NCERT Solutions for Class 7 Social Science (Exploring Society) Chapter 18: The State, the Government, and You

These Class 7 Social Science Exploring Society Chapter 18 solutions cover The State, the Government, and You from Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), the new NCF-2023 textbook 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) Chapter: 18 Theme: Governance and Democracy Session: 2026–27
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Class 7 Social Science Exploring Society Chapter 18 – Overview

Chapter 18, The State, the Government, and You, clears up two words we often mix up. A state (or nation) is a political organisation with the authority to govern a defined territory and its people; it has four features — people (a permanent population), land (a fixed territory), a government, and sovereignty (full power to make laws without outside control). The government is only one part of the state — the system of leaders, ministers and officials that makes, enforces and interprets laws; it can change after elections while the state remains. The chapter then distinguishes a democracy (‘rule by the people’) from a republic (where the head of state is elected, not hereditary, and power is limited by a constitution), and shows why India is a democratic republic that protects the rights of all and guards against the ‘dominance of the majority’. It explains the three organs — legislature, executive (political and permanent) and judiciary — and the three tiers (union, state, local) created by decentralisation. Finally, it lists practical ways the citizen and the government meet: grievance redressal, RTI, media, civil society, writing to representatives and voting.

Key Concepts & Terms

State (nation): a political organisation that has the authority to govern a defined territory and its population. Its four features are people, land (a fixed territory), a government, and sovereignty.

Government: the group of people or system that runs the country — leaders, ministers and officials who make laws, enforce laws and resolve disputes. It is just one part of the state and can change after elections, while the state stays the same (like teachers changing while the school remains).

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: a form of government where the head of state (the highest office) is elected directly or indirectly by the people rather than inheriting power, and where the ruler’s powers are limited by a constitution or laws.

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: the political executive is the elected leaders (PM, chief ministers, ministers, and the president and governors in formal roles) who take big decisions; the permanent executive is the non-elected civil servants or bureaucrats (selected through exams like the UPSC) who implement policies and keep government running.

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 a constitutional amendment in the early 1990s.

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; a republic’s constitution guards against this through 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).

“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.

ANSWER The statement is false. Every democracy is not a republic. In a democracy, people have the power to choose their government through free and fair elections (‘rule by the people’). In a republic, the head of state is elected (directly or indirectly) and is not a hereditary king or queen, and the ruler’s powers are limited by a constitution. A country can be both, like India or the U.S.A. But some democracies still have a monarch as head of state — for example, the UK, Canada and Sweden are democracies (their representatives are elected) but they are not republics, because their head of state is a king or queen who inherits the position. So a democracy is a republic only when its head of state is elected, not hereditary.

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

ANSWER Decentralisation means power and decision-making are spread across levels of government instead of being concentrated in one place. Two reasons it is important in India are: (i) India is vast and diverse: with over 1.4 billion people, 28 states and 8 union territories, and thousands of towns and villages with many languages and cultures, a single central government cannot meet the needs of all the people. Local issues like water supply, roads, streetlamps and schools are solved faster and better at the local level by those who face them every day. (ii) It strengthens democracy and accountability: local leaders know the area, its needs and traditions better than distant officials, and when leaders are closer to the people it is easier to question them and ensure they do their job. This gives people a greater chance to participate directly in decisions that affect their daily lives.

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?

ANSWER (This is a discussion question; a model answer is given.) It would be better to share power among all members rather than let only the president decide everything. Sharing power is more democratic: it lets many voices be heard, allows debate before decisions, and provides ‘checks and balances’ so that no single person can misuse authority — just like the legislature, executive and judiciary balance one another in a real government. Power over food and language: No. The council should make rules about school matters such as events, cleanliness or discipline, but it should not control personal freedoms like what food a student eats or what language they speak. These are personal rights, and even a majority should not be allowed to take them away — this is exactly how a constitution protects minorities from the ‘dominance of the majority’. If the council is all-powerful and unquestioned: it could become unfair — it might pass rules that ignore or hurt some students, favour a few, or punish those who disagree, with no way to correct mistakes. Power without questioning leads to misuse; that is why every powerful body needs limits, accountability and the right of others to question its decisions.

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.

ANSWER Should Parliament be the most powerful? Parliament is very important because it is elected by the people and makes the country’s laws, but it should not be all-powerful. In a democratic republic, the Constitution — not any one institution — is supreme, and it ensures ‘checks and balances’ so that no part of the government becomes too powerful. Can Parliament make any law, even against my rights? No. Parliament cannot pass laws that go against people’s basic rights — like freedom of speech, religion or equality before the law. The Constitution guarantees these fundamental rights, and even a majority in Parliament cannot violate them. If lawmaking had no limits: it could lead to unjust laws that hurt smaller groups, take away freedoms, or let those in power act unchecked — the ‘dominance of the majority’. Limits set by the Constitution keep laws fair for everyone. Parliament or Supreme Court — who is more powerful? Neither is simply ‘more powerful’; they balance each other. Parliament makes laws, but the independent judiciary, through judicial review, can check whether those laws are fair and in keeping with the Constitution. Above both stands the Constitution itself, which is the highest authority — so they work as partners under the rule of law rather than one ruling over the other.

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?

ANSWER (This is an activity; answers will vary. A model answer is given below — classify each item by the level of government involved.) Local government (panchayat / municipality): paying property or water tax, getting a birth/death certificate, complaints about garbage collection, streetlights, drainage, or local roads and parks. State government: getting a ration card, caste/income/domicile certificate, driving licence (RTO), admission in a government school, or registering land/property; dealings with the police or a state hospital. Central (union) government: applying for a passport, PAN card or Aadhaar, filing income-tax returns, opening a post-office/bank scheme, or using railway services. Common challenges faced: long queues and waiting times, too much paperwork, confusing procedures, having to visit many offices, slow responses, and sometimes requests for bribes. They could use tools like the Public Grievances Portal or RTI to follow up. (Replace these examples with the actual ones your family shares.)

Extra Practice Questions

Short Answer Type Questions

Q1. What are the four features of a state?

ANSWERA state has four features: (i) people — a permanent population; (ii) land — a fixed territory with clear boundaries; (iii) a government — a system to run the country; and (iv) sovereignty — the full power to make and implement laws without any outside control.

Q2. How is a state different from a government?

ANSWERThe state is the larger concept — it includes the citizens, 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 is made of elected leaders — the prime minister, chief ministers and ministers — who stay for a fixed term and take big decisions. The permanent executive is made of non-elected officers (bureaucrats or civil servants selected through exams like the UPSC) who are not changed after every election and who implement policies and keep the government running.

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 guarantees fundamental rights to all 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 (elected leaders like 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 a constitutional amendment in the early 1990s — 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 guarantees fundamental rights to all 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-(A).

Exam Tips & Common Mistakes

How to score full marks in this chapter

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 (elected 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 Chapter 18 of Class 7 Social Science Exploring Society about?

Chapter 18, 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 Chapter 18 of Exploring Society Part 2?

The end-of-chapter exercise in Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2) Chapter 18 is headed Questions and activities and contains 5 numbered questions, all answered step by step on this page.

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