Everything Political by Devashish Saroha: 25 Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs) based on Bloom’s Taxonomy for the topic Crisis of the Democratic Order (1975-1977) from Grade 12 Political Science:

1. Remembering (Knowledge-Based Questions)

When did Indira Gandhi declare a National Emergency in India?
a) 1971
b) 1975
c) 1977
d) 1980
What was the primary reason cited for the Emergency declaration?
a) Economic crisis
b) Internal disturbances
c) War with Pakistan
d) Border dispute with China
Who was the opposition leader arrested at the beginning of the Emergency?
a) Jayaprakash Narayan
b) Morarji Desai
c) Charan Singh
d) Atal Bihari Vajpayee
The 42nd Amendment Act (1976) was introduced during the Emergency to:
a) Strengthen the power of Parliament
b) Reduce fundamental rights
c) Remove the President’s authority
d) Make elections more transparent
What was the outcome of the 1977 General Elections?
a) Congress won with a huge majority
b) The Janata Party won and removed Congress from power
c) Indira Gandhi continued as Prime Minister
d) The elections were postponed

Why was the Allahabad High Court judgment of 1975 significant?
a) It disqualified Indira Gandhi from Parliament
b) It supported the Emergency
c) It banned opposition parties
d) It removed the President from office
What was the role of the Janata Party during the Emergency?
a) It supported Indira Gandhi
b) It led protests against Emergency rule
c) It dissolved Parliament
d) It introduced stricter laws
How did press censorship impact Indian democracy during the Emergency?
a) It restricted freedom of speech and press
b) It led to free and fair elections
c) It increased opposition influence
d) It strengthened civil liberties
How did the Emergency impact fundamental rights?
a) They were suspended
b) They were expanded
c) They were strengthened
d) They were unaffected
What was the primary reason for Congress’s defeat in 1977?
a) Economic growth
b) Public opposition to the Emergency
c) Weak leadership in the Janata Party
d) International pressure

If you were a journalist in 1975, how would you have responded to press censorship?
a) Report secretly and spread information
b) Stop publishing news
c) Support the Emergency
d) Move abroad to report freely
How did the Emergency affect the judiciary?
a) Judges were pressured to support government decisions
b) The judiciary became more independent
c) Courts were dissolved
d) New judges were elected by the people
If the Janata Party had lost the 1977 elections, what might have been the consequences?
a) Emergency rule could have continued
b) Indira Gandhi would have resigned
c) Press freedom would have increased
d) New elections would have been held immediately
What alternative actions could Indira Gandhi have taken instead of declaring an Emergency?
a) Called for early elections
b) Used military rule
c) Restricted Parliament sessions
d) Censored only opposition leaders
If a similar situation arose today, how could a democratic government respond without suspending civil liberties?
a) Use peaceful negotiations and reforms
b) Declare martial law
c) Ban opposition parties
d) Control media entirely

What was the main weakness of the Janata Party government (1977-79)?
a) Internal conflicts and lack of unity
b) Too much economic progress
c) Support from Indira Gandhi
d) Increased dictatorship
How did the 1977 elections reflect the strength of Indian democracy?
a) It showed the power of the people to remove a government
b) It led to dictatorship
c) It resulted in a military takeover
d) It weakened democracy permanently
Why did Indira Gandhi return to power in 1980 after losing in 1977?
a) The Janata Party failed to govern effectively
b) She changed her ideology
c) She formed a coalition with the BJP
d) The military supported her
How did the Emergency change people’s perception of democracy?
a) It increased awareness of civil liberties
b) It made dictatorship more acceptable
c) It reduced support for elections
d) It increased military involvement in politics
What were the long-term effects of the Emergency on Indian politics?
a) Strengthened opposition unity and increased awareness of democracy
b) Increased dictatorship
c) Made military rule permanent
d) Stopped all elections

Was the declaration of Emergency (1975) justified?
a) No, it violated democratic rights
b) Yes, it was necessary for stability
c) Yes, but only for a short period
d) No, because it weakened the economy
Did the Janata Party government (1977-79) handle governance effectively?
a) No, it suffered from internal conflicts
b) Yes, it was more democratic
c) No, it became a dictatorship
d) Yes, it introduced military rule
Could Indira Gandhi have won the 1977 elections if she had lifted the Emergency earlier?
a) Possibly, if she had restored fundamental rights earlier
b) No, public opposition was too strong
c) Yes, people supported her policies
d) No, because she had already resigned

If you were advising the government in 1975, what alternative measures would you suggest instead of the Emergency?
a) Strengthening democratic institutions and dialogue
b) Imposing martial law
c) Reducing elections
d) Controlling the judiciary
Propose a strategy to prevent future political crises like the 1975 Emergency.
a) Stronger constitutional checks and public awareness
b) Increase government control over elections
c) Ban opposition parties
d) Reduce the power of the judiciary