Kerala SSLC Social Science flashcards

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

Preamble

The introductory statement of the Indian Constitution declaring India a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic and securing justice, liberty, equality and fraternity for all citizens.

Article 32

The Right to Constitutional Remedies allowing citizens to move the Supreme Court directly for enforcement of Fundamental Rights; Ambedkar called it the heart and soul of the Constitution.

Habeas Corpus

A Latin writ meaning 'to have the body'; it orders a person detaining another to produce the detainee before court and justify the detention, protecting personal liberty.

Directive Principles

Guidelines in Part IV (Articles 36–51) directing the State towards a welfare society; they are not enforceable in courts but are fundamental in governance and law-making.

Fundamental Duties

Eleven duties of citizens listed in Article 51A, inserted by the 42nd Amendment in 1976 on the Swaran Singh Committee's advice; they are moral obligations, not enforceable rights.

Anti-defection law

The Tenth Schedule, added by the 52nd Amendment in 1985, disqualifies elected members who voluntarily leave their party or defy a party whip in the legislature.

Election Commission

An independent constitutional body under Article 324 that supervises and conducts elections to Parliament, State Legislatures, and the offices of President and Vice-President of India.

73rd Amendment

The 1992 constitutional amendment giving Panchayati Raj institutions constitutional status under Part IX, with a three-tier structure, five-year terms and one-third reservation for women.

Formation of Kerala

Kerala state was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act, merging Travancore-Cochin with the Malabar district of Madras State on a linguistic basis.

Residuary powers

Powers over subjects not listed in the Union, State or Concurrent Lists; under Article 248 they rest with Parliament, strengthening the centralising tendency of Indian federalism.

National Emergency

Declared under Article 352 by the President on grounds of war, external aggression or armed rebellion; it can suspend Fundamental Rights and alter Centre-State relations temporarily.

Monsoon

A seasonal reversal of wind direction caused by differential heating of land and sea; India receives the Southwest Monsoon from June to September, bringing about 75 percent of annual rainfall.

Western Ghats

A mountain range running parallel to India's west coast, blocking the Southwest Monsoon and causing heavy orographic rainfall on windward slopes, including Kerala's high-rainfall belt.

Laterite soil

A leached tropical soil formed by intense weathering in high-rainfall areas like Kerala; it is acidic, low in nitrogen, and used for cashew, rubber and tea after manuring.

Backwaters

Networks of brackish lagoons and lakes lying parallel to Kerala's coast, formed by wave action and river deposits; famous examples are Vembanad and Ashtamudi lakes.

Plantation agriculture

Large-scale cultivation of a single cash crop such as tea, coffee, rubber or cardamom, typical of Kerala's high ranges; it requires capital, labour and processing units.

Kerala's population features

Kerala has high literacy, high life expectancy, low infant mortality and a below-replacement fertility rate, giving it a demographic profile closer to developed nations.

Green Revolution

A 1960s–70s strategy using high-yielding varieties, irrigation, fertilisers and pesticides to raise foodgrain output; it was most successful in Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh.

Primary sector

Economic activities that directly use natural resources, such as agriculture, fishing, forestry and mining; it employs the largest share of India's workforce but contributes a small GDP share.

Human Development Index

A composite index by UNDP combining life expectancy, education (mean and expected years of schooling) and per capita income to rank countries' social and economic development.

Kudumbashree

A Kerala government programme launched in 1998 organising women into neighbourhood groups for savings, micro-enterprise and local development, especially among poor households.

Gulf migration

Large-scale movement of Keralites to Gulf countries since the 1970s for employment; remittances from this migration strongly support the state's economy and consumption.

Renaissance in Kerala

A nineteenth–twentieth century social reform movement led by figures like Sree Narayana Guru and Chattampi Swamikal, challenging caste discrimination and promoting education and equality.

Temple Entry Proclamation

The 1936 proclamation by Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma of Travancore opening Hindu temples to all castes, a landmark in Kerala's social reform history.

Vaikom Satyagraha

A 1924–25 non-violent movement in Travancore demanding the right of lower castes to use roads near the Vaikom temple; it involved Gandhi and Kerala reformers.

Malabar Rebellion

The 1921–22 uprising by Mappila peasants in Malabar against British rule and landlord oppression; it is also called the Mappila Rebellion and is remembered as an anti-colonial struggle.

Non-Cooperation Movement

Launched by Gandhi in 1920, it urged Indians to boycott British schools, courts and titles; it was withdrawn in 1922 after the Chauri Chaura violence.

Quit India Movement

The 1942 movement launched by Gandhi demanding immediate British withdrawal from India; it spread widely and led to mass arrests of Congress leaders.

Temple architecture styles

Indian temple styles include Nagara in the north, Dravidian in the south and mixed Vesara styles; distinguishing features are the shikhara, gopuram, mandapa and garbhagriha.

Megaliths

Large stone structures such as dolmens, cists and menhirs erected as burial monuments in Iron Age South India, including Kerala sites like Marayur, indicating early settlement.

Sustainable development

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

Disaster management cycle

The sequence of mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery phases used to reduce disaster risk; Kerala applies it in flood, landslide and coastal erosion management.