Political Science in Class 10 : Practice MCQ Questions & Answers with Explanations

Political empowerment means giving women equal opportunities to participate in elections, decision-making, and leadership roles. In India, the Women's Reservation Bill aims to increase female representation in government.

Communalism refers to the use of religion in politics to create divisions between different religious groups. It often leads to conflicts and tensions. A secular democracy promotes unity rather than religious division.

Many political parties select candidates based on the dominant caste groups in an area, as voters often support candidates from their own caste. This makes caste a significant factor in Indian electoral politics.

Caste-based reservations help historically disadvantaged communities such as SCs, STs, and OBCs access better education and employment opportunities. This system aims to reduce social inequality and provide fair chances to all.

The women's movement in India advocates for equal rights in education, employment, and politics. It has contributed to important legislation such as women's reservations in government jobs and protection against domestic violence.

Religious discrimination occurs when people are treated unfairly because of their faith. Examples include banning religious symbols, denying jobs based on religion, or preventing people from practising their beliefs.

'Vote bank' politics refers to political parties appealing to caste or religious groups for votes instead of focusing on real issues. This practice can deepen social divisions and lead to unfair policymaking.

A secular state treats all religions equally without favouring or imposing any particular faith. India is a secular country where the government allows freedom of religion without discrimination.

Gender equality means men and women have the same rights, opportunities, and responsibilities in education, employment, and politics. Laws like the Maternity Benefit Act and Beti Bachao Beti Padhao aim to reduce discrimination and promote equality.

The Indian Constitution defines the powers of central, state, and local governments through the Union List, State List, and Concurrent List, ensuring no level of government can unfairly dominate the others.

The Concurrent List covers subjects like education, forests, and marriage, where both the centre and states can legislate. If a state law clashes with a Union law, the Union law prevails unless the state law receives the President's special approval.

Decentralization means giving more decision-making power to local governments like municipalities and Gram Panchayats. India strengthened this through the 73rd and 74th Amendments, which gave villages and cities greater control over their development.

The three tiers of the Panchayati Raj system are:

Gram Panchayat (village level)

Panchayat Samiti (block level)

Zilla Parishad (district level)

Rajya Sabha is the upper house of Parliament and is unrelated to local governance.

The Governor is appointed by the President of India and serves as the central government's representative in the state. Duties include approving bills, overseeing state administration, and recommending President's Rule when necessary.

India follows cooperative federalism, where different levels of government collaborate on governance. Both the centre and states work together on areas like education and disaster management, allowing greater flexibility than dual federalism.

Cooperative federalism means the central and state governments collaborate to solve problems. During the COVID-19 pandemic, both levels coordinated health policies, lockdowns, and vaccination drives instead of acting independently.

The Constitution acts as the foundation of a federal system, clearly defining the powers of central, state, and local governments. In India, the Union List, State List, and Concurrent List specify these divisions.

In a federal system, both central and state governments have their own powers and responsibilities, ensuring power is not concentrated in one authority. In India, states handle subjects like police and agriculture, while the centre controls defence and foreign policy.

India's Panchayati Raj system is an example of vertical power-sharing. Power is divided between the central, state, and village levels, allowing villages to govern themselves and solve local problems without depending on higher authorities.

Vertical power-sharing divides power between central, state, and local governments. This ensures local issues are handled locally while national matters are managed by the central government.