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The NCERT Class 11 Political Science Chapter 10: The Philosophy of the Constitution from the Indian Constitution at Work textbook explores the foundational values and principles underpinning the Indian Constitution. It examines the Constituent Assembly debates, the balance between individual and community rights, and concepts like secularism, federalism, and social justice. The chapter highlights how the Constitution reflects India’s unique socio-cultural context while incorporating universal democratic ideals. This section provides detailed solutions to the chapter’s exercise questions, offering clear explanations to help students understand the Constitution’s philosophical framework and prepare effectively for exams.
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NCERT Solutions Class 11 Indian Constitution at Work Chapter 10: The Philosophy of the Constitution
This section provides clear solutions for Class 11 Indian Constitution at Work Chapter 10: The Philosophy of the Constitution. The detailed explanations below help students understand the subject thoroughly.
Exercise
1. The following are certain laws. Are they connected with any value?
If yes, then what is the underlying value? Give reasons.
a. Both daughters and sons will have share in the family property.
b. There will be different slabs of sales tax on different consumer
items.
c. Religious instructions will not be given in any government
school.
d. There shall be no begar or forced labour.
2. Which of the options given below cannot be used to complete the following statement?
Democratic countries need a constitution to
i. Check the power of the government.
ii. Protect minorities from majority.
iii. Bring independence from colonial rule.
iv. Ensure that a long-term vision is not lost by momentary passions.
v. Bring social change in peaceful manner.
3. The following are different positions about reading and understanding Constituent Assembly debates.
i. Which of these statements argues that Constituent Assembly debates are relevant even today? Which statement says that they are not relevant?
ii. With which of these positions do you agree and why?
a. Common people are too busy in earning livelihood and meeting different pressures of life. They can’t understand the legal language of these debates.
b. The conditions and challenges today are different from the time when the Constitution was made. To read the ideas of Constitution makers and use them for our new times is trying to bring past in the present
c. Our ways of understanding the world and the present challenges have not changed totally. Constituent Assembly debates can provide us reasons why certain practises are important. In a period when constitutional practises are being challenged, not knowing the reasons can destroy them.
4. Explain the difference between the Indian Constitution and western deas in the light of
a. Understanding of secularism.
b. Articles 370 and 371.
c. Affirmative action.
d. Universal adult franchise.
5. Which of the following principles of secularism are adopted in the Constitution of India?
a. that state will have nothing to do with religion
b. that state will have close relation with religion
c. that state can discriminate among religions
d. that state will recognise rights of religious groups
e. that state will have limited powers to intervene in affairs of religions
6. Match the following.
| a. Freedom to criticise treatment of widows | i. Substantive achievement |
| b. Taking decisions in the constituent assembly on the basis of reason, not self interest | ii. Procedural achievement |
| c. Accepting importance of community in an individual’s life | iii. Neglect of gender justice |
| d. Article 370 and 371 | iv. Liberal Individualism |
| e. Unequal rights to women regarding family property and children | v. Attention to requirements of a particular region |
7. This discussion was taking place in a class. Read the various arguments and state which of these do you agree with and why.
Jayesh: I still think that our Constitution is only a borrowed document.
Saba: Do you mean to say that there is nothing Indian in it? But is there such a thing as Indian and Western in the case of values and ideas? Take equality between men and women. What is Western about it? And even if it is, should we reject it only because it is Western?
Jayesh: What I mean is that after fighting for independence from the British, did we not adopt their system of parliamentary government?
Neha: You forget that when we fought the British, we were not against the British as such, we were against the principle of colonialism. That has nothing to do with adopting a system of
government that we wanted, wherever it came from.
8. Why is it said that the making of the Indian Constitution was unrepresentative? Does that make the Constitution unrepresentative? Give reasons for your answer.
9. One of the limitations of the Constitution of India is that it does not adequately attend to gender justice. What evidence can you give to substantiate this charge? If you were writing the Constitution today, what provisions would you recommend for remedying this limitation?
10. Do you agree with the statement that “it is not clear why in a poor developing country, certain basic socio-economic rights were relegated to the section on Directive Principles rather than made an integral feature of our Fundamental Rights”? Give reasons for your answer. What do you think are the possible reasons for putting socio-economic rights in the section on Directive Principles?
11. How did your school celebrate the Constitution Day on November 26th?
Also Read:
- NCERT Notes Class 11 Political Science Indian Constitution at Work Chapter 3: Election and Representation (Free PDF)
- NCERT Notes Class 11 Political Science: Political Theory Chapter 7: Nationalism (Free PDF)
Solutions:
- a. Underlying Value: Gender Equality
This law ensures equal property rights for daughters and sons, reflecting the constitutional value of gender equality (Article 14). It counters traditional practices favoring male heirs, promoting fairness and non-discrimination.
b. Underlying Value: Economic Justice
Different tax slabs aim to ensure equitable taxation based on the nature of goods, reflecting the principle of economic justice. Essential items may have lower taxes to reduce the burden on the poor, aligning with Directive Principles (Article 38).
c. Underlying Value: Secularism
Prohibiting religious instructions in government schools upholds the secular principle of state neutrality (Article 28). It ensures education remains free from religious bias, fostering inclusivity.
d. Underlying Value: Human Dignity and Social Justice
Banning beggar and forced labour (Article 23) protects individual dignity and prevents exploitation, reflecting the Constitution’s commitment to social justice and equality.
- iii. Bring independence from colonial rule.
A constitution is not needed specifically to achieve independence, as independence is a historical event, not an ongoing function of a constitution. The other options reflect core purposes of a democratic constitution.
- i. Relevance of Constituent Assembly Debates:
- Relevant Today: Statement ‘c’ argues that Constituent Assembly debates remain relevant as they provide reasons for constitutional practices, which are crucial when these practices are challenged.
- Not Relevant: Statements a and b argue against relevance. Statement ‘a’ claims the debates are too complex for common people, and statement ‘b’ suggests the debates are outdated due to changed conditions.
ii. Position I Agree With and Why:
I agree with statement c. The Constituent Assembly debates offer insights into the rationale behind constitutional principles like secularism and federalism, which remain relevant. Understanding these reasons strengthens our ability to uphold constitutional values against contemporary challenges, ensuring their continuity.
- a. Understanding of Secularism: Western secularism often emphasizes strict separation between state and religion. Indian secularism, however, adopts a principled distance, allowing state intervention to ensure equality among religions (e.g., Article 25) and recognizing religious group rights, reflecting India’s diverse society.
b. Articles 370 and 371: Western constitutions typically emphasize uniform laws. Articles 370 and 371 provide special provisions for specific regions (e.g., Jammu & Kashmir, Northeastern states), reflecting India’s contextual federalism that accommodates regional diversity, unlike the uniform federal models in the West.
c. Affirmative Action: Western affirmative action often focuses on individual merit with limited group-based measures. India’s Constitution (e.g., Articles 15, 16) provides extensive group-based reservations for historically disadvantaged communities (SC/ST/OBC), emphasizing social justice over individual liberalism.
d. Universal Adult Franchise: Western democracies gradually adopted universal suffrage. India’s Constitution, from its inception, granted universal adult franchise (Article 326), reflecting a bold commitment to democratic inclusion despite socio-economic challenges, unlike the phased approach in the West.
- a. that state will have nothing to do with religion
d. that state will recognise rights of religious groups
e. that state will have limited powers to intervene in affairs of religions
These reflect India’s model of secularism, which maintains principled distance, recognizes religious rights, and allows limited state intervention for equality, as seen in Articles 25–28.
- a. Freedom to criticise treatment of widows – i. Substantive achievement
b. Taking decisions in the constituent assembly on the basis of reason, not self-interest – ii. Procedural achievement
c. Accepting importance of community in an individual’s life – iv. Liberal individualism
d. Article 370 and 371 – v. Attention to requirements of a particular region
e. Unequal rights to women regarding family property and children – iii. Neglect of gender justice
- I agree with Saba and Neha. Saba’s argument that values like equality transcend Indian or Western origins is valid, as universal principles should not be rejected based on their source. Neha’s point clarifies that adopting a parliamentary system was a deliberate choice for democratic governance, not a rejection of anti-colonial principles. Jayesh’s view overlooks the Indian context and rationale behind adopting a parliamentary system, which was tailored to India’s needs.
- The making of the Indian Constitution is considered unrepresentative because the Constituent Assembly was not elected by universal adult franchise but through limited provincial elections under colonial rule, excluding many groups. However, this does not make the Constitution unrepresentative. The Assembly included diverse voices, debated extensively, and reflected India’s pluralistic needs. The Constitution’s provisions, like universal suffrage and fundamental rights, ensure broad representation, and its adaptability through amendments addresses evolving societal needs.
- The Constitution’s limitation on gender justice is evident in provisions like Article 44 (uniform civil code), which was deferred to Directive Principles, allowing unequal personal laws to persist (e.g., unequal inheritance rights for women). The lack of explicit provisions for women’s representation in legislatures also reflects this gap. If writing the Constitution today, I recommend mandatory reservations for women in Parliament and state legislatures, explicit provisions for equal inheritance rights across all communities, and a timeline for implementing a gender-just uniform civil code to ensure equality.
- I agree that relegating socio-economic rights to Directive Principles rather than Fundamental Rights is a limitation in a poor developing country, as these rights (e.g., education, employment) are critical for equality but are non-justiciable (Articles 36–51). Fundamental Rights would ensure enforceability. Possible reasons for this include the state’s limited resources at independence, prioritizing civil liberties to establish democracy, and the belief that socio-economic goals required gradual implementation through policy rather than immediate legal obligations.
- This question requires students to describe their school’s Constitution Day celebrations on November 26th. A typical response might include activities like organizing debates on constitutional values, poster-making competitions on themes like secularism or equality, or reading the Preamble collectively. Students should share specific activities their school conducted, such as guest lectures or essay-writing events, to reflect on the Constitution’s significance.
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Also Read:
- NCERT Solutions Class 11 Political Science: Political Theory Chapter 7 Nationalism (Free PDF)
- NCERT Class 11 Political Science Chapter 6: Citizenship Notes (Free PDF)
Download the Solutions of Other Chapters of Class 11 Political Science: Indian Constitution at Work
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