Category: CBSE

Embark on a fascinating journey through the intricate process of constitutional design, exploring the principles and challenges involved in shaping a nation’s fundamental governance framework. Have you ever wondered about the key components of a constitution, the principles that guide its formation, and the significance of constitutional design in ensuring a just and democratic society? In this article, we present you with a Constitutional Design Class 9 Extra Questions with Answers. Read this also Extra Questions for Class 9 Social Science with Answers.

Constitutional Design Class 9 Extra Questions with Answers

Question 1.
Mention the number of states in the Union of India.
Answer:
Twenty eight (2006).

Question 2.
Mention the number of union territories in India.
Answer:
Seven (2006).

Question 3.
Give the dafe when the Constitution of India was Enforced.
Answer:
January 26, 1950, also called the Republic Day.

Question 4.
Who was elected as the President of the Constituent Assembly ?
Answer:
Dr. Rajendra Prasad.

Question 5.
Name the chairman of the drafting committee who drafted the constitution.
Answer:
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar.

Question 6.
Name the three states which Originated in 2001..
Answer:

1. Chattisgarh,
2. Uttranchal,
3. Jharkhand.

Question 7.
What is meant by the union territory?
Answer:
Union territory is the region where the government is under the direct control of the Centre.

Question 8.
For how many days did the Constituent Assembly meet?
Answer:
114 days.

Question 9.
What time was taken in the making of the constitution?
Answer:
2 years 11 months and 18 days.

Question 10.
Why tire Constitution is called a living document?
Answer:
The Constitution is called a living document because it has the scope of continuous development according to the needs, aspirations and the expectations of the people.

Question 11.
Name the countries from where the Constitution had incorporated some of the salient features.
Answer:

• England,
• Ireland,
• France.
• U.S.A
• Australia.

Question 12.
Who set out the underlying philosophy of the Constitution?
Answer:
Jawaharlal Nehru.

Question 13.
What is highlighted by the Preamble?
Answer:
The Preamble highlights the fundamental and noblest values and guiding principles on which the Indian Constitution is based.

Question 14.
How many items are there in the Concurrent List ?
Answer:
47.

Question 15.
How many items are there in the State List?
Answer:
66.

Question 16.
Which one of the three lists has Tnaximum of the items?
Answer:
The Union List.

Question 17.
How many subjects are there in the Union List ?
Answer:
97.

Question 18.
Which kind of citizenship has been provided in India?
Answer:
Single citizenship.

Question 19.
What are the provisions made by the, Indian Constitution to cope with a situation which is not normal?
Answer:
Emergency provisions.

Question 20.
By whom the residuary powers are enjoyed?
Answer:
By the Central Government.

Question 21.
In which of the lists the subjects like criminal and civil procedure are included?
Answer:
In the Concurrent List.

Question 22.
Name some of the subjects included in the Union List.
Answer:

• Banking,
• Telegraph,
• Defence,
• Foreign affairs,
• Atomic Energy etc.

Question 23.
Name some of the subjects included in the State List.
Answer:

• Police,
• Local government,
• Agriculture,
• Trade and commerce etc.

Question 24.
At the time of emergency which one of the governments has been more powers?
Answer:
The Central Government.

Question 25.
How were the number of seats allocated to the states?
Answer:
Each of the states was allocated the number of seats in such a manner that the ratio between the number of seats and the population remain practical.

Question 26.
What is Constitution?
Answer:
Constitution is a set of rules according to which the government of a country runs. The constitution also defines the composition and powers of the three organs of the government- the Executive, the Legislative and the Judiciary.

The constitution also explains the relations between the government are the citizens. The constitution defines the powers of the government so clearly that in order to make sure the government does not misuse its powers. The constitution protects the right of the citizens. In fact, every independent country prepares a constitution of its own as it signifies independence.

Question 27.
Explain in your own words the difference you find between the political maps of India, in 1947 and in 2002.
Answer:
The political map of India in 1947:
In 1947, when India got its freedom; it had provinces and several princely states. Many of its parts were still: under the foreign possession like Pondicherry, Yanam, Mahe, and Chandernagore were under the French rule while Goa, Daman and Diu were under the rule of Portugal, This also shows nearly 562 princely states independence. Hie political map of India in 2002: This map shows the present political condition of India. having 28 states and 7 union territories. In the present map of India, there is no foreign territory.

Question 28.
Why the Constituent Assembly is called the miniature India?
Answer:
The Constituent Assembly is called the miniature India because the members of the Constituent Assembly were from all of the parts and communities of the country. In fact, the Constituent Assembly did not only have the members from different communities and regions but also had the members representing different political parties. Hence, it was a miniature India in a very true sense.

Question 29.
Give a brief description of the Constituent Assembly.
Answer:
The Constituent Assembly had the great leaders like Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Ballabhbhai Patel, Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad, Dr.Shyama Prasad Mukerji, Sardar Baldev Singh. Dr. Rajendra Prasad was the President of the Constituent Assembly. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was the Chairman of the Drafting Committee.

In fact, the Constituent Assembly had its members from different regions and sections of India. More than 30 members were from scheduled castes. The Anglo Indian community was being represented by Frank Anthony while H. P. Modi was representing the Parsi community.

Question 30.
Make a table of the languages which have been included in the Constitution.
Answer:
Assemse Bengali Gujarati’ Hindi Dogri Kannada Kashmiri Konkani Malayalam
Manipuri Marathi Nepali Orissa Santhali
Punjabi Sanskrit Sindhi Tamil Maithali
Telugu Urdu Bodo

Question 31.
Name the states which were carved out of in view of the popular demand much after 1956.
Answer:
In 1956 the states of India were reorganized for the first. But several states were carved out in view of the popular demands.

These states are

• Gujarat,
• Nagaland,
• Haryana,
• Mizoram,
• Himachal Pradesh,
• Manipur,
• Meghalaya,
• Arunachal Pradesh,
• Tripura,
• Goa,
• Chhattisgarh,
• Jharkhand,
• Uttaranchal.

Question 32.
How many members were there in the Indian constituent Assembly in December 1947?
Answer:
In December 1947 the Constituent Assembly of India had 299 members. 229 members among them were from the Indian states while 70 members were from the princely states.

Question 33.
Why has Hindi been adopted as the official language of the Union government?
Answer:
After the independence, the need of adopting an Indian language to replace English was felt.

The Constituent Assembly choose Hindi to replace English because of the following reasons:

• Of all the Ind.ian languages, Hindi is spoken by a large number of the people. ‘
• Hindi is understood by a large number of people.
• Even the persons whose mother tongue is not Hindi can understand Hindi.

“Because of these plus points, Hindi has been adopted as the official language of the Union government.
However, an assurance was also given that so long as it is found necessary the non- Hindi speaking states have been given the liberty to use English along with Hindi.

Question 34.
What was the need of reorganization of the states after the independence?
Answer:
Soon after the independence, most of the princely states and the states were joined together so that the unity and the integration of the country would be maintained. But after some time the need was felt to reorganise the states because of the expectations and aspirations of the people and also because of their demands.

Question 35.
Why is Preamble very important?
Answer:
The Preamble contains the ideals and basic principles of the Indian constitution. The Preamble is riot a part of the constitution. The Preamble is neither enforceable in a court of law. No one has the right to go to the court and say that the. Preamble has not been enforced by the government.

Yet the Preamble is, very important as it serves as the guiding light of the constitution. The Preamble of the Indian constitution makes it absolutely clear that the Indian constitution stands for justice, Liberty, Equality and Fraternity.

Question 36.
What do you know about the Universal Adult Franchise? Why the constitution of India has adopted it?
Answer:
The term Universal Adult Franchise is meant by the voting right of the citizen. In India, every citizen who has completed the age of 18 years is able to participate in the election procedure.

This right has been extended to all the citizens irrespective of. their caste, creed, colour, religion, sex or status. Our Constitution has adopted this system to make India a real democracy. In a very true sense, this feature has made India the largest democracy in the world.

Question 37.
Write down the four ideals on what the Preamble of the of India emphasises. *
Answer:
The preamble of our constitution emphasises on the following four elements-

1. Justice-According to the Preamble every citizen must get justice in every sector including social, economic and political sectors.
2. Liberty-Each Indian must have the liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship.
3. Equality-The Preamble ensures equality of status and opportunity for all the citizens.
4. Fraternity-It assures the dignity of the individuals and the unity and integrity of the Nation.

Question 38.
Explain clearly the meaning given to secularism.
Answer:
Secularism in India acquired a meaning different from the way it is. understood in the West. It means respect for all religious beliefs and practices, regardless of who and what number follow a particular religion. It also means that individual has complete freedom of faith and worship.

Question 39.
Explain as to how the European countries and India got their democratic rights.
Answer:
In Europe, people won democratic rights through long struggles against, the privileges of aristocrats and powers of monarchs. Sometimes, these struggles were highly violent. For example, during the French Revolution, hundreds of supporters of monarchy were killed.

In India, the struggle for democracy was carried on against the British colonial rule. It retrained by and large peaceful. With the adoption of the Constitution, all basic democratic political rights along with universal adult suffrage were introduced in India at one stroke.

Question 40.
What is the basic structure of the T Constitution?
Answer:
The Constitution of India does not describe as what is the basic structure of the Constitution. But the Supreme Court has done it.

The basic structure of the constitution is as follows:
“every provision of the Constitution is essential; otherwise it would not have been put in the Constitution. This is true. But this does not place every provision of the Constitution in the same position. The true position is that every provision of the Constitution can be amended provided the basic foundation and structure of the Constitution remains the same.

The basic structure may be said to consist of the following features:

• Supremacy of the Constitution;
• Republican and Democratic form of Government;
• Secular character of the Constitution;
• Separation of powers between the legislature, the executive and the judiciary;
• Federal character of the Constitution.”

“The above structure is built on the basic foundation, i.e., the dignity and freedom of the individual. This is of supreme importance. This cannot, by any form of amendment, be destroyed,” The Supreme Court said this in its judgement on the Kesavananda Bharati case.

Question 41.
Explain terms such as “sovereign’, ‘democratic’, and republic.
Answer:
The Constitution proclaimed India to be a sovereign democratic republic. This three words-sovereign, democratic and republic are significant. Sovereignty means supreme power. It means the right of people to take decisions on internal matters as well as policies determining our relations with other countries. As the authority of the government rests upon the support of the people, people are sovereign. Democracy means people enjoy equal political rights.

They include right to form associations, right to criticise and oppose policies of government, right to contest elections and hold public offices. People have a right to elect a government through periodical, free and fair elections. Government is responsible to people and exercises powers only as defined in the Constitution.

No government can continue in power without the support of majority of people’s representatives in the legislature. People can change the government in elections. Republic means that the head of the State (President) is an elected person. He/ she wields power for a fixed term. India is a Union of States.

Question 42.
Compare the grant of the democratic rights as it came in the European countries and in India.
Answer:
European countries had developed industrially before they became full-fledged democracies. But in India democracy came before any such substantial industrial development. At the time of its Independence, India was predominantly an agrarian economy. Illiteracy was widespread. Poverty was rampant. This was an unusual experiment in establishing democracy in conditions of mass poverty. European countries had become strong nations by the time they became democratic.

The situation was different in. our country. The task of building the nation in real sense started after we became a democracy. In Europe and America expansion of democracy took place by limiting the powers of government. People there believed that freedom is possible if there is no unnecessary interference of government in private affairs of the individual.

So they fought for freedoms against absolutist governments. But in India, government was assigned a larger role from the beginning: We wanted the state to bring about all-around development. So the expansion of democracy in India has been bound with the expansion of government.

Thus in the history of the Western nations, expansion of democracy was associated with industrialisation, emergence of strong nations, militant struggles for voting rights and limiting the governmental powers. Those countries went through these stages one after the other, over a period of nearly 200 years. But in India democracy had to address these issues all at the same time.

The country has to industrially develop, build a nation and national government, transform social relations, and meet the basic needs of the people. The Indian state had to simultaneously pursue these, goals in a democratic framework.

Question 43.
Write a brief note on the Directive Principles of State Policy.
Answer:
The Constitution prescribed certain guidelines for governments in making policies. These are called “Directive Policies of State Policy”. Their objective is to secure a social order, which promotes the welfare of the people. For example, the State should take steps for securing an adequate means of livelihood to all citizens.

The ownership and control of the material resources of the nation are to be distributed in such a way as to secure the common good. The economic system of the county is to be operated in a maimer so as to prevent concentration of wealth.

Men and women shall receive equal pay for equal work. Free and compulsory education, shall be provided to all children. Child labour shall be eliminated. The principles of socialism and. Gandhian ideals are incorporated in these Directive Principles.

Question 44.
Who proposed the Objectives Resolution? For what did it stand?
Answer:
The Objectives Resolution was proposed by Pt Jawaharlal Nehru on 13th December 1946. It was passed on 22 January 1947. Objective Resolution was in fact a document which contained the main objectives of the framing of the new constitution for India.

The Objectives Resolution stood for the. following objectives-

• The Objectives Resolution dealt with fundamentals which were commonly held and had been accepted by the people.
• The Resolution states that it is our firm and solemn resolve to have a sovereign republic.
• It stands for a free India that can be nothing but a republic.
• It declared that the Union would be an “independent Sovereign Republic” and it would be comprised of the autonomic units of the British and the princely states with residuary powers.
• It ensures that the ideas of social, political and economic democracy would be guaranteed to all the sections of the people.
• It also ensures that an adequate safeguard would be provided for minorities and the backward communities and the areas.
• It also guaranteed that the people of India would be given the freedom of thought, vocation, association, expression, belief, faith, worship and in law and morality.

Objective Type Questions

1. Fill up the following blanks with suitable words-

(i) The Constitution of our country has taken ……………………… years ……………………… months……………………… days in its making.
Answer:
2, 11,18.

(ii) In the Constituent Assembly, the Parsi community was being represented by ……………………… .
Answer:
H. P. Modi

(iii) In the Constituent Assembly, the total number of the members from the states of the British India were ……………………… .
Answer:
296

(iv) The Objective Resolution was proposed by ……………………… .
Answer:
Pt. Jawhar Lai Nehru.

2. Put (✓) before the correct sentences and (✗) before incorrect ones.

(i) The Constituent Assembly was not directly elected by the people.
Answer:
(✓)

(ii) Shyama Prasad Mukerjee was not among the leaders who guided the discussion in the constituent Assembly.
Answer:
(✗)

(iii) Constitution is a fundamental legal document.
Answer:
(✓)

(iv) British India was an independent, Sovereign and Republic.
Answer:
(✗)

(v) The underlying philosophy of the constitution was set out by Jawaharlal Nehru in his Objective Resolution.
Answer:
(✓)

(vi) Yanam was possessed by France.
Answer:
(✓)

(vii) The Drafting committee was known as the miniature of India.
Answer:
(✗)

3. Choose the correct answer from the alternatives given here:

(i) The following was the President of the Constituent Assembly:
(a) Dr. Ambedkar
(b) Dr. Rajendra Prasad
(c) Gandhiji
(d) Nehru
Answer:
(b) Dr. Rajendra Prasad

(ii) The following was the chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee:
(a) Dr. Ambedkar
(b) Dr. Rajdendra Prasad
(c) Gandhiji
(d) Nehru
Answer:
(a) Dr. Ambedkar.

(iii) India had enacted its Constitution on:
(a) 26th January 1930
(b) 26th November 1949
(c) 15th August 1947
(d) 26th January 1950.
Answer:
(d) 26th January 1950.

(iv) India’s Constitution is:
(a) Flexible
(b) Rigid
(c) Partly flexible, partly rigid
(d) Neither flexible nor rigid.
Answer:
(c) Partly flexible, partly rigid

(v) India’s federating units are:
(a) 25
(b) 26
(c) 27
(d) 28
Answer:
(d) 28.

Explore the fundamental concepts and significance of democracy as we delve into the question of what democracy is and why it matters. Have you ever wondered about the principles, values, and benefits of democratic governance? In this article, we present you with a What is Democracy? Why Democracy? Class 9 Extra Questions with Answers. Read this also Extra Questions for Class 9 Social Science with Answers.

What is Democracy? Why Democracy? Class 9 Extra Questions with Answers

Question 1.
To what was Allende’s government committed in Chile?
Answer:
Allende’s government was committed to greater role in economic activities.

Question 2.
To what was Walesa’s government committed in Poland?
Answer:
Walesa’s government was committed to as little role as was possible.

Question 3.
Why do we need a definition?
Answer:
We need a definition when we counter a difficulty in everyday use.

Question 4.
What form of government democracy is?
Answer:
Democracy is a form of government in which the rulers are elected by the people.

Question 5.
State any one necessary condition of democracy.
Answer:
Election is the necessary condition of democracy.

Question 6.
Do we have election in a monarchy where the king is all-powerful?
Answer:
There can be no election in a monarchy headed by a real powerful king.

Question 7.
Does the army regime permit elections where it rules through the gun?
Answer:
Normally not. The army general may allow election only to legitimate his rule.

Question 8.
From which language the word . democracy has come up?
Answer:
Etymologically, democracy is derived from two Greek words ‘demos’ and ‘Kratia’. ‘Demos’ means people and ‘Kratia’ means rule. Thus, etymologically, democracy means the rule of the people.

Question 9.
How did Abrahan Lincoln define democracy?
Answer:
Democracy, Lincoln had said, is government of the people, by the people and for the people.

Question 10.
Does holding of the elections ensure democracy in a country?
Answer:
Certainly not. Salazar allowed elections in Portugal once for a while. But there was never a time when the opposition parties won a single seat.

Question 11.
What are the criteria for elections to be called elections?
Answer:
If elections are to be called elections, they are to be

free elections,
fair elections.

Question 12.
What is political freedom?
Answer:
Political freedom means expressing one’s views on political matters, freedom of speech, and of expression.

Question 13.
How can there be a democracy if there is no political freedom?
Answer:
Where there is no political freedom, there is no democracy. If people are arrested, as Aung San Suu Kyi was put under house arrest, for expressing their view there is no democracy.

Question 14.
Mention, in. addition to elections, other dimensions of democracy.
Answer:

• Rule of law,
• civil liberties,
• protection to minorities against tyranny of majority are some of the other dimensions of democracy.

Question 15.
State any two functions of the elected representatives.
Answer:
Elected representatives make laws and decide, the policies of the government.

Question 16.
What do you mean by universal suffrage?
Answer:
Where all adults have the right to vote in the elections of the representatives is called as universal suffrage.

Question 17.
Mention any one feature of a country if it is to be called democratic.
Answer:
There has to be universal adult franchise, i.e., right to vote in the elections.

Question 18.
What is direct democracy? Where did we have it?
Answer:
Direct democracy is a democracy where all the citizens directly participate in the discussion and decisions in the legislature. We had it in some city-states in ancient Greece.

Question 19.
Wiry does direct democracy become impossible now?
Answer:

• Vast population and
• vast size of the countries make direct democracy as impossible.

Question 20.
What is representative democracy?
Answer:
Where people rule through their elected representative if is called representative democracy. In modern vast countries, it is representative democracy that works.

Question 21.
What is referendum?
Answer:
Where matters are referred to the vote of. the citizens for final verdict, such a device is called democracy.

Question 22.
Name some of the countries where the device of referendum is in case.
Answer:
Switzerland, France, Denmark, New Zealand.

Question 23.
Why if is more likely that decisions are wrong in dictatorship than under a democracy?
Answer:
Under dictatorship (monarchy or military rule), the rulers do not involve people at all in decision-making. That is why that the decisions there are likely to be wrong.

Question 24.
Why perfect equality does not exist in a society?
Answer:
Perfect equality does riot exist in any society because of inequalities, among people, in wealth, social status, and position. In fact, perfect inequality is neve? possible.

Question 25.
Why are the governments responsive in democracies?
Answer:
As the elected representatives, in a democracy, has to secure the support of the people, they can not afford to be insensitive to the aspirations of the people.

Question 26.
Give any one definition of democracy.
Answer:
Abraham Lincoln defines democracy as the government of the people (i.e, through participation people constitute the government) by the people (i.e. the people, through the use of their rights, control, their rulers), for the people, (i.e. the government rules for the welfare of the people.

Question 27.
Why do we need a definition of any concept?
Answer:
We need a definition of a concept so as to understand the meaning of the concept. Definition clarifies the meaning. For example, the definition of democracy, etymologically, means, that it is the rule of the people.

Question 28.
Democracy involves people in the formation of the government. How do the people form government?
Answer:
Democracy, indeed, means government of the people. People form government through elections. Periodic elections are conditions of democracy.
Elections have to be

• frequent (i.e. after definite periods),
• free and, fair
• In the absence of elections, democracy is impossible; it can not function successfully.

Question 29.
What do you mean by political freedom? How does it help the functioning of democracy?
Answer:
Political freedom means freedom given to the people in matter relating to democratic functioning of the government. Political freedom implies right of the people to have their opinions, their right to express those, opinions, and demonstrate their political actions in the form of procession. When people are not permitted to express their opinion, this weakens democratic trends/tendencies, The house arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi does not fit in democratic functioning.

Question 30.
Explain the following:
(a) Free and fair elections.
(b) Right to contest elections.
Answer:
Free and fair elections: Voters choose officials from among competing individuals and parties. Elections have to be frequent, free and fair. Voters vote without pressure and form government. Votes must be honestly counted.

(b) Right to contest elections: It is the right of all adults to contest elections. For contesting elections, the age limit is higher than the voting age.

Question 31.
Explain the following :
(i) Freedom of expression
(ii) Freedom of information
(iii) Freedom to form association.
Answer:
(i) Freedom of expression: Citizens have freedom of opinion, expression ad discussion. They can criticize officials, government or the socio-economic order. They can also organize meetings, campaign on public issues or demonstrate against government.

(ii) Freedom of information: Citizens have access to information about candidates in elections. They can seek information from different sources. Government cannot have monopoly on sources of information. Laws shall protect alternative sources of information.

(iii) Right to form associations: Citizens have a right to form, join or quit associations. It includes a right to form or join a political party that opposes government or to contest elections in opposition to the ruling party. Opposition shall have art equal opportunity to increase popular support or gain power through elections.

Question 32.
Write on the following:
(a) Freedom of culture and religion.
(b) Individual freedoms.
Answer:
(a) Freedom of culture and religion: People have freedom of faith, belief and religion. Those who belong to ethnic minorities have the right to follow their cultural practices. Linguistic minorities can speak their language. Religious minorities can freely follow and profess their religion. Persons who belong to minorities enjoy rights available to any other citizen of the country.

(b) Individual freedoms: State does not impose restrictions on travel, choice of residence, and choice of employment. Citizens have an equal right to seek admission in colleges or recruitment to jobs. They can acquire or sell property. They can establish private businesses. They can read any book of their choice. Government does not impose ban on the discussion of ideas.

Question 33.
What do you mean by ‘Rule of law’?
Answer:
All citizens are treated as equal under the law. Law protects citizens from unjustified detention. Military and police are under the control of elected representatives. Military and police cannot terrorize or torture those who oppose government. Independent courts effectively protect individual and group rights. Decisions of courts are respected and enforced by those in government.

Question 34.
Can you identify some features necessary for any country to be called democratic?
Answer:
There are, indeed, certain features which are necessary for any country to be called as democratic. Some of these are:

• There should be rights for the citizens, riot nominal but actually available.
• The Constitution of the country should not only provide these rights, it should also ensure them.
• The Constitution should also provide democratic institutions and procedures as well.

Question 35.
Suggest some of the rights which should be available to the citizens in a democratic country.
Answer:

• Every citizen should have an right to contest election for holding any public office.
• People should have the right to oppose the government.
• They should have the right to vote out the highest officials from office.
• They should have the right to elect new officials.
• The elections should be free, fair and frequent.

Question 36.
What adverse effects does economic inequalities have on politics?
Answer:
The growth of economic inequalities has adverse impact on politics, The poorer sections of the people are at a disadvantage in circumstances where there are economic inequalities. In such circumstances, policymakers, government officials and police officers often readily heed to the rich and influential people. They are responsive to the needs of the privileged and indifferent and inattentive to the poor.

Question 37.
How can we rectify the maladies that confront democracy? Suggest any four measures.
Answer:

• Democratic values should be cultivated among the people;
• We need to have a democratic * society healthy democracy requires democratic society;
• The government should reduce corrup¬tion; it should be responsive to the people
• The voters should’ ealise the importance of voting rights.

Question 38.
Are elections necessary conditions in a democracy? Give arguments.
Answer:
Elections, indeed, are necessary conditions for any democracy. In fact, elections alone distinguish between a democracy and non-democracy. In a non-democracy, such as in military rule or in a nonparty, there are no elections. If there are elections they are not frequent, nor fair, and nor even freer. Salazar of Portugal did allow one month of campaign but there was little possibility of opposition leaders whining the elections.

Elections are necessary, but if the power is not given to those who win elections, there can not be democracy in such countries. Aung San Suu Kyi won elections in Burma (now Myanmar) in 1990, but she was not given power, instead, she was put under house arrest.

Elections imply the existence of more than one political party so to enable them to contest elections. In China, only the ruling political party can put up candidates, two or more. How can we call such a system as a democratic one? Democracy requires elections free, fair and frequent; elections where people are able to remove those elected and install need leaders in power.

Question 39.
Prepare a checklist of democracy.
Answer:
Democracy may be defined as a system where the citizens have a right to elect government through free and fair elections; elections held at regular intervals; now where people enjoy civil liberties and have political freedom; where these liberties and rights are available, ensured and protected by the constitution.

In the light of the above working definition of democracy, a checklist of democracy can be prepared as under :

• Voting rights be given to all the adults without any distinction and fair universal adult franchise.
• All the citizens; within the limits of prescribed age, be given right to contest elections and hold public office.
• Elections have to be fair, free and held at regular intervals.
• People should be ensured rights such as freedom of speech, expression, oppose the government, elect its officials.
• Civil liberties be available to the citizens. These should include freedom of information, to form
• associations, freedom of culture and religion, individual and. personal freedoms.
• Rule of law, and not of men, is an important requirement for any democracy.
• Majoritarian principles should be followed, but the rights of minority be protected and ensured; tyranny of majority is worse than the tyranny of a dictator.

Question 40.
Make distinction between a democracy and a non-democracy.
Answer:
A non-democracy may be monarchy, a military .regime, a dictatorship, one-party rule and the like. The distinction between a democracy and a non-democracy can be stated as under:

Question 41.
Distinguish between direct democracy and representative democracy.
Answer:
The distinction between desert democracy’ and representative democracy can be made as under.

Question 42.
How does democracy make government more responsible and responsive? Explain.
Answer:
Democracy makes government more responsible and responsive. Those who aspire to win elections have to secure support of the people. People have a right to pass a verdict on the conduct, and performance of the rulers. So the elected officials cannot afford to be insensitive to the aspirations of the people. If they do not conduct themselves properly or do not perform well, they are likely to be voted put in the next election. It is true that in democracies we find some political leaders who are arrogant.

They indulge in nasty means to stick on to power. Some leaders abuse power to fulfil their self-interest. It is a problem for all political systems democracies and non-democracies alike. But the scope for rulers to become more arrogant and corrupt is more in monarchies and dictatorships than in a democracy. In a democracy, the rulers are usually responsive. They keep themselves accountable to the ruled. They keep a continuous contact with, the people.

Question 43.
Do you agree that democracy relies on open debate, persuasion and compromise?
Answer:
Democracy is not a confrontation; it is a conversation. In democracy, people work through ballots and not through bullets. Intact, democracy relates on open debate and persuasion and compromise and discussion. In any society, there will always be differences of opinion on most questions of public policy. In any society, people belong to different classes and communities. They entertain different views. Democracy provides an opportunity for the expression of these differences. Sometimes the open expression of the differences may cause divisions among people.

The social cleavages may get worse. But it is better if these differences are fought out than forcibly suppressed. If we suppress differences they do not die out. They only get. aggravated and burst but leading to disorder and disintegration of a society. This we Saw happening in Soviet Union, and Yugoslavia, Monarchies and dictatorships may appear more stable in the short term. But in the long run, they tend to be more divided, chaotic and unstable. Democracy provides avenues to negotiate differences and arrive at consensus through, compromise.

Objective Type Questions

1. Fill in the blanks with appropriate words given in the brackets:

(i)’ Democracy is government …………. the people …………. people and …………. the people, (by, for, of, on, at)
Answer:
of, by, for,

(ii) In democracy, elections have to be …………. and fair, (controlled, free, unfree)
Answer:
free,

(iii) Abacha got power is Nigeria in …………. .(1992,1993)
Answer:
1993.

(iv) Ransome was a political philosopher of the …………. century France. (18th, 19th, 17th)
Answer:
18th

(v) Amartya Sen got Nobel prize in …………. . (peace/literature, economics)
Answer:
economics.

2. Indicate right sign (✓) or the wrong sign (✗) in the following:

(i) Sun Kyi belongs to Myanmar.
Answer:
(✓)

(ii) Salazar was a dictator in mid-1950s in Sweden,
Answer:
(✗)

(iii) Elections are necessary conditions for a democracy.
Answer:
(✓)

(iv) Raghuvir Sahay wrote a poem entitled ‘Motorwila’.
Answer:
(✗)

(v) Abacha belonged to Niger.
Answer:
(✗).

3. Choose the correct alternative from the four alternatives given below.

(i) Democracy is the rule of the:
(a) people
(b) political parties.
(c) rich
(d) poor
Answer:
(a) people

(ii) Democracy is a word taken from the following language;
(a) Greek
(b) Roman
(c) English
(d) Sanskrit.
Answer:
(a) Greek

(iii) Salazar belonged to:
(a) Chile
(b) Poland
(c) Portugal
(d) USA.
Answer:
(c) Portugal

(iv) Under whose regime, the Jews were persecuted?
(a) Mussolini
(b) Italian
(c) Marcos
(d) Hitler.
Answer:
(d) Hitler.

(v) Sani Abacha was a miltiary ruler of:
(a) Niger
(b) Nigeria
(c) Chad
(d) Chile,
Answer:
(b) Nigeria.

Embark on a captivating journey through the dynamic world of electoral politics, exploring the intricacies of the electoral process, political parties, and the significance of elections in shaping the governance of a nation. Have you ever wondered about the key features of electoral politics, the role of political parties, and the impact of elections on the democratic fabric of a society? In this article, we present you with a Electoral Politics Class 9 Extra Questions with Answers. Read this also Extra Questions for Class 9 Social Science with Answers.

Electoral Politics Class 9 Extra Questions with Answers

Question 1.
What is considered as the barometer of democracy?
Answer:
Elections.

Question 2.
What is known as the lifeline of the election procedure?
Answer:
The political parties are known as the lifeline of the election procedure.

Question 3.
Name the state where the National Conference is active in politics.
Answer:
Jammu and Kashmir.

Question 4.
In which state AI’ADMK is a prominent party?
Answer:
In Tamil Nadu.

Question 5.
What is the name of the Chief Election Commissioner during whose tenure a large number of electoral -reforms were carried out?
Answer:
T. N. Seshah.

Question 6.
What are the means Of electronic media?
Answer:

• Radio,
• Television,
• Cinema.

Electoral Politics Class 9 Important Questions Answers Question 7.
By whom the election procedure of our country is controlled?
Answer:
By the Election Commission.

Question 8.
What is the election called which is held when Lok Sabha or the State Assembly is dissolved before die expiry of its full term?
Answer:
Mid-term election.

Question 9.
What is meant by an election?
Answer:
An election is the contest which is held between different political parties in order to get people’s support.

Question 10.
On which principle is the system of universal adult franchise based?
Answer:
On the principle of “one person one vote”.

Question 11.
What do you mean by the democracy?
Answer:
Democracy is the form of the government “which is elected by the people, ruled by the people and works for the welfare of the people.

Question 12.
What is meant by the political equality?
Answer:
Political equality is the situation every political party has equal right to fight’ elections.

Question 13.
What is the difference between a party candidate and independent candidate?
Answer:
A party candidate fights an election on the basis of the principles of the party he belongs. He uses the party election symbol as his election symbol. On the other hand, an independent candidate fights election on his own principles. He uses the symbol provided, by the Election Commission specially to him.

Question 14.
Why are the symbols allotted to die political parties?
Answer:
The parties are allotted different symbols so that they can have their distinct identity and a voter can easily identify to which party candidate he is going to vote.

Question 15.
Which political party did Chaudhary Devi Lai form in 1987?
Answer:
Lok Dal.

Question 16.
Which movement did Chaudhary Devi Lai launch in 1987?
Answer:
Nyaya Yudh.

Question 17.
Which party ruled before the elections in Haryana before 1987?
Answer:
The Congress Party.

Question 18.
Which party formed the government after 1987 elections?
Answer:
The Lok Dal.

Question 19.
Was Devi Lai very popular at that time?
Answer:
Yes, Devi Lai was very popular at. that time.

Question 20.
Did Lok Dal make arty promises to people?
Answer:
The Lok Dal headed by Devi Lai promised to build a new Haryana.

Question 21.
Did Devi Lai fulfil promise to waive farmer loans on becoming Chief Minister?
Answer:
Yes, after, becoming Chief Minister, Devi Lai fulfilled the promise he made in election campaign by passing an order waiving the loans of the farmers, agricultural labourers, and small shopkeepers.

Question 22.
Devi Lai had not given any manifesto to the people. What are the other means by which people could know about his priorities?
Answer:
Devi Lai’s approach was direct- talking to liis audience.

Question 23.
What are the different methods used by political parties during the election campaign to seek vote?
Answer:
Processions, public meetings, door to door campaign, holding corner meetings, distributing pamphlets, badges etc.

Question 24.
How many seats did the Lok Dal also capture in the 1987 elections?
Answer:
60 seats out of 90; Lok Dal together with Bhartiya Janata Party captured 76 seats.

Question 25.
How many seats did the Congress Party obtain in 1987?
Answer:
5 seats.

Question 26.
Why are elections considered essential for any representative democracy in our times?
Answer:
The elections are considered essential for democracy because of the following reasons :

• The voters are able to choose who will make laws for them.
• They can choose who will sit in government and take major decisions.
• They can choose the party whose ‘ policies will guide the government and lawmaking.

These choices are not made once and for all. In democratic elections, the people get a chance to make a fresh choice after some time. If they want they can retain the same party’, the same government and the same representatives. But if they are hot, satisfied with the performance of any of these, they can make a change at that level or at all the levels. This ensures that representatives remain answerable to the people.

Question 27.
It is said that the elections are about political competition. Explain.
Answer:
Elections are all about political competition. The competition takes various forms. The most obvious form is the competition among political parties. At the level of constituency, it takes the form of competition among several candidates. Very often the competition turns into a personality race among the top leaders of various parties. Elections also involve competition among various policies and ideologies. If there is no competition, there is no point in having elections.

Question 28.
“Political competition provide a system of rewards and punishment”. Discuss.
Answer:
Political competition provides a system of rewards and punishment. It is a system where political leaders are rewarded for good work and punished for not serving the people. It is like school examinations; There is no need for examination if we could be sure that all the students will study sincerely all the times. But we cannot be sure of that. That is why, We have examinations as a system of rewards and punishment.

Question 29.
A political party won the elections in 1986. Since then no new elections have taken place and that party continues to run the government. Is this country democratic today? Give your reasons to argue for or against it? Why should it be necessary to contest elections again and again?
Answer:
In any democracy, elections have not to be only free and fair, they have to be conducted timely also, A political party, winning the elections and forming the government can not remain in power forever, nor that country be called democratic. For a country to be called democratic, elections have to be conducted frequently, i.e. at fixed times, and regularly as well.

Question 30.
Based on this account of Haryana. elections, are the following statements correct? Give facts from that example to support what you say.
(a) The party that ruled before the elections and the one that formed government after the elections was the same.
(b) Devi Lai fulfilled his promise to waive farmer loans on becoming chief minister.
(c) People vote. They can vote in support of existing government or support another party.
(d) Members of the majority party elect their leader. This person becomes the chief minister.
(e) Political parties tell the voters as to what they would do if voted to power.
(f) Political parties make their promises’ known to voters in a statement, called election manifesto.
(g) The contesting parties appeal to voters on the basis of a slogan.
Answer:
(a) No, party that ruled before the elections was the Congress Party; party that ruled after the elections was the Lok Dal
(b) It is correct: Devi Lai fulfilled the promise to waive the farmers’ loans after he took over as the chief minister.
(c) Yes, by voting, the people either support the existing, government or can support another party.
(d) True, the members of the legislature belonging to the majority party elect their leader; the leader is appointed, the chief minister, if the party belongs to a state.
(e) This is done by the political parties by issuing its election manifesto; promises made to the voters.
(f) Correct: this is what the election manifesto does.
(g) This is also true; numerous political parties resort to slogans. Devi Lai used the slogan in 1987; it was ‘Bharashtachar band aur pani ka prabhandh.

Question 32.
What type of legal declaration is given when the nomination form is filled?
Answer:
Every candidate, contesting elections, has to make a legal declaration giving details of:

• Serious criminal cases pending against them.
• Details of their and their family assets and liabilities.
• Education qualifications.

This system was started after, an important judgement of the Supreme Court of India.

Question 33.
What may be the reason to insist on a detailed statement of assets and liabilities?
Answer:
The reason to insist on a detailed statement of assets and liabilities is to avoid the risk of the candidate’s amassing money through unfair means.

Question 34.
Give some of the successful slogans by different political parties in various elections in India in the past.
Answer:
Some of the successful slogans are asunder:
The Congress party led by Indira Gandhi gave the slogan of “Remove Poverty” (Garibi Hatao) in the Lok Sabha elections of 1971. The party promised to recurrent all the policies of the government to remove poverty from the country.

“Save Democracy” was the slogan used by Janata Party in the next Lok Sabha election held in 1977. The party promised to undo the excesses committed during Emergency and restore civil liberties.

The Left Front used the slogan of “Land to the Tiller” in the West Bengal assembly elections held in 1977.
“Protect the Self-Respect of the Telugus” was the slogan used by N. T. Rama Rao, the leader of the Telugu Desam Party in Andhra Pradesh assembly elections in 1983.

Question 35.
Give details of the election laws which prohibit the candidates when they indulge in election campaign.
Answer:
According to our election laws, no party or candidate can:

• Bribe or threaten the voters.
• Appeal to them in the name of caste or religion etc.
• Use government resources for election campaign.
• Spend more than Rs. 25 Lakh for a Lok Sabha election or Rs. 10 Lakhs in an assembly election.

If they do so/their election can be rejected by court even after they have been declared elected. Minimum conditions of a Democratic Elections First, everyone should be able to choose; Everyone can vote and every vote should have equal value. Second, there should be something to choose from. Parties and candidates should be free to contest elections and should offer some real choice to the voters.

Third, the voice should be offered at regular intervals. Elections must be held regularly after every few years.
Fourth, the candidate preferred by the people should get elected. Fifth, elections should be conducted in a free and fair manner where people can choose as they really wish.

Question 36.
Mention the details about a model code of conduct for the election campaign as agreed by all the political parties in India.
Answer:
The following sum up the Model Code of conduct for the election campaign:

• Any place of worship shall not be used for election propaganda.
• Criticisms of the opponents shall be limited to their policies, programmes, past records and work and will not mention their personal lives.
• No flags, banners, notices, slogans shall be placed on any building without the permission of the owner.
• The government transport including official aircrafts, vehicles, machinery and personnel shall not be used by ministers and the ruling party.
• The ministers shall not lay foundation stones of any projects or make any promises of providing public facilities after elections have been announced.

Question 37.
Explain Universal Adult Franchise.
Answer:
The Universal Adult Franchise ‘ refers to the enjoyment of right to vote by all the adult citizens of the county, without any discrimination i.e., on the basis of caste, creed, colour, sex, education and place of birth. It is a well-known fact that every citizen of India who is 18 years of age and above and who is not otherwise disqualified, is entitled to vote in the elections.

Question 38.
“It is said elections are the barometers of Democracy”. What do you understand by this sentence?
Answer:
In a democratic form of government, tiie elections are considered as barometers of democracy because the elections are very crucial in democratic setup. Elections provide opportunity to the people to judge the performance of the representatives. Elections also generate a new political attitude which can determine the future course of the country at. large.

Question 39.
Write a short note on the Election Commission.
Answer:
The election commission is the highest body in our country to conduct the elections. It not only conducts tire elections but also controls and even supervises this process. All elections to the parliament and to the state legislatures and elections to the offices of the President and the Vice President are conducted by the Election commission. It is the Election Commission which fixes and announces the dates of the elections in our country. The Election Commission also makes sure that the party in power does not take undue advantage over other parties.

Question 40.
What is meant by Election Petition?
Answer:
When a candidate is not satisfied about the way the elections have been held in his constituency, he Can file a petition in the court and question the election of another candidate. This kind of petition is called an election petition. Being accepted, this kind of petition leads to a by-election to that particular seat.

Question 41.
What is the importance of the electoral symbols?
Or
Why that different political parties are given different electoral symbols?
Answer:
All the political parties, as well as the independent candidates, also are allotted symbols by the Election Commission. All the major well-Renown political parties have been allotted permanent symbols. These symbols are well-known and quite popular among the public An Indian can easily recognize a Congress candidate by the symbol of palm as well a BJP candidate by the lotus.

Election symbols are allotted mainly, because of the following reasons :

• These symbols help the ordinary man and even an illiterate to recognise the parties.
• These symbols help the. political parties to arrange their processions and meetings and carry on their propaganda from street to street.
• Symbols also help in the situation when there are more than one candidate of the same name in the same constituency
• In fact symbols make it easy to caste one’s vote.

Question 42.
State briefly the importance of regular electoral competitions.
Answer:
Regular electoral competition provides incentives to political parties and leaders. They know that if they do good work that would make them popular and increase their chances of victory in the next elections. But if, they fail to satisfy the voters with their work they will not be able ta win again. So, if a political party or leader was motivated only by desire to be in power and to continue to be so, even then they would be forced to serve the people.

This is a bit like market. Even if a shopkeeper is interested, only in his profit, he is forced to give good service to the customers, If he does not, the customer will go to some other shop. Similarly, political competition may cause divisions and some ugliness, but it finally, helps to force political parties and leaders to serve the people.

Question 43.
How is this election process complete in a country?
Answer:
The following steps are the major ones in the election process in our country :

• Elections are announced together with their dates for purposes such as of nomination filling ‘forms, scrutiny etc.,
• The Election Commission makes sure that the political party in power does not take any undue advantage over other parties.
• The candidates fill up the nomination papers.
• The nomination papers or the applications are scrutinized.
• The candidates not willing to contest any more withdraw their candidature.
• The final list of the candidates is published. ,
• Campaigning done by the candidates and their supporters.
• On the day of the election, casting of votes is performed in a free and fair atmosphere.
• After the counting, results are announced.
  Thus, the election procedure in Our country is completed.

Question 44.
Prepare a brief list of the minimum conditions of any democratic elections.
Answer:
The following is the list of minimum conditions in any democratic elections :

• First, everyone should be able to choose. This means that everyone should have one vote and every vote should have equal value.
• Second, there should be something to chose from/Parties and candidates should be free to contest elections and should offer some real choice to the voters.
• Third; the choice should be offered at regular intervals. Elections must be held regularly after every few years,
• Fourth, whoever people choose should get elected. Elections should be conducted in a free and fair manner where people can choose as they really wish.

Question 45.
Give a brief account of election campaign.
Answer:
The main purpose of election is to give people a chance to choose the representatives, the government and’ the policies they prefer. Therefore, it is necessary to have a free and.open discussion about who is a better representative, which party will give a better government or what.is a good policy. This is what happens during election campaign. In our country, there are two weeks between the declaration of candidates and the polling of votes.

During this period the candidates contact their voters, political leaders address election meetings and political parties mobilise their supporters. This is also, the period when newspapers and television news are full of election related stories and debates. But election campaign is not limited to the two weeks only. Political parties start preparing for election, months before the election actually takes place.

Question 46.
State briefly some challenges to free and fair election.
Answer:
There are always challenges to free and fair election. Some of these are:

1. Candidates and parties with a lot of money may not be sure of their victory, but they do enjoy a big and unfair advantage over others.
2. In some parts of the country, candidates with criminal connection have been able to push others out of electoral race and secure ‘tickets from more parties;
3. Very often elections offer little choice to ordinary citizens, for both the major parties are similar to each other and do not wish to raise any major issue;
4. Smaller parties and independent candidates suffer a huge disadvantage compared to bigger parties; and
5. Election campaign often does not raise any basic questions and therefore does not offer any real voice to the people.

Question 47.
What is the importance of the independent Election Commission? How does such a commission help ensure free and fair elections?
Answer:
In our country, elections are conducted by an independent and very powerful Election Commission. A Commission enjoys the same kind of independence that the judiciary enjoys. The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) is appointed by the President of India. But once appointed the Chief Election Commissioner is not answerable to the President or the government. Even if the ruling party or the government does not like what the Commission does, it is virtually impossible for it to remove the CEC.

The Election Commission is a very powerful body:

• Our Constitution gives it tire power to take decision on every aspect of conduct and control of elections from the declaration of elections to the declaration of results;
• The Commission lias the power to implement the Code of Conduct and punish any a candidates or party that violates it;
• During the period of the elections, the EC can order, the government to follow some guidelines, including transferring some government officials like the Collector or SP; and
• When government officers work on election duty, they are under the control of the EC and not the government.

Question 48.
Why are certain constituencies reserved and for whom?
Answer:
There are some constituencies which are reserved for people who belong to the Scheduled Castes [SC] and Scheduled Tribes (ST). In reserved (SC) constituency, only someone who belongs to the Scheduled Caste can stand for election. Similarly, only those belonging to Scheduled Tribe can contest. election from a reserved (ST) constituency.

The number of seats so reserved is in proportion to their population. Currently, in the Lok Sabha, 79 seats are reserved for the Scheduled Castes and 41 for the Scheduled Tribes. In the panchayat and Nagar Palika elections, one-third of the seats are reserved in a similar manner for women candidates. In many states, seats in panchayat and Nagar Palika are reserved for Other Backward Classes as well. This varies from state to state.

Why do we have this system? Isn’t this system unfair to those from other communities? It might seem so. But the gains of this system are much bigger. This system makes our democracy a representative democracy. If there were no system of reservation, very few persons from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes would have been elected to the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabhas. They would not have had the resources. the education and conditions to contest elections against others.

They would have been discriminated against by others and prevented from winning elections. If that had happened, our parliament and assemblies would have been deprived of the voice of a significant section of our population. In any case the reserved seats do not take away the legitimate share of anyone else. The proportion of seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and Tribes is exactly in proportion to their share in population. In fact, inspired by the success of this system, women’s movement has been demanding a similar system for women as well.

Question 49.
Give a list of slogan raised during elections.
Answer:
In election campagins, political parties try to focus public attention on some big issues. They want to attract the public to that issue and get them to vote for their party on that basis. Let us look at some oi the successful slogans givne by different political parties in various elections.

The Congress party led by Indira Gandhi gave the slogan of Garibi Hatao (Remove poverty) in the Lok Sabha elections of 1971. The party promised to reorient all the policies of the government to remove. poverty from the country. Save Democracy was the slogan given by Janata Party in the next Lok Sabha election held in 1977.

The party promised to undo the excesses committed during Emergency and restore civil liberties. The Left Front used the slogan of Land to the Tiller in the West Bengal Assembly elections held in 1977.
Protect the Self-Respect of the Telugus was the slogan used by N. T. Rama Rao, the leader of the Telugu Desam Party in Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections in 1983.

Objective Type Questions

1. Put (✓) before the correct sentences and (✗) before the incorrect sentences:

(i) The election in our country is conducted by secret ballot.
Answer:
(✓)

(ii) The candidates are given a date for withdrawal of their names.
Answer:
(✓)

(iii) Elections are the barometers of democracy.
Answer:
(✓)

(iv) Radio is a medium of the expression of the public opinion.
Answer:
(✓)

(v) Correct reporting is dependent on the freedom of the press.
Answer:
(✓)

(vi) No one can predict the result of an election.
Answer:
(✓)

(vii) The influence of the opposition parties spread over the whole country.
Answer:
(✗)

2. Complete the following sentences

(i). In 1998, general -elections, ………………………….. formed the government at the centre.
Answer:
Coalition

(ii) A single party getting the majority or ………………………….. of parties form the government.
Answer:
Group

(iii) ………………………….. is the electoral symbol of the Congress.
Answer:
Hand

(iv) The candidates are given a ………………………….. for withdrawal of their names.
Answer:
Date

(v) Election ………………………….. carry party’s promises about major issues.
Answer:
Manifestoes

(vi) In the general elections of …………………………..the Congress party was defeated for the first time.
Answer:
1977

3. Choose the Correct-answer from the alternatives given below:

(i) The following type of Samiti Devi Lai had formed in 1987:
(a) Nyaya
(b) Sanghparash
(c) Vidhan
(d) Sewa
Answer:
(b) Sanghparash

(ii) The Devi Lai Lok Dal party obtained the following number of seats in the Haryana Vidhan Sabha:
(a) 50
(b) 55
(c) 60
(d) 65
Answer:
(c) 60

(iii) The current Lok Sabha strength is:
(a) 540
(b) 541
(c) 542
(d) 543
Answer:
(d) 543

(iv) Currently, the number of the Scheduled Castes seats in the Lok Sabha are:
(a) 76
(b) 77
(c) 78
(d) 79
Answer:
(d) 79

(v) Currently, the number of the Scheduled Tribes in the Lok Sabha is
(a) 41
(b) 42
(c) 43
(d) 44
Answer:
(a) 41.

The Lake Isle of Innisfree Extra Questions and Answers Class 9, we’ll take you on a poetic expedition, unravelling the nuances of Yeats’ verses and the profound emotions they evoke. Each stanza will be explored, seeking to grasp the poet’s dreams and aspirations, and the deeper meaning behind his yearning for a rustic, contemplative existence. Read this also Extra Questions for Class 9 English with Answers.

The Lake Isle of Innisfree Extra Questions and Answers Class 9 English Beehive

The Lake Isle of Innisfree Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Question 1.
Describe the Lake Isle of Innisfree as seen through the eyes of the poet.
Answer:
The Lake Isle of Innisfree is an island that is incredibly peaceful. The island is also a place of great natural beauty. Yeats describes many different aspects of its appeal, from the various birds and insects to the striking light at different times of day. This is a landscape that has not been damaged or diminished by human interference.

Question 2.
Why does the poet want to go to Innisfree?
Answer:
The poet wants to go Innisfree in search of peace. He does not like London with its noise and grey pavements. He wants to live in a place which is the opposite of London; he craves for some peace and hence he wants to go to Innisfree where he will be self-sufficient. He will build a small cabin and grow beans and make his own honey by keeping honeybees. Instead of city noise, he will hear the buzzing of the bees and the sound of lake water lapping against the shore.

Question 3.
How is the city life different from the life at the Lake of Innisfree?
Answer:
City life according to the poet is routine and wearisome. The city is noisy, the pavements are dull and grey; there is chaos all around. But at Innisfree, he can escape the noise of the city and be lulled by the “lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore.” On this small island, he can return to nature by growing beans and having bee hives, by enjoying the “purple glow” of noon, the sounds of birds’ wings, and, of course, the bees. He can even build a cabin and stay on the island.

Question 4.
What kind of life does the poet William Butler Yeats imagine in his poem “The Lake Isle of Innisfree”?
Answer:
Yeats imagines Innisfree as an idyllic place of peace and solitude. He imagines living in a “small cabin” of “clay and wattles” where he will support himself on beans he plants and honey from his beehive, and he will “live alone in the bee-loud glade.” There is also a sense that the “peace” he will find there is connected to its natural beauty.

Question 5.
Write three things that the poet would like to do when he goes back to Innisfree.
Answer:
Innisfree is a perfect island that provides everything desired by the poet. The poet will build a small cabin of clay and fence. He will have nine rows of beans. He will also have a hive for the honeybees.

Question 6.
How will the poet live on the island of Innisfree ?
Answer:
The poet will go to Innisfree and live in the lap of nature in quiet solitude. He will build a small cabin there. He shall have nine rows of beans and a hive of bees. He will survive on the beans and the honey cultivated by himself.

Question 7.
Why does the speaker in the poem “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” desire to spend his time alone in his cabin?
Answer:
The speaker longs for a quiet place where he can live in peace and in harmony with nature. He envisions a simple life in a cottage surrounded by a garden instead of the dull “pavement” of the city. In his mind, he hears the gentle “lapping” of the water against its shore, the bee loud glade instead of the noise of city traffic. And he will be self-sufficient, growing his own food.

Question 8.
‘And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow.” Where will the poet have some peace ? How?
Answer:
The poet indicates that peace of mind can be slowly acquired in the lap of Nature. From the morning, when the mist is like a veil thrown over the lake, to the noon when the purple heather blazes finder the sun and the evening is Ml of the sound of the linnet’s wings and finally, at night, the glow of stars lighting up the sky, the poet will have peace.

Question 9.
How does the poet describe the lake’s waves?
Answer:
The poet says that the lake’s waves hit its shore and create a low sound. The sound, different from the sounds of the city, gives him great pleasure. He hears it in his heart and enjoys it. It also gives him solace and comfort as he realises he can visualise the island in his heart in the city.

Question 10.
How is the ‘roadway in London’ different from the Lake Isle of Innisfree?
Answer:
The roadway in London is dull and grey. But there is nature’s beauty all round in the isle of Innisfree. The poet finds himself surrounded by the beauty of nature and its sounds. He hears the sweet sound of the lake water lapping against the shore.

Question 11.
What does the poet hear in his ‘heart’s core’ even when he is far away from Innisfree?
Answer:
The poet is far away from the island of Innisfree in London. However, he hears not the sound of city traffic, but the lake water lapping against the shore with low sounds in his heart’s core.

Question 12.
What words does the poet use to describe how calmness and tranquillity will come to him at Innsifree?
Answer:
The poet declares that he will get up and go to Innisfree, where he will build a small cabin “of clay and wattles made.” There, he will have nine bean-rows and a beehive and live alone in the glade loud with the sound of bees. He says that he will have peace there, for peace drops from “the veils of morning to where the cricket sings.”

Question 13.
How does the poet describe midnight, noon and evening?
Answer:
According to the poet, Innisfree is a magical place. In the morning, the mist is like veils thrown over the lake. At noon, the purple heather blazes under the sun, and the sky glows with a purple glow. In the evening, the environment is filled with the chirping of crickets and the fluttering of the linnet’s wings. In the night, the bright stars cause the sky to shimmer.

Question 14.
Innisfree is a simple, natural place, full of beauty and peace. How does the poet contrast it with where he now stands?
Answer:
The poet contrasts the clay and wattle made cabin, bee-loud glade, morning with dews and cricket songs, midnight with its sky filled with glimmering stars, noon with purple glow that is almost magical, evenings filled with the sound of the flapping of linnet’s wings, and lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore as compared to the sombre monotony of the “grey” London pavements and the sound of traffic.

Question 15.
Where is the speaker when he hears lake water lapping?
Answer:
The speaker says he is standing “on the roadway, or on the pavements grey”. Yeats was walking down the Strand in London, when a fountain in a shop reminded him of lake water lapping against the shore at Innisfree.

Question 16.
In “The Lake Isle of Innisfree,” what does the poet feel while standing on the pavement?
Answer:
The speaker in “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” is clearly in an urban environment, London, as he thinks about Innisfree. He stands “on the roadway, or on the pavements grey”. He says he will have peace in Innisfree, implying he is not at peace here in the city. His tone expresses his regret that he is so far from where his heart tells him he should be.

Question 17.
What does Innisfree symbolize for the poet? Does the poet actually miss the place of his boyhood days?
Answer:
Innisfree represents poet’s state of mind. The poet wishes to escape to Innisfree as it is more peaceM than where he is now-the city. Innisfree is representative of what the poet considers an ideal place to live, which is devoid of the restless humdrum of his life. Yes, the poet actually misses the place of his boyhood days. Even when he is away from Innisfree, he recalls the sound of the lake water washing the shore.

Question 18.
What is the tone of the poem?
Answer:
The poem has a very calm and relaxed tone. The speaker starts on a dreamy, with note, but as he pictures the place in his mind, it helps him to make up his mind. His desire to escape becomes stronger and he determinedly repeats his desire to escape. Finally, the poet has a relaxed tone as the speaker realises that even though he lives in an urban area, he will hear the sounds of tranquil nature resonate in the deepest part of his being.

Question 19.
What sound is the poet looking forward to hear in Innisfree?
Answer:
The speaker wants to be surrounded by the sounds of nature. The glade or the clearing he lives in will be filled with the sound of bees buzzing and the fluttering of birds’ wings, as also, the peaceful sounds of the cricket.

The Lake Isle of Innisfree Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
Briefly describe the major theme of the poem ‘The Lake Isle of Innisfree”, Nature vs City life.
Answer:
A major theme in “The Lake Isle of Innisfree”, is nature versus the somber monotony of city life. Civilization, as represented by London, is monotonous and wearisome. On the other hand, Innisfree is magical with its He is not at peace, because peace is there only at Innisfree. Further, his use of “pavements gray” tells us that the urban environment in which he finds himself is exactly the opposite of the natural world he desires to return to.

On the other hand, Innisfree, which represents Nature, is magical in its appearance. The sounds one hears are the buzzing of bees, the flapping of the linnets’ wings, the singing of crickets and the lapping of the lake water aginst the shores. The sky is magical too. The dew drops from the sky in the morning light, the noon sky glows purple and the stars shimmer at midnight.

Question 2.
How does Yeats create the atmosphere of the island and its sights and sounds in “The Lake Isle of Innisfree”? Refer closely to the use of language in the first two stanzas.
Answer:
The speaker begins by declaring that he will rise and go to Innisfree, a small island in the middle of Lough Gill, located in County Slogh. There the speaker will construct a cabin of mud and intertwined twigs or branches. He will lead a life of peace and quiet solitude, keeping busy with his garden of beans and a beehive.

The speaker reiterates that he will find calm in the dripping morning dew and singing crickets in the morning light, and this calm will continue throughout the day, when the sky glows purple in the noon and he hears the beating or finches’ wings in the evening, and finally, when the sky shimmers in the light of the stars at midnight.

Question 3.
In W.B. Yeats’s poem, “The Lake Isle of Innisfree,” what indications does the speaker give of his present environment?
Answer:
The first line of the poem makes it clear that the speaker is not at Innisfree. In this line, he expresses his wish to go there. Given his peaceful, idealistic description of Innisfree as a magical place that he would want to escape to, we might surmise that his current environment is quite different. If he longs so badly to escape to such a place, perhaps his current environment is bland, boring, oppressive.

He will have peace at Innisfree in the lap of Nature, implying he does not have peace where he is at present. He also brings out the sombre, monotony of the “grey” London pavements and the sound of traffic, by contrasting them with the sounds of bees, birds and crickets and the colours of the sky.

Question 4.
Explain the contrast between the last four lines of “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” and the rest of the poem.
Answer:
In the opening lines of the poem, the poet’s tone is dreamy and hopeful as the poet declares his intention of going to Innisfree. This is mainly achieved by the use of the future tense and the speaker’s desire to “arise and go now” to Innisfree. The speaker is sure he will live happily, will build his own home and grow and harvest his own food.

Innisfree takes on a magical character in the second stanza. The buzzing of the bees has, quietened and has been replaced by the gentler noise of crickets, the air is filled with birds in flight, and night and day have reversed their roles: “midnight’s all a glimmer and noon a purple glow.” It is also a place where peace is slow in coming but arrives nonetheless.

The reader is, however, aware that the speaker is not where he wishes to be, yet. The longing becomes more intense in the final stanza when the speaker says he hears the call to go to Innisfree “always night and day” and is even more determined to go to Innisfree. There is a sharp tone shift in the final two lines created by use of present tense “I stand” and “I hear”.

The soothing tone and mood is abruptly cut off and replaced by cold reality and the imagery of the street – to “roadway” and “pavements grey”. The speaker would rather not be where he is in that moment and his tone is sombre. But this mood does not last, as the speaker shifts to the present tense showing that though he stands on the “grey” pavement, he can access Innisfree in his own heart at any time.

Question 5.
Why does the poet want to go Innisfree?
Answer:
The speaker is standing on the pavement in London. He is surrounded by the sombre monotony of “grey” roadway and pavement and the sound of traffic. In that moment, perhaps fed up of the hubbub of the city life, the speaker decides to go to Innisfree. There, the speaker will construct a cabin of mud and intertwined twigs. In a life of quiet solitude, the speaker will keep busy with his garden of beans and a beehive. The speaker reiterates that he will find calm in the easy pace of dripping dew and singing crickets in the morning light, and this calm will continue throughout the day, the purple glow of the afternoon, and the beating of finches’ wings in the evening and shimmering of stars in the sky at midnight.

Question 6.
In the poem The Lake Isle of Innisfree’, what does the poet find so attractive about ‘The Lake Isle of Innisfree’.
Answer:
The thing that the poet finds so attractive about Lake Isle of Innisfree is its promise of peace. The poet, who stays in London, longs for this place, in the lap of Nature, which affords a sense of contentment and relaxation far from the busy modem life. He remembers the beauty of Innisfree and the simple life he can lead there in quiet solitude. He will build a cabin and live on beans and honey which he will cultivate himself. He dreams of living in a delightful environment listening to the buzzing of bees, the songbirds and crickets at dusk and lake water lapping against the shores. He wishes to escape to a beautiful place with wonderful light and colour.

Question 7.
Does the poet wish to escape reality in The Lake Isle of Innisfree?
Answer:
The Isle of Innisfree is a place of escape for the speaker, who is unhappy living in the city. The thing that the poet finds so attractive about Lake Isle of Innisfree is its promise of peace. The speaker describes Innisfree as a simple, natural environment where he will build a cabin and live alone in the lap of nature.

He talks of the island as an inherently restorative place where human beings can go to escape the chaos and cheerless monotony of city life. The poet, then, longs for this place which affords a sense of contentment and relaxation far from the busy modem life. The poem’s slow and regular meter helps to convey this languid, dreamy effect.

There is also the vivid impressionistic description of the colours and beauties of this place, and the soothing stir of nature which is so different from the strident noise of the city where the poet actually is, as the final stanza makes clear. The poet, who is physically trapped in the city, imagines the beauty of Innisfree and this gives him spiritual sustenance in an increasingly fast-paced, modem world.

However, the speaker is only dreaming of “getting away from it all. Even if he never goes, he will at least escape to this Garden of Eden in his mind. He can imagine the escape as he can will himself to hear the lake water lapping even while he stands on the pavement in the city.

The Lake Isle of Innisfree Extra Questions and Answers Reference to Context

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.

Question 1.
I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made; 
Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee,
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.

(a) Who does T refer to in the stanza?
Answer:
I is the speaker/ the poet William Butler Yeats

(b) Where is he at the present moment?
Answer:
He is walking down a road in London.

(c) Where does he want to go?
Answer:
He wants to go to the lake island of Innisfree, a place where he had spent a lot of time as a boy.

(d) What does he wish to do there?
Answer:
He wishes to build a small hut of clay and wattles. He will sow nine rows of beans and keep a hive for the honeybee.

Question 2.
I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made;
Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee,
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.

(a) Name the poetic device used in the first line.
Answer:
Allusion: The poet’s declaration ‘’I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree” echoes the words of the prodigal son in the Bible when he says, ‘’I will arise and go to my father.”

(b) What does the word ‘there’ in the above lines refer to?
Answer:
‘There’ in the above lines refer to Lake Isle of Innisfree.

(c) Why does the poet wish to do go to Innisfree?
Answer:
The poet wishes to live in the lap of Nature, away from the hubbub of the city.

(d) What does the stanza suggest about the poet?
Answer:
The poet loves to live in the lap of nature.

Question 3.
And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;
There midnight’s all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow.
And evenings full of the linnet’s wings.

(a) What is the poet going there to find?
Answer:
The poet hopes to find peace in Innisfree.

(b) Explain: What do you think “for peace comes dropping slow/ Dropping from the veils of the morning”?
Answer:
The given lines indicate that peace of mind can be slowly acquired from the natural surroundings. It is peace that comes slowly, falling like morning mist from the sky and slowly fades away until it is night.

(c) How has noon been described in the stanza?
Answer:
Noon has been described as a purple glow. Here, a purple glow in the sky gives noon a magical quality. The poet could also be referring to the sight of purple flowers of heather in the afternoon

(d) What is a ‘Linnet’?
Answer:
A mainly brown and grey finch with a reddish breast and forehead.

Question 4.
And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;
There midnight’s all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow.
And evenings full of the linnet’s wings.

(a) Where is the poet at the moment?
Answer:
He is standing on a pavement in London, imagining he is at Innisfree.

(b) What did the poet see in the morning?
Answer:
The poet saw dewdrops which seemed to be dropping from the skies and which brought peace.

(c) What did the poet hear?
Answer:
The poet heard the singing of the crickets and the flapping of the linnet’s wings.

(d) How does peace come in the morning?
Answer:
The peace comes dropping in the form of dewdrops in the morning when the sun rises from behind the curtains of mist. It gives immense pleasure to the poet.

Question 5.
I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear the lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,
I hear it in the deep heart’s core.

(a) What is the poet’s tone as he repeats “I will arise and go now”?
Answer:
The poet is determined to go back to Innisfree.

(b) What does the poet hear?
Answer:
The hears the lake water lapping with low sounds against the shore.

(c) What do you learn about the poet in this stanza?
Answer:
The poet loves nature and is determined to return to live with nature.

(d) How does the poet contrast London and Innisfree?
Answer:
The poet contrasts the colours of nature with the grey of the London streets.

Question 6.
I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear the lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,
I hear it in the deep heart’s core.

(a) Explain the line “lake water lapping with low sounds”.
Answer:
The poet hears the quiet sound of lake’s waves as they gently break on the shore.

(b) Bring out the internal rhyme used in the above lines.
Answer:
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey

(c) Why does the poet want to go to Lake Isle of Innisfree?
Answer:
The poet is unhappy with the life in the city. He wants to lead a peaceful life in the lap of nature. He wants to go to Innisfree because it is natural place full of beauty.

(d) Why is the poet looking for peace in Innisfree?
Answer:
The poet is living in London at the moment. He does not find peace in the city.

Embark on an enlightening journey through the functioning of institutions that underpin the governance and functioning of a nation. Have you ever wondered about the roles and responsibilities of key institutions in a democracy, how they interact, and their collective impact on the political system? In this article, we present you with a Working of Institutions Class 9 Extra Questions with Answers. Read this also Extra Questions for Class 9 Social Science with Answers.

Working of Institutions Class 9 Extra Questions with Answers

Question 1.
What percentage of civil posts and services under the Government of India have been reserved for the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC)?
Answer:
27% the vacancies.

Question 2.
With what name was the Second Backward Classes Commission known as?
Answer:
Mandal Commission.

Question 3.
Which Office Order was supposed to affect thousands of jobs every year?
Answer:
OM No. 36012/31/90-Est (SCT) dated 13.8.1990.

Question 4.
When was the Mandal Commission constituted?
Answer:
1978.

Question 5.
Write the sentence each about the role played by the following people with reference to Office Memorandum No 36012/31/90.
1. Joint Secretary
2. B. P. Mandal
3. V.P. Singh
4. Indira Sawhney.
Answer:
1. Joint Secretary: The officer who signed OM No. 36012/31/90.
2. BP Mandal: The person who had headed the Second Backward Classes Commission.
3. V. P. Singh: The Prime Minister when OM 36012/31/90 was issued.
4. Indira Sawhney: One who filed a case against the Union of India in the Supreme Court relating to the Mandal Commission recommendations.

Question 6.
How does a democracy work?
Answer:
A democracy works through certain political institutions.

Question 7.
What is the function of the Department of Personnel and Training?
Answer:
The Department of Personnel and Training decides about how and on what terms should the government employees be recruited.

Question 8.
What does the Cabinet do?
Answer:
The Cabinet meeting decides the major decisions about the country.

Question 9.
What does the Supreme Court do?
Answer:
The Supreme Court is an institution where disputes about any policy or its implementation are resolved.

Question 10.
What is the job of the Parliament in India?
Answer:
The Parliament makes laws for the country.

Question 11.
Which body does the Prime Minister head?
Answer:
Prime Minister heads the Council of Ministers.

Question 12.
What is the name of the national legislature in the USA?
Answer:
Congress: It has two houses :
the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Extra Questions On Working Of Institutions Class 9 Question 13.
With what name is the British legislature known as?
Answer:
Parliament;

• The House of Common,
• The House of Lords.

Question 14.
How many members and on what basis does the President of India nominate on tire Rajya Sabha?
Answer:
The President of India nominates 12 members in the Rajya Sabha on the basis of art, sciences, literature and social service.

Question 15.<
What is tenure of the Rajya Sabha member?
Answer:
A Rajya Sabha member is elected for a period of six years, 1/3 of the total members retire every two years.

Question 16.
By whom is it decided whether a bill is a money bill or not?
Answer:
By the Speaker.

Question 17.
Where is the money bill sent after being passed by the Lok Sabha?
Answer:
Rajya Sabha.

Question 18.
Who presides over the joint sittings of the Parliament?
Answer:
The Speaker.

Question 19.
When does a bill become an Act of Parliament?
Answer:
On receipt of the assent of the President, the bill becomes an Act of Parliament.

Question 20.
Which kind of bill must have the consent of the President before being introduced?
Answer:
Money bill.

Question 21.
Within how many days the Rajya Sabha has to return money bill?
Answer:
14 days.

Question 22.
What is the maximum number of the members in the Lok Sabha?
Answer:
550 At present, the number is 543.

Question 23.
Which of the Constitutional Amendment had frozen the ‘number of representatives in the Lok Sabha?
Answer:
42nd Constitutional Amendment.

Question 24.
Up to when the freeze has been extended by the National Population Policy 2000?
Answer:
Up to 2026.

Question 25.
Which court is at the top of the judicial system in India?
Answer:
The Supreme Court.

Question 26.
What are the powers and functions of the Prime, Minister of India?
Answer:
The Prime Minister is the head of the central government. All the powers vested in the President are actually exercised by the Council of Ministers under the leadership of the Prime Minister.
As a matter of fact the most powerful office in. the central government is that of the Prime Minister.

Powers and Functions of the Prime Minister-

• He selects the members of the Council of Ministers.
• He allocates portfolios among the ministers.
• He can drop any minister.
• He presides over the meetings of the Council of Ministers.
• He decides about the policies of the government.
• He coordinates the v/ork of different ministers.
• He is also the chairman of the planning commission.
• The entire government is associated with the name of the Prime Minister.

Question 27.
Write a note on the Vice-President of India.
Answer:
The VicerPresident performs the duties and the. functions of a President in his absence or illness. If the President resigns or dies in office, the Vice-President officiates till a new President is elected.
The Vice-President is also the ex-officio chairman of the Rajya Sabha. The Vice-President in our country is elected for 5 years by an electoral college.

A candidate for the office of the Vice-President must be a citizen of India and must be of 35 years of age or above as well as he must be eligible to be a member of the Rajya Sabha.

Question 28.
Write a short note on the Council of Ministers.
Answer:
The Council of Ministers in our country is headed by the Prime Minister. In the council, there are three categories of ministers:

• The cabinet ministers,
• The ministers of state,
• deputy ministers. It is essential for the members of the Council of Ministers to be members of either house of The parliaments.

If a minister is not a member of the Parliament, he has to acquire its membership within six months of his appointment. The ministers are individually responsible for their ministries and departments. This responsibility is enforced through the Prime Minister. The Council of Ministers remains in power as long as it enjoys the support of the majority in the Lok Sabha.

Question 29.
How is the Speaker of the Lok Sabha elected? Mention some of his functions.
Answer:
The Speaker is elected by the members of Lok‘Sabha among themselves. The Speaker presides over the sessions and conducts its business. The Speaker may be a member of any political party. However once elected, he has to conduct, the business of the house impartially. It is the Speaker who keeps the house in order. Though he does not vote during the voting in the house, yet he can use his casting vote in case of a tie.

Question 30.
What do you know about the state legislature?
Answer:
India is a federal country. Each of its states has a legislature. Some of the state legislatures have two houses while the maximum number of the states have only one house, the lower one. The upper house in a state legislature is known as Vidhan Parishad while the lower house is known as the Vidhan Sabha. According to the provisions of our constitution, no legislative assembly is allowed to have more than 500 or less than 60 members.

The members of the Vidhan Sabha are elected by the people. A citizen of India of 25 years or more is able to be elected as its member.’ The Legislative Assembly is generally elected for 5 years. However, it may be dissolved before its term. Just like the Parliament, in a state .legislature, the lower house that is the Legislative Assembly is more powerful than the Legislative Council.

Question 31.
What is meant by Financial Emergency?
Answer:
Financial Emergency is a situation in which the President of India feels that the financial Stability or the credit of India is threatened. And to cope with this situation he declares financial emergency. In financial emergency, the President can reduce the salaries of all government officials including the Judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts.

Question 32.
Write a few lines on the emergency arising out of the failure of constitutional machinery in States.
Answer:
When the President of our country is satisfied on the basis of the report of the governor of a state or even from other sources that the government in the state cannot be carried out in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution. In such a situation, he can declare emergency in that state. In this situation, the President can take over the entire work of the executive and dissolve or suspend the State Assembly. The governor rules in the name of the President. The budget is passed by the Parliament.

Question 33.
How many houses does the Parliament of India has? How is the Lok Sabha constituted?
Answer:
The Parliament consists of two Houses. The first House is the Lok Sabha or the House of the People (in Hindi Lok means people and Sabha means assembly or council). The people directly elect Members of the Lok Sabha for a period of five years. We have already studied the method of election for the 543 members of Lok Sabha.

Question 34.
Give briefly the composition of the Rajya Sabha.
Answer:
The second House of India’s Parliament is called the Rajya Sabha or the Council of States. The Rajya Sabha represents the states Its total strength is 250; 12 out of them are nominated by the President on the basis of art, literature, science, social service. A member of the Rajya Sabha is elected for six years, with one-third retiring every second year. If is never without numbers.

Question 35.
Can we say that the political executive is more powerful in the presidential system than in parliamentary system?
Answer:
Not really. Sometimes, strength becomes weakness. In a presidential system, two different parties can run two different centres of power. Often the president cannot get the parliament to support. her or his policies. In a parliamentary system, the same party controls political executive and the parliament. So the political executive can work without obstacles.

Question 36.
How’ are the ministers appointed in India?
Answer:
After the appointment of the Prime Minister, the President appoints other ministers on the advice of the Prime Minister. The ministers are usually from the party or the coalition that has the majority in Lok Sabha. The Prime Minister is free to choose ministers, as long as they are members of the Parliament. Sometimes, a person who is not a Member of Parliament can also become a minister. But such a person has to get elected to one of the Houses of the Parliament within six months of appointment as minister.

Question 37.
Do you agree that the President remains a nominal executive? How is he elected?
Answer:
The President is not elected directly by the people. The Constitution has set up a very elaborate and complex system for the election of the President, The President is elected by all the elected MPs and MLAs in the country. Their votes have different values, depending on how many people they represent.

Their votes are counted through a complicated system called ‘single transferable vote system. This complicated system of election meets two aims. The President can be seen to represent the entire nation. At the same time, the President can never claim the kind of direct popular mandate that the Prime Minister can. This ensures that the president remains a nominal executive.

Question 38.
Explain the term Public Interest Litigation (PIL).
Answer:
When anyone approaches the courts in case public interest is adversely affected by the actions of the government, it is called public interest litigation. The courts intervene to prevent the misuse of government power in making decisions. They check malpractices on the part of public officials. That is the reason why of all the political institutions in the country the judiciary enjoys high confidence of the people.

Question 39.
Answer following for the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha :

Question 40.
Describe the functions of the government briefly.
Answer:
Administration involves a lot of governmental activities. For example, the government is responsible for ensuring the security of the citizens and providing facilities for education and health to all. It collects taxes and spends money thus raised on army, police and development programmes. It formulates several welfare schemes and elements, them.

Some persons have to take decisions on how to go about these activities. Some have to implement these decisions. If disputes arise on these decisions or in their implementation, there should be someone to determine what is right and what is wrong.

It is important that everyone should know who is responsible for doing what. It is also important that these activities are not influenced too much by the personal likes and dislikes of someone who happens Lobe doing that. So, to attend all these tasks several arrangements are made in aHrnbdem democracies. Such arrangements are called institutions. A democracy works throùgh political institutions. It works well when these institutions do what, people expect of them, do it efficiently and are answerable to the people.

Question 41.
Discuss some of the major functions of the Parliament in a democracy.
Answer:
Legislature existš in every democracy. It exercises political authority on behalf of the people in many ways :
(a) The parliament is the final authority for making the laws in any country. This task of lawmaking or legislation is so crucial that these assemblies are called legislatures. Parliaments all over the world can make new laws, change the existing laws, or abolish the existing laws and make new ones in their place, In most countries, the parliaments can also amend the Constitution in some situations.

(b) The parliaments all over the world can criticise and exercise some control over those who run the government. In some countries like India, this control is direct and full. Those who run the government can do so only as long as the parliament wants them to.

(c) Parliaments control public finances. In most countries, any money raised from the people can be spent only when the parliament sanctions it.

(d) The parliaments are the highest forum of discussion and debate about public issues and national policy in any country. Parliament can. seek information about any matter related to government.

(e) Parliament chooses the real chief executive called also the Prime Minister, and it can also force him to resign if he loses its confidence.
It is because of these functions and powers that the Parliament is described as supreme.

Question 42.
In what respects does the Lok Sabha appear more powerful than the Rajya Sabha?
Answer:
Our Constitution clearly gives more powers to the directly elected house, the Lok Sabha as compared to the Rajya Sabha. This is clear from the following. Any ordinary law needs to be passed by both the houses. But if there is a difference between the two Houses, the final decision is taken by a joint session in which members of both the houses meet together. Because of the larger number of members, the view of the Lok Sabha is likely to prevail in such a meeting.

(i) Lok Sabha exercises more powers in financial matters. Once the Lok Sabha passes the budget of the government or any other finance-related law, the Rajya Sabha cannot reject it. The Rajya Sabha can only delay it by 14 days or suggest changes in it. The Lok Sabha may or may not accept these changes.

(ii) Most importantly, the Lok Sabha controls the government. The government continues in power only as long as it enjoys the support of the majority of the members in the Lok Sabha. If the majority of the Lok Sabha members say they have ‘no confi¬dence’ in the Council of Ministers, all of them including the Prime Minister have to quit. This the Rajya Sabha cannot do.

Question 43.
What do you mean by ‘Political Executive”? Briefly state functions/powers.
Answer:
At different levels of any government, we find functionaries who take day-to-day decisions but do not exercise supreme power on behalf of the people. All those functionaries are collectively known as the executive. They are called executives because they are in charge of the ‘execution’ of the policies of the government. Thus, when we refer to ‘the government’ we usually mean the executive. The executive in a democratic country consists of two parts.

Those who are elected by the people for a specific period are called the political executives. These are political leaders who take the big decisions. Those who are appointed on a long-term basis are called the permanent executive or civil services. Those working in evil services are called civil servants. These are officers who work under political executives and assist them in carrying out the day-to-day administration.

In both the parliamentary and presidential systems, tire political executive does a lot more than we think it does; The role of the executive is not limited to implementing laws made by the parliament, it also includes: The political executive actively participates in lawmaking. It is the cabinet that proposes a draft legislation that is passed by the parliament as the National Commission on Backward Glasses Act 1993.

In fact, it is mandatory that all legislation; that has to do with financial; matters should be proposed by the government, The executive frames policies and rules that are as important as the law itself. Let us recall that O.M. No. 36012/30/90 was an executive order, net a law. Subsequent decisions about who could benefit from these reservations were e also made by the executive.

Question 44.
Why is the Prime Minister the most important political office in the country?
Answer:
In a parliamentary system like ours, the head of the government is different from the head of the state. Both of them are part of the executive. But the head of the government exercises most of the real powers. This position is called the Prime Minister in most countries with parliamentary system. In our country too the Prime Minister is the head to the government. That is why the Prime Minister is the most important political office in the country.

In a parliamentary system, the head of the state appoints the head of the government. In our country7 the President appoints the Prime Minister. But this is only a formal description. What it means in real life is that the President appoints leader of the majority party or the coalition of parties that command majority in the Lok Sabha as the Prime Minister.

As the head of the government, the Prime Minister has wide-ranging powers. He chairs cabinet meetings. He coordinates the work of different departments. His decisions are final in case disagreements arise between departments; He exercises general supervision of different ministries. All ministers work under his leadership. The Prime Minister distributes and redistributes work to the ministers. Tie also has the power to dismiss ministers. When he quits, the entire ministry quits.

The extent of power that Prime Minister really wields varies a lot. It depends upon, the personality of the holder of the office, his or her authority in the ruling party and the image and following among the people. Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, exercised enormous authority because he was the supreme leader to the ruling Congress party at that time. He also had great influence on the public. But this was not true of all other Prime Ministers.

Objective Type Questions

(i) The proposal for a law is called a …………………. .
Answer:
Bill

(ii) On the receipt of the assent of the …………………. the bill becomes an Act of Parliament.
Answer:
President

(iii) In the Rajya Sabha, every member is elected for …………………. years.
Answer:
6

(iv) The Rajya Sabha must return the money bill with its recommendations within …………………. days.
Answer:
14

(v) The …………………. of the Assembly elect one of its members as speaker.
Answer:
Members

(vi) …………………. presides over the joint sittings of the Parliament.
Answer:
The Speaker.

2. Put (✓) before correct sentences and (✗) before incorrect sentences.

(i) When Rajya Sabha does not return the money bill within 14 days it is deemed to have been passed.
Answer:
(✓)

(ii) The strength of Legislative Assemblies in different states, varies.
Answer:
(✓)

(iii) If there is disagreement between the two houses on the bill the President may convene a joint sitting.
Answer:
(✓)

(iv) The questions without stars are meant for legislators.
Answer:
(✗)

(v) The answers to all the questions and the supplementary questions given by ministers make the government responsive to Parliament.
Answer:
(✓)

3. Choose the correct alternative from the following ones:

(i) Mandal Commission was constituted in:
(a) 1976
(b) 1977
(c) 1978
(d) 1979
Answer:
(c) 1978

(ii) The following appoints the Prime Minister of India :
(a) President
(b) Supreme Court of India
(c) People
(d) Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
Answer:
(a) President

(iii) The following is called the apex court:
(a) District court
(b) High Court
(c) Supreme court
(d) None of these
Answer:
(c) Supreme court

(iv) Parliament, in India, consists of the following:
(a) Lok Sabha only
(b) Rajya Sabha only
(c) Both Vidhan Sabha and Vidhan Parishad
(d) Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
Answer:
(d) Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

(v) The Prime Minister heads the following :
(a) Rajya Sabha
(b) Council of Ministers
(c) Supreme Court
(d) Vidhan Sabha.
Answer:
(b) Council of Ministers.

In its essence, “Online Education for No Men are Foreign Extra Questions and Answers Class 9 English Beehive” by James Kirkup is a powerful plea for global unity and understanding. The poem echoes the belief that despite our diverse cultures and backgrounds, we are all interconnected and share a common human bond. Read this also Extra Questions for Class 9 English with Answers.

Online Education for No Men are Foreign Extra Questions and Answers Class 9 English Beehive

No Men are Foreign Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

No Men Are Foreign Extra Questions Question 1.
What does the poet mean when he says “Remember, no men are strange, no countries foreign”?
Answer:
The poet is making an impassioned plea telling readers to give up extreme nationalism and perceived differences between people belonging to different nations. We are brothers because we inhabit the same planet, drink the same water and breathe the same air, but we feel different and behave like enemies at times. The poet wants us to give up our misplaced patriotism and live in universal brotherhood.

No Men Are Foreign Class 9 Extra Questions Question 2.
How does the poet prove that there are no foreign countries?
Answer:
Everyone shares the same sun, earth and air. They have the same body structure and its functioning elements. So there should be no biased attitude towards anyone.

Extra Questions Of No Men Are Foreign Question 3.
What is meant by uniforms? What is there beneath all uniforms?
Answer:
The word “uniform” refers to the distinctive clothing worn by members of the same organization or body or by children attending certain schools. In this poem, the poet uses “uniforms” to mean both the uniforms worn by soldiers and the varied traditional dresses belonging to different cultures and civilisations of the world, or the different clothes that symbolise who the wearers are. Beneath all uniforms lies the same human body.

No Men Are Foreign Extract Based Questions Question 4.
Bring out the irony in the use of the word “uniform”?
Answer:
Uniform implies a dress, costume or identification code that is similar to a group or organisation. Uniforms are necessary especially during war in order to differentiate between and identify soldiers on different sides who would otherwise appear to be same. But uniforms give rise to differences. Because every nation has a uniform, the world remains divided rather than united.

Class 9 No Men Are Foreign Extra Questions Question 5.
How are all the people of the world brothers?
Answer:
All human beings are similar in structure as we are all flesh and blood. We walk on the same land as long as we are alive and will be buried in the same earth when we die. We also use the same sun, air and water.

No Men Are Foreign Extra Question Answers Question 6.
How can we be one people though we belong to different nations?
Answer:
Even if we belong to different nations, we can be one people because we all have the same body and we live and die on the same planet. All of us enjoy the same sun, air and water.

No Men Are Foreign Reference To Context Question 7.
What are peaceful harvests? What do the peaceful harvests symbolise?
Answer:
Peaceful harvests are the bountiful crops grown during times of peace. They are said to be peaceful because they can be nurtured only during times of peace. They symbolise happiness and prosperity.

No Men Are Foreign Extra Question Question 8.
What does the poet mean when he says “by war’s long winter starv’d”?
Answer:
If a war is raging in a country then that country faces the threat of starvation since all agricultural production comes to a halt. Just as there are no crops in winter, war renders a land barren. That is why there is a shortage of food in winters and in times of war, too, there is deprivation and famine. People starve to death. Thus, starvation is associated with war and with winter.

No Men Are Foreign Class 9 Extra Questions And Answers Question 9.
What do you understand by “Their hands are ours”? What are their lines? How can we conclude that their labour is same as ours?
Answer:
Their hands are ours means that people living in other countries have hands just like ours which toil hard to earn a living. Their lines mean the lines on their face and body which are just like ours. Hence, we can conclude that though they belong to another land, they have worked hard throughout their lives, just like us.

No Men Are Foreign Question Answers Question 10.
The poet says that men from other countries have the same basic requirements as us. Elaborate.
Answer:
The poet says that men from other countries have the same requirements as his own countrymen by saying that they enjoy the same sunlight, breathe the same air and drink the same water. Not only this, they also work hard to earn a living. They too eat when their harvest is plentiful during times of peace and starve during war.

Extra Questions On No Men Are Foreign Question 11.
How can we win over the strength of our opponents?
Answer:
The strength of our opponents can be won over by love, instead of through brute force because everybody responds to love and appreciates the feeling of brotherhood. .

No Men Are Foreign Important Questions Question 12.
What does the poet mean by “In every land is common life That all can recognise and understand”?
Answer:
People who live in a different country are just like us. They too understand the concept and feeling of universal brotherhood. The implication is that if we extend a loving hand, they will recognise it and willingly join hands with us.

No Men Are Foreign Extra Questions And Answers Question 13.
How does the poet bring out in the extract the idea that men are not strangers to one another?
Answer:
The poet specifies that just like us they wake and sleep and respond to love. Even if we look different on the exterior we all can recognise and understand the universal language of love and brotherhood.

No Men Are Foreign Extra Question Answer Question 14.
“ … whenever we are told to hate our brothers …. “ Who ‘tells’ us to hate our brothers? What is the poet’s opinion regarding this?
Answer:
Sometimes some selfish people, who work for their own personal gains, instigate the innocent to harm others. They do it for their own benefit. The common or ordinary man does not understand their tricks and starts hating his fellow human beings. This leads to wars. The poet says that one should not follow their advice because all human beings are the same.

Extra Questions From No Men Are Foreign Question 15.
What happens when we hate our brothers?
Answer:
When we hate our brothers, we try to take away what they own, we betray our brothers and we criticise them. But when we hate our brothers, in effect we rob, cheat and condemn our own selves. We do not realise that in perpetuating hatred on our brothers, we are actually harming ourselves.

Question 16.
What happens when we pick up arms against others?
Answer:
The very earth is ruined through war and hatred. When we arm ourselves against each other, we defile the purity of our own earth through bloodshed. The bombs and other weapons of war ravage and pollute the earth. Due to the constant firing, there is destruction and piling up of dust and debris. The air that we breathe also becomes polluted as a result.

Question 17.
What do you understand by hells of fire and dust?
Answer:
Hells of fire and dust are the effects caused by bombs and other instruments of warfare. They destroy the purity of the air we breathe and depend upon for our survival.

Question 18.
How do we defile the earth?
Answer:
We defile the earth by considering other human beings as our enemies, outsiders and foreigners; by dividing our earth into countries and by developing enmity against another group of people. We wage wars and the weapons of war pollute the air we breathe, by raising dust and smoke and by piling debris on earth.

Question 19.
How does air remind us of our sharing the earth? How is air innocent?
Answer:
Although human beings have divided land, the air we breathe remains undivided. Air doesn’t belong to any country or territory, but moves freely across countries and is breathed by all men and women. Air is essentially clean so is it innocent. Human beings wage wars and raise dust and emit smoke, thereby polluting the air.

Question 20.
What does the poet emphasize by beginning and ending the poem with the same line?
Answer:
By beginning and ending the poem with the same line, the poet emphasizes his message of the oneness of spirit of brotherhood. Although the message in both the lines is same, the opening line uses the adjective ‘strange’ with regard to men and ‘foreign’ in regard of countries, while in the end, the adjective ‘foreign’ is used to describe men and ‘strange’ is used to describe countries. This means that the two adjectives are one. Countries exist only because men create nations; nature does not divide humanity, it is man who does so. However, all human beings are the same.

Question 21.
What message does the poet want to convey?
Answer:
The poet wants to say that there should be no discrimination or enmity between people on the basis of their appearance religion or region. It is inhuman to hate one because of one’s different background. The poet wants that the people should love their fellow human beings as all men are brothers.

Question 22.
State briefly the theme of the poem.
Answer:
The theme of the poem is one of globalisation, universal brotherhood and the renunciation of war. The world is one big family, no one is a stranger: no one is different; we all need and want the same things. Hence, waging wars against our brothers does not make sense.

No Men are Foreign Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
How are all men our brothers?
Answer:
All men are our brothers. No human beings are strange or unfamiliar. Underneath the external trappings of different cultures or civilisations or any colour of any soldier’s uniform belonging to any nation, all human beings are the same. All men walk upon the same earth and one day are laid to rest in their graves under the same earth. Each and every human being is nourished by the same sun, breathes the same air and drinks the same water to survive.

All human beings have eyes that wake or sleep. In every land, there is a common life. Love is paramount everywhere that wins the heart. When we hate others, fight with them, raise arms against them, it is ourselves that we shall dispossess, betray and condemn Thus, despite different living conditions, all human beings are one in spirit.

Question 2.
In the James Kirkup’s poem “No Men Are Foreign” explain the poet’s use of the word uniform.
Answer:
The literal meaning of “uniform” is a dress, costume or identification code that is similar to a group or organisation. The poet, here, uses the word “uniform” metaphorically to denote the universal brotherhood of man. On the other hand, uniforms are necessary especially during war in order to identify oneself as belonging to that country so as not to kill or harm its own people.

In the wearing of their country’s uniform, they contradict the meaning of the word since they are set apart and identified as different—the enemy. Thus, James Kirkup points out the irony in the word uniform. This contradiction is based on the uniformity of man, as the poet suggests that all men are uniform themselves in the sense that they are “aware of sun and air and water” and they share humanity, and different uniforms identifying the wearers as being different from each other.

No Men are Foreign Extra Questions and Answers Reference to Context

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.

Question 1.
Remember, no men are strange, no countries foreign
Beneath all uniforms, a single body breathes
Like ours: the land our brothers walk upon
Is earth like this, in which we all shall lie.

(a) Who does the poet address in the poem? Name the poetic device used in line 1.
Answer:
The poet is addressing the readers in the poem. The poetic device used here is Apostrophe.

(b) What does the word “uniform” mean?
Answer:
The word “uniform” refers to the distinctive clothing worn by members of the same organization or body or by children attending certain schools.

(c) What breathes beneath all uniforms?
Answer:
A single body breathes beneath all uniforms. This means beneath superficial differences, there is a similarity.

(d) What is the irony in uniform?
Answer:
Uniform implies a dress, costume or identification code that is similar to a group or organisation. But because every nation has a different uniform, the world remains divided rather than united.

Question 2.
Remember, no men are strange, no countries foreign
Beneath all uniforms, a single body breathes
Like ours: the land our brothers walk upon
Is earth like this, in which we all shall lie.

(a) Why does the poet feel ‘no men are foreign’?
Answer:
The poet feels that no human beings are strange or different as beneath a different exterior all human beings breathe just like any other person.

(b) Who are referred to as brothers?
Answer:
All human beings are brothers, irrespective of their superficial differences.

(c) What two things are common to all people as referred to in lines three and four of the extract?
Answer:
This is because all walk on the same land and will be buried in the same earth after death.

d) ‘In which we shall all lie.’ When will this happen?
Answer:
We shall lie under the soil, in our grave, after our death.

Question 3.
They, too, aware of sun and air and water,
Are fed by peaceful harvests, by war’s long winter starv’d.
Their hands are ours, and in their lines we read
A labour not different from our own.

(a) Whom does ‘they’ refer to?
Answer:
They refers to those people who hail from countries different from ours.

(b) What is the significance of the word “too”?
Answer:
The word too is significant because it emphasizes that “they” or people who are said to be our enemies are just like us in their need of sun, air and water.

(c) What does the poet mean by ‘peaceful harvests’?
Answer:
Peaceful harvests are the crops grown in abundance during times of peace.

(d) What is the message of the poem?
Answer:
The message of the poem is that no men are strangers in this world because all people on earth are connected through their common humanity. We share a number of similarities even with our supposed enemies.

Question 4.
They, too, aware of sun and air and water,
Are fed by peaceful harvests, by war’s long winter starv ’d.
Their hands are ours, and in their lines we read
A labour not different from our own.

(a) What are the common elements in the universe that are shared by all?
Answer:
All of us share the common elements of sun, air and water.

(b) What happens to people during wartime?
Answer:
Wars lead to deprivation causing famines, starvation and deaths.

(c) Explain “Their hands are ours.” What can we see in ‘their’ hands?
Answer:
Our hands, and the hands of our so-called enemies are similar. Our hands show the same signs of hard work and struggle.

(d) “In their lines we read.” What do we read in their lines?
Answer:
In the lines on their face and body we can read that though they belong to another land, they have worked hard throughout their lives, just like us.

Question 5.
Remember they have eyes like ours that wake
Or sleep, and strength that can be won
By love. In every land is common life
That all can recognise and understand.

(a) How does the author show that men from other countries have the same basic requirements as his own countrymen?
Answer:
Men from other countries have the same requirements as his own countrymen by saying that they enjoy the same sunlight, breathe the same air and drink the same water.

(b) In what respect are their eyes compared to ours?
Answer:
Their eyes are compared to us in that they too wake and sleep, just as we do.

(c) Whose strength is referred to in the extract?
Answer:
The poet is referring to the strength of people who are from another country.

(d) Explain how strength can be won by love?
Answer:
Their strength can be won by love because everybody responds to love and appreciates the feeling of brotherhood.

Question 6.
Remember they have eyes like ours that wake
Or sleep, and strength that can be won
By love. In every land is common life
That all can recognise and understand.

(a) Name three basic requirements the author feels that men from other countries have which are the same as his own countrymen.
Answer:
The author feels that men from other countries enjoy the same sunlight, breathe the same air and drink the same water. Not only this, they also work hard to earn a living.

(b) What is it that can be recognised and understood?
Answer:
It can be recognised and understood that life is common everywhere.

(c) Explain: In every land is common life That all can recognise and understand.
Answer:
People living in another land are just like us. They too understand the concept and feeling of universal brotherhood.

(d) What is the poet’s message in this stanza?
Answer:
Every population of every nation in this world recognizes the similarity in the life of people and that physical strength that can be won by love.

Question 7.
Let us remember, whenever we are told
To hate our brothers, it is ourselves
That we shall dispossess, betray, condemn.
Remember, we who take arms against each other

(a) Who are our brothers?
Answer:
People from countries other than ours are our brothers.

(b) Why do we hate our brothers?
Answer:
We are told by some selfish people to hate the others.

(c) The poet implies that one picks up arms for three reasons. What are they?
Answer:
We pick up arms to take away what someone owns, to cheat or betray our brothers, or to condemn them.

(d) What happens when we hate our brothers?
Answer:
When we hate our brothers, in effect we rob, cheat and condemn our own selves.

Question 8.
Let us remember, whenever we are told
To hate our brothers, it is ourselves
That we shall dispossess, betray, condemn.
Remember, we who take arms against each other

(a) Who is the narrator of the poem? To whom is the poem addressed?
Answer:
The poem appears to have an omniscient narrator and is addressed to all of mankind.

(b) Who tells us to hate our brothers?
Answer:
Our leaders tell us to hate our brothers who belong to another country or a different religious, social or political group.

(c) Why do they tell us to hate our brothers?
Answer:
They tell us to hate our brothers for their own personal gains.

(d) Should we believe those who tell us to hate our brothers? Why/why not?
Answer:
We should not become puppets in the hands of those who incite us to hatred. If we fight our brothers, we condemn ourselves too.

Question 9.
It is the human earth that we defile.
Our hells of fire and dust outrage the innocence
Of air that is everywhere our own,
Remember, no men are foreign, and no countries strange.

(a) How do we defile earth?
Answer:
We defile the human earth by dividing our earth into countries and by developing enmity against another group of people.

(b) What you mean by the innocence of the air?
Answer:
Air is essentially clean and pure so is it innocent.

(c) How does air become defiled?
Answer:
We fight wars and carry on other such activities that raise dust and emit smoke. As a result, the air gets defiled.

(d) State briefly the theme of the poem.
Answer:
The theme of the poem is one of universal brotherhood, internationalism and the renunciation of war.

Question 10.
It is the human earth that we defile.
Our hells of fire and dust outrage the innocence
Of air that is everywhere our own,
Remember, no men are foreign, and no countries strange.

(a) What do you understand by ‘human earth?’
Answer:
Human earth refers to the earth on which human beings live and that is full of human feelings and human values of love and brotherhood.

(b) Explain: hells of fire and dust?
Answer:
The hells of fire and dust are the fire and dust caused by wars between countries.

(c) How is the innocence of air outraged?
Answer:
Fire and dust caused by wars make the air impure.

(d) How does the poet bring out the idea that men are not strangers to one another?
Answer:
The poet specifies that just like us they wake and sleep and respond to love. Even if we look different on the exterior we all can recognise and understand the universal language of love and brotherhood.

In a nutshell, “The Snake Trying Extra Questions and Answers Class 9” portrays the relentless struggle of a snake attempting to bite its own tail, serving as a powerful metaphor for the eternal cycle of existence and the pursuit of self-realization. The poem’s brevity and depth of meaning make it a fascinating subject of analysis. Ross’s eloquent verses captivate readers as they unravel the complexities of life and its inherent contradictions through the actions of a determined serpent. Read this also Extra Questions for Class 9 English with Answers.

Online Education for The Snake Trying Extra Questions and Answers Class 9 English Beehive

The Snake Trying Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Question 1.
What is the snake trying to escape from?
Answer:
The snake is trying to escape from a being hit by a stick, or even worse, being killed. It is being chased by someone with a stick. The person is afraid of the snake and perceives it as a potential threat.

Question 2.
Is the snake harmful?
Answer:
No, it is not a harmful snake as it is not poisonous. The poet says the snake is a green one. Green snakes are generally garden snakes and are considered harmless as they are not venomous.

Question 3.
Why did the person with a stick attack the snake?
Answer:
The person attacked the snake when he saw it lying on the sand. He was driven by his own fear of snakes and their being venomous that led him to attack the snake to either kill it or drive it away.

Question 4.
What do you learn about the person attacking the snake?
Answer:
The person attacking the snake is governed by his fear of snakes. He wishes to kill or hurt the snake and rushes in to attack the snake, without pausing to consider that the snake is a green garden snake which is not venomous. Moreover, the snake is lying on the sand and is not about to attack anyone. The man is also pitiless as he goes to hurt or kill the snake.

Question 5.
What does the poet wish for the snake?
Answer:
The poet sees the snake as a beautiful creation of Nature. Moreover, it is a green garden snake and not a harmful one. He wishes that it should not be assaulted with the stick. It should be allowed to go under the water into the reeds to hide without being hurt.

Question 6.
Where was the snake before someone saw it and chased it away? Where does the snake disappear?
Answer:
The snake was lying unobserved on the sand till someone saw it and, fearing it, rushed to attack it with a stick. The pursuer chased it away. The snake disappeared in the ripples of the water among the green reeds.

Question 7.
What does the poet mean when he says ‘O Let him go’?
Answer:
The poet tells the man chasing the snake with a stick to let the snake go. The poet wishes that the snake should not be hurt and should be allowed to make its escape and reach its destination safely.

Question 8.
‘He is harmless even to children.’ What does the poet think about the snake?
Answer:
The poet is of the opinion that the snake which is being chased is a green snake of the garden variety and is not venomous. It is not harmful, not even to children who are more vulnerable. He feels the snake should not be hurt and should be allowed to reach its place safely.

Question 9.
What impression do you form of the poet in this poem?
Answer:
The poet loves Nature and all its creations. He finds the snake and its graceful movements beautiful. He is compassionate and does not want the snake harmed. He tries to stop the person with the stick from attacking the snake and is happy to see the snake glide away into the reeds.

Question 10.
What is the central idea of the poem “The Snake Trying”?
Answer:
The poet says that all snakes are not venomous or harmful. Nor do they attack without provocation. Even if a snake is poisonous, it will do us no harm if it doesn’t see any danger from us. It is wrong to attack or kill a snake as soon as we see it. But sadly, human beings always try to kill a snake as soon as they see it. All creatures have a right to their life. Like the snake in this poem all try to save themselves in case of danger.

Question 11.
How does the snake look when it tries to escape?
Answer:
The snake was lying on the sand when someone saw it and chased it with a stick. The snake glided away through the water and disappeared among the reeds. It looked beautiful and graceful and its body curved and glided across the water.

Question 12.
Where did the snake finally go? How did the poet view its escape?
Answer:
The snake glided away through the water into the reeds and finally disappeared among the ripples in the green reeds. The poet heaved a sigh of relief when the snake reached there safely

Question 13.
What is the message of the poem ‘The Snake Trying’?
Answer:
The poet conveys the message that we should not attack or kill animals, even animals that may be venomous like snakes. He points out that not all snakes are poisonous; in fact, some of them are quite harmless. Human beings are cruel and attack snakes without provocation, based on their own fears. Even if a snake is poisonous, it will not harm anyone until it perceives some danger because a snake only bites in self¬protection.

Question 14.
Is the snake in the poem ‘The Snake Trying’ a victim or a threat?
Answer:
The snake in the poem ‘The Snake Trying’ is a victim and not a threat. It is a harmless snake, who is lying on the sand till he is chased by a human being with a stick. Yet, despite being attacked, the snake makes good its escape, rather than retaliate.

The Snake Trying Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
Why does the man want to kill the snake? How does the snake protect itself?
Answer:
Seeing the snake lying on the sand, the man sees it as a potential threat and reacts to it in that manner. He takes a stick and rushes to attack the snake. He tries to kill it, or at least hurt it. The snake, which is a garden snake, and not dangerous even to children, makes good its escape. He does not react even to provocation.

He only tries to escape before the man can reach it and kill it. The movement of the snake is very graceful and elegant. The snake does not stick to one straight path but wends its way in and out of the path. At last, the snake floats over the water and hides itself among the green reeds.

The Snake Trying Extra Questions and Answers Reference to Context

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.

Question 1.
The snake trying
to escape the pursuing stick,
with sudden curvings of thin
long body.

(a) Where is the snake?
Answer:
The snake is lying on the sandy bank of a pond or stream.

(b) What is the snake trying to escape from?
Answer:
The snake is trying to escape from being hit with a stick.

(c) How does the snake move?
Answer:
The snake glides gracefully with curving movements.

(d) Is it a harmful snake?
Answer:
No, the snake is not harmful.

Question 2.
How beautiful
and graceful are his shapes!
He glides through the water away
from the stroke.

(a) Whose shapes are beautiful?
Answer:
The snake’s shapes as it moves away.

(b) How is it trying to escape?
Answer:
It is trying to escape with sudden curving of its long thin body.

(c) Who is the assailant?
Answer:
Man is the assailant as he attacks the snake with a stick.

(d) Why does the poet want the pursuer to let the snake go?
Answer:
The poet wants the pursuer to let the snake go as it is harmless.

Question 3.
O let him go
over the water
into the reeds to hide
without hurt.

(a) Who is the speaker? Who is he speaking to?
Answer:
The poet is speaking to the man speaking to the man pursuing the snake.

(b) Who is ‘him’?
Answer:
‘Him’ refers to the snake.

(c) Why is the speaker telling the listener to let him go?
Answer:
The speaker is telling the listener to let the snake go because it is harmless.

(d) Where does the snake go and why?
Answer:
The snake goes through the water to save itself from the man pursuing it with a stick.

Question 4.
O let him go
over the water
into the reeds to hide
without hurt. Small and green
he is harmless even to children.

(a) What is the snake trying to escape from?
Answer:
The snake trying to escape from the man about to attack it with a stick.

(b) Is it a harmful snake?
Answer:
The snake is harmless even for children.

(c) What does the snake look like?
Answer:
It is small and green in colour and looks very graceful.

(d) What does the poet wish for the snake?
Answer:
The poet wished the snake to be saved.

Question 5.
Along the sand
he lay until observed
and chased away, and now
he vanishes in the ripples
among the green slim reeds.

(a) Where was the snake before someone saw it and chased it away?
Answer:
The snake was lying on the sand till someone saw it and again chased it away.

(b) Where does the snake disappear?
Answer:
The snake disappears in the ripples of water among the green reeds.

(c) What impression do you form of the poet?
Answer:
The poet is compassionate and loves nature.

(d) What impression do you form of the pursuer?
Answer:
He is pitiless and governed by his fears.

Nestled in the heart of the Himalayas, the enchanting city of Kathmandu beckons travelers with its rich history, vibrant culture, and breathtaking landscapes. As the capital of Nepal, this ancient city holds a captivating allure that has captured the imaginations of adventurers and wanderers for centuries. In this article, we will explan Kathmandu Class 9 Extra Questions with Answers. Read this also Extra Questions for Class 9 English with Answers.

Kathmandu Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Question 1.
Where did the writer stay in Kathmandu? Which two different places of worship did he visit? With whom?
Answer:
The writer, Vikram Seth, stayed in a cheap room in the centre of Kathmandu. He visited the Pushupatinath temple, sacred to the Hindus, and the Baudhnath stupa, the holy shrine of the Buddhists with his acquaintances Mr Shah’s son and nephew.

Question 2.
What is written on the signboard outside the Pashupatinath temple? What does it signify?
Answer:
Outside the Pashupatinath temple, the signboard announces: “Entrance for the Hindus only”. It signifies that the temple is rigid in the maintaining of its sanctity and holiness as a place of worship. This rule is practiced with inflexible strictness to prevent the temple from being treated like a tourist destination.

Question 3.
What does the author mean when he says “At Pashupatinath there is an atmosphere of febrile confusion”?
Answer:
The author makes this remark to imply there is hectic and chaotic activity around the temple. There is a huge crowd of priests, hawkers, tourists, and even animals like cows, monkeys and pigeons roaming through the grounds. Inside the temple, there are a large number of worshippers who jostle and elbow others aside to move closer to the priest. Together, they create utter confusion.

Question 4.
Why do devotees elbow others inside the temple?
Answer:
There is a large crowd of worshippers inside the temple, where everyone is trying to vie for the attention of the priests. As some people try to get the priest’s attention, they are elbowed aside by others pushing their way to the front.

Question 5.
How did the arrival of the princess change the situation?
Answer:
At Pashupatinath temple, worshippers were trying to get the priest’s attention and were elbowing and jostling each other as they pushed their way to the front. The situation changed as a princess of the Nepalese royal house appeared; everyone bowed and made way for her.

Question 6.
What did the saffron-clad Westerners want?
Answer:
The saffron-clad Westerners wanted to go inside the Pashupatinath temple. However, as entry to the temple is restricted to Hindus only, they claimed to be Hindus. But the policeman was not allowing them to enter.

Question 7.
Why did the policeman stop the Westerners wearing saffron-coloured clothes from entering the Pashupatinath temple?
Answer:
The policeman stopped the saffron-clad Westerners from entering the Pashupatinath temple as the entry of non- Hindus is banned in this temple and he didn’t believe that they were Hindus, despite their saffron clothes.

Question 8.
Describe the fight that breaks out between the two monkeys around the temple of Pashupatinath?
Answer:
The author describes the fight that breaks out between two monkeys in which one chases the other. The monkey being chased jumps onto a shivalinga, then runs screaming around the temples and finally goes down to the holy river, Bagmati.

Question 9.
What activities are observed by the writer on the banks of the Bagmati river?
Answer:
The writer observes some polluting activities on the banks of the river Bagmati. He notices some washerwomen washing clothes, some children taking a bath and a dead body being cremated on the banks of this sacred river. He also observes someone throwing a basketful of wilted flowers and leaves into the river.

Question 10.
Write a short note on the shrine on the stone platform on the riverbank?
Answer:
There is a small shrine on the banks of the holy Bagmati that flows below the Pashupatinath temple. Half part of this shrine protrudes from a stone platform. It is believed that when the shrine will emerge completely from the platform, the goddess in the shrine will escape and that will mark the end of the Kaliyug, or the evil period.

Question 11.
What is the belief at Pashupatinath about the end of Kaliyug?
Answer:
There is a small shrine that half protrudes from the stone platform on the river bank. People believe that when it emerges fully, the goddess inside will escape, and the evil period of the Kaliyug will end on earth.

Question 12.
The writer draws powerful sight and sound images of the activities in and around Pashupatinath temple. List the images.
Answer:
The poet draws images of mindless activity in and around Pashupatinath temple. Priests, hawkers, devotees, cows, pigeons and dogs roam here and there. Devotees elbow and jostle their way to the front as they try to catch the priest’s attention in an attempt to get preferential treatment. There is a fight between two monkeys, as one chases the other jumping on the shivlinga. A group of saffron-clad foreigners argue to be allowed entry into the temple, hawkers call out their wares. Animals also add to the noise as monkeys run around screaming, cows loo and dogs bark, a completely noisy situation.

Question 13.
How does the writer describe Baudhnath stupa?
Answer:
The author gives a brief but vivid picture of the Baudhnath stupa. He admires the serenity and calmness of this shrine. The stupa has an immense white dome with silence and stillness its distinctive features. There are no crowds even on the road surrounding the stupa. There are some shops run by the Tibetan immigrants.

Question 14.
The Baudhnath stupa ‘is a haven of quietness in the busy streets around’. Comment.
Answer:
The narrator observes a sense of stillness at the Buddhist shrine, the Baudhnath stupa. Its immense white dome is ringed by a road with small shops selling items like felt bags, Tibetan prints and silver jewellery.The quietness of the stupa stands out amidst the busy business activities that go around it. Thus, the narrator regards this place as a haven of quietness in the busy streets around.

Question 15.
How is the atmosphere at Pashupatinath temple different from that at Baudhnath Stupa?
Answer:
The atmosphere at Pashupatinath Temple is noisy and chaotic. People jostle with each other and animals mill around. Hawkers call out their wares. On the other hand, the atmosphere at Baudhnath stupa is calm and serene. There are some Tibetans shops but the huge crowds of Pashupatinath are missing there. There is calm as opposed to chaos near the Pashupatinath temple.

Question 16.
What are the author’s observations about the streets in Kathmandu?
Answer:
The author finds the streets in Kathmandu are ‘vivid, mercenary and religious’. Extremely narrow and busy, these streets have many small shrines and some images clad in flowers. There are a number of shops selling Western cosmetics, film rolls and chocolate or copper utensils and Nepalese antiques. Stray cows roam about mooing at the sound of the motorcycles. Vendors sell their wares shouting loudly and radios are played at a loud pitch. In addition, the horns of the cars and the ringing of the bicycle bells increase this din.

Question 17.
The writer says, “All this I wash down with Coca Cola”. What does‘all this’ refer to?
Answer:
‘All this’ refers to the eatables that the writer buys and eats on one of the busy streets of Kathmandu. It includes a bar of marzipan, a com-on-the-cob roasted in a charcoal brazier on the pavement (rubbed with salt, chilli powder and lemon). He finishes of his meal by drinking Coca Cola and a nauseating orange drink.

Question 18.
Which is the route from Kathmandu to Delhi that the writer had planned to take earlier? Which route does he opt for? Why?
Answer:
The writer had planned to travel from Kathmandu to Delhi by first reaching Patna by bus and train. Then he planned to sail up the Ganges past Benaras to Allahabad, then up the Yamuna, past Agra to Delhi. The shorter option taken by the author is to fly via air, straight from Kathmandu to Delhi. He changed his plans because he was tired and homesick.

Question 19.
Why does Vikram Seth decide to buy an air ticket directly for the homeward journey?
Answer:
Vikram Seth had travelled from China to Kathmandu via Tibet. It had been a long journey and he was feeling very exhausted and homesick. Though his enthusiasm for travelling tempted him to take a longer route to reach back home, his exhaustion and homesickness impelled him to buy an air-ticket directly for the homeward journey to Delhi.

Question 20.
What difference does the author note between the flute seller and the other hawkers?
Answer:
The author points out that while other hawkers loudly call their wares to attract the customers, the flute seller plays upon his flute softly and meditatively. He does not indulge in excessive display nor does he show any desperation to sell his flutes. Although the flute player does not shout, the sound of the flute is distinctly heard above the noise of the traffic and of the hawkers.

Question 21.
What does Vikram Seth compare to the quills of a porcupine?
Answer:
Vikram Seth found a flute seller in Kathmandu standing in a comer of the square near his hotel. He held a pole in his hand which had an attachment at the top around and fifty to sixty flutes were stuck into it that protruded in all directions. The author compares these protruding flutes to the sharp, stiff quills of a porcupine.

Question 22.
Name five kinds of flutes.
Answer:
As the author listens to the music of the flute being played by the flute seller, he is reminded of different kinds of flutes that he has seen and heard. He talks of the kinds of flutes like the ‘cross-flutes’, the reed neh, the recorder, the Japanese shakuhachi and the Hindustani bansuri. Other flutes are distinguished by their tonal quality like ‘the clear or breathy flutes’ of South America and the ‘high-pitched’ flutes of China.

Question 23.
What effect does the music of the flute have on Vikram Seth?
Answer:
The music of the flute has a hypnotic effect on Vikram Seth. So much so, that he finds it difficult to tear himself away from the square where this music is being playing by the flute seller. It has the power to draw him into the commonality of all mankind and he is moved by its closeness to human voice.

Question 24.
Why does the author describe the music of the flute as “the most universal and most particular of sounds”?
Answer:
The music of the flute, according to the author, is the most ‘universal’ because this musical instrument, made of hollow bamboo is found in every culture in the world. But at the same time, its sound is the most ‘particular’ because each flute, though played in almost a similar manner, produces a unique sound.

Kathmandu Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
Compare and contrast the atmosphere in and around the Baudhnath shrine with the Pashupatinath temple.
Answer:
The Pashupatinath Temple, sacred to the Hindus, and the Baudhnath shrine of the Buddhists stand in contrast with regard to their ambience. The noisy confusion of the Hindu Temple is the opposite of the peace and tranquility that reigns supreme in the Baudhnath shrine. In the Pashupatinath temple, utter chaos is created by the large crowd of rowdy worshippers who push and jostle each other to reach closer to the priest and the deity.

At Baudhnath stupa, there aren’t many people inside the structure. Confusion is also created by some Westerners who wish to enter the temple and argue with the policeman. The atmosphere at Pashupatinath Temple is made noisy by the large crowds of priests, hawkers, devotees and tourists. Animals like cows and dogs freely move around and the pigeons too contribute to the confusion. Even monkeys play about and fight in the premises of the temple.

Question 2.
How does the author describe Kathmandu’s busiest streets?
Answer:
The author presents the busiest streets of Kathmandu as ‘vivid, mercenary and religious’. The streets are full of life with large crowds, shops and hawkers calling out their wares. There is a lot of religious activity going on all the time. Besides the well-known religious shrines like the Pashupatinath temple and the Baudhnath stupa, Kathmandu also has small shrines and flower-adorned deities that line the narrow, but busy streets of Kathmandu. It is ‘mercenary’ as it is a tourist place and a lot of business flourishes in the narrow streets.

One can find fruit sellers, flute sellers, and hawkers selling postcard photographs. As in any other tourist place, there are shops selling various things like cosmetics from western countries, rolls of film, chocolates, antique items of Nepal, and copper pots and pans. There is a medley of noises created by radios playing film songs, sounds of car-horns, bells of bicycles and vendors shouting to invite the customers. There are also the cows bellowing as they hear the sounds of motorcycles. Thus, the streets of Kathmandu are full of noise and din.

Question 3.
“To hear any flute is to be drawn into the commonality of all mankind.” Why does the author say this?
Answer:
The author hears the music of a flute played by a flute seller in a square near his hotel in Kathmandu and is reminded of the various kinds of music produced by various types of flutes found in various cultures. However, the flute is universal, because almost every culture has flutes, though each has a different tone and pitch.

Different cultures have given different names to the flutes such as the shakuhachi in Japan and the bansuri in India. Flutes from different cultures have different fingering methods and ranges of sound. The Indian bansuri has a deep sound, the South American flute emits clear, breathy sound and the Chinese flute gives out loud, high-pitched melodies.

Despite the variety of flutes and the variations in their music, the author emphasises that the music of all the flutes closely resembles human voice. To produce music, every flute needs pauses and breaths in the same manner in which phrases and sentences are uttered in human voice. These pauses and breaths are generated through fingering of the holes of a flute. This characteristic feature of the flutes gives the author a feeling of being “drawn into the commonality of mankind”, which gives him a sense of universality ahd harmony.

Question 4.
What idea do you get about the author from the extract “Kathmandu ”?
Answer:
The extract “Kathmandu” taken from Vikram Seth’s travelogue, ‘From Heaven Lake’, highlights certain traits of his personality. As a traveller, Seth displays a keen sense of observation, and as a person with a fine aesthetic sense, his ability to capture the vivid details of his surroundings. Vikram Seth draws vivid pictures of the temples of Kathmandu and its narrow, crowded streets. Though he doesn’t say it directly, but his admiration of the Baudhnath Stupa with its serene stillness and his calling it a ‘haven of quietness’ shows he prefers serenity and tranquility.

He also shows his concern as an environmentalist who does not approve of the polluting activities carried on the banks of Bagmati river. Vikram Seth’s fondness for travelling is obvious by the fact that although tired, he still contemplates taking a longer route back home to Delhi. His fondness for music is brought forth when we find him totally enchanted by the music of the flute. He is so fascinated that he has to tear himself away from the square where the flute is being played by the seller.

His choice about reading reveals that when tired, he prefers to read light and popular stuff like love comics and Reader’s Digest. Like a typical traveller, he indulges himself with the eatables he finds available in the bazaar of Kathmandu. Thus, the author emerges as a man with profound fondness for travelling, love for music, keen sense of observation, reflective mind, and an ability to portray places and people realistically.

Question 5.
Where does the author find the flute seller and what are his observations about him?
Answer:
The author finds a flute seller along with many other hawkers in a comer of the square near his hotel in Kathmandu. But the flute seller’s style of selling his ware differs from that of the other vendors. He does not shout to attract the customers nor does he show any kind of desperation to sell. He carries a pole with about fifty to sixty flutes attached at the top. The flute seller, instead of hawking loudly, places the pole on the ground every now and then, selects a flute and plays upon it slowly and in a meditative manner without ever resorting to excessive display.

The sound of the flute is distinct and clear and can be heard even above the noise created by the traffic horns and the shouts of the hawkers. He does not seem to run a very brisk business and it appears as if playing flute is his chief activity and selling of flutes is incidental to it. The mesmerising music of the flute draws the author to it. He is left spell-bound by its hypnotic notations. The impact is so deep that he has to force himself to leave the square where the flute is being played. This music is etched in his memory and he carries it with him to his home in India.

Kathmandu Extra Questions and Answers Reference to Context

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.

Question 1.
I get a cheap room in the centre of town and sleep for hours. The next morning, with Mr. Shah’s son and nephew, I visit the two temples in Kathmandu that are most sacred to Hindus and Buddhists.

(a) Who does “I” refer to in the above lines?
Answer:
I refers to the writer of the travelogue, Vikram Seth.

(b) Where is he at the time?
Answer:
He is in a cheap room in a hotel in the centre of Kathmandu at the time.

(c) With whom does the author visit the two temples?
Answer:
The author visits the two temples with Mr. Shah’s son and his nephew.

(d) Which two temples in Kathmandu does he visit? With which religions are they associated?
Answer:
He visits the two famous temples of Kathmandu – the Pashupatinath, sacred to the Hindus and the Baudhnath Stupa, sacred to the Buddhists.

Question 2.
There are so many worshippers that some people trying to get the priest’s attention are elbowed aside by others pushing their way to the front.

(a) Which place of worship is the narrator describing here?
Answer:
The narrator is describing Kathmandu’s Pashupatinath temple, which is sacred to the Hindus.

(b) How do devotees behave inside the temple?
Answer:
The devotees at the temple push and jostle with others as they try to move ahead and get the priest’s attention. In this attempt, some people are elbowed aside.

(c) Why do you think some people are pushing their way to the front?
Answer:
Some people are pushing their way to the front to get a clear view of the deity and also to make their offerings through the priest.

(d) What sort of an atmosphere is being created by the crowd in the temple?
Answer:
The crowd in the temple is indisciplined and unorganized. They are creating chaos and confusion with their unruly behaviour, which is robbing the temple of its sanctity.

Question 3.
A princess of the Nepalese royal house appears; everyone bows and makes way. By the main gate, a party of saffron-clad Westerners struggle for permission to enter.

(a) Which place is being talked about in the above extract?
Answer:
The writer is talking about the Pashupatinath Temple at Kathmandu.

(b) How had the crowd of worshippers been behaving before the princess appeared? How is their behaviour different now?
Answer:
The crowd of worshippers were trying to get the priest’s attention and were jostling with each other and were elbowing others aside to push their way to the front, but as soon as the princess appeared, the worshippers bowed and made way for her.

(c) How are the Westerners trying to convince the policeman they are Hindus? Why?
Answer:
The Westerners were dressed in saffron and were claiming to be Hindus because only Hindus can enter the Pashupatinath temple.

(d) Which river flows next to the temple?
Answer:
The river Bagmati flows next to the temple.

Question 4.
By the main gate, a party of saffron-clad Westerners struggle for permission to enter.

(a) Which place is the author talking about here?
Answer:
he author is talking of the famous Hindu shrine – the Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu.

(b) Who are the saffron-clad Westerners at the main gate?
Answer:
The saffron-clad Westerners at the main gate are a group of tourists.

(c) Why do they struggle for permission to enter?
Answer:
They struggle for permission to enter because the temple allows entry only to Hindus.

(d) What does this show about the cultural practices of this place?
Answer:
It shows that the authorities who look after this shrine are very rigid about maintaining the sanctity of the temple as a place of worship. They do not want it to be treated like a tourist spot.

Question 5.
A fight breaks out between two monkeys. One chases the other, who jumps onto a shivalinga, then runs screaming around the temples and down to the river, the holy Bagmati, that flows below.

(a) What are the two monkeys doing?
Answer:
The two monkeys are fighting each other and chasing each other.

(b) Where are the two monkeys?
Answer:
The two monkeys are running around the shivalingas and then down to the river.

(c) What is the atmosphere at Pashupatinath Temple?
Answer:
At Pashupatinath there is an atmosphere of ‘febrile confusion’ as crowds of worshippers and animals jostle and elbow each other.

(d) What is the belief about the shrine that half protrudes from the stone platform on the river bank?
Answer:
People believe when the shrine emerges fully, the goddess inside will escape, and the evil period of the Kaliyug will end on earth.

Question 6.
A corpse is being cremated on its banks; washerwomen are at their work and children bathe. From a balcony a basket of flowers and leaves, old offerings now wilted, is dropped into the river.

(a) Which river is referred to in this extract?
Answer:
The river Bagmati that flows through Kathmandu and on the banks of which Pashupatinath temple is situated is referred to here.

(b) What is the significance of this river?
Answer:
The river Bagmati is significant as it is considered sacred by the Hindus. They worship it like a pious deity.

(c) How is the river being polluted and by whom?
Answer:
A basket of withered away flowers, leaves and old offerings is thrown into the river from the balcony of the Pashupatinath temple. Corpse are cremated on its banks, washerwomen wash clothes in the river and children bathe in it.

(d) What light does this polluting of the river throw on the people?
Answer:
Throwing of refuse into the sacred Bagmati river, or polluting it by bathing or washing clothes reflects that these people lack concern for environment. They pollute the very river which they consider to be sacred.

Question 7.
There are no crowds: this is a haven of quietness in the busy streets around.

(a) Which place is being talked about here?
Answer:
The writer is talking about the Baudhnath stupa here.

(b) How does this contrast with the other place of worship?
Answer:
While the Baudhnath Stupa is a quiet, still place, the crowded noisy Pashupatinath temple is a place of feverish activity.

(c) Who owns the shops on the ‘busy streets around’?
Answer:
Many of the shops outside are owned by Tibetan immigrants.

(d) What did the shops sell?
Answer:
They sold felt bags, Tibetan prints, silver jewellery etc.

Question 8.
Kathmandu is vivid, mercenary, religious, with small shrines to flower-adorned deities along the narrowest and busiest streets; with fruit sellers, flute sellers, hawkers of postcards; shops selling Western cosmetics, film rolls and chocolate; or copper utensils and Nepalese antiques.

(a) Explain the meaning of the word “mercenary”.
Answer:
The word “mercenary” means interested only in the amount of money that you can be made from a situation even at the expense of ethics. This implies sales in the shops of Kathmandu are not always above board.

(b) How does the author describe the streets of Kathmandu?
Answer:
The streets of Kathmandu are the narrowest and busiest streets that he has ever seen.

(c) What are the things that the author buys?
Answer:
The author buys a bar of marzipan, a com-on-the-cob roasted in a charcoal brazier on the pavement (rubbed with salt, chilli powder and lemon), a couple of love story comics, and a Reader’s Digest.

(d) Which things are sold in the market of Kathmandu?
Answer:
Nepalese antiques, Western cosmetics and film rolls are sold there.

Question 9.
Go home, I tell myself: move directly towards home. I enter a Nepal Airlines office and buy a ticket for tomorrow’s flight.

(a) What route had the writer thought of taking?
Answer:
The writer had thought of going by bus and train to Patna, then sailing up the Ganges past Benaras to Allahabad, then up the Yamuna, past Agra to Delhi.

(b) Why did he change his plan?
Answer:
The writer was tired as he had been travelling for many days. He was also homesick and wanted to travel home straight.

(c) How did he plan to travel now?
Answer:
He planned to fly by Nepal Airlines from Kathmandu to Delhi.

(d) When is he leaving Kathmandu?
Answer:
He is leaving Kathmandu the next day.

Question 10.
In his hand is a pole with an attachment at the top from which fifty or sixty bansuris protrude in all directions, like the quills of a porcupine. They are of bamboo: there are cross-flutes and recorders. From time to time, he stands the pole on the ground, selects a flute and plays for a few minutes.

(a) What attracts the writer in the market?
Answer:
A flute seller and the music being played by him attracts the writer.

(b) How is he different from other hawkers?
Answer:
He plays on the flute to entertain people. He does not cry out to attract buyers.

(c) Why does he sometimes break off playing flute?
Answer:
The flute seller sometimes breaks off playing his flute in order to talk to the fruit seller.

(d) What does Vikram Seth compare to the quills of a porcupine?
Answer:
The flute seller’s stock of flutes protruding in all directions from an attachment on the pole was looking like the quills of a porcupine.

Question 11.
I find it difficult to tear myself away from the square.

(a) Which square does the writer refer to?
Answer:
The writer, Vikram Seth, refers to the square near his hotel in Kathmandu.

(b) What was the writer doing in the square?
Answer:
The writer was tired and homesick and was going back to his hotel after having bought his air ticket to fly back to India the next day.

(c) Why does ‘he’ find it difficult to tear himself away from the square?
Answer:
‘He’ finds it difficult to tear himself from the square because he is mesmerised by the sweet notes of the flute-music being played there by the flute seller

(d) Explain the expression ‘tear myself away’. Why does the writer use the expression?
Question
‘Tear myself away’ means to separate forcibly. Hence the expression shows the effort on the part of the narrator to pull himself away from the enthralling music of the flute.

Question 12.
It weaves its own associations. Yet to hear any flute is, it seems to me, to be drawn into the commonality of all mankind, to be moved by music closest in its phrases and sentences to the human voice. Its motive force too is living breath: it too needs to pause and breathe before it can go on.

(a) What does ‘it’ refer to?
Answer:
‘It’ refers to the sounds produced by different flutes.

(b) How does ‘it’ weave its own associations?
Answer:
The expression means that each kind of flute produces a different and a unique type of music associated with some particular place

(c) Why is its music closest to the human voice?
Answer:
The music of the flute is closest to the human voice because pauses and breaths are needed to produce musical notes of the flute in the same manner in which words, phrases and sentences are uttered in human voice.

(d) Why does it draw the author in the ‘commonality of all mankind’?
Answer:
The flute draws the author in the “commonality of all mankind” because this instrument is found in all cultures and is played in a similar manner. Hence, it seems to connect the whole mankind.

As we embark on this poetic adventure, we’ll be accompanied by the insights of experienced educators and literary connoisseurs who will provide valuable perspectives on the poem’s themes and significance. So, whether you’re a poetry enthusiast or simply curious about the power of words, Rain on the Roof Extra Questions and Answers Class 9 English Beehive promises to be an enriching and enlightening journey. Read this also Extra Questions for Class 9 English with Answers.

Rain on the Roof Extra Questions and Answers Class 9 English Beehive

Rain on the Roof Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Question 1.
What is the setting of the poem?
Answer:
The poet is lying comfortably snug in his bed with his head pressed against the pillow, in a room in his cottage listening to the patter of the soft rain as it falls on the shingles of the roof.

Question 2.
How old do you think the poet is? Justify your answer.
Answer:
The poet is a young man. He remembers his mother looking down at him and his siblings, who are sleeping in their room, long ago. The poet’s mother also is no longer alive as he says she lives on in his memories.

Question 3.
How does the sky look before the rain falls?
Answer:
Before the rain falls, the weather turns humid and great dark clouds gather in the sky. They cover the stars and spread darkness. The poet feels these dark clouds are gloomy and melancholic. To the poet the darkness spells despondence and gloom as the clouds – humid shadows – weep gentle tears that fall as rain.

Question 4.
‘And the melancholy darkness gently weeps in rainy tears.’ Explain the phrase ‘melancholy darkness’. What does it do?
Answer:
“Melancholy darkness” refers to the dark rain bearing clouds. The poet imagines that the clouds covering the sky are gloomy and depressed because they are heavy and grey. The poet further imagines that the clouds are weeping and their tears are falling down as rain drops.

Question 5.
What is a ‘bliss’ for the poet in the poem ‘Rain on the Roof?
Answer:
The poet thinks it is blissful to lie in his cozy bed with his head on the pillow and listen to the sound of rain falling on the shingles of the roof. He enjoys the music of nature which arouses fantasies and memories in his mind.

Question 6.
What does the poet like to do when it rains?
Answer:
The poet likes to lie in his room in his cottage, snug in bed with his head on a pillow when it rains. It gives him the greatest pleasure.

Question 7.
What feelings does the falling rain arouse in the poet in the poem ‘Rain on the Roof?
Answer:
The poet first describes the falling rain as the tears of the dark, gloomy clouds. However, as he lies snug in his bed, listening to the patter of rain on the shingles, the sound provides him immense pleasure and he is lost in fantasies and memories.

Question 8.
What are the poet’s feelings as the rain falls on the shingles?
Answer:
As the rain falls on the shingles, its tinkling sound creates an echo in the poet’s heart. As he listens to the patter of the raindrops on the roof, his gloom is lifted and his heart is filled with a thousand fantasies and fond memories of his mother.

Question 9.
When do the ‘thousand dreamy fancies’ begin to weave in the poet’s mind? What are these fancies?
Answer:
When the poet is in his cottage and lies in his cosy bed listening to the soft music of rain on the roof, his mind is flooded with various thoughts and imaginations. These fancies or imaginary thoughts and ideas spin threads of bright fanciful colours in his mind.

Question 10.
“And a thousand dreamy fancies into busy heart.” When do the ‘thousand dreamy fancies’ begin in the poet’s heart?
Answer:
When the poet is in his cottage and lies in his cosy bed listening to the soft music of rain on the roof, his mind is flooded with various thoughts and imaginations. The soothing sound of the gentle rain on the shingles fires his imagination.

Question 11.
‘Now in memory comes my mother.’ When does the poet remember his mother? What does it show about him?
Answer:
As the poet lies in his bed in his room in the cottage, listening to the sound of The poet loved his mother. He remembered her when he lied on his cozy bed to enjoy the sound of rain. It appears to him as if she was fondly looking at him.

Question 12.
‘As I list to this refrain.’ Which kind of refrain is the poet referring to?
Answer:
The poem is lying in his cosy bed in his cottage listening to the sound of rain falling incessantly on the roof of his cottage. Here, refrain refers to the continuous patter of the rain falling on the shingles of his roof.

Question 13.
What feeling does every tinkle on the shingle create for the poet?
Answer:
Every raindrop falling on the tiles of tile roof creates a rhythm with the poet’s heartbeat. This evokes thousands of dreams making his thoughts busy. While he focuses on the listening to the pitter- patter on the roof, his mind starts weaving recollections of fond memories of yesteryears.

Question 14.
Do you think the poet is praising the healing power of rain in the poem ‘Rain on the Roof?
Answer:
As the poet lies in his bed, looking at the dark clouds gather, he first is filled with feelings of gloom and unhappiness. He feels the clouds are weeping and the rain is tears of these gloomy clouds. However, as he lies snug in bed, listening to the sound of rain, his gloom is lifted and his mind is filled with fantasies and fond memories. This rain and its sound resurrect the fondest memory of the poet—that of his mother—in his mind. As the rain continues, the poet tries to recollect all that caused him pain, yet at the same time lifted his spirits.The rain has thus brought comfort to him.

Question 15.
Do you think the poet enjoys the rain?
Answer:
At first when the clouds gather and rain starts, the poet is filled with dismay and gloom at the gathering darkness. His mood is somber. However, the patter of the raindrops on the shingles soon soothes him and his mind is filled with imaginings and fond memories of his mother.

Question 16.
What is the central idea of the poem ‘Rain on the Roof?
Answer:
The central idea of the poem ‘Rain on the Roof’ is that nature brings solace to the mind. The poet derives immense happiness from lying in bed listening to the sound of rain falling on the roof of his cottage. He is lost in dreams as many fancies and memories crowd his mind.

Rain on the Roof Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
How does the poet describe the falling rain in the poem ‘Rain on the Roof?
Answer:
The poet first describes the falling rain as the tears of clouds. The dark rain bearing clouds appear gloomy and depressed to him. Therefore, they are weeping. Their tears fall to earth as gentle rain. However, as he listens to the patter of rain on the shingles, it provides him immense pleasure. The poet loves to hear the melodious sound of nature. He listens to the patter of soft rain on the wooden roof and is lost in fantasies.

He considers it a rare happiness to listen to the patter of the rain on the roof. Rain brings to his mind memories . of long gone days when he was a child, and he lay sleeping in his room along with his siblings, as his mother gazed down at them with love.

Question 2.
How does the rain affect the poet? Describe.
Answer:
Though at first the sight of the gathering dark clouds fills the poet’s mind with dismay and unhappiness, the gentle patter of the rain falling on his roof soon soothes him. The poet liees in his cosy bed, his head on his pillow and listens to the patter of the raindrops on the shingles. The gentle sound ills him with bliss. A thousand fantasies fill his mind. He is filled with nostalgia as he remembers his mother. He recalls how his mother had looked at him and his sleeping siblings with fondness as they lay in their beds. Hence, the rain is a bliss for the poet.

Question 3.
What happens when the poet listens to the patter of the rain? Do you think that rain is a narrative tool in the poet’s life?
Answer:
The raindrops play music on the roof and create a tinkling sound on the shingles. To the poet this music is blissful. At the beginning of the poem there is certain tinge of sadness, and the poet talks of “melancholy darkness/ Gently weeps in rainy tears’. However, as he lies in his cosy bed, a feeling of bliss washes over him. Every raindrop on the tiles of the roof creates a rhythm with the poet’s heartbeat.

The poet tries to focus on listening to the pitter-patter on the roof whereas his mind weaves the recollections of fond memories of yester years. Rain bears a subtle link with all aspects of life. It serves as a powerful narrative tool in the poet’s life as it evokes fantasies and nostalgia in the poet. He recalls his mother in a poignant manner.

Question 4.
In what way are the poems The Road Not Taken and Rain on the Roof evocative of the past?
Answer:
In both the poems The Road Not Taken and Rain on the Roof there is a certain nostalgia for events long gone by. In The Road Not Taken, Robert Frost talks with regret about a decision taken long ago to take a certain path in the woods. He had thought of taking the second path sometime in the future. Though he knew, even at that time, that the chances of his returning that way were slim. So his tone is one of regret.

On the other hand, the poet in Rain on the Roof is first filled with melancholy and gloom at the sight of the gathering clouds. However, the gentle patter of the rain soothes him and fills his mind with fond memories of his mother smiling down at him. Thus Kinney’s feelings of unhappiness vanish and he is at peace.

Rain on the Roof Extra Questions and Answers Reference to Context

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.

Question 1.
When the humid shadows hover
Over all the starry spheres
And the melancholy darkness
Gently weeps in rainy tears,
What a bliss to press the pillow
Of a cottage-chamber bed
And lie listening to the patter
Of the soft rain overhead!

(a) What does the phrase “humid shadows” refer to?
Answer:
“Humid shadows” refer to the dark clouds that cause rain.

(b) What are “starry spheres”?
Answer:
The stars that shine in the sky at night are called starry spheres.

(c) Why does the poet call the darkness melancholy?
Answer:
The night is dark and gloomy. Perhaps the poet is also in a despondent mood. Where is the poet at the moment?

Question 2.
The poet is in his bed in his cottage.
When the humid shadows hover
Over all the starry spheres
And the melancholy darkness
Gently weeps in rainy tears,
What a bliss to press the pillow
Of a cottage-chamber bed
And lie listening to the patter
Of the soft rain overhead!

(a) Who weeps in the form of rainy tears?
Answer:
The dark rain-bearing clouds weep tears of rain in their sadness.

(b) Which line shows that the poet is happy when it rains?
Answer:
What a bliss to press the pillow shows his happiness.

(c) What memories does the rain bring to the poet’s mind?
Answer:
The poet remembers his mother looking down at her sleeping children before going to her room. Name the poetic device used in the above lines.

Question 3.
Alliteration: Over all the starry spheres
What a bliss to press the pillow
And lie listening to the patter
Every tinkle on the shingles
Has an echo in the heart;
And a thousand dreamy fancies
Into busy being start,
And a thousand recollections
Weave their air-threads into woof,
As I listen to the patter
Of the rain upon the roof

(a) What echoes in the poet’s heart?
Answer:
The patter of soft rain on the roof echoes in the heart of the poet.

(b) Explain: a thousand dreamy fancies into busy being start.
Answer:
This phrase refers to the various imaginary thoughts and fantasies that are aroused in the poet’s mind.

(c) What starts ‘a thousand dreamy fancies’?
Answer:
The tinkling sound of the raindrops on the roof starts a thousand dreamy fancies.

(d) What is a refrain? Find lines from the poem that form its refrain.
Answer:
A refrain is the repetition of lines or whole phrases in a poem, usually at the end of a stanza. It creates a musical effect and lends unity to a piece.
Example:
As I listen to the patter
Of the rain upon the roof.

Question 4.
Every tinkle on the shingles
Has an echo in the heart;
And a thousand dreamy fancies
Into busy being start,
And a thousand recollections
Weave their air-threads into woof
As I listen to the patter
Of the rain upon the roof

(a) Explain ‘shingles’. What is tinkling on the shingles?
Answer:
Shingles are thin rectangular tiles, especially made of wood, that are laid with others in overlapping rows to form the roof. Rain is making a sharp sound as it hits the tiles.

(b) What finds an echo in the poet’s heart?
Answer:
The tinkle of rain on the shingles finds an echo in the poet’s heart.

(c) Who is a busy being? What happens to his mind?
Answer:
The ‘busy being’ refers to the poet. His mind is flooded with fantasies and memories.

(d) Explain: “A thousand recollections weave their air-threads into woof’.
Answer:
While weaving a fabric, the threads that run lengthwise are called warp and the threads that run across are known as woof. The poet means that numerous memories intermingle to form a beautiful picture that the poet recollects.’

Question 5.
Now in memory comes my mother,
As she used in years agone,
To regard the darling dreamers
Ere she left them till the dawn:
O! Ifeel her fond look on me
As I list to this refrain
Which is played upon the shingles
By the patter of the rain.

(a) Whom does the poet remember?
Answer:
The poet remembers his mother.

(b) Who are the darling dreamers?
Answer:
The darling dreamers are the poet and his siblings who are fast asleep.

(c) How did the poet’s mother gaze at the dreamers?
Answer:
The poet’s mother gazes her sleeping children with fondness.

(d) What does he feel? Is his mother alive?
Answer:
The poet remembers his mother who died many years ago with longing.

Question 6.
Now in memory comes my mother,
As she used in years agone,
To regard the darling dreamers
Ere she left them till the dawn:
O! Ifeel her fond look on me
As I list to this refrain
Which is played upon the
shingles By the patter of the rain.

(a) What is the poet doing at the moment?
Answer:
The poet is lying in his bed listening to the sound of the rain,

(b) What is the memory that comes to the poet?
Answer:
The poet remembers his mother standing next to their bed and gazing at her children fondly.

(c) What are the poet’s feelings for his family?
Answer:
The poet loves his family. He calls his sleeping siblings “darling dreamers” and he remembers his mother very fondly.

(d) Name a poetic device used in the last line.
Answer:
Onomatopoeia : Patter of rain

Have you ever wondered how it would feel to step into someone else’s shoes and experience life from their perspective? Well, that’s exactly what we’re going to explore in this article – “If I Were You Class 9 Extra Questions and Answers.” As we delve into this intriguing topic, we’ll gain insights into various scenarios and decisions that we might approach differently if we were in someone else’s position. So, fasten your seatbelts, because this is going to be a thought-provoking journey into the minds of others. Read this also Extra Questions for Class 9 English with Answers.

If I Were You Class 9 Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Question 1.
Briefly describe Gerrard’s appearance.
Answer:
Gerrard is a man of medium height and wears horn-rimmed glasses. When the play opens, he is dressed in a lounge suit and a great coat. He talks in a cultured voice and his demeanour is confident.

Question 2.
Who was the Intruder in Gerrard’s house? Why did he break into his house?
Answer:
The Intruder, who broke into Gerrard’s house, was a criminal. He had murdered a cop and was being chased by the police. He broke into Gerrard’s house with the intention of murdering him and taking on his identity to evade the police.

Question 3.
How did Gerrard behave on seeing a gun-toting stranger in his cottage?
Answer:
Gerrard kept his cool and remained absolutely unruffled when he saw the gun-totting stranger in his cottage. There was neither any panic nor any ring of tension in his voice. He remained his normal self and talked to him casually.

Question 4.
Why does the Intruder intend to kill Gerrard?
Answer:
The Intruder is a criminal who is being chased by the police for having murdered a cop. As per his plan, the Intruder intends to kill Gerrard in order to take on his identity and escape capture by the police. In this way, he can lead a peaceful life without living in constant fear of arrest and punishment.

Question 5.
Why does the Intruder not kill Gerrard immediately?
Answer:
The Intruder does not kill Gerrard immediately because he first wants to get all the necessary information from him. Without this information, his plan to take on Gerrard’s identity will not succeed.

Question 6.
What impression do you form of the Intruder as he comes in? Give examples to illustrate.
Answer:
The Intruder is similar in build to Gerrard enters from the right silently – revolver in hand. He is flashily dressed in an overcoat and a soft hat. He seems to be a dangerous person as he is carrying a pistol and threatens Gerrard. He claims to have killed a cop. He is mean, heartless and crafty, for he plans to kill Gerrard and assume his identity in order to escape the police. He is over-confident because he claims that Gerrard is no match for him.

Question 7.
“You’ll soon stop being smart.” Why did Intruder think that Gerrard was being smart?
Answer:
The Intruder thought that Gerrard was being ‘smart’ or clever and facetious because he did not show any fear at the sight of an armed man enter his house and threaten him. To the contrary, he was giving the Intruder smart answers to his questions.

Question 8.
How did the Intruder threaten Gerrard?
Answer:
The Intruder threatened Gerrard by saying that he would soon stop being smart. He would make Gerrard crawl.

Question 9.
“I want to know a few things, see.” What sort of information did the Intruder want from Gerrard?
Answer:
The Intruder wanted personal details from Gerrard like whether he lived alone, what his Christian name was, whether he had a car and whether people visited him. All this information was necessary for the execution of his plan to dodge the police by killing Gerrard and taking on his identity.

Question 10.
Why did the Intruder say, “They can’t hang me twice?”
Answer:
The Intruder said this because he was already wanted for having murdered a cop. If he managed to kill Gerrard, as per his plan, and was later arrested, it would not matter as the punishment for this murder, too, would be a hanging. They could not hang him for the two murders twice.

Question 11.
How did Gerrard convince the Intruder that he was also wanted by the police?
Answer:
When Gerrard came to know about the Intruder’s plan, he kept his cool. He cooked a story to outwit him. He said he is also a murderer who was in hiding and that is why he was a mystery man who never met anyone including the tradespeople. So, if the Intruder took on his identify, he would not gain anything. He would anyway be accused of murder.

Question 12.
Why has the Intruder chosen Gerrard as the man whose identify he wants to take?
Answer:
Gerrard is of the same height and build as the Intruder. There is some similarity in their Appearance. Moreover, Gerard was something of a mystery man who lived alone in the house and very few people visited him. He phoned in his orders, did not meet any tradespeople, and had irregular hours and habits, going away suddenly and coming back just the same. So, the Intruder thought if he killed Gerrard and took on his identity, he would not get caught. He would gain his freedom and would be free to go places. He could live without the fear of cops.

Question 13.
What did Gerrard tell the Intruder about his childhood and his present life? Was he telling the truth? Why/Why not?
Answer:
Gerrard told the Intruder that as a child, he was stolen by the gypsies and now in his thirties he was all alone in life. He was not telling the truth; he was just being funny as he wished to make it clear that he was not afraid of a gun-totting criminal. In fact, Gerrard had already started concocting stories about himself.

Question 14.
What made Gerrard ask the Intruder, “Are you an American”?
Answer:
Gerrard asked the Intruder if he were an American as he had told him to ‘Put those paws up! ’ and had called him a ‘wise guy’. ‘Paws’ for hands and ‘guy’ for a man are colloquial American expressions. Hence, the usage of these words by the Intruder made Gerrard ask him this question.

Question 15.
The Intruder announced, “I’m going to kill you”. Was Gerrard nervous? How would you describe Gerrard’s reactions?
Answer:
Confident of his presence of mind and his ability to keep his cool in a difficult situation, Gerrard remained unruffled on being threatened by the Intruder. He remained so calm and nonchalant that the Intruder was irritated. His sense of humour also enraged the Intruder. Thus, Gerrard reacted in a calm and composed way.

Question 16.
Where did Gerrard live? Why was it a suitable place for the Intruder’s plan?
Answer:
Gerrard lived in a lonely cottage in a secluded place in the wilds of Essex. With hardly any population around, it was easy for one to commit a crime without getting detected. In addition, the place was visited by only a few people. Therefore, it was suitable for the Intruder to carry out his plan successfully over here.

Question 17.
The Intruder calls himself ‘a poor hunted rat’. Why does he do so?
Answer:
The Intruder describes himself as ‘a poor hunted rat’ because he is being chased by the police for having killed a cop and he has to keep dodging them to escape punishment. He feels he is like a rat being chased by a cat.

Question 18.
Why has the criminal been called an Intruder all through the play
Answer:
An Intruder is a who enters a place without permission in order to commit a crime. The Intruder is called an Intruder throughout the play as he has forced his way into Gerrard’s cottage, with criminal intent. He has come to murder Gerrard and to steal his identity.

Question 19.
Bring out the contrast between the Intruder and Gerrard.
Answer:
The Intruder is flashy, coarse, crude, boastful and an irritable egoist. He is overconfident and thinks that he is very smart. On the other hand, Gerrard is pleasant, cool-headed, cultured, witty and very intelligent. Despite . all this he is a modest and humble person. Although Gerrard does not brag, he proves to be much smarter and more intelligent than the Intruder and is able to outwit him.

Question 20.
Why did very few people come to Gerrard’s house? Who were the few people who visited him?
Answer:
A playwright, Gerrard needed his solitude and congenial surroundings. So, he lived all alone in a secluded place. His theatrical performances made his schedule irregular and he would go away suddenly and come back just the same. Moreover, very few people came to his house. He was visited only by his regular suppliers like the baker, the greengrocer and the milkman, but he did not meet them.

Question 21.
Gerrard tells the Intruder “A mystery I propose to explain.” What is the mystery that he proposes to explain?
Answer:
The Intruder has just told Gerrard that the people in Aylesbury refer to him as a “mystery man”. Gerrard proposes to explain the mystery about his mysterious life, his sudden comings and goings, his irregular routine, and his refusal to see the tradesmen. Gerrard has already concocted a story attributing his strange behaviour to his being a criminal wanted in many, cases of crime.

Question 22.
“This is your big surprise”. Who says these words in the play? What and where? What is the surprise?
Answer:
Gerrard says these words when the Intruder asks him to clarify how he could still be hanged after assuming Vincent Charles Gerrard’s identity. This is a surprise for the Intruder who never suspected Gerrard of being a criminal. According to his information, Gerrard seemed to be the perfect person who could be easily eliminated and then impersonated. However, Gerrard has just turned the tables on him by claiming to be a criminal on the run.

Question 23.
Why and how did Gerrard persuade the Intruder to get into the cupboard?
Answer:
Gerrard concocted a story about his own criminal background. He gave the Intruder the impression that the police were looking for him and he expected a telephone call from a friend, posted as a lookout, informing him of the police’s arrival. So when the telephone rang, he hurried the Intruder into the cupboard and told him that it was connected to the garage which was an escape route.

Question 24.
How does Gerrard propose to use the Intruder’s episode?
Answer:
Being a playwright, Gerrard is amused at being able to turn the tables on the Intruder. He finds the episode of outwitting a criminal by a clever but an innocent man amusing enough to use it as a plot for his next play.

Question 25.
Gerrard describes this encounter with the Intruder as ‘an amusing spot of bother’? What light does this attitude reflect on Gerrard?
Answer:
Any other person in Gerrard’s place would have been paralysed with fear when faced with a gun-totting stranger who has entered one’s house to kill him and steal his identity. But Gerrard finds it ‘a amusing spot of bother’ as his cool and unflappable approach makes him handle the situation comfortably and outwit the Intruder with ease.

Question 26.
What is Gerrard’s profession? Quote the parts of the play that support your answer.
Answer:
Gerrard is associated with theatre as a writer, producer and director. He also supplies props and make-up materials to other theatre agencies. The following facts reveal his profession clearly.

He tells the Intruder that his actions are ‘melodramatic’ but not ‘very original’.
He welcomes the Intruder as a ‘sympathetic audience’.
He comments on the Intruder’s ‘inflection of voice’.
He tells someone over the phone that he cannot deliver the props in time.
He also tells that person that he had ‘an amusing spot of bother’ which he might put into his next play.
Question 27.
Why was Gerrard’s schedule so irregular?
Answer:
Having a theatrical background, Gerrard devoted time to writing, producing and directing the plays. He also supplied other theatre companies with props and make-up items. Therefore, his schedule was irregular as it had to suit the requirements at the theatres.

Question 28.
Gerrard said, ‘You have been so modest’. Was Gerrard being ironical or truthful?
Answer:
Gerrard’s remark ‘you have been so modest’ was ironical. The Intruder had been boasting of his intelligence and smartness. Hence, Gerrard ironically commented on his modesty and asked him to say something about himself.

Question 29.
What information has the Intruder gathered about Gerrard?
Answer:
The Intruder only knows Gerrard by his last name. He has learnt that, he is the owner of the house in the wilds of Essex. Also, he is a kind of mystery man, who keeps to himself and does not meet anyone. Not many people know about him or visit him.

Question 30.
How did Gerrard fool the Intruder with his false story?
Answer:
Gerrard told the Intruder that he, too, was a criminal on the run. One of his recent crimes had gone wrong and one of his men had been caught. The things which should had been burnt had been found. So, due to that he expected trouble that night. That’s why, he wanted to clear off at the earliest.

Question 31.
How did Gerard lock the Intruder in the cupboard?
Answer:
Having convinced the Intruder that he himself was being wanted by cops and that police could any time break into his home, Gerrard advised the Intruder to escape in his car. When he saw that the Intruder was ready to come with him in his car, Gerrard opened the door of his cupboard and, as the Intruder stepped into the cupboard thinking it was an exit door, Gerrard gave him a push and locked the door from outside.

Question 32.
What precautions did Gerrard take while calling the police?
Answer:
Gerrard was smarter than the Intruder. Having locked the Intruder inside the cupboard, he knocked the revolver out of his hand. To make sure that the Intruder would not break out of the cupboard, Gerrard went to the phone, where he stood with the gun pointed at the cupboard door.

If I Were You Class 9 Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
Why was Gerrard packing a bag at the beginning of the play? How did it help him to outwit and trap the Intruder?
Answer:
Gerrard was packing a bag in the beginning of the play as he had to deliver some props to some theatrical company for rehearsal. When the Intruder broke into his cottage and threatened to kill him and steal his identity, Gerrard did not lose his cool. He spontaneously concocted a story that he himself was a criminal and was trying to dodge the police. This story was supported by the aura of mystery that surrounded him, his reclusive lifestyle, the bag he had been packing, the disguise outfit, false moustaches etc.

All this misled the Intruder into believing that Gerrard was speaking the truth. He did not doubt Gerrard any longer and unsuspectingly got ready to escape along with him. When Gerrard indicates the door that leads straight to the garage, the Intruder walks into a trap. Hence, the bag played an important role in convincing the Intruder that Gerrard, too, was a criminal like him and was preparing to flee when he broke into his cottage.

Question 2.
Bring out Gerrard’s intelligence, presence of mind and sense of humour. How did these traits help him outwit the Intruder?
Answer:
An intelligent and level-headed person, Gerrard did not show even the slightest of nervousness at the sight of the gun-totting criminal enter his house and threaten to kill him. He knew that his wit and presence of mind would not only help him to manage the crisis but would also contribute towards unnerving the Intruder, and getting the better of him. Keeping the atmosphere light and lively with his sense of humour and funny remarks, Gerrard surprised the Intruder, who had expected him to be afraid.

Once he found out the Intruder was wanted for murder and had been on the run, and thus living in fear, he instantly cooked up a story about his own criminal background. Convincing the Intruder that police would arrive any minute to nab him, he impressed upon the Intruder that they would have to escape immediately. Cleverly, he made him peep into the cupboard saying that it was an escape route.

The moment the Intruder leaned forward to inspect it, Gerrard pushed him into the cupboard and knocked the revolver out of his hand. He closed and locked the door. Thus, his intelligence, sense of humour, and presence of mind turned the tables on the Intruder.

Question 3.
Why did the Intruder find Gerrard’s cooked up story of criminal background convincing?
Answer:
In the beginning, the Intruder suspected every move made by Gerrard. He snubbed him when Gerrard tried to begin a conversation regarding the Intruder’s identity and curtly told him to answer only what was asked. However, he was gullible enough to unsuspiciously walk into Gerrard’s trap because the latter did not lose his cool, and employed his presence of mind to cook up the story that he, too, was wanted by the police.

Actually, Gerrard supported his claim of being a criminal by showing the Intruder his bag, and his disguise outfits and false moustaches etc. The Intruder did not know about the theatrical background of Gerrard and he found his story convincing. He believed that Gerrard was actually trying to evade the police. Hence, the unsuspecting Intruder walked into Gerrard’s trap. This indicates that although he claimed to be the smartest person around, he was in fact not very intelligent. He was outwitted by a smart Gerrard who foiled his plan.

If I Were You Class 9 Extra Questions and Answers Reference to Context

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.

Question 1.
Why, this is a surprise, Mr— er—

(a) Who speaks these words and to whom?
Answer:
Vincent Gerrard speaks these words to the Intruder.

(b) Where are they at the time?
Answer:
They are in Gerrard’s cottage, in his sitting room, at the time. The Intruder, who is carrying a revolver has just entered Gerrard’s cottage.

(c) What is the speaker’s tone at the time?
Answer:
The speaker is speaking in a very pleasant tone.

(d) What does this tell you about the speaker?
Answer:
The speaker is a level-headed person. He should have been afraid of the Intruder who was holding a gun, but he was talking in a normal, pleasant manner.

Question 2.
I’m glad you ’re pleased to see me. I don’t think you ’ll be pleased for long. Put those paws up!

(a) Who is speaking these lines and to whom? Where is the conversation taking place?
Answer:
The Intruder is speaking to Gerrard. The conversation is taking place in Gerrard’s lonely cottage situated in the wilds of Essex.

(b) Why is ‘the speaker’ so sure that ‘his listener’ won’t be pleased for long?
Answer:
The speaker is sure that his listener, Gerrard, will not be pleased for long because the speaker plans to kill him and steal his identity.

(c) What does ‘paws’ mean here? Why does the Intruder use the expression?
Answer:
‘Paws’ here stands for ‘hands’. The Intruder wants to convey to Gerrard that he is an American gangster.

(d) Why is the speaker asking the listener ‘to put those paws up’?
Answer:
The Intruder asks Gerrard to put his ‘paws up’ to threaten and intimidate him. He wants to ensure that Gerrard is not able to use his hands for self-defence.

Question 3.
Thanks a lot. You ’ll soon stop being smart. I’ll make you crawl. I want td know a few things, see.

(a) Who is the speaker? Why is he thanking the listener?
Answer:
The Intruder is the speaker here. He is thanking the listener, Gerrard, as the latter had helped him while he was fumbling for a word and Gerrard had suggested the word ‘nonchalant’.

(b) Why does the speaker think that the listener is trying to be smart?
Answer:
The Intruder feels that Gerrard is trying to be smart because instead of displaying any signs of fear, he acts casual and helps the Intruder complete his sentence when the former fails to find the right word.

(c) Why does the speaker expect the listener to soon stop being smart?
Answer:
The speaker feels that Gerrard will be frightened out of his wits the moment he discloses his intention of killing him and will then forget all the witty retorts that he had been making till then.

(d) What does the speaker mean by ‘I’ll make you crawl’?
Answer:
The speaker means that he would bring the listener down on his knees and make him beg for mercy.

Question 4.
At last a sympathetic audience!

(a) Who speaks these words? To whom?
Answer:
Gerrard, the protagonist of the play, speaks these words. He is speaking to the Intruder.

(b) Why does he say it?
Answer:
He wants to throw the Intruder off course by showing him that he does not feel threatened by his presence.

(c) Is he sarcastic or serious?
Answer:
He is certainly sarcastic because he knows that the Intruder wants to gather information about him only to misuse it and he plans to give incorrect information.

(d) Why does the listener wish to know the story of the speaker’s life?
Answer:
The listener is a criminal who resembles Gerrard and wishes to impersonate him. So he wants to know more about him.

Question 5.
I’m sorry. I thought you were telling me, not asking me. A question of inflection; your voice is unfamiliar.

(a) Who is the speaker and who does he speak to?
Answer:
The speaker is Gerrard. He is speaking to the Intruder.

(b) What had the listener asked the speaker?
Answer:
The listener had asked the speaker if he lived in the cottage all by himself.

(c) What does ‘inflection’ mean here? What logic does the speaker give for misinterpreting the inflection of his voice?
Answer:
‘Inflection’ here means ‘tone of voice’. Gerrard says that since the Intruder’s voice was unfamiliar, he couldn’t know whether he was asking a question or telling something.

(d) What do these lines tell us about the speaker?
Answer:
These lines show that the speaker is a very cool-headed man who can think of many ways to elude a question.

Question 6.
That, ’s a lie. You ’re not dealing with a fool. I’m as smart as you and smarter, and I know you run a car. Better be careful, wise guy!

(a) Who is the speaker? Which Tie’ is he talking about?
Answer:
The Intruder is the speaker here. He is talking about the Tie’ that Gerrard told him about not running a car.

(b) Why did the speaker think he was smarter than the listener?
Answer:
The Intruder considered himself smarter because to succeed in his plan of taking on Gerrard’s identity, he had already gathered as much information about Gerrard as he could from the local people.

(c) Why did he warn the listener to be careful?
Answer:
The Intruder wanted to make it clear that Gerrard could not be fool him by telling a lie.

(d) What does the extract reveal about the Intruder?
Answer:
The extract reveals that the Intruder is over-confident about his abilities and that he also under-estimates Gerrard, who is not afraid of him.

Question 7.
You seem to have taken a considerable amount of trouble. Since you know so much about me, won’t you say something about yourself? You have been so modest.

(a) Who speaks these words and to whom?
Answer:
Gerrard speaks these words to the Intruder.

(b) What is his tone when he speaks these words?
Answer:
He is being sarcastic at the time.

(c) Why does he want to know more about the Intruder?
Answer:
He wants to find out more about the Intruder to see if he can get the better of him. He also wants to keep him talking till he receives his telephone call.

(d) What light does this throw on the speaker’s character?
Answer:
The speaker is a quick-thinking person, who does not give way to fear but is looking for a way out of the situation he finds himself in.

Question 8.
I could tell you plenty. You think you ’re smart, but I’m the top of the class round here. I’ve got brains and I use them. That’s how I’ve got where have.

(a) Who speaks these words to whom and in what context?
Answer:
These words are spoken by the Intruder to Gerrard. He utters these words when Gerrard asks him to tell him something about himself

(b) Why does the speaker say “I could tell you plenty”?
Answer:
The Intruder says so because he is over-confident and thinks that he is smart enough to get the better of Gerrard.

(c) What does he mean by ‘the top of the class round here’?
Answer:
The Intruder means to say that no one else is as smart as he is and thatbGerrard, too, is no match for him.

(d) What is his tone at the moment?
Answer:
There is a ring of pride in his words and his ego makes him over-estimate himself and his abilities.

Question 9.
My speciality’s jewel robbery. Your car will do me a treat. It’s certainly a dandy bus.

(a) What does the speaker do? Why does he call it his ‘speciality’?
Answer:
The speaker is a criminal who robs jewellery. He calls it his speciality because robbing jewellery was a pursuit or skill to which he had devoted much time and effort and in which he was an expert.

(b) What does he call ‘a dandy bus’? What does he mean?
Answer:
He calls Gerrard’s car a dandy bus. He means to say that it is a splendid or outstanding car. It will be useful for him and will suit his purpose very well.

(c) What do his words tell you about the speaker?
Answer:
The speaker has made his plans carefully and has found out information about the listener.

(d) What does the speaker intend to do?
Answer:
The speaker uses his brains by planning and committing crimes without getting caught by the police. He now intends to kill Gerrard and assume his identity to escape the law further.

Question 10.
I’m not taking it for fun. I’ve been hunted long enough. I’m wanted for murder already, and they can’t hang me twice.

(a) What ‘step’ is the speaker talking about taking? Why is he taking it?
Answer:
The speaker is talking about taking the ‘step’ of murdering Gerrard. He claims that he is not taking the step for fun but because of his need to escape the police.

(b) By whom has the speaker been hunted? Why?
Answer:
The speaker has been hunted by the police because he is a criminal. He killed a policeman when something went wrong with the job that he did in the town quite a while ago, but since then he is dodging the police.

(c) Why does he say “they can’t hang me twice”?
Answer:
The Intruder has just told Gerrard that he had murdered one man, and that he would not shy away from murdering him too. This is because the police could not hang him twice for two murders.

(d) What light do these lines reflect on the speaker’s state of mind?
The lines reveal that the Intruder does not have any conscience to prick him. He is in a desperate situation now as he fears the punishment he is likely to get if captured.

Question 11.
I’ve got freedom to gain. As for myself I’m a poor hunted rat. As Vincent Charles Gerrard I’m free to go places and do nothing. I can eat well and sleep and without having to be ready to beat it at the sight of a cop.

(a) Why is the speaker a ‘hunted rat’?
Answer:
The Intruder is being chased by the police for having killed a policeman. The fear of being arrested by the police keeps him on the run and he feels that his condition is as miserable as that of a rat being chased.

(b) Why has he chosen to take on Gerrard’s identity?
Answer:
He has chosen to take on Gerrard’s identity because the have a similar height and build and because Gerrard, being a loner, does not meet many people who may catch him out.

(c) Why does the speaker have to run at the sight of a cop?
Answer:
Having killed a cop, the Intruder lives in constant fear of being caught by the police. So, he has to run at the sight of a cop in order to avoid being caught.

(d) What advantage will the speaker have once he impersonates Gerrard?
Answer:
As Gerrard the Intruder will be able to dodge the police. This way he will be able to live in peace and without any fear of the cops.

Question 12.
It brought me to Aylesbury. That’s where I saw you in the car. Two other people saw you and started to talk.
I listened. It looks like you ’re a bit queer — kind of a mystery man.

(a) What is ‘it’? Where did it bring him?
Answer:
‘It’ here refers to the speaker’s dodging the police. While escaping the police he reached Aylesbury.

(b) What did the speaker overhear about the listener? From whom?
Answer:
He overheard two men discuss Gerrard. They referred to him as being strange and a mystery man about whom nothing much was known.

(c) What made the two men conclude that the listener was a mystery man?
Answer:
The two men concluded Gerrard was a mystery man because they did not know much about him. He kept to himself and ordered his supplies on the phone. He did not meet even the tradespeople who delivered the orders. He sometimes went away suddenly and came back just the same.

(d) How did this suit the Intruder’s purpose?
Answer:
This suited the Intruder’s purpose as no one knew Gerrard well enough to recognise him if the Intruder took on his identity. Also, the Intruder would be able to come and go suddenly as Gerrard did.

Question 13.
Don’t be a fool. If you shoot, you ’ll hang for sure. If not as yourself then as Vincent Charles Gerrard.

(a) Why did the speaker say that the listener will be hanged?
Answer:
The speaker said that even if he shot him and took on the speaker’s identity, the listener would be hanged as Gerrard because he was wanted by the police.

(b) What surprise did the speaker give to the listener?
Answer:
Gerrard surprised the Intruder by telling him that he was also a criminal and wanted for murder.

(c) What proof does the speaker give the listener about his being a criminal?
Answer:
Gerrard told the Intruder that he did not meet any trades people and was a bit of a mystery man here today and gone tomorrow because he was a criminal on the run.

(d) What do you think was the speaker’s tone as he spoke to the listener?
Answer:
The speaker’s tone was serious and confidential. The listener was taken in by the speaker.

Question 14.
This is your big surprise. I said you wouldn’t kill me and I was right. Why do you think I am here today and gone tomorrow, never see tradespeople? You say my habits would suit you. You are a crook. Do you think I am a Sunday-school teacher?

(a) What was the big surprise given by the speaker?
Answer:
Gerrard told that the Intruder that he too lived under the threat of being arrested as he too was involved in crime. The Intruder was naturally surprised at this revelation since he was not aware about this aspect of his victim.

(b) What was the speaker right about? Why was he right?
Answer:
Gerrard, the speaker here, was right about the statement that he had made earlier that the Intruder wouldn’t kill him. He was right because the Intruder intended to kill an ordinary person and impersonate him to evade the police. But Gerrard turned out to be a criminal like him. So, killing and impersonating a criminal would not serve the Intruder’s purpose,

(c) Explain the phrase Sunday school teacher? What does the speaker imply by his words?
Answer:
A Sunday school teacher is not just an instructor but is also the responsibility for the spiritual welfare of the students. As such, the Sunday school teacher is an important member of the church and one of high moral standing. By saying he is not a Sunday school teacher, the speaker implies he is a crook.

(d) What light does it throw on the character of the speaker and the listener?
Answer:
The speaker is a quick-thinking cool-headed person, who has retained his presence of mind and lays a trap for the Intruder. He is able to convince the listener. On the other hand, the listener is a gullible person and is taken in by Gerrard’s words.

Question 15.
“I said it with bullets and got away ”.

(a) Who says this?
Answer:
Gerrard, the protagonist of the play ‘If I Were You’, says this.

(b) What does it mean?
Answer:
Gerrard means that he committed a murder with a gun for his escape because things had gone wrong.

(c) Is it the truth? What is the speaker’s reason for saying this?
Answer:
No, it is not the truth. The speaker has concocted a story to befool the Intruder. He shows himself to be a wanted criminal on run from the police so that the Intruder should give up his plan of killing him and taking up his identity.

(d) How was he in imminent danger from the police?
Answer:
One of his men had been caught by the police with some documents.

Question 16.
I have got a man posted on the main road. He’ll ring up if he sees the police, but I don’t want to leave… (telephone bell rings,) Come on! They ’re after us. Through here straight to the garage.

(a) Whose call had Gerrard been expecting?
Answer:
Gerrard had told the person he was speaking to in the beginning to tell someone to call him at once. So, he had been expecting that call.

(b) Whose call had told the Intruder he was expecting?
Answer:
He told the Intruder he was expecting trouble, and had posted a man on the look out who would tell him if the police were coming.

(c) What did he show the Intruder to convince him that he was going to run away?
Answer:
He showed him the packed bag and disguise outfit; false moustaches and what not to show he was ready . to run away.

(d) What is his tone like as he says these words?
Answer:
He says these words in a tone of urgency.

Question 17.
For God’s sake clear that muddled head of yours and let’s go. Come with me in the car. I can use you. If you find it’s a frame, you’ve got me in a car, and you still have your gun.

(a) What does the speaker call the listener’s head “muddled”?
Answer:
The Intruder, who has come to Gerrard’s house to kill him and steal his identity, is told by Gerrard that he, too, is a criminal on the run. The Intruder is thus looking confused.

(b) Where does the speaker invite the other person?
Answer:
The speaker Gerrard is inviting the other person to accompany him in the car and help him escape

(c) What assurance does he give the listener?
Answer:
He tells the Intruder that he has the gun so he can over-power him whenever he feels he has been trapped.

(d) What is in the speaker’s mind?
Answer:
The speaker wants to get the Intruder into a trap where he can hand him over to the police.

Embark on an exploration of democratic rights, understanding the fundamental principles that protect and empower citizens in a democratic society. Have you ever wondered about the rights and freedoms guaranteed to individuals in a democracy, and the significance of these rights in promoting a just and equitable society? In this article, we present you with a Democratic Rights Class 9 Extra Questions with Answers. Read this also Extra Questions for Class 9 Social Science with Answers.

Democratic Rights Class 9 Extra Questions with Answers

Question 1.
How many fundamental rights have given to the Indians by the Constitution?
Answer:
6.

Question 2.
How many rights are there in the Right to Freedom?
Answer:
6.

Question 3.
Is an Indian state allowed to discriminate against a citizen on the basis of place of birth?
Answer:
No.

Question 4.
In which form does the Indian Constitution provides for special provisions while guaranteeing the right to equality?
Answer:
The Indian Constitution provides for special provisions in the form of reserve posts while guaranteeing right to equality.

Question 5.
To whom the reserved posts have been provided?
Answer:
The reserved posts have been provided to the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and to the backward classes.

Question 6.
Which of the fundamental rights has abolished untouchability?
Answer:
Right to equality.

Question 7.
What will be done to a person practising untouchability?
Answer:
A person practising untouchability would be punished by law.

Question 18.
What kind of titles have not been abolished by the constitution?
Answer:
The Constitution has not abolished two types of the titles

• Military titles
• Academic titles.

Question 9.
On what basis the government can restrict the fundamental rights?
Answer:
The government can restrict the fundamental rights in the interest of the independence, sovereignty and integrity of the nation.

Question 10.
Name the various kinds of the writs.
Answer:

• Habeas Corpus
• Mandamus
• Prohibition.
• Quo Warranto
• Certiorari.

Question 11.
Who can issue the writs?
Answer:
Courts.

Question 12.
During an emergency who is allowed to suspend the Right to Constitutional Remedies?
Answer:
The Central Government.

Question 13.
Under which of the Fundamental rights the titles have been abolished by the government?
Answer:
Right to Equality.

Question 14.
By whom a citizen can be denied his life and liberty?
Answer:
Bylaw.

Question 15.
With do you think that the constitutions of different countries have sections on rights?
Answer:
It is so only to emphasise that such rights are fundamental for the development of human personality.

Question 16.
Do the citizens of all the countries have rights ensured to them?
Answer:
No, really Until recently, the people of South Africa (under white minority rule) had no rights ensured, to them.

Question 17.
Do all the countries have their rights codified?
Answer:
No. the rights given to the people of United Kingdom are based on common law.

Question 18.
Suppose there are no traffic rules in our country, what would have happened?
Answer:
Either accidents or traffic jams.

Question 19.
What is meant by rights?
Answer:
Rights are reasonable claims of the individual recognised by society and sanctioned by law.

Question 20.
What type of right to earn a reasonable wage is?
Answer:
Right to work.

Question 21.
Whom are political rights available to?
Answer:
Political rights are available only to the citizens, and not to the foreigners.

Question 22.
What would happen to democracy if there are no rights?
Answer:
Democracy becomes meaningless if we do not have rights and the means to secure them.

Question 23.
When do we celebrate Human Rights Day?
Answer:
December 10, every year.

Question 24.
How are the rights in France described as?
Answer:
Rights of Man.

Question 25.
Mention anyone right as incorporated in the US Bill of Rights.
Answer:
Freedom of speech.

Question 26.
Where did the US forces put about 600,to people in 2002?
Answer:
In a prison in Guantanamo Bay.

Question 27.
When did the terrorist attack on USA?
Answer:
September 11, 2001.

Question 28.
In which country, the non-Muslims can follow their religions, but only in private.
Answer:
Saudi Arabia.

Question 29.
What did the Serbs demand of Kosovo Albanian in April 1999?
Answer:
Either the Kosovo Albanians leave the country or accept the dominance of the Serbs.

Question 30.
When was the National Human Rights Commission set up in India?
Answer:
In 1993.

Question 31.
Define rights.
Answer:
Rights are those conditions of social life without which no man can seek to be his best self. They are claims recognised by society and protected by law.

Question 32.
Mention some qualities of rights.
Answer:
Some .qualities of rights are as follows:

• Right is claim which has to be recognised by others. My right should be respected as should be yours.
• Right is recognised by society. It is social in nature. What is against society is not.a right. What is against the interest of society is also not a right.
• Right has to be protected and Sanctioned by law.

Question 33.
Mention some types of rights with example.
Answer:
Rights are of different types. They may be classified as civil, political, economic and social and cultural rights: Right to life, to equality, to family, right to freedoms, to acquire and own property, etc. are civil rights. Right to vote, to contest elections, and to seek any political office are political rights.

Right to work, to earn a reasonable wage, and to fulfil basic needs are economic rights. Right to culture, to religion, to speak in one’s own language, to get education, and to lead a decent life are social and cultural rights. However, all these rights are interconnected. These days we call all of them together as human rights.

Question 34.
Are all types of rights available to all the people? State with examples.
Answer:
Some of the rights are available to citizens as individuals. For example, the right to life is one such a right. Some rights are available to persons as members of a community. For example, the right to culture or language. Some rights are available to all persons residing in a country, whether one is a citizen or not.

For example, European or the refugees from Bangladesh or Sri Lanka living in India have certain rights along with Indian citizens. Similarly, Indians living in the United States too have some rights like that of the American citizens. Some right are available to citizens of a specific age. For example, the right to vote or to contest in elections only when one grows up.

Question 35.
Discuss the relationship between rights and democracy.
Answer:
Rights are necessary for the development of society, individual personality and for the realisation of human potential. Democracy becomes meaningless if we do not have rights and the means to secure them. It is the availability of these rights that make any political system democratic.

Even among democracies, we can know how democratic a country is by looking at the kind of rights available to its people and to what extent they are effective. So the expansion of democracy in any country is closely linked to the expansion of citizens’ rights. Democracy and citizens’ rights are therefore mutually complementary.

Question 36.
Explain briefly the evolution of rights.
Answer:
Rights did not emerge all of a sudden. They had evolved over a long time. They are a result of struggles of people. They change with changes in society. New rights emerge as societies develop. Over the last two hundred years, most democracies have adopted basic rights as essential ingredients of their constitutions and government.

The French National Assembly recognized certain rights of the citizens. It was called the Declaration of the Rights of Man. It proclaimed that all citizens are ‘equal in the eyes of the law. All have an equal right to all public places and employment according to their capacity and talent. In the same year, a Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution of the United States, of America. It gave to American citizens rights such as freedom of speech press, religion, assembly and to petition the government.

Question 37.
Write is short note on Human Rights.
Answer:
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations in 1948 was an important milestone in the long struggle for rights in the world. It recognized certain rights as fundamental to human life. They are the right to life, liberty and security of person; the right to freedom of opinion and expression: the right to freedom of throughout, conscience and religion: and the right to own property.

Question 38.
Point out some aspects of the Rights to equality enjoyed by the citizens of India.
Answer:
Right to equality is one of the most important fundamental rights provided by the Constitution.

These rights have been given in the Articles 14 to 18 of the Indian Constitution.

• Article 14 establishes equality before the law, It says the state shall not deny to any person equality before the law or equal protec¬tion of the laws within the territory of India.
• Article 15 prohibits any sort of discrimination among the citizens of the Republic on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them.
• Article 16 of the Constitution of India provides equal opportunities in all fields of public employment.
• Article 17 has erased the age-long slur on the face of the Indian social order. Practising of. untouchability in any form has been made an offence punishable by law.
• Article 18 puts an end to all the titles other than educational and military.
  Thus, the Indian citizens have been provided the right to equality to enjoy their lives.

Question 39.
Describe special provisions which are provided for the advancement of the backward classes.
Answer:
Special provisions are also provided for the advancement of backward classes of citizens and those of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Equality does not mean that everyone gets, the same treatment, no matter what they need. Right to equality allows special treatment in favour of persons who belong to the weaker sections. For example, government reserves some seats in public educational institutions, or provide stipends to such persons. Similarly, government reserves some posts in favour of backward classes of citizens who are not adequately represented in government services.

But for such special provisions, it would not be possible for the boys and girls of these groups to get admission in premier educational institutions or to get good jobs. These special provisions and reservations are aimed at promoting socio-economic equality. For promoting social equality, the Constitution forbids the practice of untouchability in any form. Untouchability refers hr any belief or social practice which looks down upon people on account of their birth with certain caste labels. Such practice denies them interaction with others or access to public places as equal citizens. So the Constitution made untouchability a punishable offence.

Question 40.
“The right to freedom is a cluster of six freedoms.” Explain.
Answer:
The right to freedom given by the constitution to its citizens includes six freedom rights. Hence the right to freedom is called a cluster of six freedoms.

These rights are the following;

• Freedom of speech and expression.
• Freedom to assemble peacefully and without arms.
• Freedom to form associations and unions.
• Freedom to move freely throughout the territory of India.
• Freedom to reside and settle and
• Freedom to adopt in any profession or the right to carry on any occupation, trade or business.

Every citizen has the right to all these freedoms. That means you cannot exercise your freedom in such a manner that violates others’ right to freedom. Your freedoms should not cause public nuisance or disorder. You are free to do everything which injures no one else. Freedom is the absence of interference by other’s in our affairs, so far as such affairs do not adversely affect other’s lives.

So our freedoms have some limitations. However, such restrictions have to be reasonable. They should be as per the law. Accordingly, the government imposes certain restrictions on our freedoms in the larger interests of the society.

The Constitution ensures protection of individual life and personal liberty. It says that no person can be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law. That means no government or police officer can interfere with the life and liberty of a citizen unless his action is supported by some provision of law.

Question 41.
Write short notes on:
Answer:
(i) Right Against Exploitation: This is a very important fundamental right. Earlier people were made to do work free of charge for landlords or the wealthy persons. This was known as beggar or forced labour.
It was the kind of labour which was done without any wage in return. Begar is now a crime and punishable by law.

Providing this right the Constitution also forbids employing of children below the age of 14 years in dangerous jobs like factories arid mines. This right makes us conscious about the fact that the children are our assets. They must he allowed to get education and lead happy childhood.

In actual practice, it is very easily seen that the children are working in much less wages. This is done because the child labour is much cheap. Children in fact cannot work like an adult hence they are given low wages. This is, however, a gross violation of the spirit and provisions of the constitution. In this situation, the right against exploitation is a legal weapon to protect today’s children. This right is considered a legal weapon because if this right is violated, one can go to the court of law to get justice.

(ii) Right to Freedom of Religion: Ours is a secular country. That means the government of India would not give any undue bias or preference to any religion. Every religion is equal before the state. Citizens of India are free to practise their respective religions. This is one of the fundamental rights of the citizens given by the Constitution. Foremost objective part of this right is to sustain the principle, of secularism in the country. No state-run institutions can give religious education. However, religious communities are free to set up charitable institutions of their own.

(iii) Cultural and Educational Rights: India is a vast country with a number of religions, languages as well as cultures. Hence the Indian Constitution provides special measures to protect the rights of the minorities. Any community which has a language and script of its own has the right to conserve and develop them. No citizen can be discriminated against for, admission in state or state-aided institutions because of religion or language. All minorities, religious or linguistic, can set up their own educational institutions. Thus, they are able to preserve and develop their culture.

Question 42.
How can we secure our fundamental rights?
Answer:
One important characteristic of the rights in the Constitution is that they are enforceable. We have a right to seek the enforcement of the above-mentioned rights. This is called the Right to Constitutional Remedies. This itself is a Fundamental Right. This right makes other rights effective. It is possible that sometimes our rights may be violated by fellow’ citizens, private bodies or by the government.

When any of our right is violated we can seek remedy through courts. If it is a Fundamental Right we can directly approach the Supreme Court or the High Court of a state. That is why, Dr Ambedkar called the Right to Constitutional Remedies as the heart and soul of our Constitution.

Fundamental Rights are guaranteed against the actions of the Legislatures, the Executive, and any other authorities instituted by the government. There can be no law or action that violates the Fundamental Rights. If any act of the Legislature or the Executive takes away or limits any of the Fundamental Rights it will be invalid. We can challenge such law’s of the central and state governments, the policies and actions of the government or the governmental organizations like the nationalized banks.

The Supreme Court and High Courts are empowered to declare such laws or acts as invalid. They also enforce the Fundamental Rights against private individuals and bodies. The Supreme Court and High Courts have tire power to issue directions, orders or writs for the enforcement of the Fundamental Rights. They award compensation for the violation.

Question 43.
What are the rights guaranteed to the citizens of South Africa?
Answer:
The Constitution of South Africa guarantees its citizens several kinds of new rights. Some of these are :

• Rights to privacy, so that citizens or their home cannot be searched, their phones cannot be tapped, their communication cannot be opened.
• Right to an. environment that is not harmful to their health or well being
• Rights to have access to adequate housing.
• Right to have access to health care services, sufficient food and water; no one may be refused emergency medical treatment.

Objective Type Questions

1. Put (✓) before right sentences and (✗) before wrong sentences.

(i) Begar is a crime and punishable by law.
Answer:
(✓)

(ii) The Constitution never imposes restrictions on the rights of freedom.
Answer:
(✗)

(iii) The Constitution provides special measures to protect the rights of the minorities.
Answer:
(✓)

(iv) Right to Constitutional Remedies is not as much important as it is considered.
Answer:
(✗)

(v) The court of law stands as a guard against the violation of the fundamental rights.
Answer:
(✓).

2. Complete the following sentences:

(i) Democracy is not merely a ………………………… term.
Answer:
political

(ii) Directive Principles promote an environment to make ………………………… life comfortable.
Answer:
citizens

(iii) The ………………………… provides special measures to protect the rights of the minorities.
Answer:
Constitution

(iv) To safeguard public property is a Fundamental ………………………… .
Answer:
duty

(v) We must cherish and …………………………the noble ideas of freedom struggle.
Answer:
follow.

3. Choose the correct answer from the alternatives given below:

(i) The constitution of India has granted the following number of fundamental rights :
(a) 5
(b) 6
(c) 7
(d) 8
Answer:
(b) 6

(ii) Our rights are protected by the following right:
(a) Right to Equality
(b) Right to freedom
(c) Right against exploitation
(d) Right to Constitutional Remedies.
Answer:
(d) Right to Constitutional Remedies.

(iii) Untouchability is a crime against:
(a) Law only
(b) Constitution only
(c) Both law and constitution
(d) None of the above.
Answer:
(c) Both law and constitution

(iv) Right to equality has the following aspect:
(a) Legal
(b) Political
(c) Social
(d) All above.
Answer:
(d) All above.