Social Science

Social Science Grade 6

Chapter 24: Local Self-Government Rural & Urban, Class 2
Chapter 24: Local Self-Government Rural & Urban, Class 2 Grade 6

CLASS NOTES-ANSWERS

I. Tick the correct option.

1) The three levels of the local self-governing body at the rural level are

a) village, block, district c) village, centre, block

b) block, state, centre

2) A fard is a

a) type of land revenue

b) document which shows the name of the owner of the land

c) police report

3) A Municipal Commissioner is appointed by the

a) state government c) central government

b) local self-government

4) A ward is a

a) a unit of agriculture land in the village

b) a division in the city for the purpose of elections

c) an area in the Municipal Corporation where serious cases are

addressed

5) The members of a corporation are

a) elected by adult citizens of the city

b) elected for four years

c) known as mayors

II. State whether the following statements are true or false. Rewrite the

statements to correct them.

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 Social Science
Social Science Grade 6
Chapter 24: Local Self-Government Rural & Urban, Class 2
Chapter 24: Local Self-Government Rural & Urban, Class 2 Grade 6
1) The City Council is also known as Nagar Panchayat.

2) The Zila Parisad functions for a period of 3 years.

3) Another name of the Mayor is Mukhiya.

4) The aldermen can only be nominated.

5) The sarpanch is the head of a municipal Corporation.

Answer:

1) TRUE

2) FALSE. The Zila Parisad functions for a period of 5 years.

3) FALSE. Another name for the Mayor is Mahapaur.

4) TRUE

5) FALSE. The mayor is the head of a Municipal Corporation.

III. Answer the following questions in one sentence.

1) What is Panchayati Raj system?

Answer: The Panchayati Raj system is a three-tier system wherein

the basic unit is the Gram Panchayat.

2) Who can form the Panchayat Samiti?

Answer: The following may form the Panchayat Samiti:

• Sarpanches of all Gram Panchayats

• a Member of Parliament and a Member of the Legislative

Assembly representing the block

3) What is the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan?

Answer: Swachh Bharat Abhiyan or the Swachh Bharat Mission is a

nation-wide campaign for cleanliness spearheaded by the

Government of India.
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 Social Science
Social Science Grade 6
Chapter 24: Local Self-Government Rural & Urban, Class 2
Chapter 24: Local Self-Government Rural & Urban, Class 2 Grade 6
4) What dose a District Collector do?

Answer: The District Collector or Deputy Commissioner heads the

civil administration in a district. She/He is the one who supervises

the maintenance of land records and collection of land revenue.

5) What is the RTI?

Answer: The Right to Information Act (RTI), 2005, was passed to

empower citizens. It promotes transparency and accountability in

the working of the government. It provides citizens with the right to

secure access to information under the control of public authorities;

it helps to contain corruption and make democracy work for the

people in the true sense.

IV. Answer the following questions in brief.

1) What are the three levels of local self-governing bodies under the

Panchayat Raj system? Discuss.

Answer: The local self-governing bodies in rural areas work at three

levels:

• At the lowest level (village) is the Gram Panchayat: The Gram Sabha

elects the members of the Gram Panchayat. Seats are reserved for

the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes. One-third of the

total seats are reserved for women members of the village.

• At the middle level (block) is the Panchayat Samiti or Block Samiti:

Several villages are grouped to form a block with a governing body

called the Panchayat Samiti. The Panchayat Samiti usually looks

after the needs of many villages.

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 Social Science
Social Science Grade 6
Chapter 24: Local Self-Government Rural & Urban, Class 2
Chapter 24: Local Self-Government Rural & Urban, Class 2 Grade 6
• At the highest level (district) is the Zila Parishad: The Zila Parishad

forms the top tier in the Panchayati Raj System. It functions at the

district level. Generally, it functions for a period of 5 years.

2) What is the Nyaya Panchayat?

Answer: According to a press release by the Government of India on

26 August 2011, the government proposed to establish Nyaya

Panchayats in every Gram Panchayat or a cluster of Gram

Panchayats to provide a system of fair and speedy justice, both civil

and criminal, to the citizens at their doorsteps, outside the formal

judicial system. Elections help in ensuring the democratic nature of

the country. Elections also ensure that the government is working on

the right track.

3) Who heads the Zila Parishads in a district? What is its composition?

Answer: The Zila Parishad is also an elected body. The people of the

district play a role in electing the members of the Zila Parishad. The

president and the vice-president of the parishad are the top two office-

bearers, who are elected by the members. It consists of the following

members:

Chairpersons of the Panchayat Samitis

Members of Parliament and State Legislatures

Members representing the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes, and

women

4) Name the local self-governing bodies in a city. How are they different

from each other?

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 Social Science
Social Science Grade 6
Chapter 24: Local Self-Government Rural & Urban, Class 2
Chapter 24: Local Self-Government Rural & Urban, Class 2 Grade 6
Answer: The local self-governing bodies in a city are:

a) Municipal Corporation (Nagar Nigam): The Municipal Corporation

looks after the development of cities and towns. It provides

essential community services such as health, housing, electricity,

and water

b) Municipal Council/Municipality (Nagar Palika): The Municipal

Council/Municipality operates in small cities and towns that are

divided into wards like the Municipal Corporation. Several

committees, such as the Education Committee and Public Health

Committee, are formed to coordinate the work of the Municipal

Council. The Chairman coordinates the working of these

committees.

c) City Council (Nagar Panchayat): City Councils or Nagar Panchayats

are formed to govern areas transitioning from rural to urban

areas.

5) Mention the functions of a municipal corporation.

Answer: Some important functions of a Municipal Corporation are:

a) arranging for the collection and disposal of garbage,

b) maintaining a proper drainage system

c) establishing hospitals and dispensaries in their area, and

d) registration of births and deaths and building and maintaining

schools at all levels.

V. Answer the following questions in detail.

1) What is the significance of local self-government in India?

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Social Science
Social Science Grade 6
Chapter 24: Local Self-Government Rural & Urban, Class 2
Chapter 24: Local Self-Government Rural & Urban, Class 2 Grade 6
Answer: Local self-government is of great importance because of the

following reasons:

a) Local people know their problems well and hence can solve

them better by taking part in the local governance themselves.

b) Participation of the local people in the governance process

generates a spirit of cooperation and involves them in the

decision-making process.

c) Local self-government provides opportunities to the elected

representatives to acquire training and experience in

administration.

d) Local self-government lightens the burden of the central and

state governments; it provides a link between the people and

the central government.

2) Describe the main functions of the Gram Panchayat.

Answer: The essential functions or compulsory functions of the gram

panchayat are as follows:

• Construct and maintain village roads, wells, drains, and tanks.

• Implement community development programmes.

• Collect taxes, tolls and fees.

• Maintain a record of births and deaths in the village.

• Provide clean drinking water for all.

• Supply good seeds and fertilisers and provide better irrigation

facilities.

• Provide electrification of roads and streets.

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Social Science
Social Science Grade 6
Chapter 24: Local Self-Government Rural & Urban, Class 2
Chapter 24: Local Self-Government Rural & Urban, Class 2 Grade 6
• Provide basic and necessary public health and sanitation services.

• Construct and maintain public buildings.

• Supervise the work of government servants such as the patwari,

the lekhpal, the police constable and the village chowkidar.

• Build schools and supervise primary education

3) State and explain the implications of the Hindu Succession

(Amendment) Act,2005.

Answer: According to the Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act,

2005, after the death of the head of the family, the property is to

be equally shared between his wife, sons, as well as daughters.

The law imparts full and equal rights to daughters. This change

marks an important milestone in ensuring equality in society,

although it is applicable only amongst the Hindu community.

However, it has to be implemented properly by creating

awareness among the women both in rural and urban areas so

that they can establish and claim their legal right.

4) What are the elected members of a Municipal Corporation known as?

How are they elected? What is their term of office?

Answer: The elected members of a Municipal Corporation are known

as councillors. The members of a Municipal Corporation are elected

by the adult citizens of the city for a term of five years. Besides these

elected members, there are some nominated members of the

Corporation who are known as aldermen. They are elected from

among the respectable citizens of the city.

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Social Science
Social Science Grade 6
Chapter 24: Local Self-Government Rural & Urban, Class 2
Chapter 24: Local Self-Government Rural & Urban, Class 2 Grade 6
5) What are the ways in which citizen may express their grievances if they

are not satisfied with the government or local civic bodies?

Answer: There are several ways in which citizens may express their

grievances or protest in case they are not satisfied with the

government and local civic bodies.

a) Apart from holding dharnas, people can file cases in special

courts such as the Lok Adalat.

b) People can go to the consumer courts. They are entitled to

use their Right to Information to obtain information from

public authorities.

c) People also sign petitions & send them to the Municipal

Councilor, or write to newspapers, in order to be heard.

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