B-2 Ch-1 Challenges of Nation-Building - Test Papers

 CBSE Test Paper 01

Class 12 - Political Science (B-2 Ch-1 Challenges of Nation-Building)
  1. Goa and Daman Diu was ruled by _______ before 1961.
    1. British
    2. Purtuguese
    3. Denmark
    4. France
  2. What was the huge obstacle in nation building at the time of India’s independence?
  3. Which states were created on the basis of separate regional culture or complaints of regional imbalance in development?
  4. What were the circumstances when India attained its independence?
  5. Who played a historic role in negotiating with the rulers of princely states to join the Indian Union?
  6. Explain the role played by Sardar Patel in the unification of princely states in India.
  7. Name the leader who advocated separate state of Andhra Pradesh by observing fast unto death and participation in Salt Satyagraha.
  8. How did the state of Hyderabad became a part of the Indian Union after partition?
  9. What are the reasons being used by Nehru for keeping India secular? Do you think these reasons were only ethical and sentimental? Or were there some prudential reasons as well?
  10. Describe the challenges that India faced at the time of independence in 1947.
  11. Read the passage given below carefully and answer the following questions:
    The interim government took a firm stance against the possible division of India into smaller principalities of different sizes. The Muslim League opposed the lndian National Congress and took the view that the States should be free to adopt any course they liked. Sardar Patel, India's Deputy Prime Minister and the Home Minister during the crucial period, immediately after Independence, played a historic role in negotiating with the rulers of Princely States in bringing most of them into the Indian Union.
    Questions
    1. Which government has been referred to as the interim government?
    2. Why did the Muslim League oppose the Indian National Congress?
    3. What makes the role of Sardar Patel a historic one? Explain.
    4. Take a current political map of India (showing outlines of states) and mark the location of the following Princely States:
      1. Junagadh
      2. Manipur
      3. Mysore
      4. Gwalior
      5. What forced the Union Government of India to appoint the State Reorganisation Commission in 1953? Mention its two main recommendations. Name any four new states formed after 1956.

      CBSE Test Paper 01
      Class 12 - Political Science (B-2 Ch-1 Challenges of Nation-Building)
      Answer

        1. Purtuguese
          Explanation: Goa and Daman Diu was the colony of purtuguese. Indian government took military action to liberate Goa and Daman Diu in 1961.

      2. The huge obstacle in nation building at the time of India's independence was to shape a nation that was united, yet accommodative of the diversity in our society. India was a land of continental size and diversity. Its people spoke different languages and followed different culture and religions. At that time it was widely believed that a country full of such kinds of diversity could not remain together for long.

      3. Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Uttaranchal were the states created on the basis of separate regional culture or complaints of regional imbalance in development.

      4. Freedom came with the partition of the country. The year 1947 was a year of unprecedented violence and trauma of displacement.

      5. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel played a historic role in negotiating with the rulers of princely states to join the Indian Union.

      6. Sardar Patel was India’s deputy PM and the home minister during the crucial period immediately following Independence. He played a historic role in negotiating with the rulers of princely states firmly but diplomatically and bringing most of them into the Indian Union. Sardar Patel played the following roles in the unification of princely states in India:

        • He procured a letter of accession from the princely states through diplomacy and negotiation.
        • He used force and persuasion with the states of Hyderabad, Junagadh, Manipur and Kashmir for their merger.

      7. The leader Potti Sriramulu of Madras resigned from government job to participate in Salt Satyagraha and advocated equality in the society and demanded entry of Dalits in temples of Madras as well as observed fast unto death since 19 October 1952 to create a separate state of Andhra Pradesh. He undertook three fasts, during 1946-1948, in support of Dalits rights to enter holy places, such as the temples of Nellore. He fasted in support of Dalit entry rights to the Venu Gopala Swamy Temple in Moolapeta, Nellore, rights which were eventually secured. He again fasted to receive favourable orders, passed by the Madras government, to further uplift the Dalit community.

      8. At the time of independence, Hyderabad was ruled by Asaf Jah dynasty. Hyderabad, the largest of the princely states covered almost 1/3rd part of South India. Due to Nizam’s inclination towards Jinnah's he wanted Hyderabad either to be a part of Pakistan or an independent state. However, the governor general of erstwhile British India Lord Mountbatten was not in its favour & even congress opposed this idea. There were two reasons for that:

        So Nizam entered into a standstill agreement with India in November 1947. The state emerged as an independent state after India's independence. Many movements took place in Hyderabad; State especially in Telangana region where many peasants were victimized and oppressed by Nizam.
        So to counter this aggression Nizam retaliated by using his personal army called Razakars who started oppressive activities. This communal violence and atrocities knew no bounds. Razakars murdered, raped and looted particularly the non-Muslims. Therefore, the Central Government ordered the army to tackle the situation on 13th September, 1948. India launched “operation Polo” to contain the Razak's atrocities & overthrew it's Nizam, annexing the state merged into the Indian union. The Indian army marched in Hyderabad and on the 17th September, 1948. Hyderabad surrendered. This way Hyderabad became a part of the Indian Union after partition

        1. Majority of common people were Hindu
        2. Its geographic location and vast size comprising a large part of southern India would have affected united India.
        1. Nehru used the following reasons for keeping India secular :
          1. There was a Muslim minority who are so large in numbers that they cannot go anywhere else.
          2. In a democratic state, minorities must enjoy security and rights of citizens.
          3. All citizens should be equal irrespective of their religious affiliation. Being religious or a believer would not a test of citizenship.
        2. The reasons were not ethical and sentimental but prudential. In view of the fact that there were different communities, people of different religions - Muslim, Sikhs, Hindus, Christian, and Buddhists - it was necessary for India to be a secular state. The leaders including Nehru cherished the idea of a secular nation. This ideal has been enshrined in the Indian Constitution.

      10. India faced the following three challenges at the time of independence in 1947:

        1. The first challenge was to shape a nation that was united, yet accommodative of the diversity in our society. There were different culture, religions, languages in the country. It was a very serious question of unity and integration which was to be solved by the leaders.
        2. The second challenge was to establish democracy. The Constitution had granted fundamental rights and the right to vote to every citizen. Representative democracy had been adopted under the Constitution. The challenge was to develop democratic practices in accordance with the Constitution.
        3. The third challenge was to ensure the development and well-being of the entire society and not only of some sections. The Constitution had adopted the principle of equality and provided special protection to socially disadvantaged groups and religious and cultural communities. The Directive Principles of State Policy aimed at setting up a welfare state but the challenge was to evolve effective policies for economic development and eradication of poverty.
      11.  
        1. The government of free India working before the General elections i.e The Indian National Congress has been termed as the Interim Government.
        2. The Muslim League opposed the Indian National Congress because it was of the view that the states should be free to adopt any course they liked.
        3. The then India’s Deputy Prime Minister and the Home Minister, Sardar Patel played a historic role in negotiating with the rulers of Princely States firmly but diplomatically and bringing most of them into the Indian Union.
      12. The location of Princely States has been shown. See the Map given below :

      13. State Reorganisation Commission was appointed in 1953 by central Government to rearrange the boundaries of states. Its main recommendations were:

        The Madras province under British India created the following linguistic states:

        1. To organise states on language basis as well as the boundaries of state could reflect the linguistic aspects also.
        2. The Commission in its report accepted that the boundaries of the state should reflect the boundaries of different languages. On the basis of its report, the State Reorganisation Act was passed in 1956. This led to the creation of 14 states and six union territories.
        • Andhra Pradesh (Telugu)
        • Tamilnadu (Tamil)
        • Kerala (Malayalam)
        • Karnataka (Kannada)