The State, the Government, and You — Class 7 Social Science
Exploring Society Part 2 · Chapter 6Trending
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2- Mathematics
- Space weighted by chapter size
- Charts from the book's own data
- Traps corrected
- Space weighted by chapter size
- Charts from the book's own data
- Traps corrected
- Space weighted by chapter size
- Charts from the book's own data
- Traps corrected
Chapter summary
Key ideas & terms
- State
- A political organisation with four parts — people, territory, government and sovereignty — that has authority to govern a defined territory and its population.
- Sovereignty
- The full power of a state to make and implement its own laws and take decisions without any outside control.
- Republic
- A form of government where the head of state is elected, not hereditary, and whose powers are limited by a constitution or laws.
- Permanent executive
- Government officers or civil servants, selected through examinations like the UPSC, who keep the government running regardless of which party is in power.
- Decentralisation
- The spreading out of power and decision-making so local problems are solved locally and bigger issues at higher levels.
- Right to Information Act
- A law (RTI) through which citizens can ask for information about government actions of public interest, bringing transparency and accountability.
Extra questions & answers
What are the four parts of a state?
A permanent population (people), a fixed territory, a government, and sovereignty — the full power to make laws without outside control.
How does a state differ from a government?
The state is the larger entity including the people, territory and sovereignty, while the government is just one part of it — the system that makes and implements laws — and can change after elections while the state remains.
What is the difference between a democracy and a republic?
Democracy means 'rule by the people' through free and fair elections, while a republic is a form of government where the head of state is elected, not hereditary, with powers limited by a constitution.
Why is India called a democratic republic?
Because its people choose their government through elections (democracy) and its head of state, the president, is elected rather than a hereditary monarch (republic), with constitutional limits on power.
How does a republic protect against the dominance of the majority?
The rule of law and the constitution limit the power of the majority so that the fundamental rights of minorities and smaller groups are not unfairly harmed.
What is the difference between the political and permanent executive?
The political executive consists of elected leaders like ministers who make big decisions for a fixed term, while the permanent executive consists of non-elected civil servants selected through examinations who keep the government running.
What does the judiciary do, and why is it important?
It protects and interprets the laws, defends citizens' rights, and safeguards the Constitution through judicial review, upholding the rule of law that everyone, even the government, must follow.
What are the three tiers of government in India?
The union (central) government for the whole country, the state governments for each state, and local governments — panchayats and municipalities — at the village and town level.
Why is decentralisation important?
Because local leaders know the area's needs best, local issues can be discussed and solved by those who face them, people are more involved, and leaders are more accountable.
How can citizens make the government work for them?
Through grievance redressal portals, the Right to Information Act, using the media, joining civil society organisations, writing to representatives, and voting in elections.
The Big Questions
1. What is the difference between a state and a government?
A state is the larger, permanent political organisation of a country. It has four features: a defined territory, a permanent population, a government, and sovereignty, which is the power to make laws without outside control. A government is only one part of the state — the group of people and institutions that run the country at a given time by making laws, enforcing them and resolving disputes. The government can change after elections, but the state remains the same. The textbook uses the example of a school and its principal and teachers — teachers may come and go, but the school remains.
2. What is the difference between a democracy and a republic? What makes India a democratic republic?
Democracy means rule by the people, from demos = people and kratos = rule. In a democracy people choose their government through free and fair elections and the government is accountable to the people. A republic means the head of state is elected, not hereditary, and the power of rulers is limited by a constitution or laws. A country can be both or only one. For example, the UK, Canada and Sweden are democracies but not republics because they have a hereditary king or queen. India is both a democracy and a republic because its people elect their representatives and its head of state, the President, is elected indirectly by elected representatives, not a monarch who inherits power, and all powers are exercised within the limits set by the Constitution.
3. How do citizens engage with the government in day-to-day life? How can one make government work for the people?
In daily life citizens engage with the executive departments that deliver services — such as schools, health centres, water and sanitation, police, roads, and local panchayat or municipality. They also elect leaders, pay taxes and follow laws. Citizens can make government work for them by using grievance redressal offices and portals like the Public Grievances Portal, asking questions under the Right to Information Act to bring transparency and accountability, writing to elected representatives, using media and social media to raise issues, joining or forming civil society organisations and NGOs, taking part in movements as in the Silent Valley case, and by voting in local, state and national elections when they are old enough.
LET'S EXPLORE
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?
Some departments commonly seen are: Education Department, Health and Family Welfare Department, Public Works Department, Police Department, Revenue Department, Municipal Corporation or Panchayat office, Electricity Board, Water Supply Department, Transport Department and Forest Department. These are part of the executive. For example, the Education Department runs government schools and implements the Right to Education Act, the Health Department runs hospitals and vaccination drives, the Public Works Department builds and maintains roads and bridges, the Police maintains law and order and helps investigate crime, and the Municipality or Panchayat looks after streetlights, water, drainage and garbage collection. Together they implement the laws and policies made by the legislature.
LET'S EXPLORE
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?
This is a classroom activity. Editorials are the newspaper's opinion pages and they usually comment on important public issues. If you collect three to four editorials, you will find topics such as new government schemes, inflation and economy, education or health reforms, environmental issues, elections, foreign affairs, and social issues. In most newspapers, at least half the editorials are directly about government policies because the media keeps citizens informed and provides a platform for discussion and debate, which helps hold the government accountable.
THINK ABOUT IT
If a streetlamp in your neighbourhood is broken, who would you contact to fix it?
You would contact the local government — the municipal corporation, municipality or gram panchayat responsible for your area. Local staff like the ward councillor or panchayat member can get it repaired quickly because local issues are best solved locally.
If a village road needs to be repaired, would the local people reach out to the Central Government?
No. A village road is a local matter and would be handled by the local panchayat and the state government’s Public Works or Rural Development Department. The Central Government looks after matters for the whole country such as defence, foreign affairs and currency. Approaching the Central Government for a village road would be slow and unnecessary because of decentralisation.
LET'S EXPLORE
What might be the reasons that decisions regarding local concerns should be taken locally to the extent possible?
Decisions about local concerns should be taken locally because local leaders know the area, its needs and traditions better than distant officials, local issues like water, roads, schools and streetlights can be discussed and solved faster by people who face them every day, it allows more people to participate directly in democracy, and it makes leaders more accountable because they live close to the people and can be questioned easily. This is the idea of decentralisation — local problems solved locally, bigger national issues solved by higher levels.
LET'S EXPLORE
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?
Example achievements in many villages, towns and cities in the last 75 years: 1) Expansion of schools and the Right to Education and mid-day meals — made possible by Parliament which made the law and by state and local governments which run schools and hire teachers. 2) Better roads, railways and airports — national highways and railways by the Central Government, state roads by state PWD, village lanes by panchayats. 3) Electricity and water supply to homes — Central schemes with implementation by state and local bodies. 4) Primary health centres, hospitals and vaccination drives like COVID-19 vaccination — planned by Central and state health departments and delivered by local health workers. 5) Telephone, mobile and internet connectivity — policy by the Central Government with rollout supported by all levels. The three levels work together.
List five problems that ordinary people face frequently. At which level of government should these be addressed and how?
Common problems: 1) Irregular water supply and drainage — local municipality or panchayat. 2) Poor condition of streets and garbage collection — local government. 3) Lack of good teachers or doctors in rural areas — state government which handles health and education, with local monitoring. 4) Unemployment and need for job guarantees — Central and state schemes like MGNREGS implemented locally. 5) Corruption or delay in getting certificates and benefits — can be raised through grievance portals, RTI and local representatives at the concerned level. Citizens can use RTI, grievance redressal, media and contacts with elected representatives to get them addressed.
Questions and activities
1. “Every democracy is a republic.” Is this statement true or false? Explain.
False. Democracy and republic are different ideas. Democracy means the people choose their government. Republic means the head of state is elected and not a hereditary monarch, and powers are limited by a constitution. Every republic that holds free and fair elections can be a democracy, but every democracy is not a republic. For example, India and the USA are both democracies and republics, while the UK, Canada and Sweden are democracies but not republics because they have a king or queen as head of state.
2. Give two reasons why decentralisation is important in India.
1) India is very large and diverse with over 1.4 billion people, so a single central government cannot meet all local needs. Decentralisation by creating panchayats and municipalities allows local issues to be solved locally and quickly. 2) Local leaders know local needs and traditions better, people can participate more directly, and leaders become more accountable because they are close to the people. This strengthens democracy at the grassroots, as intended by the Constitution after the early 1990s amendments.
3. 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?
It is better if power is shared among all members. If only the president decides, it is like a dictatorship or oligarchy — other views are ignored, decisions may be unfair and mistakes are not corrected. When power is shared, all members can debate, represent different classes and interests, make laws through discussion, and check the president's power, just as the legislature, executive and judiciary check each other in a democracy.
3. Should the student council have the power to make rules about the food you eat, or the language you speak?
No, not without limits. Just as Parliament cannot make laws that violate fundamental rights, a student council cannot make rules that take away basic rights or personal freedom. Rules must be reasonable, protect health, equality and freedom, and stay within the school's constitution or rulebook. Otherwise it would be an unfair dominance of the majority.
3. What can go wrong if the student council is the most powerful body in your school and no one questions its decisions?
If no one questions it, there are no checks and balances. The council could misuse power, make arbitrary or biased rules, ignore the minority, and threaten the rights of students, as in the RWA example in the chapter where a majority ban harmed an elderly person. An unchecked most-powerful body can lead to unfair, unjust rules and loss of trust, which harms democracy. That is why the judiciary acts as a watchdog and citizens must be able to question and hold leaders accountable.
4. Think about these real-life situations in relation to India’s democracy: Should the Parliament be the most powerful institution in the country? Why or why not?
Parliament is the elected lawmaking body and is very powerful because it represents the people, but it is not above the Constitution. The Constitution ensures checks and balances, so Parliament cannot become too powerful that it ignores rights or acts arbitrarily. Power is shared with the executive and the independent judiciary.
4. Think about these real-life situations in relation to India’s democracy: Should the Parliament have the power to make any law it wants, even if it affects your rights?
No. The Constitution guarantees fundamental rights such as equality before the law, freedom of speech and religion. Parliament cannot pass laws that violate these rights. If it tries, the judiciary can declare such laws invalid through judicial review, protecting citizens from the dominance of the majority.
4. Think about these real-life situations in relation to India’s democracy: What could go wrong if lawmaking has no limits? Can it lead to unfair or unjust laws?
If lawmaking has no limits, elected leaders or officers could misuse force and power unchecked. This could lead to unfair laws that target minorities, take away freedoms, allow discrimination, corruption and chaos, just like the big fish swallowing the small fish in matsya nyaya without law and order. Republics prevent this by making the rule of law stronger than the wishes of a powerful majority.
4. Think about these real-life situations in relation to India’s democracy: Who is more powerful in India, the Parliament or the Supreme Court? Give your reasons.
Neither is absolutely more powerful — they have different roles balanced by the Constitution. Parliament makes laws, the Supreme Court interprets laws and protects the Constitution and fundamental rights. The Supreme Court can check Parliament by striking down unconstitutional laws, and Parliament must work within the Constitution that the judiciary safeguards. So power is divided to prevent any one organ from becoming too powerful; the rule of law, not any single institution, is supreme.
5. 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?
This is a family survey activity. Examples: Paying property tax and getting water connection — local municipality or panchayat; getting Aadhaar, PAN or passport — Central Government; visiting government hospital or government school admission — state government and local implementation; applying for ration card or MGNREGS work — state and local panchayat; registering a complaint about electricity or roads — state or local department. Challenges often faced include long queues, delays, need for multiple documents, lack of information, or slow grievance response, which can be addressed through RTI, grievance portals, and contacting elected representatives. Students should make their own table based on their parents' answers and classify each item as Central, State or Local.