Class 6 Social Science - Social and Political Life - Chapter Understanding Diversity NCERT Solutions | Draw up a list of the different festival

What do you think living in India with its rich heritage of diversity adds to your life?

Underline the line in the poem sung after the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, which according to you, reflects India's essential unity.

Choose another region in India and do a similar study of the historical and geographical factors that influence the diversity found there. Are these historical and geographical factors connected to each other? How?

Do you think the term "unity in diversity" is an appropriate term to describe India? What do you think Nehru is trying to say about Indian unity in the sentence quoted above from his book The Discovery of India?

How would Maya's life be different in South Africa today?

What problem did the villagers in Hardas village face? What did they do to solve this problem?

What is the work of the police?

Match the following statements in a way that challenges stereotypes.

Look at the statements in the column on the left. Can you identify which level they belong to? Place tick marks against the level you consider most appropriate.

• The decision of the Government of India to maintain peaceful relations with Russia.
• The decision of the Government of West Bengal on whether to have Board exam in Class 8 for all government schools.
• Introduction of two new trains between Dibrugarh and Kanyakumari.
• The decision to locate a common well in a particular area of the village.
• Decision to construct a big children's park in Patna.
• The decision of the Government of Haryana to provide free electricity for all farmers.
• Introduction of a new 1000 rupee note.

Why did the children go to Yasmin Khala's house?

You have probably noticed that people in Kalpattu are engaged in a variety of non-farm work. List five of these.

Read and discuss the following description of the living conditions of workers who come to the labour chowk.

Most workers that we find at the labour chowk cannot afford permanent accommodation and so sleep on pavements near the chowk, or they pay Rs 6 a night for a bed at a nearby night shelter run by the Municipal Corporation. To compensate for the lack of security, local tea and cigarette shops function as banks, moneylenders and safety lockers, all rolled into one. Most workers leave their tools at these shops for the night for safekeeping, and pass on any extra money to them. The shopkeepers keep the money safely and also offer loans to labourers in need.

                                                                                                                                                                 Source: Aman Sethi, Hindu On-line

What are the various ways in which people participate in the process of government?

What, in your opinion, is the importance of the Gram Sabha? Do you think all members should attend Gram Sabha meetings? Why?

Take an example of any one task done by a Panchayat in your area/nearby rural area and find out the following:

a. Why it was taken up.
b. Where the money came from.
c. Whether or not the work has been completed.

What does the Constitution say with regard to equality? Why do you think it is important for all people to be equal?

Visit a police station and find out the work that the police have to do to prevent crime and maintain law and order in their area especially during festivals, public meetings etc.

Gandhiji strongly believed that every adult in India should be given the right to vote. However, a few people don't share his views. They feel that illiterate people, who are mainly poor, should not be given the right to vote. What do you think? Do you think this would be a form of discrimination? Give five points to support your view and share these with the class.

Sometimes people make prejudiced comments in our presence. We are often not in a position to do anything about this because it is difficult to say something right then and there. Divide the class into groups and each group discuss what they could do in one of the following situations:
a. A friend begins to tease a classmate because he is poor.
b. You are watching TV with your family and one of them makes a prejudicial comment about a particular religious community.
c. Children in your class refuse to share their food with a particular person because they think she is dirty.
d. Someone tells you a joke that makes fun of a community because of their accent.
e. Some boys make remarks about girls not being able to play games as well as them. Discuss in class what the different groups have suggested for the above situations, and also talk about the problems that can come up when raising the issue.

What is the link between a Gram Sabha and a Gram Panchayat? 

What was the suffrage movement? What did it accomplish?

Read the following news item.

Nimone is a village on the Chauphula-Shirur Road. Like many others, this village has also been facing a severe water shortage for the last few months and villagers depend on tankers for all their needs. Bhagvan Mahadeo Lad (35) of this village was beaten with sticks, iron rods and axes by a group of seven men. The incident came to light when some villagers brought a badly injured Lad to hospital for treatment. In the FIR recorded by the police Lad said that he was attacked when he insisted that the water in the tanker must be emptied into the storage tanks constructed as part of the water supply scheme by Nimone Gram Panchayat so that there would be equal distribution of water. However, he alleged that the upper caste men were against this and told him that the tanker water was not meant for the lower castes.
                                                                                                                                                                                          Adapted from Indian Express, May 1, 2004

a. Why was Bhagvan beaten?
b. Do you think that the above is a case of discrimination? Why?

Look at the statements in the column on the left. Can you identify which level they belong to? Place tick marks against the level you consider most appropriate.

• The decision of the Government of India to maintain peaceful relations with Russia.
• The decision of the Government of West Bengal on whether to have Board exam in Class 8 for all government schools.
• Introduction of two new trains between Dibrugarh and Kanyakumari.
• The decision to locate a common well in a particular area of the village.
• Decision to construct a big children's park in Patna.
• The decision of the Government of Haryana to provide free electricity for all farmers.
• Introduction of a new 1000 rupee note.

How can the stereotype that girls are a burden on their parents affect the life of a daughter? Imagine this situation and list at least five different effects that this stereotype can have on the way daughters get treated in the house.