Chapter-wise Exploring Society India and Beyond Class 6 Solutions and Class 6 Social Science SST Chapter 12 Grassroots Democracy Part 3 Local Government in Urban Areas Question Answer NCERT Solutions are useful for focused study.
Grassroots Democracy Part 3: Local Government in Urban Areas NCERT Class 6th SST Chapter 12 Question Answer
Grassroots Democracy Part 3: Local Government in Urban Areas Class 6 Questions and Answers
The Big Questions (Page 173)
Question 1.
What are urban local bodies, and what are their functions?
Answer:
Urban local bodies govern a city or a town of a specified population.
Functions:
- Registering of births and deaths in the city.
- Sewage treatment and solid waste management.
- Garbage disposal and street cleanliness.
- Street lighting.
- Conservation of heritage sites.
- Building and maintenance of municipal schools roads, streets, flyovers and parks.
- Disease control including immunisation.
- Maintenance of cemeteries and crematoriums.
- Water purification and water supply.
Question 2.
Why are they important in governance and democracy?
Answer:
Urban local bodies are form of local government in urban areas that take care of daily needs like water supply, garbage disposable, maintenance of parks and burial grounds and others. These decisions are collectively taken with the participation of local people of the same areas. With the one-third reservation of women in urban bodies, it has widened the concept of participatory democracy. Their existence has made the burden of central and government lighter and more effective.
Let’s Explore
Question 1.
Why is a city like Kolkata, Chennai, or Mumbai more complex and diverse than a village or a town?
Answer:
Cities like Kolkata, Chennai, and Mumbai are more complex and diverse due to their large populations, varied socio-economic groups, and cultural backgrounds. They have intricate infrastructures, multiple services, and numerous governance issues, making them more challenging to manage compared to smaller, less diverse villages or towns.
Question 2.
With your classmates, make a list of diverse communities residing in any city that you are familiar with. How many were you able to list? What else do you observe in the list?
Answer:
The list of diverse communities in a city is as follows
- Religious groups (Hindus, Muslims, Christians, etc.)
- Ethnic groups (North Indians, South Indians, etc.)
- Language groups (Bengali, Tamil, Hindi, etc.)
- Socio-economic groups (Rich, Middle class, Poor)
- Cultural groups (Artists, Writers, Food vendors)
- Other groups (Seniors, People with disabilities, Migrant workers)
Key observations in the list are
- Many communities exist in a city
- Individuals can belong to multiple communities
- Communities can overlap
- Diversity makes a city rich and complex
- Understanding and appreciating diversity is important for a harmonious city
Even people from foreign countries like Nepal, Bangladesh, Kenya, Britain, French stays in Delhi.
Observation: Delhi is a cosmopolitan cities with huge diversity, people from across caste, gender, religion, region and economic background stays peacefully here. It makes Delhi a culturally rich city.
Let’s Explore
Question 3.
In figure above, what similarities and differences do you notice between the Panchayati Raj system and the urban local government?
Answer:
Similarities:
- Both systems involve local governance with elected representatives.
- They aim to address local issues and improve community welfare.
- Both have responsibilities in areas like infrastructure maintenance, public health, and community services.
Question 4.
Can you think of four or five more actions that responsible citizens might take to help their area of the city? (Page 177)
Answer:
Some actions that responsible citizens might take to help their area of the city are as follows:
- Planting and taking care of trees.
- Using public transport.
- Using of cotton and jute bags instead of plastic bags.
- Teaching and helping poor children.
- Complete switchover to LED lights and increasing the usage” of Solar Energies.
- Saving water wasted through RO’s and using it through recycling for purpose of parks, cleaning of cars etc.
Question 5.
Select a few cities, from your state and from a few neighbouring states. These may include the city you live in or the city nearest to your town or village. How will you find out if they have a Nagar Panchayat, Municipal Council or Municipal Corporation? Draw a table with the names of the cities and the type of urban local body each of them has.
Answer:
The following is a table with a few cities from different states and their corresponding urban local bodies
| City | State | Urban local body |
| Indore | Madhya Pradesh | Municipal Corporation |
| Bhopal | Madhya Pradesh | Municipal Corporation |
| Mumbai | Maharashtra | Municipal Corporation |
| Pune | Maharashtra | Municipal Corporation |
| Nagpur | Maharashtra | Municipal Corporation |
| Jaipur | Rajasthan | Municipal Corporation |
| Udaipur | Rajasthan | Municipal Council |
To find out the type of urban local body for each city, I would take the following steps
- Check the official website of the city’s municipal body or local government.
- Look for information on the city’s wikipedia page or other reliable online sources.
- Contact the city’s municipal office or local government department directly to ask about their urban local body.
Question 6.
How do urban local bodies fund their activities? (Hint: Look carefully at the pictures of the functions performed by Indore Municipal Corporation in Figure 12.4 on page 178) Are some of them paid services?
Answer:
Municipal Corporations collect fund for their activities-property tax, water charges, business hoardings, trade licenses, various licences, and some important CRM services on request such as CRM-water tanker, debric clearance, etc. Water tankers, septic tanker, auditorium, mobile toilet, private ambulance, etc. are paid services.
Think About It
Question 1.
Indore in Madhya Pradesh has been awarded the cleanest city in India under the Swachh Survekshan government scheme for seven years in a row. What could have been the role of Indore citizens in this achievement? (Page 1 79)
Answer:
All governments work for the welfare and happiness of the people. Indore’s local bodies have been delivering the best services and citizens have taken their role in positive and affirmative manners. The Indore people have been following all kind of rules regarding collection and disposable of garbage with utmost care. They have volunteered up themselves in solving many issues like not littering on road, avoiding the use of plastics, using more of public transports system. Through regular campaigns they encourage people, take care of their cities and to be part of solution.
Questions, Activities and Projects (Pages 181-182)
Question 1.
On your way to school, you and your friends notice that a water pipe is leaking. A lot of water is being wasted on account of the leak. What would you and your friends do in such a situation?
Answer:
With the help of an elder, we will contact Municipal Board of our city.
Question 2.
Invite a member of a nearby urban local body to your class. Discuss their role and responsibilities. Prepare a set of questions to ask them so that the meeting is productive.
Answer:
Questions to ask:
- What are your main responsibilities within the urban local body?
- How does your role impact the daily lives of residents?
- Can you describe a recent project or initiative you worked on?
- How do you handle complaints or issues reported by citizens?
- What challenges do you face in managing urban services?
Question 3.
Discuss with adult members of your family and neighbourhood, and make a list of their expectations from the urban local bodies.
Answer:
From the discussions with adult members of my family and neighbourhood, I made the following list of their expectations from the urban local bodies
- Keep our streets and public spaces clean and free of waste.
- Maintain good roads and provide adequate streetlights for safety.
- Ensure we have access to clean water and proper sewage management.
- Keep our community safe with effective law enforcement and emergency services.
- Protect the environment by planting trees, controlling pollution and managing waste.
- Support vulnerable populations like seniors and the disabled by organising social programmes and providing affordable healthcare.
- Be transparent and accountable by sharing information on projects, budgets and expenditures.
- Encourage citizen participation by listening to feedback, involving us in decision-making and supporting community-led initiatives.
These expectations highlight what urban local bodies can do to improve our daily lives and create a better community.
Question 4.
Make a list of characteristics of a good urban local body.
Answer:
Water purification and supply
- Sewage treatment and disposal
- Garbage disposal and street cleanliness
- Solid waste management
- Building and maintenance of roads, streets, and flyovers.
- Street lighting
- Maintenance of parks and open spaces
- Maintenance of cemeteries and crematoriums
- Registration of births and deaths
- Conservation of heritage sites
- Disease control, including immunisation
- Maintenance of public municipal schools.
Question 5.
What are the similarities and differences between the Panchayati Raj system in rural areas and the urban local bodies?
Answer:
Similarities:
- Both involve local governance and decision-making at a community level.
- Both aim to address local issues and improve quality of life.
- Both have elected representatives responsible for managing local affairs.
Differences:
- Panchayati Raj focuses on rural areas, while urban local bodies manage cities and towns.
- Urban local bodies often deal with more complex infrastructure and services due to higher population density.
- Panchayati Raj structures include Gram Panchayats and Zilla Panchayats, whereas urban local bodies are categorised into Municipal Corporations, Municipal Councils, and Nagar Panchayats based on population size.
Class 6 Social Science Question Answer
- Chapter 1 Locating Places on the Earth
- Chapter 2 Oceans and Continents
- Chapter 3 Landforms and Life
- Chapter 4 Timeline and Sources of History
- Chapter 5 India, That is Bharat
- Chapter 6 The Beginnings of Indian Civilisation
- Chapter 7 India’s Cultural Roots
- Chapter 8 Unity in Diversity, or ‘Many in the One’
- Chapter 9 Family and Community
- Chapter 10 Grassroots Democracy Part 1 Governance
- Chapter 11 Grassroots Democracy Part 2 Local Government in Rural Areas
- Chapter 12 Grassroots Democracy Part 3 Local Government in Urban Areas
- Chapter 13 The Value of Work
- Chapter 14 Economic Activities Around Us