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Compare the Belgian… (Class 10 Social Science 2026, Q26a)

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Social ScienceCBSE Class 10 · Board exam 2026, set 32/2/1 · 5 marks · Long answer

CBSE Class 10 Social Science 2026: question 26(a)

Set in the CBSE Class 10 board exam of 2026, paper 32/2/1, section C, question 26(a), for 5 marks. Try it first; the hints and our step-by-step solution are below.

Q26(a) · 5 marks · Long answerPower-sharing

Compare the Belgian model and the Sri Lankan model of power sharing.

Source: official question paper from cbse.gov.in (PDF). See it in the full 2026 board paper, set 32/2/1.

Hints

Open one hint at a time and try again before the next.

Hint 1

Name the model each country adopted.

Hint 2

Compare their language policies.

Hint 3

Compare the outcomes.

Step-by-step solution

Each step shows the marks it earns, as an examiner would award them. Checked by an independent re-solve from the question paper.

  1. Belgium followed the accommodation model, while Sri Lanka adopted majoritarianism. Belgium recognised regional and cultural differences, but the Sri Lankan government ignored them.

    1 mark

  2. Belgium amended its constitution four times between 1970 and 1993 so that all could live together. Sri Lanka passed an Act in 1956 to satisfy the Sinhala majority.

    1 mark

  3. Belgium gave equal representation to Dutch and French ministers in the central government, with the same number at state level in Brussels. Sri Lanka made Sinhala the only official language, with preference for Sinhalese in jobs and universities.

    1 mark

  4. Belgium has a third kind of government, the community government, which is elected by each language community and decides on cultural, educational and language matters. Sri Lanka's Constitution said the state would protect and foster Buddhism.

    1 mark

  5. In Belgium, power sharing created trust, no community can take unilateral decisions, and the state governments are not subordinate to the central government. In Sri Lanka, Tamils felt alienated, and distrust led to a civil war that ended in 2009.

    1 mark

Answer: Belgium's accommodation brought peace and unity; Sri Lanka's majoritarianism led to alienation and civil war.

Where the marks are

  • Accommodation versus majoritarianism (1 mark)
  • Constitutional amendments versus the 1956 Act (1 mark)
  • Equal ministers versus Sinhala only and job preference (1 mark)
  • Community government versus state support for Buddhism (1 mark)
  • Outcome: trust versus civil war (1 mark)

Revise the chapter

  • Chapter: Power-sharing (notes, formulas, where marks are lost and every past question)
Practise this chapterBoard-style questions from Power-sharing, one at a time, marked against the answer key and marking points.Back to the full paper2026 board paper, set 32/2/1: every question, by section.

The question is transcribed from the official paper; figures are described in words. The solution, hints and chapter tag are ours. Spotted an error? Write tosupport@questionbuddy.in.