Indian Politics: Trends and Developments Class 12 MCQs Questions with Answers
Question 1.
The Congress party had won as many as 415 seats in the Lok Sabha elections in:
(A) 1984
(B) 1987
(C) 1989
(D) 1992
Answer:
(A) 1984
Question 2.
Bharatiya Janata Party was formed in:
(A) 1960
(B) 1970
(C) 1980
(D) 1990
Answer:
(C) 1980
Explanation:
The aftermath of the Emergency, the Bharatiya Jana Sangh had merged into the Janata Party. After the fall of the Janata Party and its break-up, the supporters of erstwhile Jana Sangh formed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 1980. It embraced ‘Gandhian Socialism’ as its ideology.
Question 3.
VHP stands for:
(A) Vishva Hindu Parishad
(B) Vishal Hindu Parishad
(C) Vishnu Hindu Parishad
(D) Vivek Hindu Parishad
Answer:
(A) Vishva Hindu Parishad
Explanation:
The Vishva Hindu Parishad is an Indian right-wing Hindu organization based on Hindu nationalism. The VHP was founded in 1964 by M. S. Golwalkar and S. S. Apte in I collaboration with Swami Chinmayananda.
Question 4.
dentify the Prime Minister of India from amongst the following who headed the first Coalition Government in India. (OD/Delhi, Set-I, 2019-20)
(A) Atal Bihari Vajpayee
(B) VP Singh
(C) MorarjiDesai
(D) H.D. Deve Gowda
Answer:
(C) MorarjiDesai
Explanation:
After 1989 the emergence of several parties in such a way that one or two parties did not get most of the votes or seats. This also meant that no single party secured a clear majority of seats in any Lok Sabha election held since 1989 till 2014.
Question 5.
With its pre-intended goal ………….. the NDA III Government started several Socio-economic welfare schemes to make development accessible to the masses.
(A) Jai JawanJaiKisan
(B) Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, Jai Vigyan
(C) SabkaSaath, SabkaVikas
(D) Garibi Hatao
Answer:
(C) SabkaSaath, SabkaVikas
Explanation:
In 2014, BJP government changed political scenario from caste and religion-based politics to development and governance- oriented politics. With its pre-intended goal Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, the NDA HI Government started several socio-economic welfare schemes to make development and governance accessible to the masses such as – Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Jan-Dhan Yojana, Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana, Kisan Pasal Bima Yojna, Beti Padhao, Desh Badhao, Ayushman Bharat Yojana, etc.
Question 6.
BJP led coalition of 2014 was also called as…
(A) Majority Coalition
(B) Surplus Majority Coalition
(C) Clear Majority Coalition
(D) Democratic Coalition
Answer:
(C) Clear Majority Coalition
Explanation:
In Lok Sabha Elections, 2014 BJP- led NDA claimed a landslide victory, making huge gains across the country. As results for all 543 Lok Sabha seats were announced, the NDA looked set to win 336 seats, not only far ahead of the half-way mark but also relishing a victory whose scale they had not themselves anticipated. For, incredibly, the BJP crossed the 272 mark comfortably on its own, without allies, winning 282 seats, a gain of 166.
Question 7.
Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in:
(A) May 1991
(B) June 1991
(C) July 1991
(D) August 1991
Answer:
(A) May 1991
Question 8.
In the elections of 1991, Congress emerged as the:
(A) single weakest party
(B) single largest party
(C) single losing party
(D) single helpless party
Answer:
(B) single largest party
Explanation:
In the elections of 1991, Congress emerged as the single largest party. Following Rajiv Gandhi’s death, the party chose Narsimha Rao as the Prime Minister.
Question 9.
H. D. Deve Gowda was the President of ……………… Party.
(A) Janata Dal
(B) Bharitya
(C) Congress
(D) NDA
Answer:
(A) Janata Dal
Question 10.
In which elections Congress was defeated in many small regions?
(A) 1969 elections
(B) 1989 elections
(C) 1999 elections
(D) 1990 elections
Answer:
(B) 1989 elections
Question 11.
How did alliance governments emerge?
(A) When the government was formed by coalition
(B) Smaller parties went into a kind of contract with each other
(C) When there was a rift in the bigger political parties
(D) None of the above
Answer:
(A) When the government was formed by coalition
Question 12.
Who had recommended reservation for OBCs in jobs of Central Government?
(A) Mahatma Gandhi
(B) Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar
(C) Jawaharlal Nehru
(D) Mandal Commission
Answer:
(D) Mandal Commission
Explanation:
The Mandal Commission submitted the report to the President on December 30, 1980. It recommended 27% reservation quota for OBC resulting in total 49.5% quota in government jobs and public universities.
Question 13
On which concept, the BJP (Bhartiya Janta Party) started mobilizing Hindus?
(A) Hindutva
(B) One nation one religion
(C) Sanatan Dharma
(D) Regionalism
Answer:
(A) Hindutva
Explanation:
Hindutva literally means ‘Hinduness’. It basically meant that to be members of the Indian nation, everyone must not only accept India as their ‘fatherland’ (pitrubhu) but also as their holy land (punyabhu). Believers of’Hindutva’ argue that a strong nation can be built only on the basis of a strong and united national culture. They also believe that in the case of India the Hindu culture alone can provide this base.
Question 14.
When were the doors of disputed Babri Mosque’s locked?
(A) 1980s
(B) 1960s
(C) 1950s
(D) 1940s
Answer:
(D) 1940s
Explanation:
Two years after India’s independence, an idol of Lord Ram mysteriously appeared inside the Babri Masjid. Police lodged a case and the city magistrate seized and locked the property.
Question 15.
If the opposition wants to oust the coalition government, what it has to prove?
(A) They have to prove that the coalition is no longer in majority
(B) They have to prove the inefficiency of the government
(C) They can demand mid elections
(D) None of the above
Answer:
(A) They have to prove that the coalition is no longer in majority
Question 16.
Which first coalition government was able to complete its five-year tenure?
(A) UPA govt, led by Dr. Manmohan Singh
(B) NDA govt, led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee
(C) NDA govt, led by Narendra Modi
(D) None of the above
Answer:
(B) NDA govt, led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Explanation:
The first successful coalition government in India which completed the whole 5-year term was the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led National Democratic Alliance with Atal Bihari Vajpayee as PM from 1999 to 2004.
Assertion and Reason Based MCQs
Directions: In the following questions, a statement of Assertion (A) is followed by a statement of Reason (R). Mark the correct choice as:
(A) Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
(B) Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
(C) (A) is true, but (R) is false.
(D) (A) is false, but (R) is true.
Question 1.
Assertion: One of the developments was the rise of the ‘Mandal issue’ in national politics.
Reason: This followed the decision by the new National Front government in 1990, to implement the recommendation of the Mandal Commission that jobs in Central government should be reserved for the Other Backward Classes.
Answer:
(A) Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
Question 2.
Assertion: A number of events culminated in the demolition of the disputed structure at Ayodhya (known as Babri Masjid) in December 1992.
Reason: The assassination of Rajiv Gandhi in May 1991 led to a change in leadership of the Congress party.
Answer:
(B) Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
Explanation:
The country witnessed five developments that were to make a long-lasting impact on our politics. This event symbolised and triggered various changes in the politics of the country and intensified debates about the nature of Indian nationalism and secularism.
Question 3.
Assertion: Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a Sri Lankan Tamil linked to the LTTE when he was on an election campaign tour in Tamil Nadu.
Reason: In the elections of 1991, Congress shrunk to the smallest party in the assembly.
Answer:
(C) (A) is true, but (R) is false.
Explanation:
In the elections of 1991, Congress I emerged as the single largest party.
Question 4.
Assertion: Elections in 1989 led to the defeat of the Congress party but did not result in a majority for any other party.
Reason: Though the Congress was the largest party in the Lok Sabha, it did not have a clear majority and therefore, it decided to sit in the opposition.
Answer:
(B) Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
Explanation:
In 1989 one or two parties did not get most of the votes or seats. No single party secured a clear majority of seats in any Lok Sabha election 1989.
Question 5.
Assertion: The BJP continued to consolidate its position in the elections of 1991 and 1996.
Reason: It emerged as the largest party in the 1996 election and was invited to form the government.
Answer:
(A) Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
Question 6.
Assertion: The decision of the National Front government to implement the recommendations of the Mandal Commission further helped in shaping the politics of ‘Other Backward Classes’.
Reason: This period saw the emergence of many parties that sought disastrous decisions and approach for OBCs.
Answer:
(C) (A) is true, but (R) is false.
Explanation:
This period saw the emergence of I many parties that sought better opportunities I for OBCs in education and employment.
Question 7.
Assertion: The Mandal Commission was set up to investigate the extent of educational and social backwardness among various sections of Indian society and recommend ways of identifying these ‘backward classes’.
Reason: The Commission gave its recommendations in 2000.
Answer:
(C) (A) is true, but (R) is false.
Explanation:
The Commission gave its recommendations in 1980.
Question 8.
Assertion: The BJP continued to consolidate its position in the elections of 1991 and 1996.
Reason: It emerged as the largest party in the 1996 election and was invited to form the government.
Answer:
(A) Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
Question 9.
Assertion: With the elections of 1989, a long phase of coalition politics began in India. Since then, there have been eleven governments at the Centre. Reason: The late 1960s, various sections had been leaving the Congress fold and forming separate political parties of their own.
Answer:
(B) Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
Question 10.
Assertion: The decision of the National Front Government to implement the recommendations of the Mandal Commission further helped in shaping the politics of ‘Other Backward Classes’.
Reason: This period saw the emergence of many parties that sought disastrous decisions and approach for OBCs.
Answer:
(C) (A) is true, but (R) is false.
Question 11.
Assertion: The Mandal Commission, or the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Commission (SEBC), was established in India on 1979 by the Janata Party government under Prime Minister Morarji Desai.
Reason: It was formed to identify the socially or educationally backward classes to consider the question of seat reservations and quotas for people to redress caste discrimination, and used eleven social, economic, and educational indicators to determine backwardness.
Answer:
(A) Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
Case-Based MCQs
I. Study the cartoon given below and answer the following questions:
Question 1.
Identify the leader numbered 3 in the cartoon.
(A) Rajiv Gandhi
(B) L K Advani
(C) V P Singh
(D) Devi Lai
Answer:
(B) L K Advani
Question 2.
Which was the most controversial issue of the period related to leader no. 2 as Prime Minister of India?
(A) Implementation of emergency in the country
(B) Implementation of tax reforms
(C) Implementation of Mandal Commission’s recommendation
(D) Implementation of Foreign Direct Investment
Answer:
(C) Implementation of Mandal Commission’s recommendation
Question 3.
Who is leader numbered here? What was the result of elections 1989 led by him?
(A) V P Singh. He could not form the government at all.
(B) Rajiv Gandhi. Party reduced to from majority to minority in parliament.
(C) L K Advani. Party was able to secure reasonable seats in the parliament.
(D) None of the above.
Answer:
(B) Rajiv Gandhi. Party reduced to from majority to minority in parliament.
Question 4.
In 1989 elections, how many seats did Congress win?
(A) 145
(B) 157
(C) 180
(D) 415
Answer:
(A) 145
I. Read the passage given below carefully and answer the questions that follows:
The nineties also saw the emergence of powerful parties and movements that represented the Dalit and backward castes (Other Backward Classes or OBCs). Many of these parties represented powerful regional assertion as well. These parties played an important role in the United Front government that came to power in 1996. The United Front was similar to the National Front of 1989 for it included Janata Dal and several regional parties. This time the BJP did not support the government. The United Front government was supported by the Congress.
This shows how unstable the political equations were. In 1989, both the Left and the BJP supported the National Front Government because they wanted to keep the Congress out of power. In 1996, the Left continued to support the non-Congress government but this time the Congress, supported it, as both the Congress and the Left wanted to keep the BJP out of power.
Question 1.
What is the full form of OBC?
(A) Other Backward Castes
(B) Other Backward Classes
(C) Other Below Classes
(D) None of the above
Answer:
(B) Other Backward Classes
Explanation:
Other Backward Class (OBC) is a collective term used by the Government of India to classify castes which are educationally or socially disadvantaged.
Question 2.
When was the United Front Government formed?
(A)1997
(B) 1998
(C) 1990
(D) 1996
Answer:
(D) 1996
Explanation:
A coalition of 13 political parties formed in India after the 1996 general elections known as United Front government. The government was headed by two Prime Ministers from Janata Dal – H. D. Deve Gowda, and Inder K. Gujral.
Question 3.
Who supported the United Front Government?
(A) BJP
(B) Communist Party of India
(C) Congress
(D) NDA
Answer:
(C) Congress
Explanation:
The United Front (UF) government-a coalition of 13 parties-came to power in 1996 as a minority government with the support of the Congress Party.
Question 4.
The Left and Congress continued to support United Front government:
(A) because they wanted to keep BJP out of power.
(B) because this was the most stable government of that time.
(C) because it had the great support from people.
(D) All of the above
Answer:
(A) because they wanted to keep BJP out of power.
II. Read the following paragraph carefully and answer the questions that follows:
Thus, with the elections of 1989, a long phase of coalition politics began in India. Since then, there have been eleven governments at the Centre, all of which have either been coalition governments or minority governments supported by other parties, which did not join the government.
In this new phase, any government could be formed only with the participation or support of many regional parties. This applied to the National Front in 1989, the United Front in 1996 and 1997, the NDA in 1997, the BJP- led coalition in 1998, the NDA in 1999, and the UPA in 2004 and 2009.
However, this trend changed in 2014. Let us connect this development with what we have learnt so far. The era of coalition governments may be seen as a long-term trend resulting from relatively silent changes that were taking place over the last few decades. In the 1980s, the Janata Dal brought together a similar combination of political groups with strong support among the OBCs.
The decision of the National Front government to implement the recommendations of the Mandal Commission further helped in shaping the politics of ‘Other Backward Classes’. The intense national debate for and against reservation in jobs made people from the OBC communities more aware of this identity.
Question 1.
Why is a coalition government formed?
(A) To give other political parties a chance
(B) Because no single party has achieved an absolute majority after an election
(C) To display the democratic spirit
(D) None of the above
Answer:
(B) Because no single party has achieved an absolute majority after an election
Question 2.
In which years, mentioned above, did NDA have coalition governments?
(A) 1999,2003,2008
(B) 1997,1998,1999
(C) 1998,2004,2009
(D) None of these
Answer:
(B) 1997,1998,1999
Question 3.
In which years UPA governments were formed?
(A) 2004,2009
(B) 2000,2005
(C) 2004,2007
(D) 2009,2014
Answer:
(A) 2004,2009
Question 4.
Which government took the decision to implement the recommendations of the Mandal Commission?
(A) UPA 2009
(B) NDA 2014
(C) United Front Government
(D) None of the above
Answer:
(C) United Front Government
Explanation:
The commission submitted the report to the president on December 30,1980. It recommended 27% reservation quota for OBC resulting in total 49.5% quota in government jobs and public universities. V. R Singh, the Prime Minister at the time, tried to implement its recommendations in August 1990 which led to protests.
IV. Read the following excerpt carefully and answer the questions that follows:
Federalism is an instrument of power sharing between independent authorities’ viz. Union and State. Coalition government is also a means of power sharing. Logically both federalism and coalition government should be complimentary to each other. As the object of sharing of power is common in both, a student of politics or law may gather the impression that coalition government is always supportive of federal form of government or constitution and sometime also gives more opportunity for expression of ideas and democratic rights to small and regional parties.
In this way it seems that coalition government promotes democracy and representative administration. But there are some grey areas also of the coalition politics like sometimes the coalition which are formed after declaration of election which give rise to ‘horse trading’ for the purpose of proving majority on the floor of house of representatives. Vajpayee led National Democratic Alliance from 1999 to 2004. While some say that coalition governments generate more inclusive policies, others believe that coalitions impose constraints on policy making.
Question 1.
What, according to the above paragraph, is an instrument of power sharing?
(A) Only Federalism
(B) Only Coalition Government
(C) Both, Federalism and Coalition Government
(D) None of the above
Answer:
(C) Both, Federalism and Coalition Government
Question 2.
What is common in both (Federalism and Coalition Government)?
(A) The object of sharing of power
(B) Students movements
(C) Authoritative regime
(D) Socialist ideology
Answer:
(A) The object of sharing of power
Question 3.
What is one of the “grey areas” of coalition politics?
(A) Its too fragile
(B) Citizens are not given advantage
(C) Horse trading
(D) All of the above
Answer:
(C) Horse trading
Explanation:
Anti Defection Law is known as I horse trading in Indian politics.
Question 4.
Atal Bihari Vajpayee served as the PM of India from:
(A) 2000 to 2005
(B) 2003 to 2014
(C) 1999 to 2004
(D) None of the above
Answer:
(C) 1999 to 2004
Explanation:
Atal Bihari Vajpayee served three terms as the Prime Minister of India, first for a term of 13 days in 1996, then for a period of 13 months from 1998 to 1999, followed by a full term from 1999 to 2004.