Features of the Constitution | Class 7 | Civics | Chapter 3 | Maharashtra State Board
Welcome to our educational channel, where we explore the fascinating Features of the Constitution! Join us as we dive into the key elements that make up this incredible document, which has been shaping India's democracy since 1950. In this series, we will cover essential topics like federalism, separation of powers, the structure of the government, union territories, parliamentary system of government, an independent judiciary, single citizenship, the process of amending the constitution, and the election commission. Whether you're a student, a teacher, or simply curious about India's political system, our engaging and informative videos will provide you with a deep understanding of the Constitution's intricate workings. Subscribe now and stay tuned for our upcoming videos, and together, let's celebrate the spirit of Indian democracy!
Questions & Answers
1. Prepare a table to show the separation of powers in a Federal Government
Ans.
Union List | State List | Concurrent List |
Defence, foreign relations, war and peace, currency, international trade, etc. | Agriculture, law and order, local government, health, prison administration etc. | Employment, environment economic and social planning, personal law, education, etc. |
2. Find one word for:
1. The Government at the centre which carries out the administration of the entire country. Ans. Union Government
2. The machinery with whom rests the responsibility of conducting elections in a free and fair atmosphere. Ans. Election Commission.
3. The third list of subjects for making laws Ans. The Concurrent List.
3. Answer the following questions.
1. Why does the Government function at two levels in a Federation? Ans. The government functions at two levels in a federation for the following reasons:
• It's difficult to rule a large territory from a single capital city.
• Ruling a large territory from a single capital city can lead to the neglect of some far-flung areas.
• People residing in far-flung areas cannot participate in the affairs of the Government.
• If there is only one government to handle both central and state affairs, then there would be pressure and a lack of proper solutions.
2. What do you understand by Residuary Powers? Ans. Residuary powers are special powers given to the Union Government by the Constitution. These powers are not mentioned in the subject of the Constitution. The Parliament can make any law based on any matter that is not a part of the State List or Concurrent List.
3. Why has the Constitution created an independent Judiciary in India? Ans. The Judiciary includes the courts at various levels like the Supreme Court, the High Courts and the courts at district levels.
The Judiciary is independent of the legislative and executive in India. The Court’s primary responsibility is to protect the innocent citizens and punish the guilty.
To ensure that the judgement is given without the influence of any external agency, the Constitution provided the provision for an independent judiciary.
4. Hold a group discussion on the merits and demerits of an independent judicial system. Ans. Merits of an independent judicial system:
1) The judicial system enables the courts to give impartial judgments.
2) Judiciary does not act under any political pressure.
3) As the judges are appointed by the President and not by the Government.
Demerits of an independent judicial system:
1) As the judiciary is independent, it is out of the scope of the governments control.
2) The judiciary is not answerable to anyone if the process of dispensing justice is slow.
5. Find out about the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) and discuss the advantages of conducting elections with EVM. Ans. The advantages of conducting elections with EVM.
• Difficult to tamper/cheat
• Cost-effective and economical
• Time-saving, Calculation is faster
• Easy to use / carry / transport
• Data can be saved for later use.
E X T R A
1. Complete the sentence by choosing the appropriate words from the options given below:
1. One of the important features of our Constitution is the Federal System. (Federal, Unitary, Republic)
2. The Government functions at two levels in a Federation. (two, three, four)
3. The Government that oversees the administration of the region that we live in is called State Government. (Union Government, State Government, None of the above)
4. The system of running the administration of a country cooperatively by the governments at two levels, making laws about different subjects is called Federalism. (Socialism, Communism, Federalism)
5. The Union List is for the Union Government to make laws. (State List, Union List, Concurrent List)
6. The State List is for the State Government to legislate upon. (Union List, State List, Concurrent List)
7. The Concurrent List contains 47 subjects and both the Government can make laws on these subjects. (Concurrent List, Union List, State List)
8. If a subject comes up and it is not included in any of the Lists, the Union Government is entitled to make laws. (State Government, Union Government, President)
9. In India, there are 29 State Governments and 7 Union Territories. (29, 7 ; 28, 8)
10. The Parliamentary System of Government the Legislature has the highest decision-making power. (Parliamentary, Autocratic, Communist)
11. The Council of Ministers who runs the administration emerge from the Lok Sabha and is / are answerable to the Lok Sabha for all its / their decisions.
(Opposition Ministers, Council of Ministers, President)
12. Judges are appointed by the President (President, Government, Vice-President)
13. The Indian Constitution has granted Single citizenship to all Indians. (Single citizenship, Dual citizenship, None of these)
14. The Election Commission ensures free, fair and just atmosphere for the election. (President, Election Commission, Ruling Party)
2. Match the following:
Column 'A' | Column 'B' |
1. War and peace | (a) State Government |
2. Law and order | (b) Both Union and State Government |
3. Economic and Social planning | (c) Union Government |
Ans.
Column 'A' | Column 'B' |
1. War and peace | (c) Union Government |
2. Law and order | (a) State Government |
3. Economic and Social planning | (b) Both Union and State Government |
3. State whether the following statements are true or false with reasons:
1. Defence is a subject on which the State Government makes laws. Ans. False.
· The Constitution has divided the subjects for making laws between the Union and the State Government.
· Defence is a subject on which Union Government makes laws.
2. The Union List contains 97 subjects and defence is one of the subjects included in it. Ans. True.
3. Chandigarh is controlled by the State Government. Ans. False. Chandigarh is one of the seven Union Territories of India. The Union Government controls the Union Territories.
4. In India, the Executive has the highest decision-making power. Ans. False. The Indian Constitution has provided for a Parliamentary System of Government. In such a system the Parliament, i.e. the Legislature has the highest decision-making power.
4. Name the following:
1. The system which is an important feature of our Constitution. Ans. Federalism
2. The Government that oversees the administration of the place we live. Ans. State Government
3. Number of subjects in the Union List on which the Union Government makes laws. Ans. 97 Subjects
4. The list with 66 subjects which the State government legislates upon. Ans. The State List
5. The powers of the Union Government to make laws on a subject which comes up and is not mentioned in any list. Ans. Residuary Powers
6. Any two subjects with the Union Government. Ans. Defence, Currency
7. Subjects with the State Government Ans. Health, Prison
8. Subjects with both the governments. Ans. Employment, Education
9. Any two Union Territories in India. Ans. Daman and Diu, New Delhi
10. Answerable to the Lok Sabha Ans. The Council of Ministers
11. An example to show that the Indian Judiciary is independent. Ans. Appointment of Judges by the President
12. The type of citizenship granted to the citizens by the Indian Constitution. Ans. Single citizenship
5. Answer in one or two sentences:
1. In which countries are governments run by the Federal System? Ans. In countries with large territories and huge population, the Government is run by a Federal System.
2. What is the problem faced while ruling a large territory from a single capital? Ans. Ruling a large territory from a single capital city is not only difficult but may also lead to neglect of some far-flung areas.
3. Explain the term Union Government. Ans. The Government at the centre carries out tasks like defence of the entire country, foreign policy, establishing peace, etc. It is called ‘Union Government or ‘Federal Government’.
4. What do you mean by State Government? Ans. The Government that oversees the administration of the region that we live in is called State Government.
5. What is called ‘Federalism’? Ans. The system of running the administration of a country cooperatively by the Governments at two levels, making laws about different subjects is called ‘Federalism’.
6. Which are the three lists into which the Constitution has divided subjects for making Laws? Ans. The three lists into which the Constitution has divided subjects for making laws are State List, Union List and Concurrent List.
7. Which powers are termed as Residuary Powers? Ans. If a subject comes up that is not included in any of the three Lists, the Union List, the State List or the Concurrent List, the Union Government is entitled to make laws on it. These powers are termed as residuary powers.
8. Which are the seven Union territories in India? Ans. The seven Union Territories in India are New Delhi, Daman and Diu, Puducherry, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep.
9. In the Parliamentary system of Government, who has the highest decision-making power? Ans. In the Parliamentary system of Government, the Parliament has the highest decision-making power.
10. What does the Indian Parliament include? Ans. The Indian Parliament includes the President, the Lok Sabha or the House of the People and the Rajya Sabha or the Council of States.
11. Whom is the Council of Ministers answerable to, for all its decisions? Ans. The Council of Ministers is answerable to the Lok Sabha for all its decisions.
12. What have great significance in Parliamentary Democracy? Ans. In Parliamentary Democracy, the discussion and debates that take place in the Parliament have great significance.
13. Which disputes are referred to the Judiciary? Ans. The disputes that cannot be resolved mutually are referred to the Judiciary.
14. Which are the two provisions in the Constitution which ensures that the Judiciary remains more independent? Ans. The two provisions in the Constitution which ensures independence of Judiciary are that the judges are appointed by the President and not by the Government, and it is not easy to remove the Judges from their office.
15. Why is it necessary to amend the Constitution? Ans. There comes up a need to make changes or amendments in the provisions of the Constitution due to the changing circumstances.
16. What can frequent amendments in the Constitution lead to? Ans. Frequent amendments in the Constitution may lead to instability.
6. Write a short note on Parliamentary System of Government.
Ans. The Indian Constitution has provided for a Parliamentary System of Government. In such a system, the Parliament, i.e. the Legislature has the highest decision-making power. The Indian Parliament includes the President, the Lok Sabha or the House of the People and the Rajya Sabha or the Council of States. The Council of Ministers that run the administration emerge from the Lok Sabha and is answerable to the Lok Sabha for all its decisions. In Parliamentary Democracy, the discussion and debates that take place in the Parliament have great significance.
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