2021 · Polity & GovernancePrevious Year Question
Q87.
Which one of the following best defines the term 'State?
A. A community of persons permanently occupying a definite territory independent of external control and possessing an organized government
B. A politically organized people of a definite territory and possessing an authority to govern them, maintain law and order, protect their natural rights and safeguard their means of sustenance
C. A number of persons who have been living in a definite territory for a very long time with their own culture, tradition and government
D. A society permanently living in a definite territory with a central authority, an executive responsible to the central authority and an independent judiciary
Answer

A

Explanation

State is a political organization of society. The state is a form of human association distinguished from other social groups based on its purpose of formation. Following are the elements of a state: 1) People, i.e. the community of persons permanently living there. 2) Government 3) Territory: Demarcated boundary that separates one state from the other. 4) Sovereignty: It has independent say in all domestic and external decision making. Thus, the 1st option is the correct answer.