NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Civics Chapter 8 Laws and Social Justice
Laws and Social Justice – Given in this post is NCERT Solutions Class 8 Civics Chapter 8 Laws and Social Justice Important Question Answers. The important questions we have compiled will help the students to brush up on their knowledge about the subject. Students can practice Class 8 Civics Chapter 8 important questions to understand the subject better and improve their performance in the exam. The NCERT Solutions Class 8 Social Science (Civics) provided here will also give students an idea about how to write the answers.
Source Based Questions
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow-
A. But merely making laws is not enough. The government has to ensure that these laws are implemented. This means that the law must be enforced. Enforcement becomes even more important when the law seeks to protect the weak from the strong. For instance, to ensure that every worker gets fair wages, the government has to regularly inspect work sites and punish those who violate the law. When workers are poor or powerless, the fear of losing future earnings or facing reprisals often forces them to accept low wages. Employers know this well and use their power to pay workers less than the fair wage. In such cases, it is crucial that laws are enforced.
1 Why is just making laws not enough?
Ans. Merely making laws is not enough. The government has to ensure that these laws are implemented, i.e., the laws must be enforced. Enforcement of laws is important so as to ensure that the weak are protected from the strong. For example, Laws ensure that workers get paid fair wages.
2 What do you mean by enforcement of laws?
Ans. When the passed laws are enforced by the government onto the citizens of the country then this is referred to as enforcement of laws.
3 When does enforcement of laws become important?
Ans. Enforcement becomes even more important when the law seeks to protect the weak from the strong.
4 Give an example of enforcement of laws?
Ans. For instance, to ensure that every worker gets fair wages, the government has to regularly inspect work sites and punish those who violate the law. When workers are poor or powerless, the fear of losing future earnings or facing reprisals often forces them to accept low wages. Employers know this well and use their power to pay workers less than the fair wage. In such cases, it is crucial that laws are enforced.
5 Through making, enforcing and upholding these laws, the government can control the activities of individuals or private companies so as to ensure ____________.
Ans. Through making, enforcing and upholding these laws, the government can control the activities of individuals or private companies so as to ensure social justice.
B. One reason why foreign companies come to India is for cheap labor. Wages that the companies pay to workers, say in the U.S.A., are far higher than what they have to pay to workers in poorer countries like India. For lower pay, companies can get longer hours of work. Additional expenses such as for housing facilities for workers are also fewer. Thus, companies can save costs and earn higher profits.
Cost cutting can also be done by other more dangerous means. Lower working conditions including lower safety measures are used as ways of cutting costs. In the UC plant, every safety device was malfunctioning or was in short supply. Between 1980 and 1984, the work crew for the MIC plant was cut in half from 12 to 6 workers. The period of safety training for workers was brought down from 6 months to 15 days! The post of night-shift worker for the MIC plant was abolished.
1 What is the primary reason that foreign companies come to India?
Ans. One reason why foreign companies come to India is for cheap labor. Wages that the companies pay to workers, say in the U.S.A., are far higher than what they have to pay to workers in poorer countries like India
2 For lower pay, companies can get shorter hours of work. True/False?
Ans. False, For lower pay, companies can get longer hours of work.
3 What are some means of cost cutting?
Ans. Cost cutting can also be done by other more dangerous means. Lower working conditions including lower safety measures are used as ways of cutting costs.
4 Between 1980 and 1984, the work crew for the MIC plant was cut in half from ________ workers.
Ans. Between 1980 and 1984, the work crew for the MIC plant was cut in half from 12 to 6 workers.
5 Between 1980 and 1984 what changes were made in the MIC plant?
Ans. Between 1980 and 1984, the work crew for the MIC plant was cut in half from 12 to 6 workers. The period of safety training for workers was brought down from 6 months to 15 days. The post of night-shift worker for the MIC plant was abolished.
C. Government officials refused to recognise the plant as hazardous and allowed it to come up in a populated locality. When some municipal officials in Bhopal objected that the installation of an MIC production unit in 1978 was a safety violation, the position of the government was that the state needs the continued investment of the Bhopal plant, which provides jobs. It was unthinkable, according to them, to ask UC to shift to cleaner technology or safer procedures. Government inspectors continued to approve the procedures in the plant, even when repeated incidents of leaks from the plant made it obvious to everybody that things were seriously wrong.
1 Government officials refused to recognise the plant as hazardous and allowed it to come up in a sparsely populated locality. True/False?
Ans. False, Government officials refused to recognise the plant as hazardous and allowed it to come up in a populated locality.
2 What was the position of the government on questions asked by the municipal corporation?
Ans. When some municipal officials in Bhopal objected that the installation of an MIC production unit in 1978 was a safety violation, the position of the government was that the state needs the continued investment of the Bhopal plant, which provides jobs.
3.What did the government inspectors continue to do?
Ans. The government inspectors continued to approve the procedures in the plant, even when repeated incidents of leaks from the plant made it obvious to everybody that things were seriously wrong. This action was completely not in line with law-making.
4 What did government inspectors continue to do?
Ans. Government inspectors continued to approve the procedures in the plant, even when repeated incidents of leaks from the plant made it obvious to everybody that things were seriously wrong.
5 Is the above action taken by the then government in line with law-making?
Ans. No, this is contrary to what the role of a lawmaking and enforcement agency should be. Instead of protecting the interests of the people, their safety was being disregarded both by the government and by private companies.
D. The Bhopal disaster brought the issue of the environment to the forefront. Several thousands of persons who were not associated with the factory in any way were greatly affected because of the poisonous gasses leaked from the plant. This made people realize that the existing laws, though weak, only covered the individual worker and not persons who might be injured due to industrial accidents. In response to this pressure from environmental activists and others, in the years following the Bhopal gas tragedy, the Indian government introduced new laws on the environment. Henceforth, the polluter was to be held accountable for the damage done to the environment. The environment is something that people over generations will share, and it could not be destroyed merely for industrial development.
1 Which issue did the Bhopal gas tragedy bring up to the forefront?
Ans. The Bhopal disaster brought the issue of the environment to the forefront.
2 Were citizens affected by the tragedy?
Ans. Yes, several thousands of persons who were not associated with the factory in any way were greatly affected because of the poisonous gasses leaked from the plant.
3 What did the tragedy make people realize?
Ans. The tragedy made people realize that the existing laws, though weak, only covered the individual worker and not persons who might be injured due to industrial accidents.
4 What was the Indian government’s response?
Ans. In response to this pressure from environmental activists and others, in the years following the Bhopal gas tragedy, the Indian government introduced new laws on the environment. Henceforth, the polluter was to be held accountable for the damage done to the environment.
5 What was the main idea behind the verdict given in the case of Bhopal Gas Tragedy?
Ans. The main idea behind the verdict given in the case of Bhopal Gas Tragedy is that, the environment is something that people over generations will share, and it could not be destroyed merely for industrial development.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) (1 Mark)
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) are a type of objective assessment in which a person is asked to choose one or more correct answers from a list of available options. An MCQ presents a question along with several possible answers.
Q1 Which word is used for pollution?
A) Contamination
B) Toxic
C) Pure
D) None of these
Ans. A) Contamination
Q2.The law against child labour was implemented in
A) 2001
B) 2003
C) 2005
D) 2006
Ans. D) 2006
Q3 Even today more than a year after this law was passed ___ of child domestic workers are under the age of 16.
A) 84 percent
B) 74 percent
C) 54 percent
D) 64 percent
Ans. B) 74 percent
Q4 According to the 2001 census, over __ million children in India aged between 5 and 14 work in various occupations including hazardous ones
A) 13
B) 15
C) 11
D) 12
Ans. D) 12
Q5 In the eyes of the law it is _____ to deny workers their wages.
A) illegal
B) Accurate
C) Legal
D) Appropriate
Ans. A) illegal
Q6 The Census of India, __ puts rural household electrification at 44 per cent, leaving around 78 million households still in the dark.
A) 2001
B) 2011
C) 1981
D) 1991
Ans. A) 2001
Q7 Which of the following is power looms?
A) Where the production is made by hand.
B) Where the production is made by machines using electricity.
C) Both (a) and (b)
D) None of these
Ans. B) Where the production is made by machines using electricity.
Q8 What is the term used for a ten-year old child working in a factory?
A) Child labour
B) Factory worker
C) Bailar
D) All of these
Ans. A) Child labour
Q9 South Asian countries “particularly__________” play hosts for industries producing pesticides, asbestos or processing zinc and lead
A) India, Bangladesh and Pakistan
B) India, Bangladesh and Japan
C) India, Bangladesh and China
D) India, Bangladesh and Brazil
Ans. A) India, Bangladesh and Pakistan
Q10 The term used for event in which large number of losses occur to life and property:
A) Toxic
B) Poisonous
C) Disaster
D) Vulnerable
Ans. C) Disaster
Q11 The Indian Constitution guarantees the Right to Education for all children between the ages of
A) 6-18 years
B) 6-15 years
C) 6-14 years
D) 6-16 years
Ans. C) 6-14 years
Q12 Union Carbide is an
A) Australian company
B) American company
C) African company
D) European company
Ans. B) American company
Q13 Right to life come under article
A) 16
B) 20
C) 21
D) 17
Ans. C) 21
Q14 Minimum Wages Act specifies that wages should not be below a specified minimum, whose interest is protected by this law
A) Child
B) Owner
C) Women
D) Workers
Ans. D) Workers
Q15 The money spent to purchase new machine or building for gaining profits in future is called
A) investment
B) expenditure
C) losses
D) none of these
Ans. A) investment
Q16 ______ is a city known for its textile mills.
A) Kolkata
B) Ahmedabad
C) Bhopal
D) Delhi
Ans. B) Ahmedabad
Q17 According to the 2011 Census, there are ____ child workers employed in various hazardous sectors.
A) 6 million
B) 2 million
C) 7 million
D) 4 million
Ans. D) 4 million
Q18 Bhopal Gas Tragedy took place in the year ____.
A) 1984
B) 1985
C) 1986
D) 1981
Ans. A) 1984
Q19 _____ is a major cause of environmental pollution.
A) Vehicular Emission of gasses
B) Killing of animals
C) Tree plantation
D) Food distribution
Ans. A) Vehicular Emission of gasses
Q20 Alang is a port city located in ___ where old ships are dismantled.
A) Maharashtra
B) Kerala
C) Gujarat
D) Tamil Nadu
Ans. C) Gujarat
Q21 Identify the location of Supreme Court in India
A) Punjab
B) Haryana
C) Rajasthan
D) New Delhi
Ans. D) New Delhi
Q22 When was the Supreme Court of India established?
A) 26 January 1950
B) 28 January 1950
C) 29 January 1950
D) None of these
Ans. A) 26 January 1950
Q23 All persons are equal in the eyes of ____
A) Police
B) Ministers
C) Courts
D) Law
Ans. D) Law
Q24 What is provided by the government to protect people from exploitation?
A) Laws
B) Policies
C) Schemes
D) None of these
Ans. A) Laws
Q25 How do the private companies earn more profit?
A) Giving high wages
B) Less working hours
C) Both of these
D) None of these
Ans. D) None of these
Very Short Answer Questions (1 Mark)
Q1. What does the government do to prevent unfair practices and insure social justice?
Ans. The government makes laws, enforces and upholds them so as to prevent unfair practices and ensure social justice.
Q2. Name the three states which have published plans to rescue and rehabilitate children who are working as domestic servants.
Ans. The three states which have published plans to rescue and rehabilitate children who are working as domestic servants are Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
Q3. Why are accidents common at construction sites?
Ans. Accidents are common to construction sites because safety equipment and other precautions are easily ignored.
Q4. How can you say that the Child Labour Prevention Act is not successful in achieving its goal?
Ans. The Child Labour Prevention Act is not successful in achieving its goal as even today 74% of child domestic workers are under the age of 16.
Q5. Which disaster brought the issue of the environment to the forefront?
Ans. The Bhopal gas tragedy brought the issue of the environment to the forefront.
Q6. How was the Bhopal Gas Tragedy the world’s worst industrial tragedy?
Ans. The Bhopal Gas Tragedy was the world’s worst industrial tragedy as people died on a large scale. Hundreds of thousands were maimed. The total number of fatalities was estimated to be between 15,000 and 20,000. Exposure to the toxic gas caused respiratory issues, eye irritation or blindness, and other ailments among over 500,000 survivors.
Q7. Name the three South Asian countries which play hosts for industries producing pesticides, asbestos, etc.
Ans. The three South Asian countries which play hosts for industries producing pesticides, asbestos, etc. are India, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Q8. When does enforcement of laws become more important?
Ans. Enforcement of laws becomes more important when laws seek to protect the weak from the strong.
Q9. What are the advantages to foreign companies in setting up production in India?
Ans. The main advantages to the foreign companies in setting up production in India are:
- Availability of cheap and wide space.
- Cheap labor, low wages
- Cheap quality raw material.
- Government incentives.
Q10. What is the Minimum Wages Act?
Ans. Minimum Wages Act specifies that wages should not be below a specified minimum limit.
Short Answer Questions (3 Marks)
Q1. What are the three basic rights of workers?
Ans. Basics rights of workers are:
- Right to work
- Right to a fair wage
- Decent work conditions
Q2. Why do we need a law on minimum wages?
Ans. We need a minimum wage law so that workers can be paid fairly by their employers. Their employers frequently deny them reasonable salaries. Employers frequently take advantage of their poverty by paying them poor wages.
Q3. How can the government ensure social justice?
Ans. The government can control the behavior of individuals or private companies by making, enforcing, and upholding laws in order to achieve social fairness. Many of these laws are based on the Indian Constitution’s provision of Fundamental Rights.
Q4. Can you point to a few other situations where laws (or rules) exist but people do not follow them because of poor enforcement?
Ans. A few other situations where laws (or rules) exist but people do not follow them because of poor enforcement are:-
- Over-speeding by motorists
- Boarding a running bus
- Not using Zebra crossing for crossing the road
Q5. Why do you think enforcement of safety laws is important in any factory?
Ans. The enforcement of safety laws is critical in any industry for the protection of its employees and the general public. The government, as both legislator and enforcer, is responsible for ensuring that safety laws are followed. It is also the government’s responsibility to ensure that the Right to Life guaranteed by Article 21 of the Constitution is not violated.
Q6. Why are advanced countries relocating the toxic and hazardous industries to developing countries?
Ans. To take advantage of these countries’ weaker rules and keep their own countries safe, advanced countries are moving poisonous and hazardous businesses to underdeveloped countries. South Asian countries, particularly India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, are home to companies that manufacture insecticides, asbestos, and process zinc and lead.
Q7. How can the government meet the challenges where everyone can benefit from the clean environment?
Ans. The government meets the challenges where everyone can benefit from the clean environment by progressively transitioning to cleaner technology and procedures in factories. The government must promote and support factories in this endeavor. Polluters will have to pay a fine. This will secure workers’ livelihoods and provide a safe environment for both workers and the people surrounding the industries.
Q8. Point out the role of government and citizens in establishing a state of law and social justice?
Ans. The government’s primary responsibility is to regulate the actions of private enterprises by enacting, implementing, and upholding laws to prohibit unfair practices and ensure social fairness. While the government takes the lead in this regard, citizens can exert pressure on private enterprises and the government to behave in the best interests of society.
Q9. A ‘A clean environment is a public facility.’ Can you explain this statement?
Ans. The environment is something that people will share for years, and it cannot be destroyed for the sake of industrial development. The courts have issued a series of decisions recognising the right to a healthy environment as a fundamental right. It includes the right to drink clean water and breathe clean air in order to live fully.
Q10. What are the reasons for the sharp differences in safety standards between the two Union carbide factories in the USA and India?
Ans. One worker in India can readily replace another. Due to excessive unemployment, many workers are prepared to labor in hazardous situations for a wage. Employers disregard workplace safety by taking advantage of workers’ weaknesses. As a result, there were significant discrepancies in safety regulations between the two Union carbide facilities in the United States and India.
Long Answer Questions (5 Marks)
Q1. Write a short note on Child Labour Prevention Act.
Ans. According to the 2001 census, nearly 12 million Indian children aged 5 to 14 work in a variety of vocations, including dangerous ones. The government modified the Child Labour Prevention Act in October 2006, prohibiting minors under the age of 14 from working as domestic servants or in dhabas, restaurants, and tea shops, among other places. It rendered hiring these minors a criminal felony. Anyone detected in violation of the ban faces a sentence ranging from three months to two years in prison and/or a fine of Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000.
Q2. What are the advantages to foreign companies in setting up production in India?
Ans. Foreign companies have the following advantages when establishing production in India:
Labour is inexpensive in India as compared to other countries. Wages paid to workers in the United States, for example, are significantly higher than wages paid to workers in poorer nations such as India. Companies can acquire longer hours of labor for cheaper pay. Additional costs, such as housing for workers, are also reduced. Companies can thus save money while increasing earnings. Cost reducing might also be accomplished through more risky techniques. Lower working conditions, including fewer safety precautions, are employed to cut expenses.
Q3. What was the government doing when there were such blatant violations of safety standards in the UC plant?
Ans. Firstly, India’s safety laws were lax. Furthermore, even these lax safety regulations were not strictly enforced. Government officials refused to recognise the facility as dangerous, allowing it to operate in a crowded area. When some Bhopal city authorities argued that the construction of a MIC production unit in 1978 constituted a safety breach, the government’s view was that the state needed the continuous investment of the Bhopal factory, which generates jobs. Even after multiple incidents of leakage from the factory made it clear to everyone that something was terribly wrong, government inspectors continued to approve the operations in the plant.
Q4. Write a brief note on Bhopal gas tragedy.
Ans. Bhopal was the site of the world’s biggest industrial disaster 24 years ago. Union Carbide (UC), an American corporation, operated a factory in the city where it manufactured insecticides. This UC facility began leaking methyl-isocyanate (MIC), a potentially toxic chemical, at midnight on December 2, 1984. More than 8,000 people were killed in three days. Hundreds of thousands of people were maimed. The majority of those who were exposed to the deadly gas were from low-income, working-class families, and approximately 50,000 of them are now unable to work. Many of those who survived experienced serious lung illnesses, vision issues, and other problems.
Q5. What do we mean when we speak of law enforcement? Who is responsible for enforcement? Why is enforcement so important?
Ans. Law enforcement is referred to as the provisions of the law must be applied to all persons without discrimination in both letter and spirit. The caste, creed, and religion of men and women shall not impede the administration of justice and that of law enforcement. Law enforcement primarily entails enforcing the requirements of the law.
The government is responsible for enforcement of laws along with the executive branch. It must ensure that the law it has enacted is applied to everybody without prejudice.
Law enforcement is critical and important as major disasters can occur if laws are not or are only poorly enforced. For example, the atrocities of the Bhopal gas tragedy which occured due to poor law enforcement by the government. It took place only because the safety laws lag in the country and even these weak safety laws were not enforced.
Q6. Imagine yourself to be a worker working in a chemical factory, which has received orders from the government to move to a different site 100 kms away from the present location. Write about how your life would change? Read out your responses in the classroom.
Ans. My life would be profoundly altered by the relocation of the factory in the following ways-
i) Difficulty in finding a residence that matches one’s income.
ii) Issues with the children’s schooling may occur. If a decent school is not nearby, kids must be sent to distant locations.
iii) It may be remote from cities and lack amenities found in more developed areas.
iv) Family expenditures may rise, affecting the family’s budget.
Q7. Write a paragraph on the various roles of the government that you have read about in this chapter.
Ans. In any state, the government serves many functions. This involves providing public utilities such as water supply, healthcare, and sanitation while ensuring that these amenities are not taken over by private firms; the government also plays a critical role in law enforcement, which is critical in the economic sector. The government enacts rules to safeguard workers in manufacturing plants, such as those governing minimum pay, working conditions, and safety precautions. It also creates market restrictions to protect customers from overpricing and substandard items. The government has a rule banning child labour, and it also penalises enterprises that do not adhere to environmental protection policies.
Q8. What do you think about the famous cartoonist R.K. What Is Laxman trying to convey in this cartoon? How does it relate to the 2006 law that you read about on page 125?
Ans. In this cartoon, the acclaimed cartoonist R.K. Laxman attempts to depict a sarcastic impression of the double standards and hypocrisy that some of us follow. A mother complains about the heavy bags her children are forced to carry to school, yet she hires another “child” servant to do the same thing with little regard for the less fortunate child who must work and make a living.
This is in reference to the 2006 Child Labour Prevention Act, which prohibited minors under the age of 14 from working and made individuals who employed these children criminally liable. Unfortunately, 74% of today’s child domestic labourers are under the age of 16. R.K. Laxman’s cartoon highlights this flaw and how the government has failed to take necessary steps to implement the law.
Q9. Write the adverse effects of orders on environmental issues given by courts. What can be done to make the environment safe?
Ans. The courts ordered industries in residential areas of Delhi to cease or relocate. Several of these industries polluted the surrounding area, and their discharge polluted the Yamuna River since they were built up without following the norms.The court’s move, without a doubt, solved one problem, but it also created another, namely the problem of livelihood. Many workers were laid off as a result of the shutdown. Others were forced to migrate to far-flung locations where these factories had relocated. The same issue began to emerge in these areas—these areas had become polluted. The issue of worker safety conditions remained unresolved. The environment is a public resource.
As a result, it must be given proper consideration. We must consider how to keep our surroundings clean. One method is to progressively transition to cleaner technology and procedures in factories. The government must promote and support factories in this endeavor. Those that pollute will have to pay a fine. This will secure workers’ livelihoods and provide a safe environment for both workers and the people surrounding the industries.
Q10. How was the environment treated earlier? What has been the change in perception? Discuss.
Ans. In India, there were few laws safeguarding the environment, and even regulations were rarely enforced. The environment was viewed as a ‘free’ entity, and any industry was free to contaminate the air and water. Whether it was our rivers, air, or groundwater, the environment was being poisoned, and people’s health was being neglected. There has been a shift in perception. The Indian government enacted new environmental laws. Polluters were to be held liable for environmental damage from now on. The courts have issued a series of decisions recognising the right to a healthy environment as a fundamental right.
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