituent Assembly.
The members of the Constituent Assembly were elected indirectly by the Provincial Legislative
Assemblies (Lower House only). Elections to the Provincial Assembly were completed by July
1946. The princely states were represented by the members nominated by the rulers of these
States. The Constituent Assembly of undivided India consisted of 389 members (292 elected, 93
nominated by the Princely states, 3 from Chief Commissioner Provinces and one from the
British).
(b) The Muslim League boycotted the Constituent Assembly to demand the creation of a
separate state called Pakistan. Consequently the members representing the territories which went
to Pakistan withdrew from the Constituent Assembly of India. As a result, the membership of the
Constituent Assembly of India stood at 299 against the original number of 389 members.
(c) The wide-ranging membership of the Constituent Assembly gave representation to all shades
of public opinion. The Cabinet Mission plan had ensured representation to only three categories
— the General category, Muslims and Sikhs. The Congress leaders had, however, ensured that
other communities like Anglo-Indians, Indian Christians Scheduled Castes and Scheduled tribes
got representation.
Question 2
(a) Who proposed the Resolution? When was the Resolution passed by the Constituent
Assembly? Name the Act that gave legal sanctity to the Constituent Assembly.
(c) List four principles that Babasaheb Ambedkar incorporated in the Constitution.
Answer
(a) The Resolution was proposed by Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru on December 13, 1946.
The Resolution was passed by the Constituent Assembly on January 22, 1947.
The Act that gave legal sanctity to the Constituent Assembly was the Indian Independence Act,
1947. This legal sanction enabled the Constituent Assembly to function after India's
independence. The Assembly became a sovereign body.
(c) The four principles that Babasaheb Ambedkar incorporated in the Constitution are:
1. Made the Indian Constitution workable, flexible and strong enough to hold the country
together both in peace and in war.
2. Provided special safeguards to the minorities and certain classes, who are socially and
educationally backward.
3. Incorporated the Right to Constitutional Remedies to ensure that the Fundamental Rights
of the individuals are not infringed by the Centre or the State governments.
4. Incorporated Directive Principles to ensure social and economic democracy and welfare
of the people of India.
Thinking skills
Question 1
The Constitution of India is the longest written Constitution in the world. What would have been
the consequences if the Constitution of India was not written? Give reasons to support your
answer.
Answer
The written Constitution enables to specify the structure, organisation, powers and functions of
Central as well as State government. The written form of the constitution avoids any kind of
misunderstanding and disagreements. If our constitution was not written there would have been
scuffle, related to distribution of powers, subjects etc. Our rights would have been at risk. Policy
makers may not have fairly represented the public opinion.
Question 2
Do you think that the Constitution of India has an important role in maintaining the unity and
integrity of India? Give reasons to support your answer.
Answer
India is a country of diversity. The constitution of India plays an important role to maintain the
unity and integrity of India by its following principles:
1. The Indian constitution is workable, flexible and strong enough to hold the country
together both in peace and in war.
2. It provides special safeguards to the minorities and certain classes, who are socially and
educationally backward.
3. Incorporates the Right to constitutional remedies to ensure that the fundamental rights of
the individuals are not infringed by the Center or the State governments.
4. Single citizenship, single judiciary and uniformity in fundamental laws to integrate Indian
society. Therefore, a strong centre was proposed to maintain territorial integrity.
Question 3
Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar was a learned man with great foresight. Make a list of instances where
his foresight came to our nation’s aid in times of crisis.
Answer
Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar was a visionary leader and one of the most influential figures in India's
struggle for independence and post-independence nation-building. He had a keen understanding
of the socio-political landscape of India and made several contributions that proved to be
invaluable for the nation. Here are a few instances where his foresight came to the nation's aid in
times of crisis:
1. Drafting the Indian Constitution — Dr. Ambedkar was the chairman of the drafting
committee of the Indian Constitution. He played a crucial role in drafting the
Constitution, which has been the backbone of India's democratic system for over seven
decades. He foresaw the challenges that an independent India would face and drafted the
Constitution in such a way that it could accommodate the diverse cultural, linguistic, and
religious backgrounds of the people of India.
2. Reservation policy — Dr. Ambedkar's foresight in recognizing the plight of the
marginalized communities in India led to the inclusion of reservation policies in the
Constitution. These policies aimed to provide equal opportunities to the socially and
economically backward sections of society and helped them overcome the centuries-old
discrimination they faced.
3. Labour laws — Dr. Ambedkar foresaw the exploitation of labourers in the post-
independence era and advocated for the inclusion of labour laws in the Constitution.
These laws aimed to protect the rights of workers and ensure their fair treatment in the
workplace.
4. Women's rights — Dr. Ambedkar was a staunch advocate of women's rights and
foresaw the need to provide equal opportunities and rights to women. He played a crucial
role in the inclusion of several provisions in the Constitution that aimed to promote
gender equality and women's empowerment.
5. Social reforms — Dr. Ambedkar recognized the need for social reforms in India and
played a crucial role in the abolition of caste-based discrimination and the promotion of
inter-caste marriages. His foresight in recognising the need for social reforms helped
India move towards a more egalitarian society.
Question 4
The Indian Constitution has taken the best features from the Constitutions of countries around
the world. Make a list of few of these features stating which country inspired them and how have
they been modified to suit the needs of our country.
Answer
The Indian Constitution has taken following features from the Constitutions of countries around
the world:
Makers of our constitution gathered the best features of all the existing constitutions and
modified them with a view to avoid the faults that have been disclosed in their constitution. The
ideas have been modified as per the need of our country. For example, to avoid the dead lock
condition arising due to differences between Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, provision of joint
sitting was incorporated.
Question 5
Trace how the Republic Day has been celebrated over the years.
Answer
Republic Day celebrations in India have evolved over the years, reflecting the changing priorities
and aspirations of the nation. However, the underlying spirit of national pride and patriotism has
remained constant throughout the years. Here is a brief history of how Republic Day has been
celebrated in India over the years:
1. First Republic Day Celebration (1950) — The first Republic Day was celebrated on
January 26, 1950, with a grand parade held at Rajpath in New Delhi. The parade
showcased India's diverse cultural heritage, and it was attended by representatives from
various countries.
2. First Chief Guest (1951) — The first chief guest at the Republic Day parade was
Indonesian President Sukarno in 1951. Since then, India has invited guests from different
countries each year to attend the celebrations.
3. Integration of States (1956) — In 1956, India celebrated Republic Day with the theme
of "Integration of States." This was a significant event in India's history, as it marked the
reorganization of states on linguistic lines.
4. Beating Retreat (1950s) — The Beating Retreat ceremony, which marks the end of the
Republic Day celebrations, was introduced in the 1950s. It is held on January 29th every
year and features a display of military bands.
5. First Presidential Address (1952) — The first Presidential address on Republic Day
was delivered by Dr. Rajendra Prasad in 1952. Since then, it has become a tradition for
the President of India to address the nation on this occasion.
6. Cultural Programmes (1960s) — In the 1960s, Republic Day celebrations included
cultural programs from different parts of the country. These programs showcased the rich
diversity of India's cultural heritage.
7. Military Parade (1970s) — In the 1970s, the Republic Day parade became more focused
on the display of India's military might. The parade included a display of tanks, missiles,
and other weapons.
8. Technology Showcase (1990s) — In the 1990s, the Republic Day parade began to
showcase India's technological advancements. This included displays of satellites, space
vehicles, and other technological innovations.
9. Women Empowerment (2019) — In 2019, the theme of Republic Day was "Nari
Shakti," which means "Women's Power." The parade showcased women's achievements
in various fields, including the armed forces, science, and sports.
10. Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav (2022) — In 2022, as India celebrated 75 years of
independence the theme of Republic Day was "Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav".
11. Jan-Bhagidari (2023) — The theme of Republic Day in 2023 was Jan-Bhagidari which
means participation of people.