CBSE Class 9 Social Science Syllabus

What were Lenin's 'April Theses' demands (the three demands)?

End the war, transfer land to the peasants, and nationalise the banks ('Peace, Land and Bread').

What were 'soviets'?

Councils of workers, soldiers and peasants formed during the Russian Revolution.

What was 'collectivisation' under Stalin?

The policy (from 1929) of merging individual peasant farms into large collective farms (kolkhoz) to increase grain production.

What is India's total geographical area and its rank in size among the world's countries?

About 3.28 million square km, the seventh largest country in the world.

Which latitude (the Tropic of Cancer) divides India into almost two equal parts, and at what degree?

The Tropic of Cancer at 23.5 degrees North.

What are the latitudinal and longitudinal extents of India?

Latitude 8 degrees 4' N to 37 degrees 6' N; longitude 68 degrees 7' E to 97 degrees 25' E.

Which is the Standard Meridian of India and through which place does it pass?

82 degrees 30' E, passing through Mirzapur (near Allahabad/Prayagraj) in Uttar Pradesh.

What is the time difference between the Gujarat and Arunachal Pradesh, and why does it occur?

About 2 hours, because India's east-west longitudinal extent is roughly 30 degrees (and the sun rises about 2 hours earlier in the east).

Name the seven major physical divisions of India.

The Himalayan Mountains, the Northern Plains, the Peninsular Plateau, the Indian Desert, the Coastal Plains, and the Islands.

Name the three parallel ranges of the Himalayas from north to south.

The Himadri (Great/Inner Himalayas), the Himachal (Middle/Lesser Himalayas), and the Shiwaliks (Outer Himalayas).

Which is the highest peak of the Himalayas, and what is its other name?

Mount Everest, also known as Sagarmatha (or Kanchenjunga is the highest within India).

The Northern Plains are formed by the alluvial deposits of which three river systems?

The Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra river systems.

What are 'bhabar' and 'khadar' in the Northern Plains?

Bhabar is a narrow belt of pebbles at the foot of the Shiwaliks where streams disappear; khadar is the newer, younger and more fertile alluvial soil of the floodplains.

Which is the oldest landmass of India, and what type of rock is it largely made of?

The Peninsular Plateau, made largely of old igneous and metamorphic rocks (part of the Gondwana land).

Into which two broad groups are India's island groups divided?

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Bay of Bengal) and the Lakshadweep Islands (Arabian Sea).

Define democracy.

A form of government in which rulers are elected by the people; the people choose and remove their rulers through free and fair elections.

What are the key features of a democracy?

Rulers are elected by the people; one person, one vote, one value; rule of law and respect for rights; and elections are free and fair, offering a real choice.

Why is universal adult franchise a defining feature of democracy?

Because in a democracy each adult citizen has one vote and each vote has equal value, ensuring political equality.

Give two arguments in favour of democracy.

It improves the quality of decision-making, provides a method to resolve conflicts peacefully, and allows mistakes to be corrected; it also enhances the dignity of citizens.

What does 'constitution' mean?

The supreme law that determines the relationship among people living in a territory and the relationship between the people and the government.

When was the Constitution of India adopted and when did it come into effect?

Adopted on 26 November 1949 and came into effect on 26 January 1950.

Who was the Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Indian Constitution?

Dr B.R. Ambedkar.

What is the 'Preamble' of the Constitution?

The introductory statement of the Constitution that states its guiding values and the philosophy on which it is based (e.g. sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic).

In the Palampur story, what is the main activity of the village, and what is the most important factor of production that is fixed?

Farming is the main activity; land is the fixed (and most important) factor of production, as its area cannot be increased.

What are the four requirements (factors of production) for the production of goods and services described in Palampur?

Land, labour, physical capital, and human capital (knowledge and enterprise to combine the others).

What is the difference between 'fixed capital' and 'working capital'?

Fixed capital includes tools, machines and buildings used over many years; working capital is raw materials and money in hand used up during production.

What was the impact of the Green Revolution / multiple cropping in Palampur?

Use of HYV seeds, irrigation (tube wells), chemical fertilisers and multiple cropping greatly increased farm yields and production from the same land.

What does 'human capital' / 'people as resource' mean?

It refers to the stock of skill, ability, education and health of a country's working-age population that makes them a productive asset for the economy.

Distinguish between 'economic activities' and 'non-economic activities'.

Economic activities are done for income/payment and add to national income; non-economic activities are done out of love or duty (e.g. household work for one's own family) without payment.

What is 'disguised unemployment' and where is it commonly found?

A situation where more people are engaged in work than is actually required, so removing some would not reduce output; it is common in the agricultural (rural) sector.

What is 'seasonal unemployment'?

A situation where people are unable to find work during certain months/seasons of the year, common in agriculture.