SST PRACTICE PAPER-2 ANSWER KEY

Grade-8                                                            Answer key-2

Subject: SST

1.  Who were the three eminent writers who transformed Odiya literature into its modern form?                                                           1

Fakirmohan Senapati, Radhanath Roy and Madhusudan Rao were the three eminent writers who transformed Odiya literature into its modern form.

2.  Name the princely state that was the last one to merge with other states.      1

Hyderabad was the last princely state to merge last with other states.

3.  What is Economics?                                                          1

Economics focuses on the behaviour and interactions of economic agents and how economies work. Microeconomics analyzes basic elements in the economy, including individual agents and markets, their interactions, and the outcomes of interactions. Individual agents may include, for example, households, firms, buyers, and sellers.

4.  What did the SRC committee recommend with respect to division of states?     1

SRC committee recommended redrawing of the state boundaries on the basis of linguistic principle.

5.  What does NITI Aayog aim for?                                            1

NITI Aayog aims to foster better relations between the Central and the State Governments in addition to serving the aspirations of the people of India in a better way.

6.  Name the First Prime Minister of India.                                    1

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was the First Prime Minister of India.

7.  What is marginalisation?                                                     1

Social phenomena by which a group of people are accorded less importance by virtue of their language, caste, religion, etc. are known as marginalisation

8.    Name the First President of India.                                          1

Dr. Rajendra Prasad was the First President of India.

9.  What is the mission of the police force?                                    2

The mission of the police force is to enforce laws with impartiality and create a stress free environment that leads to an overall growth and development of individuals with the society and the country as a whole.

10.      Write two uses of bagasse.                                              2

Bagasse, the crushed cane residue, is used as cattle fodder, in making paper and in the manufacture of synthetic textiles. It is also efficient substitute for petroleum products and a host of other chemical products.

11.      Differentiate between multinational corporations and co-operative sector industries.                                                            2

Multinational corporations are set up in collaboration with foreign investors. They are owned and managed by members of two or more countries. The co-operative industries are owned and managed by a group of people, generally the workers of the industries.

12.      How is the President elected?                                            3

The Indian President is elected by an electoral college that consists of members of both houses of Parliament and the State Legislative Assemblies. The election involves proportional representation by the states and the National territory of Delhi and Union territory of Puducherry.

13.      Between whom does the Original Jurisdiction of the Supreme Court solves disputes?                                                                  3

Original Jurisdiction of the Supreme Court allows it to settle disputes between two states, between a group of states, between the Government of India and a state. It also solves disputes between Government of India with one or more states on one side and a few states on the other.

14.      Give information about Raja Ravi Varma’s art.                                  3

Raja Ravi Varma developed a style that was the assimilation of both modern and national elements. He used western techniques perspectives and composition and applied them to Indian subjects, styles and themes. He excelled in western art of oil painting and realistic life study and largely drew inspiration from Indian mythology.

15.      ‘Civil Disobedience Movement was the first mass freedom movement in India in the true sense.’ Justify your answer giving reasons.                           3

People from all communities and classes joined the movement. Peasants, women, students, youth and even the tribals took part in the movement. Workers went on strikes, students left government schools and colleges, people refused to pay taxes. For the first time, people united for the cause of Independence and hence it became the first mass freedom movement in India in the true sense.

16.      Explain the effects of volcanic eruptions.                                4

Volcanic eruptions release toxic gases into the atmosphere. It may lead to landslides and tsunamis as well. The lava that flows causes damage to life and property as well. People, animals and houses can be burnt in a volcano. Volcanoes cause scarcity of food as they destroy crops and fields. Volcanoes can cause thunder, lightning and rain, thereby changing the weather. Some volcanoes can cause big explosions that throw our ash, cinders, etc. Mudflow or a mixture of water, ash and soil is a common after effect on a volcanic eruption.

17.      Write a short note on art and culture of India.                         5

Culture plays an important role in the development of any nation. It represents a set of shared attitudes, values, goals and practices. Culture and creativity manifest themselves in almost all economic, social and other activities. A country as diverse as India is symbolized by the plurality of its culture. India has one of the world’s largest collections of songs, music, dance, theatre, folk traditions, performing arts, rites and rituals, paintings and writings that are known, as the ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage’ (ICH) of humanity. In order to preserve these elements, the Ministry of Culture implements a number of schemes and programmes aimed at providing financial support to individuals, groups and cultural organizations engaged in performing, visual and literary arts etc. This section offers comprehensive information related to cultural heritage, ancient monuments, literary arts, visual arts, schemes, programmes, performing arts, fairs and festivals and handicraft of India. Detailed information on various organizations involved in promotion and propagation of Indian art and culture is also available in this section.

18.      Explain the Non- Alignment Movement.                                         5     

The period after the Second World War saw the emergence of Cold War. The world was divided into two power blocs, namely, the Western Block led by the USA, and the Eastern Block led by the USSR. The power rivalries and ideological conflicts between the two blocks created numerous military pacts and alliances. This was also the period when many countries attained freedom from the colonial powers. For the newly independent, poor countries of Asia and Africa, joining any of these blocks meant losing everything. It was in this context that the Non- Alignment Movement came into existence. India was the first country to adopt the Non- Alignment policyand urged the countries not to join either of the two major alliances. Soon, other countries such as Yugoslavia, Egypt, and Indonesia joined the movement.

19.      What are the functions of a Planning Commission?                       5

The functions of the Planning Commission are as follows:

Assessment of the resources of the country and find ways to expand resources those are not adequate. Make a plan to use the country’s resources efficiently. Propose allocation of resources in order of priority. Identify factors that hinder growth and development and try to eliminate them. Find out ways in which the plan can be successfully implemented. Find out the materials or machinery required for successful implementation of the plan and try to provide the same. Assess the progress of the plan periodically and make changes if required.

20. Mention the functions of Police.                                             5

The main functions of the Indian Police are as follows:

Prevention of crime by surveillance of criminals, patrolling in villages, towns and cities and organizing surprise checks or Naka Bandis at crucial junctions in cities and towns, etc. Investigate crimes and bring them to justice Maintain law and order during elections, festivals and natural calamities, etc. Management of traffic in all the cities and towns throughout the country. Enquiry of missing persons, accidents, accidental fires, etc. Verification of people for issuing passports, license for firearms, government employment, etc. Providing security for VIPs and other dignitaries of the state and protecting the borders of the country against outside invasion.

21.      A number of factors contributed to the establishment of textile industry in Ahmedabad. Justify.                                                         5

The following factors lead to the development of cotton textile industry in Ahmedabad.

Ahmedabad is located near the cotton growing regions of Gujarat and Maharashtra which ensures adequate and easy availability of raw material. Hydroelectricity is available in abundance. The humid and frost free climate supports spinning and weaving. Densely populated area provides skilled and unskilled labour at a cheap cost. A well developed transport network provides with easy transportation of raw material to the mills and the finished product to the vast markets of India. The proximity to Mumbai port helped in the export of the textiles and import of machinery.

22.      ‘Ishwar Chandra was one of the greatest educationist and social reformers of modern India.’ Justify the statement.                                         5

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar worked for the upliftment of the status of women. He was influenced by Western ideas. He took a leading part in successful campaign to legalise remarriage of widows. He gave reference of ancient texts and suggested that widows could remarry. His agitation led to the passing of the Widow Remarriage Act in 1856. He vehemently opposed child marriage and polygamy. He did much to promote the education of girls and set up nearly thirty five schools in Bengal. His reforming zeal had to earn the wrath of the orthodox members of Indian society. He rejected the rigid caste system and opened the doors of his Sanskrit college for non-Brahmin students and admitted students of lower castes.

23. State the main features of the Non- Cooperation Movement.              5

The main features of the Non-cooperation Movement are as follows:

People boycotted and burned foreign cloth in many cities and towns. Many lawyers such as C.R. Das, Motilal Nehru, Vallabhbhai Patel gave up their law practices. All India Muslim League is formed at Dhaka-1906 Dr. Annie Besant and Lokmanya Tilak started the Home Rule League. Thousands of students left foreign schools and colleges. Picketing of shops that sold foreign cloth was a common feature. On the suggestion of Gandhiji, people started using charkha and the khadi cloth. People resigned from government jobs and committees Non-violent hartals and processions were carried throughout the country.

24.      Write a note on Swadeshi movement.                                    5

The Swadeshi Movement emphasised on the use of indigenous goods and clothes. It also advocated the use of Indian languages and urged the people to pursue national education. One of the important features of the Swadeshi movement was the emphasis on self-reliance or self help. The Swadeshi Movement campaigned for the boycott of foreign goods and institutions. Bonfires of British goods and cloth were observed in many places. Shops selling British goods were picketed. The Swadeshi Movement was successful in most parts of India but did not involve the masses, that is, the peasants. Although they were not directly involved, for the first time, peasants were expose to the ideas of nationalism.

25.      What is population distribution? Explain the structure of population in terms of literacy.                                                                   5

The way in which people are spread all over the world is called population distribution. Literacy means the ability of the person to read and write with a certain amount of understanding. It is dependent on levels of economic development of the country, urbanization, standard of living, social status of the women, availability of the educational facilities and government policies. It is higher in urban areas and lower in rural areas, more in males and less in females. It influences the social and economic development of the country.

26.      Mark the following on the map:                                          5

a.   Two states in south of India with the lowest literacy rate. - Telangana, Andhra Pradesh

b.    Two states in northern India with 10-50 million population. Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttarakhand

c.   The state in eastern parts of India that has the highest literacy rate. Mizoram

d.  2 states producing wheat

e.   Mark the states of India that have a very huge tribal population