Dr.B.R.Ambedkar

1. Ambedkar spent most of his life by .........

b. attending conferences

c. reading books

d. importing books.

Ans: (c) reading books.

2. Pick out the word in the first

paragraph which means 'a quality

that makes person or a thing

different from another.'

Ans: Voracious

How did the fourteenth amendment

of the American Constitution benefit

the Black Americans ?

Ans: It gave freedom to the Black

Americans.

4. What did Mahatma Phule work for ?

Ans: He worked for classless society

and women's uplift.

5. Mookanayak, Bahishkrit Bharat and

Samata were

a. Voice mails

b. Newspapers

c. Political parties

Ans: (b) Newspapers.

6. Gandhiji termed the depressed

classes as

Ans: Harijans.

Share your responses

(Refer to Text Page No. 71):

1. Draft is a banking term. How is the

word used in the context of this

lesson ?

Ans: The word 'draft' is used as

transitive verb which means to make a

version of a document that will need more

work in order to be finished.

2. Dr. Ambedkar was not in the

Congress party. Yet he was made

the chairman of the drafting

committee. Why?

Ans: The Constituent Assembly

understood Dr. Ambedkar's social

philosophy and his undying faith in the

dignity of human beings.

3. He raised it 'brick by brick'. In this

context, what was raised ?

Ans: He drafted Constitution and

raised it which came as Fundamental

Rights in the Constitution of India.

Who were the other notable members

of the drafting committee ?

Ans: Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar,

K. M. Munshi, and N. Gopalswami

Ayyangar.

5. Ambedkar had 'rare gifts'. What

were they ? Can you think of your

own 'gifts'? Share them with your

class.

Ans: Dr. Ambedkar had the rare

gift of unravelling the most complicated

legal concepts in the moss. Simple

language which could be understood by

common man. He had an insatiable thirst

for books. I have the gift of the gab. I

can speak on any subject without any

problem

6. Constitution is a fundamental

document to both the ruler and the

ruled. How ?

Ans: It avoids complete tyranny and

complete oppression. It limits the

individual.

Share your responses

(Refer to Text Page No. 72);

1. Nehru chose Ambedkar as law

minister for three reasons. What

are they ? (Paragraph 7)

Ans: Dr. Ambedkar had a special

skill in the field of law. He had a great

vision of social justice. He had made

campaigns against social injustice.

2. Are you aware of the facilities

provided by the Social Welfare

Department ? Mention any two.

Ans: The department offers

accommodation and scholarships to the

depressed class.

3. After independence, members of the

Scheduled Castes have found doors

opened to them. How ?

Ans: The first thing is providing

equality of opportunities to all. Today no

legal bars exist. They are enrolling

themselves in institutes of higher learning

and entering public service. Today they

are able to occupy high offices of State,

4. All people should be given equal

opportunities to prove themselves,

How are the members of the

Scheduled Castes proving

themselves?

Ans: They are going for higher

studies and they have taken prestigious

positions of the state and the centre. They

are working with creditably and looking

after responsibility.

5. Babasaheb Ambedkar considers

public agitation in free India as

unconstitutional. Why?

Ans: Because some public agitations

result in the loss of lives and public

property

6. Social discrimination still exists in

India. Debate in the class.

Ans: Today also we notice

discrimination in India because of class,

creed, caste and colour. The downtrodden

are not properly looked upon. I think

untouchability never disappears from this

nation. But if we understood that all are

human beings, then only we can win all

being human.

Share your responses

(Refer to Text Page No. 73):

1. What were the opinions of the

Buddha and Awai regarding the

caste divisions ?

Ans: Buddha never believed caste

divisions. He only believed in the divisions

between noble and ignoble and wholesome

and unwholesome. According to Tamil

poetess, there are only two castes in the

world namely, the charitable who give and

are superior and the misers who do not

and are, therefore inferior.

2. Caste system in India is in a strong

position because of .

(fill in the blank picking the answer

from paragraph 11]

Ans: its power structure.

3. Why did the British magnify the

caste distinctions ?

Ans! Because they wanted to rule

India under the policy of Divide and Rule.

So that they could strengthen their

hegemony over us.

4. The word 'hegemony' means .........

a. distinction

b. control

c. strength

Ane: (b) control.

5. 'they brought about a veritable

revolution in social thought.'

a. Who are they?

b. What 'revolution is referred to here?

c. How did they bring about the

revolution ?

Ans: (a) They are Mahatma Gandhi and

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.

(b) Oneness of Hindu Community.

(c) Gandhiji reminded the higher

castes of their duty towards the

depressed classes. Dr. B.R.

Ambedkar did the same by

reminding of their inherent

rights to equality with the higher

and more powerful castes.

6. Why did Nehru describe Dr.

Ambedkar as 'a symbol of revolt'?

Ans: Because Nehru could notice

the perseverance and persistence of Dr.

B.R. Ambedkar. He stressed human rights

to be given for the depressed class. He

was always active.

Think about the Test :

Answer the following questions:

1. Ambedkar had a great thirst for

books when he was a student.

Explain.

Ans: The former president of India

Sri R. Venkataraman speaks about Dr.

B.R. Ambedkar. He says that Dr. B.R.

Ambedkar had a insatiable thirst for

books. He was a voracious reader and

considered books sa more important than

his daily expenses. When he was in New

York, he had purchased more than 2,000

old books which had been sent to India

in 32 boxes. It was one of the fine

traits of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.

2. How did the fourteenth amendme

to the U.S constitution and Mahatm.

Phule influence Ambedkar?

Ans: When Dr. Ambedkar was in

U.S.A., he was drawn to the fourteenth

Amendment of the Constitution of the

U.S.A. which gave freedom to the Black

Americans and saw at once the parallel of

the situation for the Depressed Classes in

India. He also read the life and works of

Mahatma Phule and decided to devote all

his time and talents for the amelioration

of his underprivileged brethren.

3. There were great luminaries on the

Drafting Committee. Dr. Ambedkar

is remembered as the pilot. Give

reasons.

Ans: Dr. Ambedkar explained

everything in the convincing way. He

had the combination of tact and frankness

and utmost patience. He explained clearly

the meaning and scope of the different

provisions of the Draft Constitution. He

had the rare gift of unravelling the most

complicated legal concepts in the language

which the laymen understood. So he is

remembered as the pilot.

4. Write a short note on Dr. Ambedkar's

idea/perception of the three pillars

of State.

Ans: The three pillars of the State,

the Legislature, the Executive and the

Judiciary. He told that the jurisdiction of

each should be clear and not hampered,

so that the welfare of the citizen was

safeguarded.

5. What are the significant observations

of Dr. Ambedkar on the constitution?

Ans: Dr. B.R. Ambedkar remarked

that Constitution is a fundamental

document. It defines the power and

position of the three organs of the State.

The main purpose is not merely to create

the organs but to limit their authority to

check, so as to avoid tyranny or

oppression.

6. Nehru chose Dr. Ambedkar as the

law minister. What might have

prompted Nehru to do so?

ans: Jawaharlal Nehru noticed Dr.Ambedkar's

skills in the field of Law and

legislation. He also understood his vision

Social justice. So he chose Dr. Ambedkar as the First Law minister of

Independent India.

What made Dr. Ambedkar describe

the methods of Civil Disobedience.

Non-cooperation and Satyagraha as

the “Grammar of anarchy"?

Ans: Dr. Ambedkar told that the

constitutional methods to be used to

achieve social objectives. He calls it

grammar of Anarchy because it is fine to

revolt against a government formed

Without the consent of the people but not

possible but not possible in democracy

which is based on free and fair elections.

How did Dr. Ambedkar and Mahatma

Gandhi try to wipe out caste

discrimination from India?

Ans: Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. B.R.

Ambedkar stressed the oneness of the

Hindu community. Gandhiji did this by

reminding the higher classes of their duty

towards the depressed classes and Dr.

Ambedkar reminded the depressed classes

their right to equality with higher classes.