Citizenship Questions and Answers AP Inter 1st Year Civics Chapter 8

Regular practice with AP Inter 1st Year Civics Study Material Chapter 8 Citizenship Questions and Answers helps students stay prepared for examinations.

AP Inter 1st Year Civics 8th Lesson Citizenship Questions and Answers

Very Short Answer Questions

Question 1.
Who is an alien?
Answer:
Alien is a person who is not a citizen of a particular country, but resides in it. Aliens are entitled to certain rightly and obligatons as per the agreements of government state in which they reside.

Question 2.
Explain the significance of Citizenship.
Answer:
Citizenship remains significant when the fundamental rights enshrined in the constitution are available to all the citizens. Further, Citizenship ensures the citizens many political rights. Citizens could exercise their vote in elections to the various representative bodies. They could also contest for membership of legislative bodies.

Question 3.
What are the types of citizenship?
Answer:
Three types of citizenship:

1. Single Citizenship.
2. Dual Citizenship
3. Global or Universal Citizenship.

Question 4.
Mention two ways to overcome the hindrances to good citizenship.
Answer:
Remedies to overcome the hindrances to good citizenship:

1. Solving people’s grievances
2. Education and awareness

Question 5.
List the methods of acquiring Indian citizenship as mentioned in the citizenship Act-1955.
Answer:
The Citizenship Act of 1955 prescribes five methods of acquiring citizenship

1. By birth
2. By descent
3. By registration
4. By naturalisation
5. By incorporation of territory.

Short Answer Questions

Question 1.
Mention the methods of acquiring natural citizenship.
Answer:
Natural Citizenship: Natural citizenship is the one which is acquired by the persons without specific application or request to the authorities.

Two methods of acquiring citizenship:
I. Natural citizenship:
An individual can get this type of citizenship based on the following principles

1. Jus Soli – (Land or Place of birth)
2. Jus Sanguinis – (Kinship or Blood relationship)
3. Mixed principle.

II. Naturalised citizenship:
An alien will become a citizen in a state after fulfilling the following conditions.

1. Residence
2. Choice
3. Application
4. Fixed Assets
5. Service (Public or Private)
6. Marriage

Question 2.
Distinguish between Citizen and Alien.
Answer:
Differences between Citizen and Alien:

Question 3.
Explain any four conditions under which citizenship can be lost.
Answer:
Citizens lose their citizenship under the following conditions:

1. Renunciation: A person is deprived of his citizenship, if he wishes to become the citizen of another state. One will lose the citizenship of one’s parent state when the one becomes the citizen of a foreign state by naturalization.

2. Marriage: Generally, woman loses her citizenship when she marries alien. However, some states allow retention of citizenship. For instance, in Britain, there is an option to retain British citizenship who marries alien.

3. Accepting foreign service: A person may lose his citizenship when he enters into the service of another state. If a person accepts a permanent job in the government of a foreign state, he foregoes the citizenship of his native state.

4. Obliging foreign decorations or Titles: When a citizen obliges to receive foreign decorations or titles without the consent of the native state it may lead to the forfeiture of his / her citizenship.

5. Prolonged Absence: Prolonged absence in the native state beyond a certain period may lead to the loss of citizenship. In states like France and Germany citizens who are absent themselves from their native country for more than ten years will lose their citizenship.

6. Treason: Involvement of citizen in serious crime and subsequent evidence of his action will lead to the loss of citizenship. Especially those persons who directly or indirectly participate or extend assistance to anti-state activities, will lose their citizenship by a special notification.

Question 4.
Describe any four hindrances to good citizenship.
Answer:
The main hindrances to good citizenship are as follows:

1. Laziness: Citizens in many states do not prefer to work hard. They remain narrow minded. They show little interest in working for the progress of the nation.

2. Ignorance and Illiteracy: Ignorant and illiterate citizens may not understand their rights and responsibilities properly. They may not have an enlightened interest in public affairs in the absence of education.

3. Poverty: Poverty is the root cause of all evils. Good citizenship cannot develop in a country where vast inequalities of wealth exist. Poverty leads to apathy and indifference in public life.

4. Ill health: III health is another hindrance to the good citizenship. Because unhealthy citizens cannot carry on their services to the good of the state and society.

5. Narrow Political Interests: Political parties, which are essential in democracy, play a crucial role in promoting the ideals of good citizenship. But many members of these parties, it is alleged, work for the party interests and not for the society or the nation. Leaders of various parties generally keep their attention on capturing power.

6. Selfishness: Selfishness and good citizenship cannot go together. Selfish citizens confine their thoughts and actions to their own private benefits. They spare no time and energy for the wellbeing of others including their motherland.

Question 5.
What are the constitutional provisions related to citizenship in lndia?
Answer:
The Constitution of India deals with the citizenship from Articles 5 to 11 under part II.

According to the constitution, the following four categories of persons become the citizens of India at its commencement i.e., on January 26, 1950:

Constitutional provisions related to Citizenship:

1. Article 5 – Persons domiciled in India.
2. Article 6 – persons migrated from Pakistan
3. Article 7 – persons migrated to Pakistan but later returned
4. Article 8 – persons of Indian origin residing outside India.

The other constitutional provisions with respect to the citizenship:

1. Article 9 – No person shall be a citizen of India, if he has voluntarily acquired the citizenship of any foreign state.
2. Article 10 – Every person who is a citizen of India shall continue to be such citizen, subject to the provisions of any law made by Parliament.
3. Article 11 – Parliament shall have the power to legislate with respect to the acquisition and termination of citizenship

Long Answer Questions

Question 1.
Define Citizenship and explain the methods to acquire natural citizenship.
Answer:
Citizenship denotes status of a person recognized under the customs or law of the State. Persons who possess citizenship are known as citizens.

“Citizenship is one’s contribution of instructed judgment to the public good”. – Prof. Laski

Methods of acquiring citizenship:
There are two methods of acquiring citizenship. They are

1. Natural citizenship
2. Naturalised citizenship

Natural citizenship:

Natural citizenship is the one which is acquired by persons without specific application or request to the authorities. An individual can get this type of citizenship based on the following principles

• Jus Soli – (Land or Place of birth)
• Jus Sanguinis – (Kinship or Blood relationship)
• Mixed principle.

i. Jus Soli – (Land or Place of birth): Jus Soli means acquisition of citizenship based on the principle of land or place of birth. According to this principle, citizenship is determined by the place of birth and not by parentage. It is the place of birth which determines citizenship.

ii. Jus Sanguinis – (Kinship or Blood relationship): This type of citizenship denotes acquiring citizenship based on kinship or blood relationship. According to Jus Sanguinis, a child acquires citizenship of his parents’ state irrespective of its place of birth.

iii. Mixed principle: Under this principle, citizenship is granted by following either of the two principles of jus sanguinis and jus soli. Many states adopted both these principles.
For example, Britain, France, and United States.

Question 2.
Explain the conditions to acquire naturalized citizenship.
Answer:
Citizenship denotes status of a person recognized under the custom or law of the State. Persons who possess citizenship are known as citizens.

“Citizenship is one’s contribution of instructed judgment to the public good”. – Prof. Laski

Methods of acquiring citizenship:
There are two methods of acquiring citizenship. They are

1. Natural citizenship
2. Naturalised citizenship

Naturalised citizenship: Citizenship may also be acquired through naturalisation.

According to this method, an alien will become a citizen in a state after fulfilling certain conditions. These conditions vary from state to state.

Some of them are summed up as follows.

1. Residence: An alien who resides in a state for a prescribed period can become itscitizen. The period of residence varies from state to state. For instance, it is 5 years in Britain and 10 years in France.

2. Choice: The children of alien parents could receive citizenship of the state of their parents or the state they are born in according to their option and choice.

3. Application: An alien in a state may apply for the citizenship of that state. Then the government of that state considers his application on its merits, it grants citizenship to him with or without some conditions.

4. Fixed Assets: An alien who buys some portion of land or acquires some fixed property can acquire citizenship in a state.

5. Service (Public or Private): An alien who serves in the government of a state or in a private recognised enterprise could become the citizen of that state. He may also be given citizenship if he renders meritorious service in another state.

6. Marriage: An alien woman acquires citizenship of a state when she marries the citizen of that state. In some countries, when a person marries an alien, Citizenship of the state of either the husband or wife is acquired.

Question 3.
Describe any four qualities of a good Citizen.
Answer:
According to Aristotle good citizens make good state. This is due to the fact that good citizens imbibe many noble qualities. Lord Bryce cited three qualities of good citizen, namely, conscience, intelligence and self-control. On the whole, good citizen will have the following qualities.

Qualities of a Good Citizen:

1. Good Character.
2. Sound health
3. Intelligence and education
4. Self control
5. Public spirit
6. Self-sacrifice
7. Honest exercise of franchise
8. Sincere performance of obligations.

1. Good Character: Good character is essential for a good citizen. A good citizen should be courageous, just, helpful, kind-hearted, sympathetic, truthful and virtuous in letter and spirit.

2. Sound Health: A good citizen should have good health and strength. Healthy citizens make the nation healthy. Only a sound body will have a sound mind. Sound body and mind of a citizen paves the way for the progress of the state in many spheres.

3. Intelligence and education: Proper education is another quality of a citizen. The citizen should be well-enlightened, fully aware and informed of his rights and responsibilities. He must be intelligent enough to identify good and bad.

4. Self control: A good citizen will have moderate temperament. He will have self-control in his public activities. Self-control and confidence make him to lead a disciplined life.

5. Public Spirit: A good citizen should be ready to take active part in public affairs. He should have active participation in social activities. He should have public spirit.

6. Self-sacrifice: A good citizen must possess self-sacrifice. He must subordinate his self-interest to the interests of the community. He must be imbibed by the spirit of service and devotion to society, government and state.

7. Honest exercise of franchise: Honest exercise of one’s franchise is another essential quality of a good citizen. Self-interest or sectional interest in terms of class, religion or community act as a hurdle to good citizenship.

8. Sincere performance of obligations: A good citizen performs his obligations sincerely and faithfully. He extends co-operation to the authorities in the discharge of their obligations.