NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Political science (India Constitution at Work) Chapter 8 Local governments

NCERT
SOLUTIONS
CLASS - 11th

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Book : Indian Constitution at Work Ncert Solutions | Chapter - 8 Social Science Political Science

Class : 11th

Subject : Political science

Chapter : 8

Chapter Name : Local governments

Q1 Constitution of India visualised village panchayats as units of self-government. Think over
the situation described in the following statements and explain how these situations strengthen
or weaken the panchayats in becoming units of self-government.

a. Government of a State has allowed a big company to establish a huge steel plant. Many
villages would be adversely affected by the steel plant. Gram Sabha of one of the affected
villages passed a resolution that before establishing any big industries in the region, village
people must be consulted and their grievances should be redressed.

b. The government has decided that 20% of all its expenditure would be done through the
panchayats.

c. A village panchayat kept on demanding funds for a building for village school, the
government officials turned down their proposal saying that funds are allocated for certain other
schemes and cannot be spent otherwise.

d. The government divided a village Dungarpur into two and made a part of village Jamuna and
Sohana.Now village Dungarpur has ceased to exist in the government's books.

e. A village panchayat observed that water sources of their region are depleting fast. They
decided to mobilise village youth to do some voluntary work and revive the old village ponds
and wells.

Answer.

(a) This situation will not strengthen the institution of Panchayats as they were not consulted
by the government before giving permission for the construction of a Steel Plant and now
the formation of resolution, is the last thing the village political institutions are resorting
to.
(b) The respective decision will empower the Panchayats as they will gain some financial
independence from the clutches of the Central authority.
(c) The respective action will weaken the Panchayat’s powers as these institutions were not
consulted before dividing the village.
(d) The decision taken by the Village Panchayat, shows that the mobilisation of youth done
by them will surely strengthen the political institutions and village functioning also.

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Book : Indian Constitution at Work Ncert Solutions | Chapter - 8 Social Science Political Science

Page : 193 , Block Name : Questions

Q2 Suppose you are entrusted to evolve a local government plan of a State, what powers would
you endow to the village panchayats to function as units of self-government? Mention any five
powers and the justification in two lines for each of them for giving those powers.

Answer. The five powers that we will allot to village panchayats will be :

(a) Financial independence: The funds allocated to the Panchayats will be controlled by
them and their will be no interference of State and Central agencies in the functioning of
the village governments.This respective power will decrease the effect of governmental
agencies upon the village areas.
(b) Executive power: The power to implement the laws according to the socio-political needs
of a particular village. The respective power will grant Panchayats the power to work for
the native or indigenous development of the villages.
(c) Advisory power: The power to advise the state and central governments before the
implementation of any law, so that it will uplift the presence of local participation in the
law-making procedures.
(d) Discretionary powers: Other discretionary powers in the fields of education, medicine,
etc for the maximum and integrated development of the villages.

Page : 193 , Block Name : Questions

Q3 What are the provisions for the reservations for the socially disadvantaged groups as per the
73rd amendment? Explain how these provisions have changed the profile of the leadership at
the village level.

Answer. According to the 73rd Amendment, 1993 of the Indian Constitution, led to the
establishment of the Village Panchayats for the upliftment of the local governments. It also
aimed at the creation of the separate reservation or affirmative action policies for the
under-priveleged sections of the society. About 33% of the seats are reserved for the women
while as some of the respective governmental seats are reserved for Scheduled Castes,
Scheduled Tribes and OBC’s. The positive discriminatory policies have changed the structure of
these institutions as the participation of the women has increased at a tremendous rate and it
ensures local participation and representation.

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Book : Indian Constitution at Work Ncert Solutions | Chapter - 8 Social Science Political Science

Page : 193 , Block Name : Questions

Q4 What were the main differences between the local governments before 73rd amendment
and after that amendment?

Answer. The main differences between the local governments before 73rd amendment and after
are:

(a) Before the 73rd Amendment, the whole notion of the Panchayats came under the
jurisdiction of States as it was mentioned in the State List.
(b) The respective amendment, gave power to the local governments to work for the
development of the avenues pertaining to the villages. All the financial subjects and
executive subjects are under the jurisdiction of the local governments.
(c) The reservation for the marginalised sections like SC, ST and OBCs within the structure
of the Panchayati system, which was not present in the former applicable structure.
(d) About 33% of the reservation was also introduced as an affirmative action policy for the
women population of the respective villages.

Page : 193 , Block Name : Questions

Q5 Read the following conversation. Write in two hundred words your opinion about the issues
raised in this conversation.

Alok: Our Constitution guarantees equality between men and women. Reservations in local
bodies for women ensure their equal share in power.

Neha: But it is not enough that women should be in positions of power. It is necessary that the
budget of local bodies should have separate provision for women.

Jayesh: I don’t like this reservations business. A local body must take care of all the people in
the village and that would automatically take care of women and their interests.

Answer. The above discourse, mainly revolves around the notion of autonomy prescribed to the
local governments and its stakeholders.The affirmative action policies for women forms a
level-playing field for all the marginalised sections of the villages.The respective reservation is
quite quintessential for the development of the local communities, to ensure the representation
of the excluded sections of the societal paradigm. The financial autonomy and independence is

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Book : Indian Constitution at Work Ncert Solutions | Chapter - 8 Social Science Political Science

also important for these local institutions but the reservation of budgets for women will increase
the incentives for women to participate in the political conversations associated with local
politics. But local policies require the political participation of the local participants to ensure the
degree of sufficient political consciousness among the local masses.

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Q6 Read the provisions of the 73rd Amendment. Which of the following concerns does this
amendment address?

a. Fear of replacement makes representatives accountable to the people.

b. The dominant castes and feudal landlords dominate the local bodies.

c. Rural illiteracy is very high. Illiterate people cannot take decisions about the development of
the village.

d. To be effective the village panchayats need resources and powers to make plans for the
village development.

Answer. (d) To be effective the village panchayats need resources and powers to make plans
for the village development.

Page : 194 , Block Name : Questions

Q7 The following are different justifications given in favour of local government. Give them
ranking and explain why you attach greater significance to a particular rationale than the others.
According to you, on which of these rationales the decision of the Gram panchayat of
Vengaivasal village was based? How?

a. Government can complete the projects with lesser cost with the involvement of the local
community.

b. The development plans made by the local people will have greater acceptability than those
made by the government officers.

c. People know their area, needs problems and priorities. By collective participation they should
discuss and make decisions about their life.

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Book : Indian Constitution at Work Ncert Solutions | Chapter - 8 Social Science Political Science

d. It is difficult for the common people to contact their representatives of the State or the national
legislature.

Answer.

(c ) People know their area, needs problems and priorities. By collective participation they
should discuss and make decisions about their life.

(a) Government can complete the projects with lesser cost with the involvement of the local
community.

(b) The development plans made by the local people will have greater acceptability than those
made by the government officers

(d) It is difficult for the common people to contact their representatives of the State or the
national legislature.

The rationale was based upon: People know their area, needs problems and priorities. By
collective participation they should discuss and make decisions about their life.

Page : 194 , Block Name : Questions

Q8 Which of the following according to you involve decentralisation? Why are other options not
sufficient for decentralisation?

a. To hold election of the Gram Panchayat.

b. Decision by the villagers themselves about what policies and programmes are useful for the
village.

c. Power to call meeting of Gram Sabha.

d. A Gram Panchayat receiving the report from the Block Development Officer about the
progress of a project started by the State government.

Answer.

(a) To hold election of the Gram Panchayats, forms an essential part of decentralisation.
(b) Decision by the villagers themselves about what policies and programmes are useful for
the village, also forms an important step towards decentralised process.
(c) Power to call meeting of Gram Sabha, is also part of the local governmental process.

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Book : Indian Constitution at Work Ncert Solutions | Chapter - 8 Social Science Political Science

(d) A Gram Panchayat receiving the report from the Block Development Officer about the
progress of a project started by the State government, forms an imperative level in the
process of forming local governments.

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Q9 A student of Delhi University, Raghavendra Parpanna, wanted to study the role of
decentralisation in decision making about primary education. He asked some questions to the
villagers. These questions are given below. If you were among those villagers, what answer
would you give to each of these questions? A meeting of the Gram Sabha is to be called to
discuss what steps should be taken to ensure that every child of the village goes to the school.
a. How would you decide the suitable day for the meeting? Think who would be able to attend /
not attend the meeting because of your choice.
(i) A day specified by the BDO or the collector
(ii) Day of the village haat
(iii) Sunday
(iv) Naag panchami / sankranti

b. What is a suitable venue for the meeting? Why?
(i) Venue suggested by the circular of the district collector.
(ii) Religious place in the village.
(iii) Dalit Mohalla.
(iv) Upper caste Tola
(v) Village school

c. In the Gram Sabha meeting firstly a circular sent by the district collector was read. It
suggested what steps should be taken to organise an education rally and what should be its
route. The meeting did not discuss the children who never come to school or about girls’
education, or the condition of the school building and the timing of the school. No women
teacher attended the meeting as it was held on Sunday. What do you think about these
proceedings as an instance of people’s participation?

d. Imagine your class as the Gram Sabha. Discuss the agenda of the meeting and suggest
some steps to realise the goal?

Answer.
(a) The day of the Village Haat will be very effective as a lot of people will be present there
and we will not require any mobilisation.
(b) A village school will be a suitable place to bring all the communities together to listen
without any differences.
(c) It is not efficient or effective for the local governmental procedures to exclude women or
not deem their participation.
(d) The agenda of the meeting will be: “To increase the local participation of women and
youth”

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Book : Indian Constitution at Work Ncert Solutions | Chapter - 8 Social Science Political Science

The steps will be:
(a) To aware the people about the importance of women participation by interactive
sessions and creating posters.
(b) To develop incentives for the women participation like affirmative action policies,
gifts and reductions.
(c) To aware the youth about the political processes by setting up workshops in
schools.

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