NCERT MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION CLASS – 12 | POLITICAL SCIENCE PART-B POLITICS IN INDIA NCERT MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION | CHAPTER- 15 | THE CRISIS OF DEMOCRATIC ORDER | EDUGROWN |

In This Post we are  providing  CHAPTER 15 THE CRISIS OF DEMOCRATIC ORDER NCERT MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS for Class 12 POLITICAL SCIENCE PART-B POLITICS IN INDIA SINCE INDEPENDENCE which will be beneficial for students. These solutions are updated according to 2021-22 syllabus. These MCQS  can be really helpful in the preparation of Board exams and will provide you with a brief knowledge of the chapter.

NCERT MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS ON THE CRISIS OF DEMOCRATIC ORDER

Question 1.
Analyze the circumstances responsible for the declaration of a state of emergency in India on 25th June. 1975.
Answer:
Besides powers in normal times, the President of India has emergency powers as well. According to Article 352, if the President is satisfied that a grave emergency exists whereby the security of India or any part of India is threatened by war, external aggression, or armed rebellion, he may proclaim a state of emergency. Ever since the operation of the constitution, a national emergency has been declared three times. The third-time internal emergency was declared on the night of 25 June 1975, and this emergency was removed on 21st March 1977.

The emergency was justified by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi when she gave a speech in the Lok Sabha on July 22, 1975, and said, “The action is totally within our Constitutional framework and it was undertaken in order not to destroy the Constitution but to preserve the Constitution, to preserve and safeguard our democracy.”

A national emergency was declared due to the following reasons or circumstances :
1. Economic Crisis. War took place between India and Pakistan in Dec. 1971 and Pakistan was defeated in the war. But this war had put a heavy strain on India’s economy. More than eight million people crossed over the East Pakistan border into India. Oil prices increased in the international market and this led to an all-round increase in the prices of other commodities. In 1974, prices increased about 30 percent. The failure of monsoons in 1972-73 led to the downfall in agricultural production. Poverty and unemployment were very high. Hardships of masses increased and there was a general atmosphere of dissatisfaction among the masses.

2. Railway Employees’ strike, Student unrest in Gujarat, etc. In April 1974 there was a high strike of Railway employees which affected the Indian Economy.

3. Gujarat movement. In January 1974, students in Gujarat started an agitation against a 20% hike in hostel food in the I.D. College of Engineering, but very soon it became a big movement known as the Nav Nirman Movement. The movement was supported by all the opposition parties and demanded the resignation of the Chief Minister of Gujarat. President’s rule was imposed in Gujarat and ultimately Assembly elections were held in June 1975. The Congress was defeated in this election.

4. Bihar movement was started by students against the misrule, unemployment, rising prices, corruption, etc. Later on, this movement was led by great socialist leader Jayaprakash Narayan. The movement of Jayaprakash Narayan is also known as ‘Total Revolution’. Jayaprakash Narayan in a letter to the people of Bihar, 1975 said, “This movement (Total Revolution) aims at bringing about a revolutionary change in all aspects of the life of both society and individual.

The objective of this movement is not merely to change the government, but also to change the society and the individual. That is why I have called it a total revolution. In order to achieve this we shall have to carry on a struggle for a long time, and at the same time carry on constructive and creative activities. Thus, the double process of struggle and construction is a necessity in order to achieve total revolution.” Jayaprakash Narayan also discussed the economic and social problems of backward classes and Tribal people.

4. Allahabad High Court Judgement invalidating Smt. Indira Gandhi’s 1971 Election.

On 12 June 1975, Justice Jagmohan Lai Sinha of the Allahabad High Court passed a judgment declaring Indira Gandhi’s election to the Lok Sabha, invalid and made her ineligible to occupy her seat for six years. On June 24, the Supreme Court vocational Judge Justice Krishna Iyer granted a stay that allowed Mrs. Indira Gandhi to function as the Prime Minister on the condition that she should not draw a salary and speak or vote in Parliament until the case was decided. In fact, this was the most important reason which led to the declaration of Emergency in India.

5. Demonstration in Delhi’s Ramlila Ground by All Opposition Parties. The opposition parties led by Jayaprakash Narayan demanded the resignation of Mrs. Indira Gandhi. On 25 June 1975, the opposition parties organized a massive demonstration at Delhi’s Ramlila Ground. Jayaprakash Narayan declared a nationwide Satyagraha for her resignation and asked the army, the police, and government employees not to obey “illegal and immoral orders” of the government.

All these factors were responsible for declaring an Internal Emergency on the night of 25 June 1975. The Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi recommended the imposition of Emergency to President Fakhruddin Ah Ahmed. The President issued the proclamation immediately. Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi informed the Cabinet at a special meeting at 6 a.m. on 26 June 1975.

Question 2.
Analyze any three lessons that were learned from the Emergency declared in India on 25th June 1975.
Answer:
On the advice of Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi, the President declared an Internal emergency on 25th June 1975. Thousands of workers and leaders of opposition parties were put in jails under MISA. Many restrictions were put on freedom of the press.

Legislative Assemblies of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu were dissolved. During an emergency, Sanjay Gandhi, the son of Mrs. Indira Gandhi, became very powerful. Mrs. Indira Gandhi announced the Lok Sabha elections in January 1977 and released the imprisoned political leaders.

Following three lessons were learned from the emergency :
1. Bureaucracy and Judiciary should be independent. Bureaucracy should be independent and impartial. It should not be committed to the ideology and principles of the ruling party. Rather bureaucracy should be committed to the Constitution. Judiciary should not be subordinated to the executive. Judiciary should be independent and should protect the right and liberties of the citizens.

2. The government should run the administration according to the provisions of the Constitution. The Constitution is supreme and its supremacy should be protected by the Judiciary.

3. Freedom of the press should not be crushed. Freedom of the press is very essential for the successful working of democracy. Political consciousness is created among the people by the press.

Question 3.
What is the ‘Naxalite Movement’? Evaluate its role in Indian politics.
Answer:
The Naxalite movement has been the most important peasant movement in the post-independence movement. A peasant uprising took place in 1967 in the Naxalbari police station area of Darjeeling hills district in West Bengal. This movement was started under the local leadership of the Marxist Party. However, this movement has its roots in the Telbagha Movement. As Partha N. Mukerjee points out some slogans which were used initially by the Naxalites had the historical continuity of Telbagha like :

1. We want the abolition of the Zamindari System.
2. Land to the tiller.
3. Tenant eviction will not be tolerated.
4. 25 percent interest for borrowed paddy.
5. Go on cultivating without surrendering.
6. Defeat the Congress.

In a very short period, this movement spread to major parts of West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh and certain areas of Madhya Pradesh and Bihar. In 1969, the Naxalite group broke off from the CPI (M), and a new party Communist Party (Marxist-Leninist) was formed under the leadership of Charu Majumdar.

Naxalites do not believe in democracy. They believe in violence and guerrilla war in order to achieve their aims.

Naxalites used force to snatch land from the big landlord and distributed to the poor and landless workers. West Bengal government used strong measures to crush the movement. In 1972, Charu Majumdar died in police custody which created a vacuum in the movement as there was no competent leader to replace him.

Question 4.
Analyze the conflict between the Judiciary and Parliament of India in 1973.
Answer:
Since 1950, the Supreme Court decided hundred of cases involving various laws passed by parliament and state legislatures from time to time. It exercised its power of Judicial review in a number of cases. The question of the amenability of Fundamental Rights came before the Supreme Court of India in the case of Sankari Prasad Vs. Union of India (1951). The unanimous view of the judges was that Fundamental rights are not absolute in character but are subject to Parliament’s power to amend the Constitution under Article 368.

But in 1967 in Golak Nath’s case, the Supreme Court decided that the parliament has no power to amend the provisions of the Fundamental Rights. Hence the controversy over supremacy between the Parliament and the Judiciary started. On 10 February 1970, Supreme Court declared the Banking Companies Act, 1969 invalid and unconstitutional. To neutralize the effects of the Supreme Court’s Judgement, in 1971, 24th and 25th Amendment Acts were passed and these Amendment Acts restored to parliament the powers to amend fundamental rights.

The 24th, 25th, and 29th Constitution Amendment Acts were challenged in the Supreme Court by Swami Kesavananda Bharti, Kerala religious head, and others on a variety of grounds. The case was heard by the full bench of the Supreme Court consisting of 13 Judges. The Supreme Court delivered the judgment on 24 April 1973 and reversed the Golak Nath case ruling by upholding Parliament’s right to amend the Constitution including the Fundamental Rights but not the basic structure or framework’ of the Constitution.

On May 9, 1980, the Supreme Court in Minivera Mills case struck down Section 55 of the 42nd Amendment Act, 1976 which gave unlimited powers to the Parliament. The court held that Section 55 of the Act which reinserted sub-section (4) and (5) in Article 368 was beyond the amending power of the Parliament and was void since it removed all limitations on the power of the Parliament to amend the Constitution and conferred power upon it to amend the constitution in such a manner as to destroy its basic or essential features or its basic structure.

The court also struck down Section 4 of the Constitution 42nd Amendment Act amending Article 31-C giving primacy to Directive Principles of State Policy over fundamental rights. The court held that whatever the Parliament does, it cannot destroy the country’s basic structure. Consequently, any law that tended to radically alter time basic structure must be declared null and void.

By declaring certain sections of the 42nd Amendment as ultra vires of the Constitution, the Court has made it clear that the Supreme Court is the final arbiter and interpreter of the Constitution.

Question 5.
Explain the circumstances that led to the mid-term elections in 1980.
Answer:
Following were the circumstances that led to the mid-term election in 1980.

1. The opposition to the Emergency could keep the Janata Party together for a very short period.
2. It is also observed that Janata Party lacked direction, leadership, and a common program.
3. Janata Party government was unable to bring fundamental changes in the policies from those pursued by the Congress government.
4. Ultimately, the Janata Party split and the government led by Morarji Desai lost its majority in less than 18 months.
5. After 1977, Congress Party led by Indira Gandhi worked hard and tried to identify itself with a different ideology claiming to be the only pro-poor party. In 1980, a fresh Lok Sabha election took place and Congress got the victory.

Question 6.
‘Emergency is one of the most controversial episodes in Indian politics’. Analyze three reasons and three consequences of it.
Answer:
On the following ground emergency considered to be one of the most controversial episodes in Indian Politics:

1. Excess during Emergency. Basic liberties of the people were suppressed. No individual or party could utter a word against the imposition of emergency or the excess committed by the government.
2. The imposition of Black Acts like MISA. During the emergency, various black acts were passed by the Indira government. The people suspected of anything against the government were arrested and thrown behind the bars without any trial under the MISA. The life, liberty, respect, and property of no person were considered safe.
3. Constitutional Amendments. Indira gov¬ernment lowered the position of the Judiciary through the 42nd amendment. In fact, Judiciary was subordinated to the executive. The scope of Judicial review was limited to a great extent.

Consequences of emergency

The following were the consequences of imposing an internal emergency in June 1975:

• Fundamental Rights were suspended.
• Censorship was imposed on Freedom of the Press and Mass Media.
• Preventive detention laws were enacted.

Question 7.
Highlight the acts of dissent and resistance to the emergency imposed in 1975. In your opinion, how did their acts affect public opinion?
Answer:
Following were the acts of dissent and resistance to the emergency imposed in 1975:

1. Fundamental rights given under article 19 were automatically suspended throughout the country during the emergency protest and strikes and public agitations were disallowed and the government made extensive use of preventive detection.
2. The government suspended the freedom of the press. Newspapers were asked to get prior approval for all materials to be published. Press censorship was enforced. Magazines like the seminar and the mainstream were closed down rather than submitting to censorship, many journalists were arrested for writing against emergency. People opposed it by keeping blank columns in the papers.
3. People, who were not imprisoned but effected due to emergency, were trying to oppose the government for establishing justice.
4. Many underground newsletters and leaflets were published bypass censorship.
5. Kannada writer Shivarama Karanth awarded with Padam Bhushan and Hindi writer Fanishwar Nath Renu awarded with Padam Shri returned their awards in protest against the suspension of democracy. Though such open acts of defiance and resistance were rare.
6. Sanjay Gandhi particularly in Haryana restored compulsory sterilization and people disliked this action of the government.

All these acts of emergency by the government were responsible for creating an opinion against the government and the Congress party lost in dominance and got defeat in 1977’s election.

Question 8.
Read the passage given below carefully and answer the following questions :

The Janata Party made the 1977 elections into a referendum on the Emergency. Its election campaign was focused on the non-democratic character of the Congress rule and on the various excesses that took place during this period. In the backdrop of arrests of thousands of persons and the censorship of the Press, public opinion was against Congress.
(a) What is meant by ‘referendum’?
Answer:
The method of referendum gives the final authority to the people to accept or reject the law passed by the legislature. If the legislature passes a law that is not in accordance with the wishes of the people can stop the execution of such a law. The system prevailing in Switzerland is that the opinion of the people is sought before the execution of laws.

(b) “Acts like arrests of thousands of persons and the censorship of the Press during the Emergency period were non-democratic.” Do you agree with the statement? Justify your answer with one suitable argument or/against each act.
Answer:
Acts like arrests of thousands of persons and the censorship of the press during the Emergency period were Non-democratic because freedom of speech and expression and the right to move freely throughout the country was controlled by the government during an emergency.

(c) In spite of winning the 1977 elections with a thumping majority, why could the Janata party remain in power only for a short period? Explain.
Answer:
In spite of winning the 1977 election with a thumping majority, Janata Party remain in power only for a short period because a power struggle was going in the government.

Question 9.
Read the passage given below carefully and answer the following questions: )

An emergency is one of the most controversial episodes in Indian politics. One reason is that there are differing viewpoints about the need to declare an emergency. Another reason is that using the powers given by the Constitution, the government practically suspended the democratic functioning. As the investigations by the Shah Commission after the Emergency found out, there were many ‘excesses’ committed during the Emergency. Finally, there are varying assessments of what the lessons of Emergency are for the practice of democracy in India.
(i) How far do you agree with the fact that during the Emergency, the government practically suspended the democratic functioning also? Give any one example to support your answer.
Answer:
During an emergency, the government practically suspended democratic functioning also. For example, during emergency strike and agitation were banned. The government suspended the freedom of the Press.

(ii) Highlight any two lessons of Emergency which may be helpful for the practice of democracy in India.
Answer:
(a) Emergency made every people more aware of the value of civil liberties.
(b) After emergency many civil liberties organizations came up.

Question 10.
Read the passage given below carefully and answer the following questions:

In the light of these events, the response of the government was to declare a state of Emergency. On 25th June 1975, the government declared that there was a threat of internal disturbances and therefore, it invoked Article 352 of the Constitution. Under the provision of this Article, the government could declare a state of Emergency on grounds of external threat or a threat of internal disturbances. The government decided that a grave crisis had arisen which made the proclamation of a state of Emergency necessary. Technically speaking, this was within the powers of the government, for our Constitution provides for some special powers to the government once an Emergency is declared.
(i) Analyse the grave crisis that compelled the government to impose a state of emergency in the country.
Answer:
Besides powers in normal times, the President of India has emergency powers as well. According to Article 352, if the President is satisfied that a grave emergency exists whereby the security of India or any part of India is threatened by war, external aggression, or armed rebellion, he may proclaim a state of emergency. Ever since the operation of the constitution, a national emergency has been declared three times. The third-time internal emergency was declared on the night of 25 June 1975, and this emergency was removed on 21st March 1977.

The emergency was justified by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi when she gave a speech in the Lok Sabha on July 22, 1975, and said, “The action is totally within our Constitutional framework and it was undertaken in order not to destroy the Constitution but to preserve the Constitution, to preserve and safeguard our democracy.”

(ii) Identify the two special constitutional powers which the government gets once the Emergency is proclaimed.
Answer:
(a) Once the emergency is proclaimed, the federal structure remains suspended and all powers are concentrated in the hand of the central government.
(b) One emergency is proclaimed government can curtail or restrict fundamental rights.