Class 8 Social Science History Chapter 10 Question Answer | India After Independence | English Medium

Class 8 Social Science History Chapter 10 Question Answer | India After Independence | English Medium | ASSEB

India After Independence

Welcome to HSLC Guru. In this lesson on India After Independence, we trace the journey of the Indian nation from the moment of freedom in August 1947 to the building of a modern democratic republic. The chapter, prescribed by the Assam State School Education Board (ASSEB) for Class 8 Social Science, examines the enormous challenges that faced the new country, the framing of the Constitution, the integration of princely states, the creation of linguistic states, the launch of planned economic development, and the principles that guided India’s foreign policy. The complete textbook questions and answers, additional MCQs, fill-in-the-blanks, true/false statements and a glossary are arranged below to help you prepare confidently for examinations.

Chapter Summary

When India became independent on 15 August 1947, the new nation faced a series of grave problems. The Partition of the subcontinent into India and Pakistan caused one of the largest forced migrations in human history. Nearly fifteen million people crossed the new borders, and almost a million lost their lives in communal violence. Refugees poured into Delhi, Punjab, West Bengal and Assam, and the government had to arrange food, shelter and rehabilitation on an unprecedented scale. Restoring peace, controlling riots and rebuilding trust between communities became the most urgent task of the day. Equally pressing was the integration of more than 560 princely states that had been left free to join either dominion or remain independent. Under the firm leadership of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the Deputy Prime Minister, and his Secretary V. P. Menon, almost all states were persuaded to sign the Instrument of Accession. The difficult cases of Junagadh, Hyderabad and Kashmir were resolved through plebiscite, police action (Operation Polo, 1948) and accession respectively, completing the political map of the Indian Union.

While the country was being unified geographically, leaders also worked to give it a written framework of governance. The Constituent Assembly, elected indirectly by provincial legislatures, began its work in December 1946. The Drafting Committee, headed by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, prepared the draft Constitution after almost three years of careful debate. The Constitution was adopted on 26 November 1949 and came into force on 26 January 1950, the day India became a sovereign democratic republic. It guaranteed Fundamental Rights, prescribed Directive Principles of State Policy, set up parliamentary government, an independent judiciary and universal adult franchise. To address the linguistic diversity of the nation, Hindi in Devanagari script was made the official language of the Union, with English continuing as an associate official language. The Eighth Schedule recognised major Indian languages, and the number has grown over the years to twenty-two.

The reorganisation of the country on linguistic lines was another important step in nation-building. After the death of Potti Sriramulu, who fasted for a separate Telugu state, Andhra Pradesh was formed in 1953. The States Reorganisation Commission, set up in 1953 under Fazal Ali, recommended a wholesale redrawing of state boundaries on the basis of language, leading to the States Reorganisation Act of 1956. Economic reconstruction was driven by the Planning Commission, established in 1950 under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Five-Year Plans set targets for agriculture, industry, irrigation, education and health, and India adopted a mixed economy in which the public and private sectors worked together. The Green Revolution of the 1960s, led by Dr. M. S. Swaminathan, raised foodgrain production through high-yielding varieties of seeds, fertilisers, irrigation and credit, making India self-sufficient in wheat and rice.

India’s foreign policy was shaped by the principle of Non-Alignment, by which the country refused to join either the American or the Soviet bloc during the Cold War and chose instead to pursue an independent path based on national interest and world peace. The five principles of peaceful coexistence, called Panchsheel, were articulated in 1954 in an agreement with China. India became a founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement at the Belgrade Conference of 1961. Over the decades, Indian democracy has grown stronger through regular general elections, the expansion of education and rights, and the active participation of citizens; yet it has also faced challenges such as poverty, inequality, communalism, regionalism and corruption. The history of India after independence is therefore a story of remarkable achievements and ongoing struggles to fulfil the promises of the freedom movement.

Textbook Questions and Answers

A. Very Short Answer Questions (1 Mark)

Q1. When did India become independent?

Answer: India became independent on 15 August 1947.

Q2. Who was the first Prime Minister of independent India?

Answer: Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Prime Minister of independent India.

Q3. Who was the chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Constitution?

Answer: Dr. B. R. Ambedkar was the chairman of the Drafting Committee.

Q4. When was the Constitution of India adopted?

Answer: The Constitution was adopted on 26 November 1949.

Q5. When did the Constitution of India come into force?

Answer: It came into force on 26 January 1950, the day celebrated as Republic Day.

Q6. Who is known as the “Iron Man of India”?

Answer: Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is known as the Iron Man of India for his role in integrating the princely states.

Q7. Which was the first state formed on a linguistic basis?

Answer: Andhra Pradesh, formed in 1953, was the first state created on a linguistic basis.

Q8. Who was the chairman of the Planning Commission of India?

Answer: The Prime Minister of India was the ex-officio chairman of the Planning Commission; the first chairman was Jawaharlal Nehru.

Q9. What is meant by Panchsheel?

Answer: Panchsheel means the five principles of peaceful coexistence agreed between India and China in 1954.

Q10. Who is called the Father of the Indian Green Revolution?

Answer: Dr. M. S. Swaminathan is called the Father of the Indian Green Revolution.

B. Short Answer Questions (2 – 3 Marks)

Q1. What were the main problems faced by India just after independence?

Answer: Independent India faced (i) the rehabilitation of millions of refugees from Pakistan, (ii) communal violence and riots arising out of Partition, (iii) the integration of more than 560 princely states, (iv) the framing of a Constitution for a diverse population, and (v) the rebuilding of an economy weakened by colonial rule, war and famine.

Q2. How was the princely state of Hyderabad integrated into India?

Answer: The Nizam of Hyderabad refused to join either India or Pakistan and wanted to remain independent. When the people of the state, especially the peasants of Telangana, rose against his rule and the Razakars launched a reign of terror, the Government of India sent the army in September 1948 in an action called Operation Polo. Within a few days the Nizam surrendered and Hyderabad was integrated into the Indian Union.

Q3. Write a short note on the Constituent Assembly of India.

Answer: The Constituent Assembly was a body of about 299 members elected indirectly by the provincial legislatures. It first met on 9 December 1946 with Dr. Sachchidananda Sinha as temporary chairman and later Dr. Rajendra Prasad as permanent President. It worked for about two years, eleven months and eighteen days, debated every clause, and adopted the Constitution on 26 November 1949.

Q4. What is meant by a “mixed economy”?

Answer: A mixed economy is one in which the public sector (industries owned by the State) and the private sector (industries owned by individuals or companies) exist side by side. India adopted this model so that key industries like steel, coal and railways could be developed by the State while other areas were left open to private enterprise.

Q5. What is the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution?

Answer: The Eighth Schedule of the Constitution lists the languages of India that are officially recognised. Originally there were 14 languages; through later amendments the number has grown to 22, including Assamese, Bodo, Bengali, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Sanskrit and Santhali.

Q6. What is meant by Non-Alignment?

Answer: Non-Alignment was the policy of not joining either the American-led Western bloc or the Soviet-led Eastern bloc during the Cold War. India, under Jawaharlal Nehru, decided each issue on its merits and worked for world peace. The Non-Aligned Movement was formally founded at Belgrade in 1961.

C. Long Answer Questions (5 – 6 Marks)

Q1. Describe the role of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in the integration of the princely states.

Answer: At the time of independence, the British Indian Empire was divided into directly ruled provinces and over 560 princely states. The British declared that, with the lapse of paramountcy, every prince was free to join India, join Pakistan or remain independent. This raised the danger of the country breaking into hundreds of small kingdoms.

As Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, with the help of his Secretary V. P. Menon, persuaded almost all the rulers to sign the Instrument of Accession, by which they handed over defence, foreign affairs and communications to the Government of India. Patel combined patient diplomacy with firmness; he appealed to the patriotism of the princes and at the same time made clear that the central government would not tolerate independence.

Three states proved difficult. Junagadh‘s Nawab acceded to Pakistan, but the Hindu-majority population revolted; a plebiscite in 1948 brought Junagadh into India. Hyderabad‘s Nizam refused to join, but Operation Polo (1948) ended his resistance. Jammu and Kashmir acceded to India in October 1947 after a tribal invasion from Pakistan. By 1949, the political integration of India was largely complete, earning Patel the title of the “Iron Man of India”.

Q2. Discuss the making of the Indian Constitution.

Answer: The making of the Indian Constitution was a long and careful process. The Constituent Assembly was set up in November 1946 under the Cabinet Mission Plan. Its first session was held on 9 December 1946 in Delhi. After Partition, the Assembly was reduced to about 299 members representing both elected provincial legislatures and the princely states.

The Assembly elected Dr. Rajendra Prasad as its President. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru moved the famous Objectives Resolution on 13 December 1946, declaring India a sovereign democratic republic guaranteeing justice, liberty and equality. Several committees were formed; the most important was the Drafting Committee headed by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar.

The Drafting Committee studied the constitutions of many countries and prepared a draft, which was discussed clause by clause in the Assembly. Finally the Constitution was adopted on 26 November 1949 and came into force on 26 January 1950, the date now celebrated as Republic Day. The Constitution provides for parliamentary democracy, federalism with a strong centre, an independent judiciary, fundamental rights, directive principles, and universal adult franchise.

Q3. Why and how were states reorganised on a linguistic basis?

Answer: At independence, the boundaries of provinces had been drawn by the British for administrative convenience and did not match the languages and cultures of the people. Many leaders feared that creating linguistic states might encourage regionalism, but pressure from below was very strong.

The death of Potti Sriramulu in 1952 after a 56-day fast for a separate Telugu state forced the government’s hand. In 1953 the Telugu-speaking areas of Madras were carved out as the new state of Andhra Pradesh. The same year, the government appointed the States Reorganisation Commission (SRC) under Fazal Ali, with H. N. Kunzru and K. M. Panikkar as members.

The Commission submitted its report in 1955 and recommended that states be reorganised broadly on the basis of language. On the basis of this report, Parliament passed the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, which created fourteen states and six union territories. Later, more states such as Maharashtra and Gujarat (1960), Nagaland (1963), Punjab and Haryana (1966) and the North-Eastern states (1972) were formed. Linguistic reorganisation strengthened national unity by giving people a sense of belonging within their own state while respecting the unity of the country.

Q4. Explain the planned economic development of India after independence.

Answer: When India became free, its economy was poor, agricultural and dependent. To raise the standard of living, the government adopted the model of planned development. The Planning Commission was set up by a resolution of the Cabinet on 15 March 1950, with the Prime Minister as ex-officio chairman.

India followed the system of Five-Year Plans. The First Plan (1951-56) gave priority to agriculture and irrigation; the Second Plan (1956-61), drafted by P. C. Mahalanobis, emphasised heavy industries; later plans focused on agriculture, employment, poverty reduction and infrastructure.

India followed a mixed economy in which the public sector built steel plants, oil refineries, dams and railways while the private sector handled consumer goods and services. The Green Revolution of the late 1960s, led by Dr. M. S. Swaminathan, used high-yielding seeds, fertilisers and tube-well irrigation in Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, and made India self-sufficient in wheat and rice. The White Revolution increased milk production. Although problems of inequality and unemployment remained, planning helped India build a strong industrial base and modern infrastructure.

Q5. What were the main features of India’s foreign policy after independence?

Answer: India’s foreign policy after independence was shaped largely by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and reflected the values of the freedom movement. Its main features were:

(i) Non-Alignment: India refused to join either the American or Soviet military bloc and decided each issue independently in the interest of peace.

(ii) Panchsheel: The five principles of peaceful coexistence, namely mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-aggression, non-interference in internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence, formed the basis of relations with neighbours, especially China (1954).

(iii) Anti-colonialism and anti-racism: India strongly supported the freedom struggles of Asian and African countries and opposed apartheid in South Africa.

(iv) Support for the United Nations: India became an active member of the UN and contributed troops to peacekeeping missions in Korea, the Congo and elsewhere.

(v) Friendship with neighbours: India sought peaceful relations with all its neighbours, although wars with China (1962) and Pakistan (1947-48, 1965, 1971) showed the difficulties involved.

This policy gave India a respected voice in world affairs out of proportion to its economic strength.

Additional Multiple-Choice Questions

Q1. India became independent on:

(a) 26 January 1950 (b) 15 August 1947 (c) 26 November 1949 (d) 14 August 1947

Answer: (b) 15 August 1947.

Q2. The first President of the Constituent Assembly was:

(a) Jawaharlal Nehru (b) Sardar Patel (c) Dr. Rajendra Prasad (d) Dr. B. R. Ambedkar

Answer: (c) Dr. Rajendra Prasad.

Q3. The chairman of the Drafting Committee was:

(a) Sardar Patel (b) K. M. Munshi (c) Dr. B. R. Ambedkar (d) Jawaharlal Nehru

Answer: (c) Dr. B. R. Ambedkar.

Q4. The Indian Constitution was adopted on:

(a) 26 January 1950 (b) 15 August 1947 (c) 26 November 1949 (d) 9 December 1946

Answer: (c) 26 November 1949.

Q5. Operation Polo was launched against:

(a) Junagadh (b) Hyderabad (c) Kashmir (d) Travancore

Answer: (b) Hyderabad.

Q6. The States Reorganisation Commission was headed by:

(a) K. M. Panikkar (b) Fazal Ali (c) H. N. Kunzru (d) V. P. Menon

Answer: (b) Fazal Ali.

Q7. The Planning Commission of India was set up in the year:

Answer: (b) 1950.

Q8. The first Five-Year Plan covered the period:

Q9. Panchsheel was signed between India and:

(a) USA (b) USSR (c) China (d) Nepal

Answer: (c) China.

Q10. The Father of the Indian Green Revolution is:

(a) Norman Borlaug (b) M. S. Swaminathan (c) Verghese Kurien (d) C. Subramaniam

Answer: (b) M. S. Swaminathan.

Fill in the Blanks

1. India’s first Prime Minister was ____________.

Answer: Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.

2. The Constitution of India came into force on ____________.

Answer: 26 January 1950.

3. ____________ was the first state formed on a linguistic basis.

Answer: Andhra Pradesh.

4. Sardar Patel is popularly called the ____________ of India.

Answer: Iron Man.

5. The five principles of peaceful coexistence are known as ____________.

Answer: Panchsheel.

True or False

1. The Constituent Assembly first met in December 1946.

Answer: True.

2. Hyderabad was integrated into India through a plebiscite.

Answer: False. Hyderabad was integrated through Operation Polo in September 1948.

3. Hindi in Devanagari script is the official language of the Union.

Answer: True.

4. The Planning Commission was set up in 1947.

Answer: False. The Planning Commission was set up in March 1950.

5. India followed a policy of Non-Alignment during the Cold War.

Answer: True.

Glossary

Term	Meaning
Partition	The division of British India in 1947 into India and Pakistan.
Refugee	A person who is forced to leave home because of war or persecution.
Princely State	A native state ruled by an Indian prince under British paramountcy.
Instrument of Accession	Legal document by which a princely state joined India or Pakistan.
Operation Polo	The 1948 military action that integrated Hyderabad into India.
Constituent Assembly	Body that drafted the Constitution of India (1946-49).
Drafting Committee	Committee headed by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar that prepared the draft Constitution.
Eighth Schedule	Schedule of the Constitution listing the officially recognised languages of India.
States Reorganisation Commission	1953 commission under Fazal Ali that recommended linguistic states.
Five-Year Plan	A plan of economic development spread over five years.
Mixed Economy	Economy in which both the public and private sectors operate.
Green Revolution	The rapid increase in foodgrain output from the 1960s through new technology.
Non-Alignment	Policy of not joining any military bloc during the Cold War.
Panchsheel	Five principles of peaceful coexistence agreed between India and China in 1954.
Republic Day	26 January, the day the Indian Constitution came into force in 1950.