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Kerala SSLC Social Science study materials
Kerala SSLC Social Science study resources

Kerala SSLC Social Science practice questions

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Question 1Social Science

The Indian National Congress was founded in 1885. Who was its first president?

  1. Dadabhai Naoroji
  2. A. O. Hume
  3. Gopal Krishna Gokhale
  4. W. C. Bonnerjee Correct answer.

Explanation

The Indian National Congress held its first session in Bombay in December 1885, and Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee presided over that session. A. O. Hume was the retired British civil servant who helped organise the body, but he was not its president. Dadabhai Naoroji presided later, in 1886, 1893 and 1906.

Question 2Social Science

Which latitude passes almost through the middle of peninsular India and is often used to divide the country into northern and southern halves?

  1. Arctic Circle
  2. Equator
  3. Tropic of Cancer Correct answer.
  4. Tropic of Capricorn

Explanation

The Tropic of Cancer, at about 23.5° N, runs across the middle of India, passing through states such as Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura and Mizoram. It is commonly used to describe the northern and southern divisions of the country. The Equator and the Tropic of Capricorn lie far to the south of India, and the Arctic Circle is far to the north.

Question 3Social Science

In the Kerala panchayat system, which body is the deliberative wing at the village level that takes policy decisions?

  1. Block Panchayat
  2. District Panchayat
  3. Grama Panchayat
  4. Gram Sabha Correct answer.

Explanation

The Gram Sabha consists of all registered voters of a village panchayat area and functions as the deliberative wing where people directly discuss and decide on local matters. The Grama Panchayat is the elected executive body at the village level. Block and District Panchayats operate at higher tiers of the three-tier structure.

Question 4Social Science

Which type of soil, formed from the lava of the Deccan plateau, is especially suitable for growing cotton?

  1. Laterite soil
  2. Black soil Correct answer.
  3. Desert soil
  4. Alluvial soil

Explanation

Black soil, also called regur, is formed from weathered basaltic lava of the Deccan plateau. It retains moisture well and is rich in iron and magnesium, which makes it well suited to cotton cultivation. Laterite, alluvial and desert soils form under different conditions and are associated with other crops.

Question 5Social Science

Which Article of the Indian Constitution abolishes untouchability?

  1. Article 17 Correct answer.
  2. Article 14
  3. Article 19
  4. Article 21

Explanation

Article 17 of the Constitution abolishes untouchability and forbids its practice in any form. Article 14 guarantees equality before the law, Article 19 protects six freedoms such as speech and assembly, and Article 21 protects life and personal liberty. Each article deals with a distinct right, so only Article 17 addresses untouchability directly.

Question 6Social Science

Which of the following is a renewable source of energy?

  1. Coal
  2. Wind Correct answer.
  3. Petroleum
  4. Natural gas

Explanation

Wind is a renewable resource because it is continuously replenished by natural atmospheric processes and will not run out through human use. Coal, petroleum and natural gas are fossil fuels formed over millions of years and are exhausted once burnt. This distinction between renewable and non-renewable resources is central to energy planning.

Question 7Social Science

Which crop is a kharif crop sown with the arrival of the south-west monsoon?

  1. Mustard
  2. Wheat
  3. Gram
  4. Rice Correct answer.

Explanation

Kharif crops are sown at the beginning of the monsoon and harvested in autumn; rice is the classic example because it needs abundant water. Wheat, mustard and gram are rabi crops grown in the cooler winter season with less water. The sowing and harvesting calendar therefore separates the two groups.

Question 8Social Science

In economics, what does the term 'inflation' describe?

  1. A decrease in the money supply
  2. A rise in the value of money
  3. A sustained rise in the general price level Correct answer.
  4. A fall in the general price level

Explanation

Inflation means a sustained increase in the general level of prices, which reduces the purchasing power of money. A fall in prices is deflation, and a rise in the value of money is the opposite of inflation. Changes in money supply may influence prices but are not themselves inflation.

Question 9Social Science

Which Mughal emperor built the Taj Mahal at Agra?

  1. Aurangzeb
  2. Babur
  3. Akbar
  4. Shah Jahan Correct answer.

Explanation

Shah Jahan commissioned the Taj Mahal as a mausoleum for his wife Mumtaz Mahal, and it was completed in the mid-seventeenth century. Akbar is associated with Fatehpur Sikri, Aurangzeb with the Badshahi Mosque, and Babur with the founding of the dynasty. The building therefore points specifically to Shah Jahan's reign.

Question 10Social Science

The Kerala Legislative Assembly has 140 elected members. How many members does Kerala send to the Lok Sabha?

  1. 20 Correct answer.
  2. 25
  3. 9
  4. 14

Explanation

Kerala is divided into 20 Lok Sabha constituencies, so the state elects 20 members to the lower house of Parliament. Its Legislative Assembly has 140 seats and it sends 9 members to the Rajya Sabha. These figures are fixed by delimitation and constitutional provisions rather than by the Assembly's size.

Question 11Social Science

Which mountain pass provides a historic route between Kerala and Tamil Nadu through the Western Ghats near the Palakkad gap?

  1. Zoja La
  2. Nathu La
  3. Bhor Ghat
  4. Palakkad Gap Correct answer.

Explanation

The Palakkad Gap is a low opening in the Western Ghats that has long served as the main route between Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and the Bharathappuzha flows through it. Bhor Ghat lies in Maharashtra, Nathu La is in Sikkim, and Zoja La is in the Himalayas. The gap's low elevation explains its importance for roads and railways.

Question 12Social Science

Which of the following best explains why the south-west monsoon gives heavy rain to the windward side of the Western Ghats but little to the leeward side?

  1. The leeward side has no vegetation and so cannot attract rain
  2. The windward side lies at a higher latitude and so gets more rainfall
  3. The leeward side is closer to the sea and therefore receives drier winds
  4. Moist air is forced to rise over the ranges, cools and condenses, leaving the leeward side in a rain shadow Correct answer.

Explanation

Orographic uplift is the key mechanism: moist monsoon winds strike the Western Ghats, rise, cool and condense, releasing heavy rain on the windward slope. As the air descends on the leeward side it warms and dries, creating a rain shadow. This explains the sharp contrast between Kerala's wet coast and the drier interior of Tamil Nadu.

Question 13Social Science

The Green Revolution in India during the late 1960s mainly involved which combination of changes?

  1. Mechanised fishing and coastal aquaculture
  2. Expansion of shifting cultivation into forest areas
  3. Replacement of food crops with plantation crops for export
  4. High-yielding seed varieties with irrigation, fertilisers and pesticides Correct answer.

Explanation

The Green Revolution introduced high-yielding varieties of wheat and rice, especially in Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, supported by assured irrigation, chemical fertilisers and pesticides. It raised foodgrain output sharply and reduced dependence on imports. The other options describe unrelated agricultural changes.

Question 14Social Science

Which feature of the Indian Constitution allows the Union Parliament to legislate on a state subject when a national emergency is in force?

  1. The federal structure becomes effectively unitary in emergencies Correct answer.
  2. The state legislatures are permanently abolished
  3. The Directive Principles override the Fundamental Rights
  4. The President becomes the head of the judiciary

Explanation

During a national emergency the federal arrangement shifts towards a unitary one: Parliament can legislate on state list subjects and the Centre can direct the states. This is a temporary alteration of the normal division of powers, not a permanent change. State legislatures continue to exist, and the other options describe changes the Constitution does not make.

Question 15Social Science

A coastal village in Kerala wants to protect its shoreline from erosion using a method that also preserves the natural habitat. Which approach best fits this requirement?

  1. Planting mangroves along the shore Correct answer.
  2. Constructing an offshore port jetty
  3. Dredging sand from the beach
  4. Building a continuous concrete sea wall

Explanation

Mangroves buffer wave energy, trap sediment and provide nursery habitat for fish, so they reduce erosion while supporting biodiversity. Concrete sea walls can protect property but often worsen erosion further along the coast and destroy the intertidal zone. Dredging and jetties alter sediment movement and do not preserve the habitat.

Question 16Social Science

Which of the following was a major demand of the Indian national movement that was achieved through the Government of India Act of 1935?

  1. Complete independence
  2. Abolition of the princely states
  3. Universal adult franchise
  4. Provincial autonomy Correct answer.

Explanation

The Government of India Act of 1935 introduced provincial autonomy, giving elected ministries in the provinces greater control over provincial subjects. It did not grant complete independence, universal adult franchise or the abolition of princely states. Later events, including the 1947 transfer of power, dealt with independence itself.

Question 17Social Science

Which of these is the correct sequence of stages in the hydrological cycle, starting from evaporation over the ocean?

  1. Runoff, precipitation, evaporation, condensation
  2. Precipitation, evaporation, condensation, runoff
  3. Condensation, evaporation, runoff, precipitation
  4. Evaporation, condensation, precipitation, runoff Correct answer.

Explanation

Water evaporates from the ocean, rises and cools so that condensation forms clouds, then returns to the surface as precipitation and flows back as runoff. This is the standard order of the cycle. The other sequences place runoff or precipitation before the processes that actually produce them.

Question 18Social Science

Which of the following is the best example of a public good provided by a local government in Kerala?

  1. A family's own car
  2. Street lighting on a municipal road Correct answer.
  3. A shop's advertising board
  4. A private bakery selling bread

Explanation

Street lighting is non-excludable and non-rival within its area, so no resident can easily be prevented from using it and one person's use does not reduce another's. Such goods are typically funded through taxes by local bodies. A bakery, a car and an advertising board are private goods with identifiable owners and users.

Question 19Social Science

Which of these statements about the Rajya Sabha is correct?

  1. Its members are directly elected by the people of each state
  2. Its members are elected by the elected members of state legislative assemblies Correct answer.
  3. It is dissolved along with the Lok Sabha every five years
  4. Its presiding officer is always the President of India

Explanation

Rajya Sabha members are chosen by the elected members of the Legislative Assemblies of the states and union territories through proportional representation by single transferable vote. The house is a permanent body that is never dissolved as a whole, with one-third of members retiring every two years. The Vice-President presides over it as Chairman, not the President.

Question 20Social Science

In a market, the demand for a good rises sharply when its price falls. Which economic concept does this illustrate?

  1. The law of supply
  2. The law of demand Correct answer.
  3. Diminishing returns
  4. Opportunity cost

Explanation

The law of demand states that, other things being equal, quantity demanded rises as price falls and falls as price rises, giving an inverse relationship. The law of supply describes the opposite relationship between price and quantity supplied. Diminishing returns and opportunity cost concern production and choice, not this price-quantity link.

Question 21Social Science

Which of the following was a consequence of the Permanent Settlement introduced by the British in Bengal in 1793?

  1. Village communities regained control of their land
  2. Peasants became direct revenue payers to the state
  3. Land revenue was abolished entirely
  4. Zamindars became the recognised owners of land and had to pay a fixed revenue Correct answer.

Explanation

Under the Permanent Settlement, zamindars were recognised as proprietors of the land in return for a fixed annual revenue payment to the Company. The settlement was made with them rather than with cultivators, so peasants remained tenants under zamindars. Revenue was not abolished, and village communities lost rather than gained control.

Question 22Social Science

Which of the following best describes the role of the Election Commission of India?

  1. It decides which party forms the government after every election
  2. It conducts elections to Parliament, state legislatures and the offices of President and Vice-President Correct answer.
  3. It appoints the Chief Minister of a state
  4. It reviews the constitutional validity of laws

Explanation

The Election Commission is a constitutional body that superintends and conducts elections to Parliament, state legislatures and the offices of President and Vice-President. It registers political parties and enforces the model code of conduct. Forming the government follows from election results, appointing a Chief Minister is a Governor's function, and judicial review belongs to the courts.

Question 23Social Science

A state government wishes to build a large dam that will displace several thousand people. Which constitutional principle should guide the decision most directly?

  1. Article 21, which protects the right to life and livelihood, including just rehabilitation Correct answer.
  2. Article 25, which protects freedom of religion
  3. Article 32, which allows writs only against private persons
  4. Article 19, which protects the right to form associations

Explanation

Displacement affects life, livelihood and dignity, so Article 21 has been interpreted by courts to require fair rehabilitation and compensation. Article 19 concerns freedoms such as speech and association, and Article 25 concerns religion. Article 32 allows writ petitions against the state and public authorities, not only private persons.

Question 24Social Science

Which explanation best accounts for the seasonal reversal of winds known as the Indian monsoon?

  1. Differential heating of land and sea together with the shift of the pressure belts and the ITCZ Correct answer.
  2. The movement of ocean currents in the Indian Ocean
  3. The rotation of the earth alone
  4. The permanent presence of the Himalayas as a wind barrier

Explanation

The monsoon arises mainly from the seasonal heating and cooling of the Asian landmass relative to the Indian Ocean, combined with the northward shift of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone and pressure belts in summer. This draws moist maritime air over the land, and the pattern reverses in winter. Earth's rotation, the Himalayas and ocean currents modify the system but do not by themselves cause the reversal.

Question 25Social Science

During the 1930s, elections under the Government of India Act of 1935 led to Congress ministries in several provinces. Which development followed the resignation of these ministries in 1939?

  1. The Congress immediately accepted the Cripps proposals in full
  2. The British granted complete independence to India
  3. The Congress launched the Individual Satyagraha to oppose India's forced involvement in the Second World War Correct answer.
  4. The Muslim League withdrew its demand for a separate state

Explanation

When the Viceroy committed India to the Second World War without consulting Indian leaders, Congress ministries resigned in protest in 1939. The Congress then launched Individual Satyagraha in 1940 under Gandhi's guidance, with Vinoba Bhave as the first satyagrahi. The Cripps Mission came in 1942 and was rejected, the League's Lahore Resolution of 1940 demanded a separate state, and independence came only in 1947.

Question 26Social Science

Which soil type covers much of the midland and lowland areas of Kerala and supports crops such as coconut, tapioca and rubber?

  1. Arid desert soil
  2. Black cotton soil
  3. Alluvial soil of the Indo-Gangetic plain
  4. Laterite soil Correct answer.

Explanation

Laterite soil forms under heavy tropical rainfall with alternate wet and dry seasons, which leaches silica and leaves iron and aluminium oxides behind. This red, porous soil is widespread in the Kerala midlands and is suited to plantation and tuber crops. Black cotton soil and desert soils belong to other climatic regions of India.

Question 27Social Science

Which of the following describes the 'Malabar rebellion' of 1921?

  1. A peasant uprising in Malabar against British authority and landlord oppression, associated with the Khilafat movement Correct answer.
  2. A movement led by the Travancore government to abolish the poll tax on Nadar women
  3. A strike by factory workers in Bombay textile mills for an eight-hour working day
  4. A campaign of the Indian National Congress against the partition of Bengal

Explanation

The Malabar rebellion of 1921 grew out of peasant grievances against jenmi landlords and the colonial administration, and it became linked with the Khilafat and non-cooperation agitation. It was concentrated in the Malabar district of present-day Kerala. The other options describe movements in other regions and on other issues.

Question 28Social Science

A farmer in Palakkad grows paddy in the monsoon season and then raises vegetables on the same field using irrigation in the dry months. Which term best describes this practice?

  1. Plantation agriculture
  2. Shifting cultivation
  3. Subsistence gathering
  4. Multiple cropping Correct answer.

Explanation

Multiple cropping means growing two or more crops on the same land in one agricultural year, often by combining a monsoon crop with an irrigated dry-season crop. The Palakkad pattern of paddy followed by vegetables is a clear example. Shifting cultivation and plantation agriculture are different systems with different land use.

Question 29Social Science

Which of the following is the main function of the Kerala State Pollution Control Board?

  1. Fixing the minimum support price for paddy in the state
  2. Regulating the interest rates charged by cooperative banks
  3. Granting consent to industries and enforcing standards for air and water pollution Correct answer.
  4. Conducting elections to local self-government bodies

Explanation

State pollution control boards are statutory bodies that issue consent to establish and operate for industries and monitor compliance with air and water pollution standards. They do not set agricultural prices, run elections or regulate banking. Those tasks belong to other agencies.

Question 30Social Science

The Western Ghats are recognised as a global biodiversity hotspot mainly because they

  1. lie entirely within a single state of the Union
  2. record the lowest annual rainfall in India
  3. contain a high number of endemic species under pressure from habitat loss Correct answer.
  4. have the largest reserves of coal in peninsular India

Explanation

A biodiversity hotspot must have exceptional numbers of endemic species and must have lost a large part of its original habitat. The Western Ghats satisfy both conditions, with many endemic frogs, plants and birds. Coal reserves and low rainfall are not criteria for hotspot status.

Question 31Social Science

A village panchayat in Kerala prepares its annual budget. Under the constitutional scheme of decentralisation, which body is responsible for approving the panchayat's budget and plans?

  1. The Reserve Bank of India
  2. The Rajya Sabha
  3. The District Collector acting alone
  4. The gram sabha, through the elected ward members in the panchayat committee Correct answer.

Explanation

The 73rd Constitutional Amendment made the gram sabha the foundation of panchayat raj, and the elected panchayat committee approves plans and budgets framed with local participation. The Collector and national bodies do not approve local budgets. This reflects the principle of subsidiarity in decentralised governance.

Question 32Social Science

Which of the following best explains why Kerala has a comparatively high human development index despite having few large industries?

  1. The state levies the highest income tax rates in India
  2. Sustained public investment in literacy, health care and social welfare raised the capabilities of the people Correct answer.
  3. The state has the largest deposits of iron ore in India
  4. The state has the lowest population density in the country

Explanation

Human development is measured through health, education and living standards, and Kerala's early land reforms, public health system and near-universal literacy improved all three. Industrial output is not the only route to high human development. Mineral wealth, low density and high tax rates do not explain the pattern.

Question 33Social Science

In the context of Indian federalism, which of the following subjects appears in the Concurrent List?

  1. Defence
  2. Police
  3. Currency and coinage
  4. Education Correct answer.

Explanation

The Concurrent List contains subjects on which both Parliament and state legislatures can legislate, and education was moved there by the 42nd Amendment. Defence and currency are Union List subjects, while police is a state subject. Union law prevails if a conflict arises on a concurrent subject.

Question 34Social Science

Which of the following is an example of a primary sector activity?

  1. Weaving cloth in a powerloom
  2. Selling pottery in a retail shop
  3. Providing banking services to potters
  4. Extracting clay from a river bank for pottery Correct answer.

Explanation

Primary sector activities directly use natural resources such as land, water and minerals. Extracting clay is therefore a primary activity. Weaving is secondary manufacturing, while retail trade and banking are tertiary services.

Question 35Social Science

A consumer buys a packet of biscuits and finds the weight printed on it is lower than stated. Which consumer right is directly violated?

  1. The right to redressal of complaints
  2. The right to be informed about the quality, quantity and price of goods Correct answer.
  3. The right to consumer education
  4. The right to choose between competing brands

Explanation

The right to information requires that labels disclose accurate quantity, quality, price and other particulars so that a buyer is not misled. Short weight is a failure of that disclosure. The rights to choose, to education and to redressal are separate protections.

Question 36Social Science

Which of the following statements about the Indian Constitution's Fundamental Duties is correct?

  1. They were part of the Constitution as adopted in 1949
  2. They were added by the 42nd Amendment on the recommendation of the Swaran Singh Committee Correct answer.
  3. They are enforceable by courts through writs in the same way as Fundamental Rights
  4. They apply only to citizens holding public office

Explanation

Fundamental Duties were inserted as Article 51A by the 42nd Amendment of 1976, following the Swaran Singh Committee's advice. They are moral and civic obligations and are not directly enforceable by writs. They apply to all citizens, not only office holders.

Question 37Social Science

Which of the following best describes the geographical feature known as a lagoon, with reference to Kerala's Vembanad backwaters?

  1. A deep ocean trench formed at a convergent plate boundary
  2. A glacier-carved valley flooded by meltwater in high mountains
  3. A shallow body of brackish water separated from the sea by a narrow strip of land Correct answer.
  4. A sand dune formed by wind deposition in an arid region

Explanation

A lagoon forms when a sandbar or spit partly encloses a coastal water body, producing brackish water where river inflow mixes with the sea. Vembanad and the Ashtamudi lake are examples of such backwaters. Ocean trenches, glacial valleys and desert dunes form through entirely different processes.

Question 38Social Science

Which of the following was the main purpose of the land reforms introduced in Kerala in the 1960s and 1970s?

  1. To confer ownership rights on tenants and set a ceiling on land holdings Correct answer.
  2. To abolish all private ownership of land
  3. To transfer agricultural land to foreign investors
  4. To convert all farmland into plantations for export crops

Explanation

The Kerala land reform laws abolished many forms of tenancy, gave cultivating tenants security and ownership, and imposed ceilings on large holdings. The aim was to reduce agrarian inequality and improve the incentive to cultivate. The reforms neither collectivised land nor promoted foreign ownership.

Question 39Social Science

Which of the following is the most direct measure of the standard of living of people in a country?

  1. The total number of factories in the country
  2. The number of national highways
  3. The size of the country's armed forces
  4. Per capita income along with indicators of health and education Correct answer.

Explanation

Income alone can hide inequality and does not capture health or literacy, so economists combine per capita income with human development indicators. Factory counts, military size and road length measure particular aspects of the economy but not people's living standards directly.

Question 40Social Science

During the non-cooperation movement, which form of protest did Gandhiji ask lawyers to adopt?

  1. Serving as prosecutors for the colonial government
  2. Giving up their legal practice in the British courts Correct answer.
  3. Accepting government titles while continuing to practise
  4. Paying a special tax to support the movement

Explanation

Non-cooperation called on Indians to withdraw cooperation from colonial institutions, and lawyers were asked to boycott British courts by giving up practice. Titles were to be surrendered, not accepted. The movement sought distance from the government, not service within it.

Question 41Social Science

A small town in Kerala experiences rapid growth of high-rise buildings and paved surfaces. Which local environmental problem is most likely to worsen?

  1. Increase in groundwater recharge rates
  2. Reduction in the urban heat island effect
  3. Urban flooding because rainwater cannot infiltrate the soil Correct answer.
  4. Decline in the town's altitude due to tectonic uplift

Explanation

Paving and concreting reduce infiltration and increase surface runoff, so storm water drains quickly into low-lying areas and causes urban flooding. Groundwater recharge falls and heat retention rises. Tectonic uplift is unrelated to urban construction.

Question 42Social Science

Which of the following correctly pairs a classical dance form with its state of origin?

  1. Kathakali with Kerala Correct answer.
  2. Sattriya with Kerala
  3. Kuchipudi with Tamil Nadu
  4. Bharatanatyam with Odisha

Explanation

Kathakali is the classical dance-drama of Kerala, known for elaborate make-up, costumes and mime. Bharatanatyam belongs to Tamil Nadu, Kuchipudi to Andhra Pradesh and Sattriya to Assam. Pairing each form with its home state is the key to this question.

Question 43Social Science

Which of the following best explains why the price of a good generally falls when supply increases while demand stays unchanged?

  1. The government automatically fixes a lower price
  2. Buyers become richer when more of the good is produced
  3. Production costs always rise when output increases
  4. At the old price, sellers now have surplus stock and must lower the price to clear it Correct answer.

Explanation

With demand unchanged, an increase in supply creates excess stock at the existing price. Sellers compete to sell, pushing the price down towards a new equilibrium. Rising buyer incomes or automatic price fixing are not part of this mechanism.

Question 44Social Science

Which of the following statements about the Tropic of Cancer in relation to India is correct?

  1. It forms the northern boundary of the Himalayas
  2. It passes through the southern tip of the Indian peninsula near Kanyakumari
  3. It marks the boundary between the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal
  4. It passes through the middle of India, roughly through Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal Correct answer.

Explanation

The Tropic of Cancer at about 23.5 degrees north latitude crosses India near its middle, passing through states such as Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and West Bengal. Kanyakumari lies far to the south. The line has no relation to the Himalayan boundary or to the sea boundary.

Question 45Social Science

A state wants to reserve seats for women in its legislative assembly. Which constitutional amendment first provided for such reservation in state legislatures and Parliament?

  1. The 42nd Amendment
  2. The 52nd Amendment
  3. The 106th Amendment Correct answer.
  4. The 73rd Amendment

Explanation

The 106th Constitutional Amendment, enacted in 2023, provides for reservation of seats for women in the Lok Sabha, state legislative assemblies and the Delhi assembly. The 73rd Amendment dealt with panchayats, the 42nd with a wide range of changes including Fundamental Duties, and the 52nd with the anti-defection law.

Question 46Social Science

Which of the following is the best example of sustainable agricultural practice in Kerala's hill regions?

  1. Burning forest patches to release nutrients for one season
  2. Clearing steep slopes completely for annual crops every year
  3. Growing rubber and cardamom with contour bunding and mixed shade trees to reduce soil erosion Correct answer.
  4. Flooding hill slopes with canal water throughout the year

Explanation

Contour bunding slows runoff on slopes, and mixed shade trees protect the soil and support biodiversity, so the practice maintains productivity over the long term. Complete clearing, slash-and-burn and continuous flooding degrade hill soils. Sustainability requires conserving the resource base.

Question 47Social Science

Which of the following was the significance of the Vaikom Satyagraha of 1924-25?

  1. It was a strike by coir workers for higher wages
  2. It challenged the prohibition on lower-caste people using the roads around the Vaikom temple Correct answer.
  3. It demanded the creation of a separate state for Malayalam speakers
  4. It opposed the introduction of English education in Travancore

Explanation

The Vaikom Satyagraha was a non-violent campaign against caste-based restrictions on movement along the roads near the Vaikom Mahadeva temple. It drew leaders such as T.K. Madhavan, K. Kelappan and Gandhiji's support, and it advanced temple-entry and social equality. It was not a linguistic or labour agitation.

Question 48Social Science

Which of the following best explains why cyclones that form in the Bay of Bengal often weaken after crossing the coast?

  1. They lose their supply of warm moist ocean air and experience greater surface friction over land Correct answer.
  2. They are driven back into the sea by ocean currents
  3. They are cooled by the Himalayan glaciers
  4. They gain energy from the dry land surface

Explanation

Tropical cyclones draw energy from warm ocean water and moist air. After landfall, the supply of moisture is cut off and friction over the land surface increases, so the storm weakens. Dry land does not feed the storm, and mountain glaciers or ocean currents do not reverse it.

Question 49Social Science

Which of the following is a characteristic feature of a federal system of government?

  1. The head of state is always a hereditary monarch
  2. Judicial review of legislation is prohibited
  3. All powers are concentrated in a single national legislature
  4. Powers are divided between a central government and regional governments by a written constitution Correct answer.

Explanation

Federalism requires a constitutionally defined division of powers between the union and the states, with each level supreme in its own sphere. Concentration of power describes a unitary system. Hereditary monarchy and the absence of judicial review are not defining features of federalism.

Question 50Social Science

Which of the following best describes the role of the Reserve Bank of India in the economy?

  1. It issues currency and regulates the banking system and monetary policy Correct answer.
  2. It prepares the annual Union Budget for the central government
  3. It fixes the prices of essential commodities in retail markets
  4. It conducts elections to state legislative assemblies

Explanation

The RBI is the central bank: it issues notes, manages monetary policy, supervises banks and acts as banker to the government. The Union Budget is prepared by the Ministry of Finance, retail prices are set by markets, and elections are conducted by the Election Commission.