DEMOCRTIC RIGHTS

Q1 What is Guantanamo Bay known for?

Ans 1) About 600 people were secretly picked up by the US forces from all over the
world and put in a prison in Guantanamo Bay, an area near Cuba controlled by
American Navy.
2) The American government said that they were enemies of the US and linked to the
attack on New York on 11 September 2001. In most cases the governments of their
countries were not asked or even informed about their imprisonment.
3) Families of prisoners, media or even UN representatives were not allowed to meet
them. The US army arrested them, interrogated them and decided whether to keep
them there or not.
4)There was no trial before any magistrate in the US. Nor could these prisoners
approach courts in their own country.
Q2 In what respect are rights of f citizens denied in Saudi Arabia.
Ans 1)The country is ruled by a hereditary king and the people have no role in electing
or changing their rulers.
2) The king selects the legislature as well as the executive. He appoints the judges and
can change any of their decisions.
3)Citizens cannot form political parties or any political organisations. Media cannot
report anything that the monarch does not like.
4) There is no freedom of religion. Every citizen is required to be Muslim. Non-Muslim
residents can follow their religion in private, but not in public.
5) Women are subjected to many public restrictions. The testimony of one man is
considered equal to that of two women.
Q3 What was the basic reason for the Ethnic massacre in Kosovo?
Ans 1) Kosovo was a province of Yugoslavia before its split. In this province the
population was overwhelmingly ethnic Albanian. But in the entire country, Serbs were
in majority.
2) A narrow minded Serb nationalist Milosevic had won the election. His government
was very hostile to the Kosovo Albanians. He wanted the Serbs to dominate the country.
Many Serb leaders thought that Ethnic minorities like Albanians should either leave the
country or accept the dominance of the Serbs.
3) This massacre was being carried out by the army of their own country, working
under the direction of a leader who came to power through democratic elections. This
was one of the worst instances of killings based on ethnic prejudices in recent times.
Q4 What are rights?
Ans Rights are reasonable claims of persons recognised by society and sanctioned by
law.
Q5 What are the three qualities that a claim should have to become a right?
Ans (i) It should be reasonable claims of citizens that are equally possible for others.
(ii) It should be recognized by society. Rights acquire meaning only in society.
(iii) It should be sanctioned by law.
Q6 What are the main features of ‘Right to Equality’?
Answer:
The main features of ‘Right to Equality’ are:

1. The constitution says that the government shall not deny to any person in
India equality before law or the equal protection of the laws. This means
that the laws apply in the same manner to all, regardless of a person’s
status, i.e., every citizen of India is subjected to the same law e.g. from the
Prime Minister to a villager. This is known as the rule of law.
2. The government shall not discriminate against any citizen on the grounds
of religion, caste, ethnicity, gender or place of birth. Every citizen shall
have equal access to public-places like shops, restaurants, hotels and
cinema halls etc.
3. All citizens get equal opportunity in matters relating to employment or
appointment to any position in the government. No citizen shall be
discriminated against or made uneligible for employment on these
grounds.

Q7 The Government of India has provided reservations for Scheduled Castes,

Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes. Are these reservations against the right
to equality? Explain.
Answer:

1. Such reservations are not against the right to equality. Equality does not
mean giving everyone the same treatment, no matter what they need.
Equality in real sense means giving everyone an equal opportunity to
achieve whatever one is capable of.
2. Sometimes, it is necessary to give special treatment to someone in order to
ensure equal opportunity.
3. This is what job reservations do. To clarify this, the constitution says that
reservations of this kind are not violation of the right to equality.

Q8 Why has constitution made untouchability a punishable offence?

Answer:
Untouchability has been made a punishable offence by the constitution because:

1. The constitution mentions untouchability as an extreme form of social

discrimination and clearly directs the government to put an end to it.
2. It does not only mean refusal to touch a person belonging to certain castes.
It is a belief or social practice which looks down upon certain castes on
account of their birth with certain caste labels.
3. Such a practice denies such people interaction with others or access to
public places as equal citizens. So, constitution has declared untouchability
as a punishable offence.

Q9 'The Right to Freedom is a cluster of several rights''. Explain.

Ans The six types of freedoms guaranteed through this right are given below:
1) Freedom of speech and expression: Every citizen has the right to express his ideas
freely. This can be done in two ways i.e., by speaking and by writing. Therefore, the
freedom of speech and expression has been guaranteed.
2) Freedom to Assembly in a peaceful manner: The citizens have the rights to assemble
to express their ideas and to understand the views of others. But they can assemble only
peacefully and without arms.
3) Freedom to form associations and unions: The citizens have the right to form
associations for safeguarding their rights. Such a right is essential for the sake of
securing justice and equal opportunities.
4) Freedom to move freely throughout the country: The citizens of India have the
freedom to move throughout India. But like other types of freedom restrictions can be
imposed on this freedom as well as in the interest of public order or for safeguarding
the right of any scheduled tribe.
5) Freedom to reside in any part of the country: Every citizen has a right to reside in
any part of India. But like other types of freedom restrictions can be imposed on this
freedom as well as in the interest of public order or for safeguarding the right of any
scheduled tribe.
6) Freedom to practice any profession, or to carry on any occupation, trade or business:
Every citizen has the freedom to choose his profession. He has also the right to change
his profession according to his will and circumstances.

Q10 What are the procedures to follow while arresting a person?

Ans (i) A person who is arrested and detained in custody will have to be informed of the
reasons for such arrest and detention.
(ii) A person who is arrested and detained shall be produced before the nearest
magistrate within a period of 24 hours of arrest.
(iii) Such a person has the right to consult a lawyer or engage a lawyer for his defence.

Q11 What is 'Right against Exploitation'?

Ans Every citizen has a right not to be exploited. There are clear provisions in the Constitution
that prevent exploitation of the weaker sections of the society.
The Constitution mentions three specific evils and declares these illegal:

(i) The Constitution prohibits traffic in human beings. Traffic here means selling and buying of
human beings, usually women, for immoral purposes.

(ii) Our Constitution also prohibits forced labour or begar in any form.

(iii) It also prohibits child labour. No one can employ a child below the age of fourteen to work
in any factory or mine or in any other hazardous work, such as railways and ports.
Q12 Explain the Right to Freedom of Religion.
Ans 1) India is a secular state. A secular state is one that does not establish any one
religion as official religion. Indian secularism practices an attitude of a principled and
equal distance from all religions. The state has to be neutral and impartial in dealing
with all religions.
2) Every person has a right to profess, practice and propagate the religion.
3) There shall be no religious instruction in the government educational institutions. In
educational institutions managed by private bodies no person shall be compelled to take
part in any religious instruction or to attend any religious worship.

Q13 List down the cultural and educational rights to minorities specified in the
Constitution ?
Ans The Constitution specifies the cultural and educational rights of the minorities:
1) Any section of citizens with a distinct language or culture have a right to conserve it.
2) Admission to any educational institution maintained by government or receiving
government aid cannot be denied to any citizen on the ground of religion or language.
3) All minorities have the right to establish and administer educational institutions of
their choice.

Q14 Why did Dr. Ambedkar call the Right to Constitutional Remedies ‘the heart and
soul’ of our constitution?
OR
What does Right to Constitutional Remedies imply?

Answer:

 Right to Constitutional Remedies is a fundamental right. This right makes

other rights effective.
 It is possible that sometimes our rights may be violated by fellow citizens,
private bodies or by the government. When any of our rights is violated, we
can seek remedy through courts.
 If it is a Fundamental Right, we can directly approach the Supreme Court or
the High Court of a state.
That is why, Dr. Ambedkar called the Right to Constitutional Remedies ‘the
heart and soul’ of our constitution.
Q15 What are the new rights granted by the Constitution of South Africa to its people?
Ans The Constitution of South Africa guarantees its citizens several kinds of new rights:

1) Right to privacy, so that citizens or their home cannot be searched, their phones
cannot be tapped, their communication cannot be opened.
2) Right to an environment that is not harmful to their health or wellbeing;
3) Right to have access to adequate housing.
4) Right to have access to health care services, sufficient food and water; no one may be
refused emergency medical treatment.