Class 7 NCERT Polity Chapter 1

On Equality
Universal Adult Franchise: It means that all adult citizens have
the right to vote irrespective of their social or economic
backgrounds. Here, adult means those who are 18 and above.

Dalit: It means broken.

Dignity: Thinking of oneself and other persons as worthy of

respect.

Constitution: A document that lays down the basic rules and

regulations for people and the government in the country to follow.

Civil Rights Movement: This movement took place in the USA in

the 1950s in which the African- Americans demanded equal rights
and an end to racial discrimination.
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Equal Right to Vote
In a democratic country, like India, all adults irrespective of
what religion they belong to, how much education they have
had, what caste they are, or whether they are rich or poor are
allowed to vote.

This is called universal adult franchise and is an essential

aspect of all democracies. The idea of universal adult
franchise is based on the idea of equality.

Other kinds of equality

Apart from being poor, people in India experience inequality
which is based on the caste system.
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Recognising dignity
When persons are treated unequally, their dignity is violated.
Dignity is the right of a person to be valued and respected for their
own sake and to be treated ethically.
Equality in Indian democracy
The Indian Constitution recognises every person as equal. This
means that every individual in the country, including male and
female persons from all castes, religions, tribes, educational and
economic backgrounds are recognised as equal.

The recognition of equality includes the following provisions in

the Constitution:
1. Every person is equal before the law.
2. No person can be discriminated against on the basis of their
religion, race, caste, place of birth or whether they are female
or male.
3. Every person has access to all public places.
4. Untouchability has been abolished. Instagram
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Steps taken by Government to Implement
Equality

The two ways in which the government has tried

to implement the equality that is guaranteed in
the Constitution is:

• First through laws

• Second through government programmes or

schemes

One of the steps taken by the government

includes the midday meal scheme. Instagram
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Issues of equality in other democracies
In many democratic countries around the world, the issue of
equality continues to be the key issue around which
communities struggle.

For example, in the United States of America, the African–

Americans whose ancestors were slaves who were brought over
from Africa, continue to describe their lives today as largely
unequal. They were treated extremely unequally in the US and
denied equality through the law.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibited discrimination on the

basis of race, religion or national origin. It also stated that all
schools would be open to African–American children and that
they would no longer have to attend separate schools specially
set up for them. Instagram
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Exercises

1. In a democracy why is universal adult franchise important?

Answer

Universal Adult Franchise is important in democracy as:

(i) It is based on the principle of equality.

(ii) It means that all adult (those who are 18 and above) citizens have the equal right to
vote.

(iii) It do not discriminate on the basis of social or economic backgrounds.

(iv) It is an important aspects of democratic societies

2. Re-read the box on Article 15 and state two ways in which this Article addresses
inequality?

Answer

Article 15 in democracy of the constitution prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion,

race, caste, sex or place of birth.

Two ways in which this Article addresses inequality:

(i) It suggests States not to discriminate against any citizen on grounds only of religion,
race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them.

(ii) No citizen shall be subject to any disability, liability and restriction on grounds only of
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3. In what ways was Omprakash Valmiki’s experience similar to that of the Ansaris?

Answer

In following ways Omprakash Valmiki’s experience was similar to that of the Ansaris:

(i) Both of them discriminated by the society on the basis of their caste or religion.

(ii) Dignity and self respect of both of them get violated.

(iii) Both suffered from unequal treatment.

4. What do you understand by the term "all persons are equal before the law"? Why do
you think it is important in a democracy?

Answer

The term "all persons are equal before the law" means that everyone will be given justice
before law by treating them equal. From the President of the country to the common people,
all are equal in front of law.

It is important in a democracy because:

(i) Democracy suggests that no one should be treated on unequal basis because of their
wealth, caste, colour, religion, gender etc.

(ii)It also ensures that no one will be given more preference for the same crime.

(iii) It provide the people equal opportunity to defend themselves in public court irrespective
of their socioeconomic position.

(iv) It also reflects the true nature of democracy. Instagram

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5. The Government of India passed the Disabilities Act in 1995. This law states that
persons with disabilities have equal rights, and that the government should make
possible their full participation in society. The government has to provide free
education and integrate children with disabilities into mainstream schools. This
law also states that all public places including buildings, schools, etc., should be
accessible and provided with ramps.

Look at the photograph and think about the boy who is being carried down the
stairs. Do you think the above law is being implemented in his case? What needs
to be done to make the building more accessible for him? How would his being
carried down the stairs affect his dignity as well as his safety?

Answer

No, I don't think the above law is being implemented in his case.

According to the Disabilities Act, all public places including buildings, schools, etc.,
should be accessible and provided with ramps which is not done in this case. Therefore,
the buildings should be provided with ramps to make it accessible for the persons with
disabilities.

Also, persons with disabilities have equal rights, and that the government should make
possible their full participation in society but here the dignity and self respect of that
person is hurt as someone is showing sympathy and extending their helping hands. The
boy may feel pity or inferior in this case of being helped by other only due to disabilities.

It also affect the safety of that person as he may slip due to imbalance or carelessness.
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 Class 7 NCERT Polity Chapter 2
Role of the Government in Health
What is health?

Health means our ability to remain free of illness and injuries. Apart from disease, there
are other factors that affect our health such as dullness, inactiveness, anxiety or being
scared for long stretches of time.

Healthcare in India

To prevent and treat illnesses, we need appropriate healthcare facilities such as health
centres, hospitals, laboratories for testing, ambulance services, blood banks, etc. These
facilities can provide the care and services that a patient needs. To run such facilities we
need health workers, nurses, qualified doctors and other health professionals who can
advice, diagnose and treat illnesses. We also need medicines and equipment that are
necessary for treating patients.

India has a large number of doctors, clinics and hospitals. Public Healthcare System is a
system of hospitals and health centres run by the government. It has the ability to look
after the health of a large section of its population scattered over hundreds of thousands
of villages. However, even after having public healthcare systems the government is not
able to provide proper healthcare facilities to people. Instagram
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Weaknesses in our Present Health System
• Inadequate availability of health care services including both public
and private: o Thereare45doctors/
lakhpopulationswhiledesirablenumberis85.

o There are 75 nurses/lakh populations while desired number is 255.

o Therearegeographicalvariationsinavailabilityofhealthservices

• Quality of health care services:

o The Regulatory standards for public and private are not

adequately defined and ineffectively

enforced.

• Majority of the population faces problem in affording health care

especially in tertiary cre.

• Amidst all this, health care costs are expected to rise as:

o With rising life expectancy, a larger proportion of our population

will become vulnerable to chronic Non Communicable Diseases
(NCDs).

• Public expenditure on health care in India is very low (1.3% of

GDP). Instagram
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Public and Private Health Care Services
The health care facilities are divided into 2 categories:
1. Public Health Services
2. Private Health Facilities

Public Health Services

The public health service is a chain of health centres and hospitals
run by the government. They are linked together so that they cover
both rural and urban areas.
1. At the village level, there are health centres where there is a
nurse and a village health worker. They are trained in dealing
with common illnesses and work under the supervision of
doctors at the Primary Health Centre (PHC). Such a centre
covers many villages in a rural area.
2. At the district level, there is a District Hospital that supervises
all the health centres.
3. Large cities have many government hospitals and also
specialised government hospitals.
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The health service is called ‘public’ for many reasons
as mentioned below:
1. The government has established hospitals and
health centres for everyone.
2. The medical facilities are provided at a low cost so
that the poor can also seek treatment.
The function of Public health service is to take action to
prevent the spread of diseases such as TB, malaria,
jaundice, cholera, diarrhea, chikungunya, etc.
The government must safeguard the Right to Life of
every person. According to our Constitution, it is the
primary duty of the government to ensure the welfare
of the people and provide health care facilities to all.

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The health service is called ‘public’ for many reasons
as mentioned below:
1. The government has established hospitals and
health centres for everyone.
2. The medical facilities are provided at a low cost
so that the poor can also seek treatment.
The function of Public health service is to take action
to prevent the spread of diseases such as TB,
malaria, jaundice, cholera, diarrhea, chikungunya,
etc.
The government must safeguard the Right to Life of
every person. According to our Constitution, it is the
primary duty of the government to ensure the welfare
of the people and provide health care facilities to all.
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What can be done?
It is the responsibility of the government to provide quality
healthcare services to all its citizens, especially the poor and the
disadvantaged. It is important to work on public health facilities as
well as on basic amenities in order to improve the health situation
of our people. Let us take two examples to understand this in a
better way.
1) The Kerala experience
In 1996, the Kerala government allocated 40% of the total Kerala
budget to the panchayats. This made it possible for a village to
make sure that proper planning was done for water, food, women’s
development and education. Health centres were also improved.
2) The Costa Rican approach
Costa Rica is considered to be one of the healthiest countries in
Central America. Several years ago, Costa Rica took a decision not
to have an army. This helped the Costa Rican government to spend
the money that the army would have used, on health, education
and other basic needs of the people. The Costa Rican government
provides basic services and amenities to all Costa Ricans.
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Exercises

1. In this chapter you have read that health is a wider concept than illness.
Look at this quote from the Constitution and explain the terms ‘living
standard’ and 'public health' in your own words.
An important part of the Constitution says it is the “duty of the State to
raise the level of nutrition and the standard of living and to improve public
health.”

Answer

Living Standard:

(i) It means the condition in which people are living.

(ii) The facilities provided by the government in order to raise the standard living
of people are measured in terms of comforts, wealth, goods or services.

(iii) Higher the standard of living of people higher the economy and vice versa.
Thus it also reflects the economic condition for a country.

Public Health:

(i) It means the general level of public health.

(ii) The Government provides free basic health facilities and low cost hospitals
and medicines to their people.

(iii) It ensures that every person has right to get health facilities.
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2. What are the different ways through which the
government can take steps to provide healthcare for
all? Discuss.

Answer

Different ways through which the government can take

steps to provide healthcare for all:

(i) Establishing public healthcare at zonal level.

(ii) Setting up low cost government hospitals.

(iii) Health insurance for basic treatment.

(iv) Provision of clean drinking water and steps to check

pollution.

(v) Generic medicines at low prices should be provided.

(vi) Healthcare programme and creating awareness.

(vii) Mobile clinic should be encouraged more in rural areas.

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3. What differences do you find between private and
public health services in your area? Use the following
table to compare and contrast these.

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4. ‘Improvement in water and sanitation can control many
diseases.’ Explain with the help of examples.

Answer

It is true that 'improvement in water and sanitation can control

many diseases.’

(i) Contaminated water is the main reason for many diseases

like cholera, jaundice etc.

(ii) By provision of clean drinking water, protection from water

related diseases can be assured.

(iii) Poor sanitation is responsible for many communicable

diseases.

(iv) Lack of proper sanitation also give rise to the birth of

mosquitoes, several insects which affect the health of people.

(v) Proper sanitation will leads to hygienic condition which will

surely control many diseases.

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Q) What is Costa Rican approach? Explain.  

Answer: Coasta Rica is a country in North America. It is considered

to be one of the healthiest countries in the countinent. The coasta
Rican govt, gave much importance to the health of its citizens. It
took an important decision and decided not to have an army. In
this way it saved money and began to spend this money on health,
education and other basic needs of the people. The costa Rican
government believes that a country has to be healthy for its
development and pays a sincere attention to the health of its
people. The Costa Rican government provides all the basic
services and amenities to all the people of the country. It provides
clean drinking water, sanitation, nutrition and housing. Health
education has been made an important part of the education and
at all levels students are provided knowledge about health.

The Costa Rican approach towards health is praiseworthy and

inspiring. Instagram
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Q) What major changes were made by the Kerala
government in the state in 1996?
Answer: The Kerala government made some major changes
in the state in 1996. It gave 40% of the entire state budget to
panchayats so that they could plan and provide for their
requirements.

This made it possible for a village to make sure that proper

planning was done for water, food, women’s development
and education. In this way water supply schemes were
checked, the working of schools and anganwadis was
ensured and specific problems of the village were taken up.
Health centres were also improved.

Inspite of all these efforts, some problems such as shortage

of medicines, insufficient hospital beds, not enough doctors
still exist and these are needed to be solved. Instagram
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Q) Compare public health services with those of private health
services.  

Answer: (a) Public health services are run by the government while private
health services are managed by the individuals or companies.

(b) Public health services provide health care facilities either free or at a
low cost so that even the poor can seek treatment easily. Thus, money-
making is not a goal of public health services. So far private health
services are concerned, they are run mainly for profit. They usually
prescribe expensive medicines. It is common for private doctors to
prescribe unnecessary medicines, injections or saline bottles when
tablets or simple medicines can suffice.

(c) Public health services are found both in rural and urban areas. But
private health services are concentrated in urban areas.

(d) We often find huge rush at the government hospitals. People have to
wait for hours in a long queue. But private hospitals are maintained
properly. People don’t face such long queues there. Instagram
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Q) How can you say that adequate healthcare is not available
to all?  

Answer: We can say without any doubt that adequate healthcare is

not available to all in our country. The reason is that private
services are increasing but public services are not. As a result
private services are mainly available to people. But these services
are concentrated in urban areas and are very expensive. Poor
people hardly afford them whenever there is illness in the family,
they either borrow money or sell some of their possessions to pay
for the expenses. Thus, medical expenses cause great hardship for
the poor. Therefore, they avoid to go to a doctor unless it is very
urgent.

It has been found that women are not taken to a doctor in a prompt
manner. Their health concerns are easily ignored. Many tribal areas
have few health centres and they do not run properly.
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Q) What did the court say in the case of Hakim
Sheik?

Answer: The court said that the difficulty that Hakim

Sheik had to face could have cost him his life. If a
hospital cannot provide timely medical treatment to a
person, it means that the protection of life is not
being given. The court also said that it was the duty
of the government to provide the necessary health
services, including treatment in emergency
situations. Hospitals and medical staff must fulfil
their duty of providing essential treatment. As
various government hospitals refused to admit him,
the State Government was asked to give Hakim
Sheik the money that he had spent on his treatment. Instagram
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Q. Write down the main features of public health system.
Answer: The main features of public health system are:
(a) It provides quality healthcare services either free or at a low cost so
that even the poor can seek treatment.
(b) It takes action to prevent the spread of diseases such as tuberculosis,
malaria, jaundice, etc. Time to time it takes up a campaign to see that
mosquitoes do not breed in water-coders, roof tops etc.
(c) This system is available in both rural and urban areas.

Q) What are the negative aspects of healthcare in India?

Answer: The negative aspects of healthcare in India are:
(a) Rural people face the crisis of doctors, because most doctors settle in urban
areas. They have to travel long distances to reach a doctor.
(b) About live lakh people die from tuberculosis every year. Almost two million cases
of mal aria are reported every year.
(c) Clean drinking water is not available to all. As a result poor people easily become
prey to various waterborne diseases such as diarrhoea worms, hepatitis etc.
(d) Half of all children in India do not get adequate food to eat and are
undernourished.
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Q) Mention some positive aspects of healthcare in
India.
Answer: Some positive aspects of healthcare in India
are:
(a) India has a good number of doctors, clinics and
hospitals. It is among the largest producers of doctors.
(b) Healthcare facilities have grown substantially over
the years. The number of hospitals grew from 11,174
in 1991 to 18,218 in 2000.
(c) India gets a large number of medical tourists from
several countries. They come for treatment in some of
the world famous hospitals in India.
(d) India is the fourth largest producers of medicines in
the world and also a large exporter of medicines.
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Q. Define health in broader prospective.

Answer: The common definition of health is the

ability of a person to remain free of illness and
injuries. But health is not only about disease. It is
something more than that. Apart from disease, we
need to think of other factors such as safe drinking
water, clean surroundings etc. because they affect
our health in various ways. If people fail to get
these basic amenities of life, they will fall ill. Being
active and in good spirits are also essential part of
health. We also need to be without mental stress,
because we cannot be healthy for a long time if we
are under mental strain.
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 Class 7 NCERT Polity Chapter 3
How the State Government Works ?
Who is an MLA?
Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) are elected by the people. Then
they become members of the legislative assembly and also form the government.
These MLAs belong to different political parties.
1. Every state in India has a Legislative Assembly.
2. Each state is divided into different areas or constituencies.
3. From each constituency, the people elect one representative who then
becomes a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA).

How do people who are MLAs become ministers or chief ministers?

A political party whose MLAs have won more than half the number of
constituencies in a state is said to be in a majority.

The political party that has the majority is called the ruling party and all other
members are called the opposition. After the elections, the MLAs belonging to the
ruling party will elect their leader who becomes the chief minister. The chief
minister and other ministers have the responsibility of running various
government departments or ministries. Instagram
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A debate in the Legislative Assembly
A Legislative Assembly is a place where all the MLAs, whether from the
ruling party or from the opposition meet to discuss various things. Hence,
some MLAs have dual responsibilities: one as an MLA and the other as a
minister.
MLAs can express their opinions and ask questions related to the issue or
give suggestions about what should be done by the government in a
debate taking place in the Legislative Assembly. The minister then replies
to the questions and tries to assure the Assembly that adequate steps are
being taken. The chief minister and other ministers have to take decisions
and run the government. However, whatever decisions are being taken
have to be approved by the members of the legislative assembly.
1. The word ‘government’ refers to government departments and
various ministers who head them.
2. The overall head is the chief minister.
3. All the MLAs who gather together (assemble) in the legislative
assembly are called the Legislature.
4. They are the ones who authorise and supervise their work. From
MLAs, the head of the executive, or the chief minister is formed.
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Working of the Government
In a democracy, it is the people who elect their representatives as Members
of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) and, thus, it is the people who have the
main authority.

The ruling party members form the government and some members are
appointed as ministers.

The people in power like the chief minister and the minister take action.

They do so through various departments like the Public Works Department,

the Agriculture Department, the Health Department, the Education
Department and so on.

They also have to answer questions that are asked in the Legislative
Assembly and convince people asking the questions that proper steps are
being taken.

At the same time, newspapers and the media widely discuss the issue and
the government has to respond, for example, by holding press conferences.
The government decides to make new laws for the states. Instagram
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Constituency: It refers to a particular area from which all the
voters living there choose their representatives.

Majority: A political party whose MLAs have won more than half
the number of constituencies in a state can say to be in a
majority.

Opposition party: The elected representatives who are not the

members of the ruling party belong to the opposition party. The
representative together plays the role of questioning
government decisions and actions. They also raise new issues
for consideration in the Assembly.

Ruling party: The political party that has the majority is known
as the ruling party.

Press conference: A gathering of media persons who are

invited to hear about and ask questions on a particular issue
and are then expected to report on this to the larger public.
1. Use the terms 'constituency' and 'represent' to
explain who an MLA is and how is the person elected?

Answer

MLA is the members of the legislative assembly who

represent people and also form the government.

(i) Each state has a legislative assembly.

(ii) Each state is divided into different areas or

constituencies.

(iii) From each constituency, the people elect one

representative who then becomes a Member of the
Legislative Assembly (MLA).

(iv) MLA is elected by the people who contest in

election by voting. Instagram
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2. How did some MLAs become Ministers? Explain.

Answer

(i) After the elections, a political party whose MLAs

have won more than half the number of constituencies
in a state became the ruling party.

(ii) The MLAs belonging to the ruling party will elect

their leader who will become the chief minister.

(iii) The chief minister then selects other people as

ministers.

(iv) The Governor of the state then appoints the chief

minister and other ministers.

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3. Why should decisions taken by the Chief Minister and
other ministers be debated in the Legislative Assembly?

Answer

(i) In a democratic government, participant is important

from each and every section.

(ii) Thus, whatever decisions are being taken have to be

approved by the members of the legislative assembly.

(iii)  These members then ask questions, debate an

important issue, decide where money should be spent,
etc.

(iv) After that, they have the main authority to finalize the
decision.
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4. What was the problem in Patalpuram? What discussion/action was taken by the
following? Fill in the table.
Public meeting Answer
Legislative Assembly                                    
Press conference Main problem in Patalpuram:

Chief Minister (i) Lack of proper sanitation and hygiene.

(ii) Scarcity of clean drinking water.

Answer
(iii) Not proper medical facilities.

(iv) Spread of diarrohea.

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5. What is the difference between the work
that MLAs do in the Assembly and the work
done by government departments?

Answer

(i) Act of making laws on certain issues is done

by MLAs in the Legislative Assembly of each
state while the implementation of these laws is
done by various government departments.

(ii) Whatever work is done by these government

departments has to be approved by the
members of the legislative assembly or MLAs.
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 Class 7 NCERT Polity Chapter 4
Growing up as Boys and Girls
Caregiving: Looking after the family with great sincerity.

Devalue: When we do not give due recognition for work, it means we

devalue it. In our society, women’s work is easily devalued.

Double-burden: There are several women who work both inside and
outside the home. This is known as a double burden.

Identity: It is a sense of awareness of who one is. For example, a person

can be a brother, a pilot, an engineer, etc.

Physically demanding: It refers to the household tasks which are very

tough and demand great physical strength.

Time-consuming: It refers to the various household tasks which take

much time.

Strenuous: Very tough and difficult.

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Growing up in Samoa in the 1920s
In the 1920s, according to research reports on Samoan society,
children did not go to school. At a smaller age, they learnt things
such as how to take care of children or do household work from
older children and from adults. Both boys and girls used to do
household work.

Growing up male in Madhya Pradesh in the 1960s

From class 6 onwards, boys and girls went to separate schools.
Girls school had a central courtyard where they played in total
seclusion and safety from the outside world. The boys’ school had
no such courtyard and their playground was just a big space
attached to the school. The girls always went in groups because
they also carried fears of being teased or attacked.
After reading the above two stories you will realise that there are
many different ways of raising children. You would have also
analysed that societies make clear distinctions between boys and
girls. Instagram
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Samoan Islands

The Samoan islands are one of the large groups of small

islands in the southern part of the Pacific Ocean. Till the
1920s, children in this island did not go to school. When the
babies started walking on own, they were left under the care
of their older brothers and sisters. Children as old as five
years looked after their younger siblings.

After attaining nine years of age, boys joined the older boys
for outdoor activities like fishing and planting coconuts.
However, girls continued looking after the younger ones.

When girls became teenagers, i.e., 14 years of age, they

were allowed more freedom as they could then go for fishing
and plantation activities or help their mothers in cooking, etc.

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Valuing housework
The main responsibility for housework and care-giving tasks such as
looking after the family lies with women. Yet the work that women do
within the home is not recognised as work. It is also assumed that this
work comes naturally to women. Therefore, women do not get paid for
housework and society devalues this work.

Lives of domestic workers

Housework involves many different tasks. A number of these tasks
require heavy physical work. In both rural and urban areas:
• Women and girls fetch water.
• Carry heavy head loads of firewood.
• Perform task like washing clothes, cleaning, sweeping and picking
uploads require bending, lifting and carrying.
The work women do is hard and physically demanding. It’s very time
consuming also. If you add up the housework and the work, women do
outside the home, you find that women spend much more time working
than men and have much less time for themselves.
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Women’s work and equality
Equality is an important principle of the Indian Constitution which
says that there should not be any discrimination based on sex. But
in reality, inequality between the sexes exists. Therefore, it
has to be dealt not just at the individual level or the family but also
by the government. Some of the actions taken by the government
are as below:
• It has promoted Girl education.
• The government has set up anganwadis or child-care centres
in several villages in the country.
• The government has passed laws that make it mandatory for
organisations that have more than 30 women employees to
provide crèche facilities.
A crèche is a facility which enables parents to leave their children
while they are at work and where children are provided with a
stimulating environment for their holistic development.

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Q. Housework is invisible and unpaid work.

Housework is physically demanding.

Housework is time consuming.

Write in your own words what is meant by the terms ‘invisible’, ‘physically
demanding’, and ‘time consuming’? Give one example of each based on
the household tasks undertaken by women in your home

Answer

Invisible: The things which can't be seen.

The household work is invisible which can be seen only when it is not done.

Physically demanding: Demands hardwork and efforts.

Cleaning of floors and washing of clothes are physically demanding works.

Time consuming: Work which takes a lot of to be completed.

Cooking is time consuming work.

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Q) Make a list of toys and games that boys typically play and another for
girls. If there is a difference between the two lists, can you think of some
reasons why this is so? Does this have any relationship to the roles
children have to play as adults?

Answer

Toys and games that boys typically play: Cars, Toy guns, Cricket,
Football, Hockey, Kabaddi etc.

Toys and games that girls typically play: Kitchen set, Doll, Teddy,
Badminton, Skipping etc.

Reasons for the difference in the list of games:

(i) Mentality of the society.

(ii) Physical appearence of the body.

(iii) The thought that girls need to talk softly and boys need to be tough.

Yes, it does have relationship to the roles children have to play as adult
as men are supposed to work outside in office and earn money while
women are supposed to do household works.
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 Class 7 NCERT Polity Chapter 5
Women Change the World
Stereotype: the Fixed image of a person and a community.
Stereotypes prevent us from looking at people as unique
individuals.

Discrimination: Treating people unequally.

Violation: When someone forcefully breaks the law or a rule

or openly shows disrespect, we often say that he/she has
committed a violation.

Sexual Harassment: Physical or verbal behaviour that is of a

sexual nature and against a woman’s wishes.

Protest: To raise voice against the wrong action or decision.

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Scheduled Caste (SC): It is the official term used for Dalit
class of people.

Scheduled Tribe (ST): It is the official term used for Adivasi

class of people.

Autobiography: Autobiography is the life sketch of the

writer himself.

Manuscript: The script written in the writer’s own

handwriting.

Census: Census is held every 10 years. It counts the whole

population of the country. It also gathers information about
the people living in India—their age, schooling, what work
they do, and so on.
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Fewer Opportunities and Rigid Expectations

There are many stereotypes that exist in society such as girls and women
are not capable of dealing with technical things. Due to these stereotypes,
many girls do not get the same support that boys get.

Learning for change

Going to school is an extremely important part of a child’s life. In the 19th

century, many new ideas about education and learning emerged. Schools
became more common and communities that had never learnt reading and
writing started sending their children to school. But there was a lot of
opposition to educating girls.

Rashsundari Devi was a housewife from a rich landlord’s family. At that

time, it was believed that if a woman learnt to read and write, she would
bring bad luck to her husband and become a widow! Despite this, she
taught herself how to read and write in secret, well after her marriage.

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Schooling and education today

Today, both boys and girls attend school in large numbers. Yet there are still some
differences between the education of boys and girls. India has a census every 10
years, which counts the whole population of the country. It also gathers detailed
information about the people living in India – their age, schooling, what work they
do, and so on.

There are several reasons why children from Dalit, Adivasi and Muslim
communities leave school. Some of them are:

In rural and poor areas, there are neither proper schools nor teachers.

Schools are often far away from people’s homes and there is no transport like
buses or vans available for girls. So, parents are not willing to send their girls to
school.

Many families are poor and unable to bear the cost of educating all their children.
In this situation, boys get preference.

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Women’s Movement
Women and girls now have the right to study and go to school. Their situation
has improved in other spheres like legal reform, violence and health. Women
individually, and collectively have struggled a lot to bring these changes. This
struggle is known as the Women’s Movement. Different strategies have been
used to spread awareness, fight discrimination and seek justice for women.
Here are some glimpses of this struggle.
1) Campaigning
An important part of the women’s movement was Campaigns. Campaigns
have led to the making of new laws.
• A law was implemented in 2006 against domestic violence which states
that women who face physical and mental violence within their homes
will get some legal protection.
• The Supreme Court formulated guidelines in 1997 to protect women
against sexual harassment at the workplace and within educational
institutions.
• The dowry laws were changed to punish families who seek dowry.
2) Showing Solidarity
The women’s movement is also about showing unity with other women and
causes.
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1. How do you think stereotypes, about what women
can or cannot do, affect women’s right to equality?

Answer

Stereotypes about what women can or cannot do affect

women’s right to equality:

(i) They do not get the same support that boys get.

(ii) They are considered inferior to men.

(iii) They are not sent to educational institutions.

(iv) They are promoted to see marriage as their future

instead of higher studies.

(v) They are not paid equally to men for the same work.

(vi) They are assigned household works as their priority

job. Instagram
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2. List one reason why learning the alphabet was so
important to women like Rashsundari Devi, Ramabai and
Rokeya.

Answer

Rashsundari Devi, Ramabai and Rokeya are able to

achieve their goal only by education. they were able to put
an impact on the society by writing their ideas or stories
or setting up schools through which can never be
achieved without learning. Thus, learning the alphabet
was so important because it will not only help them in
their day to day social life but also help them in pursuing
their education and dream.

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3. “Poor girls drop out of school because they are not interested in
getting an education.” Re-read the last paragraph on page 62 and
explain why this statement is not true.

Answer

The statement “Poor girls drop out of school because they are not
interested in getting an education.” is not true because:

(i) In many parts of the country, especially in rural and poor areas,
there may not even be proper schools nor teachers who teach on a
regular basis.

(ii) Parents are not willing to send their girl child to distant schools
due to lack of transportation.

(iii) Unable to bear the cost of education.

(iv) Boys get preference over girls for seeking education.

(v) Sometimes, their teacher and classmates discriminate against

them.
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4. Can you describe two methods of struggle that the women’s movement used to raise
issues? If you had to organise a struggle against stereotypes, about what women can or
cannot do, what method would you employ from the ones that you have read about?
Why would you choose this particular method?

Answer

Two methods of struggle that the women’s movement used to raise issues:

Campaigning: It is an important part of the women’s movement which is used to fight

discrimination

and violence against women. Women work in a organized and collective manner to
achieve their certain and specific goal.

Protesting: Women use public rallies and demonstrations as a very powerful weapon for
drawing attention to injustices by the method of protesting. The women’s movement
raises its voice when violations against women take place.

I would choose campaigning as a method to struggle against stereotypes. In this

method, we use to get clear idea about the thought of people about what they want to
seek justice for the discrimination against women. We got to familiar with their opinion
about stereotypes and their method of eradication right from the society level. It is also a
peaceful and organised method.
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 Class 7 NCERT Polity Chapter 6
Understanding Media
Media and money

The different technologies that mass media use are

expensive. TV studio has lights, cameras, sound recorders,
transmission satellites etc which cost a lot of money. As
the technologies keep changing a lot of money is spent on
getting the latest technology. Due to this, the mass media
needs a great deal of money to do its work.

Most television channels and newspapers are part of big

business houses. Nowadays, mass media is constantly
thinking of ways to make money. One way of making
money is by advertising different ads like cars, chocolates,
clothes, mobile phones, etc. Instagram
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Media and democracy

The media plays a very important role in providing news and

discussing events taking place in the country and the world.
Thus, it is an essential part of a democratic country. Media
helps citizens in analysing the work that the government
does. Based on it, citizens can take action. They can do this
by writing letters to the concerned minister, organising a
public protest, starting a signature campaign, asking the
government to rethink its programme, etc.

Balance Report

A balanced report is one that discusses all points of view of a

particular story and then leaves it to the readers to make up
their minds. Writing a balanced report depends on the
independence of the media.
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Independent Media

An independent media means that no one should control and

influence its coverage of news. No one should tell the media
what can be included and what should not be included in a
news story.

In reality, the media is far from independent because of two

reasons:

Government has a good hold over the media. It can prevent a

news item, or scenes from a movie, or the lyrics of a song
from being shared with the larger public. This is referred to as
censorship.

The media often focuses on a particular aspect of a story

because they believe this makes the story interesting and
increases public support on an issue. Instagram
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Setting agendas

Media plays an important role in deciding what stories to

focus on. Therefore, it decides on what is newsworthy. By
focusing on particular issues, the media influences our
thoughts, feelings and actions, and brings those issues to
our attention. Due to its significant influence in our lives, it
is said that the media ‘sets the agenda’.

There are several instances when the media fails to focus

on issues that are significant in our lives. Nowadays, the
media’s close relationship with business has made it
difficult to provide a balanced report. The ‘factual
information’ that a news report provides is often not
complete and can be one-sided. So, it’s the need of the
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1. In what ways does the media play an important role in a
democracy?

Answer

Role of media played in democracy:

(i) It is the backbone or the fourth pillar of a democracy which makes

us aware of social, political and economical activities.

(ii) Provides news and discussing events taking place in the country
and the world.

(iii) It gives people information about how government works.

(iv) It also give information about the election related news and
results.

(v)  It raises the issues or problems related to the common people in

front of politicians.

(vi)  It also acts as a reminder for the politicians or ministers about

their promises.
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2. Can you give this diagram a title? What do you understand about
the link between media and big business from this diagram?

Answer

The title given to this diagram is "Media and Business house money
cycle".

From this diagram, we understood that there is a cyclic flow of money

between media and big business.

(i) Media shows news of interest to the people on radio, TV and

newspaper.

(ii) Big business houses advertise their products through media to

attract people.

(iii) Media show these advertisements by taking some charges and

makes profit.

(iv) People buy these products of the big business and thus the cost
and advertisements along with some profit returns to them.
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3. You have read about the ways in which the media ‘sets the agenda’. What kind
of effect does this have in a democracy? Provide two examples to support your
point of view.

Answer

Effect of this agenda in a democracy:

(i) It influences the thoughts, feelings and actions of the people.

(ii) It brings attention of the people to the various issues of the people.

(iii) Somehow, it has influence in our lives and in shaping our thoughts and thus
sets the agenda.

Two examples in support:

(i) The media drew our attention to alarming levels of pesticides in cola drinks.
They published reports that indicated the high level of pesticides and thus made
us aware of the need to regularly monitor these colas according to international
quality and safety standards.

(ii) It published the news of the mass numbers of suicide committed by the farmers
which leads to large scale movement and people support and thus forced the
government to look further on this issues.

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4. How can you say that media is far from freedom? Or why do most
newspapers still fail to provide a balanced story?  

Answer: It is said that media is often controlled by business houses.

Media does what these business houses wish. At times, it is in the
interest of these businesses to focus on only one side of the story.
Media is in the constant need of money.

Hence, it is essential for media to get linked, it is with advertising

groups. In such a situation it is difficult for media to report against
people who give them advertisements. Its close links to big business
houses snatches its independence. It has to do as per the wishes of
these business houses, Media also tends to focus on a particular
aspect of a story because they believe this makes the story
interesting. One thing more, if they want to increase public support
for an issue, they often do this by focusing on one side of a story.
Thus,it is difficult to say that media is independent.
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5. Write a brief note on ‘local media’.

Answer: Local media covers small Issues that involve prdinary people, and
their daily lives. It is usually started by local groups. Several people use
community radio to tell farmers about the prices of different crops and
advise them on the use of seeds ‘ and fertilisers. Others make documentary
films with fairly cheap and easily

available video cameras on real life conditions faced by different poor

communities and, at times, have even given the poor these video cameras to
make films on their own lives.

Khabar Lahriya is also a local newspaper. It is a fortnightly that is run by

eight Dalit women in Chitrakoot district in Uttar Pradesh. It is written in the
local j     language, Bundeli. This eight page newspaper covers the Dalit
issues and cases of violence against women and political corruption. This
newspaper is popular among farmers, shopkeepers, panchayat members,
school teachers and women who have recently become literate.

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 Class 7 NCERT Polity Chapter 7
Understanding Advertising
Product: A thing or a service that has been made for sale in the market.

Brand: A special identification or name that is associated with a product.

Branding: Stamping a product with a particular name or sign.

Manufacturer: One who is associated with the production of a thing or things.

Advertisement: Advertisement is a visual and verbal representation to provide a

product among the masses.

Consumer: The person for whom the goods or products have been made and
who pays money to buy and use them.

Lifestyle: The way of living.

Social Advertisements: These are made by the State or private agencies that
have a larger message for society. Instagram
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Advertisements draw our attention to various products,
describing them positively so that we become interested in
buying them. Advertisements are found in several forms: Print
and electronic media as well as in hoarding or on taxis.
Building Brands and Brand Values
• Advertising is all about building brands. At a very basic
level, branding means stamping a product with a particular
name of the sign. Products have an associating brand
value with which the consumer associates themselves.
• For example, there are many soaps but every company
will have to give the soap a different name, by doing this,
they create another brand of soap.
• Through advertisements, the company uses visuals and
images to create a brand value for their product such that
the products may create an impression in the customer’s
mind.
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Brand Values and Social Works
• Advertisements play an important role in social and
cultural life.
• Branded products are costly but companies link them
to style, design, etc. such that people tend to buy
them.
• Advertisements appeal to personal emotion of people
which induce people to buy the products.
How Does An Advertisement Get Made
• Advertising plays an important role in making a brand
name.
• Advertising is normally made by advertising agencies
which help in devising a marketing strategy.
• Making an advertisement involves a high cost.
• Campaigning is done carefully by the companies to
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Advertising and Democracy
• Advertising a product costs a lot of money. Small
manufacturers are not able to compete in the
market.
• It makes us believe that things that are packaged
and have a brand name are far better than things
that do not come in packets.
• Democracy is based on equality. Sometimes
advertisements confuse the customers and
influence their thinking. As citizens of a
democratic country, people should understand
that they can take a better decision about whether
they wish to buy a product or not.
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All of us are very much familiar with advertisements or
ads. It is because we see advertisements everywhere—
on television, on street walls, in newspapers, etc.
Advertisements draw our attention to various products
and describe them positively in order to impress us.

Advertising is all about building brands. Branding

actually means stamping a product with a particular
name or sign in order to differentiate it from other
products in the market.

Only branding a product is not enough because there

are many brands of the same product available in the
market. This creates tough competition for the
manufacturers.
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They have to convince us that their products are better
than the others. And at this juncture advertising comes in.
It plays a crucial role in trying to convince us to buy a
product that is advertised.

But when a similar product under different brand names is

advertised, it creates confusion for the consumers. They
fail to decide which one they should buy.
The advertisers are aware of this.

Therefore, they begin claiming certain special values for

their brand. In this way, they try to differentiate it from
other similar product. These brand values are conveyed
through the use of visuals and words to give us an overall
image that appeals to us.
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Advertisements have become a part of our social and cultural
life.
All of us watch advertisements with great attention. Most of us
discuss them and often judge people according to the brand
products they use.
Advertisements influence our life to a great extent.
Branded products are costly because they include the costs of
packaging and advertising. It is therefore, many people cannot
afford them.
Those who manage to buy them feel exalted but those who fail
to buy feel depressed.

We must be aware of the fact that there is little difference

between things sold in packets and those sold loose.
Advertisements often target our personal emotions. By linking
our personal emotions to products, advertisements tend to
influence the ways in which we value ourselves as persons.
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Our cricket heroes and film stars advertise several products. We often
feel tempted to buy these products.

Advertisements often show us images of the lifestyles of rich people and

seldom show us the real-life situation.

Advertisements aim to get people to buy a particular brand. This means

that often we see an advertisement we should want to buy the brand.

The persons who make advertisements decide on what images, text and
personal emotions to use to sell the product.

Advertising a product is a costly affair. It is therefore only large

companies can advertise.

Small business cannot afford the cost of advertisement and therefore they
sell their products in weekly markets and neighborhood shops.

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1. What do you understand by the word brand? List
two reasons why building brands is central to
advertising?

Answer

Brand: It means stamping a product with a particular

name or sign in order to differentiate it from other
products in the market.

Two reasons why building brand is central advertising:

(i) It creates a positive image of the product in the eyes

of the consumer and compel them to buy it.

(ii) It differentiates the product from the local or other

competitive products in the market.
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2. Can you explain two ways in which you think
advertising affects issues of equality in a democracy?

Answer

Two ways in which advertising affects issues of equality

in a democracy:

(i) It only focus on the lives of the rich and famous and
forget about the issues of poverty, discrimination and
dignity.

(ii) Advertising tends to promote a certain lack of respect

for the poor as in a democracy, all people are equal and
should be able to lead a life of dignity.
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 Class 7 NCERT Polity Chapter 8
Markets Around Us
Weekly market

Weekly market held on a specific day of the week. They do not have permanent
shops, for example, vegetable markets. Traders set up shops for the day and
then close them up in the evening. Then they may set up at a different place the
next day.

Many things in weekly markets are available at cheaper rates because:

They don’t have shops or permanent buildings. Therefore, they don’t have to pay
rent, electricity and other expenses.

They don’t have to pay wages to their workers.

They have a large number of sellers selling the same goods. So, if someone is
selling the things at a low price, people will prefer to buy from it.

One of the advantages of weekly markets is that most things are available in one
place such as vegetables, groceries, cloth items or utensils.
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Shops in the neighbourhood

There are many shops that sell goods and services in our
neighbourhoods. We buy milk from the dairy, groceries from
departmental stores etc. Shops are permanent and are near our
homes. Here, buyers and sellers know each other and these
shops also provide goods on credit. There are also sellers who
sell their goods on the roadside.

Shopping complexes and malls

There are other markets in the urban area that have many
shops popularly called shopping complexes. These are multi-
storeyed air-conditioned buildings with shops on different
floors, known as malls. Here you get both branded and non-
branded goods. Big companies sell their products through
these shops in large urban markets and, at times, through
special showrooms. Fewer people can afford to buy products
from malls and shopping complexes. Instagram
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Chain of markets

Goods are produced in factories, on farms and in homes. The

people in between the producer and the final consumer are
the traders. The wholesale trader first buys goods in large
quantities. Then they sell it to other traders. Buying and
selling take place between traders which helps goods to
reach faraway places. The trader who finally sells products to
the consumer is the retailer.

Markets everywhere

It is not always necessary that one has to go to the market to

purchase goods. You can place orders for a variety of things
through the phone and the Internet. The goods get delivered
to your home. Buying and selling take place in different ways,
not necessarily through shops in the market.
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Markets and equality

We have seen that small traders with little money,

struggle to run their shop whereas some are able to
spend a lot of money to set up the shop.

They also earn unequal amounts. Similarly, buyers

are also different from each other.

There are many who are not able to afford the

cheapest of goods while others are busy shopping in
malls.

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1. In what ways is a hawker different from a shop
owner?

Answer: A hawker provides door to door service.

He sells his goods by calling out the names of his
items. He generally owns a thela which we may call
a movable shop and keeps in it different items of
our everyday use. He sells his goods at minimum
profit.

A shop owner runs his shop at one fixed place.

Whenever, we need any thing we go there and
purchase it. Here, we get things at somewhat
costlier rate.
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3. Explain how a chain of markets is formed. What purpose does it
serve?

Answer: Goods are produced in factories, Goods are also produced in

farms and in homes. But we are not required to go to factories or
farms to buy goods of our need, because the producers are not
interested in selling us small quantities. The wholesale traders do this
job. They are the people who come in between the producer and the
final consumer. They first buy goods in bulk. Then they sell these
goods to the retailers, who finally sell this to the consumers.

From the above instance we come to the conclusion that from

factories to final consumers a chain is formed, which we may call a
chain of markets. We can better understand it through the flow chart
given below:

It serves great purpose. It maintains flow of money. It makes easy

availability of various items of our daily use. It also promotes co-
ordination in society
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4. ‘All persons have equal rights to visit any shop in a
marketplace.’ Do you think this is true of shops with
expensive products? Explain with examples.

Answer: Yes, it is equally true of shops with expensive

products. As consumers we can visit any shop. Even though
we have no money in our pockets.

The shop owner is bound to show the articles which the

customer asks him to show. He cannot force the customer to
buy any article. It totally depends upon him whether he buys
any thing or not.

We can understand it more clearly through an example.

Kavita and Sujata went to Ansal Mall out of curiosity. While
wandering here and there they enter a shop all of a sudden.
They have no plan to buy anything. They look some branded
dresses and move away, Instagram
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5. ‘Buying and selling can take place without going to a
marketplace’. Explain this statement with the help of
examples.

Answer: This is the age of Internet. It has changed the

mode of everything. We can now make on-line
purchases with the help of credit cards. We can place
orders through the Internet and the goods are delivered
at our place.

In clinics and nursing homes we usually notice medical

representatives waiting for doctors. These medical
representatives are also engaged in selling goods. Thus,
buying and selling takes place in different ways, without
going to the market.
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6) Do you see equality in the market? If not, why not? Explain with examples.

Or

Write in brief on ‘market and equality’.

Answer: We do not see equality in the market. Big and powerful business
persons earn huge profits while small traders earn very little. For example, the
shop owners in a weekly market and those in a shopping complex are two
different people. One is a small trader who has little money to run the shop.
Whereas the other has a lot of money to spend on the shop. The earning of these
two people is also unequal. The weekly market trader earn little profit whereas
the shopping complex owner gains huge income.

Not only the shop owners are different people, but also the buyers. In the market
we see different types of buyers There are several buyers who Eire not able to
afford even the cheapest of goods white others are busy shopping different
luxurious items in malls.

Thus, we see no equality in the market place.

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 Class 7 NCERT Polity Chapter 9
A Shirt in the Market
Ginning Mill: It is a factory where seeds are removed from
cotton bolls. The cotton is pressed into bales which are
sent for spinning into thread.

Putting-Out system: In this system, the cloth merchant

supplies the raw material to the weavers and receives the
finished product.

Exporter: One who sells goods in foreign countries.

Profit: The amount that is left or gained from earnings

after deducting all the costs.

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A cotton farmer in Kurnool

Swapna, a small farmer in Kurnool (Andhra Pradesh) grows

cotton on her small piece of land.

It takes several days to harvest the cotton. Once the cotton is

collected, instead of selling it at Kurnool cotton market, Swapna
and her husband take the harvest to the local trader.

She had borrowed Rs. 2,500 from the trader at a very high-
interest rate to buy seeds, fertilisers, pesticides for cultivation.

In return for this, the local trader made Swapna agree to another
condition that she has to sell all her cotton to him.

At the end she received only 3,000 rupees.

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The cloth market of Erode

Erode’s is a bi-weekly cloth market in Tamil Nadu,

which is one of the largest cloth markets in the world.

A large variety of cloth is sold in this market. Cloths

made by weavers in the villages are brought to the
market for sale.

Cloths are made on order from the merchant. These

merchants supply cloth to garment manufacturers and
exporters around the country.

They purchase the yarn and give instructions to the

weavers about the kind of cloth that is to be made.

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Putting-out system

For the weavers, this arrangement has two advantages:

The weavers do not have to spend their money on the purchase of yarn.

Weavers don’t have to think about the selling of finished cloth.

On the other side, there are a few disadvantages for the weavers:

Dependency on raw materials and markets makes merchants more

powerful.

Weavers are paid very less for making the cloth.

The market works more in favour of the merchants. The arrangement

between the merchant and the weavers is an example of putting-out
system, whereby the merchant supplies the raw material and receives the
finished product.

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The merchant supplies the cotton cloth produced by
the weavers to a garment exporting factory. The
garment exporting factory uses the cloth to make
shirts. The shirts are exported to foreign buyers.
Foreign buyers are businesspersons from the US and
Europe who run a chain of stores and do business
strictly on their own terms which are:

-They demand the lowest prices from the supplier.

-They set high standards for quality of production and

timely delivery.

-Any defects or delay in delivery is dealt with strictly.

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The shirt in the United States

A number of shirts are displayed at a large clothes shop in the United

States and are priced at $26. That is, each shirt sells for $26 or around
1,800 rupees.

Market and equality

The foreign businessperson made huge profits in the market. Compared

to this, the garment exporter made only moderate profits. On the other
hand, the earnings of the workers at the garment export factory are very
small that they can only cover their day-to-day needs.

Compared to the weavers, merchants or traders earned more but it is still

much less than the exporter. Thus, everyone did not get equal profit in the
market. Usually, the rich and the powerful people get the maximum
earnings from the market. These are the people who have money and
own the factories, the large shops, large landholdings, etc.
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1. What made Swapna sell the cotton to the trader instead of selling at the Kurnool
cotton market?

Answer

Swapna sold the cotton to the trader instead of selling at the Kurnool cotton market
because:

(i) At the beginning of the cropping season, Swapna had borrowed Rs 2,500 from the
trader at a very high interest rate to buy seeds, fertilisers, pesticides for cultivation.

(ii) So, she promised to sell all her cotton to him.

2. Describe the conditions of employment as well as the wages of workers in the

garment exporting factory. Do you think the workers get a fair deal?

Answer

Conditions of employment in the garment exporting factory:

(i) Workers are employed on a temporary basis means they can be asked to leave
anytime when not needed.

(ii) They have pressure to produce quality products in limited time.

(iii) They have to do hardwork for long hours.

No, the workers don't get a fair deal as they are not even paid the minimal wages for
their work. They are being exploited by their employer and their work is also
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3. Think of something common that we use. It could be sugar, tea,
milk, pen, paper, pencil, etc. Discuss through what chain of
markets this reaches you. Can you think of the people that help in
the production or trade?

Answer

Chain of markets to produce Milk is first produced in

(i) Dairy cooperatives first purchase milk at different locations.

(ii) After that, milk is transported to the milk factories by the dairy
cooperatives.

(iii) Milk is pasteurised in the factories and are packed.

(iv) Packets are milk are then given to the traders which transport
them to cities where wholesaler purchase these.

(v) Retailers purchase from the wholesalers then sell these packets
of milk to the consumers in the open market in booths.

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 Class 7 NCERT Polity Chapter 10
Struggles for Equality
Reservoir: An artificial lake where water is collected and kept in
quantity for use.

Dam: A dam is built across a river at sites where one can collect a lot
of water.

TMS: Tawa Matsya Sangh is an organization fighting for the rights of

the displaced forest dwellers of the Salpura forest in Madhya
Pradesh.

Contractor: One that contracts to perform work or provide supplies.

Creative Expression: Writers, singers, dancers, and artists have also

been active against inequality. They use their pen or their voice or
their ability to dance to draw attention to issues of inequality. This is
known as creative expression.
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The Indian Constitution recognises all Indians as equal before the
law and states that no person can be discriminated against
because of their religion, sex, caste or whether they are rich or
poor.
Factors why people are treated unequally in India
Some of these factors are:
1. Poverty and the lack of resources.
2. Discrimination on the basis of a person’s religion, caste and
sex.
Struggles for equality
In India, there are several struggles in which people have come
together to fight for a variety of issues. Some of the famous
struggles are women’s movement to raise issues of equality, Tawa
Matsya Sangh in Madhya Pradesh etc. Beedi workers, fisherfolk,
agricultural labourers, slum dwellers and each group is struggling
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Tawa Matsya Sangh
Tawa Matsya Sangh (TMS) is a federation of Fisherworker’s
cooperatives, an organisation fighting for the rights of the displaced
forest dwellers of the Satpura forest in Madhya Pradesh. TMS
organised rallies and a chakka jam (road blockade), demanding
their right to continue fishing for their livelihood. In response to
their protests, in 1996, the Madhya Pradesh government decided
to give to the people displaced by the Tawa dam the fishing rights
for the reservoir.

The Indian Constitution as a living document

The Indian Constitution recognises the equality of all persons.
Movements and struggles for equality in India continuously refer to
the Indian Constitution to make their point about equality and
justice for all. By constantly referring to the Constitution, people
use it as a ‘living document’ i.e., something that has real meaning
in our lives.
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Q.1 What do you think is meant by the expression ‘power over the ballot
box’? Discuss.

Solution: Power over the ballot box, signifies the power of the common
people who are availing the right to vote in every election.

They are the real power of any country, who are driving the government and
the working of the system without any second thoughts.

Q.2 What issue is Tawa Matsya Sangh fighting for?

Solution: In 1994, the government gave the rights to fishing in the Tawa
reservoir to private contractors. These contractors drove the local people
away and threatened the ones who did not leave, by bringing in hoodlums.

The villagers stood united and decided that it was time to set up an
organisation and do something to protect their rights. Thus they formed the
Tawa Matsya Sangh (TMS) which organised rallies and protests demanding
their right to continue fishing for their livelihood.
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Q.3 Why did the villagers set up this organisation?

Solution: The villagers set up this issue in order to protect their livelihood and
their land. They also set up this organisation with the additional objective of
highlighting the injustice meted out to them by the government.

Q.4 Do you think that the large scale participation contributed to the success of
the TMS? Write two lines on why you think so.

Solution: In response to the large scale protests by the TMS, the government
created a committee to assess the issue. The committee recommended that
fishing rights be granted to the villagers for their livelihood. In 1996, the Madhya
Pradesh government decided to give fishing rights for the reservoir to the people
displaced by the Tawa dam. A five-year lease agreement was signed two months
later.

On January 2, 1997, people from 33 villages of Tawa started the new year with
the first catch. With the TMS taking over the fish, workers were able to increase
their earnings substantially. Thus it can be said that the large scale participation
by the people forced the government to review the situation in the villager’s
favour, as they worked out a deal which would be beneficial for all the parties.
Q.5 What role does the Constitution play in
peoples struggle equality?

Solution: Constitution plays a significant role in

the people’s struggle for equality. It ensures that
there is a free and fair treatment.

In the eye of the constitution, everyone is equal.

No one is superior over the other. It ensures that

every person must get equal rights under the law.

It makes sure that everyone has access to the

basic and fundamental rights.

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