Social Studies LONG ANS. QUESTIONS(5 Mark)

Formation of the Party:
This party was formed in 1999 following a split in the Indian National Congress. In May
1999, the nationalist leaders Sharad Pawar, PA Sangma and Tariq Anwar took the historic
decision to form a new political party under the name of Nationalist Congress Party
(NCP). Sharad Pawar was elected as President and Sangma and Anwar became General
Secretaries of the party.
Ideology of the Party:
The party espouses democracy, Gandhian secularism, equity, social justice and federalism.
This party wants that high offices in government be confined to natural born citizens of the
country.
Features of the Party:
It is a major party in Maharashtra and has a significant presence in Meghalaya, Manipur
and Assam. Since 2004, NCP is a member of the United Progressive Alliance at centre
The party’s symbol is an analogue clock, with two legs and an alarm button reads 10:10.

Banks are institutions which accept the deposits from the public. It allows withdrawal of money by cheques and by demand deposits and advances loans of various types to the borrowers. Following are the functions of a bank:
i. Depositor of Money: Banks accepts deposits from customers in various forms. It can be in the form of saving account deposits, current account and fixed deposits.
ii. Interest on Savings: It gives interests on the savings to the customers. This can add on to their prinipal amount deposited earlier and can give a handsome return to the depositors.
iii. Withdrawal Facilities: It provides withdrawal facilities to the customers as and when needed.
iv. Providing Loan: It gives loans and advances to the borrowers and charge certain interests on them.
v. Agency Function: It provides agency function like transfer of funds, collection of funds, payment of various items, purchase and sale of shares and securities.

That statement rings true. Credit, while a powerful tool, can land borrowers in difficult situations if not managed carefully.
i. In rural areas, the main demand for credit is for crop production. Crop production involves considerable costs on seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, water, electricity, repair of equipment, etc.
ii. There is a minimum stretch of three to four months between the time when the farmers. buy these inputs and when they sell the crop.
iii. Farmers usually take crop loans at the beginning of the season and repay the loan after harvest.
iv. Repayment of the loan is crucially dependent on the income from farming.
v. Example of credit which is painful for a borrower: A farmer picks up the loan from a money lender to meet the expenses of cultivation. But unfortunately crops hit by the pests and fails. So, he is unable to repay the loan and; debt grows larger with interest. Next year, he picks up a fresh loan and is able to have a normal crop that year. But earnings are not enough to pay the earlier loan. He can repay the loan, only after selling a part of the land.

Meaning of Conservatism:
Conservatism is a political philosophy that stressed the importance of tradition, established institutions and customs and preferred gradual development to quick change. Conservatives believed in traditional and cultural values. They were the people who supported monarchy and nobility. They believed that the privileges of the monarchy and
nobility should exist. After the French Revolution, they contended that gradual changes should be brought in society.
European Conservatism:
The European government adopted the idea of conservatism after the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1815. Conservatives were people who believed that established, traditional institutions of state and society like the monarchy church, social hierarchies, property and the family should be preserved.
Change in Ideas of Conservatism:
The basic ideas of conservatism were changed after the rule of Napolean. Most conservatives did not want to return to the society of pre-revolutionary days. They realised the changes initiated by Napoleon strengthened the traditional institutions like the monarchy in reality. They understood that a modern army, an efficient bureaucracy, a dynamic economy, the abolition of feudalism and serfdom could strengthen the autocratic monarchies in Europe. Thus, the conservatives of that time accepted the changes which were in favour of their interests.

The French revolutionaries introduced various measures and practices that created a sense of collective identity among the French people:
i. They introduced the ideas of La Patrie (the fatherland) and Le Citoyen (the citizen) emphasizing the concept of a united community enjoying equal rights under a Constitution.
ii. They choose a new French flag, the tricolour, to replace the Royal Standard.
iii. Estates General was elected by the body of active citizens and renamed the National Assembly.
iv. New hymns were composed and martyrs commemorated all in the name of the nation.
v. A centralised system of administration was introduced, uniform laws were made for all citizens.
vi. French language was spoken and written and became a common language in Paris.

Following efforts are required to use mineral resources in a planned and sustainable manner.
i. Recycling of metals: We should recycle the metal or metal-made products to prevent its scarcity. For example; Used steel blade should be sent for recycling, so that the steel can be used again for other purposes.
ii. Improved technologies need to be evolved: Traditional technologies should be replaced with new and improved technologies, so that the wastages can be minimised and extraction of mineral ores will become easy.
iii. Dependence: There is a great need to reduce our dependence on the non-renewable resources, because if not then it will leave the social and economic development of the country in stagnant form. Therefore the resources which cannot be recycled or reused should be replaced with the recyclable resources. For example, use of green gas instead of coal for cooking purpose.

Conservation of energy is essential because it protects our environment from green-house gas emission and also saves valuable resources from getting depleted. If we save energy then only more energy can be produced. It is essential to use non- conventional sources of energy.
Following are some measures to conserve energy resources:
i. We should try to use more and more public transport system instead of private vehicles.
ii. Electronic devices must be switched off when not in use.
iii. It is necessary to use more and more power-saving devices.
iv. Reduce consumption of non-renewable sources of energy.
v. If possible solar power should be used to generate electricity.
vi. Minimum use of high power-consuming electrical gadgets, i.e., air conditioner, room heaters, etc.
vii. Recycling of goods and commodities can also help to conserve energy.