The Big Questions (Page 149)
Question 1:
What is the meaning of ‘governance’?
Answer:
Governance is the way the government manages and looks after society to make sure things are running smoothly. It involves elected leaders, police, officials, and the army. The government makes rules and laws for the well-being of society, which is a basic part of democracy.
Question 2:
Why do we need a government?
Answer:
We need a government for the following reasons:
- Law and Order: To make sure society is peaceful by creating and enforcing rules.
- Public Services: To provide services like hospitals, schools, and transportation.
- Basic Needs: To help people with food, medical care, and education at affordable prices.
- Security: To protect the country from outside attacks and handle emergencies.
- Environmental Protection: To take care of nature, forests, and animals.
Question 3:
What is the meaning of ‘democracy’? Why is it important?
Answer:
Democracy means that the people have the power to choose their leaders. It comes from two Greek words, “demos” meaning people and “kratos” meaning power or rule.
Why is democracy important?
- It ensures equality for all citizens.
- Everyone has the right to express their opinions and follow their religion.
- People can choose, change, or criticize their leaders.
- It gives every citizen the chance to rise to any post, such as President or Prime Minister.
Let’s Explore
Question 1:
Describe the two pictures in Fig. 10.1. What differences do you see between them?
Answer:
The two pictures show different traffic situations.
- Picture 1: Traffic is under control, and vehicles follow the rules.
- Picture 2: There is chaos, with too many vehicles, and no rules are being followed.
Differences:
Picture 1 | Picture 2 |
---|---|
Fewer vehicles (cars, cycles, bikes) | Lots of vehicles, including cars, cycles, and bikes |
Traffic rules are followed | No traffic rules, chaos everywhere |
Driving is comfortable and safe | Driving is stressful with frequent accidents |
Question 2:
How do you connect this with our discussion on rules?
Answer:
Rules are important to keep things organized and safe. Just like in traffic, rules help avoid accidents and chaos. We have rules in our school and homes too to ensure everyone is safe and follows the right behavior.
Question 3:
What are some of the rules in your school? Who made them?
Answer:
Here are some common school rules:
- Attendance: Students must come to school regularly.
- Discipline: Students should behave well in class.
- Uniform: Wearing the school uniform is mandatory.
- Classroom Behavior: Students must be polite and respectful in class.
- No Mobile Phones: Students are not allowed to use mobile phones in class.
- No Bullying: Bullying or teasing others is not allowed.
These rules are made by the school administration, including the Principal and Vice Principal, with input from teachers and parents.
Question 4:
Can you identify the categories of public service or other activities in the ten pictures in Fig. 10.2?
Answer:
Here are the categories shown in the pictures:
- Public development and infrastructure services
- Transport service
- Security and safety services
- Healthcare services
- Disaster management and relief services
- Traffic police and road safety
- Judicial services (courts)
- Educational services
- Postal services
- Banking services
Question 5:
What role do you think the government plays in each of these activities?
Answer:
The government is responsible for providing and managing all these services. It builds infrastructure, hires workers, and ensures everyone gets these services on time and without problems. The government at all levels (central, state, local) helps provide these services.
Question 6:
Can you think of other areas of daily life where the government plays an important role?
Answer:
Yes, the government plays a role in:
- Checking food and milk quality.
- Protecting the environment and forests.
- Ensuring regular water and electricity supply.
- Cleaning roads, maintaining parks, and providing street lights.
- Offering health and education services.
Question 7:
Explain how the three government organs work to stop cybercrime.
Answer:
Cybercriminals use the internet to steal money or information. The government works through its three parts:
- Legislature: Makes laws to punish cybercriminals.
- Executive (police): Catches criminals who break these laws.
- Judiciary (courts): Judges the criminals and decides their punishment.
Question 8:
What happens if all three government organs are controlled by the same group of people?
Answer:
If one group controls the three parts of the government, it would lead to unfairness and corruption. This could make the country undemocratic, as one group would have all the power.
Real-life Example:
- In North Korea, the government is controlled by one group, leading to unfair treatment of its people.
- Under Adolf Hitler in Germany, one person controlled everything, which led to World War II and many deaths.
Question 9:
Highlight the functions that affect your life the most.
Answer:
Here are the functions of each level of government that affect me the most:
- Central Government: Defence, Currency, Education, Railways, and Communication.
- State Government: Police, Public Health, Education, and Agriculture.
- Local Government: Garbage collection, sanitation, and local health services.
Question 10:
Ask two adults about their connection with the government.
Answer:
- Brother Prayan (9 years): He contacted the local government about cleaning a park. The authorities solved the issue and cleaned the park.
- Sister Saanvi (10 years): She applied for a passport, which required the central government for the passport and the local police for verification.
- Neighbour: After a bike theft, the police helped find the bike, thanks to cooperation from state government.
Questions, Activities, and Projects (Page 161)
Question 1:
What is democracy? What’s the difference between direct and representative democracy?
Answer:
Democracy means the people have the power to choose their rulers.
- Direct Democracy: People vote directly on laws and decisions. (Example: Switzerland)
- Representative Democracy: People elect representatives to make decisions for them. (Example: India, USA)
Question 2:
Recall the three organs of government. What are their different roles?
Answer:
- Legislature: Makes laws.
- Executive: Implements the laws.
- Judiciary: Makes sure laws are followed and solves disputes.
Question 3:
Why do we need three tiers of government?
Answer:
India needs three levels of government because the country is large and diverse. Each level handles different responsibilities:
- Central Government: Deals with national issues like defence and foreign policy.
- State Government: Manages state issues like law and order.
- Local Government: Deals with local issues like cleanliness and primary health.
Question 4:
COVID-19 lockdown: What actions were taken by the government at different levels?
Answer:
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the government at all levels took action to control the virus:
- Central Government: Declared lockdown, set up quarantine facilities, and started vaccine research.
- State Government: Set up hospitals, ensured supplies like masks, and managed local health.
- Local Government: Enforced the lockdown and made sure everyone followed the rules.
The Legislature made emergency laws, the Executive (police, doctors) implemented them, and the Judiciary made sure the laws were fair.
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