Paper : ICSE Class X Important Questions : History (2006)

General Instructions

1. Attempt all questions from Part I (Compulsory). A total of five questions are to be attempted from Part II, two out of three questions from Section A and three out of five questions from Section B.
2. The intended marks for questions or parts of questions are given in brackets. 

PART I (30 Marks)
Attempt all questions from this Part.

Question l

(a) Who is the ex-officio chairperson of the Rajya Sabha? [1]

(b) An adult Indian citizen holding an office of profit under the State Government wishes to contest for election to the Lok Sabha. Is he/she eligible? Give a reason to justify your answer. [1]

(c) Who is the presiding officer of the Vidhan Sabha? [1]

(d) Name the Bill that cannot originate in the Rajya Sabha. [1]

(e) When and how can the President of India be removed from office? [1]

(f) What is the term of office of the Prime Minister? [1]

(g) Mention one discretionary power of the Governor of`a State. [1]

(h) State one difference in the election of the Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly. [1]

(i) What is meant by Lok Adalat? [1]

(j) Which body has the final authority to interpret the Constitution of India? [1]

Question 2

Mention any two social reforms suggested to the British by Raja Ram Mohan Roy. [2]

(b) State two factors responsible tor the growth of Nationalism in India. [2]

(c) Explain the term Doctrine of Lapse. [2]

(d) Mention any two objectives for the formation of the Indian National Congress in 1885. [2]

(d) Mention two contributions of Dadabhai Naoroji to the National Movement. [2]

(f) What were the two proposals for the Princely States in the Mountbatten Plan of 1947? [2]

(g) How did the Sarajero crisis in l9l4 lead to the First World War? [2]

(h) Name the countries that formed the Allied Powers. [2]

(i) Why did America drop the atom bomb on the cities of`Hiroshima and Nagasaki? [2]

(j) State any two specific instances of human rights violations according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. [2]

PART II (50 Marks)
SECTION A

Attempt any two questions from this Section. 

Question 3
In the context of the Union Parliament, answer the following questions:-

(a) Describe the financial powers of the Union Parliament. [3]

(b) Mention three instances when the Parliament can make laws on the subjects entered in the State list. [3]

(c) Explain the powers of the Union Parliament in respect of matters in the Union list and Concurrent List. [4]

Question 4
The Constitution provides that there should be a Council of Ministers in a State with the Chief Minister as the head. In this context, answer the following questions:-

(a) Mention the three categories of ministers. How do they differ from each other? [3]

(b) How is the Council of Ministers collectively responsible to the Legislative Assembly? What procedure is followed when a State government is defeated in a no - confidence motion? [3]

(c) Mention any four functions of the Chief Minister in relation to the Council of Ministers. [4]

Question 5
With reference to the Judiciary:-

(a) Explain the composition of a High Court. State the qualifications required to become a judge in the High Court. [3]

(b) State the term of office of the Judges of the High Court. Explain when and how the Judges can be removed from office. [3]

(c) Name the three types of courts at the district level. Explain the different categories of cases that fall under the jurisdiction of each. [4]

SECTION B
Attempt any three questions from this Section.

Question 6
To some extent Lord Curzon was responsible for the transformation of the anti - partition agitation into a mass movement. In this context, answer the following questions:-

(a) What was Lord Curzon's argument in favour of the partition of Bengal? How did the Nationalists interpret Lord Curzon's motives? [3]

(b) How did the people express their unhappiness against this decision of the British? [3]

(c) Explain the terms Swadeshi and Boycott in the context of the national movement in India. [4]

Question 8
The attempt of the British to pacify the Congress and the Muslim League was clearly visible in the Cabinet Mission proposals, but in reality neither could be pleased. With reference to this, explain:-

(a) Any three proposals of the Cabinet Mission. [3]

(b) The reasons for the Muslim League's acceptance and later rejection of the Cabinet Mission Plan. [3]

(c) The reactions of the Congress to the Cabinet Mission Plan. [4]

Question 9
In the post World War I scenario, Italy and Germany experienced the rise of dictatorships. In this context explain:-

(a) Any three circumstances that led to the rise of Fascism in Italy. [3]

(b) Any three domestic policies of Hitler. [3]

(c) How the foreign policies of Hitler were responsible for the outbreak of World War II. [4]

Question 10
The world has seen the damages caused by the two World Wars. The aim of the United Nations Organization is to save the succeeding generations from the scourge of another war. With reference to this:-

(a) Explain any three functions of the General Assembly. [3]

(b) Mention three important functions of the UNESCO. [3]

(c) Discuss the role of the Security Council in maintaining world peace. [4]