Democratic Rights
Q1. What were the problems faced by the prisoners of Guantanamo
Bay?
Ans. In most cases the governments of their countries were
not asked or even informed about
their imprisonment.
2. Families of prisoners, media or even UN representatives
were not allowed to meet them.
3. The US army arrested them, interrogated them and decided
whether to keep them there
or not.
4. There was no trial before any magistrate in the US. Nor
could these prisoners approach courts in their own country.
Q2. What is the Amnesty International? How did this
organisation highlight the issue of the problems faced by the prisoners of
Guantanamo Bay?
Ans. An international organisation of volunteers who
campaign for human rights.
2. Amnesty International, organisation, collected
information on the condition of the prisoners in
Guantanamo Bay and reported that the prisoners were being
tortured in ways that violated the US laws.
3. They were being denied the treatment that even prisoners
of war must get as per international treaties.
4. Many prisoners had
tried protesting against these conditions by going on a hunger strike.
5. Prisoners were not
released even after they were officially declared not guilty.
Q3. Discuss the position of the citizens of Saudi Arabia
with regard to their govt. and citizens
right?
Ans. The country is ruled by a hereditary king and the
people have no role in electing or
changing their rulers.
2. The king selects
the legislature as well as the executive.
3. He appoints the judges and can change any of their
decisions.
4. Citizens cannot
form political partiies or any political organisations.
5. Media cannot report anything that the monarch does not
like.
6. There is no freedom of religion. Every citizen is
required to be Muslim. Non-Muslim residents
can follow their religion in private, but not in public.
7. Women are
subjected to many public restrictions.
Q4. Write the main features of ethnic massacre in Kosovo?
Ans. This was a province of Yugoslavia before its split. In
this province the population was
ethnic Albanian. But
in the entire country, Serbs were in
majority.
2. A narrow minded Serb nationalist Milosevic (pronounced
Miloshevich) had won the election.
3.His government was very hostile to the Kosovo Albanians.
4. He wanted the
Serbs to dominate the country. Many Serb leaders thought that Ethnic
minorities like Albanians should either leave the country or
accept the dominance of the Serbs.
5. the serbs army conducted many massacre on ethnic grounds.
One of which was killing of Albanians in a town in Kosovo in April 1999.
6. This was one of the worst instances of killing based on
ethnic prejudices.
7. Finally several other countries intervened to stop this
massacre. Milosevic lost power and was tried by the International Court of Justice for crimes
against humanity.
Q5. What are rights?
Ans. Rights are reasonable claims of persons recognised by
society and sanctioned by law.
Q6. Why do we need rights in a democracy?
Ans. Rights are necessary for the very sustenance of a
democracy.
2. Rights protect minorities from the oppression of
majority.
3. They ensure that the majority cannot do whatever it
likes.
4.Rights are guarantees which can be used when things go
wrong.
5. But sometimes elected governments may not protect or may
even attack the rights
of their own citizens. That is why some rights need to be
placed higher than the government, so that the government cannot violate them.
Q7. What are Fundamental rights?
Ans. Fundamental Rights are certain rights guaranteed to
every Indian citizen by the constitution of India. Since these Rights are
fundamental to our life , therefore these are given a special status in our
constitution and are thus called fundamental rights.
Q8. Mention the 6 fundamental rights guaranteed by the
Indian constitution to every Indian citizen?
Ans. right to equality
2. Right to Freedom
3. Right against Exploitation
4. Right to freedom of Religion
5. cultural and Educational right
6. Right to Constitutional Remedies.
Q9. What is meant by Rule of Law?
Ans. The Constitution says that the government shall not
deny to any person in India equality before the law or the equal protection of
the laws.
2. It means that the laws apply in the same manner to all,
regardless of a person’s status. This is called the rule of law.
3. It means that no person is above the law.
Q10. What is untouchability? Why the practice of
untouchability has been made a punishable offence in the constitution of India?
Ans. It refers to any belief or social practice which looks
down upon people on account of their birth with certain caste labels.
2. The practice of untouchability has been forbidden in any
form because such practice denies certain castes interaction with others or
access to public places as equal citizens. So the constitution made
untouchability a punishable offence.
Q11. State the main features of Right to Equality?
Ans. Every citizen from the Prime Minister to a small farmer
is subjected to the same laws.
2. No person can legally claim any special treatment or
privilege.
3. the govt. shall not discriminate against any citizen on
grounds of religion, caste, sex, or place of birth.
4. Every citizen shall have access to public places like
shops, hotels, cinema halls etc.
5. there shall be no restrictions with regard to the use of wells, tanks, roads,
playgrounds etc and places of public resorts maintained by govt or dedicated to
the use of general public.
Q12. Mention the 6 freedoms guaranteed
by Indian Constitution to all its citizens under right to freedom?
Ans. Freedom of speech and expression
Assembly in a peaceful manner
Form associations and unions
Move freely throughout the country
Reside in any part of the country, and
Practice any profession, or to carry on any occupation,
trade or business.
Q13. Define the term Freedom.
Ans. Freedom means absence of restrictions. It means absence
of interference in our affairs by others.
Q14. What freedoms under freedom of speech and expression
are given to Indian citizens?
Ans. Freedom of speech and expression is one of the
essential features of any democracy.
2. Our ideas and personality develop only when we are able
to freely communicate with others.
3. In India people are free to publicise their views through
a pamphlet, magazines, newspaper etc.
4. they are free to criticise the govt. or the activities of
any association.
Q15. What are the limitations of freedom of speech and
expression?
Ans. People cannot use this freedom to instigate violence
against
others.
2. One cannot use it
to incite people to rebel against government.
3. Neither can one use it to defame others by saying false
and mean things that cause damage to a person’s reputation.
Q16. What provisions are given in Indian constitution with
respect to right to life and personal liberty?
Ans. The Constitution says that no person can be deprived of
his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law.
2. It means that no person can be killed unless the court
has ordered a death sentence.
3.It also means that a government or police officer can
arrest or detain any citizen unless
he has proper legal justification.
Q17. What procedure a police officer has to follow while
arresting a person ?
Ans. A person who is arrested and detained in custody will
have to be informed of the reasons for such arrest and detention.
A person who is arrested and detained shall be produced
before the nearest magistrate within a
period of 24 hours of arrest.
Such a person has the right to consult a lawyer or engage
a lawyer for his defence.
Q18. What three evils have been declared illegal by the
Indian Constitution under right against exploitation?
Ans. First, the Constitution prohibits ‘traffic in human
beings’. Traffic here means selling and
buying of human beings, usually women, for immoral purposes.
2. Second, our Constitution also prohibits forced labour or
begar in any form. Begar is a practice where the worker is forced to render
service to the ‘master’ free of charge or at a low wages.
3. Finally, the Constitution also prohibits child labour. No
one can employ a child below the age of
fourteen to work in any factory or mine or in any other
hazardous work, such as railways and ports.
Q19. What freedom with respect to religion are given to
Indian citizen under right to freedom of Religion?
Ans. Every person has a right to profess, practice and
propagate the religion he or she believes in.
2.Every religious group or sect is free to manage its
religious affairs.
3. A right to propagate one’s religion, however, does not
mean that a person has right to compel another person to convert into his
religion by means of force.
4.A person is free to change religion on his or her ownwill.
5.Freedom to practice religion does not mean that a person
can do whatever he wants in the name of religion.
6. Our religious practices should not hurt the humanity in
any respect.
Q20. What are the main features of a secular state?
Ans. A secular state is one that does not confer any privilege
or favour on any particular religion.
2. Nor does it punish or discriminate against people on the
basis of religion they follow.
3. The government cannot compel any person to pay any taxes
for the promotion or maintenance of
any particular religion or religious institution.
4. There shall be no religious instructions in the govt.
educational institutions.
5. A secular state is one that does not establish any one
religion as official religion.
6. a state has to be neutral and impartial in dealing with
all religions.
Q21. Why did our constitution makers guaranteed cultural and
educational rights particularly for the minorities in India?
Ans.Our constitution makers were aware that the working of
democracy gives power to the
majority.
2. It is the
language, culture and religion of minorities that needs special protection.
3. Otherwise, they may get neglected or undermined under the
impact of the language, religion and culture of the majority.
4. That is why the Constitution specifies the cultural and
educational rights of the minorities.
Q22. What cultural and educational rights for the minorities
are mentioned in the Indian constitution?
Ans. Any section of citizens with a distinct language or
culture have a right to conserve it.
Admission to any educational institution maintained by
government or receiving government aid cannot be denied to any citizen on the
ground of religion or language.
All minorities have the right to establish and administer
educational institutions of their choice.
Q23. State the main features of right to constitutional
remedies?
Or
Give reason why Dr. Ambedkar called the right to
constitutional remedies heart and soul of Indian Constitution?
Ans. Right to constitutional Remedies makes other rights
effective.
2. It is possible that sometimes our rights may be violated
by fellow citizens , private bodies or by the govt.
3. According to right to constitutional remedies when any of
our rights are violated , we can seek remedy through courts.
4. If it is a fundamental right we can directly approach the
supreme court or the high court of a state.
5. That is why Dr. Ambedkar called the Right to
Constitutional Remedies, the heart and soul of our constitution.
Q24. How are our fundamental rights guaranteed against the
action of the govt.?
Ans. Fundamental Rights are guaranteed against the actions
of the Legislatures, the Executive, and
any other authorities instituted by the government.
2. If any act of the Legislature or the Executive takes away
or limits any of the Fundamental Rights it will be invalid.
3. We can challenge such laws of the central and state
governments, the policies and actions of the government.
4.Courts also enforce the Fundamental Rights against private
individuals and bodies.
5. The supreme court and high courts have the power to issue
directions, orders or writs for the enforcement of the fundamental rights.
6. They can also award compensation to the victims and
punishment to the violators.
Q25. What are writs?
Ans. a formal document containing an order of the court to
the court to the govt. issued only by high court or the supreme court.
Q26. Write a short note on National Human rights Commission?
Ans. This is an independent commission set up by law in
1993.
2. Like judiciary, the Commission is independent of the government.
3. The Commission is appointed by the President and includes
retired judges, officers and eminent citizens.
4. It focus on helping the victims secure their human
rights.
5. the NHRC cannot by itself punish the guilty.
6. the NHRC is there to make independent inquiry into any
case of violation of human rights.
7. the commission presents its findings and recommendations
to the govt. or intervene in the court on behalf of the victims.
Q27. Write a note on the expanding scope of rights in India?
Ans. Fundamental Rights granted by the Constitution are not
the only rights citizen have.
2. Apart from our
Constitution and law offers a wider range of rights.
3. Certain rights like right to freedom of press, right to
information, and right to education
are derived from the Fundamental Rights.
4. Recently the
supreme court has expanded the meaning of the right to the life to include the
right to food.
5. Sometimes the expansion takes place in the form of human
rights which are universal moral claims that may or may not have been
recognised by law.
Q28. What new rights are guaranteed by the constitution of
south Africa to its citizens ?
Ans. Right to privacy.
Right to an environment that is not harmful to their
health or well- being;
Right 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.
