Physical features of India

 Chapter 2- Physical Features of India

Textual Question Answers

Answer the following questions briefly.

i)What is the bhabar?

Ans:The Bhabar is that narrow belt of the plain which is covered with pebbles and lies alongt he foothills of the Shiwaliks from the Indus to the Tista.its average with is 8-16 km.

ii)Name the three major divisions of the Himalayas from north to south.

Ans:

1The Great or the Inner Himalayas or the Himadri, 

2.the Middle Himalayas or the

Himachal, and 

3.the Outer Himalayas or the Shivaliks.

iii)Which plateau lies between the Aravali and the Vindhyan ranges?

Ans:The Malwa plateau lies between the Aravali and the Vindhya Ranges.

iv)Name the island group of India having coral origin.

Ans:Lakshadweep Islands is the island group of India having coral origin.

Distinguish between

i)Bhangar and Khadar

Ans:

Bhangar

● These are the older alluvium or old soil and form the largest part of the Northern Plains.

● Presents a terrace like feature.

● Less fertile

 khadar

● The newer and younger deposits of the flood plains. Renewed every Year.

● Contains calcerous deposits locally known as Kankar.

● More fertile

ii)Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats

Ans:

Western Ghats

● Mark the western edge of the Deccan Plateau

● Continuous, can be crossed through the passes only.

● Higher; average elevation is 900−1600 meters

● It experiences orographic rain mostly in summer due to the summer monsoons. Thei Climate is hot and moist.

● Soil is highly fertile. Rice, spices, rubber and fruits like coconuts, cashew nuts etc.are grown

Eastern Ghats

● Mark the eastern edge of the Deccan Plateau

● Discontinuous, irregular and dissected by rivers draining into the Bay of Bengal.

● Lower; average elevation is 600 meters

● It receives rain mostly in winter through North-eastern monsoon. However, here the

rain is lesser than the western strip.

● Soil is not as fertile as western ghats. Rice, ground nuts, cotton, tobacco, coconuts

etc. are grown

4.Which are the major physiographic divisions of India? Contrast the relief of the

Himalayan region with that of the Peninsular plateau.

Ans:The major physiography divisions of India are:

(i) The Himalayan Mountains

(ii) The Northern Plains

(iii) The Peninsular Plateau

(iv) The Indian Desert

(v) The Coastal Plains

(vi) The Islands

The Himalayan Region:

● Young fold mountains made from the uplift of the strata formed by the sedimentary

rocks.

● Consists of the loftiest mountains and deep valleys

● Composed of sedimentary rocks.

● It is the origin of perennial rivers.

● From the point of view of geology, this region forms an unstable zone

The Peninsular Plateau

● Ancient landmass created after splitting of Gondwanaland.

● Consists of broad and shallow valleys, and rounded hills

● Composed of igneous and metamorphic rocks.

● It has rainfed, seasonal rivers.

● This region forms a stable zone

5.Give an account of the Northern Plains of India.

Ans:

● The northern plain has been formed by the interplay of the three major river systems,

namely the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra along with their tributaries.

● This plain is formed of alluvial soil which is suitable for agriculture.

● It spreads over an area of 7 lakh sq. km.

● The plain is a densely populated physiographic division.

● The Northern Plain is broadly divided into three sections, Punjab Plains, Ganga plains and Brahpmputra plains.

● According to the variations in relief features, the Northern plains can be divided into four regions. Bhabar, a narrow belt of pebbles which lie at the foot of Shivaliks. Terai,lie next to Bhabar which a wet and marshy area with wildlife and forests.

● Bhangar is made up of older alluvium plain which rises above the level of the flood plains. Khadar is a younger alluvium of the flood plains

6.Write short notes on the following.

i)The Indian Desert

Ans;

● The Indian desert lies towards the western margins of the Aravali Hills.

● It is an undulating sandy plain covered with sand dunes called barchans.

● This region receives very low rainfall below 150 mm per year.

● It has arid climate with low vegetation cover.

● Streams appear during the rainy season. Soon after they disappear into the sand as

they do not have enough water to reach the sea.

● Luni is the only large river in this region.

● Barchans (Crescent shaped sand dunes) cover a large part of the desert. Near the

Indo- Pakistan border, longitudinal sand dunes are more common.

ii)The Central Highlands

Ans:

● The part of the peninsular plateau lying to the north of the Narmada River covering a

major area of the Malwa plateau is known as the Central Highlands.

● The Vindhyan range is bounded by the Central Highlands on the south and the Aravali range on the northwest.

● The flow of the rivers draining this region, namely the Chambal, the Sind, the Betwa and Ken is from southwest to northeast, thus indicating the slope.

● The Central Highlands are wider in the west but narrower in the east.

● The eastward extensions of this plateau are locally known as the Bundelkhand and Baghelkhand.

● The Chotanagpur plateau marks the further eastward extension, drained by them Damodar River.

iii)The Island groups of India

Ans:

● India has two main island groups, namely Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar island.

Lakshadweep Islands

● These islands groups are located in the Arabian Sea, west of the Malabar coast of Kerala.

● The islands of this group are formed of coral deposits.

● It covers small area of 32 sq km.

● Kavaratti island is the administrative headquarters of Lakshadweep.

Andaman and Nicobar Islands

● These islands are located in the Bay of Bengal.

● The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, on the other hand, are larger in size.

● They are more in number and more widely scattered.

● These islands are an elevated portion of submarine mountains.

3:Water Resources

 Chapter 3:Water Resources 

Textual Questions Answers 

Answer the following question in about 30 words.

i)Explain how water becomes a renewable resource.

Answer: Water is a renewable resource as it is renewed by water cycle or hydraulic cycle itself, where three processes take place as evaporation ,condensation and precipitation. This process of water cycle is never ending and hence water is a renewable resource

ii)What is water scarcity and what are its main causes?

Answer:The shortage of water, as compared to its demand, is called water scarcity. According to Falken Mark, a Swedish Expert, water scarcity occurs when the water availability is less than 1000 m3 per person per day.

Causes of Scarcity:

Low rainfall

Water scarcity occurs in drought-prone areas.

Variation in seasonal rainfall.

Over-exploitation of water.

Excessive use of water.

Unequal access to water.

Great demand due to growing population.

iii)Compare the advantages and disadvantages of multi-purpose river projects.

Answer:Many river valley projects have been started for the purpose of integrated economic and social development of the river basins.

Advantages of multipurpose projects:

Dams are built for irrigation.

They generate electricity.

They provide water.

They help in industrial development.

They help in recreation and navigation.

They help in fish breeding.

Many benefits are obtained simultaneously. So they are called Multi-purpose projects.

Disadvantages of multipurpose projects:

They affect the natural flow of rivers.

This results in poor sediment flow and excessive sedimentation at the bottom of the reservoir.

It results in poorer habitats for aquatic life in the river.

They submerge the existing vegetation and lead to soil decomposition.

It also causes a large-scale displacement of the local communities.

Answer the following question in about 120 words.

i)Discuss how rainwater harvesting in semi-arid regions of Rajasthan is carried out.

Answer: 

Houses in the semi – arid regions of Rajasthan have traditionally constructed tanks for storing drinking water. They are big and are a part of the well-developed rooftop rainwater harvesting system. 

The tanks are constructed inside the main house or the courtyard, and are connected to the sloping roofs of the houses through a pipe. 

The rain falling on the rooftop travels down and is stored in the tanks. 

The first spell of rain is not collected as this water cleans the roof and the pipes.

 The rainwater from the subsequent spells is collected. This water is used till the next rainy season, and is a reliable source of water even after other sources have dried up.

 The tanks also help in cooling the houses as rooms built around them have generally low temperatures due to conduction.

(ii) Describe how modern adaptations of traditional rainwater harvesting methods are being carried out to conserve and store water.

Answer: Modern adaptations of traditional rainwater harvesting include:

In the semi-arid and arid regions of Rajasthan ‘Rooftop rainwater harvesting’ is practiced to store drinking water.

In hills and mountainous regions, people build diversion channels like the ‘guls’ or ‘kuls’ of the Western Himalayas for agriculture. 

In arid and semi-arid regions, agricultural fields were converted into rain fed storage structures that allowed the water to stagnate and moisten the soil like the ‘Khadins’ in Jaisalmer and the ‘Johads’ in other parts of Rajasthan.    

In Gendathur village, Mysore, about 200 households have adopted the rooftop rainwater harvesting method to conserve water.

In Tamil Nadu, it has been made compulsory for all the houses to have rooftop rainwater harvesting structures.

In the flood plains of Bengal, people developed inundation channels to irrigate their fields.    

Bamboo drip irrigation system is also being used in Meghalaya and other states in the North-East of India.  

CH 2 Federalism CLASS 10

 Political Science

 CH-2 Federalism

Q1. What is federalism? What are the main features of federalism? 

Ans Federalism is a system of government is which the power is divided between a central authority and its  various constituent units of country. 

Some of the key features cef federalism are as follows:

1.There are two or more levels / tiers of government.

2. Different tiers of government govern the same citizens, but each tier has its own jurisdiction in specific matters of legislation, taxation and administration. 

3.The jurisdiction of the respective levels or tiers of government are specified in the constitution .So the existence and authority of each tier of government is constitutionally guaranteed. 

4.The fundamental provisions of the constitution cannot be unilaterally changed by one level of government. Such changes require the consent of both the levels of government.

5.Courts have the power to interpret constitution and powers of different levels of government. The highest court acts as an umpire if disputes arise between different levels of government in the exercise of their respective power.

6. Sources of revenue for each level of government are clearly specified to ensure its financial autonomy. 

7. The federal system has dual objectives - to safeguard and promote unity of the country and to accommodate regional diversity.

Q2. Which two aspects are crucial for the institution and practice of federalism?

Ans:

 1.Government at different levels should agree to some rules of power sharing.

2.They should also trust that each would abide by spot of the agreement.

Q3. Write three features of unitary government? 

Ans: 

1.Under the unitary government either there is only one level of government or sub units are subordinate to the central government.

2.All powers are centralised in the hands of the central government. 

3.The central government can pass on order to the provincial or local government.

Q4. Highlight three major distinctions between coming together federation and holding together federation.

Ans: Coming together federation:

1.It involves independent States coming together on their own to form a bigger unit, so that by pooling sovereignty and retaining identity they can increase their security.

2.In this, all the constituent units usually have equal power and are strong vis-a-vis the federal government.

3.Examples are USA, Switzerland and Australia. 

 Holding together federation:

1.In this type, a large country divides its power between the constituent states and the national government.t

2 In this the central government tends to be more powerful vis-a-vis the states. Very often different constituent units of the federation have unequal powers.

3.Examples are Spain Belgium and India.

Q5. India is a federal country. Explain by giving examples.

Ans: India is a federal country and it can be stated in the following ways: 

1.Division of powers: The Indian constitution demarcates the power of the central and the state government into different lists of subjects. There are three lists namely Union list ,State list and Concurrent list.

2.Three tier system: Under the federal government different tiers of the government govern the same citizens. This is true for India.In India, we have a three tier system i.e. Union government State Government and Local government.

3.Amendment in fundamental structure: Under the federal government ,the fundamental provisions cannot be unilaterally changed by one level of Government and same is true for India. The Parliament cannot on its own change the fundamental structure of the constitution.

4.Judiciary: In a federation, the judiciary plays an important role in overseeing the implementation of constitutional provisions and procedures. This same is true for India. In case of any dispute about the division of powers the High court and Supreme court takes the decision.

5. Separate source of income: a clear mention regarding the financial power of the centre and the state has been made in the constitution of India.

Q6. Describe the three fold distribution of legislative power between the union government and state government.

Ans:The three fold distribution of legislative power between the union government and state government is as follows:

Union List:

•It includes subjects of national important such as defence of the country, foreign affairs, banking communication and currency.

•They are included in this list because we need a uniform policy on these matters throughout the country. 

•The union government can alone make laws related to the subjects mention in the union list. 

State List:

•It includes subject of state and local importance such as police, trade, commerce, agriculture and irrigation.

•The state government can alone make laws related to the subjects mentioned in state list.

Concurrent List:

•It includes subjects of common interest to both the union government and state government such as marriage, adoption succession ,education, forest and trade union.

•Both the Union and State Government can make laws on the subjects mention in this list.

•If their laws conflict with each other, the law made by the union government will prevail.

Q7.”The creation of linguistic States was the first and major move in our country”. Explain. 

Ans:

•In 1947 ,the boundaries of several states of India were changed in order to create new States .This was done to ensure that people who spoke the same language lived in the same state.

•Some States were created not on the basis of language but to recognise differences based on culture, ethnicity or geography. These includes states like Nagaland, Uttarakhand and Jharkhand.

•When the demand for the formation of States on the basis of languages was raised, some national leaders feared that it would lead to disintegration of the country.

•But experience has shown that the formation of linguistic States had actually made the country more united. It has also made the administration easier.

Q8. Explain the language policy of India. 

Ans:

•Our constitution did not give the status of national language to any one language. 

•Hindi was identified as the official language. 

•Besides Hindi, there are 21 other languages recognised as scheduled languages by the Constitution. 

•State too have their official language.

•According to the Constitution the use of English for official purposes was to stop in 1965. However, many non Hindi speaking States demanded the use of English to be continued. The Central Government responded by agreeing to continue the use of English along with Hindi for official purposes.

•Promotion of Hindi continuous to be the policy of the Government of India.

Q9. “The Constitution was amended in 1992 to make the third tier of government of the country more effective and powerful.”Explain.

Ans: The constitution was amended in 1992 to may the third tier of government more powerful and effective in the following ways:

•Now it is constitutionally mandatory to hold regular elections to local government bodies. 

•Seats are reserved in the elected bodies and the executive heads of these institutions for the Schedule Caste, Schedule Tribe and Other Backward Classes.

•At least one third of all positions are reserved for women. 

•An independent institution called the State Election Commission has been created in each state to conduct Panchayat and Municipal elections.

•The state governments are required to share some powers and revenue with local government bodies. The nature of sharing varies from state to state.

Q10. Describe the nature of Panchayat Raj system in India. 

Ans: Rural local government is popularly known as Panchayati Raj. The Constitution was amended in 1992 to make it more effective and powerful .The Panchayati Ran system  is the three tier system i.e. Gram Panchayat, Block Samiti Zila Parishad.

I)Gram Panchayat 

•It is a council consisting of several ward members often called panch and a sarpanch.

•They are directly elected by all the adult population living in that ward of village.

•It is the decision making body for the entire village. 

•The panchayat works under the overall supervision of Gram Sabha. 

Gram Sabha

•All the voters in the village are the members of Gram Sabha. 

•It has to meet at least twice or thrice in a year to approve the annual budget of Gram Panchayat and to review the performance of Gram Panchayat. 

II)Block Samiti:

•Block Samiti or Panchayat Samiti is formed at the block level.

•The members of this representative body are elected by all the panchayat members in that area.

•A few Gram Panchayat are grouped together to form a Panchayat Samiti / Block/ Mandal Samiti.

III)Zila Parishad:

•All the Panchayat Samiti or Mandal in a district together constituent the Zilla Parishad. 

•Most members of Zila Parishad are elected. 

•Members of Lok Sabha and MLA of the district and some other officials of other district level bodies are also its members. 

Zila Parishad Chairperson is the political head of Zila Parishad.

Q11. How is federal power sharing more effective today then in early years? Explain. 

Ans:

•Federal power sharing is more effective because of the nature of democratic politics in India.It has ensured that the spirit of federalism, respect for diversity and desire for living together have become a shared ideal in our country.

•Federal power sharing has helped to inculcate a habit of democratic participation.Federal power sharing is the best way to realise one most important principle of democracy namely local self government.

•Constitutional status of local government has helped to Deep and democracy. 

Q12. Mention the difficulties of the local government in India. 

Ans: 

•Most States have not transferred significant powers to the local government.

•There is a shortage of resources. 

•The Gram Sabha are not held regularly.

Q13.What is the main difference between a federal form of government and a unitary one? Explain with an example.

Ans:Federal form of government:

•In a federal form of government, the central government shares its powers with the various constituent units of the country.

• For example, in India, power is divided between the government at the Centre and the various State governments.

Unitary form of government:

•In a unitary form of government, all the power is exercised by only one government.

• For example, in Sri Lanka, the national government has all the powers.

Q14.How has the Panchayati Raj strengthened the democracy in India? Express your views.

Ans:Panchayati Raj is the best example of decentralization of power.

• It aims at decentralisation of power to the grass root levels.

• People can get their most of the problems solved at the local level.

• Local people make their progress plan of their locality and also have right to execute the plans.

Q15.Explain any five advantages of decentralization of power.

Ans:Advantages of Decentralization: 

• Sharing of power between centre and states and local government reduces conflict. 

• Large number of problems and issues can be best settled at local level. People have better knowledge of problems in their localities. 

• People have better knowledge of their own problems. 

• They know better on where to spend money and how to manage things efficiently. 

• People at the local level will participate directly in decision making.

Q16.State any two differences between the local government before and after the Constitutional amendment in 1992.

Ans:The following changes took place as a result of the amendment of 1992 :

(i) Before 1992, local elections were controlled by the state and not held regularly but after 1992, an independent State Election Commission is responsible to conduct elections regularly and is made mandatory to hold regular elections after every 5 years to local government bodies.

(ii) Local governments did not have any powers or resources of their own before 1992 but after 1992, the State governments are required to share some powers and revenue with local government bodies. 

The French Revolution Class 9

 Ch 1- The French Revolution 

Q1.Describe the division of French society before French revolution?

Answer:Before French revolution, French society was divided into three Estates:

• First Estate (Clergy): It comprised of persons who were involved in the functions of church. They were exempted from paying taxes and enjoyed certain privileges by birth.

• Second Estate (Nobility): It comprised those persons who had high social and political rank. They enjoyed certain privileges based on birth and also exempted from paying taxes. They also enjoyed feudal privileges. They extract feudal dues from the peasants.

• Third Estate: It comprises of big businessmen, merchants, court officials, lawyers, peasants, artisans, small peasants, landless labourers and servants. They pay direct tax to state called taille and a number of indirect taxes, levied on articles of everyday consumption. Peasants also pay called tithes to church.

Q2.What were the causes for the empty treasure of France under Louis XVI? Assess any three causes.

Answer

• Under Louis XIV, France helped the thirteen American colonies to gain their independence from the common enemy, British. The war added more than a billion lives to a debt that had already risen to more than 2 billion livre

• Lenders who gave the state credit began to charge 10 percent interests on loans which made large percentage of French government’s budget on interest payments alone.

• There were also expenses on cost of maintaining army, the court, government officials and universities.

Q3.Explain the emergence of the middle class in the 18th Century.

Answer

• In the 18th Century, social groups termed as middle class emerged who earned their wealth through an expanding overseas trade and from the manufacture of goods such as woollen and silk textiles that were either exported or bought by the richer members of society.

• All of were educated and believed that no group in society should be privileged by birth.

• Rather, a person’s social position must depend on his merit.

Q4.Explain the role of philosophers in the French Revolution.

Answer

• The philosophers presented idea of a society based on freedom and equal laws and opportunities for all.

• John Locke in his book ‘Two Treatises of Government’, sought to refute the doctrine of the divine and absolute right of the monarch.

• Rousseau carried the idea forward, proposing a form of government based on a social contract between people and their representatives.

• In ‘The Spirit of the Laws’, Montesquieu proposed a division of power within the government between the legislative, the executive and the judiciary.

• The ideas of these philosophers were discussed intensively in salons and coffee-houses and spread among people through books and newspapers.

Q5.Explain the events that led to the formation of the National Assembly?

Answer

• On 5th May 1789, Louis XVI called together an Assembly of the Estates General to pass proposal for new taxes.

• The First and Second Estates sent 300 representatives each to the assembly while 600 members of the third estate were present. Voting in the Estates General in the past had been conducted according to the principle that each Estate had one vote.

• But members of the Third Estate demanded that voting now be conducted by the Assembly as a whole, where each member would have one vote.

• As King rejected the proposal, members of the Third Estate walked out of the Assembly in protest.

• On 20th June in the Tennis Court of Versailles, they declared themselves a National Assembly and swore to draft the constitution and limit the powers of the Estate.

Q6.‘While the National Assembly was busy at Versailles drafting a constitution, the rest of France seethed with turmoil.’ Elucidate.

Answer

• While drafting constitution, a severe winter resulted in bad harvest. The price of bread rose, often bakers exploited the situation and hoarded supplies.

• Crowds of angry women stormed into the shops after spending hours in long queues at the bakery

• At the same time, the king ordered troops to move into Paris. On 14 July, the agitated crowd stormed and destroyed the Bastille.

• In the countryside rumours spread that the lords of the manor had hired people who were on their way to destroy the ripe crops.

• Due to fear, peasants attacked castles of noblemen and looted hoarded grain and burnt down documents containing records of manorial dues.

Q7.What is the significance of ‘The Tennis Court Oath’ in the French Revolution?

Answer

• On 20 June representatives of the third estate assembled in the hall of an indoor tennis court in the grounds of Versailles and declared themselves a National Assembly. They were led by Mirabeau and Abbé Sieyès.

• They swore not to disperse till they had drafted a constitution for France that would limit the powers of the monarch.

• Thus, the ‘The Tennis Court Oath’ ultimately ended all the privileges based on birth and introduces natural and basic rights.

Q8.Describe briefly the contribution of Mirabeau in the formation of National Assembly.

Answer

• Mirabeau was born in a noble family but was convinced of the need to do away with a society of feudal privilege.

• On 20 June, representatives of the third estate led by Mirabeau and Abbé Sieyès, assembled in the hall of an indoor tennis court in the grounds of Versailles.

• Mirabeau brought out a journal and delivered powerful speeches to the crowds assembled at Versailles.

Q9.What was the Estates General? Which demand of the Third Estate did Louis XVI reject?

Answer:The Estates General was a political body to which the three estates i.e., the clergy, the nobility and the third estate sent their representatives.

• In the past, voting in the Estates General had been conducted according to the principle that each estate had one vote.

• But the third estate demanded that voting now be conducted by the assembly as a whole, where each member would have one vote.

Q10.What was the importance of the Declaration of the Rights of Man?

Answer

• The Declaration of the Rights of Man did away all the privileges based on the birth which was prevailing in the old regime.

• It considered rights such as the right to life, freedom of speech, freedom of opinion, equality before law as basic and natural rights that belonged to each human being by birth and could not be taken away.

• It was the duty of the state to protect each citizen’s natural rights.