Chapter 8 Regional Aspirations

1. Name the three social and political regions of Jammu and Kashmir.
Ans. Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.
2. Who led the popular movement in the state of Jammu and Kashmir to get rid of the Maharaja?
Ans. It was led by Sheikh Abdullah of the National Conference .
3. Who was E.V. Ramasami Naicker.? Name the movement he started.
Ans. He was also known as Periyar, famous for his anti- caste struggle and the rediscovery of Dravid identity. He started the self respect movement , led the anti brahmin movement .
4. Which part of the country witnessed the Dravidian movement ?
Ans. Though it was started in the whole of South India, but the lack of support from other states limited the movement to Tamil Nadu.
5. Which party was formed out of Dravidian Movement?
Ans. DMK. Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.
6. Which article of the Indian constitution gives greater autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir ?
Ans. Article 370.
7. When was Anandpur Sahib Resolution paased.? What was the main point of the resolution?
Ans. It was passed in 1973. The resolution asserted regional autonomy and wanted to redefine centre -state relationship in the country.
8. Did the Anandpur Sahib resolution find support among the  Sikh masses in Punjab?
Ans. The resolution had a limited appeal among Sikh masses.
9. In which year was 'Operation Blue Star ' was carried out. Who was the Prime Minister of India during that period?
Ans. It was carried out in June 1984.  Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister of India during that period.
10. What is 'Operation Blue Star ' ?
Ans. It was a code name for army action in the Golden Temple. In this operation the government could successfully flush out the militants, but it also damaged the historic temple and deeply hurt the sentiments of the Sikhs.
11. What was Punjab Accord?
Ans. In July 1985, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi reached an agreement with Harchand Singh Longowal ,  then the President of Akali Dal. It is also known as Longowal Accord.
12. When was Nagaland created as a separate state?
Ans. In 1960.
13. When was Meghalaya, Manipur and Tripura created?
Ans. In 1972.
14. In which year did Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram become a separate state?
Ans. In 1986.
15. Which incident led to the formation of MNF Mizo National Front?
Ans. When the government of Assam failed to respond adequately to the great famine of 1959 in Mizo Hills , the Mizos' anger led to the formation of the Mizo National Front under the leadership of Laldenga.
16. When did the Assam movement take place?
Ans. The Assam Movement from 1979 to 1985, was against 'outsiders', mainly againt the illegal Bengali Muslim settlers from Bangladesh.
17. Whar was AASU?
Ans. All Assam Students ' Union, not affiliated to any party, led an anti- foreigner movement.
18. In which year did Goa become the state of the Indian Union?
Ans. In 1987.
19. When did Sikkim become a separate state of the Indian Union?
Ans. In the year 1975,  Sikkim became the 22nd state of the Indian .
20. What is Assam Accord?
Ans. An agreement was signed between Rajiv Gandhi and the AASU leaders  in 1985 to bring peace in Assam. This Accord changed the face of politics in Assam.

Chapter 7 Rise Of Popular Movements

1. In which part of the country did the Chipko movement begin?
Ans. In what is now called Uttarakhand region.
2. What was Chipko movement?
Ans. It was a novel way of protest, that of hugging the trees to prevent them from being cut down.
3. What are the various types of movements?
Ans. Movements may be party based or Non -party based movements. Popular Movements may be political or social movements .
4. Who are Dalit Panthers ?
Ans. It is a militant organisation of the Dalit youth ,was formed in Maharashtra in 1972 to assert their authority in various platforms.
5. What is BAMCEF?
Ans. Backward and Minority Communities 'Employees Federation .
6. Name the leading Kisan organisation in India.
Ans. Bharatiya Kisan Uniion.
7. In which part of India did the Anti- Arrack movement start?
Ans. It started in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh.
8. What was Anti- Arrack movement ?
Ans. The women demanded a ban on the sale of alcohol in their neighbourhood.
9. What was Narmada Bachao Aandolan ?
Ans. A movement to save Narmada, opposed the construction of dams and questioned the nature of ongoing developmental projects in the country.
10. When did the Right to Information movement start and when was the RTI act passed?
Ans. The movement for RTI started in 1990 in Rajasthan and the law came into force in 2005.
11.What was Sardar  Sarovar Project?
Ans. The project consisted of 30 big dams, 135 medium sized dams and around 3000 small dams to be constructed on Narmada River.
12. Which states of India were to be covered under Sardar Sarovar Project ?
Ans. Madhya Pradesh,  Maharashtra and Gujarat.
13. What was Narmada Sagar Project?
Ans. It was multi purpose dam project in Madhya Pradesh.
14. What was the slogan of anti-arrack movement?
Ans. Prohibition on the sale of Arrack.
15. Did the anti- arrack movement  discussed any other issues as well ?
Ans. Yes. It discussed the issue of domestic violence, dowry,sexual abuse at work and public places and issues of gender inequalities.
16. Who are NFF?
Ans. National Fishworkers'  Forum.
17.Why did the Fishworkers fight against the government?
Ans. When the government 's deep sea fishing policy opened up India 's waters to commercial vessels and multinational companies, the Fishworkers protested against this policy.
18.In 1988 why did farmers protested outside district collector's office?
Ans. In January 1988, around twenty thousand farmers protested against the government decision to increase electricity rates. They gathered outside the office of district collector to protest.
19.In which year did the government pass a comprehensive law to prevent atrocities on Dalits?
Ans. In 1989, the government passed a comprehensive law that provided for rigorous punishment for committing any kind of atrocities on Dalits.
20. Name the amendment that provides reservation to women in local bodies.
Ans. The 73Rd and 74 th amendments have granted reservation to women in panchayats and municipal corporations 

Chapter 6 The Crisis Of Democratic Order

1. Why did the non Congress parties oppose the Congress?
Ans. The parties opposed to the Congress felt that politics was becoming too personalised and governmental authority was being converted into personal authority.
2. Who led the students movement in Gujarat in 1974?
Ans. Morarji Desai.
3. Who led the students movement in Bihar in 1974?
Ans. Jayaprakash Narayan.
4. Who led the Railway strike of 1974 ?
Ans. George Fernandes.
5. What was the decision of the Supreme Court in the case of Kesavananda Bharati ?
Ans. There are some basic features of the consttitution and the Parliament cannot amend these features.
6 In 1973 ,whose appointment as a Chief Justice became controversial ?
Ans. Justice A.N.Ray.
7. Why was Indira Gandhi 's election declared invalid?
Ans. A petition filed by Raj Narain, a socialist leader challenged the election of Indira Gandhi on the ground that she had used the services of government servants in her election campaign.
8.When was emergency declared in the country ?
Ans. 25 June 1975.
9. What are the implications of emergency under Article 352?
Ans. Once the emergency is proclaimed, the federal structure of the country remains suspended and all powers are concentrated in the hands of the Union government.
The fundamental rights of the citizens are curtailed or restricted during emergency .
10.Who was the President of India at the time of imposition of emergency ?
Ans. Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed.
11. Was the cabinet approval taken for imposition of emergency ?
Ans. No.The cabinet was informed about it at a special meeting at 6 a.m.on 26 June after the emergency was imposed.
12.When did the sixth Lok sabha elections take place?
Ans In 1977. Instead of 1976, as the elections were postponed due to emergency.
13. What was the nature of 1977 elections?
Ans. The 1977 elections turned into a referendum on the experience of  the emergency. The opposition fought election on the slogan of 'save democracy '.
14. What was the outcome of 1977 elections?
Ans. For the first time a non - congress government was formed at the centre. The Janata Party came to power.
15.What kind of government was formed by Janata Party?
Ans. It was a coalition government, Morarji Desai became the Prime Minister.
16. Did the Janata government complete its full term?
Ans. No. Due to internal competition the Janata Party split and the government could not complete its full term. The mid term elections were held in 1980.
17. What was the outcome of the election of 1980?
Ans. The Congress party led by Indira Gandhi repeated the great  victory of 1971.
18  When and why was Shah Commission appointed?
Ans. In May 1977, the Janata Party government appointed a commission of inquiry headed by justice J.C.Shah to inquire into the excesses and malpractices committed during emergency .
19. Whose alleged interference in the functioning of the government became controversial?
Ans. Sanjay Gandhi, younger son of Indira Gandhi gained control over the administration. His role in the demolitions and forced sterilisation in Delhi became controversial.
20. Which political party backed the Congress during emergency?
Ans. Communist party of India.

Chapter 5 Challenges to and Restoration of the Congress System

1. Why 1960s were labelled a dangerous decade ?
Ans. When unresolved problems like poverty,  inequality ,communal and regional divisions etc.could lead to disintegration of the country.
2. Who became the Prime Minister of India after the death of Jawaharlal Nehru ?
Ans. Lal Bahadur Shastri.. He was the Prime Minister from 1964-1966.
3.Name the famous slogan given by Shastri.
Ans. Jai Jawan Jai Kisan.
4. When was Tashkent Agreement signed?
Ans. It was signed in 1966 between Muhammad Ayub Khan and Lal Bahadur Shastri.
5. Name the two persons who contested for the post of prime minister after the death of Lal Bahadur Shastri.
Ans There was an intense competition between Morarji Desai and Indira Gandhi. This competition was resolved through a secret ballot among Congress MP.s
6. In which year did the fourth general / Lok sabha elections take place ?
Ans. 1967.
7. What is non - congressism?
Ans. The parties that opposed the Congress ideology and programmes got together to form anti Congress front. The socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia gave this strategy the name of ' non- congressism '.
8. Why  did the political observers described the election results of 1967 as ' political earthquake '?
Ans. Though the Congress did manage to get a majority in the Lok Sabha ,  but  with its lowest tally of seats and share of votes since 1952.
9. Name some of the political stalwarts who were defeated in the election of 1967.
Ans. S.K.Patil, Kamraj, Atulya Ghosh, K.B.Sahay etc.
10. What is a coalition government ?
Ans. When no single party gets a majority, then two or more parties come together to form the government. Such government is called coalition government.
11.An important feature of the politics after 1967 was Defection. What do you understand by Defection?
Ans. It means an elected representative leaves the party on whose symbol he/ she was elected and joins another party.
12.Who were syndicates?
Ans. Syndicate was the informal name given to a group of Congress leaders who were in control of party' s organisation. It was led by K.Kamraj.
13. Who won the Presidential election of 1969?
Ans. V.V.Giri,, supported by Indira Gandhi.
14. When did Congress formally split?
Ans. In 1969. The Congress group led by Syndicate came to be known as Congress (Organisation) and the group led by Indira Gandhi came to be called as Congress  (Requisitionists). These two parties were also described as Old Congress and the New Congress.
15. Why did the fifth general election take place in 1971?
Ans. Indira Gandhi 's government recommended dissolution of  Lok Sabha in December 1970. That is why the fifth general election took place in 1971 instead of 1972.
16. Who were he main opponents of Indira Gandhi in the fifth Lok sabha election of 1971?
Ans. Grand Alliance
17.What were the slogans on which the 1971 election was contested?
Ans. Indira Gandhi tried to gather support through the slogan 'Garibi Hatao' and the Grand Alliance wanted 'Indira Hatao '.
18. What was the outcome of the fifth general election of 1971 ?
Ans. The Congress won with 352 seats and 48.4 percent votes.Thus the dominant position of the Congress was restored in Indian politics.
19.Who was the President of the Congress during the presidential election of 1969?
Ans. S. Nijalingappa.
20.What was the nature of new Congress?
Ans. Indira Gandhi restored the Congress System by changing the nature of the Congress System itself. The new Congress did not have the kind of capacity to absorb all tensions and conflicts that the Congress System was known for.

Chapter 4 India's external relations.

1 Which Directive principles of state policy deals with India's foreign policy?
Ans. Article 51 of the Indian constitution lays down some direcive principles on promotion of international peace and security .
2. Name the wars faced by India during 60s and 70s.
Ans. The Indo China war of 1962, The Indo -Pak war of 1965 and 1971.
3.Who was the first foreign minister of India?
Ans. Pt.Jawaharlal Nehru was both the prime minister as well as the foreign minister of India.
4.What were the three major objectives of Nehru's foreign policy?
Ans.a) to preserve the hard earned sovereignty
        b) protect territorial integrity
        c) promote rapid economic development
5. How did India manage to maintain distance from two camps ?
Ans. By pursuing the dream of a peaceful world by advocating the policy of non -alignment .
6.What was Afro-Asian conference?
Ans. It was held in the Indonesian city of Bandung in 1955,  also known as Bandung conference, led to the establishment of the Non Alignment movement.
7. When and where was the first NAM summit held?
Ans. In September 1961 at Belgrade.
8. What is Panchsheel agreement?
Ans. It was an agreement on five principles of  peaceful coexistence signed by the Indian Prime Minister Nehru and the Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai on 29 April 1954 to foster stronger relationship between the two countries.
9. In which year did China annex Tibet ?
Ans.  In 1950
10. Who was the defence minister of India during the Indo China war?
Ans.V.Krishna Menon. He had to leave the cabinet after the war.
11. How did Indo China war affect the opposition party?
Ans. The Communist party of India split in 1964 resulting in the formation of CPI(M)
12. When did India and China resume  normal relations?
Ans.It took more than a decade for India and China to resume normal relations.It was 1976 that full diplomatic relations were restored between the two countries.
13. When was the Indus waters Treaty signed?
Ans.The India -Pakistan Indus Waters Treaty was signed by Nehru and General Ayub Khan in 1960.
14. Name the person who made a secret visit to China via Pakistan in July 1971.
Ans. Henry Kissinger ,  the advisor to the U.S. president Richard Nixon.
15. In which year did India sign the Treaty of friendship with Soviet Union?
Ans. In 1971.This treaty assured India of Soviet support if the country faced any attack.
16. When was Shimla Agreement signed?
Ans. It was signed between Indira Gandhi and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto on 3 July 1972 to bring peace.
17. When did the Kargil war take place?
Ans.In May - June 1999.
18. Under whose guidance did India start its nuclear programme?
ans. Homi.J.Bhabha.
19. Why did India refuse to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)?
Ans. India always considered the Treaty discriminatory. It felt that the Treaty was selectively applicable to non nuclear powers and legitimised the monopoly of  the five nuclear weapons powers.
20. What has been India's foreign policy post 1990?
Ans.  India's foreign policy has shifted to a more pro-U.S.strategy.

Chapter 3 Politics of Planned Development

1. What is Bombay plan?
Ans. A section of big industrialists got together in 1944  and drafted a joint proposal for setting up a planned economy in the country. This was called a Bombay Plan
2.When was the first five year plan started ? Who was the economist involved in the making of this plan?
Ans. The first five year plan was started in 1951. K.N.Raj ,a young economist was involved in the making of the plan.
3.Under whose leadership was the second five year plan made?
Ans. P.C.Mahalanobis.
4.What was the main focus of first and second five year plan?
Ans. The first plan focussed on the development of agrarian sector including dams and irrigation and the second plan stressed on heavy industries.
5.Who gave the proposal on alternative blueprint that put emphasis on rural industrialization?
Ans.J.C.Kumarappa (original name J.C.Cornelius)
6.What kind of economic model of development did India adopt for planning?
Ans.Mixed economy
7.Which state of India was severely hit by the food crisis in early 60s?
Ans. Bihar,
8.What is zoning policy and when was it introduced?
Ans. It prohibited trade of food across states.It was introduced by the government during the food crisis in Bihar .This policy further reduced the availability of food in Bihar.
9.Why was Green revolution started in India?
Ans.In the wake of prevailing food crisis, the country was vulnerable to external pressure. So to reduce india's dependency on food aid, mainlyfrom U.S. Thus green revolution was started .
10.What is green revolution?
Ans. A new strategy for agriculture in order to ensure food sufficiency.
11. Who is known as 'Milkman of India '?.Name the cooperative started by him.
Ans. Verghese Kurien. Gujarat cooperative Milk and Marketing Federation Limited., that launched AMUL.
12.Name the Rural Development Programme started in 1970.
Ans.Operation Flood. It was the programme to assure the milk producers regular income throughout the year.
13. How many banks were nationalised in the late 1960s
Ans. Fourteen private banks.
14.Which body has replaced the planning commission of India?
Ans.NITI ayog in 2015
15. What is the full form of NITI ayog ?
Ans. National Institution for Transforming India .
16.When  and how was the planning commission set up?
Ans. It was set up in March  1950 by a cabinet resolution.
17.What is left and right ideologies in politics?
Ans. Left often refers to those who are in favor of the poor and downtrodden sections and support government policies that benefit the poor people. Rightist are those who believe in free competition and market economy and want less governmental interference in the economy .
18.What is known as Kerala model of planning?
Ans. It is a name given to the path of planning and development adopted by the state of Kerala .
19.Name the areas of focus in the Kerala model of planning.
Ans.Education,health, land reforms, effective food distribution and poverty alleviation.
20.Explain the term mixed economy.
Ans.It is a combination of free market economy and centrally planned economy. Both public and private sectors co-exist .Elements of both models -capitalst and socialist are taken and mixed together.

Chapter 2 ERA OF ONE PARTY DOMINANCE

1. What was the main challenge of building democracy?
Ans. Since the national unity was the first priority and that democracy will introduce differences and conflicts. Therefore many countries that gained freedom from colonialism experienced non-democratic rule.
2. When was the Constitution of India adopted and came into effect?
Ans. The Constitution was adopted on 26 th November 1949 and it came into effect on 26th January 1950.
3. When was the election commission of India set up and who was the first election Commissioner of India?
Ans. It was set up in 1950 and Sukumar Sen was the first Chief Election Commissioner of India.
4. When were the first general elections held in India?
Ans. It was held from October 1951 to February 1952.
5. The first general elections were expected to be held in 1950. But it was delayed,  why?
Ans. It was delayed due to the big size of India, delimitation of constituencies, preparation of electoral rolls, to devise a special method of voting and only fifteen percent of the eligible voters were literate. All these led to delay. The election commission trained over three lakh officers and polling staff to conduct elections.
6. Why was the first general election considered unusual?
Ans. Big size of the country and voters.The population of India was illiterate and poor.. Till then democracy existed only in rich countries of Europe.
7.What was the mehod of voting in the first general election of India? How the method charged later?
Ans. Each voter was given a blank ballot paper which they had to drop into the box of the candidates they wanted to vote for. About twenty lakh steel boxes were used for this purpose. After the first two elections this method was changed. Now the ballot paper carried the names and symbols of all candidates and the voter was required to put a  stamp on the name of the candidate they wanted to vote for. This method worked nearly for forty years.Towards the end of 1990s the election commission started using EVM.By 2004 entire country had shifted to EVM.
8. What was the Congress attitude after losing the assembly elections in Kerala in 1957?
Ans. On losing power in the state the Congress party began "liberation struggle"  against the elected government. The communist party of India had come to power.In 1959 the Congress government at the centre dismissed the government and imposed state emergency in Kerala under Article 356 of the Indian constitution. This proved controversial.
9.In how many elections did the Congress dominate?
Ans.. In the first three general elections  ie. 1952,1957 & 1962.
10.Name some countries having one party system?
Ans..Cuba, China Mexico and Syria.

Chapter 1 Challenges of Nation Building.

1. Name the two goals which our leaders had agreed upon after independence of India.
Ans.  A) that our country shall be run through democratic government.
         B) that the government will be run for the good of all particularly for the poor and the socially disadvantaged groups.
2. What was the circumstance in which India attained independence?
Ans. Freedom came with the partition of the country,
3. What were the three challenges before the newly independent India.
Ans. A) to shape a nation that was united to accommodate the diversity of our society.
         B) to establish democracy.
         C) to ensure well being and development of the entire society.
4. The partition was a outcome of which theory?
Ans. It was the outcome of  two - nation theory.
5. What is two -nation theory?
Ans. The two - nation theory was advanced by the Muslim League. It said India consisted of not one but two people. Hindus and Muslims. That is why it demanded Pakistan.
6. What do you mean by the principle of religious majorities?
Ans. It means that areas where the Muslims were in majority would make up the territory of Pakistan and the rest would remain with India.
7. The east and west Pakistan were separated by which territory?
Ans.  They were separated by a vast Indian territory.
8. Who was the leader of NWFP ( North West Frontier Province)?
Ans.  Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan, also known as the Frontier Gandhi.
9.  What was the stand taken by Frontier Gandhi towards the two - nation theory?
Ans. He staunchly opposed the two - nation theory. His voice was ignored and the NWFP   was made  to merge with Pakistan.
10. At the time of partition, some cities became divided into communal zones.Name them.
Ans. Lahore, Amritsar and Kolkata.
11. What was the percentage of Muslim population in India in 1951?
Ans. It was 12 %.
12. What is a princely state?
Ans. During British period several small and large states were ruled by princes.
13. How many princely states existed at the time of independence?
Ans.  565.
14. What do you mean by  the integration of princely states?
Ans. It means merging all the princely states with the Indian Union after independence.
15. Name those states whose merger  merge with the Indian Union was not easy.
Ans. They are Travancore, Manipur, Hyderabad, Junagarh and Kashmir.
16.Who played a historic role in negotiating with the rulers of princely states?
Ans. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
17. Who was Deputy prime minister and Home Minister during the period immediately following independence.
Ans. Sardar Patel
18.What is Instrument of Accession.?
Ans. Its a document signed by the princely states agreeing to be a part of Union of India.
18.Who was the ruler of Hyderabad?
And. Nizam.
19.Who were  Razakars?
Ans. They were para - military force of Nizam of Hyderabad.
20. Which was the first state in independent India to hold election based on universal adult franchise?
Ans. Manipur in June 1948.
21. When and why  was States Reorganisation Commission set up?
Ans. It was set up 1953 to look into the question of redrawing of the boundaries of states.
22. What was the main recommendation of State Reorganisation Commission?
Ans. It recommended that the states in India to be formed on linguistic basis.
23. When was the States Reorganisation Act passed?
Ans. In 1956.Thus 14 states and 6 Union territories were created.
24. Which was the first state created on linguistic basis?
Ans. Andhra Pradesh in 1956.
25. What was Vishalandhra movement?
Ans. Its a movement for separate Andhra. It demanded that the Telugu speaking areas should be separated from Madras province.
26. When was Maharashtra and Gujarat created?
Ans. The Bombay state consisted of Gujarati and Marathi speaking people.. Thus the state of  Maharashtra and Gujarat were created in 1960.
27. When and why  was Punjab created?
Ans. To separate punjabi speaking area from hindi speaking area. Thus Haryana and Himachal Pradesh were separated from Punjab in 1966.
28. Name the states created in the year 1972.
Ans. In 1972 Meghalaya was carved out of Assam. The states of Manipur and Tripura were also created in this year.
29. When did Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Nagaland become a state.?
Ans. Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram came into being in 1987. Nagaland became a state in 1963.
30. Name the states created in 2000.
Ans. Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Uttaranchal.

Chapter 9 Globalisation

1.What does the term Globalisation mean?
Ans. It is integration of economy of a country with the econoies of other countries of the world. Globalisation as a concept fundamentally deals with flows.These are flow of ideas,capital, commodity and people.
2. What is the crucial element in Globalisation?
Ans.  The crucial element is ' worldwide interconnectedness '.
3. Is Globalisation purely an economic concept?
Ans. It is not an economic concept. It is a multi -dimensional concept. It has political, cultural and economic manifestations.
4. Does Globalisation impact the whole world in a same manner?
Ans. No.The impact of Globalisation is vastly uneven. It affects some societies more than others and some parts of some societies more than others.
5. What are the  factors contributed to  Globalisation?
Ans. Globalisation is not caused by any single factor. But technology remains a critical factor. But other factors are historical factors, role of international organizations like IMF and WTO.
6.What is the major advantage of Globalisation?
Ans. It generates greater economic growth, greater trade among countries and increased independence and integration between people around the world.
7.What are different manifestations of Globalisation?
Ans.Political, economic and Cultural manifestations.

Chapter 8 Environment and Natural Resources

1. When and where did the Earth summit take place?
Ans. It was held in the year  1992 at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This summit was attended by 170 states, thousands of NGOs and many multinational corporations.
2.What is Agenda 21?
Ans. The Rio Summit produced conventions dealing with climate change, biodiversity, forestry and recommended a list of development practices called Agenda 21.
3.What are global Commons?
Ans. Those resources which are not owned by anyone but rather shared by a community. Eg.Earth's atmosphere, Antarctica, the ocean floor and outer space.
4. When was the Energy conservation Act passed in India?
Ans. In the year 2001.It outlines initiatives to improve energy efficiency.
5.Name some of the major environmental movements.
Ans. The forest movements,  movement against mining corporations and the Anti dam movement.
6.What is the main objective of Kyoto protocol?
Ans. It is an international agreement setting targets for industrialized countries to cut their greenhouse emissions.
7. What is Common Property Resources?
Ans. It represents common property for the group. The members of the group have both rights and duties with respect to the nature,levels of use and the maintenance of a given resource.
8.What is Resource geopolitics?
Ans. It is all about who gets what, when, where and how.
9 When was the World council of Indigenous Peoples formed.
Ans. In 1975.
10. What is the main objective of UNFCCC  of 1992?
Ans. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change provides that the parties should act to protect the climate system on the basis of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities.

Chapter 7 Security in the contemporary world.

1. what do you mean by the term security?
Ans. Security implies freedom from threats.
2. Name the four traditional security threats according to traditional notion of security threat.
Ans. Military threat, Threat of war, balance of power and alliance building.
3. What is human security?
Ans. It refers to security of human beings more than the protection of states.It also includes protection against hunger, disease and natural disasters.
4. The idea of global security emerged in the 1990s in response to global security threats. Name these global threats.
Ans. These threats are global warming, International terrorism and health epidemics like AIDS and bird flu and so on.
5. How do you define terrorism?
Ans. It refers to political violence that targets civilians deliberately and indiscriminately.
6. What are the three types of Human rights?
Ans. They are political rights, economic and social rights and the rights of colonised people or ethnic and indigenous minorities.
7. Differentiate between migrants and refugees.
Ans. Migrants are those who voluntarily leave their home countries. Wheras refugees are those who flee from war, natural disaster or political persecution.
8. How do health epidemics spread?
Ans. The health epidemics rapidly spread across countries through migration, business, tourism and military operations.
9.What is arms control?
Ans. Arms control regulates the acquisition or development of weapons.
10 Did NPT ie the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty of 1968 abolish nuclear weapons.?
Ans. The NPT did not abolish nuclear weapons, rather it limited the number of countries that could have them.

Chapter 6 International Organisations

1,When and why was United Nations founded?
Ans. It was founded on 24th October, 1945. It was founded to maintain international peace and security. Its objective is to prevent international conflict and to facilitate cooperation among states.
2 How many states are members of United Nations?
Ans. 193
3. Why are international organizations important?
Ans. International organizations help the member states to resolve their problems peacefully. They help the nations to cooperate with each other.They can help to produce information and ideas about how to cooperate.
4. When and why was League of Nations formed?
Ans. It was formed in 1919 immediately after the end of first world War. But despite its initial success in maintaining peace, it could not prevent the second world War.
5. How was United Nations set up?
Ans. It was set up through the signing of the United Nations charter by 51 states.
6. Who is the UN's most visible public figure?
Ans. It is the representative head, the Secretary General. The present Secretary - General is Ban Ki - Moon from Korea.
7. Which is the most important organ of United  Nations. How many members are there in this organ?
Ans. the most important organ of the UN is the Security Council. There are five permanent and ten non- permanent members.
8. Name the five permanent members of the Security Council. What special power do they have?
Ans. The five permanent members are USA,United Kingdom, Russia, France and China. They enjoy the power of Veto.
9. What do you understand by Veto power?
Ans. The decisions in security council is taken through voting. All members have one vote.  However, the permanent members can vote in a negative manner.Any negative vote by any one permanent member can stall the decision. This negative vote is called the veto.
10. Explain Human Rights Watch?
Ans. It is an international NGO involved in research and advocacy of human rights. Its the largest international human rights organization in the US.
11,  What is Amnesty International?
Ans. It is an NGO that campaigns for the protection of human rights all over the world. It promotes respect for all human rights in the Universal Declaration of human rights.
12. Name the principal organs of United Nations.
Ans.The  General Assembly,  Security Council, International Court of Justice, Secretariat,  and Economic and Social Council.The. Trusteeship Council was suspended on 1st November 1994.,with the independence of Palau, the last UN trust territory.
13. Name some important agencies of United Nations.
Ans. World Health Organisation (WHO), United  Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC), United Nations Children 's Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural organisation (UNESCO)
14. Why are reforms necessary in United Nations?
Ans. The reforms are needed so that the realities of the contemporary world politics are better reflected.
15.When  and why was the World Bank set up?
Ans. The World Bank was created during the Second World War in 1944. Its activities are focused on developing nations. It works for human development, agriculture and rural development, environmental protection, infrastructure and governance. It provides loans and grants to member countries.
16. What is the main function of The international Atomic Energy Agency. (IAEA)
Ans. The IAEA was established in 1957 to implement Dwight Eisenhower 's proposal 'Atoms for Peace '.It seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to prevent its use for military purposes.
17. How many judges are there in International Court of Justice?
Ans. There are fifteen Judges elected for nine years. It is based in Hague.
18. How many countries are members of International Monetary Fund?
Ans.  189 states. The headquarters in Washington D.C.
19. When was World Trade Organization set up?  What is its main objective?
Ans. It was set up in 1995. It is an international organization that regulates international trade.There are 164 members. Afghanistan became the 164th member in 2016.
20. What is GATT?
Ans. The General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs was created after the second world War, it was succeeded by World Trade Organization in 1995.

Chapter 5 Contemporary South Asia

1. What does the expression South Asia include?
Ans. The expression South Asia usually includes the following countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Afghanistan and Myanmar are often included in the discussions of the region as a whole. But China is not considered to be a part of the region.
2. In which year was Bangladesh created?
Ans. 1971.Before that it was known as east Pakistan.
3. Name the leader of East Pakistan who led the popular struggle against west Pakistani domination?
Ans. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
4.Who led the movement for democracy in Nepal?
Ans. The SPA. the. Seven Party  Alliance.,the Maoists and social activists.
5.Name the two conflicting ethnic groups of Sri Lanka,
Ans.Sinhala and Sri Lankan tamils.
6.What is the full form of LTTE?
Ans. Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
7.When was IPKF Indian Peace Keeping Force was pulled out of Sri Lanka?
Ans. In the year 1989.
8.What is the full form of SAARC?
Ans. South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. It was set up in 1985.
9.What is SAFTA?
Ans. it is South Asian Free Trade Agreement. It promised the formation of free trade zone in the whole of South Asia.
10.When was SAFTA signed?
Ans. It was signed in the year 2004 and it came into effect in 2006.
11. When did India and Pakistan sign the Indus waters Treaty?
Ans. In 1960, with the help of the world Bank both the countries signed this Treaty..This Treaty is regarding the sharing of water of river Indus.
12. What was the result of 1947-48 India -Pakistan war?
Ans. It resulted in the division of the province into Pakistan occupied Kashmir and the Indian province of Jammu and Kashmir divided by the Line of Control.
13. Who removed the elected government of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in Pakistan?
Ans. It was removed by General Zia -Ul -Haq in 1977.
14. When was multi party system introduced in Maldives?
Ans. In June 2005.
15.When was democracy restored in Nepal?
Ans. In 2006 a successful popular uprising led to the restoration of democracy and reduced the power of the king in Nepal.
16. Why did the people of of East Pakistan started the protest against the west Pakistan?
Ans.The people of East Pakistan resented the domination of West Pakistan and the imposition of the urdu language. They also protested against the unfair treatment meted out to the Bengali culture and language.
17.In which year was representative democracy based on multi party system introduced in Bangladesh.
Ans. In the year 1991.
18. How many countries are members of SAARC?
Ans.The SAARC was founded in 1985 with seven members, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Afghanistan joined as the eighth member in April 2007.
19.When did the Kargil war take place?
Ans. In June -July 1999. between India and Pakistan
20.What was Tashkent agreement?
Ans. It was an agreement signed between India and Pakistan in 1966

Chapter 4 Alternative Centers of Power

1. What was Marshall plan?
Ans. The massive financial help extended by America for reviving Europe's economy came to known as the Marshall plan
2. When was European Union created?
Ans. In 1992.
3.What is ASEAN? Who are the members?
Ans. It is Association of South East Asian Nations. It was established in 1967 by five countries of the region namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Phillipines, Singapore and Thailand. -by signing the Bangkok Declaration. Now the strength of ASEAN is ten.Brunei Darussalam, Vietnam, Lao PDR,Myanmar and Cambodia are also its members.
4.What is ASEAN way?
Ans. A form of interaction that is informal, non -confrontationist and cooperative.
5. Name the three pillars of ASEAN.
Ans. In 2003, the ASEAN established three pillars viz.the ASEAN economic community, ASEAN security community and ASEAN socio-cultural community.
6. When and why was ARF - ASEAN regional forum set up?
Ans. It was set up in 1994.It is an organization that carries out coordination of security and foreign policy.
7..What is Vision 2020?
Ans. ASEAN has defines its vision 2020 as a) An outward looking role for ASEAN in the international community b)A policy of encouraging negotiations over conflicts in the region c) Mediatory role of ASEAN eg.It has mediated the end of Cambodian conflict,the East Timor crisis.
8..When did China end its political and economic isolation?
Ans. In 1972 when china established its relation with USA.
9.Which Chinese leader proposed four modernisations?
Ans. The Chinese premier Zhou Enlai propsed four modernisations ie.agriculture, industry science and technology.
10. When was open door policy announced in China?
Ans. In 1978 by Deng xiaoping announced the open door policy and economic reforms in China.
11. Did China adopt shock therapy like Soviet Union?
Ans. No.It opened its economy step by step.The agriculture was privatised in 1982, industry was privatised in 1998.
12. When did China attack India?
Ans. In the year 1962.
13. Name the organisation set up under Marshall plan.
Ans.OEEC  Organisation for European Economic cooperation in 1948.
14. Name the currency of European Union.
Ans. Euro.. It can pose a threat to the dominance of the US dollar
15.How many countries are members in European Union.
Ans. There are 28 members. But in 2016 United Kingdom announced its exit from European Union.
16.Name the Treaty under which European Union was created.
Ans. The Treaty of Maastricht.
17.What does the ASEAN flag represent?
Ans. It represents ten stalks of paddy (rice) representing the ten southeast Asian countries. These countries are bound together in friendship and solidarity.
18. What does the stars in European Union flag stand for?
Ans.The circle of gold stars stand for solidarity and harmony between the peoples of Europe.
19.How many stars are there in the flag of European Union?
Ans. Twelve. The number twelve is traditionally the symbol of perfection, completeness and unity.
20. Which country has become the most important destination for FDI in the world?
Ans. China

CHAPTER 3: US HEGEMONY IN WORLD POLITICS.

1.When did the US HEGEMONY begin? What does hegemony mean ?

Ans. The US. hegemony began in 1991, after the collapse of USSR.Hegemony means leadership or predominant influence exercised by one nation over others. American hegemony is in the form of cultural, military, economic and political domination.

2. When did Iraq invaded Kuwait? 

Ans. In August 1990.

3.What is known as the first Gulf War? 

Ans. When a massive coalition forces of 6 lakh 60 thousand troops from 34 countries fought against Iraq and defeated it.This came to be known as the first Gulf War.

4. Who was the American president during the first Gulf War? 

Ans.  George Herbert Walker Bush.(George H.W.Bush) 

5. What was operation Desert Storm? 

Ans. The UN operation againt Iraq during the first Gulf War. 

6. Who was the President of Iraq at that time? 

Ans.Saddam Hussein. 

7 What were the major highlights of the first Gulf War? 

Ans. - The war revealed a vast technological gap between the American military capabilities and that of other states. 

     -  It was a computer war

     - Due to widespread television coverage it was a video game war as well.

8.Who succeeded George H.W. Bush as the president of USA?

Ans. Bill Clinton of Democratic party in 1992.

9.For how long did Bill Clinton ruled USA.?

Ans. He was the President of America from 1992 to 2000. For tenure of 8 years ie.two terms.

10. What is operation Infinite Reach?

Ans. Operation Infinite Reach is a series of cruise missile strikes on Al-Qaeda terrorist targets in Sudan and Afghanistan. It was ordered by Clinton without any regard to any provision of international law or UN.

11.Why is the date 9/11 significant in the Contemporary world? 

Ans. On 11 September 2001, the state of America faced the biggest terrorist attacks in the world. 

12.Who was the President of  USA.during this attack? 

Ans. George. W.Bush, son of eariier president George. H.W.Bush.

13.After the terror strike of 2001, as a part of its global war on Terror, name the operation launched by America. 

Ans. Operation Enduring Freedom. 

14. What is Operation Enduring Freedom? 

Ans. It is against all those suspected to be behind the 9/11 attack, mainly Al -Qaeda and the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. 

15.Where did the US keep the persons who were arrested for being a supect in this attack? 

Ans. The arrested persons were detained in a secret prison at Guantanamo Bay,a naval base in Cuba.

16. What is known as Operation Iraqi Freedom? 

Ans. It is the codename given to the US invasion of Iraq on 19 March 2003.

17.What was the main reason for American invasion of Iraq in 2003?

Ans.To prevent Iraq from developing WMD ( weapons of mass destruction). 

18.What is US.share of world economy? 

Ans. 28 percent. 

19. Which system still constitutes the basic structure of the world economy. 

Ans. Bretton Woods system. 

20. Name the three most powerful and influential economic organizations that are the products of American hegemony. 

Ans. World Bank, International Monetary Fund and World Trade Organization. 

21 Where in the world was the first business school set up?

Ans. Wharton school at the University of Pennsylvania in 1881.The first MBA.courses were started in 1900.

22.What is America's share in world Trade?

Ans. 15%

23. Explain Us.hegemony as 'soft power'

Ans. American culture is the most seductive and powerful culture on earth. This attribute is called the soft power, the ability to persuade rather than coerce.

Chapter 2 - THE END OF BIPOLARITY

1. When  was the Berlin Wall built?
Ans.  It wss built in 1961 at the height of Cold war.It divided the east from West Germany.
2. What did Berlin Wall symbolise?
Ans. It symbolised the division between the capitalst and the communist world.
3. Why is the year 1989 landmark  during the cold war.
Ans. The Berlin Wall was bought down by the people on 9 th November 1989.This marked the unification of the two parts of Germany.
4.When did USSR come into being?
Ans. It came into being in the year 1917, after the socialist revolution in Russia.
5.  Name the ideals that inspired the socialist revolution of Russia.
Ans. The revolution was inspired by the ideals of socialism and need for an egalitarian society. (equal society).  It was opposed to the idea of capitalism.
6. Name the political party that dominated the Soviet political system.
Ans. The communist party.
7. What kind of party system was prevalent in Soviet Union?
Ans. The Soviet system had one party system ie.the communist party. No other political party or opposition was allowed. The economy was planned and controlled by the state.
8. Which countries were called the ' second world '?
Ans. Those  east European countries that came under the control of USSR followed the same economic system, that existed in USSR.This group of countries were known as the Second world or the socialist bloc.
9. When did Soviet Union invade Afghanistan?
Ans. In 1979.
10. Who became the general secretary of the communist party of the Soviet Union in 1985?
Ans. Mikhail Gorbachev. He wanted to reform the Soviet system.
11. Why did Gorbachev wanted to reform the system?
Ans. He wanted to reform the Soviet system to keep the Soviet Union at par with the information and technological revolutions that was taking place in the West.
12. When did the coup take place in Soviet Union?
Ans. In the year 1991. It was in this year the USSR also disintegrated.
13. What is CIS?
Ans. It is commonwealth of independent states.It was founded after the dissolution of Soviet Union It was founded by former republics of Soviet Union.
14. After the disintegration of USSR, who was accepted as the successor state of Soviet Union?
Ans. Russia. It also inherited the seat in the united nations security council.
15.For how long did the communist party rule the Soviet Union.
Ans. 70 years.
16. Who was Boris Yeltsin?
Ans. He was the first elected president of Russia (1991-99).
17.What is  Shock therapy?
Ans.The model of transition (change)  in Russia, Central Asia and east Europe that was influenced by the world Bank and IMF came to be known as shock therapy.
18.What was  the dominant ideology of Soviet Union?
Ans. Socialism
19.Name the military alliance started by USSR in 1955?
Ans.  Warsaw pact
20. Which was the first Republic to declare independence from USSR?
Ans. Lithuania was the first of the 15 Soviet republics to declare its independence.

Chapter 1 -.THE COLD WAR ERA

The chapter starts with the beginning of Cold war in the contemporary world. The world has witnessed two world wars. the first world War  between 1914 and 1918 and the second world War between 1939 and 1945.In 1945, the cold war began in the world.
1.When did the cold war end?
Ans. Soon immediately after the end of the second world War, there started another war in the world ie.the cold war.It ended in the year 1991.
2.Name the two countries involved in the cold war?
Ans.  The USSR and the USA.
3.What do you understand by the term cold war?
Ans. It is the war between the two super powers ie the US and the USSR.It was about power rivalry, arms race,military alliances,balance of power and about the ideologies.
4.What were the two conflicting ideologies prevalent in the world during the cold war?
Ans. The US represented  ideology of liberal democracy and capitalism and the USSR represented the ideology of socialism and communism.
5.Name the two alliances that dominated the world during the cold war?
Ans.  The eastern alliance, headed by Soviet Union and the western alliance headed by USA.
6. Which event represented the high point of cold war?
Ans. The Cuban missile crises of April 1961.
7.Who was the President of of US  during the Cuban missile crises?
Ans. John.F.Kennedy
8. On which two Japanese cities did Us drop atomic bomb in 1945?
Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
9.The alliance system led by the two super powers threatened to divide the entire world into two camps.Where id this division first happened?
Ans. It first happened in Europe. Most countries of Western Europe sided with the US and those of Eastern Europe joined Soviet Union.
10. In which year did NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation)  came into existence?
Ans. In the year 1949.
11.What was the main objective of NATO?
Ans. It was an association of twelve states which declared that armed attack on any one of them in Europe or North America would be regarded as an attack on all of them.
12.What was Warsaw Pact?
Ans. Pact means an agreement. The Eastern alliance, also known as Warsaw pact,was led by Soviet Union, it was created in 1955.Its main objective was to counter NATO forces in Europe.
12.Define CEATO and SENTO.
Ans. South East Asian Treaty Organisation and Central Treaty Organisation. These are the two alliance system built by USA in East and South East Asia and in West Asia ie.Middle East.
13. What is NAM and where did the first NAM summit take place?
Ans. Non Alignment movement. The first NAM summit took place in 1961 at Belgrade.
14.Name the founder members of NAM.
Ans.Josip Broz Tito of Yugoslavia,Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt and Pt.Jawaharlal Nehru of India.Sukarno of Indonesia and Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana strongly supported them.
15. How many members attended the first NAM summit?
Ans. 25 member states.
16. In which year did India sign the Treaty of friendship with Soviet Union?
Ans. 1971.for a period of twenty years.
17.Which countries joined the Non Alignment movement?
Ans. The newly decolonised countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America.
18.Why did these newly independent countries wanted to join the NAM?
Ans. these countries did not want to join either of the military alliances. They wanted to pursue an independent foreign policy.
19.What do you understand by the term Eastern Alliances and Western Alliances?
Ans. Most countries of Western Europe sided with USA.They came to be known as the western alliance. The countries that sided with USSR were known as the Eastern alliance.
20.The years 1980,1990 and 1991 are significant during the cold war. Why?
Ans. In 1989 the Berlin Wall came down. In 1990 Germany was unified and in 1991 The Soviet Union disintegrated.
W

Tips for cracking class 12 Political science Exams

1.Do not leave any questions, Atttempt all the questions
2.Keep the word limit in mind.Otherwise you will not be able to finish the paper
3.Try to answer 6 marks questions in the beginning
4.Highlight important points.It would be better if answers are written in points
5.Passage based questions are quite scoring.Attempt them carefully.
6.Read all the chapters from yourNcert textbook atleast once.
7.Picture or cartoon based questions are important. Do attempt these questions.
They are easy always.
   Wish you all the best