SPL CHAPTER

WHAT IS THE GOVERNMENT?

Answer the following questions:
Q1) What do you understand by the word ‘Government’? List five ways in which you think
the government affects your daily life.
Ans) Government is an organization which takes decisions and makes laws for the citizens
of a country and enforces them.
The five ways in which the government affects our daily life are:-
a) Decisions about where to build roads and schools.
b) Decision to control prices of essential goods and provide good medical facilities.
c) Decisions to increase supply of electricity, water, postal services, railways etc.
d) Preparation and implementation of social welfare programmes to help poor and
backward regions of the country.
e) To safeguard the boundary of the country and maintain good relations with the other
countries.
Q2) Why do you think that the Government needs to make rules for everyone in the form of
laws?
Ans) The Government needs to make rules for everyone in the form of laws because of the
following reasons:
a) The Government wants to benefit all people without discriminaton with respect to
welfare programmes.
b) To provide equality and justice to all.
c) To Maintain peace and administer the country efficiently
Q3) Name the two essential features of the Democratic country.
Ans) The two essential features of the Democratic government are-
a) Democracy is a rule by the people. It is people who rule themselves by participating
in the making of these rules.
b) In a democracy people have the power to elect their leaders.These leaders or
representatives meet and make decisions for all.
Q4) What was the suffrage movement? What did it accomplish?
a) The movement for voting rights for women came to be known as the suffrage
movement.
b) All over Europe and USA, women and the poor have had to fight for participation in
the government. Women’s struggle to vote got strengthened during the First world
war.
c) During the war many men were away fighting hence women were called to do the
work that was earlier considered men’s work and women got a chance to show their
capabilities.
d) They began demanding the right to vote for all women.
e) After a lot of protesting American women got the right to vote in 1920 while women in
the UK got the right to vote in 1928.
Q5) Gandhi strongly believed that every adult in India should be given the right to vote.
However, a few people don’t share his views. They feel that illiterate people, who are mainly
poor, should not be given the right to vote. What do you think? Do you think this would be a
form of discrimination? Give 5 points in support of your answer.
Ans) We think that all the people, literate or illiterate, poor or rich should have a right to vote.
If the right of the vote is denied to them it will be discrimination.
a) Wealth is not a criteria of good judgement.
 b) Illiterate or poor people may have a stronger or a better character.
c) Government policies affect all.
d) Democracy talks of equality and justice for all.
e) One needs to understand the importance of voting.
EXERCISE- PAGE No 34-
Can you identify that the following issues belong to which level of Government?
Q1) The decision of the government of India to maintain peaceful relations with Russia.
Ans) Central Government.
Q2) The decision of the Government of West Bengal on whether to have board exams in
class 8 for all government schools.
Ans) State Government
Q3) Introduction of two new trains between Dibrugarh and Kanyakumari.
Ans) Central Government.
Q4) The decision to locate a common well in a particular area of the village.
Ans) Local Government.
Q5) Decision to construct a big children’s park in Patna.
Ans) Local Government.
Q6) The decision of the Government of Haryana to provide free electricity for all farmers.
Ans) State Government.
Q7) Introduction of a new 1000 rupee note.
Ans) Central Government.