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 BSHF-101
Foundation Course in Humanities
& Social Sciences
ASSIGNMENT SOLUTIONS GUIDE (2012-2013)

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Disclaimer / Special Note: These are just the sample of the Answers/Solutions to some of the Questions given in the
Assignments. These Sample Answers/Solutions are prepared by Tutor for the help of the student to get an idea of how he/
she can answer the questions of the Assignments. Sample answers may be Seen as the Guide/Reference Book/Assignment

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Guide. Any Omission or Error is highly regretted though every care has been taken while preparing these Sample Answers/
Solutions. Please consult you Teacher / Tutor before you prepare a Particular Answer.

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A. Descriptive Category Questions (DCQ) answer any two in 500 words each:
Q. 1. Analyse the evolution of man as a tool making animal.
Ans. The stone age saw the usage of bones and stones as tools. Homo sapions were the first to formulate tools.
Tool making has improved with the growth of human beings.
The first human being can be traced back to 50,00,000 years. He was known as the 'Peking Man'. On the basis

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of tool making skills man has divided the emergence of human civilisation into three stages. The Stone Age, Bronze
Age and Iron Age. The development from one stage to another did not take place simultaneously throughout the
world.
The Old Stone Age

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The New Stone Age
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The old stone age also known as the Paleolithic Age dates back to 5,00,000 to 2,50,000 years ago.Human beings
were dependent on hunting, fishing and gathering their means of subsitence. They had no control over nature. This
was a stage of savagery. The tools used were roughly chipped flint.

The New Stone age is also known as the Neolithic period. It dates back to 10,000 to 12,000 years ago.In this
period human beings cultivated land and resorted to a human breading for their subsitence. There was surplus
production of food grains which is evident from the presence of grainaries. The cultural characterstics were barbaric.
Pottery and spinning wool were important facets of Neolithic age. Tools were in the form of stoneaxes.
The Bronze Age

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The Bronze Age dates back to 5000 BC. This period saw the emergence of urban population.Metal was used for
tool making. The Bronze Age saw the ability of human beings to melt and fuse copper. The wheel was also
discovered in this period. This revolutionalised transportation.
Wind was also used as a source of energy. Sail boats came into usage. The making of bricks in Mohenjodaro and

being.
The Iron Age
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Harrapa civilisation show the ability of artisans to control high temperature. Artificial water ways also came into

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The Iron Age dates back to 1200 BC. This period saw the development of iron technology. The secret of
production was kept a secret for many years. The usage of iron tools raised a major threat to many empires. Iron was
developed in India round 1000 BC. Gorden Childe points out iron democratised agriculture and industry and warfare.
Q. 2. Does the post – Industrial society differ from the Industrial society? Explain
Ans. Bell points out that industrial society comes into being with transportation and communication.This helps
in developing industrial units in dispersed fashion. Production of textile goods can have production and design units
in different parts of the world. Today, many of the US Textile design units are located in South Asia. Industry
Factory production has been replaced by multi skilled teams. Bell points out that today the industrial society is
witnessing breakup of old systems. Now communication has become important for economic exchanges trade and

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communication.
Channges in Society
The theoretical knowledge is the axis around which new technology economic growth and stratification of
society is based. Post industrialisation identifies the change in social structure. In the post industrial society property
remains but technical skills becomes more important.
Simon and Marx have emphasised the roles of engineers and science in transforming society. In the 19th and 20th
century the strength of nations depended upon industrial capacity of steel production. Today, as Bell points out
scientific capacity is an important aspect of determining power and potential.
Post industrial society also sees a decline in the number of industrial workers. There is expansion of population
in professional services. Major category is involved in professional and technical sector. There has been a growth of

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white collar workers in the US, blacks have contributed heavily in the professional sector. Large scale of women are
also entering the professional sector. Child care, day care centres and community schools have gained importance.
A Diefferning Viewpoint

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The focus of new industrial state on technology has integrated MNC's with state. There is integration of technology

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with military industrial complex. The economic function of state has become important. There is elimination of
competitive forces which ensures planned economic behaviour. Industrial society makes merger of big corporation
with state possible.
Bell talks about political fragmentation in 1980 and 1990s. With the finishing of cold war the compulsion of
military industrial state are no longer there society is now free to harness technology for its own needs. Bell points
out that the society provides us with benefits but at a price.
B. Middle Category Questions (MCQ) answer in 250 words each:

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Q. 5. Discuss the achievements of Renaissance in the field of art and architecture.
Ans. There were some great achievements achieved in the field of art and architecture. The main objective of
medieval art was to express moral values and impart religious teachings. The Renaissanace saw a rise of individuality
in arts. Artistic creations were created with intensive aesthetic value.

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There was development of Renaissance painting. It emphasised on the imitation of life. The artists studied
nature and anatomy of man. This was done to study gestures and expressions. Renaissance art was a departure from
medieval art. Among the most famous paintings include Bottcelli's. Allegory of Spring and Birth of Venus, Leonardo

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da Vinci's Virgin of the Rocks, Last Supper and Monalisa.
Sculptures in the Renaissance period depicted images of Saints and religious themes. In the field of architecture
there was a decline in gothic architecture. The Renaissance artists believed that gothic architecture was ascetic and
worldly. They formulated a new style which was an expression of ideals, secular in nature and depicted joy in life
and pride in human achievement.
Q. 6. Has the Indian Economy made any progress in the field of Distributiver justice?
Ans. This shall be reflected in the lifestyle of the common man, whose basic needs are taken care of. Economic

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growth should be accompanied by qualitative improvement in the general living conditions of the common man.
Unfortunately, this is not possible in developing societies because in such societies social structure does not permit
the transmission of economic growth to the society in general. In these societies, economic power rests in the hands
of a few individuals. They are well-off people who possess huge wealth. This elite class does not want that the lower
and down-trodden sector of the society should get its share in the economic growth.
Internally, the elite class conspires that the lower sections of society should stay away from the advantages of
economic growth. In order to distribute the excess of money proportionately and to ensure that each section of the

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society gets its share, the Government works out several schemes like the Jawahar Rozgar Yojna, Integrated Rural
Development Project, etc. Government sanctions fixed sums of money for development work, but unfortunately a
small percentage of the sanctioned money reaches the needy. Our late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi said that "85 per
cent of the allocated money for the poor goes down the drain". This is all due to corruption prevalent in the whole
system.
Thus, in India economic growth has not been accompanied by distributive justice. When the people do not get
their share in the economic growth, they get frustrated and become irrational in their thinking. This irrationality is
manifested in their actions. They take to violence and other unlawful acts. For example, due to prevalent unemployment,
money youngsters have become smugglers and terrorists. Similarly, when people feel that they are being deprived of
their due share, they take to violent activities as they know that they have nothing to lose. Marx once said, "You have
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nothing to lose but your chains." The same happens with the weaker sections since they have nothing to risk, they
adopt violent methods to get something because they cannot lose anything. Economic growth has always been man's
prime concern. Whether it is the acquisition of wealth, the latest technology or manipulating of others' labour, it all
stems from economic growth.
As economy grows, mail tries to suppress his fellow beings; rich nations try to exploit the poor nations to their
own enrichment. But this lopsided situation has always led to imbalances in society, often leading to violence, as
was evident in the case of the French Revolution when a guillotine was set up in each street of Paris for beheading
the privileged few. Social inequalities and imbalance also led to Communism. This was accompanied by violence of
an unprecedented magnitude. After the collapse of Communism the world over, the question arises whether economic
growth along with distributive jus rice can be achieved. The so-called Socialist or Communist States, built on

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distributive justice, have collapsed. Capitalism, as it exists in America today, is also no .answer to the problem of

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distributive justice.

Q. 7. Discuss the directive Principles of State policies. Discuss the fundamental Rights guaranteed by the

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Indian Constitution. How are the different?
Ans. Directive Principles of State Policy: Directive Principles are guidelines to carry out effective governance
in the country. They are not legally enforceable.

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● Provision for equal pay for equal work.
● Prohibition of all intoxicants.
● Promotion of small and cottage industries etc.
The Directive principles of State policy of India are highly influenced from the constitution.
(1) Fundamental Rights: Fundamental Rights are an essential feature of Indian Constitution. These enumerate

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rights given to citizens in free India. These rights are considered fundamental for their well being. The various
fundament rights are :
● Right to Equality
● Right to Freedom

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● Right against Exploitation
● Right to Religion
● Cultural and Educational Rights
● Rights to Constitutional Remedies.
Right to Property which was earlier a part of fundamental rights, now is a legal right according to the 44th
Constitutional Amendment Act.
Except at the time of emergency the fundamental Rights cannot be suspended.
Q. 8. What role do non-state actors play in the democratic process? Discuss.
Ans. Besides the Government some state organisations also play a vital role in the functioning of the democratic

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process. These include NGO’s, Pressure Groups and lobbies and People’s Movements.
NGOs
Non-government Organisations function outside the government domain. They have supported the government

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as well as vested authorisation tendencies. They get funds from the government for their day-to-day functioning.
Pressure Group and Lobbies
They influence in policy making and implementation like political parties. They work for the promotion of
specific interests.

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● Press
● Students
● Women
● Business Organisations.
People’s Movement
They help in strengthening the democratic process of the country. It is a movement initiated by either a group of
people or an individual to help sort our people’s grievances. Famous examples being:
● Chipko Movement
● Narmada Bachao Andolan

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 ● Anti Arrack Movement.
Short Category Questions (SCQ)
(a) Secularism
The national movement encouraged the idea of secularism. State was considered a separate entity from religion.
The major limitation of national movement was communualism, separatist tendencies developed in India which led
to communal votes Ultimately leading partition of India. Many religious groups and communities developed blaming
each other for lack of economic opportunities.
(b) Bharatnatyam
The oldest dance form present in India is Bharatnatyam. It claims its origin in Natya Shastra lot of literacy,
sculptural and historical evidence suggest the presence of Bharatnatyam in past. It gained prominence as a solo

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dance in 19th century.

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The efforts of E. Krishna Iyer revived the Bhartnatyam form of dance to classical repute. Rukmani Devi, Meenakshi
Sundaram Pillai and Shanta Rao have been classified as great bharatnatyam performers.

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(c) Ellora Paintings

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Ans.Ellora: The Western Chalukya ruler Krishna-I takes the credit of creating a magnificent monument in the
Deccan the Kailashnatha temple of Ellora. The paintings of Ellora not only represent Iconographic forms but also
floral designs, animals and birds. The Natraja is the most famous painting at Ellora which is a multi-armed figure
in a Chatura dance pose. There are scenes illustrating events from jain text.
(d) Kyoto Protocol
Ans.The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement linked to the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change. The major feature of the Kyoto Protocol is that it sets binding targets for 37 industrialized countries

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and the European community for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
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