Class 8 Civics


Parliament

NCERT Solution

Question 1: Use the terms constituency and represent to explain who an MLA is and how the person gets elected?

Answer: A state is divided into many electoral constituencies for the state assembly on the basis of population. People of each constituency elect their MLAs. The MLA represents people of the constituency from where he gets elected. A candidate needs to fight elections to become an MLA. The candidate who secures the maximum number of votes is declared a winner; to become an MLA.

Question 2: Discuss with your teacher the difference between a State Legislative Assembly (Vidhan Sabha) and the Parliament (Lok Sabha).

Answer:

State Legislative AssemblyParliament (Lok Sabha)
Members are called MLAs.Members are called MPs.
Size of electoral constituency is smaller.Size of electoral constituency is larger. A constituency of MP is composed of many constituencies of MLAs.
MLAs elect their leader who heads the state government.MPs elect their leader who heads the Union government.
An MLA can become a minister in the state cabinet.An MP can become a minister in the Union cabinet.

Question 3: From the list below, identify the work of a State government and that of a Central government.

  1. The decision of the Indian government to maintain peaceful relations with China.
  2. The decision of the Madhya Pradesh government to discontinue Board exams in Class VIII for all schools under this Board.
  3. Introduction of a new train connection between Ajmer and Mysore.
  4. Introduction of a new 1,000 rupee note.

Answer: (a), (c) and (d) Central Government (b) State Government

Question 4: Fill in the blanks with the following words: (Universal adult franchise, MLAs, representatives, directly)

Democratic governments in our times are usually referred to as representative democracies. In representative democracies, people do not participate ………(a)……..but, instead, choose their ………(b)…….through an election process. These ……(c)……..meet and make decisions for the entire population. These days, a government cannot call itself democratic unless it allows what is known as …………(d)…….. This means that all adult citizens in the country are allowed to vote.

Answer: (a) directly, (b) representatives, (c) MLAs, (d) universal adult franchise

Question 5: You have read that most elected members whether in the Panchayat, or the Vidhan Sabha or the Parliament are elected for a fixed period of five years. Why do we have a system where the representatives are elected for a fixed period and not for life?

Answer: Provision for a fixed term for the elected members gives many benefits. It prevents the complacency and authoritarianism in elected members. It gives the people a right to change their representative after five years if people are not satisfied with the work of a representative. Regular elections and choice of options are the key features of a democratic setup.

Question 6: You have read that people participate in other ways and not just through elections to express approval or disapproval of the actions of government. Can you describe three such ways through a small skit?

Answer: People can participate in many other ways to express their views on government. This can be done by writing letters to editors, posting comments on social media, participating in debates on television, etc. You can prepare your skit on these lines.