NCERT Solutions for Class 9th Social Science Chapter 6 Comparing India's neighbouring countries — LET'S EXPLORE

Method — where to look, before you write anything. This is a research task; the chapter supplies the questions, not the answers, and political arrangements change. Use current, checkable sources: the country's own constitution, the website of its election commission or election authority, reports on its most recent national election, and your school library's atlas or yearbook. Note the date you checked beside every fact — that is what makes a research answer honest.

What a good answer needs: (i) the name of the national legislature or office being elected; (ii) the years of the last two or three national elections, so you can show they are regular and not one-off; (iii) the fixed term laid down in the constitution; (iv) whether any election was postponed, and if so, on what stated ground.

Why this question comes first: the chapter names “the conduct of periodic elections” as “one of the most widely recognised features of a democratic system”. But Team D in Fig. 6.5 also holds elections — so the first question tells you whether elections happen, and the later questions tell you whether they mean anything.

Sample answer (for Bhutan and Nepal — verify each fact against a current source before you submit):

• Bhutan: under the Constitution adopted in 2008, elections to the National Assembly are held at fixed intervals; national elections have been held repeatedly since 2008. Record the last two election years you find, and the term of the National Assembly.
• Nepal: under the Constitution adopted in 2015, elections are held to the House of Representatives at fixed intervals, together with provincial and local elections. Record the last two election years and the fixed term.

This question decides which model on Fig. 6.4 the country belongs to. Use the chapter's own three answers as your key:

Also separate Head of State from Head of Government, as the page 148 table does. They can be different people (India: President and Prime Minister), the Head of State can be a monarch (United Kingdom), or the two roles can be held by one person (United States of America, Switzerland).

Sample answer: For Bhutan, the Constitution provides for a constitutional monarchy: the King is Head of State, while the Prime Minister is Head of Government and comes from the party that wins the National Assembly election — a parliamentary pattern like India's. For Nepal, the Constitution provides for a republic: the President is Head of State and the Prime Minister is Head of Government, chosen by the elected House of Representatives — again a parliamentary pattern. Confirm both against the current text of each constitution.

Ask three things, not one. The chapter's test for a multi-party system is not merely that several parties exist on paper.

1. Do several parties contest? “In a multi-party system, several political parties contest elections, representing diverse voices and interests. This gives people the power to choose those they consider most suitable.”
2. Is there a recognised opposition? In India, “the largest opposing group becomes the opposition”. A legislature with no opposition benches is a warning sign.
3. Are the rules the same for everyone? In India parties “function within the framework of rules and regulations laid down by the Representation of the People Act, 1951.” Look for the equivalent law in the country you study, and for who decides which parties may register.

Sample answer: For Bhutan, more than one registered party contests National Assembly elections, and the system is designed so that parties compete in two rounds; note the number of parties registered at the time you check. For Nepal, several parties contest and are represented in the House of Representatives; record how many parties won seats in the most recent election. In both cases, note whether a party outside the government sits as a recognised opposition.

This is the hardest of the four to research and the most important, so use evidence rather than impressions. Look for specific, documented things:

• What does the country's constitution say about freedom of speech and expression, and what restrictions does it allow?
• Is there a right-to-information type law? India's example is the RTI Act, 2005, which “allows citizens to seek information from government agencies”.
• Do independent newspapers and news channels operate, and do they carry criticism of the government? The chapter calls media the ‘fourth pillar of democracy’ precisely because it “serves as a voice of the masses”.
• Can civil society function — “voluntary groups, NGOs and community associations”? Can citizens go to court against the government, as they can in India through Public Interest Litigation?
• Are peaceful protests permitted? The chapter's own illustration of this freedom in India is the Emergency and what followed: when the press was censored and leaders arrested, that was recorded as a challenge to democracy, and mass movements and the ballot were the response.

Sample answer: Rather than giving a personal impression, write two or three sentences of the form: “The Constitution of [country] guarantees freedom of expression under [article], subject to [the restrictions it names]. Independent newspapers such as [names you have verified] publish criticism of government policy. There is / is not a right-to-information law. Source consulted: [name and date].” Every sentence should be traceable to something you actually read.

Do not classify by reputation. Classify by scoring your own four findings, and say which finding produced which part of the verdict.

Sample answer (write yours in this shape, with your own verified findings):

“On the four tests, Nepal appears democratic: its 2015 Constitution provides for periodic elections to the House of Representatives, which have been held; the Prime Minister is chosen by that elected House and can be removed by it; several parties contested and hold seats; and independent newspapers publish criticism of the government. Our sources were [list], checked on [date].”

“On the same four tests, Bhutan also appears democratic in the parliamentary sense: since the 2008 Constitution, National Assembly elections have been held at the fixed interval, the Prime Minister comes from the winning party in that elected House, more than one party contests, and the King is Head of State rather than Head of Government. Our sources were [list], checked on [date].”