1. Define the term'citizen and citizenship'.

A citizen of a country is the person who lives there permanently and enjoys certain rights. He / she also owe certain duties to his / her country and society.

Citizenship is a legal relationship between the individual and country. It binds the individual to the country of which he/ she is a member. Citizenship includes both rights and duties.

2. Who is an alien? What rights are given to an alien?

Many tourists, students, traders, etc of foreign countries visit India. But these people are not citizens of this country. They are aliens who have come to this country for a definite period of time. These people do not enjoy the rights of a citizen. However, they have certain rights like the right to life, property education and worship. They are not given any political right. They cannot vote in the elections.

3. What rights does an Indian citizen enjoy?

An Indian citizen enjoys certain rights guaranteed by our Constitution. These rights are.

(i) They can vote and contest elections.

(ii) They can be appointed as permanent government servants.

(iii) They can represent India in international events in the fields of sports, culture, politics and education.

(iv) They also enjoy the Fundamental Rights guaranteed by the Constitution.

4. What is meant by single citizenship?

There is only single citizenship in our country. It means that even if we belong to a particular state, yet we have Indian citizenship only unlike the USA where people enjoy dual citizenship, one of the state of which they belong to and the other is of the country i.e. United States of America.

5. Who are the citizens of India?

                        Or

Who are recognised as Indian citizens by our Consitution?

Our Constitution recognised these people as Indian citizens -

(i) People who were born and living in India.

(ii) Those whose parents and grandparents were born in India.

(iii) Those who had been living in India for 5 years before 26 January, 1950, the year the Constitution came into force.

(iv) Those who came to India from Pakistan before 26 January, 1950 and again in 1971.

(v) Those who became naturalised citizens by giving up citizenship of their own country.

6. What are the qualities of a good citizen?

A good citizen is a person who does not take his/her rights for granted. There are certain duties for him / her to fulfil as well.

(i) A good citizen has to obey the laws of the land. They are liberal-minded and firmly believe in secularism.

(ii) He / she casts his / her vote for those who will work for the country's welfare.

(iii) He / she actively participates in the affairs of the country. To him / her, the interest of the nation is more important than his / her own.

(iv) He / she should exercise the right to freedom of expression for the benefit of all.

(v) He / she does not gets involved in anti-social activities.

(vi) He / she should pay taxes honestly.

(vii) A good citizen works for the welfare of the nation. He / she upholds unity and integrity of the nation. He / she is loyal to his / her country and respects the national symbols.

7. State whether the following statements are True or False:

1. The citizens in a democracy must be educated.

2. Good citizens are those who perform only duties without enjoying any right.

3. Citizens of a country enjoy political rights.

4. Citizenship of India cannot be lost in any circumstances.

5. Citizenship is  a relationship between the individual and state.

1. True                 2. False             3. True

4. False               5. True

Fill ups

1. Every citizen has moral as well as ___________ duties.

2. The Citizenship Act came into force on 30 December, ___________.

3. __________ do not enjoy political rights.

4. We have only _______ citizenship in our country.

5. A good citizen obeys the ________ of the land.

1. legal                  2. 1955               3. Aliens

4. one                   5. laws