NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Civics Chapter 1 - The Indian Constitution PDF

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science Civics Chapter 1 – The Indian Constitution 1. Why does a democratic country need a Constitution? Ans: A democratic country needs a Constitution for the following reasons: A constitution serves as th...

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science Civics Chapter 1 – The Indian Constitution 1. Why does a democratic country need a Constitution? Ans: A democratic country needs a Constitution for the following reasons: A constitution serves as the set of rules using which the government runs. It also defines the nature of the political system. It provides the guidelines for the government of a country. The ideals of the society in the country are provided. It lays down the ideals that form the basis of the kind of country that its citizens aspire to live in. It protects the rights of lesser privileged citizens in the state. It also checks the power abuse by the political rulers. 2. Look at the wordings of the two documents given below. The first column is from the 1990 Nepal Constitution. The second column is from the more recent interim Constitution of Nepal. 1990 Constitution of Nepal 2007 Interim Constitution Part 7: Executive Part 5: Executive Class VIII Social Science www.vedantu.com 1  Article 37: Executive Power: The executive power of Article 35: Executive Power: The Nepal shall, pursuant to this Constitution and other executive power of the Kingdom laws, be vested in the Council of Ministers. The of Nepal shall be exercised executive functions of Nepal shall be taken in the name exclusively by His Majesty. of the Prime Minister. What is the difference in who exercises 'Executive Power' in the above two Constitutions of Nepal? Ans: According to Article 35 of Nepal's 1990 Constitution, the King of the Kingdom and the Ministers nominated under him have the authority to rule, create rules, and manage the country. However, Article 75 of Nepal's 2015 Constitution specifies that the country's regulations, governance, and management would be based on the laws listed in the Constitution and overseen by the Ministers. 3. What would happen if there were no restrictions on the power of elected representatives? Ans: If there are no restrictions on the power of the elected representatives, they would abuse the power to cause injustice to the people leading to the collapse of the democratic ideals of the society. 4. In each of the following situations, identify the minority. Write one reason why you think it is important to respect the views of the minority in each of these situations. a. In a school with 30 teachers, 20 of them are male. Class VIII Social Science www.vedantu.com 2 Ans: Female and transgender teachers are in minority, so their views must be respected to keep the smooth flow of the teaching process. b. In a city, 5 percent of the population are Buddhists. Ans: Buddhists are in minority, so their views must be respected so that they can practise their religion without any hesitation. c. In a factory mess for all employees, 80 percent are vegetarians. Ans: The non-vegetarians are in minority, so their views towards food are to be respected and as long as they do not create hindrance towards the functioning of the mess, they should be allowed to eat whatever is good for them. d. In a class of 50 students, 40 belong to more well-off families. Ans: the students who are not from well-off families are in the minority. So, their views must be respected so that they also grow in knowledge at school. 5. The column on the left lists some of the key features of the Indian Constitution. In the other column write two sentences, in your own words, on why you think this feature is important: Key Feature Significance Class VIII Social Science www.vedantu.com 3  Federalism Separation of Powers Fundamental Rights Parliamentary Form of Government Ans: Key Feature Significance It provides national unity. It also enhances the decision-making Federalism process. The power is not concentrated in the hands of a few. It also Separation of Powers provides for checks on abuse of power. Class VIII Social Science www.vedantu.com 4  They protect the citizens from abuse of power by the state. They Fundamental Rights also force the government to work for the people. Parliamentary Form of It provides for a decentralised power system. It also leads to Government better coordination between the legislature and the executive. 6. Write down the names of the Indian States, which share borders with the following neighbouring nations: (a) Bangladesh (b) Bhutan (c) Nepal Class VIII Social Science www.vedantu.com 5 Ans: (a) Bangladesh: West Bengal Assam Meghalaya Tripura Class VIII Social Science www.vedantu.com 6  Mizoram (b) Bhutan: West Bengal Sikkim Assam Arunachal Pradesh (c) Nepal: Uttarakhand Uttar Pradesh Bihar West Bengal Sikkim Class VIII Social Science www.vedantu.com 7