AP SSC Social Studies flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Tropic of Cancer in India

The 23°30′N latitude that crosses India through Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura and Mizoram, dividing the country into tropical and subtropical zones.

Indian Standard Meridian

The 82°30′E longitude near Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh, adopted as India's standard time line; Indian Standard Time is 5 hours 30 minutes ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.

Himalayan versus peninsular rivers

Himalayan rivers such as the Ganga and Brahmaputra are snow-fed and perennial with large basins; peninsular rivers such as the Godavari and Krishna are rain-fed and seasonal.

Southwest monsoon mechanism

Summer heating creates low pressure over the Indian landmass, pulling moist winds from the Indian Ocean; the Tibetan Plateau and jets strengthen the flow, bringing rain from June to September.

Black regur soil

Dark soil formed from weathered Deccan lava, rich in clay and iron, with high moisture retention; it is especially suited to cotton and grows mainly in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.

Sex ratio definition

The number of females per 1,000 males in a population; it is a standard census indicator of gender balance and is calculated separately for each state and district.

Kharif and rabi seasons

Kharif crops such as rice and cotton are sown with the southwest monsoon from June to October; rabi crops such as wheat and gram are sown in winter from October to March.

Laterite soil formation

Soil formed in high-rainfall tropical areas where heavy leaching removes silica and bases, leaving iron and aluminium oxides; it is acidic, low in fertility and used for tea and cashew.

Fundamental Rights categories

Part III rights covering equality, freedom, exploitation, religion, cultural and educational rights, and constitutional remedies; Article 32 allows direct approach to the Supreme Court for enforcement.

Directive Principles of State Policy

Part IV guidelines, Articles 36 to 51, that direct governments toward welfare goals such as employment, education and health; they are not enforceable in courts but guide lawmaking.

Article 21A right to education

A Fundamental Right inserted by the 86th Amendment in 2002, guaranteeing free and compulsory education to children aged six to fourteen years; it was implemented by the 2009 Act.

Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha

The Lok Sabha is the directly elected lower house with a maximum of 552 members; the Rajya Sabha is the permanent upper house with up to 250 members, one-third retiring every two years.

Five writs in Indian law

Habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition, certiorari and quo warranto; the Supreme Court issues them under Article 32 and High Courts under Article 226 to protect rights.

73rd and 74th Amendments

Constitutional amendments of 1992 that gave constitutional status to rural panchayats and urban local bodies, mandating regular elections, State Election Commissions and one-third reservation for women.

Anti-defection law

The Tenth Schedule, added in 1985, disqualifies legislators who voluntarily leave their party or vote against a party whip, aiming to prevent floor-crossing and unstable governments.

Election Commission of India

A constitutional body under Article 324 that conducts elections to Parliament, state legislatures and the offices of President and Vice-President, and enforces the model code of conduct.

Swadeshi movement

A movement launched after the 1905 Partition of Bengal, promoting Indian goods and boycotting British products; it strengthened Indian nationalism and the demand for self-government.

Dandi March 1930

Gandhi's march from Sabarmati to Dandi from 12 March to 6 April 1930 to make salt in defiance of the salt law, launching the Civil Disobedience Movement.

Purna Swaraj declaration

The demand for complete independence adopted at the Congress Lahore session in December 1929 under Nehru's presidency; 26 January 1930 was observed as Independence Day.

Government of India Act 1935

A British statute granting provincial autonomy, expanding the electorate and introducing a federal structure that never fully operated; independent India's Constitution borrowed many of its administrative features.

Quit India Movement

Launched on 9 August 1942 after the All India Congress Committee passed a resolution demanding immediate British withdrawal; leaders were arrested and mass protests followed across India.

Non-Aligned Movement origins

A grouping of states avoiding alignment with Cold War blocs, shaped by the 1955 Bandung Conference and the 1961 Belgrade summit with leaders Nehru, Nasser, Tito, Sukarno and Nkrumah.

Treaty of Versailles 1919

The settlement ending World War I that imposed reparations and territorial losses on Germany and created the League of Nations; its terms are often linked to later instability.

Gross Domestic Product

The market value of all final goods and services produced within a country's domestic territory during a year, used as the main measure of economic output.

Per capita income

National income divided by population; it indicates average income per person but does not show income distribution, unpaid work or non-monetary welfare.

Human Development Index

A UNDP composite index combining life expectancy, education years and per capita income; it ranks countries on health, knowledge and standard of living rather than income alone.

Repo rate

The rate at which the Reserve Bank of India lends short-term funds to commercial banks; raising it typically reduces credit growth and inflation, while lowering it stimulates lending.

Fiscal deficit

The excess of total government expenditure over total receipts excluding borrowings; it measures how much the government must borrow in a financial year.

Green Revolution in India

A strategy from the late 1960s using high-yielding seeds, irrigation, fertilisers and pesticides that sharply raised wheat and rice output, especially in Punjab and Haryana.

Sustainable development definition

Development that meets present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs; it balances economic growth, social equity and environmental protection.

Consumer Protection Act 2019

An Indian law replacing the 1986 Act, creating the Central Consumer Protection Authority and three-tier commissions, and covering online sales, misleading advertisements and product liability.

United Nations Security Council

The UN organ with primary responsibility for peace and security, having five permanent members with veto power and ten elected non-permanent members serving two-year terms.