Key Elements of a Democratic Government Class 6 Important Questions with Answers
Class 6 Civics Chapter 4 Key Elements of a Democratic Government Important Questions and answers cover all the topics and help students to understand the concepts better. Students can solve these for practice. They may come across some of these questions in the final exam.
Students can clear their doubts from the chapter by solving these CBSE Class 6 Civics Important Questions and prepare well for the board exams. The links to download the PDF version of these questions are given in a link to this article.
Class 6 Civics Chapter 4 Key Elements of a Democratic Government Important Questions
1. Fill in the blanks.
(i) African people were divided into white, _______, Indian and coloured races.
(ii) Apartheid means separation on the basis of _______.
(iii) Non-whites were not allowed to _______.
(iv) _____________ led the struggle against apartheid.
(v) Through _____ in elections people elect leaders to represent them.
(vi) Elected representatives take decisions on behalf of the ________.
(vii) The earlier practice of untouchability is now banned by _______.
Answer:
(i) black
(ii) race
(iii) vote
(iv) The African National Congress
(v) voting
(vi) people
(vii) law
2. State True/False
(i) Nelson Mandela fought the apartheid system for several years.
(ii) Religious processions and celebrations can sometimes lead to conflicts.
(iii) In 1984 South Africa became a democratic country.
(iv) In our society there is a general tendency to value and care for the girl child more than the boy child.
(v) The key idea of a democratic government is its commitment to equality and justice.
Answer:
(i) True
(ii) True
(iii) False
(iv) False
(v) True
Answer the following questions
1. Name the river on which Krishnasagar dam and Mettur dam are situated.
Answer: Cauvery River
2. Who was the well-known leader of The African National Congress?
Answer: Nelson Mandela
3. What is “Zulu”?
Answer: Zulu is Afrikaans language.
4. Name the person who fought against untouchability.
Answer: Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
5. What ‘Apartheid’ means?
Answer: Apartheid means separation on the basis of race.
6. Where Hector lived?
Answer: Hector lived in South Western Township also called Soweto.
7. Who was Hector and what did he want?
Answer: He was non-white and wanted to learn his own language, Zulu.
8. Who is responsible for helping to resolve conflicts?
Answer: The government is responsible for helping to resolve conflicts.
9. When South Africa became a democratic country?
Answer: In 1994 South Africa became a democratic country.
10. List the various races that live in South Africa.
Answer: There are black people who belong to South Africa, whites who came there to settle, and Indians who came as labourers and traders.
11. Which party fought against the system of apartheid in South Africa?
Answer: The African National Congress was the party who fought against the system of apartheid in South Africa.
12. What Hector and other school students were forced to do?
Answer: Hector and other school students were being forced to learn Afrikaans language but they wanted to learn their own language, Zulu.
13. What is the key idea of a democratic government?
Answer: One of the key ideas of a democratic government is its commitment to equality and justice. Equality and justice are inseparable.
14. What are the effects of conflict in the society?
Answer: People may use violent means to settle their differences. This leads to fear and tension among others living in an area.
15. How did South African police treat the protesters?
Answer: The South African police beat up the protestors mercilessly and shot at the crowd. One of their bullets killed Hector. This was on 30th of April, 1976.
16. How does our society value the girl or the boy child?
Answer: Society does not value the girl and boy child equally. In our society there is a general tendency to value and care for the boy child more than the girl child.
17. What steps government has taken to promote justice among girls?
Answer: The government promotes justice among girls by providing special provisions such as waiving or lowering fees for girls in government schools or colleges.
18. How would Maya’s life be different in South Africa today?
Answer: Today, South Africa is a democratic country in which people of all races are considered equal. There is no more discrimination on the basis of skin colour. So, in today’s South Africa Maya enjoy equal status in the society.
19. What were the thoughts of Dr Ambedkar and other like him about the practice of untouchability?
Answer: Dr Ambedkar, and many others like him, realised that such practices must not continue and that justice can only be achieved when people are treated equally.
20. In Dr Ambedkar’s story did the practice of untouchability support the idea that people are equal?
Answer: No, practice of untouchability did not support the idea that people are equal because these groups of people were denied education, transport or medical facilities and even the chance to offer prayers.
21. How do people express their views and make governments understand what actions they should take?
Answer: There are many ways in which people express their views and make governments understand what actions they should take. These include dharnas, rallies, strikes, signature campaigns etc.
22. Why conflicts occur?
Answer: Conflicts occur when people of different cultures, religions, regions or economic backgrounds do not get along with each other, or when some among them feel they are being discriminated against.
23. What is the responsibility of police when there is fear that violence may erupt?
Answer: At times there is fear that violence may erupt, with people throwing stones or trying to disrupt the procession. The police is responsible for ensuring that violence does not take place.
24. Do you think it is important for all persons to be treated equally? Why?
Answer: Yes, it is important for all persons to be treated equally. Everybody has human rights and should be treated equally and with dignity. If anybody is tortured or treated in an inhuman or degrading way, it will create an atmosphere of revolt.
25. What were Hector and his classmates protesting about?
Answer: Hector and his classmates joined the protest against learning the Afrikaans language in school. This was the language that the whites spoke. Hector and other school students were being forced to learn this language but they wanted to learn their own language, Zulu.
26. Do you think the police shooting of Hector could have been avoided? How?
Answer: The South African police beat up the protestors mercilessly and shot at the crowd. One of their bullets killed Hector. Yes, the police shooting of Hector could have been avoided by talking with them in a peaceful manner or putting them in jail.
27. How do you think lowering the school fees would help girls attend school?
Answer: To some extent lowering the school fees would encourage those parents who find it difficult to spend money on girl’s education to think seriously about girl’s career. Thus, lowering the school fees would help girls attend school.
28. Look at some newspapers and discuss some elections that you may have read about. Why do you think elections are required after a fixed period?
Answer: All governments are elected for fixed periods. In India this period is five years. Once elected, governments can stay in power only for that period. If they want to continue to be in power then they have to be re-elected by the people. In this way the power of the government gets limited by regular elections.
29. How does the power of the government get limited?
Answer: The power of the government gets limited by regular elections. All governments are elected for fixed periods. In India this period is five years.
Once elected, governments can stay in power only for that period. If they want to continue to be in power then they have to be re-elected by the people.
30. When do people sense their power in a democracy?
Answer: All governments are elected for fixed periods. In India this period is five years. Once elected, governments can stay in power only for that period. If they want to continue to be in power then they have to be re-elected by the people. This is a moment when people can sense their power in a democracy.
31. Write a short note on ‘Apartheid Laws’.
Answer: Africa was earlier governed by apartheid laws. Apartheid means separation on the basis of race. South African people were divided into white, black, Indian and coloured races. According to the law, these races were not allowed to mingle with each other, to live near each other or even to use common facilities.
32. Write about ‘African National Congress’.
Answer: The African National Congress, a group of people who led the struggle against apartheid, and their most well-known leader, Nelson Mandela fought the apartheid system for several years. Finally, they succeeded and in 1994 South Africa became a democratic country in which people of all races were considered equal.
33. In Maya’s story did the government support the idea that people are equal?
Answer: The government did not support the idea that people are equal because the government followed apartheid laws. Apartheid means separation on the basis of race. People were divided into white, black, Indian and coloured races. According to the law, these races were not allowed to mingle with each other, to live near each other or even to use common facilities.
34. Why do you think we need the government to find solutions to many disputes or conflicts?
Answer: Conflicts can often lead to violence and death because one group decides that it is all right to use force to prevent the other group from protesting. The government is responsible for helping to resolve conflicts. Government is a constitutional body that maintains law and order. A country without a government may face crisis and lack of control. Hence, government is necessary.
35. Can you think of any experience from your life in which you have helped someone out of a situation which you thought was unfair? Did everyone else see it the same way? What did you have to say to convince others that what you did was fair?
Answer: Yes, I had an experience a few months back. At the red light, I saw an old lady begging. Though begging is crime, I gave her 100 rupees. I understand that act like this promotes beggary but she was down in fever and needed a medical help so, I helped her. Other people also showed sympathy towards her as she was too old to earn her living.
36. List five ways in which the non-whites were discriminated against.
Answer: Five ways in which the non-whites were discriminated against:
- Hospitals were separate and so were ambulances.
- An ambulance meant for white people would always be well equipped while one meant for black people was not.
- There were separate trains and buses. Even the bus stops were different for black and white people.
- Non-whites were not allowed to vote.
- The best land in the country was reserved for the white people, and nonwhites had to live on the worst available land.
37. “People participate by taking an interest in the working of the government and by criticising it when required.” Explain the statement with help of an example.
Answer: People participate by taking an interest in the working of the government and by criticising it when required.
In August 2005, when a particular government increased the money people had to pay for electricity, people expressed their disapproval very sharply. They took out rallies and also organised a signature campaign. The government tried to explain and defend its decision but finally listened to the people’s opinion and withdrew the increase. The government had to change its decision because it is responsible to the people.
38. “Rivers too can become a source of conflict between states.” Comment
Answer: Rivers too can become a source of conflict between states. A river may begin in one place, flow through another and end in a third. The sharing of river water between different places that the river goes through is becoming an issue of conflict.
For example: Cauvery water dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The water stored in Krishnasagar dam in Karnataka is used for irrigating a number of districts and for meeting the needs of the city of Bangalore. The water stored in Mettur dam in Tamil Nadu is used for crops grown in the delta region of that state. A conflict arises because both dams are on the same river. The downstream dam in Tamil Nadu can only be filled up if water is released from the upstream one located in Karnataka. Therefore, both states can’t get as much water as they need for people in their states. This leads to conflict. The central government has to step in and see that a fair distribution is worked out for both states.
39. What actions does the government take to ensure that all people are treated equally?
Answer: Steps to be taken by government
- The government should ensure that the constitutional provisions are implied in the country.
- It should make provisions to provide equal facilities to all classes of people and for promotion of education among girls and economically backwards.
- People from backward sections of the society should be given reservation in government jobs and educational institutions to help them improve their social status.
- Any act of discrimination against the untouchables should be considered as a punishable offence.
40. What are the various ways in which people participate in the process of government?
Answer: There are various ways in which people participate in the process of government:
- Through voting in elections people elect leaders to represent them.
- By taking an interest in the working of the government and by criticising it when required.
- People express their views through several ways such as dharnas, rallies, strikes, signature campaigns, etc.
- Newspapers, magazines and TV also play a role in discussing government issues and responsibilities.
- By organizing themselves into social movements that seek to challenge the government and its functioning. Members of the minority community dalits, adivasis, women and others are often able to participate in this manner.
Practice Sheet
1. What is Apartheid?
2. List five ways in which the non-whites were discriminated against.
3. Do you think it is important for all persons to be treated equally? Why?
4. Why do we have regular elections?
5. What are the various ways in which people participate in the process of government?
6. Why do you think we need the government to find solutions to many disputes or conflicts?
7. What actions does the government take to ensure that all people are treated equally?
8. Read through the chapter and discuss some of the key ideas of a democratic government. Make a list. For example, all people are equal.
9. In 1984 South Africa became a democratic country. True or False?
10. Who helped to resolve the conflicts?
11. How were the protestors treated by South African police?
12. Who is the well-known leader of the African National Congress?
13. When did South Africa become a democratic country?
14. Why do you think elections are required after a fixed period?
15. If the governments want to continue to be in power then they have to be _______
16. What are the many ways in which people express their views and make governments understand what actions they should take?
17. When do conflicts occur?
18. What is the role of the government in resolving these conflicts?
19. The downstream dam in ____________ can only be filled up if the water is released from the upstream one located in ____________.
20. In our Society, there is a general tendency to value and care for the boy child more than the girl child. True or False?