Extra Questions
Short Answer Type Questions
Question 1: What is universal adult franchise?
Answer: Universal adult franchise is a very important aspect of democracy. It means that all adults (those who are 18 and above) have the right to vote irrespective of their social and economic backgrounds.
Question 2: What is the condition of the African-Americans despite legislations to stop inequality?
Answer: In spite of legislations to ensure equality, the African-American continued to be extremely poor and could afford to attend only the government schools which were lacking in facilities and well-qualified teachers.
Question 3: What is the challenge of democracy?
Answer: No country can be described as being completely democratic. There are many communities and individuals persistently pushing for greater recognition of equality in existing and new issues.
Very Short Answer Type Questions
Question 1: Define dignity.
Answer: Dignity refers to the thinking of oneself and others as worthy of respect.
Question 2: What is the civil rights movement?
Answer: It is the movement that began in the 1950s in which the African-Americans demanded equal rights and an end to racial discrimination.
Question 3: What do you mean by Constitution?
Answer: This is a document that lays down the basic rules and regulations for the people and the government in the country to follow.
Question 4: What are the ways in which the government implements the equality concept?
Answer: Through the laws and through the government programmes/schemes.
Question 5: What is the major factor that would help in reducing/eliminating inequality?
Answer: The change in the mindset and attitude of the people where nobody considers the other person as inferior; is the basic requirement for reducing/eliminating equality.
Long Answer Type Questions
Question 1: Describe the benefits of the midday meal.
Answer: The following are the benefits of the midday meal scheme:
- Increased attendance in schools: More and more students have started enrolling and attending school because of this scheme.
- Uninterrupted work for mothers: previously the mothers had to leave their work and attend to/ feed their kids when they came home for lunch but after this scheme was implemented there is no need for them to do so.
- Reduction in caste prejudices: children from all castes and classes sit together and eat their meal, and in many cases dalit women are employed to cook the meal.
- Better concentration in studies: when the poor students are not hungry, they can concentrate and study better in the school.
Question 2: Describe the provisions in the Indian Constitution regarding recognition of equality.
Answer: Regarding equality, the following are the provisions in the Constitution:
- Equality before law: Every person right from the President of the country to a daily wager; have to obey the same law.
- No discrimination based on caste, class, religion, gender, race, place of birth.
- Equal access to public place: All people have equal right on public places and amenities like playgrounds, markets, shops, roads, wells etc.
- Abolition of untouchability.
Question 3: Describe the struggle for equality faced by the African-Americans initially.
Answer: In the United States of America, the African-Americans whose ancestors were slaves who were brought over from Africa, had faced lot of discrimination and unequal treatment. One of the discriminatory practices they faced in their daily life was that they had to offer their seat in the bus whenever any white person wished to sit. One of the cases of such discrimination and resultant agitation is as follows:
Rosa Parks was an African –American. After a hard day at work she was travelling by bus. She refused to offer her seat to a white man. Her refusal to offer her seat in the bus to a white man on 1 December 1955 started a huge agitation against the unequal treatment meted out to the African-Americans.
