CBSE Class 10 Politics Chapter 1 Important Questions - CBSE Class 10 Political Science Chapter 1 — Power Sharing — is an important chapter that helps students understand how power is divided among different levels of government to maintain balance and harmony in a democracy. This chpter explains key concepts like horizontal and vertical power sharing, along with real-life examples from countries such as Belgium and Sri Lanka. To help students excel in the 2025–26 board exams, we’ve compiled the most important CBSE Class 10 Political Science questions with answers and a free downloadable PDF for effective exam preparation.
CBSE Class 10 Political Science Chapter 1: Power Sharing (2025–26) Overview
| Particulars | Details |
| Chapter Name | Power Sharing |
| Subject | Political Science (Civics) |
| Class | 10 |
| Board | Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) |
| Chapter Number | 1 |
| Session | 2025–26 |
| Key Topics Covered | Meaning of Power Sharing, Need and Importance of Power Sharing, Forms of Power Sharing, Case Studies: Belgium and Sri Lanka, Federal and Community Government |
| Type of Questions | Very Short, Short, and Long Answer Questions |
| Purpose | To help students understand democratic power distribution and prepare effectively for CBSE Class 10 board exams |
CBSE Class 10 Politics Chapter 1 Important Questions
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
1.Which country has successfully negotiated differences among ethnic populations? (a) Sri Lanka (b) Belgium (c) Bangladesh (d) Pakistan
2..When many countries of Europe came together to form the European Union, was chosen as its headquarters. (a) Brussels (b) Paris (c) London (d) Zurich
3..Belgium shares its border with (a) France (b) Germany (c) Luxembourg (d) all of the above
4..Belgium is a small country located in which of the following continent? (a) Asia (b) Europe (c) North America (d) South America
5. State whether the given statement is true or false. If false, correct the statement. In Sri Lanka, an Act was passed in 1956 to recognize Tamil as the only official language, disregarding Sinhala.
6.When did Sri Lanka emerged as an independent country? (a) 1947 (b) 1948 (c) 1949 (d) 1956
7.Most of the Sinhala speaking people of Sri Lanka are . (a) Christians (b) Hindus (c) Buddhists (d) Muslims
8..Which of the following statements are false about Power Sharing. (a) Power sharing helps in reducing the conflicts between social groups. (b) Power sharing is a good way to help in establishing political order. (c) Power sharing is not the spirit of democracy. (d) All the above are false
9. _______ in Belgium is a good example of power sharing among different social groups. (a) Community Government (b) District Government (c) Central Government (d) State Government
10.Tamil natives of Sri Lanka are called the (a) Indian Tamils (b) Muslim Tamils (c) Sri Lankan Tamils (d) Christian Tamils.
11. Name the regions where Srilankan Tamils are concentrated: (a) South Western Sri Lanka (b) Central Sri Lanka (c) Northern and Eastern Sri Lanka (d) None of the above
12.. Majoritarianist constitution was adopted by: (a) Belgium (b) India (c) Sri Lanka (d) Pakistan
13.Which language was declared as the only official language of Sri Lanka by an Act passed in 1956? (a) Tamil (b) Sinhala (c) Hindi (d) English
14.Tamil natives of Sri Lanka are called the (a) Indian Tamils (b) Muslim Tamils (c) Sri Lankan Tamils (d) Christian Tamils
15.A system of ‘checks and balance’ is another name for which one of the following power-sharing arrangements:
(a) Power sharing among different social groups.
(b) Vertical division of power or power shared among different organs of the government.
(c) Horizontal division of power or power shared among different levels of government.
(d) Power sharing in the form of political parties, pressure groups and governments.
16.Which of the following statements are false about Power Sharing.
(a) Power sharing helps in reducing the conflicts between social groups.
(b) Power sharing is a good way to help in establishing political order.
(c) Power sharing is not the spirit of democracy.
(d) All the above are false.
17.In , _____ an Act was passed to recognize Sinhala as the only official language, thus disregarding Tamil. (a) 1958 (b) 1956 (c) 1968 (d) None of the above
18.. In Belgium, out of the total population, 59 percent live in the Flemish region and speak ______ language.
(a) Dutch (b) French (c) English (d) German
19.Which one of the following is a major caste or ethinic group in Sri Lanka?
(a) Tamil and Muslim (b) Sinhala and Buddhists (c) Christian and Sinhala (d) Tamil and Sinhala
20.Which of the following preferential policies were followed by the governments in Sri Lanka? (i) Recognized Tamil as the only official language, thus disregarding Sinhala.
(ii) Favored Sinhala applicants for university positions and government jobs.
(iii) The state shall protect and foster Buddhism.
(iv) Favored Tamil students for government jobs.
Select correct option.
(a) (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv)
(b) (ii), (iii) and (iv)
(c) (ii) and (iii)
(d) (i) and (iv)
SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
1.What led to tensions between the Dutch speaking and French speaking communities in Belgium during 1950s and 1960s
2.Describe any three 'majoritarian measures' taken by the Sri Lankan Government to establish Sinhala Supremacy.
3.Why did civil war break out in Sri Lanka? List the results of the civil war.
4..Give an account of ethnic composition of Sri Lanka.
5.What is power sharing? Why power sharing is essential for democracy?
LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
1.. Describe any three demands of the Sri Lankan Tamils. How did they struggle for their demands?
2.What are the Different forms of power sharing in modern democracies? Give an example of each of these.
3.What does the sharing of power among political parties, pressure groups and movements ensure?
4.State one prudential reason and one moral reason for power sharing with an example from the Indian context.
5.What are some of the basic elements of the Belgium model of power sharing?
CASE-BASED QUESTIONS
1.Read the source given below and answer the following questions:
Sri Lanka is an island nation, just a few kilometers off the southern coast of Tamil Nadu. It has about two crore people, about the same as in Haryana. Like other nations in the South Asia region, Sri Lanka has a diverse population. The major social groups are the Sinhalaspeakers (74 per cent) and the Tamil-speakers (18 per cent). Among Tamils there are two sub-groups. Tamil natives of the country are called ‘Sri Lankan Tamils (13 per cent). The rest, whose forefathers came from India as plantation workers during colonial period, are called 'Indian Tamils'.
1. Name the two sub-groups of Tamils.
2. What is the population of Sri Lanka?
3. Which is the best solution to rule out to possibility of tension and conflict leading to a messy partition of a country?
2.Read the given extract and answer following questions.
Power sharing arrangements can also be seen in the way political parties, pressure groups and movements control or influence those in power. In a democracy, the citizens must have freedom to choose among various contenders for power. In contemporary democracies, this takes the form of competition among different parties. Such competition ensures that power does not remain in one hand. In the long run, power is shared among different political parties that represent different ideologies and social groups. Sometimes this kind of sharing can be direct, when two or more parties form an alliance to contest elections. If their alliance is elected, they form a coalition government and thus share power. In a democracy, we find interest groups such as those of traders, businessmen, industrialists, farmers and industrial workers. They also will have share in governmental power, either through participation in governmental committees or bringing influence on the decision-making process.
1. Power sharing is an essential component of democracy.' Give one example to prove the statement.
2. How is alliance building an example of power sharing?
3. How Political parties, pressure groups and movements help in controlling or influencing those who are in power?
3.Read the source given below and answer the following questions:
Belgium is a small country in Europe, smaller in area than the state of Haryana. It has borders with France, the Netherlands, Germany and Luxembourg. It has a population of a little over one crore, about half the population of Haryana. The ethnic composition of this small country is very complex. Of the country's total population, 59 per cent lives in the Flemish region and speaks Dutch language. Another 40 per cent people live in the Wallonia region and speak French. Remaining one per cent of the Belgians speak German. In the capital city Brussels, 80 per cent people speak French while 20 per cent are Dutch speaking.
1. What was the problem in Brussels?
2. With which countries does Belgium share its boundaries?
3. The ethnic composition of Belgium is very complex. Justify the statement.
CBSE Class 10 Political Science Chapter 1 Questions Answers
| 1. | (b) Belgium |
| 2. | (a) Brussels |
| 3. | (d) all of the above |
| 4. | (b) Europe |
| 5. | False |
| 6. | (b) 1948 |
| 7. | (c) Buddhists |
| 8. | (c) Power sharing is not the spirit of democracy. |
| 9. | (a) Community Government |
| 10. | (c) Sri Lankan Tamils |
| 11. | (c) Northern and Eastern Sri Lanka |
| 12. | (c) Sri Lanka |
| 13. | (b) Sinhala |
| 14. | (c) Sri Lankan Tamils |
| 15. | (c) Power sharing is not the spirit of democracy. |
| 16. | (a). Majoritarianism emphasizes the dominance of the majority community, while Power sharing emphasizes the sharing of power among different groups. |
| 17. | (b) 1956 |
| 18. | (a) Dutch |
| 19. | (d) Tamil and Sinhala |
| 20. | (c) (ii) and (iii) |
SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
| 1. | (a) The reason that led to led to tensions between the Dutch speaking and French speaking communities in Belgium - The minority French-speaking community was relatively rich and powerful. This was resented by the Dutch-speaking community who got the benefit of economic development and education much later |
| 2. | After independence, in 1948, the democratically elected Sri Lankan Government adopted a series of majoritarian measures to establish Sinhala supremacy by passing an Act in 1956. (a) Sinhala was recognized as the only official language in Sri Lanka. Tamil language was not given due importance. (b) The Sri Lankan Government formulated a policy in which only Sinhala applicants were preferred for positions in university and Government jobs. (c) The new constitution of Sri Lanka declared that Buddhism would be promoted by the state. All these government measures gradually increased the feeling of alienation among the Sri Lankan Tamils. |
| 3. | The distrust between Tamil speaking and the Sinhalese over the majoritarianism issue resulted in a widespread conflict which soon turned into a civil war. The results of the civil war were as follows: (a) Thousands of people of both the communities were killed. (b) Many families were forced to leave the country. (c) Many people lost their livelihood. (d) Sri Lanka, in general, suffered from an economic crisis. |
| 4. | 1. Sri-Lanka an Island nation. 2. Sri Lanka has a diverse population. The major social groups are the Sinhala-speakers (74 per cent) and the Tamil-speakers (18 per cent). 3. Among Tamils there are two subgroups. Tamil natives of the country are called 'Sri Lankan Tamils' (13 per cent). 4. Others group, whose forefathers came from India as plantation workers during colonial period, are called 'Indian Tamils'. 5. Sri Lankan Tamils are concentrated in the north and east of the country. Most of the Sinhala-speaking people are Buddhist, while most of the Tamils are Hindus or Muslims. 6. There are about 7 per cent Christians, who are both Tamil and Sinhala. |
| 5. | Power sharing means sharing of responsibilities and powers by the different organs as well as levels of the government. Power sharing helps to reduce the possibility of conflict between social groups. |
For more, students can check the Power Sharing Class 10 Question Answers pdf given in the link below.
CBSE Class 10 Political Science Chapter 1 Questions Answers Download PDF Here
CBSE Class 10 Political Science Chapter 1 – Power Sharing – is a crucial chapter that helps students understand the importance of balancing power in a democracy. By practicing the provided important questions and answers, students can strengthen their conceptual clarity and improve their exam performance.
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