Chapter – 5 Working Of Institutions
COPY QUESTION NO: 1,7,8,9,11,into NOTEBOOK
Q.1) Expand and explain ‘SEBC’.
ANS: Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC). SEBC is another name for all those
people who belong to castes that are considered backward by the government. The benefit of
job reservation was till then available only to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Now a
new third category called SEBC was introduced. Only persons who belong to backward castes
were eligible for this quota of 27 per cent jobs. Others could not compete for these jobs.
Q.2) What was Mandal commission? Why was it appointed? What was the major
Recommendation of this Commission?
ANS: The Govt of India had appointed the Second Backward Classes Commission in 1979. It
was headed by B.P.Mandal. Hence it was popularly known as Mandal Commission.
Mandal commission was asked to determine the criteria to identify the socially and
economically backward classes in India and recommend steps to be taken for their
advancement. The Commission gave its Report in 1980 and made many recommendations.
One of these was that 27 per cent of government jobs be reserved for the socially and
educationally backward classes.
Q.3) State an important promise in the election manifesto of the Janata Dal (party) in 1989.
ANS: In its election manifesto, the Janata Dal promised that if voted to power, it would
implement the Mandal Commission report. The Janata Dal did form the government after this
election. Its leader V. P. Singh became the Prime Minister.
Q.4) What was the reaction of the people when the government decided to reserve 27% of the
seats for backward classes?
ANS: 1. Some felt that existence of inequalities among people of different castes in India
necessitated job reservations. They felt, this would give a fair opportunity to those
communities who so far had not adequately been represented in government employment.
2. Others felt that this was unfair as it would deny equality of opportunity to those who did
not belong to backward communities. They would be denied jobs even though they could be
more qualified.
3. Some felt that this would perpetuate caste feelings among people and hamper national unity.
Q.5) What was the ‘Indira Sawhney and others Vs union case’ and how was it settled?
, 1. Some persons and associations opposed and filed a number of cases in the courts regarding
the reservation of jobs for backward classes. They appealed to the courts to declare the order
invalid and stop its implementation.
2. The Supreme Court of India bunched all these cases together. This case was known as the
‘Indira Sawhney and others Vs Union of India case’.
3. Eleven judges of the Supreme Court heard arguments of both sides. By a majority, the
Supreme Court judges in 1992 declared that this order of the Government of India was valid.
4. At the same time the Supreme Court asked the government to modify its original order. It
said that well-to-do persons among the backward classes should be excluded from getting the
benefit of reservation.
5. Accordingly, the Department of Personnel and Training issued another Office
Memorandum on September 8, 1993. The dispute thus came to an end and this policy has been
followed since then.
Q.6) What are political institutions?
ANS: Some persons have to take decisions on how to go about governmental activities. Others
have to implement these decisions. If disputes arise on these decisions or in their
implementation, there should be someone to determine what is right and what is wrong. To
attend to all these tasks, several arrangements are made in all modern democracies. Such
arrangements are called institutions.
Q.7) What is Parliament?
ANS: It is the law making body of a government. In all democracies, an assembly of elected
representatives exercises supreme political authority on behalf of the people. In India such a
national assembly of elected representatives is called Parliament. At the state level this is called
Legislature or
Legislative Assembly.
Q.8) What are the various ways by which parliament exercises authority?
1. Parliament is the final authority for making laws in any country. This task of law making or
legislation is so crucial that these assemblies are called legislatures. Parliaments all over the
world can make new laws, change existing laws, or abolish existing laws and make new ones
in their place.
2. Parliaments all over the world exercise some control over those who run the government.
In some countries like India this control is direct and full. Those who run the government can
take decisions only so long as they enjoy support of the Parliament.
3. Parliaments control all the money that governments have. In most countries the public
money can be spent only when the Parliament sanctions it.
COPY QUESTION NO: 1,7,8,9,11,into NOTEBOOK
Q.1) Expand and explain ‘SEBC’.
ANS: Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC). SEBC is another name for all those
people who belong to castes that are considered backward by the government. The benefit of
job reservation was till then available only to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Now a
new third category called SEBC was introduced. Only persons who belong to backward castes
were eligible for this quota of 27 per cent jobs. Others could not compete for these jobs.
Q.2) What was Mandal commission? Why was it appointed? What was the major
Recommendation of this Commission?
ANS: The Govt of India had appointed the Second Backward Classes Commission in 1979. It
was headed by B.P.Mandal. Hence it was popularly known as Mandal Commission.
Mandal commission was asked to determine the criteria to identify the socially and
economically backward classes in India and recommend steps to be taken for their
advancement. The Commission gave its Report in 1980 and made many recommendations.
One of these was that 27 per cent of government jobs be reserved for the socially and
educationally backward classes.
Q.3) State an important promise in the election manifesto of the Janata Dal (party) in 1989.
ANS: In its election manifesto, the Janata Dal promised that if voted to power, it would
implement the Mandal Commission report. The Janata Dal did form the government after this
election. Its leader V. P. Singh became the Prime Minister.
Q.4) What was the reaction of the people when the government decided to reserve 27% of the
seats for backward classes?
ANS: 1. Some felt that existence of inequalities among people of different castes in India
necessitated job reservations. They felt, this would give a fair opportunity to those
communities who so far had not adequately been represented in government employment.
2. Others felt that this was unfair as it would deny equality of opportunity to those who did
not belong to backward communities. They would be denied jobs even though they could be
more qualified.
3. Some felt that this would perpetuate caste feelings among people and hamper national unity.
Q.5) What was the ‘Indira Sawhney and others Vs union case’ and how was it settled?
, 1. Some persons and associations opposed and filed a number of cases in the courts regarding
the reservation of jobs for backward classes. They appealed to the courts to declare the order
invalid and stop its implementation.
2. The Supreme Court of India bunched all these cases together. This case was known as the
‘Indira Sawhney and others Vs Union of India case’.
3. Eleven judges of the Supreme Court heard arguments of both sides. By a majority, the
Supreme Court judges in 1992 declared that this order of the Government of India was valid.
4. At the same time the Supreme Court asked the government to modify its original order. It
said that well-to-do persons among the backward classes should be excluded from getting the
benefit of reservation.
5. Accordingly, the Department of Personnel and Training issued another Office
Memorandum on September 8, 1993. The dispute thus came to an end and this policy has been
followed since then.
Q.6) What are political institutions?
ANS: Some persons have to take decisions on how to go about governmental activities. Others
have to implement these decisions. If disputes arise on these decisions or in their
implementation, there should be someone to determine what is right and what is wrong. To
attend to all these tasks, several arrangements are made in all modern democracies. Such
arrangements are called institutions.
Q.7) What is Parliament?
ANS: It is the law making body of a government. In all democracies, an assembly of elected
representatives exercises supreme political authority on behalf of the people. In India such a
national assembly of elected representatives is called Parliament. At the state level this is called
Legislature or
Legislative Assembly.
Q.8) What are the various ways by which parliament exercises authority?
1. Parliament is the final authority for making laws in any country. This task of law making or
legislation is so crucial that these assemblies are called legislatures. Parliaments all over the
world can make new laws, change existing laws, or abolish existing laws and make new ones
in their place.
2. Parliaments all over the world exercise some control over those who run the government.
In some countries like India this control is direct and full. Those who run the government can
take decisions only so long as they enjoy support of the Parliament.
3. Parliaments control all the money that governments have. In most countries the public
money can be spent only when the Parliament sanctions it.
