Power Sharing — Class 10 Social Science NCERT Solutions (Free)
Free step-by-step NCERT solutions for Class 10 Social Science chapter "Power Sharing" — 6 important questions with detailed answers for CBSE board exam preparation.
TL;DR: Free step-by-step NCERT solutions for Class 10 Social Science chapter "Power Sharing" — 6 important questions with detailed answers for CBSE board exa…
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NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Social Science — Power Sharing. Step-by-step answers to all 6 textbook questions from this chapter, written for CBSE board preparation and free to use.
Power Sharing — All 6 Questions Solved
Q1. What is power-sharing and why is it important in a democracy?
Power-sharing is the distribution of authority and decision-making power among different levels of government and among different branches. It is important because it prevents concentration of power, protects minority rights, ensures local participation, and builds consensus. Power-sharing creates checks and balances that make government accountable to the people.
Q2. What are the different forms of power-sharing?
Forms of power-sharing include: (1) Horizontal power-sharing among executive, legislature, and judiciary, (2) Vertical power-sharing between central and state governments, (3) Power-sharing among political parties through coalition governments, (4) Power-sharing between communities through reserved seats and community councils.
Q3. How does Belgium provide an example of power-sharing?
Belgium divides power between the Dutch-speaking Flanders region and French-speaking Wallonia. Each community has control over certain domains like culture and education. The central government handles common affairs. The arrangement ensures that both communities have representation and decision-making power, reducing ethnic and linguistic tensions.
Q4. What is federalism and how does it promote power-sharing?
Federalism distributes power between the central government and state or regional governments. Each has defined powers and responsibilities. Citizens have loyalty to both levels of government. Federalism allows diverse regions to maintain local control while participating in national decision-making. India's federal structure exemplifies this power-sharing arrangement.
Q5. How does the Indian Constitution provide for power-sharing?
The Indian Constitution provides power-sharing through: (1) Division of powers between Union and State governments, (2) Separation of powers among executive, legislature, and judiciary, (3) Reserved seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, (4) Panchayat Raj and Municipal Corporation systems for local governance, (5) Multi-party coalition politics.
Q6. What are the benefits and challenges of power-sharing?
Benefits include protection of rights, participation, stability, and prevention of tyranny. Challenges include: decision-making slowness due to consensus-building, disagreements among power-sharing partners leading to deadlock, and complexity in administration. Despite challenges, power-sharing remains essential for democracy's stability and fairness.
Power Sharing — Practice MCQs with Answers
Attempt these 20 multiple-choice questions after working through the solutions above. Each carries the correct option and the reasoning behind it, so a wrong answer tells you which idea to revisit.
MCQ 1. What is the official language spoken by the majority of people in Belgium?
- A. French
- B. German
- C. Dutch
- D. English
Answer: C. Dutch — In Belgium, 59% of the population lives in the Flemish region and speaks Dutch, making it the language of the majority.
MCQ 2. Which community in Sri Lanka adopted majoritarian measures after gaining independence?
- A. Tamil
- B. Sinhala
- C. Muslim
- D. Indian
Answer: B. Sinhala — After gaining independence, the Sinhala majority in Sri Lanka implemented a series of majoritarian policies to establish their supremacy, disregarding the Tamil minority.
MCQ 3. What does 'power sharing' primarily aim to reduce in a society?
- A. Economic inequality
- B. Political participation
- C. Social conflict
- D. Educational disparities
Answer: C. Social conflict — Power sharing is designed to ensure that different social groups have a stake in governance, thereby reducing the potential for conflict among them.
MCQ 4. In a 'horizontal' power-sharing arrangement, power is shared among which of the following?
- A. Different levels of government
- B. Different social groups
- C. Different organs of government
- D. Different political parties
Answer: C. Different organs of government — Horizontal power sharing involves the distribution of power among different organs of government, such as the legislature, executive, and judiciary, allowing each to check the others.
MCQ 5. The 'Community Government' in Belgium is an example of power sharing among which of the following?
- A. Different levels of government
- B. Different organs of government
- C. Different social groups
- D. Different political parties
Answer: C. Different social groups — The Community Government in Belgium addresses the cultural, educational, and language-related issues of specific linguistic communities (Dutch, French, German), representing power sharing among different social groups.
MCQ 6. Which of the following is a prudential reason for power sharing?
- A. It upholds the spirit of democracy
- B. It gives a voice to all citizens
- C. It reduces the possibility of conflict
- D. It ensures accountability of rulers
Answer: C. It reduces the possibility of conflict — Prudential reasons for power sharing focus on practical considerations and outcomes, such as reducing the chances of social conflict and ensuring political stability.
MCQ 7. What was the primary consequence of majoritarian policies in Sri Lanka?
- A. Economic prosperity
- B. Peaceful co-existence
- C. Civil war
- D. Political stability
Answer: C. Civil war — The majoritarian policies adopted by the Sri Lankan government alienated the Tamil minority, leading to widespread distrust and eventually a brutal civil war.
MCQ 8. The system of 'checks and balances' is associated with which form of power sharing?
- A. Vertical power sharing
- B. Horizontal power sharing
- C. Power sharing among social groups
- D. Power sharing among political parties
Answer: B. Horizontal power sharing — The system of checks and balances ensures that no single organ of government (legislature, executive, judiciary) can exercise unlimited power, which is a characteristic of horizontal power sharing.
MCQ 9. Power shared among different levels of government like Union, State, and Local is known as what?
- A. Separation of powers
- B. Community government
- C. Vertical power sharing
- D. Coalition government
Answer: C. Vertical power sharing — When power is distributed among governments at different levels – such as a central government, state governments, and local governments – it is called vertical power sharing, often associated with federalism.
MCQ 10. Which of the following is considered the 'moral' reason for power sharing?
- A. It helps reduce the conflict between different social groups
- B. It ensures the stability of political order
- C. It is the very spirit of democracy
- D. It reduces the chances of arbitrary rule
Answer: C. It is the very spirit of democracy — Moral reasons for power sharing emphasize the inherent value and ethical justification of power sharing, defining it as the essence of a democratic system.
MCQ 11. In 1956, an Act was passed in Sri Lanka to recognise Sinhala as the only official language. This policy was aimed at:
- A. Promoting national unity
- B. Asserting Sinhala supremacy
- C. Integrating all ethnic groups
- D. Fostering economic growth
Answer: B. Asserting Sinhala supremacy — The 1956 Act in Sri Lanka, making Sinhala the sole official language, was a majoritarian measure aimed at asserting the dominance of the Sinhala community over others.
MCQ 12. In Brussels, the capital of Belgium, what was a key arrangement made regarding power sharing?
- A. Both Dutch and French speakers were given equal representation
- B. Dutch speakers were given more power to balance the federal structure
- C. German speakers were excluded from the government
- D. The French-speaking majority was given preferential treatment
Answer: A. Both Dutch and French speakers were given equal representation — In Brussels, despite the French-speaking population being a majority (80%), both Dutch and French speakers were given equal representation in the Brussels government as part of the Belgian accommodation model.
MCQ 13. When two or more political parties form an alliance to contest elections and then share power if they win, it is an example of power sharing among:
- A. Different levels of government
- B. Different organs of government
- C. Different social groups
- D. Different political parties
Answer: D. Different political parties — This scenario describes a coalition government, where power is shared among different political parties that have allied to form a government, representing a form of power sharing.
MCQ 14. What does 'majoritarianism' mean?
- A. Rule by the majority community
- B. Rule by the minority community
- C. Rule by the army
- D. Rule by elected representatives only
Answer: A. Rule by the majority community — Majoritarianism is a belief that the majority community should be able to rule a country in whichever way it wants, by disregarding the wishes and needs of the minority.
MCQ 15. In a democracy, how does the judiciary exercise a check on the executive and legislative bodies?
- A. By impeaching the President
- B. By appointing ministers
- C. By interpreting laws and reviewing executive actions
- D. By controlling the national budget
Answer: C. By interpreting laws and reviewing executive actions — The judiciary ensures checks and balances by interpreting laws passed by the legislature and reviewing the actions of the executive to ensure they are constitutional.
MCQ 16. What percentage of people in Brussels speak French?
- A. 20%
- B. 40%
- C. 60%
- D. 80%
Answer: D. 80% — In Brussels, the capital of Belgium, 80% of the population speaks French, while 20% speaks Dutch, which is a key detail of Belgium's power-sharing model.
MCQ 17. The struggle of the Sri Lankan Tamils for greater autonomy and recognition is an example of what?
- A. Power sharing
- B. Majoritarianism
- C. Horizontal distribution
- D. Social discrimination leading to conflict
Answer: D. Social discrimination leading to conflict — The Sri Lankan Tamils' struggle arose directly from the majoritarian policies of the Sinhala government, which discriminated against them and denied them equitable power sharing, ultimately leading to conflict.
MCQ 18. The concept of 'federalism' is most closely related to which form of power sharing?
- A. Horizontal power sharing
- B. Vertical power sharing
- C. Power sharing among social groups
- D. Power sharing among political parties
Answer: B. Vertical power sharing — Federalism is a system of government where power is divided between a central authority and various constituent units of the country, which is the definition of vertical power sharing.
MCQ 19. Why is power sharing considered vital for the very spirit of democracy?
- A. It makes governments more efficient
- B. It centralizes power
- C. It allows for a more direct form of rule
- D. It ensures that all sections of society have a say in governance.
Answer: D. It ensures that all sections of society have a say in governance. — Power sharing embodies the spirit of democracy by providing legitimacy to the government through the participation of all social groups, ensuring their voice in decision-making.
MCQ 20. What is the approximate percentage of Sri Lankan Tamils in Sri Lanka?
- A. 7%
- B. 13%
- C. 18%
- D. 25%
Answer: B. 13% — Sri Lankan Tamils constitute about 13% of the total population of Sri Lanka, forming a significant minority group.
How to Use These Solutions
Attempt each question yourself first and only then compare with the worked answer. Marks in the CBSE board exam are awarded for the METHOD as much as the final result, so reproduce the steps rather than memorising the last line. Where a solution states a law, a formula or a definition, learn that wording — examiners look for it.
Related practice for this chapter: chapter MCQs, previous-year questions, revision notes and sample papers.