Maharashtra SSC Social Sciences (MSBSHSE) flashcards

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

Permanent Settlement

Land revenue system introduced by Lord Cornwallis in 1793 in Bengal. Zamindars became hereditary owners of land and paid a fixed revenue to the Company, while peasants became tenants.

Doctrine of Lapse

Policy of Lord Dalhousie under which a princely state without a natural male heir was annexed by the British. Satara, Jhansi and Nagpur were annexed under it.

Santhal Hool

Tribal rebellion of 1855-56 in the Rajmahal hills led by Sidhu and Kanhu against moneylenders, zamindars and the British. It protested exploitation and loss of tribal land.

Brahmo Samaj

Reform society founded by Raja Ram Mohan Roy in 1828 in Bengal. It opposed idol worship and sati and promoted monotheism, rationalism and modern education.

Partition of Bengal

Division of Bengal in 1905 by Lord Curzon, which triggered the Swadeshi and Boycott movement. It was annulled in 1911 and the capital shifted to Delhi.

Jallianwala Bagh massacre

Firing by General Dyer's troops on an unarmed gathering at Amritsar on 13 April 1919. It killed hundreds and turned public opinion against British rule.

Dandi March

Gandhi's 240-mile march from Sabarmati to Dandi in 1930 to make salt and defy the salt law. It launched the Civil Disobedience Movement.

Quit India Movement

Movement launched on 8 August 1942 at Gowalia Tank, Bombay, demanding an end to British rule. Gandhi gave the slogan 'Do or Die'.

Non-Aligned Movement

Group of states founded at Belgrade in 1961 by Nehru, Nasser, Tito, Sukarno and Nkrumah. It kept newly independent nations out of the Cold War blocs.

Sovereignty

The supreme and final authority of a state over its territory and people, independent of external control. It is the defining feature that distinguishes a state from other associations.

Fundamental Rights

Basic rights guaranteed in Part III of the Constitution, covering equality, freedom, against exploitation, religion, culture and education, and constitutional remedies. They are enforceable in courts.

Directive Principles

Guidelines in Part IV of the Constitution for making laws and policies aimed at social and economic welfare. They are not enforceable in courts but are fundamental to governance.

Money Bill

A bill dealing only with taxation, borrowing or public expenditure, certified by the Speaker. It can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha cannot amend it.

Judicial review

Power of the courts to examine laws and executive actions and declare them invalid if they violate the Constitution. It protects Fundamental Rights and upholds the rule of law.

73rd Amendment

Constitutional amendment of 1992 that gave Panchayati Raj institutions constitutional status. It provided for three-tier panchayats, reservations and State Election Commissions.

Tropic of Cancer

Latitude 23°30' north, which passes through eight Indian states. It marks the northern limit of the tropics and divides India into roughly tropical and subtropical zones.

Standard Meridian of India

Longitude 82°30' east, taken as Indian Standard Time, which is 5 hours 30 minutes ahead of GMT. It gives the whole country a single uniform time.

Western Ghats

Continuous mountain range along India's west coast, higher than the Eastern Ghats. It is a biodiversity hotspot and the source of major peninsular rivers like the Godavari and Krishna.

Black soil

Dark, clayey soil formed from Deccan trap lava, also called regur. It retains moisture well and is ideal for cotton, hence its other name, black cotton soil.

Monsoon

Seasonal reversal of winds caused by differential heating of land and sea and the shift of the ITCZ. The southwest monsoon brings most of India's rain from June to September.

Sex ratio

Number of females per 1000 males in a population. The 2011 Census recorded 943 for India, reflecting the relative status of women in society.

Renewable resources

Resources that can be renewed or reproduced by natural processes within a short time, such as solar energy, wind, water and forests. They can be used sustainably if managed carefully.

Kharif crops

Crops sown with the onset of the southwest monsoon and harvested in autumn, such as rice, jowar, bajra and cotton. They need abundant water and warm weather.

Rabi crops

Crops sown in winter and harvested in spring, such as wheat, gram, barley and mustard. They need a cool growing season and a warm, dry ripening period.

Contour line

Line on a map joining points of equal height above sea level. Closely spaced contours show steep slopes and closed loops indicate hills or depressions.

Golden Quadrilateral

National highway network linking Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata. It forms a quadrilateral that connects four major metropolitan cities and boosts freight and passenger movement.

Map scale

Ratio between distance on a map and the corresponding distance on the ground. A large scale shows small areas in detail; a small scale shows large areas with less detail.

Law of demand

Statement that, other things remaining constant, quantity demanded of a good rises when its price falls and falls when its price rises. It gives a downward-sloping demand curve.

National income

Total money value of all final goods and services produced by a country's normal residents in a year. It equals net national product at factor cost.

Inflation

Sustained rise in the general price level of goods and services over time. It reduces the purchasing power of money and is measured by price indices.

Disguised unemployment

Situation where more people work on a job than are actually needed, so removing some makes no difference to output. It is common in Indian agriculture.

Liberalisation

Removal of government controls and restrictions on trade, industry and finance. It was a key part of India's New Economic Policy of 1991.