Q10 of 10 Page 53

Read the following statements about a constitution. Give reason why each of these is true or not true.

(a) The authority of the rule of the constitution is the same as that of any other law.


(b) Constitution lay down how different organs of the government will be formed.


(c) Rights of citizens and limits on the power of the governments are laid down in the constitution.


(d) A constitution is about institutions, not about values.

(a) Constitution is the supreme law of the land. Any other law needs to be viewed in the light of the provisions stated in the constitution. Therefore, it is safe to say that the authority of the rule of the constitution is greater than any other law.

(b) The above given statement is correct as the constitution of our country clearly defines the role of three main organs that are the executive, legislative and judiciary. It also defines the way or path that how they should be formed and even has guidelines for their functioning.


(c) Constitution enlists all the rights that a citizen of India can claim. It had made sure to include provisions for ensuring that these rights are not violated by the government. The independence of judiciary is the biggest and most important provision in this regard.


(d) A constitution is expected to lay down the guidelines for the formation and the most unbiased functioning of all the institutions including executive, legislature and judiciary. This


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6

Here are some of the guiding values of the Constitution and their meaning. Rewrite them by matching them correctly:







(a) Sovereign


(b) Republic


(c) Fraternity


(d) Secular



(i) Government will not favor any religion.


(ii) People have the supreme right to make decisions.


(iii) Head of the state is an elected person


(iv) People should live like brothers and sisters.


 7

A friend from Nepal has written you a letter describing the political situation there. Many political parties are opposing the rule of the king. Some of them say that the existing constitution given by the monarch can be amended to allow more powers to elected representatives. Others are demanding a new Constituent Assembly to write a republican constitution. Reply to your friend giving your opinions on the subject.

 8

Here are different opinions about what made India a democracy. How much importance would you give to each of these factors?

(a) Democracy in India is a gift of the British rulers. We received training to work with representative legislative institutions under the British rule.


(b) Freedom struggle challenged the colonial exploitation and denial of different freedoms to Indians. Free India could not be anything but democratic.


(c) We were lucky to have leaders who had democratic convictions. The denial of democracy in several other newly independent countries shows the important role of these leaders.

 9

Read the following extract from a conduct book for ’married women’, published in 1912.

‘God has need the female species delicate and fragile with physically and emotionally, pitiably in capable of self-defense. They are destined thus by god to remain in male protection-of father, husband and son-all their lives. Women should, therefore, not despair, but feel obliged that they can dedicate themselves to the service of men’.


Do you think the value expressed in this para reflected the value underlying our constitution? Or does this go against the constitutional values?