CTET Paper 2 Social Studies July 2019 (English-Hindi-Sanskrit) (Previous Year Paper)

Lawrence Kohlberg, an American psychologist, has propounded the 'Theory of Moral Development'. He has made a systematic study of moral development in his theory that is categorized in 3 levels and 6 stages.

Key Points

The above-mentioned description is related to 'The Universal Ethical Principle Orientation' stage of moral reasoning of Kohlberg as it is a stage of morality in which:

• values act as a guiding force that defines the right action based on one’s own conscience.
• universal and abstract moral values including equality, respect, etc. guide one's behavior.
• personality development is highly governed by ethical-moral thinking and internal moral principles.

Hence, it could be concluded that the above-mentioned description is related to 'The Universal Ethical Principle Orientation' stage of moral reasoning of Kohlberg.

Important Points

Refer to the table to be familiar with all the levels of Kohlberg's theory:

Piaget explained that children progress through four stages and in the same order. The Four Stages of Cognitive Development are as follows:-

1. The Sensorimotor Stage (0 to 2yrs)
2. The Preoperational Stage (2 to 7)
3. The Concrete Operational Stage (7 to 12)
4. The Formal Operational Stage (12 to adulthood)

The concrete operational stage is the third stage in Piaget's theory of Cognitive Development.

• In this stage, Children gain the abilities of conservation of number, area, volume, and orientation.
• Children can conserve numbers (age 6), mass (age 7), and weight (age 9). Conservation is the understanding that something stays the same in quantity even when its appearance changes.
• Children enjoy the company of friends in this stage so, this stage is also referred to as gang age, where the feeling of class inclusion dominates in a child.
• Reversibility, seriation, transitivity also developed in this stage
• Ability to conserve is one of the major accomplishments of the concrete operational stage.

Conservation is the understanding that a child develops to know that a thing remains the same even if it changes in shape or appearance.

NOTE:

• Hypothetic - Deductive Reasoning ⇒ Formal Operational Stage
• Secondary Circular Reactions ⇒ Sensorimotor Stage
• Animistic Thinking ⇒ Pre-Operational Stage

Hence, it becomes clear that major accomplishments of the concrete operational stage is Ability to conserve.

Constructivism is a theory based on observation and scientific study about how people learn. It says that people construct their understanding and knowledge of the world, through experiencing things and reflecting on those experiences.

Views of Constructivist: The constructivist approach to learning suggests that people actively construct or make their own knowledge and that reality is determined by the experiences of the learner.

• Constructivists such as Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky view learning as a continuous process of meaning-making by active engagement.
• Constructivists believe that a learner's ability to learn relies to a large extent on what he already knows and understands, and the acquisition of knowledge should be an individually tailored process of construction.
• Constructivism was based on cognitive development through mental construction where the learner constructs his/her own knowledge through meaning-making of concepts and experience.

Principles of Constructivism:

• Knowledge is constructed by the learner. The learner accommodates new information through the assimilation of previous information.
• Learning happens through meaning-making.
• Learning is an active process involving the learner’s active engagement in the process as well as with the world

Piaget’s constructivism theory was based on cognitive development and Vygotsky was based on social development.

NOTE:

Hence, it becomes clear that constructivists such as Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky view learning as the process of meaning-making by active engagement.

Gender stereotypes typecast a particular gender with a particular behaviour, nature, dressing, attitude, etc.

Examples of gender stereotypes:-

• Usually in stories and magazine articles, clippings from newspapers, gender role models are often attired in traditional dresses.
• A gown or frocks for girls, saree for older women, shirt for men, etc
• Girls asked to be neat, polite, talk softly
• Acceptable to boys behaving roughly, talking loud, or doing a shabby work;
• Girls asked to do a drawing, fine arts, and boys pushed to stronger martial arts, etc

.

• Fixing certain jobs to a particular gender

Hence, to dress in non-traditional attire helps to break this stereotyping and spread equality among everyone.

Gender bias is the differential treatment of individuals based on gender; gender roles define gender-specific roles; gender constancy is developing a constant idea of a particular gender over time.

Therefore, selecting and presenting stories and clippings from the newspaper that portray both men and women in non-traditional roles is an effective strategy to counter gender stereotypes.

Socialization is a process by which an individual becomes a member of society through a mechanism of interaction. 

• Its purpose is to prepare individuals for future roles.
• Socialization is a process of moulding an individual’s brain, attitude, behavior, etc to become a perfect human being in society.
• The important agents of socialization include media, day-care centres, peer groups, school, and religion.

Key Points Media, school, family, and neighbourhood play an important role in the child’s socialization.

• Media helps the child to interact with the society through social standards.
• Social media helps a lot to express one’s views and ideas to others commonly in society and thereby develops communicating and socializing skills.
• Family is the primary agents of socialization for a child.
• School plays a very important role next to family in the social development of a child.
• The school imparts socialization through various interactions with teachers, peers, other students, and other staffs of the school.
• The neighbourhood has a definite role in the socialization process of a child. The child is part of a society or a community and has to live in common among the neighbourhood.
• By communicating, interacting and sharing with neighbours, a child can develop social skills.
• Neighbours act as supporting pillars who can mentor and guide a child along with family members and teachers.

Hence, from the above-mentioned points, it becomes clear that given all the agents play an important role in a child’s socialization.

The theory of Multiple Intelligence which consists of eight different kinds of intelligence is propounded by an American psychologist 'Howard Gardner'. 

This theory emphasizes that:

• intelligence is of several kinds rather than dominated by a general factor.
• intelligence can't be tied to a single domain as each individual has his/her own abilities.

Key Points

The above-mentioned characteristic is related to the Interpersonal Intelligence of Howard Gardner’s theory as:

• Interpersonal intelligence deals with understanding and relating to other’s feelings.
• A person with interpersonal intelligence can understand various emotional states of other people.
• Interpersonal intelligence is the ability to respond appropriately to moods, temperaments, and intentions of others.

Hence, it could be concluded that the above-mentioned characteristic is related to the Interpersonal Intelligence of Howard Gardner’s theory.

NOTE: Refer to the diagram to know the category of intelligence suggested by Howard Gardner:

An assessment is done to provide valuable critical information about a child’s performance which reflects its development and growth. It is conducted in different phases of the teaching-learning process.

Some assessments are conducted before the beginning of the teaching-learning process, some are carried out during the process, and others conducted at the end of the instructional process.

Assessment:

• guides a teacher to plan and improve teaching-learning processes in the classroom
• provides information regarding the changes and progress that a child has developed in a learning process over a period of time which can be used for evaluating the quality of teaching-learning processes
• provides details about student’s milestones’ - individual capabilities, potential, strengths and challenging areas which can be discussed with the parents to work together and support the student’s growth and development.

Hence, it could be concluded that except statement (1), the remaining statements are correct in the context of the question.

John Dewey, an American philosopher has proposed the concept of 'Progressive Education' which emphasizes that learning takes place only through 'hands-on' approach so the students must interact with their environment to adapt and learn.

Belief in the capability and potential of every child is central to the concept of progressive education as it promotes: 

• emphasizes to enhance skills and understanding of the learners by engaging with the contents and experiences.
• promotes 'learning by doing' to make children self-reliant and productive to use their knowledge and talents effectively.
• ensures the active participation of students by working in a group and applying practical knowledge to complete an activity.

Hence, it could be concluded that belief in the capability and potential of every child is central to the concept of progressive education.

Additional Information

'Progressive Education' Promotes:

• Critical thinking
• Problem-solving skills
• Active engagement of students
• Development of social and communicative skills

Individual difference refers to the difference which distinguishes an individual from another on the basis of psychological characteristics.

Key Points

To understand individual differences in development it is important to consider both inherited characteristics as well as environmental factors and their interplay. 'Hereditary and Environment' are complementary in determining the development of an individual as:

• all the mental and social traits depend on the environment.
• all the potential inputs for growth and development depend on heredity.
• all the inborn traits, instincts, potentials, and I. Q. depends on the heredity.
• heredity places limit on IQ and environment determines the numeric position of IQ within these limits.

Hence, it could be concluded that to understand individual differences in development it is important to consider both inherited characteristics as well as environmental factors and their interplay.​

Important Points

• Heredity: It refers to the traits that pass down from the parents to their offspring. It is the most important personality and intelligence determinant.
• Environment: It refers to the circumstances in which an individual lives. Child's immediate environment strongly influenced their personality and intelligence.

Additional Information

Required steps to meet individual differences:

• Ability grouping.
• Enrichment of curriculum.
• Individualization of instruction.
• Identification of special talents.
• Adoption of modern method of teaching.

Development includes a series of qualitative and progressive change. Development can be defined as the changes in the structure, thought or behaviour, of a person that occurs as a function of both biological and environmental influences.

• The exact course and nature of development is constantly influenced by environmental factors and keeps changing accordingly.
• Development is relatively ordered and takes place gradually over a period of time.
• Development involves the physical, cognitive, emotional, social, and language development of an individual which are influenced by maturation and learning over the period of time.
• It is a continuous process that happens throughout the lifetime, takes place even after attaining maturity of physical growth and not a predetermined factor.
• Every individual develops at different rates.
• Hereditary growth factors like the colour of the eyes or hair, facial features, etc are determined at the time of birth itself.

Hence, from the above-mentioned points, it becomes clear that the exact course and nature of development are not determined at the time of birth itself.

Gender refers to the socially and culturally constructed system that attributes meaning to what it means to be a male or a female in a particular society.

Gender bias in teaching leads to differential learning experiences, even though the girls and boys of a class sit in the same classroom and attended by the same teacher.

• It refers to the belief when someone prioritize one gender more than the other one.
• The result of the research studies about teachers interacting more with boys than girls is an example of gender bias in teaching.

Examples of Gender Bias in Teaching and at school:-

• Girls being given lesser opportunities to participate in school and classroom events
• Applying gender stereotypes like femininity norms among girls to behave quiet, being neat, calm etc., and masculine norms among boys to be loud, bold, strong, etc.
• Stereotypical expressions of male and female characters in textbook content.
• Assigning work differentially to boys and girls​.

Methods to Avoid Gender Bias in Teaching:-

• Allow for equal participation in activities by girls and boys.
• Treating both boys and girls equally.
• Following gender bias-free teaching and learning methods.

Hence, from the above-mentioned points, it becomes clear that teachers interacting more with boys than girls is an example of gender bias in teaching.

Divergent thinking is an open point of thinking which produces multiple possible solutions to a single problem.

Creativity is considered as the ability to produce something original or to find the solution to a problem by themselves.

Creative children have the ability to come up with original and divergent solutions to a problem.

General Traits of a Creative Child:

• Think and act independently
• Curious and active learner
• Deep thinkers and visionary
• Ability to come up with divergent solutions
• Open-minded and Intuitive
• Interesting, fun-filled, vibrant
• Ambitious and likes challenges
• Self-occupied and self-disciplined
• Like to take risks and experiment

Curious children can provide original and divergent solutions to the problem because of their experimental, curious, deep and divergent thinking nature.

They try to think deep into the problem, tackle it, and find multiple solutions to solve it. They mostly think and work independently and hence their solutions are unique and original.

NOTE:

• Impaired and children with a learning disability cannot provide original divergent solutions because of their impairment or disability which might hinder their thinking and learning process.
• Egocentric children fail to think on their own. They face difficulty in thinking outside of their own viewpoints.

Hence, it becomes clear that the ability to come up with original and divergent solutions to a problem is a primary characteristic of a creative child.

In the teaching-learning process, visually challenged learners suffer from an issue with sight or vision but when they are facilitated with the right training and tools, they develop a good literacy ability.

Key Points

Instructional adaptations that a teacher should make while working with visually challenged learners include:

• using a lot of touches and feel materials.
• giving verbal clues to create opportunities to imagine.
• introducing tactile materials during classroom discussions.
• speaking clearly and loudly with appropriate pauses and reiterations.
• providing learning with the help of auditory systems such as an audio CD of the textbook, radio, etc.
• using braille system to make them read-write as it's raised dots will help the child to study the words through the pattern.

Hint

• A teacher should not use a variety of visual presentations and written tasks especially worksheets for visually challenged learners as it could lead to low self-esteem and feeling of failures in them.

Hence, it could be concluded that a teacher should speak clearly and use a lot of touches and feel materials while working with visually challenged learners.

Important Points

• Tactile materials: It refers to the inputs which children receive through the receptive sensors of their skins.
• Braille system: It refers to a pattern of raised dots called "Braille" to represent letters, numbers, and punctuation marks, that can be felt with a finger.

Inclusive Education refers to the inclusion of all children in the education system, regardless of their differences and disabilities.

• It values the diversity, each child brings to the classroom and facilitates all with equal opportunities to learn and grow.
• It provides a provision to include disabled children along with normal children in a regular classroom environment.

Key Points 

Cooperative learning and peer tutoring should be actively promoted in an inclusive classroom as these both strategies will:

• boost up the confidence of special children while learning with normal children.
• help the special child to gain quality experience by engaging them in active learning.

Let's Understand in Brief:

Hence, it could be concluded that 'cooperative learning and peer tutoring**'** should be actively promoted in an inclusive classroom.

Inclusive education refers to the practice of educating students with special needs in regular classes for all. It provides a provision to include disabled children along with normal children in a regular classroom environment.

• Inclusive classroom refers to an education system that includes children regardless of physical, intellectual, social, linguistic, or other differently-abled conditions.
• An inclusive classroom is not limited to children with a disability but also gifted children, economically disadvantaged children, children from remote populations, children belonging to ethnic, linguistic, or cultural minorities or children from other marginalized groups.

Important Points

Providing an individual education plan (IEP) is most important in an inclusive classroom.

Need for IEP in an inclusive classroom

• In an inclusive classroom, students with a diverse background, varied skills, diverse abilities, and challenges are grouped in a single classroom.
• So the individual learning capacities will be highly different from each other physically, cognitively, academically, socially, and emotionally.
• To balance these individual differences, an appropriate individual education plan is highly necessary for an inclusive classroom.

IEP advantages:

• Aids in attending to the individual needs of a student so that he/she can be a part of an inclusive classroom.
• Provide extra attention
• Evaluate independently
• Motivate in learning

IEP strategies:

Hint

• The testing, competitive learning, and uniform instruction are not applicable in an inclusive classroom because it comprises of students with mixed abilities.

Hence, from the above-mentioned points, it becomes clear that an individualized education plan is most important in an inclusive classroom.

Dyslexia is a learning difficulty based on language processing disorder. Dyslexic learners has-

1. Lack of reading skills
2. Face difficulties with spelling and pronunciation of words
3. Lack of writing fluency

Key PointsDyslexic learners lack reading and writing fluency because they lack executive function, cannot process phonological information, or decode words.

To correct this lack in reading and writing fluency, dyslexics should be provided

• Awareness in phonology, recognizing letters, correspondence of sound and letter, orthography, morphology, syllable, syntax, semantics, etc
• Practice continuous repeated reading and writing to increase fluency

Additional Information

• The creative learner has a highly developed problem-solving ability, a curious and impulsive nature, and the ability to create original and imaginative ideas.
• Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a type of developmental or behavioural disorder whose essential feature is a persistent pattern of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.

Learning is the acquisition of new behaviour or the strengthening or weakening of old behaviour as a result of experience. It represents progressive changes in behaviour. It also involves the acquisition of knowledge, habits, and attitude. The term learning covers every modification in behaviour to meet environmental requirements.

In Facilation of Meaningful Learning:-

• The learner takes control of the learning process and the teacher acts as the facilitator or the resource provider.
• The learner is responsible for developing and achieving his/her own learning goals
• Makes sure that the learner understands the facts and information provided and relates it with already existing information.
• Long-lasting, durable, coherent, organized, problem solving
• Using examples and non-examples, encouraging multiple ways to look at a problem, and connecting new knowledge to a pre-existing knowledge will facilitate meaningful learning.

Hint

• Repetition learning helps to practice a skill repeatedly until the learner masters the skill. Recall helps to bring out stored information.
• These are rhetoric processes of rote learning which cannot promote meaningful learning.

Hence, from the above-mentioned points, it becomes clear that promoting repetition and recalls does not result in meaningful facilitation of learning.

The constructivist environment is related to the constructivist approach of education which gives primacy to collaborative learning by involving learners in discussions and projects.

Constructivist environment:

• emphasizes on collaboration with others for learning.

• ensures the active involvement of learners and promotes peer tutoring.

• allows learners to foster their own strategy of learning to perform a task.

• provides ample opportunities to learners to make them work at their own pace.

• views learners as makers of meaning and creators of knowledge through social interaction.

• NOTE: In the constructivist learning environment teachers assess learners during the teaching-learning process and gives feedback on the learning process rather than the products.

Hence, it could be concluded that teachers employ a specific end of the term assessment strategies and give feedback on products rather than processes that would not be consistent with a constructivist environment.

Teachers play the most crucial role in **moulding the behaviour of learners.**his shaping of behaviour is achieved through planning and dedication. 

• The benefits of teaching are maximized when teachers act as a facilitator for the students.
• A teacher should encourage students to set learning goals rather than performance goals.
• The role of the teachers is considered to view learners as active participants in their learning and not as recipients of knowledge.
• A teacher has to play an interactive role with patience and perseverance to foster the potential of young seedlings to grow and bloom.

NOTE: Setting performance, marking seeking, or failure avoiding goals will pressurize the learner.

Hence, from the above-mentioned points, it becomes clear that a teacher should encourage students to set learning goals rather than performance goals.

Learning strategies refer to the various approaches, processes, and actions that the learner applies to learn a concept. These are the learner’s own way of organizing and using specific sets of skills to achieve expected learning outcomes.

Here, all the above-mentioned activities are examples of effective learning strategies. 

Let's Understand in Brief:

Hence, it could be concluded that all the above-mentioned activities are the examples of effective learning strategies.

Motivation refers to the process that guides an individual to achieve a goal. There are two main types of motivation which include extrinsic and intrinsic motivation.

Let's Understand in Brief:

Hence, it could be concluded that the sentence “I complete my homework because the teacher gives us marks for each assignment" is an example of extrinsic motivation.

Teaching involves the use of varieties of techniques in order to make teaching-learning a fruitful and meaningful process.

A primary classroom teacher should use both examples and non-examples as a teaching tool to facilitate productive learning.

• Examples:
• It utilizes similar situations, ideas, or concepts to learn new information or concept easily.
• Examples help to understand an unclear concept by relating to another similar concept.
• Nonexamples:
• It utilizes contrasting situations, ideas, or concepts to learn new information.
• Non-examples help students to understand concepts by stretching their thinking effectively.

Hence, it could be concluded that in a primary classroom, a teacher should give both examples and non-examples.

Additional Information

Examples and Non-examples Enhance:

• Self-awareness
• Critical thinking
• Interest in learning
• Active engagement
• Understanding of concept

Meaning-making is an important process in meaningful learning which aims in learning through conceptual understanding to impart valuable knowledge to the learner.

• Exploration and discussion are the best strategies to promote meaning-making in children.
• This is facilitated by various learning attributes like observation, exploration, analysis, discussion, inference, etc.
• Meaning-making helps the children to relate the current information with already existing information and make an understanding of the whole concept.

For efficient meaning-making in learning concepts, children need to:

• Engage actively in the learning process
• Follow an inquiry-based approach and analyze every concept
• Apply curiosity and critical thinking and ask questions like ‘why’, ‘how’ to understand how and why things happen
• Develop hypothetical analysis through diverse ideas and relate the cause and effect and other relationships in a concept
• Discuss the same with the teacher and peers to brainstorm ideas and come to a meaningful conclusion about the concept
• Learning concepts learned with a meaningful understanding will stay for a lifetime than rote learning

NOTE: Transmission of information, using punitive measures, uniform, and standardized testing; although, might promote learning but will not create meaningful learning.

Hence, it becomes clear that exploration and discussion strategies would promote meaning-making in children.

Error**:** When a learner can’t master a topic, he/she is vulnerable to making errors. Errors are nothing but incorrectness made by a child during learning. 

• Misconceptions: These take place due to the mismatch in previously assimilated and newly accommodated knowledge.

Key Points Children’s errors and misconceptions:

• are significant steps in the teaching-learning process.
• are necessary for the learning process to give insight into children's thinking.
• help the teacher to be aware of learners' learning styles, to cater to them according to their needs.
• are considered a part of the teaching-learning process as it helps to understand the child.

Hence, it could be concluded that children’s errors and misconceptions are significant steps in the teaching-learning process.

Additional InformationReasons for errors and misconceptions:

• Lack of interest & knowledge
• Misunderstanding of concept
• Missing out on important points or steps
• Inability to grasp the central idea or concept
• Forgetting related previously assimilated knowledge

The constructivist frame/perspective is based on the idea that meaningful learning takes place when learners actively construct their own knowledge.

Key Points

The central idea of the constructivist frame is that learners learn through experiencing things and reflecting on those experiences.

In the constructivist frame, the child is viewed as:

• imaginative on the basis of sources.
• little scientists and markers of meaning.
• problem solver and a scientific investigator.
• creator of knowledge through social interaction.
• builder of new knowledge by activating the previous one.

Important Points

• As a problem solver, the child learns by exploring, investigating, experimenting, and inquiring about the facts and information provided.
• As a scientific investigator, the child actively takes part in the learning activity and tends to be – reflective, analytical, creative, etc.

Hence, it could be concluded that in the constructivist frame, the child is viewed as a problem solver and a scientific investigator.

co-operative learning refers to a heterogeneous group where students work collaboratively but each member is also accountable for his/her share of work to achieve the expected goal.

Key Points

A teacher’s role while using co-operative learning in her class should be supporting and monitoring each group as the teacher's role in co-operative learning includes:

• Selecting and arranging the group setting
• Setting goals to be met by the group members
• Providing necessary materials and other resources
• Supporting each student throughout the learning process
• Observing and monitoring each student's understanding of the task
• Evaluating each student’s performance based on how his/her performance.

Hence, it could be concluded that a teacher’s role while using co-operative learning in her class is to be supportive and monitor each group.

• Development: It refers to a qualitative change that results in an increase in structure for better and enhanced functioning of organs.
• Learning: It is a comprehensive process that refers to a change in behavior, knowledge, and skill as a result of practice and experience.

Key Points

Development and learning are inter-related and inter-dependent and contribute to each other.

• It should be noted that development is a product of maturity and learning.
• Maturity is more or less automatic, unfolding biological potential which is an irreversible sequence and entails biological changes.
• Such changes are relatively independent of environmental factors as long as environmental factors remain normal.
• There is a more or less permanent change in human behavior from the individual's experience in the environment.
• Learning occurs across the entire life span, which differs from maturity.
• However, learning depends on the process of maturing i.e. individual readiness (mental and physical) for certain activities.

Hence, we can conclude that the statement 'development and learning are inter-related and inter-dependent' denotes the relationship between development and learning correctly.

Swiss biologist and psychologist Jean Piaget observed his children and their process of making sense of the world around them and how the mind processes new information encountered.

Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development, assimilation, accommodation, and equilibrium are the ways through which children integrate new experiences into already existing cognition structures (schema). 

Schema:

• Schemas are mental representations of how information is organized and interpreted.
• Schemas are specific psychological structures, these are constructed in organized ways to make sense of experience.
• It is a building block of knowledge and also called as rooms or packet of information in our mind.
• These are already existing mental models in mind to represents anything.

Assimilation: It is the addition of a new concept or experience into an existing schema. For example, the baby's sucking of thumb is an initial schema.

Accommodation: It is the revision of an existing schema to suit the new experience. For example, the baby modifies the way it sucks to include sucking on a new toy.

Equilibrium: The cognitive stability or balance arrived by the processes of assimilation and accommodation is the equilibrium obtained. Equilibration is the balancing act between ‘old’ and ‘new’ perceptions and experience.

NOTE: Images, mental map, and tools are also psychological structures but were not stressed by Piaget.

Hence, according to Piaget, specific psychological structures (organized ways of making sense of experience) are called schemas.

According to Vygotsky’s 'Social Constructivism Theory', the zone of proximal development tells the child can travel with the help of scaffolding from adults and others through questions or suggestions but yet act and learn independently and reach far beyond in the process.

• Scaffolding refers to a technique that provides the right kind of support in the right amount at the right time to increase a child’s competence.
• Proper guidance from a more knowledgeable other (MKO) along with encouragement and motivation makes a learner develop more skill and complete and excel in the learning process.
• Knowledge is constructed through scaffolding from the more knowledgeable other by means of social interaction.
• The term proximal refers to the skills which change to mastering the skill with assistance or scaffolding from MKO through social interaction.

The zone of proximal development changes the stage from ‘what I can’t do’ to ‘what I can do’ with some help.

NOTE:

• Equilibration balances assimilation and accommodation or information.
• Conservation speaks about how objects remain the same in certain qualities.
• Intelligence lies in acquiring and applying knowledge.

Hence, from the above-mentioned points, it becomes clear that the zone of proximal development constructs the given statement.

Lev Vygotsky’s theory is called the Socio-Cultural Theory which-

• States basic mental capacities are transformed into higher cognitive processes primarily through social interactions
• Recognizes social interaction and language** as key players of cognitive development**
• Emphasizes social and cultural interactions with the community through social activities

Additional Information

He explains this with the concept of the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), which refers to a range of tasks that a child can achieve only with assistance from a more skilled adult or peer called the More Knowledgeable Other (MKO). Adult assistance is provided wherever necessary which is called Scaffolding. 

Other terms are associated with:

• Stimulus-Response association – Skinner
• Adaptation – Piaget
• Rewards and Punishment – Skinner

Hence, according to Ley Vygotsky, basic mental capacities are transformed into higher cognitive processes primarily through Social interaction.

Athenian democracy developed around the 6^th century BC in the Greek city-state (known as a polis) of Athens, comprising the city of Athens and the surrounding territory of Attica.

Key Points

• 'Athenian democracy' was the first known democracy in the world.
• All citizens had the 'Right to Vote' in Athenian democracy.
• All citizens had to attend assemblies.
• This democratic system consists of three separate institutions - 
• The Ekklesia -  It is a sovereign governing body that is responsible for laws and foreign policy.
• The Boule - It is the second important institution of Athenian democracy.
• The Dikasteria - It is the third important institution that was popular as 'Courts'.
• In this system, all citizens who were more than 18 years of age participated in the democratic process.
• For the various job posts positions were made through lottery.
• In this system, citizens were expected to serve in the army and navy.
• The Greek system of direct democracy plays an important role to born the 'Modern Democracy'.

​Hence, the correct answer is (1) All the free men and women above 30 years of age were recognized as full citizens.

Samudragupta was a ruler of the Gupta Empire of Ancient India. 

Key Points

Samudragupta’s policy towards the rulers of Dakshinapatha:

• So far the rulers of Dakshinapatha were concerned, Samudragupta maintained a submissive attitude towards them.
• There were twelve rulers who surrendered to Samudragupta after being defeated.
• He then allowed all of them to rule again.

Hence, the correct answer is They surrendered after being defeated and then were allowed to rule again.

Additional Information

• On accepting the subjugation of Samudragupta, all the South Indian kings were freed and also offered their daughters in marriage.
• They brought tribute, followed his orders, and attended his court.
• Samudragupta (335-376 BC) was the great ruler of the Gupta dynasty, he was the successor of Chandragupta I.
• The most important source of information about the conquests of Samudragupta is the 'Allahabad Pillar' or 'Prayag Prasasti'.

The history of painting reaches back in time to artifacts from pre-historic humans and spans all cultures. It represents a continuous, though periodically disrupted, tradition from Antiquity.

Key Points

• The images made by the oil painting look very beautiful and real.
• Water also has no immediate effect on oil paintings.
• The oil paintings became popular in Europe in the 15^th-16^th century.
• The name of 'King Ravivarma' of Travancore is notable in early Indian oil painters.
• The picturesque was developed in the eighteenth century to describe a unique kind of beauty and landscape.
• The style of Portraiture also served as an ideal means of displaying the lavish lifestyles, wealth, and status that the empire generated.
• History painting is an art form and It portrays a moment in 'narrative story'.

Hence, the correct answer is (1) a-iv, b-i, c-ii, d-iii.

The East India Company (EIC) was also known as the Honourable East India Company or simply, the John Company informally.

Key Points

• In the year 1613, the English East India Company was given permission to set up a factory at Surat.
• This permission was given by the Mughal emperor 'Jahangir'.
• Madras's Presidency was acquired in 1640.
• Bengal Presidency was established in 1690.
• The first British colony in the Bombay Presidency was established in 1618.
• The headquarters of the East India Company was brought from Surat to Bombay in 1687.
• After the Third Anglo-Mysore War, some parts of the Mysore state were included in the Madras Presidency.
• After the death of Tipu Sultan in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War in 1799, more territory was added to the Madras Presidency.

Hence, the correct answer is (1) Surat, Madras, Calcutta.

Buddhism is an Indian religion based on a series of original teachings attributed to Gautama Buddha.

Key Points

'Mahayana' is one of the two major branches of Buddhism in the present day.

• Mahayana Buddhism started in India and spread northwards to many other Asian countries.
• Mahayana Buddhism had two distinct features.
• Earlier, the Buddha’s presence was shown in sculpture by using certain signs.
• For instance, his attainment of enlightenment was shown by sculptures of the peepal tree.
• Now, statues of the Buddha were made.
• Many of these were made in Mathura, while others were made in Taxila. Hence, statement A is false.
• The second change was a belief in Bodhisattvas.
• The worship of Bodhisattvas became very popular, and spread throughout Central Asia, China, and later to Korea and Japan. Therefore, statement B is true.

Hence, the correct answer is (2) (A) is false, (B) is true.

Additional Information

• Hinayana believes in the 'historicity' of Buddha while Mahayana believes in 'Bodhisattva'.
• The term 'Bodhisattva' was used to show the former life of Gautama Buddha uniquely.
• In Hinayana, Buddha representation was done through 'symbols'.
• While Buddha is depicted in the 'human form' in the Mahayana religion.

The Permanent Settlement was an agreement between the East India Company and Bengali landlords to fix revenues to be raised from land that had far-reaching consequences for both agricultural methods and productivity in the entire British Empire and the political realities of the Indian countryside.

Key Points

Mahalwari system - 

• By the early 19^th century, the Company officials were convinced that the system of revenue had to be changed again.
• The revenues cannot be fixed permanently at such a time when the Company needed more money to meet its expenses of administration and trade.
• In 1822, Englishman Holt Mackenzie devised a new system known as the Mahalwari System in the North-Western Provinces of the Bengal Presidency (most of this area is now in Uttar Pradesh).
• Under the Mahalwari system, the land revenue was collected from the farmers by the village headmen on behalf of the whole village (and not the zamindar).
• The entire village was converted into one bigger unit called ‘Mahal’ and was treated as one unit for the payment of land revenue.
• The revenue under the Mahalwari system was to be revised periodically and not fixed permanently.
• The system was popularised by Lord William Bentick in Agra and Awadh and was later extended to Madhya Pradesh and Punjab.

Ryotwari system -

• In the British territories in southern India, there was a move away from the idea of Permanent Settlement.
• A system that came to be known as the Ryotwari System, was devised by Captain Alexander Read and Sir Thomas Munro at the end of the 18^th century and introduced by the latter when he was governor of Madras Presidency (1819–26).
• Under the Ryotwari system, the land revenue was paid by the farmers directly to the state.
• In this system, the Individual cultivator called Ryot had full rights regarding the sale, transfer, and leasing of the land.
• The ryots could not be evicted from their land as long as they paid the rent.
• It was prevalent in most of southern India, first introduced in Tamil Nadu.
• It was later extended to Maharashtra, Berar, East Punjab, Coorg and Assam.
• The advantages of this system were the elimination of middlemen, who often oppressed villagers.

Hence, the correct answer is both statements (A) and (B) correctly explain the differences between the two revenue systems.

Sufis have historically revered Muhammad as the prime personality of spiritual greatness. The Sufi poet Saadi Shirazi stated, "He who chooses a path contrary to that of the prophet shall never reach the destination.

Key Points

Khanqah - 

• The residence of Sufi saints of the Chishti sect was called 'Khanqah'.
• They used to preach their teachings from here.

Idgah - 

• On the morning of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Azha, Eid prayers are held in an empty public place.
• This place is called 'Idgah'.

Dargah - 

• It is a Sufi-Islami holy place which is built on the tomb of an eminent Sufi saint.
• The journey to this famous tomb is called 'Jiyarat'.

Gulfaroshan - 

• It is a festival of flowers celebrated by all communities in Mehrauli, Delhi in the month of August.
• It is also called Phool Walon ki Sair and Pankha festival.

​Hence, the correct answer is (4) Dargah.

VishishtAdvaita is a non-dualistic school of Vedanta philosophy. It is non-dualism of the qualified whole, in which Brahman alone exists, but is characterized by multiplicity.

Key Points

• The Vishishtadvaita doctrine was founded by 'Acharya Ramanuja' in the eleventh century.
• The existence of the world and soul are also accepted in this opinion.
• He has refuted the Mayaism of 'Adi Shankara' and told that his theory 'Brahm' has created the 'world'.
• Eknath was a famous Marathi saint, he gave fame to the literary and religious work given by Saint Dnyaneshwar.
• Sakurai was related to a poor family of Pandharpur and was a great devotee of 'Lord Vitthal'.

​Hence, the correct answer is Ramanuja.

The Sadr Diwani Adalat was the Supreme Court of Revenue in British India established at Calcutta by Warren Hastings in 1772. It was reformed in 1780 and again in 1793 by the British Parliament.

Key Points

• Diwani Adalat in civil court was introduced by Warren Hastings.
• The court was established to allow Hindu Indians to be governed by Hindu law in matters of property, and not as before by Muslim law, although they were still subject to Muslim criminal law.
• In each of the districts of British India, subordinate courts of revenue with definitive jurisdiction of up to 500 rupees, were established in which the judges were the relevant District Collector and his deputy and registrar, assisted by native officers.
• For cases exceeding 500 rupees, appeals were allowed to the Sudder Dewanny Adawlut.
• It was presided over by the European district collectors.
• All the residents of Calcutta (Indian and English) were under its jurisdiction.

Hence, the correct answer is (2) (A) is false, (B) is true.

Garrison is the collective term for anybody of the troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it.

Key Points

• "Garrison" refers to any major military station where soldiers live in groups.
• It was a fortified settlement with soldiers.
• These settlements were found in the British era.
• Strong walls were built to keep the marauders out and to protect the law-abiding traders and their property within.

​Hence, the correct answer is (2) A fortified settlement with soldiers.

Additional Information

• An emporium is a place where goods are bought and sold from various production centers.
• Hinterland - It is a land area adjoining a city or port from which goods and services are supplied.
• Port town - It is a town that acts as an important trading port for the supply of goods through marine ways.

Longitude and latitude are imaginary lines that circle the Earth. They are used to exactly pinpoint where a person or object is located. These lines are located on maps and measured in degrees. Each degree is divided into 60 minutes and each minute has 60 seconds.

• The meridian drawn on the '0' Longitude on Earth is called the 'principal meridian' or 'Greenwich line'.
• The world's standard time is determined by this line.
• It is located in the city of London, Greenwich, hence it is also known as ' Greenwich Line'.
• India is located at 82º30 ' minutes east longitude of Greenwich.
• The standard line of India passes through 'Mirzapur ' in Allahabad.
• India's standard time is 5 hours 30 minutes ahead of the Greenwich mean.
• When 2:00 pm is in London, there will be  7:30 pm time in India.

Hence, both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).

Standard time: the time of a region or country that is established by law or general usage as civil time. It is determined by the standard meridian for the region.

• The 'whole earth' is divided into twenty-four time zones of approximately equal distance.
• Time determined by one longitude can be applicable upto 7.5º on both sides (west and east). Total 15º of longitude.
• Countries spread over large areas have adopted more than one 'time zone' for convenience.
• Russia, America, and Australia have adopted 11, 9, and 8 time zones respectively.
• The total degree of longitude is 360º and 1º longitudinal difference covers 15 minutes of time.
• The entire earth is divided into 24 zones (360º/15) and each time zone covers 15 degrees longitude.

The correct answer is option 4, i.e. A, B, C all are correct.

The atmosphere is comprised of layers based on temperature characteristics. These layers are the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere.

Troposphere:

• ​The Troposphere is the lowest part of the Earth's atmosphere.
• All seasonal events occur in this layer

Stratosphere:

• The ozone layer is found in the stratosphere, hence it is also called ozone division.
• The stratosphere remains free from clouds and weather-related events.
• In this layer, the ideal condition is found to fly the jet aircraft.

Mesosphere:

• The region above the stratosphere is called the mesosphere and it extends from 50–55 km to 80 km.

Thermosphere:

• The thermosphere lies between the exosphere and mesosphere.
• The temperature in this layer reaches up to 4500 degrees Fahrenheit.
• The ionosphere contains an excess of electrically charged particles.

Exosphere:

• The exosphere's air is extremely sparse and the density of gases is very low here.

The correct answer is option 2, i.e. Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere, Exosphere.

The movement of the Earth around the Sun in a fixed path is called a revolution. The Earth revolves from west to east. The revolution of the Earth on its axis is important in setting up the seasons.

• The reason for the change of seasons is the rotation of the Earth around the Sun and the axial tilt of the Earth.
• The Earth takes 365 days and 6 hours to revolve around the Sun. This is called its 'revolving period'.
• The earth is tilted at an angle of 23.5 degrees from its axis.
• This tilt also affects the rays of the sun falling on the earth.
• Due to the tilted axis, one hemisphere of the earth remains tilted towards the sun for six months.
• And for the next six months, the second hemisphere is inclined towards the sun.
• As a result, spring, summer, rain, autumn, and winter seasons are found respectively.

The correct answer is option 3, i.e. Revolution of the Earth and inclination of its axis in the same direction.

The gaseous envelope of the earth is known as the atmosphere. It has physical as well as chemical properties. The atmosphere is composed of various gases, dust, water vapour, etc.

• The gaseous cover that surrounds the earth is called the atmosphere.
• The atmosphere is a mixture of various gases that surround the earth.
• 'Nitrogen' is the most commonly found gas in the atmosphere.
• Apart from this, the other major gases that surround the earth are the following -

The correct answer is option 3, i.e. Nitrogen.

Ocean currents are the continuous, predictable, directional movement of seawater driven by gravity, wind (Coriolis Effect), and water density. Based on the temperature characteristics, they can be categorized into the warm and cold current.

Hot streams

• Hot streams flow from low latitudes to high latitudes
• ​These currents flow from equatorial regions towards the poles.
• The temperature of these streams is higher than the temperature of the water coming in the way.
• Therefore, these streams increase the temperature in the areas towards which they move.

Cold streams

• Cold streams flow from high latitudes to low latitudes.
• ​These currents flow from polar regions towards the equator.
• These streams reduce the temperature in areas where they move.
• The Labrador Stream is a cold stream that originates from the Bay of Baffin and joins Gulfstream near Newfoundland.
• The fishing area is found at the meeting place of cold and hot streams

The correct answer is option 2, i.e. A and C are correct.

The landscape is being continuously worn away by two processes – weathering and erosion. Erosion is the wearing away of the landscape by different agents like water, wind, and ice.

Key Points

Glacial work:

• Glaciers are “rivers of ice” which erode the landscape by bulldozing soil and stones to expose the solid rock below.
• It is formed by the deposition of sediments brought by glaciers upon the melting of ice.
• ​The glacial deposition is called 'Moraine'

Hence, the correct answer is option 2, i.e. Moraine.

Additional Information

Loess:

• The deposition of dust and sand particles brought by wind is called 'Loess'.
• The plains made by the 'Loess' are very fertile for cultivation.

Sea cave:

• A sea cave, also known as a littoral cave.
• It is a type of cave formed primarily by the wave action of the sea.
• The primary process involved is erosion. ​

Levee: An embankment or a dam is a mound made of a mixture of concrete, clay, and pebbles, etc. It is called levees.

The type and thickness of natural vegetation vary from place to place because of the variation in these factors. Natural vegetation is generally classified into three broad categories, forest, grassland, and shrubs.

Coniferous forests:

• Coniferous forests are found in mountainous areas where the temperature is low.
• Straight trees are found in these forests and the leaves are pointed.
• It is found in the higher latitudes (50º - 70º) of the northern hemisphere.
• Pine, cedar, fur, spruce are the main trees of this forest.
• 'Taiga' forests are found between tundra and steppe grass plains where evergreen forests with angled trees are found.
• The main trees of the taiga forests are pine, spruce, silvers, fur, etc, and Bear, wolf, etc. animals are found in these forests.

The correct answer is option 3, i.e. Coniferous Forests.

Temperate Grasslands: 

• These are found in the mid-latitudinal zones and in the interior part of the continents.
• Usually, the grass here is short and nutritious.
• Wild buffaloes, bison, antelopes are common in the temperate region.

Temperate Deciduous Forests:

• These are found in the northeastern part of the USA, China, New Zealand, Chile, and also found in the coastal regions of Western Europe.
• They shed their leaves in the dry season.
• The common trees are oak, ash, beech, etc.
• Deer, foxes, wolves are the animals commonly found.
• Birds like pheasants, monals are also found here

Mediterranean Vegetation:

• Mediterranean trees adapt themselves to dry summers with the help of their thick barks and wax-coated leaves which help them reduce transpiration.
• Mediterranean regions are known as ‘Orchards of the world’ for their fruit cultivation.

Ganga-Brahmaputra Basin is one of the most fertile areas in our country. It is a part of the northern plain region.

Ganga-Brahmaputra Basin:

• The Ganges and Brahmaputra and their tributaries together form the 'Ganges-Brahmaputra basin' in the Indian subcontinent.
• The vast delta of the Sundarbans and the vast Gangetic plain are found here. Where the dense population is found.
• This basin is very useful for farming, mainly paddy, maize, sorghum, and millet are cultivated.
• Sundarbans forest is famous for the 'Mangrove forest'.
• Gokhur Lake or Ox-bow lake is a common feature in the plains.

Slash and Burn agriculture:

• 'Slash and Burn' agriculture is a farming method that involves cutting and burning plants in forests or woodland to clear the field for cultivation.
• It is most often practiced in places where open land for farming is not readily available because of dense vegetation.
• These regions include central Africa, northern South America, and Southeast Asia.
• Such farming is typically done within grasslands and rainforests.

Hence statement 4 is not correct.

The Dead Sea is not actually a 'sea' it is a body of water located inland; in other words, it's a lake. It is believed that the Dead Sea got its name because of the high salt and mineral content of the water, which does not encourage the development of plant or animal life.

Swimmers can float in the Dead sea because:

• Due to the excess of salinity in the 'Dead Sea', its water becomes dense, which helps in swimming.
• Due to the excess of salt, this sea is also known as the 'Salt Sea'.
• It is located between Jordan and Israel in South-west Asia.
• The surface and shores of this sea are 427 meters below sea level, Earth's lowest elevation on land.
• It is having a salinity of 342 g/kg, or 34.2% (in 2011).

The correct answer is option 4, i.e. The increased salt content makes the sea dense.

The correct answer is Both A and B are false.

Key Points

• Land use is the term used to describe the human use of land.
• It represents the economic and cultural activities such as agricultural, residential, industrial, mining, and recreational uses that are practiced at a given place. Hence A is False.
• The land is not used only for agriculture and forests.
• Rather, it is also used for other purposes like traffic, entertainment, housing, industry, and business, etc.
• The main goals of land use policy in India were -
• Undertake a detailed and scientific survey of land use, the establishment of forest cover as per forest policy, etc.

Determinant factors of landuse:

• Land use is not primarily determined by its topography only.
• The use of land is determined by physical factors such as
• Topography
• Soil
• Climate
• Minerals
• Availability of water. Hence B is False.
• Human factors such as population density, availability of capital, and technology are also important determinants of land use patterns.
• It is determined by both physical factors such as topography, climate, soil types as well as human factors such as population density, technological capability and culture, and traditions, etc.

Shelterbelts are strips of vegetation composed of trees and shrubs growing along the coasts.

Importance of Shelterbelts:

• Shelterbelts are linear plantings of multiple rows of trees or shrubs established for environmental purposes such as protecting farmsteads and livestock areas, saving energy, and enhancing wildlife habitat.
• It is to protect coastal areas from high-velocity winds and also from devastations like the ones caused by the tsunami.
• 'Shelterbelts' are made to reduce wind speed in coastal regions and dry regions.
• The effect of wind is reduced by planting in tree 'queues'.
• So that soil erosion can be saved and winds do not have much effect.

The correct answer is option 1, i.e. Checking wind movement to protect soil cover.

A soil profile is a vertical cross-section of the soil, made of layers running parallel to the surface. These layers are known as soil horizons. A soil horizon takes time to develop.

• The thickness of the soil profile is determined by 'time'.
• The organic and inorganic mixed particles on the upper surface of the earth are called 'soil'.
• Different materials, i.e. sand, silt, clay, organic matters, etc. deposited over the existing layer of the soil.
• It may take 100 years to originate a new layer of the soil.
• Different structural variations are found in different layers of soil.
• There is a difference in color, depth, and chemical composition in their layers.
• Fine-grained rocks, elements, clay, organic matter are the main components of soil.

The correct answer is option 2, i.e. Time.

A resource is any physical material constituting part of Earth that people need and value. Natural materials become resources when humans value them. The uses and values of resources change from culture to culture and from time to time. Resources are spatially distributed varying in quantity and quality.

Classification of resource:

• Resources can be divided into different types on different grounds.
• On the basis of their distribution - Ubiquitous and Localised resources.
• Resources that are found everywhere are called ubiquitous resources. Example: Air.
• Those resources which are found only in certain places are localized resources. Examples: Copper, Iron ore.

The correct answer is option 4, i.e. Ubiquitous and Localised resources.

1. On the basis of origin - Biotic and abiotic resources.
2. On the basis of accessibility - Renewable and non-renewable resources.
3. On the basis of Ownership - Individual, Community, National, and International Resources.

Diversity refers to the phenomenon where there are groups of people hailing from different races, religions, and cultures.

• It fosters a feeling of oneness and a sense of belongingness in each of the members of the society.
• Diverse society refers to the co-existence of the different social groups within a given geopolitical setting or differentiation of society in groups.
• The main sources of a diverse society are ethnic origins, religions, and languages.
• A diverse society would have differences and similarities in:
• race
• culture
• religion
• language
• occupation
• gender, etc.

Hence, it could be concluded that the statement 'social diversity would have differences and similarities​ in language, religion, and culture' is correct in the context of social diversity.

Additional Information

• A diverse society does have differences in language, religion and culture. But, it doesn't have inequalities in language, religion and culture. Diversity means the co-existence and acceptance of different languages, religions and cultures.
• A diverse society would have differences in culture, but it doesn't acknowledge the difference in power.
• A diverse society is a group of people who are differing from one to another and can also be made up of distinct characteristics or qualities.

Gender stereotype is an unfair idea that refers to a generalized view or characteristics that ought to be possessed by women and men.

• It is the relatively fixed and overgeneralized attitudes and behaviours that are considered normal and appropriate for a person in a particular culture based on his or her biological sex.

The statement that 'women are responsible bus drivers' challenges gender stereotypes as this statement is:

• implying the idea that an equal balance of man and women is required in all aspects of life.
• putting women in non-traditional roles and will also promote a sense of gender equality among people.
• removing the stereotype that certain activities are only meant to be done by men and  n ot by women and vice versa.

Hence, it could be concluded that the statement that 'women are responsible bus drivers' challenges gender stereotypes.

Women’s Suffrage refers to the right of women to vote and to hold public offices. 

• The women’s suffrage movement was the struggle for the right of women to vote and run for office and is part of the overall women’s rights movement.

DEMAND OF THE SUFFRAGETTES:

• The demand for suffrage was put forward in 1848 in France.
• Women were denied franchise on the grounds that they were dependent on men and men represented their dependents as well as themselves.
• Further, the emphasis was laid on the sexual division of labor where politics was defined as a masculine activity and women’s proper business as caring for her house, husband, and children.
• Women, within the family, we're supposed to express themselves indirectly through their husbands, brothers, and fathers.
• The women’s Suffrage Movement challenged these notions.
• They demanded the right to vote on the grounds that women also could claim the privilege of citizenship.
• They claimed that women’s individuality was as fundamental as that of men.
• The vote was claimed as a right within the concept of free and independent individuals.

Hence, it becomes clear that the main demand of the suffragettes was the Right to vote for women.

The Jātaka tales are a voluminous body of literature native to India concerning the previous births of Gautama Buddha.

• These are the stories that tell about the previous lives of the Buddha, in both human and animal form.
• Jataka tales were written in layman language and everybody could relate to them.

The Jataka Katha contains stories of the former births of Lord Buddha.

• The oldest written stories in the world are the Jataka tales in which about 600 stories have been collected.
• This is a composition 300 years before the year of AD which contains popular stories of Buddha's past lives.
• These are composed by ordinary persons and have been compiled by Buddhist monks.

Thus the correct answer is option 1, i.e. These were composed by ordinary people, written down and preserved by Buddhist monks.

The correct answer is option 4 i.e. It has rich statistical details about diverse aspects of Akbar’s administration.

• Ain-i-Akbari was composed by Abul Fazal, Navratan court of Akbar.
• It discusses Akbar's court and his administration.
• It has three sections, the last of which is called 'Akbarnama'.
• It was composed around 1597-98 and it gives details of Akbar's rule.

Key Points

• Abul Fazl wrote a three-volume history of Akbar's reign titled, Akbar Nama. Hence, Option 3 is NOT correct.
• The first volume dealt with Akbar's ancestors
• The second volume recorded the events of Akbar's reign. Hence, Option 2 is NOT correct.
• The third volume is the Ain-i-Akbari.
• It deals with Akbar's administration, household, army, revenues, and geography of his empire. Hence, Option 1 is NOT correct**.**

The correct answer is option 2, i.e. Guru Angad.

• Angad Dev or Guru Angad Dev was the second guru of Sikhs.
• Angad Dev was born on 31 March 1504 and died on 28 March 1552.
• Under the leadership of Guru Angad Sahib, the system of langar was widely publicized.
• He started the 'Gurmukhi script'.
• Guru Angad Ji's real name was Bhai 'Lahna'.
• Guru Gobind Singh was the tenth Sikh Guru and founded Sikh warrior community Khalsa and introduced five K's (faith that Khalsa Sikhs wear at all the time).
• Guru Arjan Dev was the fifth Sikh Guru and compiled the Sikh scripture called the Adi Granth, which later expanded into the Guru Granth Sahib.
• Guru Teg Bahadur was the Ninth Sikh Guru and composed 116 poetic hymns in Guru Granth Sahib.
• He resisted the conversion of Hindu Kashmiri Pandits and non-muslims.
• He was publicly killed in 1675 on the orders of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Delhi.

The government offers loans to support the needs of individuals, businesses, and communities. Government loan programs can help:

• Improve the overall national economy and quality of life of its citizens
• Encourage innovation and entrepreneurship
• Provide protection against—and relief from—disasters
• Improve on the country’s human capital

The correct match is following -

Thus, the correct answer is option 3, i.e a-i, b-iii, c-ii.

The putting-out system was a system of domestic manufacturing that was prevalent in rural areas of western Europe during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

• It evolved out of an early form of independent commodity production, constituting a transitional phase to what German social theorist Karl Marx (1818–1883) called the “formal” subordination of labour to capital.

Important Points

• The Putting out system is a trade arrangement between weavers and merchants.
• Under this arrangement, the weaver obtains the raw material from the merchant without capital.
• The weavers give the 'finished goods' to the merchant, thus in this arrangement, the weaver is completely dependent on the merchant.
• The merchant can sell the finished goods anywhere and at any cost as per convenience.

Thus, the correct answer is option 3, i.e. Yarn is supplied by the merchant to the weaver and cloth produced is bought back from the weaver at a low price.

Additional Information

The persons involved in putting out system are weavers and merchants. This system is advantageous for the weavers in two ways:

• They do not have to spend their money on the purchase of yam.
• They are also free from the tension of selling the finished cloth.

A chain of markets is formed starting from wholesale markets to retail shop owners who sell directly to the consumers. In between wholesale markets and retailers, there are medium and big traders. 

The correct order of the chain of the market - 

• B - Farmer buys tomato seeds from a local trader.
• C - Wholesale merchant bids for tomatoes in the vegetable mandi.
• D -  A small city-based food processing unit buys tomatoes.
• E - The Marketing company supplies ketchup to stores.
• A - Sona orders ketchup from a neighbourhood shop.

Thus, the correct answer is option 1, i.e. B, C, D, E, A.

An appellate court commonly called an appeals court or court of the second instance is any court of law that is empowered to hear an appeal of a trial court or other lower tribunal.

• If a person is dissatisfied with the District Judge's decision, he can appeal to the High Court.
• Appellate jurisdiction is the power of a court to review, amend and overrule decisions of a trial lower court or other lower tribunal.
• The High Court is the supreme authority of the state legislature.
• According to Article 214 of the Constitution, a High Court has been arranged for each state.
• The High Court can hear appeals against its subordinate court's decisions.
• At present, there are a total of 25 High Courts in India.
• The 25^th High Court of the country has been established in Amravati, Andhra Pradesh.

Thus, the correct answer is option 3, i.e. High Court.

India has a parliamentary system of government. The Union Parliament is the supreme legislative body in the country. 

The Parliament of India consists of the Lok Sabha, the Rajya Sabha, and the President.

• The Parliament of India is the supreme body of the Legislature of India.
• The Parliament of India is located in New Delhi.
• The Rajya Sabha is called the upper house and the Lok Sabha is cgovernmentalled the lower house.
• Rajya Sabha is a permanent house with a maximum of 250 members.
• Lok Sabha has a maximum strength of 552 members.
• Only the party with a majority in the Lok Sabha can form the .

Thus, the correct answer is option 2, i.e. Only B is true.

The correct answer is option 4, i.e. The Indian Political System.

• The Indian Political System has the power to prevent the misuse of powers.
• The political system is a social institution that plays an important role in the governance of a country.
• The constitution of a country establishes the basic structure of the political system.
• The structure and process of political interaction and decision-making are embedded in the political system.
• Indian constitution ensures that the different branches control each other which is intended to make them accountable to each other, these are the 'checks';
• The constitution divides power between the different branches of government, these are the 'balances'.

History is a narrative account of the past. It is the story of changing human cultures, beliefs and lifestyles and helps to build up a sense about what could happen in the future.

History is a journey across time and space. It leads us into another world, another age, in which people lived differently.

The teaching of History should focus upon:

• inculcating a spirit of inquiry and discovery in students
• helping learners to build up a sense about what could happen in the future.
• the concept of plural representations and building a sense of historical diversity.
• encouraging students to imagine living in the past and relate to their experiences.
• making learners understand historical diversity and continuous process of development.
• providing learners an opportunity to better understand the world by comparing it with the past.
• making learners understand how the modern world has appeared over long centuries of development.
• enabling students to compare and contrast different time periods and how changes take place with time.

Hence, it could be concluded that the teaching of History focuses upon the concept of plural representations and building a sense of historical diversity and ​encouraging students to imagine living in the past and relate to their experiences.

Social Science is a branch of science that deals with human behavior and social relationships, which rely primarily on empirical approaches.

Aims of teaching Social Science includes:

• involving with complexities rather than information.
• using the natural and physical basis of scientific inquiry.
• encouraging the learners into a study of their own region, state, and country in the global context.
• developing an understanding about the earth as the habitat of humankind and other forms of life.
• introducing the learner to the functioning and dynamics of social and political institutions and processes of the country.
• initiating the learner into a study of India's past, with references to contemporary developments in other parts of the world.

Here the statements (b) and (c) are false because:

• Social Science teaching has the responsibility towards preparing students to grow up as an active, responsible, and effective member of society but not towards value education only.
• Social Science uses scientific methods as well as other methods, so different methodology is used to teach different disciplines of Social Science, not the same one.

Hence, it could be concluded that the statements 'The teaching of Social Science has responsibility for value education only' and 'The same methodology can be used to teach different disciplines of Social Science' are false in the context of Social Science.

Social Science is a branch of Science that deals with human behaviour and social relationships, which rely primarily on empirical approaches.

The social science encompasses diverse concerns of society and includes a wide range of content drawn from the disciplines of history, geography, political science, economics, and sociology. 

A Social Science teacher should aim towards 'building perspective'.

• It will help learners in developing a thought process and coming forward with new innovative ideas.
• The students will have a preconceived notion of any concept which will help them in grasping the ideas effectively.
• If the student will eventually build a perspective, the students will be in a position to develop their own viewpoint.

Hence, it could be concluded that a Social Science teacher should aim towards 'building perspective'.

Social and Political Life is a new subject area in middle school social science that has replaced the earlier subject of Civics. NCF 2005 strongly argues that Civics should be discontinued and its focus on government institutions and functioning should be tempered in the new subject that replaces it.

Social and Political Life, as its name suggests, focuses on topics related to social, political, and economic life in contemporary India. This subject recognizes that children learn best through concrete experiences.

Approaches like learning through use of concrete examples and experiences should have been considered while developing social and political life textbooks as Social and Political Life:

• focuses on real situations to teach concepts.
• develops learners' abilities of critical understanding.
• uses case studies and narratives to explain concepts.
• avoids the use of definitions to sum up a concept.
• uses material that draws upon experiential understanding.

Hence, it could be concluded that learning through use of concrete examples and experiences is the best approach in the context of the question.

Social Science is a branch of science that deals with human behaviour and social relationships, which rely primarily on empirical approaches. It is a subject that can develop the child into a good social being.

• The social science encompasses diverse concerns of society and includes a wide range of content drawn from the disciplines of history, geography, political science, economics, and sociology.
• In Social Science, the status of a ‘fact’ is not always fixed. It can be changed as per the situation.
• Social Sciences stimulates critical thinking and imagination in students.
• The objective of teaching the social sciences is to develop an understanding of the earth as the habitat of humankind and other forms of life.
• Social Science in the school curriculum, it can be said that The main objective of teaching social science is to develop an understanding of man and environment interrelationship at the global level.
• ​We can define a 'fact' as something that actually exists; reality; truth or something is known to exist or to have happened. The status of fact is always fixed for example 'Earth moves around the Sun' is a fact which is always fixed.
• In social science pedagogical approach tend to avoid learning through memorization of facts and data.

Hence, it becomes clear that both of the above statements are incorrect.

Wildlife conservation refers to the practice of protecting rare and endangered species of animals. It plays a great role in maintaining ecological balance.

• Students should be sensitized towards wildlife conservation as it would develop their concern for the environment.
• Pledging not to buy animal-based products would be the best practice for sensitizing students towards wildlife conservation.

Other approaches to make students sensitized towards wildlife conservation:

• Enabling them to know the importance and benefits of conserving animals.
• Motivating them to conserve animals for the betterment of the environment.
• Making them learn to take care of the animal along with their own development.

Hence, it could be concluded that pledging not to buy animal-based products would be the best practice for sensitizing students towards wildlife conservation.

Evaluation is a systematic way to assess learner’s abilities, analyze performance, provide appropriate feedback to each learner and help them to progress.

• High-quality evaluation required in teaching for successful learning.
• Evaluation needs to be integrated with the process of teaching and learning.

Open Book Evaluation: 

• It refers to an exam that allows students to bring their books or notebooks in the exam and to consult their books while answering questions.
• Open book evaluation tests the skills of problem-solving and critical thinking rather than memorizing the given facts of textbooks
• The main purpose of this type of evaluation is to reduce and eliminate the burden of rote memorization and to teach students how to take information and apply it in a thoughtful, deep manner.

Hence, it becomes clear that the main purpose of an Open-Book Evaluation is that students need not feel the burden to rote memorize all facts and details.

Social Science as a discipline has the unique capability of being able to look at both developmental and normative issues of the society. It includes disciplines of History, Geography, Political Science, Economics, and Sociology.

• The teaching of Social Science requires the use of non-textual sources like diagrams, maps, etc. It studies human behaviour and enhancing vision or perspective about society.

Followings would be the best closure task after the teaching of the theme 'The Making of Regional Cultures':

Hence, Small group projects, Quiz competition, and Collage making would be the best closure tasks after the teaching of the theme ‘The Making of Regional cultures’.

Assessment is a process of collecting, receiving, and using data for the purpose of improvement in the learning process. It assesses both scholastic and co-scholastic aspects of a child's growth.

In the above-mentioned situation, inferring and extrapolating from the situation would be the best skill to be emphasized while assessing the students.

Inferring and extrapolating from the situation helps students:

• to reach a proposition by deriving the logical consequences of an assumed thesis.
• to observe a present situation to guess or predict about what might eventually happen.
• to make an inference about the hypothetical situation based on known facts and information.
• to reach a conclusion which is drawn from evidence and reasoning by using imaginative thinking.

NOTE: Skills like comparing experiences and the ability to analyze and reason couldn't be assessed here because it is a hypothetical situation, not the real one.

Hence, it could be concluded that in the above-mentioned situation, inferring and extrapolating from the situation would be the best skill to be emphasized while assessing the students.

Adivasis is a word coined to represent indigenous people of India, they are also called forest dwellers because their ancestors used to live in forests for millennia.

Around 8% of India's population is Adivasi. There are over 500 different Adivasi groups in India. Adivasis are particularly numerous in states like Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, etc.

Portraying them as rich and powerful forest people will be a respectful way to introduce the theme 'Adivasis' as:

• many of India's most important mining and industrial centers are located in Adivasi areas.
• they are the communities who often continue to live in close association with the forest.
• they had a deep knowledge of, access to, as well as control over most of the metal ores like iron, gold, etc.
• most of them still reside in remote interior forest areas and continue to maintain their indigenous lifestyle and culture.

Hence, it could be concluded that a respectful way to introduce the theme ‘Adivasis’ would be to portray them as rich and powerful forest people.

NOTE: Showing their costumes may hurt their culture and discussing their primitive and rustic pasts does not give them respect.

Social Science is a branch of Science that deals with human behavior and social relationships, which rely primarily on empirical approaches.

The teaching method or strategy is a way to put theory into practice with the help of principles, pedagogy, and management strategies. It helps the teachers to plan and present the lesson coherently.

Proper planning should be done to initiate a dignified discussion to teach a controversial issue in Social Science class as discussion is a teaching methodology that facilitates meaningful learning by emphasizing upon:

• sharing ideas and experiences with peers and teachers.
• learning through meaningful interaction in group settings.
• looking at any issues from different angles and points of view.
• developing a democratic way of thinking and the spirit of tolerance.
• increasing the maximum participation of students in the learning process.

Hence, it could be concluded that while teaching controversial issues in Social Science class a teacher should take them up with proper planning to initiate a dignified discussion.

Social Science as a discipline has the unique capability of being able to look at both developmental and normative issues of the society. It includes disciplines of History, Geography, Political Science, Economics, and Sociology.

• The teaching of Social Science requires the use of non-textual sources like diagrams, maps, etc. It studies human behaviour and enhancing vision or perspective about society.
• Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, nation, government and politics, and policies of the government.
• The teaching of social and political life should focus on both political institutions and basic principles.
• The learning of social and political life requires an interactive and experimental situation, so the knowledge of both is needed to facilitate creativity, critical understanding, and problem-solving ability of the learners.
• It helps to learn socialization and to become a gem for society.

Hence, it becomes clear that teaching of social and political life should focus on the study of Political Institutions and Study of basic principles.

Group Activity serves as an important tool to make learning meaningful by collaboration and cooperation. In group students work interactively and get involves in active learning with adult's support.

While Planning a Group Activity, the Following should be Emphasized:

• The task should be challenging to increase problem-solving ability.
• The task should be done collaboratively to inculcate the sense of cooperative learning, and to teach students to work together.
• Groups should be chosen thoughtfully to cater to the needs of individual differences.
• Tasks should be provoking open-ended outcomes and creative thinking.

Hence, to create a challenging task, to teach students to work together and to select groups thoughtfully should be emphasized while planning a small group activity with students.

Social Science as a discipline has the unique capability of being able to look at both developmental and normative issues of the society.

Key Points

• It includes disciplines of History, Geography, Political Science, Economics, and Sociology.
• Social Science deals with human behaviour and social relationships and relies primarily on empirical approaches.
• So, the study of Social Science helps in a systematic analysis of issues and builds sensitivity and curiosity by making learning interesting and meaningful.
• Social science helps to initiate the learner into a study of her/ his own region, state, and country in the global context.

Hence, it becomes clear that Social Science helps in a systemic analysis of issues, and building sensitivity and curiosity as much as providing information.

Although inscriptions, coins, and architecture provide a lot of information, especially valuable are histories. Primary sources are the first-hand accounts of an event or time period and are considered to be authoritative. They depict primary thinking, reports on events.

Some of the primary sources are:-

• Abul Fazl: 
• Akbar's courtier Abul Fazl wrote two books on Akbar and his administration, the Akbar Nama and the Ain-i-Akbari.
• In these books, he describes that the empire was divided into subs governed by a subadar who carried out military and administrative functions.
• Rashsundari Devi:
• The autobiographical writings of women can act as crucial components in filling gaps in history.
• They are also vital in constructing and fleshing out a private sphere in contrast to the public sphere which could be called a colonial and later a nationalist space.
• Her writings give us a glimpse of women's status in the social sphere of her time.
• Rashsundari's self-reflexive autobiographical account foregrounds her desire to learn to read, in a pre-reform context.
• Her narrative is propelled by her overwhelming desire to read the 'Chaitanya Bhagawat' and other religious texts. Through this autobiography, she gives a glimpse of the denial of education to women of her time.
• Ziyauddin Barani:
• Muslim political thinker of the Delhi Sultanate during the reign of Muhammad bin Tughlaq and Firoz Shah.
• Faithful and favourite courtier of Md. bin Tughluq but at times was extremely critical of his policies.
• One of his famous works is Tarikh-i-Firozshahi, which covers the period from the reign of Ghiyas ud din Balban to the reign of Firoz Shah Tughluq and the Fatwa-i-Jahandari.
• His views on the principles of history writing are that the historian should record the merits and demerits of a king. If politically not feasible, figurative language should be implied. Accuracy and balance should be maintained at all costs.

Additional Information

• Muzaffar Alam is a historian and taught medieval history. His works cannot be treated as a primary source as his works don't give a first-hand account of an event.

Hence, it becomes clear that the writings of the Muzaffar Alam cannot be attributed as a primary source.

Ancient Indian History begins with the Indian pre-history including Indus Valley Civilisation to the Classical period.

• The history of India begins with the Indus Valley Civilization and the coming of the Aryans.
• These two phases are generally described as the pre-Vedic and Vedic periods.

Some of the Sources of Ancient Indian History:  The art of ancient India which has come down to us are from magnificent cave temples in central India.

• The painting during the ancient Indian period was highly influenced by religious symbols.
• Cave paintings are started from prehistoric times, beginning in the caves of Central India.
• Ajanta Caves contains the oldest Indian paintings of the historical period, made around the 1^st century BC.
• Inscriptions: Some of the famous inscriptions are Ashokan Inscriptions, Junagarh Rock inscription, Mahrauli Inscription / Garuda Pillar, Allahabad Pillar Inscription (Prayag Prasasti), etc. All these are constructed during the ancient period.
• A manuscript is a document written by hand. Parameshvaratantra, a Shaiva Siddhanta text of Hinduism is the oldest surviving Sanskrit manuscripts.

Additional Information

Miniature Paintings​ flourished from the beginning of the 16^th century down to the mid-19^th century. Hence, it's not the right source to introduce Ancient Indian History. 

Hence, it becomes clear that Miniature Paintings are not the sources to introduce Ancient Indian History.

The word advertising has been derived from the Latin word "Advertere" which means to turn (the mind) to. Broadly speaking, advertising does turn the attention of people to a commodity or service.  An advertisement should be just fair and reasonable.

There are two main types of advertisements which include:

• Commercial advertisement: It refers to the advertisement designed with the motive to persuade a consumer to purchase a product or survive.
• Social advertisement: It refers to the advertisement designed with the motive to educate people about education, sanitation, and other social issues to make their life easy, healthy, and cheerful.

A Social Science teacher can critically address 'Appeal to personal emotions' and 'Issues of equality' while discussing ‘Advertisement’ as:

• The consumer brings their own past experiences and perception of the brand regarding the quality of the product, these factors shape consumer's emotions to respond to advertising.
• Advertisements now-a-days have become very creative, but sometimes they tend to promote inequality and discrimination in society. For example, makeup cream ads show fair girls at an advantageous position to dark-skinned girls.

Hence, it could be concluded that a Social Science teacher can critically address 'Appeal to personal emotions' and 'Issues of equality' while discussing ‘Advertisement’

Land refers to the part of the earth's surface that is not covered by any water body. On earth, some land is occupied by rivers, some may have trees and some may have roads and buildings.

• Land use pattern refers to the way the land is utilized.  Different types of lands are suited to different uses. Human beings use the land as a resource for production as well as residence and recreation.

Key Points

In the above-mentioned question, a Social Science teacher would be assessing students’ skill of Hypothesising as:

• the hypothesis is the crucial aspect of thinking that refers to an explanation based on prior knowledge.
• the hypothesis is an assumption that is based on known facts but has not yet been proved.
• in this particular question, students can be accepted to make predictions for the factors responsible for changing land-use patterns.

Hence, it could be concluded that in the above-mentioned question, a Social Science teacher would be assessing students’ skill of Hypothesising 

Additional Information

Visiting the wildlife sanctuary will be the best pedagogical method in the context as it is associated with the field trip approach.

Field trip ensures the active involvement of learners by taking them at a certain place where they can earn knowledge by engaging with real situations.

As a part of field trips visiting the wildlife sanctuary will:

• reinforce experiential and contextual learning.
• provide an active learning experience to learners.
• expose learners to different places and natural setting.
• involve learners in both group and self-directed activities.
• link classroom learning to life outside school or with the real-world.
• give students a lot of opportunities for observation and exploration.

Hence it reveals that the pedagogical method mentioned in option number (1) will be the best in the context.

Note: Remaining methods are irrelevant in the context as they won't give concrete and hands-on experience to the learners.

Social Science is a branch of science that deals with human behavior and social relationships, which rely primarily on empirical approaches.

Social Science Textbook: The textbook consists of two more chapters regarding rural and urban livelihood.

• The textbook should help in achieving the purpose of learning social science.
• The textbook should have a clear and self-explanatory arrangement.
• The cartoons used in the social science textbook raise basic issues and makes it relatable to students.
• A cartoon is an effective technique to develop critical and reflective thinking by creating interest.
• It consists of both visualization and motion and makes the child familiar with the issues by raising it in an attractive way.

Hence, it becomes clear that the role of cartoons in a Social Science textbook raises basic issues and makes it relatable to students.

The issue of Apartheid has been a matter of global concern since the 1940s. 

• Apartheid is an Afrikaan word.
• It denotes a state of apartness, segregation, or separation among different races, believing in the ideology that racial differences are fundamental and different races should be uplifted socially, economically, and politically.
• Apartheid in practice means separate and unequal.
• They were physically separated from one another. They did not have the right to vote and they were denied their citizenship.
• In South Africa, white domination operates in all spheres. Only whites can vote, all members of parliament, all government ministers, all senior civil servants, and all judges are white.
• Laws & Orders of Apartheid do not give equitable public facilities to all.
• This is why apartheid is unpopular, unjust, and why the majority oppose it.

Hence, it becomes clear that both the given statements are incorrect.

Gram Panchayat is the lowest level in the panchayat pyramid system.

• ​The main work of the Gram Panchayat is to take care of social issues, construct and maintain schools, roads and drainage facilities, etc., and levy and collect local taxes.
• ​The Gram Panchayat is accountable to the general body of voters in the village, i.e. the Gram Sabha, as well as to the two levels of authority above it in the hierarchy.

Important Points​ The Ward Panchs and the Sarpanch form the Gram Panchayat.

• The Gram Panchayat is elected for five years.
• Every village Panchayat is divided into wards, i.e. smaller areas.
• Each ward elects a representative who is known as the Ward Member (Panch).
• All the members of the Gram Sabha also elect a Sarpanch who is the Panchayat President.

Hence, we can say that Ward members and Sarpanch occupies elected office in a Gram Panchayat.

Confusion Points The Gram Panchayat has a Secretary who is also the Secretary of the Gram Sabha.

• This person is not an elected person but is appointed by the government.
• The Secretary is responsible for calling the meeting of the Gram Sabha and Gram Panchayat and keeping a record of the proceedings

Thus, Secretary doesn't occupy elected office in a Gram Panchayat.

The Patwari or Lekhpal is the officer of the village level in the revenue department.

Key Points

Responsibilities of a Patwari:

• To measure and maintain records of all the land in its area.
• Lekhpal prepares land demarcation, caste, income, residence, etc. certificates.
• The Patwari system first started during the reign of Sher Shah Suri.
• Each Patwari is responsible for a village group.
• The Village records are kept and updated by the Patwari.
• He is also responsible for coordinating farmers' land revenue collection.
• Patwari gives details about the crops grown in its region to the government