Diversity & Government — Local Government | CTET SST P2

Diversity and Discrimination

India is one of the most diverse countries on earth. The Constitution recognises 22 scheduled languages in the Eighth Schedule, but the 2011 Census recorded over 1,600 mother tongues spoken in the country. People follow many religions — Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, Jewish, tribal faiths — and live in geographies ranging from Himalayan snow to coastal palm groves. Food, dress, marriage customs, music and festivals all change every few hundred kilometres.

NCERT Class 6 ‘Social and Political Life-I’ describes diversity as the variety of ways in which people live, think and identify themselves. Diversity is shaped by history (migrations, conquests, trade), by geography (mountains and rivers create distinct cultures), and by the freedom guaranteed by the Constitution to follow one’s faith and language.

However, diversity is sometimes turned into inequality through discrimination. Discrimination happens when people are treated unequally because of who they are — their caste, religion, gender, language, ability or region. A Dalit child not allowed to drink from the common pot, a Muslim family refused a rented house, a girl not sent to school while her brother is, a wheelchair user unable to enter a building — these are everyday examples.

• Discrimination is action, not just thought.
• It violates the Constitutional value of equality (Article 14) and non-discrimination (Article 15).
• It must be challenged by individuals, society and law.

For the CTET, remember that the NCERT view celebrates diversity as a strength, treats discrimination as a violation of constitutional rights, and asks teachers to design classrooms where every child’s identity is respected. Options that treat diversity as a problem or as confined to ‘foreign’ communities are almost always wrong.

Understanding Stereotypes and Prejudice

Three terms are often used together but mean different things — stereotype, prejudice and discrimination. Distinguishing them is a frequent CTET question.

A stereotype is a fixed image we hold about a whole group, ignoring individual differences. ‘All boys are good at maths’, ‘Muslims eat only non-vegetarian food’, ‘people from a certain state are lazy’ — these are stereotypes. They reduce complex human beings to a single trait. Stereotypes are often picked up from family, films, advertisements and even textbooks. They feel ‘natural’ but are usually inaccurate and harmful, especially to the group being stereotyped.

Prejudice means judging someone before knowing them, usually negatively, on the basis of the stereotype. If a teacher assumes that a child from a poor background will not understand mathematics and therefore does not give her difficult problems, that is prejudice.

Discrimination is the action that follows from prejudice — refusing entry, paying lower wages, social boycott, denial of opportunities.

• Stereotype = generalised image (thought).
• Prejudice = pre-formed judgement (attitude).
• Discrimination = unequal treatment (behaviour).

India’s long history of caste-based discrimination, especially against Dalits and Adivasis, and of gender discrimination against girls and women, prompted special constitutional protections — Article 17 (abolition of untouchability), Article 15(3) (special provisions for women and children), and reservations in education and jobs.

The NCERT classroom approach asks teachers to make children aware of stereotypes in everyday speech, films and textbooks; to challenge them through stories and discussion; and to refuse stereotypical examples in their own teaching. For CTET, an option that says ‘teachers should ignore differences and treat all children the same’ is partly right but incomplete; the correct option usually says teachers should recognise diverse identities and ensure equal opportunity.

What is Government?

A government is the group of people authorised to make rules, take decisions and provide services for a country or a smaller territory. Without a government, common matters — roads, schools, security, courts, currency — would have no one to organise them. NCERT Class 6 explains that governments exist at every level — village, town, district, state and country — and each level has its own work.

Three core functions of every government:

• Making rules and laws — Parliament and state legislatures pass laws on matters from traffic to taxes to forest rights; local bodies make by-laws on garbage, water and licences.
• Providing services — health, schools, drinking water, roads, electricity, ration, policing, public transport.
• Collecting revenue — taxes (income tax, GST), fees, fines, rents — without which services cannot be funded.

Why is government needed? Security — to protect citizens from violence, crime and external threat. Justice — to resolve disputes peacefully through courts. Welfare — to look after the poor, the sick, the very young and the very old, who cannot fend for themselves. Common interest — to take decisions that affect everyone equally: managing rivers, controlling pollution, building highways.

India is a democratic government: those who make the decisions are chosen by the people through regular elections, on the basis of universal adult franchise (every citizen 18 years and above has one vote). They can be voted out if their work is unsatisfactory. The Constitution lays down the rules by which government must work — Fundamental Rights protect citizens from misuse of power, and the principle of rule of law means even the government must obey the law. For CTET, an option that says ‘government can do whatever it wants’ is always wrong; the correct option highlights accountability, elections and constitutional limits.

Levels of Government — Local, State, Central

India has a three-tier government, each with its own elected body, area of work and source of revenue. Understanding which level does what is a recurring CTET theme.

Central (Union) government works at the level of the whole country from New Delhi. It is led by the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers, with laws made by Parliament (Lok Sabha + Rajya Sabha). Subjects on its Union List include defence, foreign affairs, currency, citizenship, atomic energy, railways and posts. The President is the constitutional head.

State government works within a state, headed by the Chief Minister and a Council of Ministers, with laws made by the Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Assembly). Subjects on its State List include police, public order, public health, agriculture, local government and state taxes. The Governor is the constitutional head.

Local government works in a village, block, district, town or city — closest to citizens’ daily lives. It is divided into rural local bodies (Panchayati Raj) and urban local bodies (Municipalities).

Some subjects are on the Concurrent List (education, marriage, forests, electricity), on which both Centre and states can legislate; in case of conflict, central law prevails.

• Roads: village lanes — Gram Panchayat; state highways — state PWD; national highways — central government.
• Schools: primary — Panchayat / municipality; higher secondary — state board; central schools (KV, JNV) — central government.
• Police: district police — state government (it is a State subject); but central paramilitary (CRPF, BSF) — central government.

The three levels do not work in isolation — many schemes (mid-day meal, MGNREGA, Swachh Bharat) are centrally funded but implemented by states and panchayats. The CTET frequently tests whether teachers correctly link a service (water supply, ration shop, parliament) to its proper level.

Panchayati Raj — Three Tiers

Local self-government in rural India is called Panchayati Raj. Its modern legal foundation is the 73rd Constitutional Amendment, 1992, which made panchayats mandatory in every state, gave them constitutional status, and laid down a uniform three-tier structure.

The three tiers are:

• Gram Panchayat at the village level — the basic unit, made up of elected ward members and headed by a Sarpanch / Pradhan / Mukhiya (titles vary by state).
• Panchayat Samiti / Block Panchayat at the block (intermediate) level — coordinates between villages in a block.
• Zila Parishad at the district level — the top tier of rural government, headed by an elected chairperson.

Key features of the 73rd Amendment:

• Direct election of members of all three tiers.
• A fixed five-year term for every panchayat; if dissolved earlier, elections must be held within six months.
• Reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in proportion to their population.
• Reservation of at least one-third of seats for women at every level (many states, including Bihar, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, have raised this to 50%).
• A State Election Commission to conduct panchayat elections, and a State Finance Commission every five years to recommend devolution of funds.

The Eleventh Schedule of the Constitution lists 29 subjects that states should devolve to panchayats — agriculture, land improvement, animal husbandry, fisheries, minor irrigation, rural housing, drinking water, roads, education, health, women and child welfare, poverty alleviation, public distribution and more.

For CTET, remember the standard set — three tiers, five-year term, 73rd Amendment 1992, women’s reservation, 29 subjects.

Gram Sabha and Gram Panchayat

At the village level, two bodies work hand in hand — the Gram Sabha and the Gram Panchayat. NCERT Class 6 treats this distinction as essential and CTET tests it directly.

The Gram Sabha is the general assembly of all adult voters of a village (or group of villages forming the Panchayat). Every person above 18 whose name is on the village voters’ list is automatically a member. It is the basic unit of direct democracy in India — the only body where citizens themselves, not elected representatives, decide.

Its functions:

• Approves the annual budget and the development plan of the Gram Panchayat.
• Selects beneficiaries of welfare schemes — old-age pensions, housing, ration cards.
• Discusses and audits the work of the Panchayat — a kind of social audit.
• Elects the members of the Gram Panchayat and, in some states, the Sarpanch directly.

The Gram Panchayat is the executive body elected by the Gram Sabha. It usually consists of 5 to 21 elected Ward Members (Panches), one for each ward of the village, and a Sarpanch who is the chairperson. The term is five years.

The Sarpanch chairs meetings, signs cheques, supervises village works and represents the Panchayat to higher authorities. A Panchayat Secretary, a state government employee, keeps records.

Functions of the Gram Panchayat include:

• Drinking water supply, hand-pumps, wells.
• Construction and repair of village roads, drains, street lights.
• Primary schools, anganwadis, primary health centres.
• Sanitation, garbage disposal.
• Maintenance of village records — births, deaths, land.
• Implementation of MGNREGA, PMAY, Swachh Bharat at the village level.

Sources of funds: state-government grants, share of taxes, local taxes on property, fairs and markets. For CTET, the distinction is: Gram Sabha = all adult voters (a legislature in miniature); Gram Panchayat = elected executive.

Municipalities and Urban Local Bodies

Local self-government in towns and cities is run by urban local bodies, given constitutional status by the 74th Constitutional Amendment, 1992. Just as the 73rd Amendment standardised panchayats, the 74th standardised municipalities and laid down their structure, powers and elections.

There are three types of urban local bodies based on population:

• Nagar Panchayat — for areas in transition from rural to urban (small towns).
• Nagar Palika / Municipal Council — for smaller cities and towns.
• Nagar Nigam / Municipal Corporation — for large cities (e.g. Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru).

The elected members of urban local bodies are called Councillors (or Parshad). Each city is divided into wards, and one councillor is elected from each ward. The councillors elect from among themselves a Mayor (in a Municipal Corporation) or Chairperson (in a Municipality), who is the political head. The Municipal Commissioner, a senior state-government officer (often IAS), is the executive head responsible for day-to-day administration.

The 74th Amendment also provides for:

• Reservation of seats for SC, ST and women (at least one-third, raised to 50% in many states).
• A fixed five-year term.
• A Twelfth Schedule listing 18 subjects to be devolved — urban planning, water supply, public health, sanitation, fire services, slum improvement, parks, street lighting, regulation of building construction, birth and death registration, etc.

Sources of revenue include property tax, water tax, entertainment tax, parking fees, market fees, fines, central and state grants, and increasingly a share of GST.

For CTET, remember the parallel: Vidhan Sabha members are MLAs, Parliament members are MPs, panchayat members are Panches, and municipal members are Councillors. Mixing these up is a classic distractor in CTET options.

Teaching Local Government Through Field Studies

Local government is one of the few NCERT topics where the institution being studied is physically present in the student’s own village or neighbourhood. NCF 2005 and the NCERT Class 6 textbook strongly recommend taking learning out of the classroom and into the community.

Effective classroom strategies:

• Field visit to the Panchayat Bhawan or Municipal office: students observe a meeting, look at the noticeboard, see how registers are kept, meet the Sarpanch or a councillor.
• Interview with an elected representative: a former or current ward member, Sarpanch or councillor visits the classroom (or the class visits him/her). Students prepare questions in advance — about her duties, problems, achievements.
• Mapping the ward: children draw a map of their village or ward, marking the hand-pump, school, anganwadi, road, garbage point, panchayat office. They identify which of these are panchayat responsibilities.
• Mock Gram Sabha / Council meeting: students role-play a meeting where they list village problems, propose solutions and ‘vote’ on a budget. This builds civic skills.
• Reading panchayat records: older classes can examine simple panchayat documents — meeting minutes, list of beneficiaries, project boards on MGNREGA walls.
• Comparing rural and urban: pen-friends or video calls with a class in a city school, or vice versa, to compare local government in the two settings.

Several cautions apply. The teacher must take parents’ and school’s permission for any field visit. She must avoid taking sides in local political disputes. She must protect children from harassment by adults present at meetings.

For CTET, the recommended pedagogy of local government is experiential and inquiry-based. Options that say ‘memorise the names and dates’ are wrong; the correct option emphasises observation, interview, role-play, mapping and discussion — turning the village or town itself into a textbook of democracy.