The State, the Government, and You
Class 7 · Social Science Part 2 · 10 Questions
"Every democracy is a republic." Is this statement true or false? Explain.
Give two reasons why decentralisation is important in India.
Imagine you are part of your school's student council. The council works like a mini-parliament — it has members elected by students, debates issues and makes decisions. In this context, do you think it would be better if only the council president makes all the decisions or if power is to be shared among all members?
Think about these real-life situations in relation to India's democracy:
Ask your parents / guardians how they engaged with the government over the past year. Make a list and classify the items based on the level of government they had to work with. What challenges did they face?
Make lists of different government departments you are familiar with, or whose names you may have seen on boards around your home or on your way to school. What functions do you think they perform?
Collect editorials from a few newspapers. Read them in small groups. Identify the topics on which they have opinions. How many are about government policies?
If a streetlamp in your neighbourhood is broken, who would you contact to fix it? If a village road needs to be repaired, would the local people reach out to the Central Government?
What might be the reasons that decisions regarding local concerns should be taken locally to the extent possible?
Have a class discussion on the following: List five major achievements of our country in improving the lives of ordinary people in your village, town or city. Which level of government made this possible and how?