Class 9 Civics


Constitutional Design

NCERT Exercise Solution

Part 1

Question 1: Here are some false statements. Identify the mistake in each case and rewrite these correctly based on what you have read in this chapter.

(a) Leaders of the freedom movement had an open mind about whether the country should be democratic or not after independence.

Answer: This is a true statement

(b) Members of the Constituent Assembly of India held the same views on all provisions of the Constitution.

Answer: Members of the Constituent Assembly of India had different opinions on various provisions of the constitution.

(c) A country that has a constitution must be a democracy.

Answer: This cannot be said with surety; in the context of information given in this chapter.

(d) Constitution cannot be amended because it is the supreme law of a country.

Answer: Constitution can be amended to keep up with the changes in aspirations of the society.

Question 2: Which of these was the most salient underlying conflict in the making of a democratic constitution in South Africa?

  1. Between South Africa and its neighbours
  2. Between men and women
  3. Between the white majority and the black minority
  4. Between the coloured minority and the black majority

    Answer: (d) Between the coloured minority and the black majority

Question 3: Which of these is a provision that a democratic constitution does not have?

  1. Powers of the head of the state
  2. Name of the head of the state
  3. Powers of the legislature
  4. Name of the country

    Answer: (b) Name of the head of the state

Question 4: Match the following leaders with their roles in the making of the Constitution:

Column IColumn II
(a) Motilal Nehru(1) President of the Constituent Assembly
(b) B R Ambedkar(2) Member of the Constituent Assembly
(c) Rajendra Prasad(3) Chairman of the Drafting Committee
(d) Sarojini Naidu(4) Prepared a Constitution for India in 1928

Answer: a ⇨ 4, b ⇨ 3, c ⇨ 1, d ⇨ 2

Question 5: Read again the extracts from Nehru’s speech ‘Tryst with Destiny’ and answer the following:

  1. Why did Nehru use the expression “not wholly or in full measure” in the first sentence?

    Answer: The task of building a nation is a gargantuan task which cannot be fulfilled in one’s lifetime. Hence Nehru had used the expression, “not wholly or in full measure, but substantially”.
  2. What pledge did he want the makers of the Indian Constitution to take?

    Answer: He wanted them to take the pledge of building a nation in which there would not be a single person with tears in his eyes. He wanted them to understand the huge responsibility which destiny had thrust upon them.
  3. “The ambition of the greatest man of our generation has been to wipe every tear from every eye”. Who was he referring to?

    Answer: He was referring to Mahatma Gandhi.

Question 6: Here are some of the guiding values of the Constitution and their meaning. Rewrite them by matching them correctly.

Column IColumn II
(a) Sovereign(1) Government will not favour any religion
(b) Republic(2) People have the supreme right to make decisions
(c) Fraternity(3) Head of state is an elected person
(d) Secular(4) People live like brothers and sisters

Answer: a ⇨ 2, b ⇨ 3, c ⇨ 4, d ⇨ 1