Source/Case Based Questions Class IX Political Science

    Source/Case Based Questions

      Class IX POLITICAL SCOENCE

      DEMOCRATIC POLITICS PART

1.Read the source given below and answer the questions that follow

We have read in depth about the main purpose of elections in a democracy. The purpose that elections serve is that they serve the ordinary citizens a fair chance to choose their representatives, the representatives that they feel should represent them in the legislative body. They choose between various possible governments and policies. Political parties put forward their vision to seek votes. For all these reasons, it is mandatory to have an open and free discussion and debate about all the possible representatives, policies and parties. This happens during the political campaign phase. In India, such political campaigns take place during the 2 week period between the announcement of the final list of candidates and the polling. During this time, the political parties and candidates contact their voters, address big political rallies and meetings. Basically this is high time when all candidates mobilise their supporters. During this time, the television news channels as well as the newspapers are full of election related debates, discussions and stories. However, this does not mean that the political parties and candidates restrict their political activity to these two weeks only. In fact they start their preparations for the elections months before the Election Commission announces the dates.

(A) What do you think is the basic motive behind conducting elections?             1

(B) When did heightened political campaigns take place?                          1

(C) We have read about the importance of election campaigns in the paragraph given above. What is the importance of election campaigns?                                                2 

2. Read the source given below and answer the questions that follow.

It is often believed that the Election Commission of India ticks into action when the elections are declared. It is true that the workload of the Commission increases manifold when it is overseeing an election. However, it is also the case that the Election Commission is indulged in a lot of activities throughout the year, election or no election. First and foremost work of the Commission is to register the new voters that become eligible to vote due to increase in their age. Every person who attains 18 years of age becomes eligible to vote in the elections. The person is required to get herself/himself registered with the Election Commission. Secondly, the Election Commission carries out the delimitation exercise on the recommendations of the Delimitation Commission time to time. Delimitation exercise is an exercise under which the boundaries of assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies are redrawn based on the recent population census data. Thirdly and most importantly, the Election Eommission carries out various awareness campaigns to increase voter turnout. The Commission focuses its advertisements on telling citizens the power of their vote. Democracy becomes stronger when more and more people vote in the elections.

(A) Keeping aside conducting elections, what all are the activities that the Election Commission of India is indulged in?     1

(B) What can the Election Commission do to reduce the influence of caste in elections?                                                  1

(C) Why is it that these works have to be done by the Election Commission only? Why can't we appoint some other executive agency to carry out these activities?                                                     2

3. Read the source and answer the questions that follow.

You are Sanjana Yadav studying in 9th standard. You are yet not eligible for voting since you are under age but you have a lot  of interest in the entire celebrated electioneering process. Your elder cousin Nitin Yadav happens to visit your place during summers. He is doing a Masters in Political Science and both of you indulge in long conversations regarding the electoral malpractices and frauds. He tells you that one biggest problem with today's elections is the sheer amount of money needed to win an election. He also sites a few examples where money power dominated the elections. He also expresses his views on the vague nature of electoral funding. As a responsible citizen, he expresses great concern over the entry of criminals into legislative bodies. Criminalisation of politics is also a stark reality of today's 

elections. Then he expresses his opinions on the dominating influence of the candidate's caste on his winnability. He goes to the extent of saying that "people in India vote their caste instead of casting their vote".

(A) What all according to Nitin are the malpractices that are affecting the Indian elections?                                                    1

(B) Can you put all the responsibility of caste identity in politics on candidates and political parties? Are voters also to be blamed?                                                       1

(C) What reforms can be done in the Indian election system to get rid of all these malpractices?                                    2

4. Read the source given below and answer the questions that follow.

In all democracies, an assembly of elected representatives exercises supreme political authority on behalf of the people. In India such a national assembly of elected representatives is called Parliament. At the state level this is called Legislature or Legislative Assembly. The name may vary in different countries, but such an assembly exists in every democracy. It exercises political authority on behalf of the people in many ways:

(1) Parliament is the final authority for making laws in any country. This task of law making or legislation is so crucial that these assemblies are called legislatures. Parliaments all over the world can make new laws, change existing laws, or abolish existing laws and make new ones in their place.

(2) Parliaments all over the world exercise some control over those who run the government. In some countries like India this control is direct and full. Those who run the government can take decisions only so long as they enjoy support of Parliament.

(3) Parliaments control all the money that governments have. In most countries the public money can be spent only when Parliament sanctions it.

(4) Parliament is the highest forum of discussion and debate on public issues and national policy in any country. Parliament can seek information about any matter.

(A) Who control all  money that the government have?                                       1

(B) Who does not sit or participate in the discussions in either of the two Houses? 1

(C) Amending the Constitution is the responsibility of whom? Explain.                2

5. Read the source given below and answer the questions that follow.

About 600 people were secretly picked up by the US forces from all over the world and put in a prison in Guantánamo Bay, an area near Cuba controlled by Amercian Navy, Anas's father, Jamil El-Banna, was among them. The American Government said that they were enemies of the US and linked to the attack on New York on 11 September 2001. In most cases, the governments of their countries were not asked or even informed about their imprisonment. Like other prisoners, El-Banna's family got to know that he was in that prison only through the media. Families of prisoners, media or even UN representatives were not allowed to meet them. The US army arrested them, interrogated them and decided whether to keep them there or not. There was no trial before any magistrate in the US. Nor could these prisoners approach courts in their own country.

Amnesty International, an international human rights organisation, collected information on the condition of the prisoners in Guantánamo Bay and reported that the prisoners were being tortured in ways that violated the US laws. They were being denied the treatment that even prisoners of war must get as per international treaties. Many prisoners had tried protesting against these conditions by going on a hunger strike. Prisoners were not released even after they were officially declared not guilty. An  independent inquiry by the UN supported these findings. The UN Secretary General said the prison in Guantánamo Bay should be closed down. The US government refused to accept these pleas.

(1) Where the Guantánamo Bay Detention camps are located? "There was no trial before any magistrate in the U.S.". Which fundamental right were compromised? 1

(II) What was the reason behind the US Naval base at Guantánamo Bay?             1

(III) What's wrong with detaining people at Guantánamo camp?                                    2