Question Bank — The Role of the Judiciary in Our Society

NCERT Class 8 Social Science · Chapter 11 · CBSE Board Pattern

Class 8 Social Science Chapter 11 Question Bank CBSE Board Pattern

Section A — MCQs (10 questions, 1 mark each)

  1. The Preamble to the Constitution of India promises which of the following types of justice to all citizens?
    a) Social and economic only
    b) Political only
    c) Social, economic, and political
    d) Religious only

  2. Which article of the Constitution provides for the establishment of the Supreme Court of India?
    a) Article 124
    b) Article 214
    c) Article 32
    d) Article 226

  3. The retirement age of a Supreme Court judge is:
    a) 62 years
    b) 65 years
    c) 60 years
    d) 70 years

  4. Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was first reported in a case filed by:
    a) M.C. Mehta
    b) Mrs. Kapila Hingorani
    c) Vishaka
    d) A group of under-trial prisoners

  5. Which of the following is not a jurisdiction of the Supreme Court?
    a) Original jurisdiction under Article 131
    b) Writ jurisdiction under Article 32
    c) Advisory jurisdiction under Article 143
    d) Power of superintendence under Article 227

  6. Assertion (A): The judiciary is independent of the legislature and the executive.
    Reason (R): An independent judiciary ensures that disputes are decided in a fair and just manner.
    a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
    b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
    c) A is true but R is false.
    d) A is false but R is true.

  7. Assertion (A): The Supreme Court can give its opinion to the President on a question of law or fact of public importance.
    Reason (R): This is done under the advisory jurisdiction mentioned in Article 143 and must be heard by a Constitution Bench of at least five judges.
    a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
    b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
    c) A is true but R is false.
    d) A is false but R is true.

  8. Substantive justice focuses on:
    a) Opportunity of hearing to every person
    b) The final result or outcome being fair and reasonable
    c) Presumption of innocence until proved guilty
    d) Mediation by a neutral person

  9. Gram Nyayalayas were established under which Act?
    a) Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987
    b) Gram Nyayalayas Act, 2008
    c) Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996
    d) Mediation Act, 2023

  10. Which of the following is an example of an Alternate Dispute Resolution mechanism?
    a) Filing a writ petition in the Supreme Court
    b) Lok Adalat
    c) Appellate jurisdiction of the High Court
    d) Advisory jurisdiction of the Supreme Court

Section B — Very Short Answer (6 questions, 2 marks each)

  1. Define substantive justice and procedural justice.
  2. State the qualifications required for appointment as a Judge of the Supreme Court.
  3. Identify the three levels of the Indian judicial hierarchy.
  4. What is a Public Interest Litigation (PIL)? Give one example from the chapter.
  5. State any two functions of the High Court mentioned in the chapter.
  6. What is the difference between arbitration and mediation as described in the chapter?

Section C — Short Answer (5 questions, 3 marks each)

  1. Explain why an independent judiciary is essential in a democratic society.
  2. Compare substantive justice and procedural justice with examples from the chapter.
  3. Give reasons why many colonial-era laws were repealed after independence.
  4. Explain the writ jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and the High Court.
  5. Describe the role of tribunals in the Indian judicial system with two examples.

Section D — Long Answer (3 questions, 5 marks each)

  1. Analyse the original, appellate, and advisory jurisdictions of the Supreme Court of India. How do these jurisdictions help in upholding the Constitution?
  2. Discuss the causes and consequences of unjust laws such as the Jim Crow laws and apartheid laws, and explain the significance of their repeal.
  3. Examine the significance of alternative modes of dispute resolution (arbitration, mediation, Lok Adalats, and Gram Nyayalayas) in reducing the burden on regular courts and ensuring access to justice.

Section E — Source-Based (2 questions, 4 marks each)

Source 1

“The Indian Judicial system is a unified system, comprising of a hierarchy of courts with the Supreme Court of India at the apex level, the High Courts at the State level and Subordinate Courts at the District level.” (Also refer to Fig. 4.5 showing the hierarchy: Supreme Court → High Courts → District Courts)

  1. Which court is at the apex of the Indian judicial system? (1 mark)
  2. Name the courts that function at the State level. (1 mark)
  3. Why is the system described as “unified”? (1 mark)
  4. How does the hierarchy help in the administration of justice? (1 mark)

Source 2

“PIL is an innovation introduced by the Supreme Court to address issues of public concern and give meaning to the Right to Life under Article 21 of the Constitution of India. The first reported case of a PIL was a complaint made by a lawyer called Mrs. Kapila Hingorani… The Supreme Court immediately ordered the release of such prisoners, and also issued guidelines to release almost 40,000 under-trial prisoners throughout India.”

  1. What does PIL stand for? (1 mark)
  2. Which article is linked to the Right to Life that PIL seeks to give meaning to? (1 mark)
  3. Who filed the first reported PIL and what was the issue? (1 mark)
  4. How did the Supreme Court respond in this case? (1 mark)
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Section A

  1. c (1 mark)
  2. a (1 mark)
  3. b (1 mark)
  4. b (1 mark)
  5. d (1 mark)
  6. a (1 mark)
  7. a (1 mark)
  8. b (1 mark)
  9. b (1 mark)
  10. b (1 mark)

Section B (any two relevant points, 1 mark each)
1. Substantive justice: final outcome fair and reasonable. Procedural justice: full opportunity of hearing and presumption of innocence.
2. Citizen of India + (i) High Court judge for 5 years or (ii) advocate for 10 years or (iii) distinguished jurist.
3. Supreme Court, High Courts, Subordinate/District Courts.
4. PIL allows citizens to approach courts for public issues; example: Mrs. Kapila Hingorani’s case on under-trial prisoners.
5. Writ jurisdiction (Art. 226), appeals from subordinate courts, superintendence over lower courts (Art. 227).
6. Arbitration: parties refer dispute to arbitrator whose decision is binding. Mediation: neutral mediator helps parties reach mutual settlement but cannot impose decision.

Section C (any three points, 1 mark each)
1. Ensures fair adjudication, checks legislature and executive, upholds Constitution, protects Fundamental Rights.
2. Substantive = outcome; Procedural = process and hearing. Examples from chapter.
3. Colonial laws discriminatory, against democratic principles; examples: Criminal Tribes Act, Vernacular Press Act.
4. Supreme Court (Art. 32) and High Court (Art. 226) for enforcement of Fundamental Rights.
5. Specialised bodies for specific disputes; examples: NGT (environment), NCLT (corporate), CAT (service matters).

Section D (any five points, 1 mark each)
1. Original (Art. 131), Appellate (Arts. 132-134A, 136), Advisory (Art. 143); ensures constitutional supremacy and justice.
2. Jim Crow and apartheid created racial segregation and denied dignity; repeal restored equality and human rights.
3. Reduces backlog, faster and amicable settlement, accessible at village level (Gram Nyayalayas), statutory backing.

Section E

Source 1

  1. Supreme Court (supported by text and Fig. 4.5)
  2. High Courts (supported by hierarchy description)
  3. Single integrated system with clear hierarchy (direct from source)
  4. Allows appeals and ensures uniformity (inferred from hierarchy and roles)

Source 2

  1. Public Interest Litigation (direct from source)
  2. Article 21 (direct from source)
  3. Mrs. Kapila Hingorani; under-trial prisoners in jail longer than possible punishment (direct from source)
  4. Ordered release and issued guidelines for ~40,000 prisoners (direct from source)
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All questions are answerable from the NCERT chapter text. Reviewed by GFIS faculty.