Q1. Name the three problems that the newly independent nation of India faced.
Ans.
- The problem of princely states. there were almost 500 princely states and each of them had to be persuaded to join the new nation.
- The new nation had to adopt a political system that would best serve the hope and aspirations of the people.
- The problem of the rehabilitation of 8 million refugees who had come from Pakistan.
Q2. What was the role of the Planning Commission?
Ans. The Planning Commission helped design and execute suitable policies for economic developments.
Q3. Fill in the blanks.
a) Subjects that were placed on the Union list were taxes, defense and foreign affairs.
b) Subjects on the Concurrent list were forests and agriculture.
c) Economic planning by which both the state and the private sector played a role in development was called a mixed economy model.
d) The death of Potti Sriramulu sparked off such violent protests that the government was forced to give into the demand for linguistic state of Andhra.
Q4. State whether true of false.
a) At independence, the majority of Indians lived in villages.- True
b) The Constituent Assembly was made up of members of the Congress party- False
c) In the first national election, only men were allowed to vote- False
d) The Second five Year Plan focused on the development of heavy industry- True.
Q5. What did Dr. Ambedkar mean when he said that ” In politics we will have equality and in social and economic life we will have inequality”?
Ans. Ambedkar wanted to say that providing voting right to the lower caste people would not remove other inequalities such as between rich and poor or between upper castes and lower castes.
Q6. after independence, why was there a reluctance to divide the country on linguistic times?
Ans.
- India got independence at the cost of its division on the basis of religion.
- A million people had been killed in riots between Hindus and Muslims.
- Therefore both PM Nehru and Deputy PM sardar Patel were against the creation of linguistic states.
Q7. Give one reason why English continued to be used in India after independence.
Ans. English continued to be used in India after independence because south Indian states expressed strong opposition to Hindi.
Q8. How was the economic development of India visualised in the early decades after independence?
Ans.
- In 1950 the government setup a Planning Commission to help design and execute suitable policies for economic development.
- India adopts mixed economy model for economic development.
- First five year plan focused on agriculture and second five year plan focused on fundamental industries and dams.