Ramana Vidyalaya (CBSE), Sholinganallur
Worksheet No - 16
Democratic Rights (January 2025)
Name : Date:
Grade : IX Subject: S.SC/Civics
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SECTION A- SUBJECTIVE QUESTIONS
1. How can you say that freedom of speech and expression is one of the essential features of
any democracy?(3)
● The notion of ‘right’ changes from time to time and society to society.
● When the socially recognised claims are written into law, they acquire real force.
Otherwise, they remain merely as natural or moral rights.
● When law recognises some claims, they become enforceable. We can then demand their
application. When fellow citizens or the government do not respect these rights, we call it
violation of our rights.
2. How can citizens exercise their freedom to hold rallies and demonstrations?(3)
● Our ideas and personality develop only when we are able to freely communicate with
others. Even if a hundred people think in one way, you should have the freedom to think
differently and express your views accordingly.
● You may disagree with a policy of the government or activities of an association. You are
free to criticise the government in your conversation with parents, friends and relatives.
● You may publicize your views through a pamphlet, magazine or newspaper. You can do the
same through paintings, poetry or songs.
3. Which three evils are tackled by the right against exploitation?(3)
● The Constitution mentions three specific evils and declares them illegal.
● Traffic in human beings: Traffic here means selling and buying of human beings, usually
women, for immoral purposes.
● Begar: Our constitution also prohibits forced labour or begar in any form. It is a practice
where the worker is forced to render service to the ‘master’, free of charge or at a nominal
salary. When this practice takes place on a lifelong basis, it is called ‘bonded labour’.
● Child labour: The Constitution also prohibits child labour. No one can employ a child
below the age of 14 years to work in any factory or mine or in any other hazardous work
such as in the railways and at ports. Many laws have been made to prohibit children from
working in industries such as beedi making, firecrackers and matchbox, printing and
dyeing
4. What were the provisions of cultural and educational rights?(3)
The Constitution specifies the cultural and educational rights of the minorities.
● Any section of citizens with a distinct language or culture have a right to conserve it.
● Admission to any educational institution maintained by the government or receiving
government aid cannot be denied to any citizen on the grounds of religion or language.
● All minorities have the right to establish and administer educational institutions of their
choice. Here, minority does not mean only religious minority at the national level.
5. Why did Dr. Ambedkar call the Right to Constitutional Remedies ‘the heart and soul’ of our
constitution?(3)
● 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.
6. Why do some rights need to be placed higher than the government?(3)
● Things may go wrong when some citizens may wish to take away the rights of others. This
usually happens when those in majority want to dominate in the minority.
● The government should protect the citizens’ rights in such a situation. But sometimes
elected governments may not protect or may even attack the rights of their own citizens.
● That is why, some rights need to be placed higher than the government, so that the
government cannot violate them.
7. Why has the constitution made untouchability a punishable offense?(3)
● The constitution mentions an extreme form of social discrimination, the practice of
untouchability and clearly directs the government to put an end to it.
● The practice of untouchability has been forbidden in any form.
● Untouchability, here does not only mean refusal to touch people belonging to certain
castes. It refers to any belief or social practice which looks down upon people on account
of their birth with certain caste labels.
● Such practice denies them interaction with others or access to public places as equal
citizens. So, the constitution made untouchability a punishable offence.
8. “Right to Freedom” is the most important Fundamental right. Analyze this statement.(5)
● Freedom means absence of interference in our affairs by others-be individual or
Government. It is a cluster of rights which includes the following rights:
❖ Freedom of speech and expression.
❖ Assembly in a peaceful manner.
❖ Form unions and associations
❖ Move freely throughout the country.
❖ Reside in any part of the country and practice any profession.
9. Why do we need rights in a democracy?(5)
● Rights are necessary for the very sustenance of a democracy.
● In a democracy, every citizen has to have the right to vote and the right to be elected to the
government.
● For democratic elections, it is necessary that citizens should have the right to express their
opinion, form political parties and take part in political activities.
● Rights protect the minorities from the oppression of the majority.
● Rights are a guarantee which can be used when things go wrong. Things may go wrong
when some citizens may wish to take away the rights of others. So, rights perform a very
special role in democracy.
10.What are the main features of Right to Equality?(5)
● Every citizen, from the Prime Minister to a small farmer in a remote village, is subject to the
same laws.
● Under Right to Equality, the government shall not discriminate against any citizen on the
grounds of religion, ethnicity, sex or place of birth.
● Every citizen shall have access to public places like shops, restaurants, hotels and cinema
halls.
● All citizens have equality of opportunity in matters relating to employment or appointment
to any position in the government. No citizen shall be discriminated against or made
ineligible for employment on any grounds.
● Equality means giving everyone an equal opportunity to achieve whatever one is capable
of. Sometimes, it is necessary to give special treatment to someone in order to ensure
equal opportunity.
11.What is Secularism?How did the Indian Constitution make India a secular state?(3)
● Secularism does not confer any privilege or favour on any particular religion. All religions
are treated equally by the law.
● Secularism is based on the idea that the state is concerned only with relations among
human beings and not with the relation between human beings and God.
● A secular state is one that does not establish any one religion as the official religion.
● Indian secularism keeps equal distance from all religions.
● The state has to be neutral and impartial in dealing with all religions.
12.How does the constitution protect our rights?(5)
● Fundamental Rights are guaranteed against the actions of the Legislature, the Executive
and any other authority instituted by the government.
● There can be no law or action that violates the Fundamental Rights.
● Courts also enforce the Fundamental Rights against private individuals and bodies.
● The Supreme Court and High Courts have the power to issue orders or ‘writs’ for the
enforcement of Fundamental Rights.
● They can also award compensation to the victims and punishment to the violators. In case
of any violation of a Fundamental Right, the aggrieved person can go to a court for remedy.
13.Write a short note on the National Human Rights Commission.(5)
● NHRC is an independent commission set up by the law in 1993.
● Like the Judiciary, the commission is independent of the government.
● The commission is appointed by the President and includes retired judges, officers and
eminent citizens.
● It does not bear the burden of deciding cases. So it can focus on helping the victims secure
their human rights.
● These include all the rights granted to the citizens by the constitution.
● The NHRC cannot punish the guilty. That is the responsibility of the courts.
● Like any court, it can summon witnesses, question any government official, demand any
official paper, visit any prison for inspection or send its own team for on-the-spot inquiry
14.a)What are fundamental rights?(1)
● Some rights which are fundamental to our life are given a special status in the Constitution.
They are called Fundamental Rights.
b)Mention the six fundamental rights provided in the Indian Constitution.Which
Fundamental rights protect the rest of the Fundamental rights?(4)
The Constitution provides six
❖ Fundamental Rights: Right to Equality
❖ Right to Freedom
❖ Right to Freedom of Religion
❖ Cultural and Educational Rights
❖ Right against Exploitation
❖ Right to Constitutional Remedies.
❖ Right to constitutional remedies protects the rest of the Fundamental Rights.
15.“Rights are not limited only to the fundamental rights as enumerated in the
Constitution”.Justify the statement.(5)
● Our Constitution and law offer a wider range of rights. Over the years the scope of rights
has expanded.
● Sometimes it leads to expansion in the legal rights that the citizen can enjoy
● From time to time, the courts gave judgments to expand the scope of rights.
● Certain rights like right to freedom of press, right to information and right to education are
derived from the Fundamental Rights. So, we can say that, rights are not limited only to
Fundamental Rights as enumerated in the Constitution.
● In fact, the Constitution provides many more rights which may not be Fundamental Rights.
SECTION B- OBJECTIVE QUESTIONS
1. Cultural and Educational Rights are safeguarded mainly for minorities.
2. What do you mean by PIL?
Any person can go to court against the violation of the Fundamental Right, if it is of
social or public interest. It is called Public Interest Litigation (PIL).
3. How did Dr. B.R. Ambedkar describes the ‘Right to Constitutional Remedies’?
The heart of our constitution.
4. Name the fundamental right under which each of the following scenario falls:
a. Schools having their own religious prayer song-Right to Freedom of Religion
b. Ban on child labour-Right against Expolitation
c. Abolition of untouchability-Right to Equality
5. The reasonable claims made by a person recognized by society and sanctioned by law are
called Rights.
6. Identify the fundamental right exercised with the scenarios given below:
a.Teacher giving rights to express our opinions and thoughts in the classroom.
Right to Freedom of Speech and Expression
b.Factories enabling the employees to start a trade union
Right to Form Associations or Unions
c.A citizen travelling to bangalore from chennai for work.
Right to Freedom of Movement and Residence
7. Mention any two rights derived from the fundamental rights.
Right to freedom of press, Right to information, and Right to education
8. Solve the analogy:
Right to freedom: Fundamental right :: Right to vote : Constitutional right
9. What is meant by ‘begar’?
(a) Practice of begging
(b) Practice of forcing workers to work without any wages
(c) Practice of encouraging workers to work at normal wages
(d) Both (b) and (c)
10.Which of these is false regarding the Freedom of Speech and Expression?
(a) Everyone has a right to think differently
(b) One may disagree with a policy of the government
(c) One can use it to incite people against the government
(d) One is free to criticize the government
