RBSE Class 10 Social Science Important Questions Civics Chapter 1 Power Sharing

Rajasthan Board RBSE Class 10 Social Science Important Questions Civics Chapter 1 Power Sharing Important Questions and Answers. 

RBSE Class 10 Social Science Important Questions Civics Chapter 1 Power Sharing

Objective Type Questions 

Question 1. 
When did Sri Lanka get freedom? 
(a) 1947
(b) 1956 
(c) 1948
(d) 1950 
Answer:
(c) 1948

Question 2. 
Belgium was declared as a free country-
(a) in 1830
(b) in 1836 
(c) in 1838
(d) in 1842 
Answer:
(b) in 1836

Question 3. 
Dutch speaking region in Belgium is-
(a) Brussels
(b) Wellon 
(c) Flemish
(d) All of these 
Answer:
(c) Flemish

Question 4. 
Sinhala was declared official language of Sri Lanka in-
(a) 1948
(b) 1956 
(c) 1958
(d) 1955 
Answer:
(b) 1956

Question 5. 
The government is called for the entire country in India-
(a) Central Government 
(b) State Government 
(c) Local Government
(d) Provincial Government 
Answer:
(a) Central Government 

Question 6. 
The most prominent social group in Srilanka is-
(a) Tamils
(b) Tribal group 
(c) Gond
(d) Sinhalas 
Answer:
(d) Sinhalas

Question 7. 
Where is the headquarters of the European Union located ? 
(a) Paris
(b) London 
(c) Geneva
(d) Brussels 
Answer:
(d) Brussels 

Question 8. 
In Belgium, apart from the central and state government, which government is third level ? 
(a) Panchayati raj 
(b) Community government 
(c) Minority government
(d) Dummy government 
Answer:
(b) Community government

Question 9. 
When did the civil war end in Sri Lanka ? 
(a) In 1998
(b) In 2002 
(c) In 2009
(d) In 2014 
Answer:
(c) In 2009

Question 10. 
Which language is spoken by most people of Brussels, the capital of Belgium ? 
(a) Dutch
(b) French 
(c) German
(d) Italian
Answer:
(b) French

Fill in the blanks

1. ............ is the very spirit of democracy. 
2. Division of powers involving higher and lower levels of government is known as ........... of power. 
3. In contemporary democracies, this takes the form of ........... among different parties. 
4. In a democracy, we find ................ such as those of traders, businessmen, industrialists, farmers and industrial workers.
Answer:
1. Power sharing 
2. vertical division 
3. competition 
4. interest groups

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1. 
What is called the social division based on sharing culture?
Answer:
The social division based on sharing culture is called Ethnic social division.

Question 2. 
In which year did Sri Lanka become a free country?
Answer:
Sri Lanka became a free country in 1948.

Question 3. 
Which majority community is situated in Sri Lanka?
Answer:
Sinhala community.

Question 4. 
Which two communities of Sri Lanka have conflict between them?
Answer:
Sinhalese and Tamil communities.

Question 5. 
State the two reasons for tension among the Sri Lankan Tamils?
Answer:

1. The priority is given to Sinhala speakers in government jobs.
2. Sinhala is recognised as official language. 

Question 6. 
Which city is the capital of Belgium? 
Answer:
Brussels is the capital of Belgium.

Question 7. 
What is the moral reason of power sharing?
Answer:
It is the spirit of democracy.

Question 8. 
What is the power sharing among different organs of government called?
Answer:
Horizontal distribution of power.

Question 9. 
Which type of ruling system is established at present in Belgium?
Answer:
Federal ruling system.

Question 10. 
Where is Belgium situated?
Answer:
Belgium is situated in Europe. It's border touches with France, Netherlands, Germany and Luxembourg.

Question 11. 
What is the ethnic composition of Belgium?
Answer:
59% Dutch-speaking, 40% Frenchspeaking and 1% German-speaking people live in Belgium

Question 12. 
Which people have been more strong and prosperous comparatively in Belgium?
Answer:
French minority has been more strong and prosperous comparatively in Belgium.

Question 13. 
Where is Sri Lanka situated?
Answer:
Sri Lanka is an Island nation situated a few miles off the southern coast of Tamil Nadu.

Question 14. 
Give an introduction of population of Sri Lanka
Answer:
Sinhalese in Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan Tamils, Indian Tamils, Christians, Muslims and others live in Sri Lanka.

Question 15. 
Which is neighbour island nation of India?
Answer:
Sri Lanka.

Question 16. 
In how many regions can Belgium be divided according to Ethnic composition?
Answer:
In four regions-

1. Capital-Brussels. 
2. French speaking region-Wellon.
3. Dutch speaking region-Flemish.
4. German speaking region.

Question 17. 
What do you mean by civil war?
Answer:
In a country, if tension creates among different groups, take violent form which seems like a war, is known as civil war.

Question 18. 
What do you mean by power sharing ?
Answer:
Power-sharing is a process of the division of power among different groups in order to ensure smooth run of the government.

Question 19. 
What do you know about community government?
Answer:
Community government is elected by people no matter where they live. It works without giving importance to any particular group.

Question 20. 
On which point does prudential reason insist?
Answer:
Prudential reason insists on beneficial results.

Question 21. 
On which point does moral reason insist?
Answer:
Moral reason insists on the importance of power sharing

Question 22. 
What do you mean by prudential reason of power sharing?
Answer:
To reduce the possibility of conflict among different social groups for power, they must be given share in power.

Question 23. 
What do you mean by moral reason of power?
Answer:
Power sharing involves with those who are affected by its exercise.

Question 24. 
What are the different organs of government?
Answer:
There are three organs of government. These are-

1. Legislature, 
2. Executive, 
3. Judiciary.

Question 25. 
Which were the two asiatic nations in which tension created between two linguists and community groups?
Answer:
Sri Lanka and Nepal.

Question 26. 
What is the basic principle of democracy?
Answer:
The basic principle of democracy is that people are the source of all political power.

Question 27. 
What do you mean by horizontal distribution of power?
Answer:
Power is shared among different organs of government i.e. Legislature, Executive and Judiciary.

Question 28. 
What do you mean by "Checks and Balances?
Answer:
It is a type of arrangement in which all the three organs of government check each other.

Question 29. 
What do you mean by vertical distribution of power?
Answer:
When power is shared among different levels of government, it is called vertical distribution of power.

Question 30. 
What step has been taken by Sri Lanka government to establish majoritarianism?
Answer:
Sri Lanka government passed an act in 1956 in which Sinhala was declared as the only official language.

Short Answer Type Questions (Type-I)

Question 1. 
Why is there a need of power sharing?
Answer:
Two sets of reason can be given in favour of power sharing

• To reduce Conflict between Groups- Power sharing is desirable for the establishment of political arrangement and to check. the political violence and political instability.
• Spirit of Law- A democratic rule involves sharing power with those affected by its exercise and who have to live with its effects.

Question 2. 
Explain the ethnic composition of Belgium?
Answer:
Belgium is a small country of Europe. Of the country's total population 59% lives in Flemish region and speaks Dutch. The 40% lives in the Wellonia region and speaks French. Rest 1% speaks German. The capital city is Brussels where 80% speak French and whereas 20% speak Dutch language.

Question 3. 
Give an introduction of population of Sri Lanka.
Answer:
Sri Lanka is an Island nation. Of the country's total population, 74% people are Sinhala speaking and 18% people are Tamil speaking. 7% are Christians, who speak both Sinhala and Tamil. Sinhala speaking people are mostly Buddhist and Tamil speaking people are both Hindu and Muslim.

Question 4. 
Who are 'Sri Lankan Tamils' and 'Indian Tamils'?
Answer:
Tamil natives of Sri Lanka are called Sri Lankan Tamils. Indian Tamils are those whose fore-fathers came from India as plantation workers dușing colonial period.

Question 5. 
What do you know about ethnic groups?
Answer:
People of any community believe that, they have. come from same fore-fathers that is why their physical structure and culture are same, so it is known as ethnic group.

Question 6. 
What do you mean by majoritarianism? Give the name of the country where majoritarianism is established?
Answer:
Majoritarianism means where majority community rules over a country, in whichever way it wants. They disgrade the wishes and needs of the minority.
Majoritarianism is seen in Sri Lanka.

Question 7. 
Write a short note on Majoritarianism in Sri Lanka.
Or 
What steps have been taken by Sri Lanka government to establish majoritarianism?
Answer:
The democratically elected government adopted a series of majoritarian measures to establish Sinhala supremacy :

• By the act of 1956, Sinhala was recognized as the only official language.
• Sinhala applicants were given priority in government jobs and provided facilities.
• Protection was given to Buddhism.
• This is the majoritarianism of Sri Lanka in which minority was disregarded.

Short Answer Type Questions (Type-II)

Question 1. 
Discuss the ethnic problems in Sri Lanka.
Answer:
In Sri Lanka, Tamils formed their own political party in against of Sinhala community and majority policies of government. They struggled to recognize Tamil as official language, to gain regional autonomy and they demanded for the equal opportunity in education and government jobs.

The tension between both the communities took a form of civil war in Sri Lanka. Thousands were killed. Many families were forced to leave country and became refugees. They lost their livelihood. Thus tension between communities created troubles in people's social, economic and cultural life.

Question 2. 
Write a short note on power sharing among different organs of government.
Answer:
Each democratic system had three organs of government–Legislature, Executive and Judiciary.

Legislature creates law, Executive executes the law and Judiciary interprets and applies the law and punishes those people for their offence who disregard the law.

The division of power among different organs of government has been done in such a way, that powers do not rest with any one organ of the state, and checks each other. It ensures the smooth run of the government.

Question 3. 
What were the demands of Tamils in Sri Lanka? How did they struggle for them?
Answer:
Tamils had demands before Sri Lanka governments

• The recognition of Tamil as an official language
• Regional autonomy to provinces populated by the Tamils.
• Equal opportunities in education and jobs.

But Sri Lanka government rejected their demand. They formed many political parties in against of government. As a result it turned into a civil war in which thousands of people were killed and it damaged public properties.

Question 4. 
What is difference between Horizontal and Vertical distribution of power?
Answer:
The main difference between horizontal and Vertical distribution of power is given below
(1) In Horizontal distribution, power is shared among different organs of government, while in vertical distribution, power is shared between government at different level such as central and state government.

(2) In Horizontal distribution, power is shared among different organs of the government at the same level, while in Vertical distribution, power is shared at the different levels.

Question 5. 
Give two examples of power sharing among different social groups.
Answer:
Power can be shared among different social groups as linguistic and religious. For example
(1) Community Government in Belgium- In Belgium equal share in power has been given to both linguistic groups in central government and majority of linguistic groups of member has been declared compulsory in formation of special laws.

(2) Reservation system in India-In some countries like India there are constitutional and legal arrangements, where socially weaker sections and women are represented in the legislatures and administration. This type of arrangement is meant to give space in the government and administration to diverse social groups who otherwise would feel alienated from the government.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1. 
“Power sharing is the spirit of democracy.' Explain by giving the examples of Belgium and Sri Lanka.
Answer:
(1) Power Sharing among Ethnic Groups in Belgium- The following constitutional amendments have been done among different linguistic groups (59% Dutch speaking, 40% French speaking and 1% German speaking) according to arrangement of power sharing-

(i) The number of Dutch and French speaking ministers shall be equal in central govenment. Some special laws need the support of the majority of members from each linguistic community.
(ii) Through the constitution many powers. of the central government have been handed over to the regional governments of two sectors/ areas.
(iii) In capital city Brussels, both communities have equal representation..

(2) Democratic Arrangement of Sri Lanka- Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims are found in Sri Lanka. By the act of 1956 Sinhala was recognised as the only official language of Sri Lanka in place of Tamil. Sinhalese were given priority in government jobs and education disregarding the other communities.

Majority Sinhala community does not give share in power to minority, in order to secure supremacy over minority. As a result the tension created between Sinhalese and Tamils which took form of civil war.

Question 2. 
What were the causes of conflict between two linguistic communities of Belgium? How was this problem solved?
Answer:
Main causes of conflict between the two linguistic communities of Belgium - 59% Dutch speaking and 40% French speaking people live in Belgium. 80% French speaking and 20% Dutch speaking people live in Brussels. French speaking community is more rich and powerful in Belgium. Dutch speaking community got the benefit of economic and education development much later. This led to conflict between the Dutch speaking and French speaking communities during the 1950s and 1960s.

Solution of the Linguistic Problem of Belgium:

• Constitution prescribes that the number of Dutch and French speaking ministers shall be equal in the central government. Some special laws require the support of majority of members from each linguistic groups.
• Many powers of the central government have been given to state governments of the two regions of the country.
• Brussels has a separate government in which both the communities have equal representation.
• Apart from the central and the state government, there is a third kind of government. This Community Government is elected by people belonging to Dutch, French and German speaking

Question 3. 
Define democracy? Why is power sharing desirable in democracy?
Answer:
Definition of democracy- In Abraham Lincon's words, “Democracy is the government of the people, by the people and for the people.”
It means people rule through their representatives is called democracy.
Power sharing is desirable due to the following reasons

1. To reduce the Possibility of Conflict between Social Groups- Power sharing is good because it helps to reduce the possibility of conflict between social groups. Since social conflict often leads to violence and political instability, power sharing is a good way to ensure stability of political order.

2. Spirit of Democracy- Power sharing is the very spirit of democracy. A democratic rule involves sharing power with those affected by its exercise and who have to live with its effects.

A legitimate government is one where citizens, through participation acquire a stake in the system. Thus power sharing is desirable for the development and welfare of society.

Question 4. 
Who would be called the horizontal distribution of power ? What are its features. Explain by giving example of india.
Answer:
Horizontal distribution of powerPower is shared among different organs of government, such as the legislature, executive and judiciary. Let us call this horizonatl distribution of power.

Features-

• It allows different organs of government placed at the same level to exercise different powers.
• Such a separation ensures that none of the organs can exercise unlimited power.
• Each organ checks the others. This results in a balance of power among various institutions.

Horizontal distribution of power in India-In a democracy, even though ministers and government officials exercise power, they are responsible to the Parliament or State Assemblies. Similarly, although judges are appointed by the executive, they can check the functioning of executive or laws made by the legislatures. The arrangement is called a system of checks and balances.

Question 5. 
What is the vertical distribution of power ? How does it work ? Explain by an example ?
Answer:
Vertical distribution of power when the government is divided into some levels and the power is distributed among them, it is called the vertical distribution of power.
In this, one power remains at the top and the rest at the bottom.

Implementation of vertical distribution of power with examples-
(1) In this power can be shared among government at different levels like a general government for the entire country and governments at the provincial oreginal level. Such a general government for the entire country is usually called federal government. In India, we refer to it as the Central or Union Government The governments at the provincial or regional level are called by different names in different countries. In India, we call them State Governments.

(2) This system is not followed in all countries. There are many countries where there are no provincial or state governments. But in those countries like India, where there are different levels of government, the constitution clearly lays down the powers of different levels of government. This is what happened in Belgium, but was refused in Sri Lanka. This is called federal division of power.

(3) The same principle can be extended to levels of government lower than the State Government, such as the municipality and panchayat in India.
Thus, it is clear that division of power involving higher and lower levels of government is known as vertical division of power.

Question 6. 
How do pressure groups, political parties and other organised interest groups participate in power ?
Answer:
Pressure groups, political parties and other organised interest groups also participate power in many ways. We can understand this in the following ways-
(1) Various types of political parties, pressure groups and movements control or influence in power.

(2) In a democracy, the citizens have freedom to choose among various contenders for power. In contemporary democracies, ti.is takes the form of competition among political parties. Such competition ensures that power does not remain in one hand. In the long run, power is shared among different political parties that represent different ideologies and social groups. Sometimes this kind of sharing can be direct, when two or more parties form an alliance to contest elections. If their alliance is elected, they form a coalition government and thus share power. Similarly, in a democracy,we find interest groups such as those of traders, businessmen, industrialists, farmers and industrial workers. They also will have a share in govermental power, either through participation in governmental committees or bringing influence on the decision-making process.

Question 7. 
What is majoritarianism ? How did majoritarianism spread in Sri Lanka ? What problems did it cause ? What was the result ?
Answer:
Majoritarianism is the situation in which the majority community should be able to rule a country in whichever way it wants, by disregarding the wishes and needs of the minority.

The Emergence of majoritarianism in Sri Lanka . With the formation of Sri Lanka as an independent country in 1948 majoritarianism began to emerge there. The leaders of the Sinhala community sought to secure dominance over government by virtue of their majority. As a result, the democratically elected government adopted following MAJORITARIAN measures to establish Sinhala supremacy-

• In 1956, an Act was passed to recognise Sinhala as the only official language and disregarding Tamil.
• The governments followed preferential policies that favoured Sinhala applicants for university positions and government jobs.
• A new constitution stipulated that the state shall protect and foster Buddhism.

Problems Created by Majoritarianism in Sri Lanka:

• Due to majoritarianism in Sri Lanka all these government measures, increased the feeling of alienation among the Sri Lankan Tamils,
• They felt that none of the major political parties led by the Buddhist Sinhala leaders was sensitive to their language and culture.
• They felt that the consitution and between the Sinhala and Tamil communities strained over time.
• They are being discriminated against in jobs and other work of profit and their interests are being ignored.

Result:

• Due to Majoritarianism in Sri Lanka, relations between Tamil and Sinhala communities was repeatedly denied.
• The Sri Lankan Tamils launched parties and struggles for the recognition of Tamil as an in governmental committees or bringing influence on the decision-making process.

Question 7. 
What is majoritarianism ? How did majoritarianism spread in Sri Lanka ? What problems did it cause ? What was the result ?
Answer:
Majoritarianism is the situation in which the majority community should be able to rule a country in whichever way it wants, by disregarding the wishes and needs of the minority.

The Emergence of majoritarianism in Sri Lanka . With the formation of Sri Lanka as an independent country in 1948 majoritarianism began to emerge there. The leaders of the Sinhala community sought to secure dominance over government by virtue of their majority. As a result, the democratically elected government adopted following MAJORITARIAN measures to establish Sinhala supremacy-

• In 1956, an Act was passed to recognise Sinhala as the only official language and disregarding Tamil.
• The governments followed preferential policies that favoured Sinhala applicants for university positions and government jobs.
• A new constitution stipulated that the state shall protect and foster Buddhism.

Problems Created by Majoritarianism in Sri Lanka:

• Due to majoritarianism in Sri Lanka all these government measures, increased the feeling of alienation among the Sri Lankan Tamils.
• They felt that none of the major political parties led by the Buddhist Sinhala leaders was sensitive to their language and culture.
• They felt that the consitution and between the Sinhala and Tamil communities strained over time.
• They are being discriminated against in jobs and other work of profit and their interests are being ignored.

Result:

• Due to Majoritarianism in Sri Lanka, relations between Tamil and Sinhala communities was repeatedly denied.
• The Sri Lankan Tamils launched parties and struggles for the recognition of Tamil as an official language, for regional autonomy and equality of opportunity in securing education and jobs.
• By 1980s several political organisations were formed demanding an independent Tamil Eelam (state) in northern and eastern parts of Sri Lanka.
• The distrust between the two communities turned into a civil war. As a result thousands of people of both the communities have been killed.
• Many families were forced to leave the country as refugees.
• Millions of people lost their livelihoods.
• The civil war has caused a terrible setback to the social, cultural and economic life in Sri Lanka.
• It ended in 2009.