Social Science · CBSE Class 9 · Model Question Paper Set 2 · HOTS · 80 Marks · 3 Hours · 25 Quiz
Social Science — Model Question Paper (Set 2 · HOTS/Analytical)
Class: 9 · Subject: Social Science · Max Marks: 80 · Time: 3 hours · Level: Higher-Order Thinking (HOTS)
General Instructions
(i) Six sections (A–F), 37 questions, all compulsory. (ii) This set emphasises assertion-reason, source/case analysis and value-based/analytical questions that often join two chapters. (iii) Marks: A 20×1, B 4×2, C 5×3, D 4×5, E 3×4, F 5. (iv) Internal choices are given.
SECTION A — Objective & Assertion-Reason (20 × 1 = 20)
Assertion-Reason key: (a) Both A and R true, R explains A; (b) both true, R does not explain A; (c) A true, R false; (d) A false, R true.
1. (A): Most earthquakes and volcanoes cluster around the Pacific. (R): They occur mainly along plate boundaries (Ring of Fire).
2. (A): Temperature rises with altitude in the stratosphere. (R): The ozone layer there absorbs ultraviolet radiation.
3. (A): The Harappan script tells us less than cuneiform. (R): The Harappan script has not yet been deciphered.
4. (A): Varṇa was originally flexible. (R): Ṛigveda 9.112.3 shows one family with different occupations.
5. (A): Elections alone make a country fully democratic. (R): Rights, rule of law and free media are also needed.
6. (A): A price ceiling below equilibrium causes a shortage. (R): It raises quantity demanded while lowering quantity supplied.
7. The opportunity cost of growing water-intensive sugarcane instead of millets is best described as — (a) the saved water & soil health forgone (b) the profit from sugar (c) the labour used (d) the tax paid
8. ‘Meluhha’ in Akkadian records is identified with — (a) Egypt (b) the Sindhu–Sarasvatī civilisation (c) China (d) Greece
9. The ‘chakravarti samrāṭ’ ideal expressed the idea of — (a) village democracy (b) authority over the whole subcontinent (c) trade guilds (d) a republic
10. ‘One wheel does not move the carriage’ (Arthaśhāstra) stresses — (a) solo rule (b) the need for a council/administration (c) chariots (d) taxation
11. In the FPTP system, the winner is the candidate with — (a) more than 50% votes (b) the most votes even if under 50% (c) the party list share (d) a nominated seat
12. The Kudavolai system shows an early democratic feature because it used — (a) hereditary rule (b) election by drawing lots/ballot in public (c) royal choice (d) bribery
13. The market demand curve is flatter than an individual’s because — (a) it aggregates many consumers (b) prices are fixed (c) it ignores price (d) supply is zero
14. Mask prices rose then fell during COVID-19 because — (a) demand surged then supply caught up (b) the government banned masks (c) supply always exceeded demand (d) no one bought them
15. Deforestation increases erosion mainly because — (a) roots no longer bind the soil (b) it rains more (c) rivers dry up (d) wind stops
16. The south-east coast (Tamil Nadu) gets winter rain from the — (a) south-west monsoon (b) north-east monsoon (c) western disturbances (d) local breezes
17. ‘Separation of powers’ prevents — (a) free elections (b) concentration of power in one organ (c) taxation (d) federalism
18. A rise in a substitute’s price (coffee) will make tea demand — (a) rise (b) fall (c) stay same (d) become zero
19. (A): The 1991 reforms moved India toward a market-oriented economy. (R): They reduced licenses and opened the economy to global trade.
20. (A): The Himalaya both protected India and allowed cultural exchange. (R): Passes like the Khyber let traders and ideas cross.
SECTION B — Very Short Answer (4 × 2 = 8)
21. Why can temperature both decrease and increase with altitude in different atmospheric layers?
22. How does the PPC show opportunity cost?
23. Give one similarity and one difference between parliamentary and presidential democracy.
24. Distinguish between substitute and complementary goods with one example each.
SECTION C — Short Answer / Analytical (5 × 3 = 15)
25. ‘Erosion shapes the Earth but also affects livelihoods.’ Explain with examples.
26. How did the same landform (rivers/mountains) both help and challenge early civilisations?
27. Why is the rule of law essential for protecting democracy?
28. Why did the framers choose FPTP for India? Compare it briefly with proportional representation.
29. Explain how a price change in one related good affects demand for the other. OR Why do pure economic systems rarely exist?
SECTION D — Long Answer / Evaluate (4 × 5 = 20)
30. Link climate change to mountain disasters (GLOFs/floods) using the Chamoli or Punjab example. OR ‘Monsoon gives climatic unity to India.’ Justify.
31. ‘Indian civilisation shows remarkable continuity despite political change.’ Examine with evidence.
32. ‘Democracy is not limited to elections.’ Examine, using institutions and everyday participation.
33. Evaluate the role and limitations of government intervention in markets. OR How do demand and supply together determine price and equilibrium?
SECTION E — Case/Source-Based (3 × 4 = 12)
34. “Guilds (śhreṇīs) regulated crafts and also acted as banks; the Nāśhik inscription records deposits earning fixed interest.” (a) Name two economic roles of guilds. (b) Why were they trusted with deposits? (c) What does this tell us about the early economy? (2)
35. “Hotel room tariffs change by season, weekend and events; a cancellation can cut the price 40% overnight.” (a) What market feature does this show? (b) Name two factors behind the change. (c) How does this relate to equilibrium? (2)
36. “In Britain women got the vote in 1928 and in the USA in 1920; India granted it to all at once in 1950.” (a) What is this right called? (b) Why does India’s case stand out? (c) Does the vote alone ensure equal participation? (2)
SECTION F — Map / Skill (5)
37. Identify/locate any five and state significance: (i) the Ring of Fire (ii) a convergent boundary (Himalaya) (iii) Mesopotamia (Euphrates–Tigris) (iv) the Nile (Egypt) (v) Magadha (vi) a Chola/Pallava region of the south.
Answers & Marking Scheme (Set 2 · HOTS)
Section A (objective & assertion-reason) answers and model answers / key points with marking scheme for Sections B–F.
Sec ASection A — answers (1–20) (20×1)
1-(a); 2-(a); 3-(a); 4-(a); 5-(d) A false, R true (elections alone are NOT enough); 6-(a); 7-(a) saved water & soil health forgone; 8-(b) Sindhu–Sarasvatī; 9-(b) authority over the whole subcontinent; 10-(b) need for a council/administration; 11-(b) most votes even if under 50%; 12-(b) election by drawing lots/ballot in public; 13-(a) it aggregates many consumers; 14-(a) demand surged then supply caught up; 15-(a) roots no longer bind the soil; 16-(b) north-east monsoon; 17-(b) concentration of power in one organ; 18-(a) rise; 19-(a) both true, R explains A; 20-(a) both true, R explains A.
21Why temperature changes direction across layers (2)
Temperature decreases with altitude in the troposphere and mesosphere, but increases in the stratosphere (ozone absorbs UV) and thermosphere (gases absorb X-rays/UV). So whether it rises or falls depends on whether that layer absorbs solar radiation.
22How the PPC shows opportunity cost (2)
Moving along the PPC from one point to another means producing more of one good only by producing less of the other; the quantity of the second good sacrificed is the opportunity cost of the extra first good.
23Parliamentary vs presidential — one similarity & difference (2)
Similarity: both are representative democracies where people elect representatives through free elections. Difference: in a parliamentary system the executive is drawn from and accountable to the legislature (India), while in a presidential system the executive (President) is elected separately and is independent of the legislature (USA).
24Substitute vs complementary goods (2)
Substitutes replace each other — e.g., tea and coffee (if coffee’s price rises, tea demand rises). Complements are used together — e.g., car and petrol (if petrol’s price rises, car-accessory/petrol-car demand falls).
25Erosion shapes Earth but affects livelihoods (3)
Erosion carves useful landforms (deltas, beaches, valleys) that support farming, fishing and tourism — but it also removes fertile topsoil (lowering yields), washes away homes, roads and farmland near rivers/coasts, and destabilises land for construction/mining. So the same process that creates land can also destroy livelihoods, needing control (afforestation, bunding, check dams).
26Same landform helping and challenging civilisations (3)
Rivers gave water, fertile alluvial soil and transport that enabled farming, surplus and cities — but could flood and destroy crops/homes, forcing water management. Mountains (Himalaya) protected India as a barrier and influenced climate, yet passes (Khyber) allowed trade and cultural exchange. So one landform played opposite roles — opportunity and challenge.
27Why rule of law protects democracy (3)
The rule of law ensures everyone, including rulers, is equally bound by the law, preventing arbitrary misuse of power. It guarantees a fair process (no punishment except by law), protects citizens’ rights, resolves disputes through courts not force, and holds government accountable — without it, democratic rights would be meaningless.
28Why FPTP, compared with PR (3)
FPTP (‘most votes wins’) is simple for a huge electorate, usually gives stable governments, and provides one directly accountable local representative. PR allots seats in proportion to votes, representing small parties/diverse views more fairly but risking unstable coalitions. The framers chose FPTP for the Lok Sabha/Vidhan Sabha for simplicity and stability (PR is used for the Rajya Sabha/President).
29Related-goods price effect / why pure systems are rare (3)
Related goods: if a substitute’s price rises, demand for the other good rises (switch to cheaper); if a complement’s price rises, demand for the paired good falls. OR — pure systems are rare because a pure market ignores the poor and public goods, and a pure planned economy kills freedom and innovation; so almost all economies are mixed, combining market efficiency with government welfare/regulation.
30Climate change & mountain disasters / monsoon unity (5)
Climate change: rising temperatures melt glaciers, enlarging glacial lakes and weakening ice/moraine dams; heavy rain or landslides can trigger a GLOF/flood (e.g., Chamoli 2021, worsened by construction; or Punjab 2025 floods from heavy monsoon + weak embankments). This links human-driven warming and unplanned development to disasters, demanding sustainable practices. OR — Monsoon unity: despite diverse regional climates (Leh, Kerala, Thar), the whole country’s farming, festivals and water supply follow the monsoon’s rhythm — binding India into one climatic framework.
31Continuity of Indian civilisation (5)
Though dynasties rose and fell, core ideas persisted: the ethic of dharma; the chakravarti samrāṭ ideal; the self-governing village; the varṇa/jāti social order; the gurukula knowledge tradition; and trade routes, guilds and Bhakti devotion. Political power changed hands, but these cultural, social and economic structures carried forward — showing continuity amid change.
32‘Democracy is not limited to elections’ (5)
Elections are vital but not enough. Real democracy also needs the rule of law, fundamental rights, separation of powers, free media, accountability (RTI, CAG) and protection of vulnerable groups, plus everyday participation via Gram Sabhas, local councils, civil society and responsible civic conduct. A country can hold elections yet lack rights and checks (‘Team D’ example). So democracy lives in institutions AND daily citizen behaviour.
33Role & limits of government / demand-supply & equilibrium (5)
Government role: regulates unfair practices (price ceiling on essentials, price floor/minimum wage, curbing monopoly/hoarding) and provides public goods. Limits: price distortions reduce producer incentives (shortages), compliance burdens hurt small firms, and over-regulation discourages innovation. OR — Demand & supply: demand falls as price rises and supply rises as price rises; where the two curves meet is equilibrium (Qd = Qs). Below it there is a shortage (price rises), above it a surplus (price falls) — so the market adjusts toward equilibrium.
34Case — guilds (4)
(a) They regulated craft quality/prices and acted as banks/financiers (accepting deposits, paying interest). (b) Because they were stable, long-lasting, well-organised professional bodies that could invest funds securely and give steady income. (c) It shows the early economy had organised institutions and credit/banking, not just simple barter — a fairly advanced, trade-based economy. (2)
35Case — hotel tariffs (4)
(a) It shows markets are dynamic (prices change constantly with conditions — dynamic pricing). (b) Any two: season, weekend/weekday, local events/festivals, demand/occupancy, competitors’ prices, weather, days left before arrival. (c) It reflects demand and supply constantly shifting, so the market keeps moving toward a new equilibrium rather than a fixed one. (2)
36Case — women’s right to vote (4)
(a) Universal Adult Franchise (the right to vote). (b) India’s case stands out because it granted the vote to all — men and women — at once in 1950, without the long struggles seen in Britain (1928) or the USA (1920), making its democracy inclusive from the start. (c) No — the vote alone does not ensure equal participation; social prejudices remain, which is why measures like women’s reservation in local bodies were added. (2)
37Map / skill — significance (5)
Any five: Ring of Fire — Pacific belt of earthquakes/volcanoes along plate boundaries; Himalaya — fold mountains from a convergent boundary (Indo-Australian & Eurasian plates); Mesopotamia — earliest city-based civilisation (Euphrates–Tigris); Nile/Egypt — river-valley civilisation (pharaohs, pyramids); Magadha — most powerful mahājanapada → Mauryan Empire; Chola/Pallava south — famous for village self-government and temple building.