RBSE Class 12 Political Science Half-Yearly Model Paper 2026-27 (English Medium) with Answer Key

Class 12 Political Science (Code 11) – Half-Yearly Model Paper 2026-27 (English Medium)

By NCERTClasses Team

General Instructions

1. All questions are compulsory. Where 'OR' is given, attempt only one option.
2. Marks are given in brackets against each question. 'Ch.' denotes the textbook chapter.
3. Section A: Questions 1-20 (1 mark each); Section B: Questions 21-28 (2 marks each); Section C: Questions 29-34 (3 marks each); Section D: Questions 35-38 (4 marks each); Section E: Questions 39-40 (5 marks each).
4. Answer Questions 21 to 40 according to the marking scheme and the prescribed word limit.

Section A : Objective Questions (20 × 1 = 20 marks)

1. In which year was the Soviet Union formally dissolved? (a) 1985 (b) 1989 (c) 1991 (d) 1995 Ch.1 [1]
2. After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, ______ became the first President of Russia. (Fill in the blank) Ch.1 [1]
3. What was the Russian name of the policy of 'openness' adopted by Gorbachev? (Answer in one word) Ch.1 [1]
4. The European Union came into being as a result of which treaty? (a) Treaty of Versailles (b) Maastricht Treaty (c) Tashkent Agreement (d) Panchsheel Agreement Ch.2 [1]
5. The Constituent Assembly of Nepal declared the end of monarchy in the year ______. (Fill in the blank) Ch.3 [1]
6. In which year did Bangladesh emerge as an independent nation? (a) 1965 (b) 1971 (c) 1974 (d) 1980 Ch.3 [1]
7. Where is the Secretariat of SAARC located? (a) Dhaka (b) Colombo (c) Kathmandu (d) Islamabad Ch.3 [1]
8. What is the term of the non-permanent members of the UN Security Council? (a) 1 year (b) 2 years (c) 5 years (d) 10 years Ch.4 [1]
9. In which year did the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center (New York) take place? (a) 1991 (b) 1998 (c) 2001 (d) 2008 Ch.5 [1]
10. The Earth Summit of 1992 was held in which city? (a) Kyoto (b) Rio de Janeiro (c) Stockholm (d) Paris Ch.6 [1]
11. The Kyoto Protocol was adopted in the year ______. (Fill in the blank) Ch.6 [1]
12. In which year was the States Reorganisation Act passed? (a) 1950 (b) 1953 (c) 1956 (d) 1960 Ch.8 [1]
13. Name the military operation launched in 1948 for the integration of the princely state of Hyderabad. (Answer in one word) Ch.8 [1]
14. Potti Sriramulu undertook a fast unto death demanding a separate ______-speaking state. (Fill in the blank) Ch.8 [1]
15. In which year did India conduct its first nuclear test at Pokhran? (a) 1964 (b) 1971 (c) 1974 (d) 1998 Ch.11 [1]
16. With which country did India sign the Panchsheel Agreement of 1954? (a) Pakistan (b) China (c) Sri Lanka (d) Nepal Ch.11 [1]
17. In which year were the provisions of Article 370 relating to Jammu and Kashmir abrogated? (a) 2014 (b) 2017 (c) 2019 (d) 2021 Ch.14 [1]
18. The 1986 Mizoram Accord was signed between Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and ______. (Fill in the blank) Ch.14 [1]
19. Assertion (A): Efforts have been made in India to accommodate regional aspirations within the framework of democratic politics.
    Reason (R): After the Mizoram Accord, the Mizo National Front gave up violence and adopted electoral politics.
    (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. (b) Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A. (c) A is true, but R is false. (d) A is false, but R is true. Ch.14 [1]
20. Sikkim became which state of the Indian Union? (a) 20th (b) 21st (c) 22nd (d) 25th Ch.14 [1]

Section B : Very Short Answer Questions (8 × 2 = 16 marks) — each answer in at most 30 words

21. Name any two of the three pillars of the ASEAN Community. Ch.2 [2]
22. Write any two differences between traditional and non-traditional security. Ch.5 [2]
23. What do you understand by the principle of 'Common but Differentiated Responsibilities' (CBDR)? Ch.6 [2]
24. What are 'Global Commons'? Give any two examples. Ch.6 [2]
25. When was the Planning Commission set up? Which body replaced it, and when? Ch.10 [2]
26. When and where was the first summit of the Non-Aligned Movement held? Name any two of its founding leaders. Ch.11 [2]
27. In which year did India conduct the Pokhran-II tests? State the meaning of India's 'No First Use' nuclear policy. Ch.11 [2]
28. What was Operation Blue Star? In which year did it take place? Ch.14 [2]

Section C : Short Answer Questions (6 × 3 = 18 marks) — each answer in at most 60 words

29. State any three causes of the disintegration of the Soviet Union. OR What is 'Shock Therapy'? Write three consequences of it for the former communist countries. Ch.1 [3]
30. Write any three features of the European Union. OR State any three reasons for the economic rise of China. Ch.2 [3]
31. State three obstacles to the establishment of democracy in Pakistan. OR Write three stages in the process of establishing democracy in Nepal. Ch.3 [3]
32. Distinguish between disarmament and arms control, and name one arms-control treaty. OR Describe any three components of India's security strategy. Ch.5 [3]
33. Write three challenges arising from the Partition of India. OR Explain, in three points, the role of Sardar Patel in the integration of the princely states into India. Ch.8 [3]
34. When and by whom was the Mandal Commission constituted? What was its main recommendation, and when was it implemented? Ch.15 [3]

Section D : Long Answer Questions-I (4 × 4 = 16 marks) — each answer in at most 100 words

35. Describe the economic impact of globalisation in the Indian context in four points. OR Discuss the cultural impact of globalisation in four points. Ch.7 [4]
36. Write four reasons for the dominance of the Congress in the early years after Independence. OR State four features of the first general election of 1952. Ch.9 [4]
37. Why was the 1967 election called a 'political earthquake'? Give four points. OR Write four reasons for the success of the Congress in the 1971 election. Ch.12 [4]
38. Write four reasons for the declaration of the Emergency in 1975. OR Write four consequences of the Emergency. Ch.13 [4]

Section E : Long Answer Questions-II (2 × 5 = 10 marks) — each answer in at most 150 words

39. Describe the composition of the UN Security Council and give arguments in favour of its reform. OR Name the six principal organs of the United Nations and describe the functions of any two of them. Ch.4 [5]
40. Explain the reasons for the rise of coalition politics in Indian politics after 1989 and write three features of coalition governments. OR Describe three major changes that affected Indian politics in the 1990s (Mandal, Mandir, New Economic Policy). Ch.15 [5]

Marks Distribution Table

Answer Key and Marking Scheme

(Award full marks for a correct answer with the same sense; word-for-word matching is not required.)

Section A (1 mark each)

1 (c) 1991 · 2 Boris Yeltsin · 3 Glasnost · 4 (b) Maastricht Treaty · 5 2008 · 6 (b) 1971 · 7 (c) Kathmandu · 8 (b) 2 years · 9 (c) 2001 · 10 (b) Rio de Janeiro · 11 1997 · 12 (c) 1956 · 13 Operation Polo · 14 Andhra (Telugu) · 15 (c) 1974 · 16 (b) China · 17 (c) 2019 · 18 Laldenga · 19 (a) · 20 (c) 22nd.

Section B (2 marks each)

21. ASEAN Political-Security Community; ASEAN Economic Community; ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (any two, 1+1). 22. Traditional: mainly military threats, defence of a state's borders and sovereignty, balance of power and alliances; non-traditional: wider threats such as terrorism, pandemics, poverty and environmental crises, with emphasis on human security (two differences, 1+1). 23. Protecting the environment is the shared responsibility of all countries (1); but developed countries have polluted more and have greater resources, so their responsibility is greater/different (1). 24. Areas that lie outside the sovereignty of any single state and belong to all humanity (1); examples: Antarctica, the atmosphere, the sea-bed, outer space (any two, 1). 25. 1950 (1); NITI Aayog, on 1 January 2015 (1). 26. September 1961, Belgrade (Yugoslavia) (1); any two of Jawaharlal Nehru, Nasser (Egypt), Tito (Yugoslavia), Sukarno (Indonesia), Nkrumah (Ghana) (1). 27. 1998 (1); India will not be the first to use nuclear weapons and will use them only in retaliation after being attacked (1). 28. The military action of June 1984 to flush out militants sheltered in the Golden Temple, Amritsar (1); the year 1984 (1).

Section C (3 marks each; three points, 1+1+1)

29. (a) Weak economy and heavy military spending; political-economic stagnation and bureaucratic rigidity; loosening of control due to Gorbachev's reforms; nationalist sentiments in the republics; the end of communist rule in Eastern Europe in 1989 (any three). OR (b) A sudden and harsh transition from communism to capitalism (1); consequences: rapid privatisation of state-controlled industries/collapse of the economy, fall in the value of currency and unemployment, rising inequality and the rise of the mafia (any three, 2). 30. (a) In existence since 1993 (after the Maastricht Treaty, signed in 1992); common flag, anthem and currency, the 'euro'; a common market with free movement of goods, services, capital and people; a shared economic strength and coordination in foreign/security policy (any three). OR (b) Economic reforms of 1978 under Deng Xiaoping; opening to foreign investment and Special Economic Zones; agricultural reforms and emphasis on industry/exports; a vast labour force (any three). 31. (a) Repeated military rule (1958, 1977, 1999); influence of the army, bureaucracy and landlord class; weak political parties and institutions; hostility towards India and the Kashmir dispute increasing the importance of the army (any three). OR (b) Movement of 1990: multiparty system under the monarchy; second people's movement of 2006: King Gyanendra had to restore Parliament; in 2008 the Constituent Assembly abolished the monarchy and declared a republic (a new constitution followed in 2015). 32. (a) Disarmament: completely eliminating certain weapons (1); arms control: regulating/limiting the production or proliferation of weapons (1); treaty: any one of NPT (1968), ABM Treaty (1972), CTBT (1). OR (b) Strengthening military capability; strengthening international norms and institutions; meeting internal security challenges; developing the economy (any three). 33. (a) Division of the country on religious lines on the basis of the two-nation theory; drawing of boundaries in Punjab and Bengal; large-scale displacement and communal violence; division of resources and property (any three). OR (b) As Home Minister in charge of the States Department, negotiation and persuasion; agreement on the Instrument of Accession; firm steps such as the military action in Hyderabad (1948); peaceful integration of most princely states (any three). 34. Constituted in 1979 by the Janata Party government of Morarji Desai, under B.P. Mandal (1); recommendation: 27% reservation for Other Backward Classes in central government jobs (1); the report was submitted in 1980 and implemented by the V.P. Singh government in August 1990 (1).

Section D (4 marks each; four points, 1 each)

35. (a) After 1991, liberalisation brought foreign investment (FDI) and multinational companies; more choice and better quality for consumers; jobs and export growth in IT/services; competitive pressure on small industries and farmers; widening economic inequality (any four; full marks for a balanced answer). OR (b) Global exchange of cultures; Western influence on food, dress and language; danger of cultural homogenisation/erosion of local culture; blending of cultures (hybridisation) and innovation; role of media and the internet (any four). 36. (a) Legacy of the freedom struggle; well-organised party structure; popular leadership of Nehru, Patel and others; its broad 'rainbow' character accommodating all sections and ideologies; a scattered and weak opposition (any four). OR (b) First general election of independent India (October 1951 to February 1952), with universal adult franchise (1); Sukumar Sen was the first Chief Election Commissioner (1); Congress won 364 of the 489 Lok Sabha seats (1); the Communist Party of India (CPI) won 16 seats; a successful start of democracy and election symbols for illiterate voters (1). 37. (a) In the 1967 fourth general election, Congress seats in the Lok Sabha fell to 283 (out of 520) (1); Congress lost power in several states, with its dominance badly shaken (commonly cited as nine) (1); non-Congress 'Samyukta Vidhayak Dal' (SVD) coalition governments were formed (1); end of Congress dominance and the beginning of multiparty competition (1). OR (b) The 'Garibi Hatao' slogan; popular steps such as bank nationalisation (1969) and abolition of privy purses; Indira Gandhi's charismatic leadership; the opposition 'Grand Alliance' was disunited and weak; holding the Lok Sabha election ahead of schedule in 1971 (any four). 38. (a) The Bihar movement of 1974 and J.P. Narayan's 'Total Revolution'; the railway strike of 1974; the Allahabad High Court judgment of 12 June 1975 declaring Indira Gandhi's election invalid (Raj Narain case); economic crisis, unrest in Gujarat and Bihar, and the plea of 'internal disturbance' (any four). OR (b) Declared on 25 June 1975 under Article 352, with fundamental rights suspended; press censorship and preventive detention; the 42nd Amendment (1976); Emergency ended in March 1977, Congress defeated in the election and the Shah Commission inquiry (any four).

Section E (5 marks each)

39. (a) Composition: 15 members: 5 permanent (USA, UK, France, Russia, China) and 10 non-permanent (2-year term) (2); veto power of the permanent members (1); arguments for reform: the structure reflects the power balance of 1945, Asia, Africa and Latin America are under-represented, the need to make it more representative and democratic, and the claims of large countries like India (any two, 2). OR (b) Six organs: General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council, Trusteeship Council, International Court of Justice, Secretariat (3); functions of any two, 1 mark each: e.g. General Assembly: representation of all members and discussion of global issues; Security Council: maintaining international peace and security; ICJ: settling legal disputes between states (2). 40. (a) Causes: defeat of the Congress in the 1989 election and no single party getting a majority; rise of regional parties; polarisation of parties around the Mandal and Mandir issues; end of Congress dominance (any three, 3); features: common minimum programme, bargaining by coalition partners and the role of regional parties, ideological flexibility/power-centred alliances (any two, 2). OR (b) Mandal: OBC reservation and the rise of backward-caste politics (1.5); Mandir: the Ayodhya dispute, the events of 6 December 1992, communal politics and the rise of the BJP (1.5); New Economic Policy: reforms of 1991 based on liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation, and their impact on the economy and politics (2).