CBSE Class 10 Social Science Syllabus

Social Science syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Social Science in CBSE Class 10, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   India and the Contemporary World - II

   3 topics

   • Nationalism in India
   • The Nationalist Movement in Indo-China
   • Nationalism in Europe
2. 2

   Contemporary India - II

   7 topics

   • Resources and Development
   • Forest and Wildlife Resources
   • Water Resources
   • Agriculture
   • Minerals and Energy Resources
   • Manufacturing Industries
   • Life Lines of National Economy
3. 3

   Democratic Politics - II

   8 topics

   • Power Sharing
   • Federalism
   • Democracy and Diversity
   • Gender, Religion and Caste
   • Popular Struggles and Movements
   • Political Parties
   • Outcomes of Democracy
   • Challenges to Democracy
4. 4

   Understanding Economic Development

   5 topics

   • Development
   • Sectors of the Indian Economy
   • Money and Credit
   • Globalisation and the Indian Economy
   • Consumer Rights

Social Science flashcards for CBSE Class 10

23 of 90 cards from the Social Science deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. In the Champaran movement (1917), what issue did Gandhiji take up?

   He led peasants against the oppressive indigo plantation system in Bihar, where they were forced to grow indigo under the tinkathia system.

2. What was the Rowlatt Act (1919) and why was it opposed?

   It allowed the British to imprison political prisoners without trial for up to two years. It was opposed as a 'black law' curbing civil liberties, triggering a nationwide satyagraha.

3. What happened at Jallianwala Bagh on 13 April 1919?

   General Dyer ordered troops to fire on an unarmed crowd gathered in an enclosed ground in Amritsar, killing hundreds. It intensified anger against British rule.

4. On what two issues was the Non-Cooperation Movement (1920-22) launched, and why was it called off?

   It combined the Khilafat cause and Swaraj. Gandhiji called it off in February 1922 after the Chauri Chaura incident, where a mob set a police station on fire killing policemen.

5. What event marked the start of the Civil Disobedience Movement in 1930?

   Gandhiji's Dandi/Salt March (12 March-6 April 1930), walking about 240 miles to break the salt law by making salt from seawater.

6. What were the main demands of the Lahore Congress session of 1929?

   It declared Purna Swaraj (complete independence) as the goal, and 26 January 1930 was celebrated as the first Independence Day.

7. How did Indian nationalists use images to build a sense of nation?

   Through the figure of Bharat Mata (first painted by Abanindranath Tagore) and folklore/icons; devotion to her was seen as evidence of nationalism.

8. In Indo-China, which dynasty's anti-colonial scholar wrote 'The History of the Loss of Vietnam'?

   Phan Boi Chau, a nationalist who founded the Revolutionary Society (Duy Tan Hoi) and led early resistance against French rule.

9. What was the 'go east movement' in early 20th-century Vietnam?

   Around 1907-08 Vietnamese students went to Japan to acquire modern education and seek foreign arms and help to drive out the French.

10. Who founded the Vietnamese Communist Party and led the struggle against the French and Americans?

    Ho Chi Minh, who established the party in 1930 and became the leading figure of Vietnamese independence.

11. What was the significance of the Ho Chi Minh trail in the Vietnam War?

    A network of supply routes (partly through Laos and Cambodia) used by North Vietnam to send men and supplies to fighters in the south, symbolising the resilience of the Vietnamese.

12. What were the main effects of French colonial education policy in Vietnam?

    The French tried to use education to impose 'civilising' values and create an elite; schools became sites of resistance as students questioned colonial rule.

13. What sparked the French Revolution-era idea of nationalism that later spread across Europe?

    The French Revolution (1789) introduced the concept of la patrie and le citoyen, a constitution, a tricolour flag, and the idea that the people constitute the nation.

14. Who was the chief architect of Italian unification (Risorgimento) through diplomacy, and which kingdom led it?

    Count Camillo de Cavour, chief minister of the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont, which led Italian unification (completed 1861, with Victor Emmanuel II as king).

15. How was Germany unified, and who was the key figure?

    Through wars (against Austria, Denmark and France) led by Prussia under Chancellor Otto von Bismarck; the German Empire was proclaimed in 1871 with Wilhelm I as Kaiser.

16. What was the Zollverein?

    A customs union formed in 1834 by Prussia that abolished tariff barriers among most German states, fostering economic unity that aided political unification.

17. Who created the allegory 'Germania' and what did she symbolise?

    The artist Philipp Veit; Germania, wearing a crown of oak leaves (oak = heroism), symbolised the German nation.

18. On what basis are resources classified by ownership?

    Individual, community, national, and international resources.

19. On what basis are resources classified by status of development?

    Potential resources, developed resources, stock, and reserves.

20. What is sustainable development?

    Development that takes place without damaging the environment, and which does not compromise the needs of future generations while meeting present needs.

21. What were the main recommendations of the 1992 Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit?

    It adopted Agenda 21 to combat environmental damage, poverty and disease through global cooperation on shared interests and mutual needs.

22. What are the broad classifications of soils found in India?

    Alluvial, black (regur), red and yellow, laterite, arid (desert), and forest soils.

23. What is the difference between sheet erosion and gully erosion?

    In sheet erosion water flows as a sheet over large areas down a slope washing away topsoil; in gully erosion running water cuts deep channels (gullies) making land unfit for cultivation (badland).

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