Class 12 Political Science Chapter 16 Rise of New Social Movements
If you are a Class XII student searching for high-quality AHSEC Class 12 Political Science Chapter 16 Rise of New Social Movements Notes to improve your exam performance, then this Ready Guide is for you. It includes all the important question-answers prepared by a team of experts. Our language is very easy to understand and remember. Begin your study journey with us for a bright future.
Selected Questions-Answers
1. Very Short Answer Questions: (Marks for each – 1)
(a) Write the name of any one organization of the peasants.
Ans: One organization of peasants is the Bharatiya Kisan Union.“
(b) What is the full form of NFF?
Ans: The full form of NFF is ‘National Fishworkers’ Forum’
(c) In which state of India did the Anti-Arrack (Anti-liquor) Movement begin? H S ’18
Ans: In Nellore district.
(d) Who was the leader of the ‘Narmada Bachao’ Movement?
Ans: The leader of the ‘Narmada Bachao’ Movement was Medha Patkar.
(e) What is the full form of MKSS?
Ans: The full form of MKSS is Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan.
(f) In which state did the Chipko Movement begin?
Ans: The Chipko Movement began in the state of Uttarakhand (then part of Uttar Pradesh).
(g) Who was Namdeo Dhasal?
Ans: He was a Marathi revolutionary poet.
(h) When did the Right to Information Movement begin?
Ans: In 2005.
(i) Who was the main leader of the Chipko Movement?
Ans: The main leader of the Chipko Movement was Sunderlal Bahuguna.
(j) What was the ideology of the Dalit Panthers?
Ans: To abolish the caste system from society.
(k) Who was the leader of the Bharatiya Kisan Union?
Ans: The leader of the Bharatiya Kisan Union was Mahendra Singh Tikait.
(l) Write one feature of the Chipko Movement.
Ans: To prevent the cutting of trees and to build an environmental movement.
(m) What is the full form of POW?
Ans: Prisoner of War.
(n) Which organization initiated the Right to Information Movement?
Ans: The Right to Information Movement was initiated by the MazdoorKisan Shakti Sangathan.“
(o) In which year was the ‘All India Kisan Sabha’ established?
Ans: In 1936.
(p) “The Peasant Movement is a party-based movement.” Saywhether True or False.
Ans: False.
(q) How many times was the auction postponed in Nellore district?
Ans: Seventeen times.
(r) Who was the leader of the Bharatiya Kisan Union?
Ans: The leader of the Bharatiya Kisan Union was Mahendra Singh Tikait.
(s) Shetkari Sanghatana belongs to which state?
Ans: Shetkari Sanghatana belongs to the state of Maharashtra.
(t) Who is regarded as the father of the women’s movement inIndia?
Ans: Savitribai Phule is regarded as the father (pioneer) of the women’smovement in India.
(u) The ‘Anti-Arrack Movement’ is related to what?
Ans: Liquor.
(v) In which state of India did the ‘Navnirman Movement’ begin? H S ’17
Ans: The ‘Navnirman Movement’ began in the state of Gujarat.
(w) The Anti-Arrack Movement can be called a women’s movement. (True or False) H S ’16
Ans: True.
2. Short Answer Questions: (Marks for each – 2)
(a) What is the meaning of ‘Social Movement’?
Ans: A social movement is a collective effort made either to bring about change or to resist change.
(b) Who composed poems on the Dalits?
Ans: The Marathi poet Namdeo Dhasal composed poems on the Dalits. Through his poems, he made the Dalits aware against caste discrimination.
(c) Why did the Chipko Movement begin? H S ’17
Ans: The women of a village in Uttarakhand first started the Chipko Movement because they realized the conspiracy of the government’s forest department to destroy forests through contractors and to assert the rights of the forest dwellers over forest resources.
(d) What is the ‘Narmada Bachao Movement’? Who led it?
Ans: The Narmada Bachao Movement was a protest movement that arose against the government’s plan to construct a large dam on the Narmada Riverin central India for a major hydroelectric project. It was led by Medha Patkar.
3. Medium Length Answer Questions: (Marks for each – 4)
(a) Write a note on the ‘Navnirman Movement’ of Gujarat. H S’14
Ans: In January 1974, students in Gujarat launched a movement against food shortage, price rise, and corruption in administration.
This movement came to be known as the Navnirman Movement. It beganas a protest against a 20 percent increase in hostel fees at L.D. College ofEngineering. Many political leaders supported the movement. Oppositionparties demanded fresh Assembly elections. Morarji Desai of the Congress(O) extended support to the opposition. Ultimately, due to continuous pressure from students and opposition parties, the government was compelled tohold Assembly elections in Gujarat. In the elections held in June 1975, theCongress party suffered a severe defeat.
(b) What economic demands were raised by the Bharatiya KisanUnion before the government?
Ans: The Bharatiya Kisan Union placed several economic demands before the government. These were—
(1) Removal of restrictions on the movement of food grains.
(2) Reduction of electricity rates or charges.
(3) Increase in the prices of sugarcane and milk.
(4) Cancellation of taxes to be paid by the farmers of Punjab for canalsand drainage.
(5) Adequate assistance during natural calamities.
(6) Government responsibility for the sale of agricultural produce.
(c) What is the ‘Sardar Sarovar Project’?
Ans: The ‘Sardar Sarovar Project’ is a large multipurpose river valleyproject built on the Narmada River. It includes the construction of the SardarSarovar Dam in Gujarat to provide irrigation, drinking water, and hydroelectric power.
(d) Why did the cash-crop market face a crisis?
Ans: The cash-crop market faced a crisis due to—
(1) Adoption of liberalization and free trade policies.
(2) Natural calamities in different regions.
(e) What were the demands of the Chipko Movement?
Ans: The main demands of the Chipko Movement, which began in the1970s, were—
(1) Stop giving forest contracts to outside contractors.
(2) Establish the rights of local people over land, water, and forest resources.
(3) Grant rights to local people over forests as a source of livelihood.
(4) Permit local people to establish small-scale industries based on forest resources without destroying the environment.
(f) Discuss the importance of social movements.
Ans: Social movements have considerable importance, such as—
(1) They establish a relationship between the individual and society andmake people aware of various social problems.
(2) They play an important role in educating and mobilizing the massesand draw public attention to important issues, policies, and plans. They alsointroduce new approaches and alternatives for development.
(3) They create communication between the government and the peopleregarding public thoughts, hopes, and needs.
(g) Do you think the Anti-Arrack Movement can be called a women’smovement? Why? H S ’17
Ans: The Anti-Arrack Movement took place in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh. It can be called a women’s movement because women initiated it against the consumption of local liquor called arrack. Men, after consumingarrack, inflicted physical and mental torture on women. As a protest, the movement first began in Nellore district and later spread throughout Andhra Pradesh. As a result of this strong protest, the auction of arrack in Nellore district had to be postponed seventeen times. Although the movement wasagainst arrack, the women also highlighted other problems faced by thembefore the public and the government. Therefore, it may rightly be called awomen’s movement.
4. Essay Type Questions: (Marks for each – 6)
(a) Write an essay on the Feminist Movement in India.
Ans: In the male-dominated Indian social system, women have long beenvictims of exploitation, deprivation, and oppression. At different times, womenhave protested against such injustice. During British rule, several reformerssuch as Raja Rammohan Roy, Dayanand Saraswati, and Ishwar ChandraVidyasagar raised their voices to protect the social dignity of women. Duringthe freedom movement, organizations were formed to mobilize women.
After independence, although the Constitution of India granted equal rightsto both men and women, the status of women in society did not significantlyimprove. Over the past four decades, several feminist movements haveemerged in India. In 1972, through the efforts of Ela Bhatt, organizations such as the Self-Employed Women’s Association and others were formed.
These organizations have struggled for the just dignity of women. Due towomen’s movements, the government has enacted various laws, such as theHindu Marriage Act, the Hindu Succession Act, the Protection of Womenfrom Domestic Violence Act, and the Child Marriage Restraint Act.
Moreover, in 2001, the government adopted the National Policy for theEmpowerment of Women, and in 2005, the law on protection of women fromdomestic violence was enforced across India to ensure women’s rights.
(b) Distinguish between Social Movement and Political Movement.
Ans: There are certain differences between social movements and political movements—
(1) Social movements aim to solve social problems or protect social interests, whereas political movements are related to the ideology of political parties.
(2) The demands of social movements are generally raised by the peoplerather than political parties, whereas political movements are associated withpolitical power.
3) Social movements usually begin at the regional level, whereas political movements are often launched on a broader or national scale.
(4) Social movements generally originate from the grassroots level, whereas political movements are organized by influential leaders or groups.
(5) Social movements are more concerned with social and human values, whereas political movements are more concerned with material or powerrelated issues.
6) Social movements are generally peaceful, whereas political movementsoften take a violent form.
(c) Write about the Chipko Movement. What was its impact? H S’18, ’20
Ans: The Chipko Movement was first initiated by the women of a villagein Uttarakhand to protest against the destruction of forests by contractors underthe direction of the government’s forest department and to assert the rights offorest dwellers. The main demands of the movement were to stop forest contracts to outsiders, establish local rights over natural resources, provide livelihood rights, and allow eco-friendly small industries. The impact of the movement was far-reaching. As a result, a 15-year banwas imposed on tree felling in the Himalayan region until sufficient forest cover was restored. It also inspired similar social movements and public protests across India.
(d) Do you think social movements are important in India? Justify your answer. H S ’15
Ans: A social movement is a collective effort to bring about or resist change. Example: the Chipko Movement. Social movements are very important in India because they create awareness among people, educate and mobilize them, establish communication between the people and the government, and bring far-reaching reforms. In a vast country like India, social movements act as a driving force toward modernization and reform.
(e) Briefly discuss the ‘Narmada Bachao Movement’. H S ’16
Ans: The Narmada Bachao Movement was a protest movement against the government’s plan to build a large dam on the Narmada River for a hydroelectric project. It was led by Medha Patkar. The movement continued fora long time. The government tried to suppress it but eventually had to acknowledge the arguments of the people. The justification of the movement lay in the fear that the large dam would cause water scarcity in the valleyregion, disturb ecological balance, displace many people without proper rehabilitation, and encourage anti-people projects in the future.
(f) Write four objectives of the 2001 National Policy for the Empowerment of Women. H S ’16
Ans: In 2001, the government adopted the National Policy for the Empowerment of Women. Its four main objectives were—
(1) To eliminate discrimination against women and create an effectivejudicial system.
(2) To create a positive environment for the full development of women.
(3) To provide social security, employment, equal status, health, and otherfacilities to women.
(4) To ensure social, political, cultural, and civic rights for women alongwith men.
