CBSE Class 10 Social Science: 2025 board paper, set 32/4/1

1. The Silk Route linked Asia, Europe and North Africa. Along it travelled Chinese pottery, Indian textiles and spices, and also people, ideas, religions and customs. This exchange of both goods and culture shows pre-modern trade was vibrant, so option D is correct.

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Answer: Option (D)

1. The Company feared criticism of its rule. It therefore censored Indian newspapers, for example through the Press Regulations and the Vernacular Press Act, to protect its interests. Option A is correct.

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Answer: Option (A)

1. The painting is 'Bharat Mata', a multi-armed female figure with a halo. It was painted by Abanindranath Tagore, so option B is correct.

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Answer: Option (B)

1. The Napoleonic wars began in 1803. The Treaty of Vienna was signed in 1815. Victor Emmanuel II was proclaimed King of Italy in 1861. William I was proclaimed German Emperor in 1871. The order is II, I, IV, III, which is option C.

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Answer: Option (C)

1. Black (regur) soil forms from the weathering of volcanic rock (the Deccan trap) and is rich in minerals such as lime, iron and magnesia. Option C is correct.

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Answer: Option (C) Black soil

1. Coffee is a cash crop known for its aroma. It is grown mainly in Karnataka (the Baba Budan hills) and Tamil Nadu. Option B is correct.

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Answer: Option (B) Coffee

1. Copper is used in electric cables and utensils: (iii). Bauxite is the ore of aluminium: (iv). Mica is used in electric and electronic industries: (ii). Manganese is used for steel and paints: (i). The matching is A-(iii), B-(iv), C-(ii), D-(i), which is option D.

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Answer: Option (D)

1. In Belgium the French-speaking minority was rich and powerful. The Dutch-speaking majority got the benefits of economic development and education much later. So R explains A, and option A is correct.

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Answer: Option (A)

1. Federalism divides power between the Centre and the states, so each level has its own sphere. Option B is correct.

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Answer: Option (B)

1. Horizontal power sharing means power is shared among organs of government at the same level: legislature, executive and judiciary. Option D is correct.

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Answer: Option (D)

1. Biju Janata Dal is a party of Odisha. RJD is from Bihar, JD(S) from Karnataka and RLD from Uttar Pradesh. So only D is correct.

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Answer: Option (D)

1. When citizens and experts take part in making policy, citizens feel empowered. Options A, C and D show government acting alone or being influenced by vested interests. Option B is correct.

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Answer: Option (B)

1. The 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments of 1992 gave one-third reservation to women in local bodies. Option C is correct.

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Answer: Option (C) 1992

1. Country A has the highest GNI per capita ($12,578), the highest life expectancy (76.4) and the best HDI rank (73). So the answer is A, which is option A.

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Answer: Option (A) – country A

1. The World Bank classifies countries by per capita income. Health, literacy and freedom are not its criteria for the development report. Option A is correct.

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Answer: Option (A)

1. Classify each group by sector. (a) Pilot and driver are tertiary (transport), while the gardener is linked to primary activity (cultivation of plants), so the group is mixed. (b) The fisherman is primary, while the teacher and lawyer are tertiary, so it is mixed. (c) The farmer is primary, while the engineer and professor are services, so it is mixed. (d) Doctor, teacher and lawyer all provide services and are entirely tertiary. Option (d) is the only group whose members all belong to one sector, so it is the odd one out.

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Answer: (d) Doctor, Teacher, Lawyer

1. Primary, secondary and tertiary sectors are classified by the nature of production activities (raw materials, manufacturing, services). Option C is correct.

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Answer: Option (C)

1. Formal sources are banks, cooperatives and the government. Landlords and moneylenders are informal sources. So (i) and (iii) are correct, which is option A.

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Answer: Option (A)

1. Digital technology links people, markets and businesses across the world quickly and cheaply, so its main benefit is enhanced connectivity. Option C is correct.

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Answer: Option (C)

1. A university student's goals are research opportunities (i), higher education abroad (ii) and good employment (iv). Independence (iii) is not a goal specific to this student. Option C is correct.

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Answer: Option (C)

1. The Indian subcontinent lay on major trade routes such as the Silk Route, linking the East and the West by both land and sea, so it was central to pre-modern trade networks.

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2. Goods, people, knowledge and customs were exchanged through it: Chinese pottery, and spices and textiles from India and Southeast Asia, travelled along these routes. India thus stood at the centre of trade between continents.

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Answer: India lay on the Silk Route and sea routes at the centre of trade networks, exchanging goods, ideas and people.

1. Run training and mentorship programmes that build leadership skills in women, and improve their access to education and career opportunities, so more women are ready to take up leadership posts.

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2. Implement laws such as the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (Women's Reservation Act, 2023) effectively, so that a fixed share of seats in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies goes to women.

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Answer: Training and mentorship with better career opportunities; effective implementation of women's reservation law.

1. India has enormous diversity in the availability of resources. Some regions are rich in certain resources but deficient in others, so planning is needed to use them wisely.

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2. Planning ensures a balanced distribution of resources at national, state and regional levels. It also supports sustainable development by preventing wasteful use.

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Answer: Planning ensures judicious use because resources are unevenly distributed, and it gives balanced distribution and sustainable development.

1. If a few individuals and countries keep depleting resources, the future of the planet is endangered. Equitable distribution is therefore part of sustainable existence for all forms of life.

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2. Uneven distribution creates wide gaps in regional development, which leads to disunity in a nation. Equitable distribution needs resource planning with appropriate technology and judicious use.

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Answer: Equitable distribution prevents resource depletion by a few and regional disparity, and so sustains quality of life.

1. Public facilities are provided by the government. Investment in health and safe drinking water improves the well-being of citizens.

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2. Quality education, especially elementary education, develops human resources. Housing for the poor and safe transport improve living conditions and economic activity.

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Answer: Public facilities such as health, education, water, housing and transport raise the quality of life.

1. The ideas of la patrie (the fatherland) and le citoyen (the citizen) were emphasised. A new tricolour flag replaced the royal standard, and the Estates General was renamed the National Assembly.

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2. New hymns were composed, oaths were taken and martyrs were commemorated in the name of the nation.

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3. A centralised administrative system with uniform laws for all citizens was introduced. Internal customs duties were abolished, and uniform weights and measures were adopted. French as spoken in Paris became the common national language, replacing regional dialects.

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Answer: Steps included la patrie and le citoyen, a tricolour flag, a National Assembly, hymns and oaths, uniform laws, abolition of internal duties, uniform weights and measures, and a common language.

1. The Balkans was a region of geographical and ethnic variation, and a large part of it was under the Ottoman Empire.

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2. Romantic nationalist ideas and the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire made the region explosive. The Ottomans failed to modernise through internal reforms, and the Balkan peoples claimed independence on the ground that they had once been independent.

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3. Every Balkan state tried to expand its territory at the cost of others, causing intense conflict. Big Power rivalry over trade, colonies and military strength worsened the situation.

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Answer: Ethnic variation, Ottoman rule and its disintegration, romantic nationalism, rivalry among Balkan states and Big Power rivalry caused the tensions.

1. Land reforms, both institutional and technical, were carried out in the 1980s and 1990s. Crop insurance was introduced against drought, flood, cyclone, fire and disease.

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2. Grameen banks and cooperative societies were set up to give loans at low interest, and the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) and Personal Accident Insurance Scheme (PAIS) were launched.

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3. The government announced Minimum Support Prices and procurement prices for important crops. Special weather bulletins and farm programmes were broadcast on radio and TV.

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Answer: Land reforms, crop insurance, cheap credit through banks, KCC and PAIS, MSP and procurement prices, and radio/TV programmes make agriculture profitable.

1. The 1991 policy removed barriers on foreign trade and investment, so businesses could freely import and export. It encouraged MNCs to invest in India, for example in cell phones, automobiles, soft drinks and fast food.

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2. Indian companies were pushed to compete with producers across the globe. Collaboration with foreign firms helped some firms become multinationals themselves, for example Tata Motors and Infosys.

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3. Infrastructure improved and Special Economic Zones were set up to attract foreign investment. New opportunities opened for service companies, for example IT.

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Answer: Liberalised trade policy removed barriers, attracted MNCs and investment, and helped Indian firms such as Tata Motors and Infosys go global, which stimulated globalisation.

1. Many political parties exist and compete for power, so voters have more choices.

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2. No single party often wins a majority, so coalition governments are more likely. Parties act as checks and balances on one another.

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3. It accommodates diverse opinions and regional interests, which makes policy making more inclusive.

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Answer: Multiparty system features: many parties, more voter choice, coalition governments, checks and balances, and accommodation of diverse opinions.

1. The primary sector provides raw materials to the secondary sector, for example cotton for textiles and sugarcane for sugar.

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2. It provides employment to a large share of the population and ensures food security.

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3. It promotes national and international trade and earns foreign exchange through exports of agricultural products.

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Answer: The primary sector supplies raw materials, employment, food security, trade and foreign exchange.

1. It turned the national movement into a mass movement. Peasants, tribals, plantation workers, students and the middle class all participated.

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2. The idea of swaraj spread throughout the country and nationalist feeling grew among Indians.

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3. Boycott of foreign cloth and promotion of khadi encouraged swadeshi and self-reliance, and imports of foreign cloth fell, hurting Britain's economy.

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4. Indians set up their own educational institutions and industries.

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5. It promoted Hindu-Muslim unity, as the Khilafat issue was joined with the swaraj cause.

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Answer: The movement brought mass participation, spread swaraj, promoted swadeshi and khadi, weakened British trade, and fostered Hindu-Muslim unity.

1. The Dandi March began with 78 volunteers to break the salt law and was joined by thousands. Thousands broke the salt law by making salt and demonstrating before government salt factories.

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2. Peasants refused to pay revenue and chowkidari tax, and forest people entered reserved forests to collect wood and graze cattle.

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3. Foreign cloth was boycotted and liquor shops were picketed.

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4. Rich peasants (Patidars and Jats) and poor peasants took part, and Indian industrialists and workers also joined.

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5. Women took part on a large scale, joining marches, making salt and picketing.

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Answer: Salt law defiance, refusal of taxes, forest law violation, boycott and picketing, and participation of peasants, industrialists, workers and women made it a mass movement.

1. Energy is a basic requirement for economic development. Agriculture, industry, transport, commercial and domestic sectors all need energy inputs.

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2. Energy consumption in all forms is rising steadily, so resources must be used carefully.

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3. Energy conservation and greater use of renewable sources are the twin planks of sustainable energy.

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4. Non-conventional sources such as solar, wind and geothermal energy should be developed, together with energy-efficient programmes.

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5. Public awareness campaigns and small steps help: using public transport, switching off appliances when not in use, and using power-saving devices.

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Answer: Rising demand, need in every sector and limited resources justify sustainable energy through conservation, renewables and awareness.

1. Minerals are finite and non-renewable. Coal and iron ore took millions of years to form and concentrate.

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2. Industry and agriculture depend heavily on mineral deposits.

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3. Replenishment of used minerals is a very slow process, so judicious use is needed.

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4. Improved technology can allow low-grade ores to be used at low cost, and metals can be recycled and reused.

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5. Stricter enforcement of environmental laws reduces the damage caused by mining.

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Answer: Minerals are finite, slow to replenish and vital for industry, so they need planned use, technology, recycling and strict regulation.

1. Citizens elect their leaders, who form the government, so it is the people's own government.

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2. Leaders are accountable to citizens and bound to respond to their demands and expectations.

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3. Decisions are made through deliberation and negotiation, not by one person.

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4. Citizens have the right to information about the government and its functioning, such as through the RTI Act.

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5. Decision making follows norms and procedures, so the government remains answerable to the people.

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Answer: Democracy is responsive because of elected and accountable leaders, deliberation, right to information and rule-based decisions.

1. Democracies develop procedures to resolve conflicts, whereas dictatorships suppress them.

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2. Democracies build systems to prevent tensions from turning violent, whereas dictatorships impose decisions that may cause violence.

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3. Democracies evolve mechanisms to negotiate differences, while dictatorships suppress differences.

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4. Democracies work with both minority and majority, while dictatorships dominate the minority.

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5. Democracies support majority government but not majoritarianism, whereas dictatorships follow majoritarianism.

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Answer: Democracy accommodates diversity through conflict resolution, negotiation and protection of minorities, whereas dictatorship suppresses differences.

1. Nature of SHG: Dear new member, a Self Help Group is a small organisation of the rural poor, mostly women, who come together to help one another with savings and credit.

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2. Size: It usually has 15-20 members from the same neighbourhood, so everyone knows and trusts one another.

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3. Savings: Members meet regularly and save money. The amount varies from ₹25 to ₹100 or more per member, depending on what each can afford.

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4. Loans within the group: Members can take small loans from the group's pooled savings at a very low rate of interest. The group itself decides on savings, loan amounts, interest and repayment.

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5. Bank loans and repayment: If the group saves regularly, it becomes eligible for bank loans, which are sanctioned in the group's name without collateral to create self-employment. The group is responsible for repayment, and other members follow up seriously if one member defaults. The SHG also serves as a platform to discuss health, nutrition and domestic violence.

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Answer: An SHG is a group of 15-20 neighbours, mostly women, who save regularly, lend to one another at low interest, take collateral-free bank loans in the group's name, and take joint responsibility for repayment.

1. Meaning: Formal sources of credit are banks and cooperative societies. Their lending is supervised by the RBI, so farmers are protected from exploitation.

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2. Reasonable interest: They charge reasonable rates of interest, so the cost of borrowing is much lower than from moneylenders.

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3. More income left: Because the cost of loans is low, farmers keep more of their income for themselves and for investment in farming.

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4. Support for small farmers and enterprise: Loans reach small cultivators and encourage those who wish to start an enterprise or buy inputs.

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5. Development and debt: Cheap and affordable credit is crucial for the country's development, and it reduces the chances of rural indebtedness and debt traps.

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Answer: Formal credit from banks and cooperatives is cheap, RBI-supervised and reaches small farmers. It leaves them more income, supports enterprise and reduces indebtedness.

1. (i) With more printing presses being set up, visual images could be easily reproduced in multiple copies. This created a new visual culture of cheap prints, calendars and pictures for mass circulation.

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2. (ii) Raja Ravi Varma produced images for mass circulation, and his press produced many mythological paintings. Cheap prints and calendars sold in the bazaar could be bought even by the poor to decorate their homes and workplaces, so art reached the masses.

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3. (iii) Caricatures and cartoons in journals and newspapers commented on social and political issues. Some ridiculed educated Indians' fascination with Western tastes and clothes, while others showed the fear of social change.

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4. Nationalist cartoons criticised imperial rule, while imperial caricatures lampooned nationalists. In this way visual culture recorded and shaped how people remembered the social and political landscape.

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Answer: (i) Printing presses allowed images to be reproduced in multiple copies. (ii) Ravi Varma's cheap prints and calendars reached even the poor. (iii) Cartoons and caricatures commented on social and political issues and shaped memory of the period.

1. (i) Sacred groves are patches of forest left untouched in the name of gods and goddesses. Sacred qualities are ascribed to springs, mountain peaks, plants and animals, so religious belief protects nature and links spirituality with ecology.

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2. (ii) Tribals worship particular trees: the Mundas and Santhals worship mahua and kadamba, and tribals of Odisha and Bihar worship tamarind and mango at weddings. Such reverence protects these trees and forests from being cut.

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3. (iii) Wildlife conservation maintains ecological balance, because every species has a role in food chains and nature's cycles.

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4. It also preserves biodiversity and our life-support system (air, water, soil), on which human survival depends.

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Answer: (i) Sacred qualities are given to groves, plants and animals, so faith protects nature. (ii) Worship of trees such as mahua, kadamba, tamarind and mango preserves them. (iii) Wildlife conservation maintains ecological balance and biodiversity and protects our life-support system.

1. (i) A few gram panchayats are grouped together to form a panchayat samiti (block or mandal), whose members are elected by the panchayat members of the area. The samiti links the gram panchayats with the zilla parishad.

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2. (ii) A municipality is set up for a town, with a municipal chairperson as political head. A municipal corporation is set up for a big city, and its political head is the mayor.

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3. (iii) Local government promotes grass-root democracy by bringing decision-making close to the people, who take part in decisions about local problems.

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4. It deepens democracy through regularly elected bodies and, with reserved seats, increases women's participation.

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Answer: (i) Gram panchayats together form a panchayat samiti, which links them to the zilla parishad. (ii) A municipality serves a town and has a chairperson; a corporation serves a big city and has a mayor. (iii) Local government brings grass-root participation, deepens democracy and increases women's participation.

1. (i) Place A (east coast, southern peninsula): Madras (Chennai), the venue of the 1927 Indian National Congress session.

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2. (i) Place B (Gujarat coast): Dandi, where Gandhiji broke the salt law.

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3. (ii) Mark and label any three of the following. Salal dam on the river Chenab, in Jammu and Kashmir (north).

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4. Naraura nuclear power plant in western Uttar Pradesh (Bulandshahr district, on the Ganga).

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5. Bengaluru (software technology park) in southern Karnataka, or Paradip (sea port) on the Odisha coast.

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Answer: (i) A = Madras (Chennai); B = Dandi. (ii) Any three of: Salal (Chenab dam), Naraura (nuclear plant, UP), Bengaluru (software technology park, Karnataka), Paradip (port, Odisha).