Class: 9 CBSE Date: 02.01.

25
Subject: SST (Civics-Ch:4) Marks: 47

Choose and write the correct answer: (1×20=20)

1. Who exercises all governmental powers?
(a) President
(b) Prime Minister
(c) Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
(d) Chief Election Commission
2. The Second Backward Classes Commission was appointed by the government of India in
(a) 1979
(b) 1981
(c) 1985
(d) 1999
3. Which one of the following statements about the President of India is wrong?
(a) He is the head of the state.
(b) He is the highest formal authority in the country.
(c) He exercises only nominal powers.
(d) He is elected directly by the people.
4. The strength of the Council of Ministers ranges from
(a) 60 to 80
(b) 60 to 100
(c) 70 to 85
(d) 80 to 100
5. Once the Lok Sabha passes the budget of the government or any other money related bill, the
Rajya Sabha cannot reject it. The Rajya Sabha can only delay it by
(a) 14 days
(b) 15 days
(c) 16 days
(d) 17 days
6. What do the Civil Servants do?
(a) They take important policy decisions
(b) They implement the ministers’ decisions
(c) They settle the disputes
(d) None of the above
7. What is ‘Parliament’?
(a) Assembly of elected representatives at the national level
(b) A body consisting of appointed ministers
(c) Body comprising judges
(d) Assembly of only appointed members
8. Apart from Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, who else constitutes the Parliament?
(a) Prime Minister
(b) Chief Minister
(c) Governor
(d) President
9. Who is the supreme commander of the Defence Forces of India?
(a) The President
(b) The Prime Minister
(c) Chief of the Defence Staff
(d) Council of ministers
10. Who appoints the judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts?
(a) President, according to his own wishes
(b) President, on the advice of the PM
(c) President on the advice of the PM in consultation with the Chief Justice of India
(d) None of the above
11. Two features of Indian judicial system are
(a) Independent Judiciary
(b) Integrated Judiciary
(c) Dependent Judiciary
(d) Both (a) and (b)
12. Which of the following institutions can make changes to the existing law of the country?
(a) The Supreme Court
(b) The President
(c) The Prime Minister
(d) The Parliament
13. Which body acts as the guardian of Fundamental Rights?
(a) District Courts
(b) Supreme Court
(c) Election Commission
(d) Legislature
14. Why does the political executives have more powers than the permanent executives?
(a) Because hardly any expertise is required in taking policy decisions
(b) Because political executive consists of the direct representatives of the people
(c) Political leaders are more educated
(d) None of the above
15. Whom does the President appoint as the Prime Minister?
(a) Anyone he likes
(b) Leader of the majority party
(c) MP who has secured the largest number of votes
(d) None of the above
16. What is the government formed by an alliance of two or more political parties called?
(a) Cooperation government
(b) Coalition government
(c) Consensus government
(d) Cooperative government
17. Which of these options is/are correct regarding the powers of the Prime Minister?
(a) He chairs the Cabinet meetings
(b) He distributes work to the different departments
(c) He can dismiss ministers
(d) All the above
 18. Which of the following statements is not true?
(a) The Judiciary safeguards the laws
(b) The Legislature implements the laws
(c) The political executives are more powerful than the permanent executives
(d) The permanent executive comprises the civil servants
19. The President of India is elected by
(a) Direct Election by citizens of 18 years of age
(b) Indirect Election by the Electoral College
(c) The Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers
(d) None of the above
20. The judges of the Supreme Court are appointed by the
(a) President
(b) Prime Minister
(c) Chief Justice
(d) Law Minister

Answer the following questions: (3×7=21)

21. Why is there a need for political institutions?

(any 3 points, accept all logically correct answers)

22. Differentiate between Political Executive and Permanent Executive.
23. Explain the powers and functions of the Prime Minister.

24. Explain the powers and the functions of the President.

The President of India is the head of the State. He exercises only nominal powers.
He exercises the following powers :
(i) All the governmental activities take place in the name of the President.
(ii) All laws and major policy decisions of the government are issued in his name.
(iii) All major appointments are made in the name of the President. These include the
appointment of the Chief Justice of India, the Judges of the Supreme Court and the High Courts
of the States, the Government of the States, the Election Commissioners, ambassadors to other
countries, etc.
(iv) All international treaties and agreements are made in the name of the President.
(v) The President is the supreme commander of the defence forces of India.
But the President exercises all these powers only on the advice of the Council of Ministers. The
President can ask the Council of Ministers to reconsider its advice. But if the same advice is
given again, he is bound to act according to it. In the same way, a bill passed by the Parliament
becomes a law only after the President gives assent to it. If the President wants, he can delay
this for some time and send the bill back to the Parliament for reconsideration. But if the
Parliament passes the bill again, he has to sign it.
(any 3)
 25. Lok Sabha is more powerful than the Rajya Sabha. Justify the statement.

26. Why is the independence of the judiciary important in a democracy?

1. Independence of the judiciary is essential in a democracy so that it does not act under the
control and direction of the legislature or the executive.
2. The judges do not act according to the wishes of the government i.e. the party in power.
3. Indian Judiciary is powerful in the sense that it can declare only law invalid if it is against
the constitution.
Thus Indian judiciary acts as a guardian of the Fundamental Rights which is essential for a
democracy.
27. Describe the functions & powers of the Supreme Court.
1. The Supreme Court is the Apex court of India. The judges of Supreme court are appointed
by the President in consultation with such other judges of the supreme court and high court.
2. The Supreme Court is primarily a court of appeal though it hears cases in the original
jurisdiction. It is the last resort in case of appeals.
3. It is the guarantor and guardian of Fundamental Rights and exercises the power of judicial
review to check the actions of legislative and administrative authority.
4. It has the power of giving an advisory opinion to the President in certain matters.
5. It hears interstates disputes and disputes between center and states.
6. It issues writs for the enforcement of fundamental rights and hears PIL (Public Interest
Legislation).
(any 3 points)

Case Based Questions (1×6=6)

In 1990, the Indian government announced a significant policy for reserving 27% of jobs for socially
and educationally backward classes, based on the Mandal Commission's recommendations. This
decision, formalized through an Office Memorandum, aimed to address inequality and promote social
justice. However, the policy sparked widespread debates and protests, with differing opinions on its
impact and implementation.
The Mandal Commission, established in 1979, recommended job reservations for socially and
educationally backward classes to promote equity. In 1990, the government implemented this through
an Office Memorandum, sparking debates across the country. While many supported it for fostering
social justice, others argued it might compromise merit. The policy was eventually upheld by the
Supreme Court, balancing affirmative action with constitutional principles.
28. What was the primary objective of the 1990 Office Memorandum?
The primary objective of the 1990 Office Memorandum was to reserve 27% of government
jobs for socially and educationally backward classes to promote equality and address social
injustices.
29. Which commission's recommendations influenced this policy?
The policy was influenced by the recommendations of the Mandal Commission, which was
established in 1979.
30. How did the public react to this decision?
The decision sparked widespread debates and protests across the country. While many
supported the policy for fostering social justice, others opposed it, arguing that it might
compromise merit.
31. Why is this policy considered a step toward social justice?
The policy is considered a step toward social justice as it aimed to provide opportunities for
historically marginalized and underrepresented groups, promoting equity in employment and
reducing systemic inequalities.
32. When was the Office Memorandum implemented, and what did it demand?
The Office Memorandum was implemented in 1990, and it demanded the reservation of 27%
of government jobs for socially and educationally backward classes.
33. How did the Supreme Court contribute to the resolution of this issue?
The Supreme Court upheld the policy, ensuring that it adhered to constitutional principles,
thereby balancing the need for affirmative action with the preservation of merit.