Questions NCERT Solutions Class 8 Social Science Chapter 5

Quick answer: Universal adult franchise means every adult citizen has one vote of equal value. It keeps democracy healthy because government power comes from all people, not only from the rich, educated or powerful.

1. Every adult citizen gets an equal political voice.
2. No voter is excluded because of caste, religion, gender, income, education or region.
3. Elected representatives must listen to ordinary people because voters can remove them in the next election.
4. It builds civic participation. People think about public problems and choose leaders who can solve them.
5. It gives democratic legitimacy to the government because the people have taken part in choosing it.

Quick answer: A secret ballot means a voter marks their choice privately, so no one knows whom they voted for. It protects voters from pressure, fear and bribery.

1. In a secret ballot, the voter enters a private space and records their choice without being watched.
2. This protects the voter from pressure by family members, powerful people, employers, parties or candidates.
3. It also reduces fear of revenge after voting.
4. The secret ballot keeps elections fair because voters can choose according to their own judgement.
5. In the classroom example, Ms Usha used a secret ballot so every student could vote freely.

Quick answer: In a direct election, citizens vote for the representative themselves. In an indirect election, elected representatives vote on behalf of the people.

1. Lok Sabha elections are direct elections. Citizens vote for candidates in their constituencies.
2. State Legislative Assembly elections are also direct elections. Voters choose MLAs.
3. Many gram panchayat and urban local body elections are direct elections too.
4. Rajya Sabha elections are indirect elections. MLAs elect most Rajya Sabha members.
5. The President of India is elected indirectly by an electoral college made up of elected MPs and MLAs.

Quick answer: Lok Sabha members are directly elected by voters from constituencies. Rajya Sabha members are mostly elected indirectly by MLAs of state legislative assemblies.

1. Lok Sabha elections use universal adult franchise. Every eligible voter in a constituency can vote.
2. India has 543 Lok Sabha constituencies, and each constituency elects one MP.
3. The Lok Sabha uses the first-past-the-post system. The candidate with the most votes wins.
4. Rajya Sabha elections are indirect. MLAs elect 233 members, while the President nominates 12 members.
5. The Rajya Sabha is a permanent house. One-third of its members retire every two years.

Quick answer: Electronic voting machines make voting quicker, counting faster and ballot handling easier in a very large election like India's.

1. EVMs reduce the need to print and transport huge numbers of paper ballots.
2. They make the voting process quicker at polling stations.
3. They reduce invalid ballots because the voter presses a button instead of marking a paper incorrectly.
4. Counting becomes faster because votes are stored electronically.
5. VVPAT adds a paper slip that lets voters verify that their vote was recorded correctly.

Quick answer: Urban turnout may decline because of apathy, migration, work pressure, weak local connection, missing voter names, long queues or the belief that one vote does not matter.

1. Many urban voters move for work or study and may not update their voter registration.
2. Some people feel politics does not affect their daily life, so they skip voting.
3. Work schedules, travel, heat, queues and poor polling information can also reduce turnout.
4. Awareness campaigns should explain that voting affects roads, safety, schools, prices and public services.
5. The ECI and local groups can improve voter-list help, polling-station information, accessible booths, reminders and youth campaigns.

Quick answer: Seats are reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes to make sure historically disadvantaged communities get fair political representation.

1. Indian democracy is based on equality, but some communities have faced long social exclusion.
2. Without reservation, SC and ST voices may remain under-represented in legislatures.
3. Reserved constituencies ensure that members from these communities enter the Lok Sabha.
4. This helps Parliament hear problems linked to land, education, discrimination, welfare and local development.
5. The chapter mentions that 84 Lok Sabha seats are reserved for Scheduled Castes and 47 for Scheduled Tribes.

Quick answer: Social media can strengthen democracy by spreading information quickly, but it can also confuse voters if false news, abusive posts or paid propaganda spread unchecked.

1. The benefit is speed. Citizens can watch speeches, compare promises and discuss issues instantly.
2. Young voters can learn about candidates through reels, posts, live streams and public debates.
3. The challenge is misinformation. Edited clips, fake news and abusive language can mislead voters.
4. Another challenge is echo chambers, where people hear only views they already agree with.
5. The future of digital elections needs media literacy, fact-checking, fair rules for online campaigning and responsible sharing by citizens.

Quick answer: This is an activity-based question. Students should choose one Lok Sabha constituency and one assembly constituency, then record candidates, parties, votes and winning margins.

1. Open the website and choose the election type: parliamentary or assembly.
2. Select the year, state and constituency.
3. Write the winning candidate's name, party and vote count.
4. Note the runner-up, their party and the margin of victory.
5. Compare the two elections. Check whether party support, turnout and winning margin changed.