Madhya Pradesh Board Class 12 Political Science — NCERT Solutions

Correct Answer: (c) People enjoyed economic freedom

Justification: In the Soviet economy, there was no economic freedom for individuals. The state owned and controlled all factors of production, every aspect of the economy was centrally planned, and socialism was the guiding ideology. Individual economic choices were severely restricted. Therefore, the statement that 'people enjoyed economic freedom' is wrong — it does not correctly describe the Soviet economy.

Correct Chronological Order:

So the correct order is: d → a → b → c

• The Russian Revolution took place in 1917, establishing the Bolshevik (Communist) government.
• The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan began in 1979.
• The Berlin Wall fell on 9 November 1989, symbolising the end of the Cold War.
• The Soviet Union disintegrated on 25 December 1991, when Gorbachev resigned and the USSR formally ceased to exist.

The incorrect statement is (d). The chapter says Partition caused a huge, unplanned transfer of population, but it was not a planned scheme. In fact, the movement of people happened through violence and compulsion, often at short notice.

The correct matching is:

• (a) Mapping of boundaries on religious grounds → (i) Pakistan and Bangladesh
• (b) Mapping of boundaries on grounds of different languages → (ii) India and Pakistan
• (c) Demarcating boundaries within a country by geographical zones → (iv) Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand
• (d) Demarcating boundaries within a country on administrative and political grounds → (iii) Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh

So the answer is i–a, ii–b, iii–d, iv–c.

Given: Four events related to regional and global organisations.

Concept: Chronological arrangement means ordering events from the earliest to the latest by year.

Working:

• Establishment of the EEC (European Economic Community) — 1957 (Treaty of Rome)
• Birth of ARF (ASEAN Regional Forum) — 1994
• Establishment of the EU (European Union) — 1992/1993 (Maastricht Treaty signed 1992, came into force 1993)
• China's accession to WTO — 2001

Correct Chronological Order:
$$\text{b} \rightarrow \text{d} \rightarrow \text{c} \rightarrow \text{a}$$

That is:

1. (b) Establishment of the EEC — 1957
2. (d) Birth of ARF — 1994
3. (c) Establishment of the EU — 1992–93
4. (a) China's accession to WTO — 2001

(Note: The EU (c) formally came into force in 1993, while ARF (d) was established in 1994, so the correct order places EU before ARF.)

Final Answer: b → c → d → a

Correct Option: (b) A form of interaction among ASEAN members that is informal and cooperative.

Justification: The 'ASEAN Way' refers to the style of interaction among ASEAN member nations that is characterised by informality, consensus-building, and non-confrontational bargaining. It emphasises respect for national sovereignty, non-interference in internal affairs, and preference for quiet diplomacy over formal or legalistic procedures. It is not a lifestyle, a defence policy, or a physical road.

(a) State Assemblies

The First General Elections of 1952 were unique in that they involved simultaneous elections to both the Lok Sabha (the lower house of Parliament) and the State Legislative Assemblies across the country. This was done to save time and resources.

(b) Communist Party of India (CPI)

In the first general elections of 1952, the Congress Party won a massive majority with 364 seats. The Communist Party of India emerged as the second largest party in the Lok Sabha, winning 16 seats. (Note: The Bharatiya Janata Party did not exist at that time; it was founded in 1980.)

(c) Economy free from State control

The Swatantra Party, founded in 1959 by C. Rajagopalachari and others, was guided by the principle of a free-market economy — i.e., an economy free from excessive State control and interference. It opposed the socialist economic policies of the Congress government, including nationalisation and state planning.

Given: Descriptions of various South Asian countries based on their political and economic characteristics.

Answers:

(a) Nepal
Nepal witnessed a prolonged struggle among pro-monarchy forces, pro-democracy groups, and Maoist extremists, which created severe political instability. The monarchy was eventually abolished and Nepal became a federal democratic republic in 2008.

(b) Nepal (after 2008) / more precisely Bangladesh
Bangladesh is a landlocked country (surrounded by India on three sides and Myanmar) that has multi-party political competition between the Awami League and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), among others.

> Note: Nepal is also landlocked with multi-party competition; however, in the context of this chapter, Bangladesh is the standard answer given for a landlocked country with multi-party competition, while Nepal fits (a) and (h). Many textbook answer keys identify this as Bangladesh.

(c) Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka was the first country in South Asia to liberalise its economy, doing so in 1977 — well before India's liberalisation in 1991.

(d) Pakistan
Pakistan has repeatedly seen military coups (e.g., General Ayub Khan, General Yahya Khan, General Zia-ul-Haq, General Pervez Musharraf). The military has consistently prevailed over pro-democracy groups.

(e) India
India is centrally located in South Asia and shares borders with most South Asian countries — Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and has a maritime boundary with Sri Lanka and Maldives.

(f) Maldives
Maldives was earlier ruled by a Sultan (sultanate). It became a republic in 1968. It is an island nation in the Indian Ocean.

(g) Bangladesh
Bangladesh, through organisations like the Grameen Bank, pioneered the concept of micro-credit — small savings and credit cooperatives in rural areas — which has significantly helped in reducing poverty.

(h) Bhutan
Bhutan is a landlocked country (surrounded by India and China) that was traditionally ruled by a monarchy. It transitioned to a constitutional monarchy with elections in 2008, but the King remains the head of state.

Correct Answer: (b) It supported state-ownership of industry.

Justification: The Bombay Plan (1944) was prepared by leading Indian industrialists like J.R.D. Tata, G.D. Birla, and others. While it strongly supported the idea of planning and envisioned a blueprint for India's economic future, it did NOT support state-ownership of industry. The industrialists who drafted it were in favour of private enterprise and wanted the state to play a supportive (not ownership) role in the economy. Hence, statement (b) is incorrect.

Given: Statements about the veto power in the UN Security Council.

Concept: The veto power is the special privilege given to the five permanent members (P5) of the UN Security Council — USA, UK, France, Russia, and China — by which a single 'No' vote from any one of them can block/defeat any substantive resolution.

Answers:

a. Correct — Only the five permanent members (USA, UK, France, Russia, China) possess the veto power. Non-permanent members do not have this power.

b. Correct — It is indeed a kind of negative power because it is used to block or prevent a resolution from being passed, rather than to affirmatively create something.

c. Wrong — The Secretary-General does NOT possess the veto power. The veto is exclusively with the five permanent members of the Security Council. The Secretary-General is the chief administrative officer of the UN.

d. Correct — Even a single veto by one permanent member is sufficient to stall (block) a Security Council resolution, regardless of how many other members vote in favour.

(a) True.
Non-alignment meant India did not join either the US-led NATO bloc or the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact. This independent stance allowed India to receive economic and technical assistance from both superpowers — for example, the Soviet Union helped build the Bhilai Steel Plant while the USA provided food aid under PL-480.

(b) False.
India's relationship with her neighbours was not strained from the very beginning. India had cordial relations with many neighbours initially. Tensions developed gradually — for instance, the conflict with Pakistan arose mainly over the Kashmir issue, and the conflict with China emerged in the late 1950s over border disputes.

(c) True.
The Cold War rivalry between the USA and USSR deeply influenced India–Pakistan relations. Pakistan joined US-sponsored military alliances (SEATO and CENTO), which brought American military aid to Pakistan. This altered the regional balance of power and heightened India's security concerns, straining India–Pakistan relations.

(d) False.
The Indo-Soviet Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Cooperation (1971) was the result of India's closeness to the USSR, not the USA. It was signed because the USA and China were both supporting Pakistan during the Bangladesh crisis, and India needed diplomatic and military backing from the Soviet Union.

The correct matching is as follows:

$$\text{i. Confidence Building Measures (CBMs)} \longleftrightarrow \text{b}$$
$$\text{ii. Arms Control} \longleftrightarrow \text{d}$$
$$\text{iii. Alliance} \longleftrightarrow \text{c}$$
$$\text{iv. Disarmament} \longleftrightarrow \text{a}$$

Explanation:

• CBMs (i → b): Confidence Building Measures involve a regular, institutionalised process of exchanging information on defence and military matters between nations so as to reduce suspicion and the risk of accidental war.
• Arms Control (ii → d): Arms Control does not eliminate weapons altogether but regulates (limits) the acquisition, development, or deployment of certain categories of weapons through treaties and agreements (e.g., SALT, START).
• Alliance (iii → c): An Alliance is a coalition or grouping of nations that come together to deter a common threat or to defend against military attacks collectively (e.g., NATO).
• Disarmament (iv → a): Disarmament requires all states to give up certain types of weapons entirely (e.g., the Chemical Weapons Convention requires states to destroy their chemical weapons stockpiles).

Correct Option: (a) Congress won the Lok Sabha elections but lost the Assembly elections in many states.

Justification:
In the 1967 general elections, the Congress party managed to retain power at the Centre (Lok Sabha) but with a drastically reduced majority — it won 283 seats out of 520, which was still enough to form the government under Indira Gandhi. However, in the Assembly elections held simultaneously, Congress lost power in as many as 8 states including Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Orissa, and West Bengal. Non-Congress governments (SVD — Samyukta Vidhayak Dal coalitions) came to power in several of these states. This phenomenon is often called the 'political earthquake of 1967.' Hence option (a) is correct.

Correct Option: (c) The environmental degradation caused by human activities has become pervasive and has reached a dangerous level.

Justification: The primary reason for growing global concern about the environment is that human activities — industrialisation, deforestation, burning of fossil fuels, chemical pollution, etc. — have caused widespread and dangerous levels of environmental degradation. This degradation threatens the survival of all life on Earth, making it a universal concern rather than one limited to developed countries or indigenous communities alone.

(a) Correct. The National Emergency was declared on 25 June 1975 by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on the advice of the Cabinet, and was proclaimed by President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed under Article 352 of the Constitution.

(b) Incorrect. The Emergency led to the suspension of most Fundamental Rights, but not all. Article 20 (protection against arbitrary conviction) and Article 21 (right to life and personal liberty) were initially retained, though the 44th Amendment later made them non-suspendable. In practice, however, even these rights were severely curtailed during the Emergency.

(c) Incorrect. The official reason given by the government for declaring the Emergency was internal disturbance and threat to the security of India. The Allahabad High Court verdict against Indira Gandhi and the political agitation led by Jayaprakash Narayan were the actual triggers, not deteriorating economic conditions.

(d) Correct. Immediately after the proclamation of Emergency, thousands of Opposition leaders and activists — including Jayaprakash Narayan, Morarji Desai, L.K. Advani, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and others — were arrested under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) and the Defence of India Rules (DIR).

(e) Correct. The Communist Party of India (CPI) supported the proclamation of Emergency, describing it as a necessary step to protect the country from reactionary and fascist forces. It was one of the few political parties that backed Indira Gandhi's decision.

Correct Option: (d) Globalisation is a multi-dimensional phenomenon.

Justification:

• Option (a) is FALSE: Globalisation is not purely an economic phenomenon. It has political, cultural, social, and technological dimensions as well.
• Option (b) is FALSE: Globalisation did not begin in 1991. Although India's economic liberalisation began in 1991, globalisation as a process has much older roots — the movement of people, goods, and ideas across the world has been happening for centuries.
• Option (c) is FALSE: Globalisation is not the same as westernisation. While western ideas and culture do spread through globalisation, the process also involves the spread of ideas, goods, and cultures from non-western parts of the world.
• Option (d) is TRUE: Globalisation is indeed a multi-dimensional phenomenon encompassing economic, political, cultural, and social dimensions simultaneously.

Matching:

• (a) Socio-religious identity leading to statehood → i. Nagaland / Mizoram
• (b) Linguistic identity and tensions with Centre → iii. Punjab
• (c) Regional imbalance leading to demand for Statehood → ii. Jharkhand / Chattisgarh
• (d) Secessionist demands on account of tribal identity → iv. Tamil Nadu

So the correct matching is a–i, b–iii, c–ii, d–iv.

Given: A set of political events that need to be arranged in chronological order.

Concept: Knowledge of the timeline of major political events in post-Emergency India.

Chronological Arrangement:

1. (d) Assassination of Indira Gandhi — 1984: Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her bodyguards on 31 October 1984.

2. (b) Formation of the Janata Dal — 1988: The Janata Dal was formed by V.P. Singh by merging several opposition groups before the 1989 general elections.

3. (a) Implementation of the recommendation of the Mandal Commission — 1990: V.P. Singh's government announced the implementation of the Mandal Commission recommendations, reserving 27% government jobs for OBCs.

4. (c) Supreme Court Judgment on the Ram Janmabhoomi — 1992 (Babri Masjid demolition) / related Supreme Court proceedings; the landmark SC judgment on the Ram Janmabhoomi–Babri Masjid dispute came in 2019, but the major political event (demolition) was 1992. In the context of this chapter, the Ram Janmabhoomi movement peaked around 1992.

5. (e) The formation of NDA government — 1998/1999: The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by BJP came to power; a stable NDA government was formed in 1999 under Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

6. (f) Formation of the UPA government — 2004: The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) led by the Indian National Congress came to power after the 14th Lok Sabha elections.

Final Chronological Order: (d) → (b) → (a) → (c) → (e) → (f)