NCERT Solutions Class 8 Social Science Social and Political Life Chapter 1

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 civics Chapter 1: The Indian Constitution

Civics is one of the most crucial subjects in Social Science. It is the study of the duties and rights of citizenship. The Civics syllabus covers the topics related to human rights, power, duties, etc. Understanding these topics is very important for students to become responsible citizens of the country. And it will also help them score good marks in the Social Science exams.

A constitution provides a collection of standards and laws that the citizens of a nation should depend on as the foundation for how the country must be ruled. The Social and Political life chapters may look complex, with too many research-oriented questions and organized answer patterns. However, once a student grasps the core concepts, it will become easy to understand and learn this chapter.

Extramarks has developed detailed Social Science oriented study materials to make it easy for the students to learn and revise this subject. Our NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Civics Chapter 1 has been developed by subject matter experts and is considered to be one of the most reliable study materials in the market today. Students should regularly study the subject’s crucial topics and practice exercise questions simultaneously from our NCERT Solutions. Our NCERT Solutions will help students learn and revise the chapter quickly through detailed answers to this chapter. 

Apart from NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science Political Life Chapter 1, the students can access various additional study tools on the Extramarks website, including NCERT books, CBSE revision notes, CBSE sample papers and CBSE previous year solved question papers, etc.

Key Topics Covered In NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Civics Chapter 1

In our NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Civics Chapter 1, students will study the Constitution of India and how it has determined to form an appropriate governance scheme for the people of our country. The chapter describes the importance and significance of the Constitution in a democratic country.

Listed below are a few important features of the Indian Constitution as covered in our NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Civics Chapter 1:

  • Federalism: It is a type of government in which two levels of the government control the same territory.
  • Parliamentary Form of Government: The Parliamentary system is a system of governance. The Central government legislature is known as the Parliament. The Indian Parliament comprises the President, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The people have the direct right to elect their representatives. Separation of Powers: It means the division of government responsible for definite branches to limit any one branch from exercising the main functions of another. The intent is to limit the concentration of power and provide for checks and balances.
  • Fundamental Rights: As per the Indian Constitution, every citizen has six significant fundamental rights which protect them from the complete exercise of power by the State.
  • Secularism: A secular state is one which t encourages religious freedom for all its citizens.

Fundamental Rights: 

As mentioned above, in the Indian Constitution, six fundamental rights are given to the citizens of India that are listed below. These rights are equal for all the citizens of a country irrespective of their colour, caste, creed, or sex. The six fundamental laws are:

  • Right to Freedom
  • Right to Equality
  • Right to Freedom of Religion
  • Right to Exploitation
  • Cultural and Educational Rights
  • Right to Constitutional Remedies

The Right to Equality:

Equality is the foundation of democracy. The Constitution ensures that all citizens will be equal before the law. It means that the country’s laws will equally protect everyone. The State will not discriminate against a citizen based on religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth.

To get complete information on the six fundamental rights, please refer to our NCERT Solutions for Class 8 civics Chapter 1. 

Separation of powers:

 It is one of the features of the Indian Constitution. The state powers are divided into three parts for the proper functioning of a country. Those three parts include the legislature, the judiciary and the executive. The legislature has our leaders who are elected through votes; the executive powers refer to the people who implement laws. The judiciary power means the courts and their functioning.  

Federalism:

It is essential because in India we have a vast community of people living; therefore, only one form of government cannot rule them. Hence, different levels are necessary to form a government. The Panchayati Raj governs the village, the state government is responsible for governing the State, and the Central Government governs the entire country. More details about the different levels of government are given in our NCERT Solutions for Class 8 civics Chapter 1. 

Parliamentary Form of Government:

In a democratic government, the citizens have the right to elect their representatives of the country. When the Constitution was framed, it made sure that every citizen of the country, irrespective of caste, color, creed, and religion, would have the authority to appoint their leaders under the right to vote of all adult citizens in an election.

A democratic country requires a Constitution because of the following reasons:

  • It lays out specific rules that form the country’s origin that we as citizens aspire to live in.
  • It serves as a benefit of rules and the fundamental basis of how people want their country to be governed.
  • It lays out all crucial guidelines that rule decision-making within different societies of the country.
  • It helps with rules to safeguard the interests of minority people and prevent them from being dominated by the majority section of society.
  • It lays down specific rules based on which people from different religions and communities can coexist in harmony.
  • It lays down rules that guard against this misuse of authority by our political leaders.
  • It also provides certain fundamental rights to its citizens and protects their freedom.

Further in our chapter notes from NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Civics Chapter 1, we have two documents that are mentioned below. The first part is from the 1990 Nepal Constitution and the second part is from the latest Constitution of Nepal.

  • In Article 35, 1990 Constitution of Nepal, the powers to rule the country, set rules and manage the country are all granted to the King of the country and the ministers elected under him.
  • However, Article 75 of 2015, the Constitution of Nepal, states that the country’s rules, management, and governance will be based on the laws mentioned in the country’s Constitution under the supervision of the Ministers.

In a democracy, the country’s citizens are in charge of appointing their leaders. However, there is always a likelihood that the leaders might misuse their authority and use it for the wrong reasons. Hence, the Constitution has taken measures to safeguard the country against such misuse of powers.

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Civics Chapter 1 – Exercise and Answer Solutions

Extramarks NCERT Solutions are an exclusive set of study materials that are available to students once they register on our website. Chapter notes, questions with answer solutions, and revision notes are all available. By regularly studying from our NCERT solutions, students can easily get good grades in exams.

Click on the below links to access the question and answer solutions covered in our NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Civics Chapter 1.

  • The Indian Constitution Class 8 – Question and Answer Solutions
  • Social and Political Life Class 8 Chapter 1 – Question and Answer Solutions

In addition, students can also explore NCERT Solutions for other classes as listed below.

Key Features of NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Civics Chapter 1

Extramarks NCERT Solution for Class 8 Civics Chapter 1 focuses on presenting accurate and precise solutions that contain authentic answers to strengthen the learning of Civics for Class 8 students. Below are vital features why students should refer to our NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Civics Chapter 1:

  • Proper structuring and formatting of the answers is an essential components for scoring good marks. While writing an answer, the right approach can bring some extra marks. The answers are given in NCERT Class 8 Civics Chapter 1 are designed in accordance with the CBSE guidelines to help students score good marks.
  • The NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Civics Chapter 1 are definitive study resources where students can find precise chapter notes and study materials.
  • Another benefit of choosing NCERT Solutions is that these are written in simple and easy language so that students can get a hold of these concepts fast. These solutions also include pointers to make students’ answers look more presentable and structured.
  • These solutions also guide students with proper strategies that can save more time during exams. NCERT Solution for Class 8 Civics Chapter 1 consists of valuable techniques to help students complete papers within a given time.
NCERT Solutions Class 8 (Civics – Social and Political Life) Chapter-wise List
Chapter 1 – The Indian Constitution
Chapter 2 – Understanding Secularism
Chapter 3 – Why do we need a Parliament
Chapter 4 – Understanding Laws
Chapter 5 – Judiciary
Chapter 6 – Understanding Our Criminal Justice System
Chapter 7 – Understanding Marginalisation
Chapter 8 – Confronting Marginalisation
Chapter 9 – Public Facilities
Chapter 10 – Law and Social Justice


Q.1 Why does a democratic country need a Constitution?

Ans. A democratic country needs a Constitution because:

→ It lays out the important guidelines that govern decision making within the various societies of the country.

→ It lays down the ideals that form the basis of the kind of country that its citizens aspire to live in.

→ It serves as a set of rules and principles which forms the basis by which a country has to be governed.

→ It provides rules to safeguard the interests of minorities and prevent any kind of domination by the majority section of the society.

→ It lays down rules that guard against the misuse of power by any politician leader.

→ It also provides rights to its citizens and protects their freedom.

Q.2 Look at the wordings of the two documents given below. The first column is from the 1990 Nepal Constitution. The second column is from the more recent Constitution of Nepal.

1990 Constitution of Nepal
Part 7: Executive		 2007 Interim Constitution
Part 5: Executive
Article 35: Executive Power: The executive power of the Kingdom of Nepal shall be vested in His Majesty and the Council of Ministers. Article 37: Executive Power: the executive power of Nepal shall be vested in the council of Ministers.

What is the difference in who exercises ‘Executive Power’ in the above two Constitutions of Nepal?

Ans. The difference in who exercises “Executive Power” in the two given Constitutions of Nepal is that in the 1990 Constitution, this power was vested in the King and his Council of Ministers, while in the 2007 Interim Constitution of Nepal, “Executive Power” changed hands to being vested only in the Council of Ministers, thereby making Nepal a democracy from being a monarchy.

Nepal needs a new Constitution today because it is no longer a monarchy. The older Constitution vested power in the King, but when the country is now a democracy, a new Constitution is needed to reflect the “democratic” ideals of Nepal.

Q.3 What would happen if there were no restrictions on the power of elected representatives?

Ans. If there are no restrictions on the power of the elected representatives, the leaders might misuse the powers given to them. The Constitution provides safeguards against this misuse of power by our political leaders.

Their misuse of authority can result in gross injustice to society.

They can use their power against other, less powerful people or groups.

They can enforce decisions that exclude minorities and go against their interests.

Q.4 In each of the following situations, identify the minority. Write one reason why you think it is important to respect the views of the minority in each of these situations.

(a) In a school with 30 teachers, 20 of them are male.

(b) In a city, 5 per cent of the population are Buddhists.

(c) In a factory mess for all employees, 80 per cent are vegetarians.

(d) In a class of 50 students, 40 belong to more well-off families.

Ans.

(a) Female teachers are in minority. The female teachers must be allowed space to voice their opinion so that their efforts at teaching are not hindered by their minority status.

(b) Buddhists are in minority. Every individual has the right to follow the religion of his/her choice. People of other faith must respect the religion other than their own.

(c) Non-vegetarians are in minority. Food is a personal choice so he/she should have the freedom to eat what he/she wants.

(d) Under privileged are in minority. Citizens cannot be discriminated on the basis of their birth so their views have to be respected.

Q.5 The column on the left lists some of the key features of the Indian Constitution. In the other column write two sentences, in your own words, on why you think this feature is important:

Key Feature Significance
Federalism

Separation of Powers

Fundamental Rights

Parliamentary Form of Government

 

Ans. Key features:

1. Federalism: It ensures national unity and at the same time allows individual progress. A federal government allows the Centre to hold supreme power but its Constituent States have some power as well.

2. Separation of Powers: This serves two purposes: firstly, tyrannical use of power is avoided since it does not vest power in any single authority. Secondly, the three organs of power also work as a check on each other, thereby maintaining a good balance.

3. Fundamental Rights: These are important because they conform to a humane society. They also protect citizens against arbitrary and absolute use of power by the State.

4. Parliamentary Form of Government: It upholds universal adult franchise. This entails the fact that the people of a country play a direct role in electing their representatives to run the state as well as the nation.

Q.6 Write down the names of the Indian States, which share borders with the following neighbouring nations:

(a) Bangladesh

(b) Bhutan

(c) Nepal

Ans.

The Indian States, which share borders with Bangladesh, are West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, and Tripura.
The Indian States, which share borders with Bhutan, are West Bengal, Assam, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh.
The Indian States, which share borders with Nepal, are West Bengal, Bihar, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.

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FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

The importance of using the NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Civics Chapter 1 are:

  1. NCERT Solutions strictly follow the latest CBSE syllabus and guidelines.
  2. Diagrams, Illustrations, and charts are included in the answers to help visual learning.
  3. Fundamental topics are explained in simple and understandable language.
  4. Since the solutions are prepared by subject matter experts, it is considered to be the most reliable reference tool for exam preparation of students.

Social science is an exciting subject. Students of Class 8 can easily score good grades in Class 8 Social Science by going through the NCERT textbook in depth. Apart from the textbook, students can rely on online learning solutions from Extramarks. Our study notes and NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Civics Chapter 1 are prepared by expert subject teachers as per the updated CBSE guidelines. The solutions are designed in simple language so that students can understand the concepts easily. 

 

The significance of class 8 Social Science and Political Life Chapter 1 is that the chapter explains the Constitution of India, its importance and history, fundamental rights, and other essential topics. Students can access NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science Civics Chapter 1 from the Extramarks website and the Extramarks app. The NCERT solutions given here can help students to learn in-depth answers to the questions given in the chapter, understand the main concepts and finally, prepare well for their exams.