DELHI PUBLIC SCHOOL,BANGALORE- SOUTH
MIDTERM EXAMINATION (2025-2026)
SAMPLE PAPER
SUBJECT-POLITICAL SCIENCE (028)
CLASS: XI MAX MARKS:80
TIME:3 Hrs.
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS: -
1.The question paper consists of five sections (A, B, C, D and E) with 30 questions in total.
2.All questions are compulsory.
3.Question numbers 1-12 are multiple choice questions of one mark each.
4.Question numbers 13-18 are of 2 marks each. Answers to these questions should not
exceed 50-60 words each.
5.Question numbers 19-23 are of 4 marks each. Answers to these questions should not
exceed 100-120 words each. There is an internal choice in two of the 4 marks questions.
6.Question numbers 24-26 are passage, cartoon and map-based questions. Answer
accordingly.
7.Question numbers 27-30 are of 6 marks each. Answers to these questions should not
exceed 170-180 words.
8.There is an internal choice in 6 marks questions.
SECTION-A(12 Marks)
1 The concept of seven revolutions or Sapta Kranti in the context of 1
Socialism was advocated by_____________.
a.Dr.B.R. Ambedkar b.Mahatma Gandhi
c.Rammanohar Lohia d.Karl Marx
2 Which factor has contributed the most to the modern political theory? 1
a.Empirical system b.Legal system
c.Systematic method d.Normative method
3 In what way does freedom enable individuals to develop their capabilities? 1
a.By limiting their choices
b.By promoting conformity
c.By allowing the exercise of reason and judgment
d.By imposing external controls
4 Identify the person who was the Chairman of the Drafting Committee of 1
the Constituent Assembly of India.
a. Dr. Rajendra Prasad b.Dr.B.R.Ambedkar
c.Jawaharlal Nehru d.Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
5 Arrange the following in chronological order starting from earliest to latest. 1
i.Establishment of National Human Rights Commission in India.
ii.A list of fundamental duties was inserted in the Indian constitution.
iii.Inauguration of South African Constitution.
iv.Fundamental Right to Property converted to legal right.
Select the correct option:
a.ii-iv-i-iii
b.iv-i-ii-iii
c.ii-i-iv-iii
d.iv-ii-i-iii
6 Match List I with List II. 1
LIST I LIST II
A.Canada (i)Republic
B.Italy (ii) Constitutional Monarchy
C.Russia (iii) Parliamentary Democracy
D.India (iv)Semi-Presidential
Code:
a. A-(iv), B- (ii), C-(iii), D(i) b. A-(iii), B- (iv), C-(ii), D(i)
c. A-(ii), B- (i), C-(iv), D(iii) d. A-(ii), B- (iii), C-(iv), D(i)
7 The Constitution of India vests the executive power of the Union 1
formally in the __________________.
a.Council of Ministers
b.Prime Minister
c.President
d.Parliament
8 ASSERTION: In a democratic society, disagreement about issues of 1
distribution and justice are inevitable and even healthy.
REASON:They force us to examine different points of view and rationally
defend our own views.
a - Both Assertion and Reason are true and Reason is the correct
explanation of Assertion.
b - Both assertion and reason are true but Reason is not the correct
explanation of Assertion.
c - Assertion is true but Reason is false.
d - Assertion is false but Reason is true.
9 The constitutional amendments of articles related to federal provisions can 1
become effective only when legislatures of half the states ratify it.This is
done to ensure that :
a.Powers of the States must not be at the mercy of the central government.
b.To maintain the sanctity of the Constitution.
c.The Constitution is a balanced one.
d.Residents of the states participate in the amendment process.
10 Identify the proclamation of the UN General Assembly on 10th 1
December,1948 which recognized those claims that the world community
collectively sees as important for leading a life of dignity and self-respect.
a.Universal Declaration of Human Rights
b.Declaration of Human Rights
c.Human Rights Declaration
d.Universal Declaration of Rights
11 Justice in Ancient Indian society was associated with_____________. 1
a.punishing wrong doers
b.maintaining dharma or a just social order
c.pursing personal interest
d.rewarding the virtuous
12 Name the President of India who exercised pocket veto over the Indian 1
Post Office (Amendment) Bill of 1986.
a.R.Venkataraman
b.Fakruddin Ali Ahmed
c.Zakir Hussain
d.Gyani Zail Singh
SECTION- B (12 Marks)
13 Highlight the special powers of the Rajya Sabha. 2
14 List any two functions of the Election Commission of India. 2
15 What are the political and socio-economic rights enjoyed by the citizens of 2
a democratic country?
16 How is Universal Adult Franchise implemented in India? 2
17 State the differences between political and permanent executive. 2
18 What was the theme of Nelson Mandela‟s autobiography? 2
SECTION-C (20 Marks)
19 Why have the Directive Principles of State Policy been incorporated in the 4
Constitution of India?
20 Explain in detail the right to Freedom of Expression. What in your view 4
would be a reasonable restriction on Freedom?
21 Analyze the reasons for the adoption of First Past the Post System of 4
elections by the Indian Constitution
22 Explain the necessity of studying political theory. 4
OR
„Politics is more than what politicians do.‟ Justify the given statement.
23 Discuss the „Harm Principle‟ advocated by John Stuart Mill. 4 4
OR
Explain the concept of negative liberty in detail.
SECTION - D (12 Marks)
24 Read the given passage carefully and answer the questions that 1+1+1+
follow. 1
During our freedom struggle, the leaders of the freedom movement had =4
realised the importance of rights and demanded that the British rulers
should respect rights of the people. The Motilal Nehru committee had
demanded a bill of rights as far back as in 1928. It was therefore, natural
that when India became independent and the Constitution was being
prepared, there were no two opinions on the inclusion and protection of
rights in the Constitution.
i.What is a list of rights mentioned and protected by the constitution of a
country known as?
a.Human rights b.Ordinary rights
c.Legal rights d.Fundamental rights
ii.Which institution in India can declare executive as well as legislative
actions illegal if these violate the fundamental rights?
a.Executive b.Judiciary
c.Parliament d.Election Commission of India
iii.Which right is the foremost right among fundamental rights to freedom?
a.Right of the accused
b.Protection against preventive detention
c.Right to life and personal liberty
d.Right to education
iv.Which institution in India can issue orders and give directives to the
government for the enforcement of fundamental rights of the citizens?
a.Sessions Court
b.Supreme Court of India
c.High Courts
d.High Courts and Supreme Court of India
25 Study the cartoon carefully and answer the questions that follow: 1+1+1+
1
=4
i.Name the authority that issues the notification for elections in India.
a.State Election Commission
b.Election Commission of India
c.Election Commissioners
d.Electoral Officer
ii.Which of the following elections in India is conducted by the State
Election Commission and not by the Election Commission of India?
a.Lok Sabha elections
b.State Legislative Assembly elections
c.Municipal elections
d.Rajya Sabha elections
iii.Which electoral system does India follow for Lok Sabha elections?
a.Proportional Representation System
b.Majoritarian System
c.First Past the Post System
d.Mixed Electoral System
iv.Who is responsible for the delimitation of constituencies in India?
a.State governments
b.Election Commission of India
c.Delimitation Commission
d.Parliament
26 On the given political map of India, four states have been marked as 1+1+1+
A, B, C and D. Identify them on the basis of the information given 1
below and write their correct names in your answer sheet with their =4
respective serial numbers and the alphabets concerned.
Serial No. Answer Concerned Alphabet
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
i.State that was affected by militancy.
ii.In 2002, the State Assembly was dissolved due to critical situation and
elections had to be conducted.
iii.State related to Kesavananda Bharti case.
iv.Telugu Desam is a regional party of this state.
SECTION-E (24 Marks)
27 Explain the three principles of social Justice. 6
OR
What is meant by market economy? Discuss its advantages and
disadvantages
28 What is meant by the term „Equality‟? State the differences between natural 6
and social inequalities.
OR
Explain the three principles and policies considered necessary for
promoting equality in the society.
29 Explain any three functions of a constitution in a democratic country. 6 3
OR
Discuss in detail the process of amendment as mentioned in the
Constitution of India.
30 Explain the discretionary powers of the President of India. 6
OR
Explain the various executive systems existing in different countries of the
World.
ANSWER KEY
SECTION-A
1 c.Rammanohar Lohia 1
2 1
a.Empirical system
3 1
c.By allowing the exercise of reason and judgment
4 b.Dr.B.R.Ambedkar 1
5 a.ii-iv-i-iii 1
6 d. A-(ii), B- (iii), C-(iv), D(i) 1
7 c.President 1
8 a - Both Assertion and Reason are true and Reason is the correct 1
explanation of Assertion.
9 a.Powers of the States must not be at the mercy of the central 1
government.
10 a.Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1
11 b.maintaining dharma or a just social order 1
12 d.Gyani Zail Singh 1
SECTION- B (12 Marks)
13 The Rajya Sabha is an institutional mechanism to provide representation 2
States. Its purpose is to protect the powers of the States. Therefore, any
matter that affects the States must be referred to it for its consent and
approval. Thus, if the Union Parliament wishes to remove a matter from
the State list over which only the State Legislature can make law to either
the Union List or Concurrent List in the interest of the nation, the
approval of the Rajya Sabha is necessary.
This provision adds to the strength of the Rajya Sabha. However,
experience shows that the members of the Rajya Sabha represent their
parties more than they represent their States.
14 The Election Commission of India has a wide range of functions. 2
- It supervises the preparation of up-to-date voters‟ list. It makes every
effort to ensure that the voters‟ list is free of errors.
- It also determines the timing of elections and prepares the election
schedule. The election schedule includes the notification of elections, date
from which nominations can be filed, last date for filing nominations, last
date of scrutiny, last date of withdrawal, date of polling and date of
counting and declaration of results.
- During this entire process, the Election Commission has the power to
take decisions to ensure a free and fair poll. It can postpone or cancel the
election in the entire country or a specific State or constituency on the
grounds that the atmosphere is vitiated and therefore, a free and fair
election may not be possible.
-The Commission also implements a model code of conduct for parties
and candidates. It can order a re-poll in a specific constituency.
-It can also order a recount of votes when it feels that the counting
process has not been fully fair and just.
-The Election Commission accords recognition to political parties and
allots symbols to each of them.
(Explain any two)
15 Political rights-Most democracies today begin by drawing up a charter of 2
political rights. Political rights give to the citizens the right to equality
before law and the right to participate in the political process. They
include such rights as the right to vote and elect representatives, the right
to contest elections, the right to form political parties or join them.
Socio-economic rights- These are human rights that include fulfillment
of basic needs of food, shelter, clothing, health, freedom and well-being of
individuals by guaranteeing state-supported entitlements. Right to
education, public health care, housing, a living wage, decent working
conditions and other social goods are also included in these rights.
(Any other relevant point)
16 Universal Adult Franchise or suffrage is the cornerstone of democracy. It 2
grants the right to cast a vote to every adult citizen regardless of caste,
gender, religion, race, political stance, etc. The Indian Constitution has
adopted Universal Adult Franchise as the foundation for elections to the
Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies.
-Till 1989, an adult Indian meant an Indian citizen above the age of 21. An
amendment to the Constitution in 1989, reduced the eligibility age to 18.
Adult franchise ensures that all citizens are able to participate in the
process of selecting their representative. This is consistent with the
principle of equality and non-discrimination.
17 State the differences between political and permanent executive. 2
Political Executive Permanent Executive
i.Executive elected by the people for a Refers to those civil servants
specific number of years. Remain in office who work in the government
as long as command confidence of the for a fixed period of time.
Parliament.
Ex-IAS,IFS,IPS
Ex-President,Prime Minister
ii.They are the policy makers and They assist the political
accountable to the people. executives in making various
important decisions.
iii.More powers as responsible for the Work under political
decision making process. executive despite being
experts in their respective
fields.
18 The autobiography of one of the greatest persons of the twentieth century, 2
Nelson Mandela, is titled „Long Walk to Freedom‟. In this book he talks
about his personal struggle against the apartheid regime in South Africa,
about the resistance of his people to the segregationist policies of the
white regime, about the humiliations, hardships and police brutalities
suffered by the black people of South Africa.
-These ranged from being bundled into townships and being denied easy
movement about the country, to being denied a free choice of whom to
marry. Collectively, such measures constituted a body of constraints
imposed by the apartheid regime that discriminated between citizens based
on their race. For Mandela and his colleagues it was the struggle against
such unjust constraints, the struggle to remove the obstacles to the
freedom of all the people of South Africa.
SECTION-C (20 Marks)
19 The makers of the Constitution of India knew that independent India was 4
going to face many challenges. Foremost among these was the challenge
to bring about equality and well-being of all citizens. They also thought
that certain policy direction was required for handling these problems.
-At the same time, the Constitution did not want future governments to
be bound by certain policy decisions. Therefore, some guidelines were
incorporated in the Constitution but they were not made legally
enforceable: this means that if a government did not implement a
particular guideline, citizens cannot go to the court asking the court to
instruct the government to implement that policy. Thus, these guidelines
are „non-justiciable‟ i.e., parts of the Constitution that cannot be enforced
by the judiciary.
-Those who framed the Constitution thought that the moral force behind
these guidelines would ensure that the government would take them
seriously.
-The governments from time to time tried to give effect to some Directive
Principles of State Policy. They passed several zamindari abolition bills,
nationalised banks, enacted numerous factory laws, fixed minimum wages,
cottage and small industries were promoted and provisions for reservation
for the uplift of the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes were made.
20 Freedom of Expression 4
-fundamental human right
-right of every individual to hold opinion and express it without
interference
-impart ideas and information
-banning as a short term solution (examples of books, films and plays that
have been banned)
-reasonable restrictions to be imposed.
(explain all the points)
21 The Indian Constitution has adopted the First Past the Post system of 4
elections due to the following reasons:
-simplicity
-clear choice
-choice between candidates
-accountable representatives
-stable government
-accommodates diversity
(explain all the points)
22 It is important to study political theory because of the following factors: 4
-to choose future career
-as responsible citizens, act rationally
-encourages people to examine political issues
-exposes us to systematic thinking
-offers normative approach
-Formulating foreign policy
(explain any four points)
OR
It is true that politics is more than what politician do. People have
different ideas about what politics is. Political leaders, and persons who
contest elections and hold political office assert that it is a kind of public
service. Some others associate politics with manipulation and intrigue
undertaken to pursue ambitions and satisfy wants
-Politics is an important and integral part of any society. Apart from a
number of social institutions such as the family, tribes, and economic
institutions that have emerged to help people fulfill their needs and
aspirations, government as an institution plays an important part.
-Formation and working of the government is an important part of
politics. However, politics is not confined to the affairs of government. In
fact, what governments do is relevant because it affects the lives of the
people in many different ways as governments determine our economic,
foreign, and educational policy.
-Since the actions of the government affect citizens deeply, they take a
lively interest in what governments do by forming associations and
organizing campaigns to articulate their demands. With protests and
demonstrations, they try to persuade the government to change the
existing laws.
23 John Stuart Mill espoused his „Harm Principle‟ in his essay “On Liberty”. 4
-self-regarding actions
-others regarding actions
-action to be taken only when harm caused is serious
-people should be tolerant, no hate campaigns
-reasonable restrictions to be imposed
(explain all the points)
OR
Negative Freedom
-Negative freedom refers to absence of external constraints. It seeks to
define and defend an area in which an individual would be inviolable, in
which he or she could „do, be or become‟ whatever he or she wished to
„do, be or become‟. This is an area in which no external authority can
interfere. It is a minimum area that is sacred and in which whatever the
individual does, is not to be interfered with.
-How big should this area be, or what should it contain, are matters of
discussion, and will continue to be matters of debate since the bigger the
area of non-interference the more the freedom.If the area is too small be,
or what should it contain, are matters of discussion, and will continue to
be matters of debate since the bigger the area of non-interference the
more the freedom. If the area is too small then human dignity gets
compromised. is concerned with explaining the idea of „freedom from‟.
-The proponents of negative liberty are Hobbes, Locke, John Stuart Mill
and Spenser.
SECTION - D (12 Marks)
24 i. d.Fundamental rights 1+1+1+
ii.b.judiciary 1
iii. c.Right to life and personal liberty =4
iv. d.High Courts and Supreme Court of India
25 i. b.Election Commission of India 1+1+2
ii. c.Municipal elections =4
iii.c.First Past the Post System
iv.c.Delimitation Commission
26 1+1+1+
Serial No. Answer Concerned Alphabet
1
i. Punjab B =4
ii. Gujarat C
iii. Kerala A
iv. Andhra D
Pradesh
SECTION-F(4X6=24)
27 The three principles of Social Justice are: 6
-Equal Treatment for Equals; treating equals equally, no discrimination
-Proportionate Justice; rewarding people in proportion to their effort,
examples
- Recognition of special needs; Take into account special needs of people,
it is not against equality, constitutional provisions
(explain the points)
OR
Meaning of market economy:
Private property, freedom of choice, motive of self-interest, competition,
limited government(explain)
Advantages:
-Free interplay of supply and demand
-Efficient production
-Rewards innovation
Disadvantages:
-Intense competition
-Creates inequalities
(explain all the points)
28 As a political ideal the concept of equality invokes the idea that all human 6
beings have an equal worth regardless of their colour, gender, race, or
nationality. It maintains that human beings deserve equal consideration
and respect because of their common humanity.
The differences between natural and social inequality are:
Natural inequality
-Natural inequalities emerge between people as a result of their different
capabilities and talents and choices. It is considered to be the result of the
different characteristics and abilities with which people are born.
- It is generally assumed that natural differences cannot be altered.
Ex-Physical attributes, colour of the skin
Social inequality
-These inequalities emerge as a consequence of inequalities of opportunity
or the exploitation of some groups in a society by others
-Social inequalities on the other hand are those created by society. Certain
societies may treat differently people of different race, colour, gender or
caste.
-The effect of social inequalities can be softened to a certain extent with
positive action of the state.
Examples :
Social Inequality-Caste system in India
OR
The three principles and policies considered necessary for promoting
equality in society.
i)Establishing formal equality
ii)Equality through differential treatment
iii)Affirmative action
(Explain the points in detail
29 The various functions of a constitution are: 6
- To provide a set of basic rules that allow for minimal coordination
amongst members of a society.
- To specify who has the power to make decisions in a society. It decides
how the government will be constituted.
- To set some limits on what a government can impose on its citizens.
These limits are fundamental in the sense that government may never
trespass them.
- To enable the government to fulfil the aspirations of a society and create
conditions for a just society.
-To provide political and moral identity to the citizens.
(explain any three points)
OR
The different methods of making amendments to the Indian Constitution
are:
i.By law-Similar to ordinary law; simple majority in Parliament: as
mentioned in some Articles.
ii.Article 368
a.Special majority in Parliament in both Houses separately
b.Special majority+ ratification by Legislatures of half the states
(explain the points)
30 Discretionary powers of the President of India: 6
i.Right to be informed of all important matters and deliberations of the
Council of Ministers
ii. President can send back the advice given by the Council of Ministers
and ask the Council to reconsider the decision
iii.Veto power by which he can withhold or refuse to give assent to Bills
iv.Political circumstances-No majority in the Lok Sabha
(Explain the points)
OR
The different types of executive system followed in different countries are:
i.Collective Leadership
A.Parliamentary: Constitutional Monarchy, Parliamentary Republic
B.Semi-Presidential
ii.Individual leadership
A.Presidential
(explain with examples)
