About This Section
This section collects previous-year Board examination questions (CBSE and State Boards) from Chapter 1 — Power-sharing — with model answers. These show how the chapter is actually tested and help you practise writing exam-ready answers on Belgium and Sri Lanka, accommodation and majoritarianism, the reasons for power sharing, and its forms.
Board Previous Year Questions
Q1. Explain any three majoritarian measures taken by the Sri Lankan government to establish Sinhala supremacy. (3 marks)
Answer: (i) In 1956, an Act made Sinhala the only official language, disregarding Tamil. (ii) The government followed preferential policies favouring Sinhala applicants for university positions and government jobs. (iii) A new constitution stipulated that the state shall protect and foster Buddhism. These measures established Sinhala supremacy and gradually alienated the Sri Lankan Tamils.
Q2. Describe any three elements of the Belgian model of power sharing. (3 marks)
Answer: (i) The number of Dutch and French-speaking ministers is equal in the central government, and some laws need a majority within each linguistic group. (ii) Many powers of the Central Government were given to the State Governments of the two regions, which are not subordinate to the centre. (iii) Brussels has a separate government with equal representation of both communities, and there is a separate community government for cultural, educational and language matters.
Q3. 'Prudential and moral reasons are two different sets of reasons for power sharing.' Distinguish between them. (3 marks)
Answer: Prudential reasons are based on a calculation of gains and losses; they stress that power sharing brings better outcomes — it reduces conflict between social groups and ensures the stability of the political order. Moral reasons emphasise the act of power sharing as valuable in itself, because power sharing is the very spirit of democracy and citizens have a right to be consulted. Prudential reasons focus on results; moral reasons focus on the act.
Q4. Explain the four different forms of power sharing in modern democracies with an example of each. (5 marks)
Answer: (i) Horizontal distribution — power shared among the legislature, executive and judiciary at the same level, with checks and balances. (ii) Vertical (federal) division — power shared among different levels of government, such as the Union, State and local governments in India. (iii) Among social groups — power shared with religious and linguistic groups, as in Belgium's community government and India's reserved constituencies. (iv) Among political parties, pressure groups and movements — through party competition, coalitions and interest groups, such as a coalition government.
Q5. How is Belgium's accommodation of diversity different from Sri Lanka's majoritarianism? Explain with their outcomes. (5 marks)
Answer: Belgium followed accommodation: its leaders recognised regional and cultural differences and amended the constitution four times to share power among communities — equal ministers, powerful state governments, a special government for Brussels, and a community government. The outcome was unity, stability and peace, and Brussels became the EU headquarters. Sri Lanka followed majoritarianism: the Sinhala majority made Sinhala the only official language, favoured Sinhalas in jobs, and protected Buddhism. The outcome was alienation of the Tamils, distrust and a civil war that lasted until 2009. Thus accommodation united Belgium, while majoritarianism divided Sri Lanka.