NCERT Book Class 10th Political Science Question and Answer
Chapter 1 Power Sharing
Short Answer Questions
1. Which is the majority community in Belgium?
Answer: The Dutch-speaking (Flemish) people are the majority in Belgium, constituting about 59% of the population.
2. What percentage of Sri Lanka’s population is Sinhala-speaking?
Answer: Sinhala speakers make up about 74% of Sri Lanka’s population and are the majority community.
3. Which linguistic community is the majority in Brussels, the capital of Belgium?
Answer: French-speaking people are the majority (80%) in Brussels, while Dutch speakers are a minority.
4. What was the main cause of conflict between Tamils and Sinhalese in Sri Lanka?
Answer: Discriminatory policies against Tamils by the Sinhala majority, such as the 1956 “Sinhala Only” Act.
5. What type of power-sharing model does Belgium follow?
Answer: Belgium follows a model of power-sharing between community governments and regional governments.
6. What was the result of the absence of power-sharing in Sri Lanka?
Answer: It led to a civil war (1983-2009), resulting in thousands of deaths.
7. Give an example of power-sharing in India.
Answer: The federal system, where powers are divided between the central and state governments.
8. Why is power-sharing necessary in a democracy?
Answer: It reduces social conflicts and ensures participation of all communities.
9. What is the role of community governments in Belgium?
Answer: They make decisions on education, culture, and language-related issues.
10. Which was the major organization demanding rights for Tamils in Sri Lanka?
Answer: The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) demanded a separate nation for Tamils.
11. Where does the French-speaking community mainly reside in Belgium?
Answer: The French-speaking community primarily lives in Wallonia and Brussels.
12. Which 1956 law in Sri Lanka caused dissatisfaction among Tamils?
Answer: The “Sinhala Only” Act, which made Sinhala the sole official language.
13. How many levels of government are there in Belgium?
Answer: Three levels—central government, regional governments, and community governments.
14. What was the full name of the LTTE?
Answer: Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
15. Give one major example of power-sharing in India.
Answer: The Panchayati Raj system, which promotes local self-governance.
16. What is the main objective of power-sharing in a democracy?
Answer: To ensure fair representation of all communities and reduce social conflicts.
17. What issues do community governments in Belgium handle?
Answer: They handle education, culture, and language-related matters.
18. What percentage of Sri Lanka’s population is Tamil?
Answer: Tamils constitute about 18%, including Sri Lankan Tamils and Indian Tamils.
19. How does power-sharing strengthen democracy?
Answer: It promotes social unity and prevents violent conflicts by including all groups.
20. What is the Dutch-speaking community in Belgium called?
Answer: They are called the Flemish.
21. Why was Belgium’s power-sharing model successful?
Answer: Because it gave equal rights to all linguistic communities, reducing conflicts.
22. What were the negative consequences of no power-sharing in Sri Lanka?
Answer: It led to Tamil discontent, the rise of LTTE, and a 26-year civil war.
23. Give two examples of power-sharing in India.
Answer:
1. Federal system (division of powers between center and states).
2. Panchayati Raj (local self-governance).
24. Describe Belgium’s government structure.
Answer: Belgium has a central government, regional governments (Flanders, Wallonia, Brussels), and community governments (Dutch, French, German).
25. What were the main demands of Tamils in Sri Lanka?
Answer: Equal rights, provincial autonomy, official status for Tamil, and justice in education and employment.
26. How does power-sharing reduce social conflict?
Answer: By giving all communities a voice in governance, reducing feelings of exclusion.
27. Compare Belgium and Sri Lanka’s power-sharing policies.
Answer: Belgium gave equal rights to all communities, while Sri Lanka favored the Sinhala majority.
28. How does India’s reservation system reflect power-sharing?
Answer: It ensures representation for SCs, STs, and OBCs in education, jobs, and politics.
29. Why is power-sharing essential in a democracy?
Answer: It protects minorities, ensures social justice, and strengthens national unity.
30. How do community governments function in Belgium?
Answer: They decide on education, culture, and language issues for their communities.
31. Explain Belgium’s power-sharing model in detail.
Answer: Belgium has three government levels—central (national issues), regional (Flanders, Wallonia, Brussels), and community (Dutch, French, German). This ensures equal rights and reduces conflicts.
32. Discuss the causes and effects of no power-sharing in Sri Lanka.
Answer:
Causes: Sinhala majority dominance, “Sinhala Only” Act.
Effects: Tamil rebellion, LTTE formation, 26-year civil war.
33. Describe different forms of power-sharing in India.
Answer:
1. Federalism: Power division between center and states.
2. Panchayati Raj: Local self-governance.
3. Reservation: Representation for marginalized groups.
4. Political parties: Diverse participation in governance.
34. Why is power-sharing necessary in democracy? Give reasons.
Answer:
Ensures social justice for all groups.
Maintains peace and stability.
Strengthens national unity in diversity.
35. Compare Belgium and Sri Lanka’s power-sharing policies.
Answer:
| Belgium | Sri Lanka |
| Equal rights for all communities | Sinhala majority favored |
| Three-tier government | Centralized power |
| Reduced conflicts | Led to civil war |
36. What lessons can we learn from Belgium’s power-sharing model?
Answer: Inclusive governance ensures peace and stability by respecting all communities.
37. How did Sri Lanka’s majoritarian policies lead to conflict?
Answer: By marginalizing Tamils in language, education, and jobs, leading to armed rebellion.
38. Explain how power-sharing prevents social divisions.
Answer: It ensures all groups have a say in governance, reducing feelings of alienation.
39. What role does decentralization play in power-sharing?
Answer: It distributes power to local bodies, ensuring grassroots participation.
40. How does power-sharing protect minority rights?
Answer: By legally ensuring their representation in decision-making processes.
41. Why is Belgium’s model considered a success?
Answer: It balanced diverse linguistic groups without major conflicts.
42. What were the consequences of Sri Lanka’s civil war?
Answer: Thousands died, the economy suffered, and ethnic tensions persisted.
43. How does India ensure power-sharing through federalism?
Answer: By dividing powers between central and state governments.
44. Why do democracies adopt power-sharing?
Answer: To uphold pluralism, justice, and long-term stability.
45. How can power-sharing resolve ethnic conflicts?
Answer: By giving all groups political representation and shared control over resources.
46. What are the advantages of power-sharing?
Answer: Prevents dominance by one group, reduces conflicts, and strengthens unity.
47. How did Belgium accommodate its diverse communities?
Answer: Through regional autonomy and community-specific governance.
48. What was the impact of the “Sinhala Only” policy?
Answer: It alienated Tamils, leading to demands for separatism.
49. How does power-sharing promote democracy?
Answer: By ensuring participation, accountability, and protection of minority rights.
50. What makes power-sharing a key feature of modern democracies?
Answer: It balances majority rule with minority rights, ensuring inclusive development.