Past board exam questions
CBSE 2026 board paper · 1 mark
Two statements labelled as Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are given below. Read both the statements carefully and choose the correct option :
Assertion (A) : Democracy is a legitimate form of government.
Reason (R) : In a democracy, all groups connect with the governance system through their participation.
- Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
- Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
- Assertion (A) is true, but Reason (R) is false.
- Assertion (A) is false, but Reason (R) is true.
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Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
CBSE 2026 board paper · 2 marks
“Complaints are the testimony to the success of Democracy.” Explain the statement with examples.
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Any two:
(i) In a democracy people have more expectations and many complaints; they ask for more and want to make democracy even better — e.g., people complaining about corruption or poor public services.
(ii) Complaints show that people have developed awareness of their rights and of the system, and the ability to look critically at power holders and the influential (e.g., demands for accountability through RTI, protests, media).
(iii) This public expression of dissatisfaction transforms people from the status of subjects into that of citizens; most individuals now believe that their vote makes a difference to the way the government is run.
CBSE 2026 board paper · 3 marks
How is democracy better than other alternatives ? Explain with examples.
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Any three:
(i) It promotes equality among citizens.
(ii) It enhances the dignity of the individual.
(iii) It improves the quality of decision-making, as decisions are taken after deliberation and discussion.
(iv) It provides a method to resolve conflicts peacefully.
(v) It allows room to correct mistakes.
(vi) It allows the people to change the government through elections – e.g. in India governments at the Centre and in the states have changed peacefully through elections.
CBSE 2026 board paper · 3 marks
How is democracy better than other forms of government in promoting freedom of citizens ? Explain with examples.
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Any three:
(i) Freedom and equality are the basis of democracy; it enhances the dignity of the individual.
(ii) It holds regular, free and fair elections, so citizens are free to choose and change their rulers – e.g. in India governments have changed peacefully through elections.
(iii) It guarantees a set of rights to citizens, such as freedom of speech and expression, which other forms of government (e.g. dictatorships) do not.
(iv) It promotes equality among citizens.
(v) It accommodates social diversity, so different groups can freely express their views.
CBSE 2026 board paper · 2 marks
Differentiate between democracy and dictatorship.
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| Democracy | Dictatorship |
|---|---|
| People elect their leaders through free and fair elections held at regular intervals. | People have no role in selecting the ruler; elections are either not held or are not free and fair. |
| The government is accountable to the citizens and people enjoy rights and freedom. | The government is not accountable to the citizens; power lies with one person or a small group and people do not get rights and freedom. |
CBSE 2026 board paper · 2 marks
“Democracy is a better form of government compared with any other alternative.” Examine the statement.
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Any two:
(i) It promotes equality among citizens and enhances the dignity of the individual.
(ii) It improves the quality of decision-making and provides a method to resolve conflicts.
(iii) It allows room to correct mistakes.
(iv) Citizens have freedom of speech and expression and the right to vote and elect their own representatives, so it is a legitimate government, unlike dictatorships based on self-interest.
CBSE 2026 board paper · 2 marks
(a) How is democracy a responsible form of government ? Explain.
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Any two:
(i) Democracy produces a government that is accountable to the citizens and responsive to their needs and expectations.
(ii) A democratic government is a legitimate government – it is the people’s own government.
(iii) Democracy is based on the idea of deliberation and discussion, and the government follows due procedures before taking decisions.
(iv) Regular, free and fair elections make the government answerable to the people.
CBSE 2026 sample paper · 3 marks
‘Democracy leads to peaceful and harmonious life among citizens in every sphere.’ Support this statement with suitable arguments.
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Any three:
1. Democracies accommodate various social divisions; for example, Belgium has peacefully resolved its ethnic differences.
2. Democracies develop procedures to conduct competition (elections, power sharing), which reduces the possibility of tensions due to social divisions turning violent or explosive.
3. Democracy teaches people to respect differences and resolve conflicts among groups peacefully, whereas non-democratic rulers ignore or suppress internal differences (e.g. Sri Lanka’s majoritarian approach led to conflict).
4. Democracy is not simply rule by majority opinion; the majority always needs to work with the minority so that the government represents the general view.
5. …
