Chapter 10 India After Independence

JAC Board Class 8th Social Science Solutions History Chapter 10 India After Independence

JAC Class 8th History India After Independence InText Questions and Answers

Page 131

Question 2.
Imagine a conversation between a father and son in a Muslim family. After Partition, the son thinks it would be wiser for them to move to Pakistan while the father believes that they should continue to live in India. Taking information from the chapter so far (and Chapter 11), act out what each would say.
Answer:
Students need to do it on their own.

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Question 3.
Discuss in your class, one advantageand one disadvantage today of the decision to keep English as a language of India.
Answer:
One advantage and one disadvantage of the decision to keep English as a language of India today are:

1. Advantage:
   The Indians are kept united by using the English language in India.
2. Disadvantage:
   The English language caused hindrance in the development of the national language i.e., hindi. It also made them non-native in their own land.

Look at Figs. 5 (a), 5 (b) and 5 (c). Notice how the Princely States disappear in 5 (b). Identify the new states that were formed in 1956 and later and the languages of these states.

Answer:
After the creation of Andhra, other linguistic communities also demanded their own separate states. A States Reorganisation Commission was set up, which submitted its report in 1956, recommending the redrawing of district and provincial boundaries to form compact provinces of Assamese, Bengali, Oriya, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu speakers respectively. The large Hindi-speaking region of north India was also to be broken up into several states. A little later, in 1960, the bilingual state of Bombay was divided into separate states for Marathi and Gujarati speakers. In 1966, the state of Punjab was also divided into Punjab and Haryana, the former for the Punjabi speakers (who were also mostly Sikhs), the latter for the rest (who spoke not Punjabi but versions of Haryanvi or Hindi).

Page 137

Question 5.
Discuss in your class whether Mira Behn was right in her view that science and machinery would create problems for human beings. You may like to think about examples of the effects of industrial pollution and deforestation on the world today.
Answer:
Mira Behn was right in her view that science and machinery would create problems for human beings. They create different types of problems such as industrial pollution, deforestation can be termed as environmental problems. These problems caused many natural disasters like flood, drought. Industrial pollution lead to toxic air which causes many diseases. Mira Behn followed the Gandhiji’s principals and devoted her life to the development of human beings. Mira Behn followed the Gandhiji’s principals and devoted her life to the development of human beings.

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Question 6.
Imagine you are witness to an argument between an adivasi and a person who is opposed to the reservation of seats and jobs. What ~ might be the arguments you heard each of them put forward? Act out the conversation.
Answer:
An argument between an adivasi and a person who is opposed to the reservation of seats and jobs can be as follows:
Adivasi:
We are weak in every context, like economically, socially, education. We are backward in everything so we should get reservation.

Person:
It will affect our lives too much. Our jobs and seats are decreasing and there are more people for one job.

Adivasi:
You people have dominated us for many generations and made us work as slaves as well. Now the time has come to be equal by getting education and jobs.

Person:
You are responsible for your own condition and not us. People will always try to take advantage but you I have to handle it tactfully. God has made everyone equal. Reservations would not make us equal.

Adivasi:
But the Government of India would help us and look after us.

JAC Class 8th History India After Independence Textbook Questions and Answers

( Let’s Recall )

Question 1.
Name three problems that the newly independent nation of India faced.
Answer:
(i) The three problems that the newly independent nation of India faced are:
India After Independence come to India and they had to be given food and shelter.

(ii) There were almost 500 princely states and their Maharajas and Nawabs had to be persuaded to join in the development of the new nation.

(iii) The new country had to frame and acquire a new political system for the benefit of the country’s people.

Question 2.
What was the role of the Planning Commission?
Answer:
The role of the Planning Commission was to formulate, draw up plan and execute suitable and appropriate policies for the economic development.

Question 3.
Fill in the blanks:
(a) Subjects that were placed on the Union List were and…….
(b) Subjects on the Concurrent List were and…….
(c) Economic planning by which both the state and the private sector played a role in development was called a model.
(d) The death of sparked off such violent protests that the government was forced to give in to the demand for the linguistic state of Andhra.
Answer:
(a) Taxes, defence, foreign affairs.
(b) forests, agriculture
(c) Mixed economy
(d) Potti Sriramulu

Question 4.
State whether true or false:
(a) At independence, the majority of Indians lived in villages.
(b) The Constituent Assembly was made up of members of the Congress party.
(c) In the first national election, only men were allowed to vote.
(d) The Second Five Year Plan focused on the development of heavy industry.
Answer:
(a) True
(b) False
(c) False
(d)True

(Let’s Discuss)

Question 5.
What did Dr. Ambedkar mean when he said that “In politics we will have equality, and in social and economic life we will have inequality”?

Answer:
Dr. Ambedkar meant that political democracy had to be accompanied by economic and social democracy. Giving the right to vote would not automatically lead to the removal of other inequalities such as between rich and poor or between upper and lower castes when he said that “In politics we will have equality, and in social and economic life we will have inequality”.

Question 6.
After Independence, why was there a reluctance to divide the country on linguistic lines?
Answer:
The Indian National Congress had promised that once the country won independence, each major linguistic group would have its own province, it was said in 1920s. However, after independence the Congress did not take any steps to fulfill the promise. The reason was that India had been divided on the basis of religion. As a result of the partition of India, more than a million people had been killed in riots between Hindus and Muslims. Country could not afford further divisions on the basis of language. Both Prime Minister Nehru and Deputy Prime Minister Vallabhbhai Patel were against the creation of linguistic states.

Question 7.
Give one reason why English continued to be used in India after Independence.
Answer:
English continued to be used in India after Independence because the south Indians opposed to Hindi as they were not comfortable with the language. In the Assembly, T.T. Krishnamachari conveyed “a warning on behalf of people of the .South”, also some of whom threatened to separate from India if Hindi was imposed on them. Hence, a compromise was finally arrived at that while Hindi would be the “official language” of India, English would be used in the courts, the services, and communications between one state and another.

Question 8.
How was the economic development of India visualised in the early decades after Independence?
Answer:
The economic development of India visualised in the early decades after Independence were as follows:

1. In 1950, the government set up a Planning Commission to help design, implement and execute suitable policies for economic development.
2. There was a broad agreement known as “mixed economy” model. In this type of economy, both the State and the private sector would play important and complementary roles in increasing production and generating jobs.
3. Planning Commission task was to define which industries should be initiated by the state and which by the market and how to achieve a balance between the different regions and states.
4. The Second Five Year Plan was formulated in 1956. This focused strongly on the development of heavy industries such as steel and on the building of large dams.
5. These sectors would be under the control of the State. They focussed on heavy industry and the effort at state regulation of the economy was to guide economic policy for the next few decades.

(Let’s Do)

Question 9.
Who was Mira Behn? Find out more about her life and her ideas.
Answer:
Madeleine Slade (1892 – 1982), also known as Mirabehn or Meera Behn, was a British woman and the daughter of the British Rear-Admiral Sir Edmond Slade. She left her home in Britain to live and work with Mohandas Gandhi, the leader of the Indian Independence Movement. She devoted her life to human development and the advancement of Gandhi’s principles.

Question 10.
Find out more about the language divisions in Pakistan that led to the creation of the new nation of Bangladesh. How did Bangladesh achieve independence from Pakistan?
Answer:
In 1947, India was divided into India and Pakistan. Pakistan had two regions – West Pakistan and East Pakistan. It was divided on the basis of linguistic majority. West Pakistan was dominated by Urdu speaking majority and East Pakistan was dominated by Bangla speaking majority. The West Pakistan people always considered the East Pakistan people as inferior and subservient to them. The East Pakistan people were not having all the fundamental rights and facilities.

This caused rage and dissatisfaction among the Bengali Muslims of East Pakistan. Hence, they revolted against West Pakistan. They began to migrate to India. Hence, India was compelled to intervene the situation which supported the East Pakistan. And, the war broke between India and Pakistan. Finally, India won the war in favour of East Pakistan and Bangladesh emerged as a new country in 16th December 1971. It was recognised as a sovereign nation and Muziburr Rehman was its first President.

JAC Class 8th History India After Independence Important Questions and Answers

 

Multiple Choice Question 

Question 1.
The Congress and the Muslim League could not agree to specific details of the proposal. After the failure of the Cabinet Mission, the Muslim League decided on mass agitation for winning its demand for Pakistan and it announced Direct Action Day on
(a) 16 August 1946
(b) 23 August 1945
(c) 16 July 1946
(d) 29 August 1946
Answer:
(a) 16 August 1946

Question 2.
The Indian Constitution came into being on………
(a) 20 August 1947
(b) 30 February 1949
(c) 20 January 1950
(d) 26 January 1950
Answer:
(d) 26 January 1950

Question 3.
The constitution adopted Universal Adult Franchise means all Indians above the age of would be allowed to vote in state and national elections. Later, this limit was reduced to 18 years.
(a) 19 years
(b) 20 years
(c) 21 years
(d) 25 years
Answer:
(c) 21 years

Question 4.
The Constitution helped to abolish the practice of untouchability by
(a) a certain percentage of seats in legislatures as well as jobs in government were reserved for women.
(b) all seats in local legislatures as well as jobs in government were reserved for members of the lowest castes.
(c) a certain percentage of seats in legislatures as well as jobs in government were reserved for
(d) a certain percentage of seats in legislatures as well as jobs in government were reserved for members of the lowest castes.
Answer:
(d) a certain percentage of seats in legislatures as well as jobs in government were reserved for members of the lowest castes.

Question 5.
Franchise means
(a) the right to free speech.
(b) the right to vote.
(c) both a and b.
(d) the right to choose religion.
Answer:
(b) the right to vote.

Question 6.
……… was the Chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee who played the most important role in framing the Constitution of India and supervised the finalising of document.
(a) Jawahar Lai Nehru
(b) Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar
(c) Lai Bahadur Shastri
(d) Sarojini Naidu
Answer:
(b) Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar

Question 7.
Both Prime Minister Nehru and Deputy Prime Minister were against the creation of linguistic states.
(a) Vallabhbhai Patel
(b) Sanjeev Reddy
(c) Mahatma Gandhi
(d) Lala Lajpat Rai
Answer:
(a) Vallabhbhai Patel

Question 8.
The veteran Gandhian Potti Sriramulu go on a hunger fast in October 1952 in demand for
(a) the formation of state a Malay to protect the interests of Malayalam speakers.
(b) the formation of an Andhra state to protect the interests of Tamil speakers.
(c) the formation of an Andhra state to protect the interests of Telugu speakers.
(d) the formation of a Tamil state to protect the interests of Telugu speakers.
Answer:
(c) the formation of an Andhra state to protect the interests of Telugu speakers.

Question 9.
The new state of Andhra Pradesh come into being on .
(a) 1st October, 1953
(b) 26th January, 1951
(c) 13th August, 1953
(d) 10th December, 1955
Answer:
(a) 1st October, 1953

Question 10.
The state of Punjab was divided into in 1966.
(a) Punjab and Uttar Pradesh
(b) Punjab and Himachal Pradesh
(c) Punjab and Rajasthan
(d) Punjab and Haryana
Answer:
(d) Punjab and Haryana

Very Short Answer Type Question

Question 1.
What were the main focuses on in the second five year plan for economic development and to create more jobs?
Answer:
The main focuses were on in the second five year plan for economic development and to create more job was on heavy industries.

Question 2.
In which year the state of Bombay was divided into separate states for Marathi and Gujarati speakers?
Answer:
In 1960, the state of Bombay was divided into separate states for Marathi and Gujarati speakers.

Question 3.
What does the ‘State List’ include?
Answer:
The ‘State List’ includes the education and health – principal responsibilities.

Question 4.
Several members of the Constituent Assembly wanted to replace English with Hindi. But non-Hindi speakers wanted English to be continued. What was the solution to this?
Answer:
Hindi was made .the official language of India; while English would be used in the court, the services, and in communication between states.

Question 5.
What was the basic objective of the foreign policy of Independent India?
Answer:
The basic objective of the foreign policy of Independent India was non-alignment, i.e., the American and Soviet alliances.

Question 6.
What became the symbol of development of Independent India?
Answer:
Dams and bridges became the symbol of development of Independent India.

Question 7.
In which year the Bhilai Steel Plant set up?
Answer:
The Bhilai Steel Plant was set up with the help of the former Soviet Union in 1959.

Question 8.
In what manner the Bhilai Steel Plant was seen?
Answer:
The Bhilai Steel Plant was seen as an important sign of the development of modem India after Independence.

Question 9.
Where is the world’s largest slum?
Answer:
Dharavi in Mumbai is the largest slum in the world.

Question 10.
How many Princely States were there in India at the time of partition?
Answer:
There were nearly 500 Princely States in India at the time of Partition.

Short Answer Type Question 

Question 1.
Which step of Constitution has been described as revolutionary?
Answer:
The step of Constitution which had been described as revolutionary was its adoption of universal adult franchise. All Indians above the age of 21 years would be allowed to vote in state and national elections. It was never done before and Indians had been allowed to choose their own leaders.

Question 2.
What was the intensity and measure of development at the time India got independence?
Answer:
At Independence time, the majority of Indians lived in the villages. Farmers and peasants depended on the monsoon for their survival. So did the non-farm sector of the rural economy for if the crops failed, barbers, carpenters, weavers and other service groups would not get paid for their services either. In the cities as well the condition was not quite good, factory workers and labourers lived in crowded slums. They had very little access to healthcare or education and they had minimum facilities.

Question 3.
How are the powers divided between state and Centre?
Answer:
The Constitution of India provides for a division of powers between the Union (Centre) and states. It divides all the subjects into 3 lists. They are a Union List, with subjects such as taxes, defence and foreign affairs, which would be the exclusive responsibility of the Centre; a State List of subjects, such as education and health, which would be taken care of principally by the states; a Concurrent List, under which would come subjects such as forests and agriculture, in which the Centre and the States would have joint responsibility.

Question 4.
Write in brief the problems in unifying the people of India after it got independence.
Answer:
The problems in unifying the people of India after it got independence were:

(i) India’s population in 1947 was almost 345 million. It was quite large. It was also divided. There were divisions between high castes and low castes, between the majority Hindu community and Indians who practised other faiths such as Muslims, Sikhs, etc.

(ii) The citizens of this vast land spoke many different languages, wore many different kinds of dress, ate different kinds of food and practised different professions.

Question 5.
Describe the special privileges that were offered to the poorest and most disadvantaged Indians by the constitutions.
Answer:
The special privileges that were offered to the poorest and most disadvantaged Indians by the constitutions were:

1. The practice of untouchability was abolished.
2. Hindu temples, previously open to only the higher castes, were open to all, including the former untouchables.
3. A certain percentage of seats in legislatures as well as jobs in government be reserved for members of the lowest castes.
4. Along with the former Untouchables, the adivasis or Scheduled Tribes were also granted reservation in seats and jobs.

Question 6.
Why a compromise was made with respect to language?
Answer:
A compromise was made with respect to language because many members believed that the English language should leave India with the British rulers. Hindi should be taken in its place, they argued. But, those who did not speak Hindi were of a different opinion. Speaking in the Assembly, T.T. Krishnamachari conveyed “a warning on behalf of people of the South”, some of whom threatened to separate from India if Hindi was imposed on them. A compromise was finally arrived at that while Hindi would be the “official language” of India, English would be used in the courts, the services, and communications between one state and another.

Question 7.
List the new Government’s priorities.
Answer:
The government’s main priorities after independence was that a majority of people had to be lifted above the poverty line and to achieve the agricultural productivity which had to be increased to feed the enormous population. Industries had to be set up to provide jobs for the jobless.

Question 8.
What do you mean by mixed economy?
Answer:
Mixed economy model is the economic planning by which both the state and the private sector plays a role in development.

Long Answer Type Question 

Question 1.
How did Andhra Pradesh come into existence?
Answer:
The Kannada speakers, Malayalam speakers, the Marathi speakers, had all looked forward to having their own state. However, the strongest protests, came from the Telugu-speaking districts of what was the Madras Presidency. When Nehru went to campaign there during the general elections of 1952, he was met with black flags and slogans demanding “We want Andhra”. In October 1952, a veteran Gandhian named Potti Sriramulu went on a hunger fast demanding the formation of Andhra state to protect the interests of Telugu speakers. As the fast went on, it attracted much support from people. Hartals and bandhs were observed in many towns and cities. On 15 December 1952, fifty-eight days into his fast, Potti Sriramulu died. But the protests were so widespread and intense that the central government was forced to give in to the . demand. Thus, on 1 October 1953, the new state of Andhra Pradesh came into being.

Question 2.
Describe briefly on abolition of untouchability and Reservation Policy.
Answer:
Abolition of untouchability and the Reservation Policy was another important feature of the Indian constitution. The Constitution offered special privileges and advantages for the poorest and most disadvantaged Indians. The practice of untouchability was abolished. Hindu temples, previously open to only the higher castes, were open to all, means it includes the untouchables. The Constituent Assembly also recommended that a certain percentage of seats in legislatures as well as jobs in government be reserved for members of the lowest castes.

Many members of the Constituent . Assembly argued against the Reservation Policy. But many members stated that the policy was necessary to uplift the Harijans and the backward people as they have been suppressed for thousands of years. Along with the former Untouchables, the Adivasis or Scheduled Tribes were also granted reservation in Educational Institutions and jobs. Like the Scheduled Castes, these Indians too had been deprived and discriminated against. The new constitution sought to provide them with good education, health care and a profitable livelihood.

Question 3.
Describe briefly the Constituent Assembly.
Answer:
The Constituent Assembly was set up to draft out the constitution of India. The Constituent Assembly met numerous times while the Indian constitution was being written. The writing of the constitution took almost three years to be completed; from December 1946 to November 1949. The meetings of the “Constituent Assembly” were held in New Delhi. The members of the assembly came from all over India, and from different political parties.

The most important role was played by Dr B.R. Ambedkar, who was the Chairman of the Drafting Committee. Under the supervision of Dr B.R. Ambedkar the document was finalised. The Indian constitution was completed and adopted on 26 January 1950. On 26th January, India became a Republic and since Republic Day has been celebrated on 26th January every year.

JAC Class 8 Social Science Solutions