Class 12 Political Science Chapter 10 The Era of One-Party Dominance
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Selected Questions-Answers
1. Very Short Answer Type Questions: (Marks – 1 each)
(a) In which year was the first general election held in India?
Ans: In 1952.
(b) Who was the first Chief Election Commissioner of India?
Ans: Sukumar Sen.
(c) Which Indian Chief Election Commissioner also served as theChief Election Commissioner of Nepal and Sudan?
Ans: Sukumar Sen.
Note: The information regarding Sudan is incorrect. Sukumar Sen assisted in conducting elections in Sudan, but he did not formally serve as itsChief Election Commissioner.
(d) How many parties contested in India’s first general election?
Ans: 14 national parties and more than 50 state-level parties.
(e) When was the Indian National Congress established? H.S. ’13
Ans: In 1885.
(f) Who founded the Congress party? H.S. ’13
Ans: An English officer named Allan Octavian Hume.
(g) Who was the first Prime Minister of independent India?
Ans: Jawaharlal Nehru.
(h) Who was the Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Constituent Assembly of India?
Ans: Dr. B. R. Ambedkar.
(i) From when did the Constitution of India come into force?
Ans: From 26 January 1950.
(j) For how many Lok Sabha seats was the election held in India’sfirst general election?
Ans: 489 seats.
(k) How many seats did the Congress win in India’s first general election?
Ans: 364 seats.
(l) Which party secured the second position in India’s first general election?
Or
Which party secured the second highest number of seats in the firstLok Sabha election?
Ans: The Communist Party of India, 16 seats.
(m) What percentage of votes did the Congress secure in India’sfirst general election?
Ans: 45 percent.
(n) Which general election of India is considered a ‘milestone’ inthe democratic history of the world?
Ans: The first general election of 1952.
(o) Which general election of India was described by a newspaper editor as the ‘largest gamble in history’?
Ans: The first general election held in 1952.
(p) In which year was India’s second general election held?
Ans: In 1957.
(q) India is the largest ______ state in the world. (Fill in the blank.)
Ans: Democratic.
(r) In which state did the Congress party first face electoral defeat?
Ans: In Kerala, in the 1957 election.
(s) Which election in India is referred to as a ‘political earthquake’?
Ans: The general election of 1967.
(t) In which year did the Janata Party first form a government inAssam?
Ans: In 1977.
(u) In which year did the Asom Gana Parishad form a governmentwith an absolute majority in Assam?
Ans: In 1985.
(v) In which year was the Socialist Party formed?
Ans: In 1948.
(w) When was the Communist Party of India (CPI) formed?
Ans: In 1924.
(x) Write true or False: In the 1952 general election, 14 national parties participated? H.S. ’13
Ans: True.
(y) In which year was the Bharatiya Jana Sangh established? H.S. ’14
Ans: In 1951.
(z) In which country did the Bolshevik Revolution take place?
Ans: In Soviet Russia.
(aa) Who was the founding president of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh? H.S. ’14
Ans: Syama Prasad Mookerjee.
(ab) Did the 1967 general election bring changes in India’s electoral and political history? H.S. ’18
Ans: True.
(ac) From which year did the era of coalition governments begin atthe Centre? H.S. ’17
Ans: From 1977.
(ad) In the 1952 general election, elections to the Lok Sabha and(President/State Legislative Assembly/Prime Minister/Rajya Sabha)were held simultaneously. H.S. ’17
Ans: State Legislative Assembly.
(ae) What is the full form of UPA? H.S. ’13
Ans: United Progressive Alliance.
2. Short Answer Type Questions: (Marks – 2 each)
(a) What is the policy of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh?
Ans: “One Nation, One Culture, One People” is the policy of the BharatiyaJana Sangh.
(b) What are the roots of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh?
Ans: The roots of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh lie in the RashtriyaSwayamsevak Sangh and the Hindu Mahasabha.
(c) When did the United Progressive Alliance form the governmentin India?
Ans: In 2004, under the leadership of Congress leader Manmohan Singh.
(d) Which period in Indian politics is known as the era of Congressdominance?
Ans: From the general election of 1952 to 1977.
(e) What two things are included in the ballot paper of Indian elections?
Ans: The name of the candidate and the election symbol.
(f) Why is the 1952 general election of India called a ‘milestone’?
Ans: The 1952 election proved that poverty and illiteracy are not obstacles to democratic elections. It also demonstrated that democracy can besuccessfully implemented in any country of the world. Therefore, it is regarded as a milestone in the democratic history of the world.
(g) Name two countries where the Constitution permits only oneparty rule.
Ans: China and Syria.
(h) Why is it said that the Congress party had ‘ideological cohesion’?
Ans: Despite the existence of diverse classes with their own identities, beliefs and ideologies in India, people from various sections accepted theCongress as their own party. From this perspective, the Congress is said tohave had ideological cohesion.
(i) On which date was the draft of the Indian Constitution signedand from when did it come into force?
Ans: The draft of the Indian Constitution was signed on 26 November1949, and it came into force from 26 January 1950.
(j) Mention any two ideologies of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh.
Ans: Two ideologies of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh are
(1) One Nation, One Culture, One People.
(2) To spread Indian Hindu culture throughout India.
3. Medium Length Answer Type Questions: (Marks – 4 each)
(a) Explain the statement: ‘The opposition in India is a dividedhouse.’ H.S. ’20
Ans: One of the important characteristics of the Indian party system hasbeen the absence of a strong and united opposition. There has been a lack ofunity and cohesion among opposition parties. They have failed to form a unitedplatform. Frequent disagreements arise among them, mainly due to narrowinterests and differences in objectives. Because of these divergences, theyhave often failed to play the role of a strong opposition both at the Centre andin the states.
(b) Discuss the reasons for the dominance of the Congress party atthe national level. H.S. ’18
Ans: The reasons for the dominance of the Congress party at the national level are:
(1) After independence, the main leaders of the freedom movement contested the elections. Most of them belonged to the Congress and were popular across the country, which helped them win easily.
(2) The Congress was an old and well-organised party, which enabled it to achieve victory throughout the country in the post-independence elections.
(3) During the freedom movement, the Congress had strengthened itsorganisational base in villages, towns and cities across India, which contributed to its electoral success.
(4) The personality and clean image of the leaders of the freedom movement also helped the party secure victory in the early elections after independence.
4. Essay Type Questions: (Marks – 6 each)
(a) Discuss the features of the party system in India.
Ans: The features of the Indian party system are:
(1) The first feature is the multi-party system. Various parties with different objectives exist, and the party securing a majority forms the government.
(2) The second feature is that many parties are formed on the basis ofcaste and community. Except for the Congress, most parties reflect communal characteristics. For example, the Bharatiya Janata Party is associated with Hindutva ideology.
(3) The third feature is the dominance of individuals within parties. Oftenparties are formed around influential political leaders rather than clear ideological or programmatic goals. For example, the Congress is often accused ofbeing family-centric.
(4) The fourth feature is ideological ambiguity. Except for the Left parties, most Indian political parties lack a clear ideology. Although many parties speak of Gandhism, socialism and secularism, the commitment of leaders to these ideals is often questioned.
(5) The fifth feature is organisational weakness. While the Left partiesand the Bharatiya Janata Party have some organisational base, many otherparties lack clear organisation and discipline.
(6) The sixth feature is frequent defection. Many leaders leave one partyand join another to safeguard their personal interests.
(b) Write about the policies and programmes of the Left parties inIndia.
Ans: The Communist Party of India, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), and the Socialist Party are the major Left parties in India. Some of theirkey policies and programmes are:
First, they believe in Marxist-Leninist ideology. Their main objective isto end capitalism, feudalism and imperialism and to establish the dictatorship of the working class.
Second, they advocate the abolition of private property. According to them, the state should own all property and people should receive according to theirneeds.
Third, they support the recognition of the right to work as a fundamental right.
Fourth, they strongly oppose communalism, extremism, aggressive nationalism and separatism.
Fifth, they favour reducing expenditure in the military sector.
Sixth, in foreign policy, they oppose imperialism and emphasise building friendly relations with other countries.
(c) Analyse the dominance of the Congress in the first three general elections of India. H.S. ’12, ’15
Ans: In the first three general elections of independent India, the Congress established its dominance.
The first election was held in 1952. Out of 489 Lok Sabha seats, the Congress won 364 seats and secured 45 percent of the total votes. It also achievedsweeping victories in most State Legislative Assemblies.
The second general election was held in 1957. The Congress won about three-fourths of the seats and formed the government at the Centre. However, in Kerala, a coalition government led by the Communist Party was formed.
The third general election was held in 1962. Out of 494 seats, the Congress won 361 seats and formed the government with a clear majority.
Thus, in the first three elections, the Congress formed governments withabsolute majorities and established one-party dominance.
(d) Briefly discuss the role of the opposition in India. H.S. ’14
Ans: India is one of the largest democratic countries in the world, with amulti-party system. The opposition plays a crucial role in Indian politics:
(1) Opposition parties offer constructive criticism of the government andhelp keep it on the right path.
(2) They safeguard public interest by critically examining government policies and help make governance progressive.
(3) They expose maladministration and corruption, thereby helping maintain administrative accountability.
(4) They mobilise public opinion against the shortcomings of the government.
(5) They play a key role in upholding democratic ideals in the country.
