2. Current Affairs
  3. Current Affairs
  4. 9th Class

Current Affairs 9th Class

Important Terms and Concepts - Constitutional Design

CONSTITUTIONAL DESIGN   IMPORTANT TERMS AND CONCEPTS  
  • Constitution.  The fundamental legal document according to which the government of a country functions. This contains the basic laws or set of rules which define the main organs and their jurisdiction as well as the basic rights of the citizens.
    •  
  • Cabinet Mission. In February 1946, the British government sent the Cabinet Mission to India. It proposed the formation of a Federation, with a union government and three types of states and also proposed the formation of a Constituent Assembly and an interim government.
    •  
  • Objective Resolution. On December 13,1946 Jawaharlal Nehru moved a resolution in the Constituent Assembly proposing the main objectives or aims of the new Constitution to be made for free India. It is known as the Objective Resolution.
    •  
  • Drafting Committee. A committee set up to draft the Constitution.
    •  
  • Amendment.  The term means change or modification. It is used in connection with changes made in the Constitution of a country. The procedure of amendment of the Indian Constitution is given in Article 368 of the Constitution itself.
    •  
  • Democracy.  A form of government which is chosen by the people to work for their welfare and can be changed by them.
    •  
  • Preamble.  It is an introduction to the Constitution which explains the aims and objectives of the Constitution.
    •  
  • Republic.  A country in which the head of state is elected and not hereditary.
    •  
  • Secularism. It implies religious freedom. The state does not have any official religion of its own. Everyone has the right to preach, practice and profess any religion.
    •  
  • Universal Adult It refers to the right to vote for all the adult citizens of a country without any discrimination on the basis of caste, creed, colour, sex or education. It is based on the principle of one person one vote.
    •  
  • Apartheid.  A system of segregation of Whites from Blacks on the basis of race. Each group had to live in separate areas, go to separate schools and the non-Whites had no voting rights.
    •  
  • Constituent Assembly. An assembly of people's representatives that writes a constitution for a country.
    • Philosophy. The most fundamental principles underlying one's thoughts and actions.  
  • Philosophy.  The most fundamental principles underlying one’s thoughts and actions.
    •  
  • Treason.  The offence of attempting to overthrow the government of the state to which the offender owes allegiance.
    •  
  • Tryst.  A meeting or meeting place that has been agreed upon.
    • Catgeory: 9th Class

    Important Terms and Concepts - Electoral Politics

     Important Terms and Concepts - Electoral Politics     IMPORTANT TERMS AND CONCEPTS  
  • By-election. Means an election held to fill a vacancy caused by either death, resignation or any other reason.
  • Campaigning.  Refers to a process by which a candidate tries to persuade the voter to vote for him rather than for others.
  • Constituency.  It refers to an area delimited for the purpose of election.
  • Electorate. It refers to the entire body of people who are qualified to vote in the elections for the legislatures or local bodies.
  • Election Commission. A parliamentary body constituted to conduct free and fair elections in the country.
  • Election Manifesto. A document published by each political party before elections containing the policies and programmers of that party.
  • Franchise.  Refers to the right of people to vote and elect their representatives to make laws.
  • Opposition Parties. The parties which are defeated in the election do not form the government but form the opposition and keep the government in check.
  • Public Opinion. Opinion of the electorate on all major—social, political, economic and other important issues.
  • General Election. When an election is held in all constituencies and people from all parts of the country participate to choose their representatives for Parliament or State Legislative Assembly, it is called a General Election.
  • Political Party. Refers to a well-knit voluntary association of an organised group of like-minded people who aim to gain political power through constitutional means and desire to work for national interest.
  • Secret Ballot. System of casting one's vote in secrecy so that the choice of the voter remains a secret and is not known to others.
  • Print Media. Means of public information which consists of newspapers, periodicals and magazines.
  • Electronic Media. Means of public information system which runs on electronics like radio, TV. computer etc.
  • Universal Adult Franchise. Every Indian citizen of 18 years and above has the right to vote irrespective of caste, creed and sex.
  • 'One person one vote'. Everybody has a right to cast one vote and everyone's vote is of equal importance.
  • Seats. The term refers to number of positions in any legislature.
  • Elections.  A contest of power between different candidates and parties.
  • Election Commission. An independent multimember body constituted for the superintendence, direction and control of elections.
  • Electoral Participation. It entails participating in the election procedure through voting, contesting elections, campaigning etc.
  • Impersonation. This is an electoral malpractice in which a person assumes the identity of another for unlawful purposes.
  • Electoral Roll. It is the voter's list prepared by a door to door survey to include only bonafide voters and minimise role of bogus voters.
  • Rigging.  Any unfair practice indulged in during elections is called rigging.
  • Turnout.  The percentage of eligible voters who cast their votes in an election.
  • Incumbent.  The current holder of a political office.
  • Code of Conduct. more...
    • Catgeory: 9th Class

    Important Terms and Concepts - Working of Institutions

                                                IMPORTANT TERMS AND CONCEPTS                                                 
  • Bureaucracy.  Large number of government officials who help the ministers to run the machinery of administration.
  • Council of Ministers. A body of ministers collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha.
  • Cabinet.  A body of senior ministers who control important ministries.
  • Collective Responsibility. For any decision or action of the Cabinet, the Council of Ministers are collectively responsible. If any of the cabinet decisions are not approved by the Parliament, the entire Council of Ministers has to resign.
  • Emergency.  Extraordinary or abnormal situation in a country.
  • Ex-officio. By virtue of the position held.
  • Electoral College. A specially constituted elected body to elect the President and Vice President of India.
  • Emergency Powers. Powers given to deal with an unexpected and critical situation.
  • First among Equals. Ranking equal to others yet holding a position of pre-eminence.
  • Impeachment.  A special parliamentary procedure to prosecute or to remove the President and Judges etc. for violation of the constitution.
  • Money Bills. Bills dealing with money matters like taxes, income, expenditure and grants.
  • No Confidence Motion. A motion moved by the opposition to prove that it has no confidence in the Council of Ministers. If such a motion is passed by the majority of members of the Lok Sabha, the ministry has to resign.
  • Ordinance.  A direction issued by the President when Parliament is not in session. It has the force of law for six months.
  • Parliamentary form of Government. A system of government where Parliament is supreme and the Council of Ministers are collectively responsible to Parliament.
  • Planning Commission. An autonomous body headed by the Prime Minister and concerned with all matters related to five-year plans or economic planning.
  • President Rule. If the President gets a report from the Governor or any other source that the government of the state cannot be carried on in accordance with the Constitution, he can impose President's Rule. Government then becomes unitary in nature.
  • Prorogue.  To discontinue a meeting of Parliament for a time without dissolving it.
  • Starred Question. A question marked with a star for oral answer by a Minister in Parliament.
  • Question Hour. During a parliamentary session, a time is fixed for asking questions and answering them orally.
  • Lok Sabha. The Indian Parliament is bicameral in nature. The Lok Sabha also known as the Lower House is composed of the elected representatives of the people.
  • Rajya Sabha. The Rajya Sabha or Upper House represents the interests of the states and Union Territories.
  • Speaker.  He is the presiding officer of the Lok Sabha and is responsible for the efficient conduct of business in the Lok Sabha.
  • Executive.  It is an organ of government which implements the laws passed by the legislature.Legislative. 
  • Legislative.  It is the organ of government which makes laws and keeps a check on the executive.
    • more...
    Catgeory: 9th Class

    Important Terms and Concepts - Democratic Rights

      DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS   IMPORTANT TERMS AND CONCEPTS  
  • Begar.  Forced labour. The practice of working free for landlords or other powerful people.
  • Constitutional Remedies. Constitutional means of removing or redressing grievances. A settlement through courts.
  • Fundamental Rights. These are the basic human rights which are given lo every citizen in democracy for the development of their personality. These rights are guaranteed by the Constitution.
  • Justiciable.  A case which can be examined in a court of law.
  • Preventive Detention. Taken into custody by the police on grounds of fear of breach of the peace.
  • Writs.  A written document by which a court asks to do something. Under the Right of Constitutional Remedies, the court issues five types of writs called quo warranto, habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition and certiorari.
  • Rights.  Rights are the reasonable claims of persons recognized by society and sanctioned by law.
  • Amnesty International. It is an independent international organization of volunteers who campaign for human rights. It highlights violation of human rights all over the world.
  • Claim.  A demand for legal or moral entitlements which a person makes on fellow citizens, society or the government.
  • Covenant.  A promise made by individuals, groups or countries to uphold a rule or principle.
  • Dalit. A person belonging to a low caste also known as Scheduled Castes and Depressed classes.
  • Ethnic Group. A group of people who share a common ancestry. They are bound together by common cultural practices, religious beliefs and historical memories.
  • Human Trafficking. Buying or selling of men, women or children for immoral purposes.
  • Summons.  An order issued by a court asking a person to appear before it.
    • Catgeory: 9th Class

    Important Terms and Concepts - The Story of Village Palampur

     THE STORY OF VILLAGE PALAMPUR   IMPORTANT TERMS AND CONCEPTS  
  • Labour refers to the people who are available for work.
  • Physical Capital. The variety of inputs required during the process of production.
  • Fixed Capital. That part of physical capital which can be used in production over many years and cannot be altered in short period, e.g., tools, machines and buildings.
  • Working Capital. That part of physical capital which is used up in production, e.g., raw material and money in hand.
  • Human Capital. The physical capital cannot deliver goods in the absence of adequate trained human Hence investment is made in human beings for their education, training and health. Such an investment is termed as human capital. Human capital is the stock of skills and productive knowledge embodied in them.                                                                             
  • Multiple Cropping. The practice of growing more than one crop on a piece of land during a year.
  • Yield.  Agriculture yield is measured as crop produced on a given piece of land during a single season.
  • Non-farm activity refers to the activities in a village other than farming. This includes activities like manufacturing, transportation, shop-keeping etc.
  • Green Revolution. The large increase in agricultural production after 1967-68 due to adoption of New Agricultural Strategy which implied a simultaneous use of better and modern agricultural inputs.
    •    
    Catgeory: 9th Class

    Important Terms and Concepts - People as Resource

      PEOPLE AS RESOURCE   IMPORTANT TERMS AND CONCEPTS  
  • Human Resource. A way of referring to a country's working people in terms of their existing abilities and skills. It emphasises their ability to contribute to the Gross National Product.
    •  
  • Investment.  The existing stock of physical capital assets such as machinery, buildings, plant and equipment.
    •  
  • Productivity.  The output of goods and services compared to the inputs used. It is a measure of efficiency of factors of production.
    •  
  • Economic activities. The activities which are remunerated or for which the person performing them is paid money. They add value to the national income.
    •  
  • Market activities. Those economic activities which involve remuneration to anyone who performs it for pay or profit. It includes production of goods or services including government service.
    •  
  • Non-market activities. These activities are the production activities for self-consumption. These can be consumption and processing of primary product and own account production of fixed assets.
    •  
  • GNP.  It is the total value of goods and services produced in a year by a country's nationals including the net earnings and profits from capital held abroad.
    •  
  • Educated unemployed. The expansion of education rendered to produce large number of fresh graduates at a faster rate than jobs created by an underdeveloped country. This has caused a situation called educated unemployed.
  • Non-economic activities. The activities for which the person performing it is not paid. Their work is not accounted in the national income of the country.
    •  
  • Human Capital Formation. When the existing human resource is further developed by becoming more educated and healthy, human capital formation takes place. It adds to the productive power of the country just like the physical capital formation.
    •  
  • Unemployment.  The state in which a person is willing and able to work at prevailing wages but still does not get gainful work.
    •  
  • Disguised unemployment. The word 'disguised' means concealed or hidden. Disguised unemployment is hidden because men and women are working. This form of unemployment occurs when more people are working on a piece of farm than are actually required.
    •  
  • Seasonal unemployment. This type of unemployment occurs when people are not able to find employment for some part of the year. It is typical of the agricultural sector due to its seasonal nature.
    •  
  • Literacy Rate. Percentage of people above a certain age, who can with understanding, both read and write short simple statements in everyday life.
    •  
  • Infrastructure.  The physical framework required to provide different types of services.
    •  
  • Infant Mortality Rate. The number of deaths of infants per thousand of births in a year.
    •  
  • Birth Rate. The number of live births in a year per thousand of mid-year population.
    •  
  • Death Rate. The number of deaths in a year per thousand of mid-year population.
    •  
  • Sarva Siksha Abhiyan. It is a time more...
    • Catgeory: 9th Class

    Important Terms and Concepts - Poverty as a Challenge

    Poverty as a Challenge IMPORTANT TERMS AND CONCEPTS  
  • Poverty. It is a state in which people do not have sufficient income to fulfill the basic necessities of life like food, clothing and shelter.
    •  
  • Absolute poverty refers to the total number of people living below poverty line.
    •  
  • Relative poverty refers to poverty of people in relation to other people, regions or nations.
    •  
  • Poverty line is the level of income which divides the population as poor and non-poor. It is drawn on the basis of minimum consumption expenditure.
    •  
  • International poverty line is defined by World Bank as an income of less than $1 per day.
    •  
  • Social exclusion is the state of living in very poor conditions and excluded from facilities, benefits and opportunities that others enjoy.
    •  
  • Vulnerability describes that level of poverty when people have a greater probability of being adversely affected than other people at the time of natural disasters.
    •  
  • Economic growth is the term which defines an increase in real output of a country.
    • Catgeory: 9th Class

    Important Terms and Concepts - Food Security in India

    FOOD SECURITY IN INDIA   IMPORTANT TERMS AND CONCEPTS  
  • Food security. The 1995 World Food Summit declared 'Food security at the individual, household regional, national and global levels exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food'. It implies availability, accessibility and affordability of food to all people at all times.
    •  
  • Famine is characterized by widespread deaths due to starvation and epidemics caused by forced use of contaminated water or decaying food and loss of body resistance due to weakening from starvation.
    •  
  • Malnutrition is the state of not having enough food or not getting nutritious food.
    •  
  • Wheat Revolution was a special stamp released in July 1968 by Smt. Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India to officially record the impressive achievement of the Green Revolution.
    •  
  • Buffer stock is the stock of food grains namely wheat and rice procured by the government through Food Corporation of India.
    •  
  • Food Corporation of India (FCI) was set up under the Food Corporation Act 1964, as the country's nodal organization for implementing the National Food Policy. It provides food grains at reasonable prices, particularly to vulnerable sections of the society, maintains buffer stock, and intervenes in the market for price stabilization of agricultural goods.
    •  
  • Minimum Support Price (MSP). The Food Corporation of India (FCI) purchases food grains, such as wheat and rice from the farmers in states where there is surplus production. The farmers are paid a pre-announced price for their crops. It is fixed to protect the small farmers.
  • Issue price. It is the price lower than the market price at which the government distributes food grains among the poorer strata of society.
    •  
  • Bengal famine was the most devastating famine that occurred in India in 1943, killing thirty lakh people in the province of Bengal.
    •  
  • Public Distribution System. It implies the distribution of food among the poorer sections of the society by the government through government regulated shops.
    •  
  • Fair price shops or ration shops are the outlets from where poor people can produce food items at subsidized prices.
    •  
  • It is a payment that a government makes to a producer to supplement the market price of a commodity. Subsidies can keep consumer prices low while maintaining a higher income for producers.
    •  
  • Rationing is a term given to government controlled distribution of resources and scarce goods or services. It restricts how much people are allowed to buy or consume at a particular time within a particular period.
    • Catgeory: 9th Class

    Important Terms and Concepts - Becoming a Disaster Manager-Understanding Key Terms

                        Becoming a Disaster Manager Understanding Key Terms     IMPORTANT TERMS AND CONCEPTS  
  • Hazard: It is a dangerous condition, natural or man-made, that cause injury, loss of life or damage to property.
  • Socio-natural hazard: It is caused both by nature and man, e.g., flooding may be increased through landslide.
  • Vulnerability: It is the extent to which a community can be affected by the impact of a disaster.
  • Risk: It is the probability of harmful consequences or expected losses.
  • Cyclone: It is a storm and develops when a low pressure area in the atmosphere is surrounded by high pressure. Cyclones are associated with strong winds, heavy rainfall and tidal waves.
  • Storm Surge: When the water is pushed towards the shore by the force of winds swirling around the cyclone,
  • Terrorism: It is violent, forceful and unlawful means to achieve desired goals.
  • Multi-hazard Zone: Some areas are exposed to many hazards like coastal regions may experience floods, cyclones, tsunamis, earthquakes etc.
  • Community: People who line together in urban area or in a village. They have common way of life.
  • Chemical Disaster: These are caused by industrial accidents, irresponsible handling of hazardous chemicals. Poisonous gases spread easily and cause widespread devastation.
  • WMD: Weapons of Mass Destruction.
    • Catgeory: 9th Class

    Important Terms and Concepts - Components of Disaster Management

    Components of Disaster Management IMPORTANT TERMS AND CONCEPTS
  • PRRP: Preparedness, Response, Recovery, Prevention.
  • Response: Measures taken in anticipation during and after a disaster to ensure that the effects are minimised.
  • Recovery: Measures which help disaster affected communities to restore emotional and economic well-being.
    • Catgeory: 9th Class

    Current Affairs Categories


    Archive


    Trending Current Affairs

    You need to login to perform this action.
    You will be redirected in 3 sec spinner