NCERT Solutions for Class 7 Social Science (Exploring Society) Part 2 Chapter 6: The State, the Government, and You

These Class 7 Social Science Exploring Society Part 2 Chapter 6 solutions cover The State, the Government, and You from Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), the NCERT textbook (first edition, November 2025), used here for the 2026–27 session. The chapter belongs to the theme Governance and Democracy and explains the difference between a state and a government, the four features of a state, why India is a democratic republic, the three organs (legislature, executive, judiciary) and three tiers of government, and the many ways in which ordinary citizens can engage with and hold the government accountable. Below you get step-by-step answers to all Questions and activities, clear notes on key terms, extra practice, MCQs, Assertion–Reason and FAQs.

Class: 7 Subject: Social Science Book: Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2) Textbook chapter: Part 2, 6 Theme: Governance and Democracy Session: 2026–27
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This is NCERT Part 2 Chapter 6. ClearStudy previously called it Chapter 18 by continuing Part 1; the existing address is retained.

Class 7 Social Science Exploring Society Part 2 Chapter 6 – Overview

The State, the Government, and You distinguishes the enduring political state from the government that manages its affairs. A state has a population, territory, government and sovereignty. India combines representative democracy with a non-hereditary, elected head of state. The Constitution sets powers, limits and rights. The chapter explains three organs (legislature, executive, judiciary), three levels (Union, state, local), and citizen participation through elections, public discussion, information requests and complaints.

The State, the Government, and You: three organs and three levels of government
Organs describe functions; levels describe the geographical reach of government. India has an integrated judicial system, not three separate judiciaries. Tap to view at full size.

Key Concepts & Terms

State: a political organisation with a population, defined territory, government and sovereignty. Here it means the country as a political entity; a nation describes a shared identity and is not an exact synonym. A state such as Kerala is a constituent unit of India. Territory need not have permanently unchanged or entirely undisputed borders.

Government: institutions through which public affairs are managed: the legislature makes laws, the executive administers them, and the judiciary interprets them and decides disputes independently. Governments and office-holders can change while the state continues.

Sovereignty: the full power of a state to make and implement its own laws and take decisions without any outside control or interference; an essential feature of every state.

Democracy: ‘rule by the people’ (demos = people, kratos = rule). People have the power to choose their government through free and fair elections.

Republic: in this chapter, a country whose head of state is elected directly or indirectly rather than inheriting the office. Being a republic alone does not guarantee democracy or effective rights protection; constitutional monarchies can also be democracies with protected rights.

Three organs of government: the legislature (makes laws), the executive (implements laws and makes policy) and the judiciary (interprets laws, settles disputes, protects rights).

Political and permanent executive: ministers direct policy and are politically accountable; career civil servants administer policies and normally continue across elections. In India the President appoints the Prime Minister and the Governor appoints the Chief Minister; their ministries depend on legislative confidence. The President is indirectly elected; governors are appointed. A minister who is not a member of the relevant legislature must become one within six consecutive months or cease to be a minister.

Three tiers of government: the central (union) government for the whole country, the state governments for each state, and the local governments — panchayats and municipalities — made the ‘third tier’ by the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments, enacted in 1992 and brought into force in 1993.

Decentralisation: spreading power and decision-making across levels rather than concentrating it in one place, so that local problems are solved locally and big issues by higher governments.

Dominance of the majority: a situation where only the interests of the majority are pursued, harming the rights of minorities; India’s Constitution guards against this through rights and the rule of law.

Other key terms: Transparency (open access to information about government policies and actions), accountability (those in power must answer for their actions), RTI (Right to Information Act), civil society (citizen groups/NGOs), and grām swarāj (Gandhi’s idea of self-sufficient village government).

The Big Questions — explained

1. State and government: the state includes people, territory, sovereignty and government. The government is one component and can change while the state continues.

2. Democracy and republic: democracy concerns rule through the people and accountable institutions; a republic has a non-hereditary head of state. India combines these with constitutional limits and rights.

3. How can citizens engage? vote when eligible, attend local meetings, write to representatives, use lawful public discussion and civil-society groups, seek records through RTI, and use the appropriate grievance mechanism. Students can identify a local issue and write a respectful, evidence-based representation.

“Questions and activities” — Full Solutions

All questions below are reproduced verbatim from the NCERT textbook’s end-of-chapter Questions and activities section. Answers are original, written in exam-ready style.

1. “Every democracy is a republic.” Is this statement true or false? Explain.

ANSWERThe statement is false: not every democracy is a republic. Democracy concerns popular participation and accountable government; a republic has a non-hereditary head of state.India is both: people elect representatives and the President is indirectly elected. The UK, Canada and Sweden are parliamentary democracies with hereditary monarchs, so they are not republics. Their elected institutions and constitutional limits still matter.

2. Give two reasons why decentralisation is important in India.

ANSWER1. Local knowledge: India is large and diverse. Panchayats and municipalities can identify local needs such as drainage, drinking water and street lighting more closely than a distant administration.2. Participation and accountability: nearby representatives and local meetings give people more opportunities to question spending and influence decisions. Good results require adequate powers, funds, staff and public oversight; decentralisation does not automatically solve every problem.

3. Imagine you are part of your school’s student council. The council works like a mini-parliament — it has members elected by students, debates issues and makes decisions. In this context, do you think it would be better if only the council president makes all the decisions or if power is to be shared among all members?

• Should the student council have the power to make rules about the food you eat, or the language you speak?

• What can go wrong if the student council is the most powerful body in your school and no one questions its decisions?

ANSWERShare power: elected members should discuss decisions, hear different views and explain their choices. The president can coordinate rather than decide everything alone.Food and language: the council should respect cultural differences and avoid arbitrary or discriminatory restrictions. Reasonable school-wide rules for hygiene, safety or classroom learning may be discussed, with proper authority and student consultation. Personal preference is not a reason to exclude a group.Unchecked power: a council might favour friends, silence criticism or punish unfairly. Written rules, transparent decisions, an appeal process and school oversight help prevent this. This is a school analogy, not a claim that the council has Parliament’s legal powers.

4. Think about these real-life situations in relation to India’s democracy:

• Should the Parliament be the most powerful institution in the country? Why or why not?

• Should the Parliament have the power to make any law it wants, even if it affects your rights?

• What could go wrong if lawmaking has no limits? Can it lead to unfair or unjust laws?

• Who is more powerful in India, the Parliament or the Supreme Court? Give your reasons.

ANSWERParliament’s role: Parliament represents people and makes laws, but the Constitution is supreme. Parliament, the executive and the courts have defined powers and limits.Laws affecting rights: Parliament cannot enact an ordinary law that violates fundamental rights. Some rights permit specified constitutional restrictions—for example, reasonable restrictions on speech under Article 19. “Affects a right” is not automatically the same as “violates a right”.Without limits: a majority could discriminate, suppress dissent or remove safeguards. Constitutional limits and judicial review protect against such misuse.Parliament or Supreme Court? Neither has unlimited power. Parliament legislates; courts can examine whether laws and public actions comply with the Constitution. Judicial review is a legal and constitutional test, not simply a judge’s personal view of fairness.

5. Ask your parents / guardians how they engaged with the government over the past year. Make a list and classify the items based on the level of government they had to work with. What challenges did they face?

ANSWERUse your family’s actual experience. Make columns for service, office contacted, level of government, difficulty and follow-up. Do not invent complaints or allegations.Examples: municipal waste collection or a panchayat water complaint—local; driving licence from the transport department or a state hospital—state; passport, income-tax return or railway service—Union. Confirm the responsible office locally because arrangements can vary. An ordinary bank transaction is not automatically a government interaction.Challenges and response: record only difficulties actually reported, such as unclear forms or delays. Use the relevant department’s grievance channel to request action. RTI can seek existing records held by a public authority, subject to legal exemptions; it is not itself a substitute for a service complaint.

Reading the textbook’s organisation chart carefully

NCPCR means National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, and SCPCR means State Commission for Protection of Child Rights. These statutory child-rights bodies can investigate and recommend action; they are not courts or a tier of the judiciary. Read the names and placement in Fig. 6.19 with this correction. See the Commission’s official explanation.

Sources: NCERT Exploring Society: India and Beyond, Part 2, Chapter 6, pp. 143–167 (first edition, November 2025); Constitution of India; RTI Act. Related revision: the Constitution of India.

Extra Practice Questions

These questions and MCQs are ClearStudy practice, separate from the NCERT exercise.

Short Answer Type Questions

Q1. What are the four features of a state?

ANSWERThe four features are population (people living there, not only citizens), territory (a defined geographical area), government and sovereignty (authority to govern without subordination to another state). Borders can change or be disputed without making the idea of a state meaningless.

Q2. How is a state different from a government?

ANSWERThe state is the larger concept — it includes the population, the territory, sovereignty and the government. The government is only one part of the state; it makes and runs the daily work of the state and can change after elections, while the state itself remains the same. (Think of the state as a school and the government as the principal and teachers.)

Q3. What is the difference between the political executive and the permanent executive?

ANSWERThe political executive, including the Prime Minister or Chief Minister and ministers, sets policy and is accountable to the legislature. Ministers are appointed under constitutional rules; they are not all directly elected to ministerial posts, and do not have a guaranteed fixed term. The permanent executive consists of career officials recruited through prescribed procedures, including competitive examinations, who provide administrative continuity.

Q4. What does the judiciary do, and why is it called the ‘watchdog’?

ANSWERThe judiciary makes sure everyone follows the law. It protects and interprets laws, settles disputes, defends citizens’ rights, and safeguards the Constitution through judicial review. It is called the ‘watchdog’ because, being independent of the government and politicians, it keeps a check on unfair actions and upholds the rule of law — the idea that even the government must obey the law.

Q5. Name any three ways in which a citizen can engage with the government.

ANSWERA citizen can (i) file a complaint through grievance redressal offices or the Public Grievances Portal; (ii) use the Right to Information (RTI) Act to ask for information about government actions; and (iii) vote in elections. Other ways include using the media, joining a civil society organisation (NGO), and writing to political representatives.

Long Answer Type Questions

Q1. Explain why India is described as a ‘democratic republic’.

ANSWERIndia is a democracy because the people have the power to choose their government through free and fair elections — this is ‘rule by the people’. India is also a republic because its head of state, the President, is elected (indirectly, by elected representatives) and is not a hereditary king or queen, and because the powers of the rulers are limited by the Constitution. Together, these make India a democratic republic: elected representatives take decisions within a framework defined by the Constitution. Importantly, India’s Constitution protects fundamental rights; some belong to all persons and others specifically to citizens, so that rule by a representative majority cannot violate the rights of any individual or minority — this protects the country from the ‘dominance of the majority’ and ensures the rule of law is stronger than the wishes of the majority.

Q2. Describe the three organs of the government and how the Constitution keeps a balance among them.

ANSWERThe government has three organs. The legislature makes laws for the country; in a democracy it represents the people, and the states have their own legislatures too. The executive implements laws and takes policy decisions; it has a political part (political leaders such as the PM and ministers) and a permanent part (bureaucrats who run administration). The judiciary interprets laws, settles disputes, protects citizens’ rights and safeguards the Constitution through judicial review. The Constitution of India forms the basic framework for this structure and ensures ‘checks and balances’ so that no organ becomes too powerful: the legislature cannot pass laws against fundamental rights, the executive must act within the law, and the independent judiciary can review the actions of both. This balance protects the rights and freedoms of citizens.

Q3. What is decentralisation? Explain the roles of the three tiers of government in India.

ANSWERDecentralisation means that power and decision-making are spread across different levels of government rather than being concentrated in one place, so that local problems are solved locally and bigger issues are handled by higher levels. India, being a vast and diverse country, has three tiers. The central (union) government looks after matters concerning the whole country — defence, foreign affairs and currency. The state governments take care of the needs of people in each state — police, land, health and agriculture. The local governments — panchayats in villages and municipalities in towns and cities, made the ‘third tier’ by the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments, enacted in 1992 and brought into force in 1993 — solve everyday local problems like water, drainage, streetlamps and parks. Decentralisation makes governance more democratic, brings better local knowledge to decisions, strengthens local bodies and increases accountability, because leaders closer to the people are easier to question.

MCQs & Assertion–Reason

1. Which of the following is NOT one of the four features of a state?

(a) People    (b) Land/territory    (c) Sovereignty    (d) A monarch

2. Sovereignty means that a state:

(a) has a large army    (b) can make and implement its own laws without outside control    (c) has many citizens    (d) shares power with other states

3. The word ‘democracy’ comes from Greek words meaning:

(a) law and order    (b) king and rule    (c) people and rule    (d) state and government

4. Which of these countries is a democracy but NOT a republic?

(a) India    (b) the U.S.A.    (c) the UK    (d) France

5. The branch of government that makes laws is the:

(a) executive    (b) legislature    (c) judiciary    (d) bureaucracy

6. Bureaucrats or civil servants selected through exams like the UPSC form the:

(a) political executive    (b) permanent executive    (c) legislature    (d) judiciary

7. The judiciary is often called the:

(a) lawmaker    (b) watchdog    (c) provider    (d) policymaker

8. The third tier of government in India consists of:

(a) the union government    (b) the state governments    (c) panchayats and municipalities    (d) the Supreme Court

9. The Act through which citizens can ask the government for information about its actions is the:

(a) Right to Education Act    (b) Right to Information Act    (c) MGNREGS    (d) Forest Rights Act

10. Chonira Belliappa Muthamma is remembered as the first Indian woman to:

(a) become Prime Minister    (b) win an election    (c) clear the public services exam and join the Indian Foreign Service    (d) become a Supreme Court judge

Answer key: 1-(d), 2-(b), 3-(c), 4-(c), 5-(b), 6-(b), 7-(b), 8-(c), 9-(b), 10-(c).

For each Assertion–Reason question, choose: (A) Both true and the Reason correctly explains the Assertion; (B) Both true but the Reason is not the correct explanation; (C) Assertion true, Reason false; (D) Assertion false, Reason true.

A-R 1. Assertion: The state and the government are not the same thing.

Reason: The government is only one part of the state and can change after elections, while the state remains the same.

A-R 2. Assertion: Every democracy is also a republic.

Reason: In a republic the head of state is elected and not a hereditary king or queen.

A-R 3. Assertion: Decentralisation is important in a large and diverse country like India.

Reason: A single central government cannot meet the needs of all the people, so local matters are best handled locally.

A-R 4. Assertion: In India, Parliament can pass any law it wishes, even one that takes away fundamental rights.

Reason: The Constitution limits the powers of the government and protects fundamental rights; some belong to all persons and others specifically to citizens.

A-R 5. Assertion: The judiciary in India is independent.

Reason: An independent judiciary helps keep justice fair and protects the rule of law by checking unfair actions.

Answer key: 1-(A), 2-(D), 3-(A), 4-(D), 5-(B).

Exam Tips & Common Mistakes

How to write a clear answer

Memorise the four features of a state (people, land, government, sovereignty) and be able to state in one line how the state differs from the government (use the school-and-teachers comparison). Learn the clean definitions of democracy and republic, and remember the example that the UK, Canada and Sweden are democracies but not republics. For the three organs, link each to its job (legislature = makes laws, executive = implements, judiciary = interprets/protects) and mention ‘checks and balances’. Always connect ‘rights of all’ to the idea of guarding against the ‘dominance of the majority’, and name real examples from the chapter — RTI in Bagepalli, the Silent Valley movement, the Dongria Kondh hills, C.B. Muthamma, and grām swarāj — to show you have studied the text.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Treating state and government as the same — the government is only one part of the state.
  • Saying “every democracy is a republic” — democracies with a monarch (UK, Canada, Sweden) are not republics.
  • Confusing the political executive (politically accountable ministers) with the permanent executive (non-elected bureaucrats).
  • Mixing up the three organs — legislature makes laws, executive implements them, judiciary interprets and protects.
  • Thinking Parliament can make any law it wants — the Constitution limits it and protects fundamental rights.
  • Leaving discussion/activity questions (Q3, Q5) blank — write a reasoned model answer with your own examples.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Part 2 Chapter 6 of Class 7 Social Science Exploring Society about?

Part 2 Chapter 6, The State, the Government, and You, explains the difference between a state and a government, the four features of a state, why India is a democratic republic, the three organs (legislature, executive, judiciary) and three tiers of government, and the many ways citizens can engage with and hold the government accountable.

What is the difference between a state and a government?

A state is the larger concept — it includes the people, the territory, sovereignty and the government. The government is just one part of the state; it makes and runs the daily work of the country and can change after elections, while the state itself remains the same.

What is the exercise heading for Part 2 Chapter 6 of Exploring Society Part 2?

The end-of-chapter exercise in Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2) Part 2 Chapter 6 is headed Questions and activities and contains 5 numbered questions, all answered step by step on this page.

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