On Equality: NCERT Class 7 Civics Summary by Oracle Ias

NCERT Class 7th CIVICS Summary by ORACLE IAS
Chapter 1
On Equality
Equality is a condition in which adequate opportunities are given to all. It
is the soul of Indian democracy.
Equal Right to Vote

In a democratic country like India, adults, irrespective of their religion,
caste education, status or place of birth, are given the right to vote under
Universal Adult Franchise.
Does Equality Exist
 In reality, a difference exists between rich and poor.

 The caste system is also rigid.
 Dalits in India and minorities are denied the right to dignity and
equality.
Equality in Indian Democracy
 The Indian Constitution recognizes every person as equal. However,

it does not mean that inequality does not exist in India.
 Universal Adult Franchise gives political equality, not social and
economic equality.
 Dignity is the thinking or state of being worthy of esteem or respect.
 The dignity of an individual is violated on the basis of their caste,
religion or gender.
 The government has tried to implement equality first through laws
and second through government programmes or schemes to help
disadvantaged communities.
 Everyone is equal before the law. There is no discrimination on the
basis of caste, colour, religion, race, gender; everyone has access to
all public places and untouchability has been abolished.
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 Programmes like the mid-day meal scheme have been launched to

improve the attendance and enrolment ratio of children in schools.
Issues of Equality in other Democracies

In the USA also the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s restored the
dignity of Afro-American based on colour.
Equality is the soul of Indian democracy. It influences all aspects of its

functioning.
In a democratic country like India, all adults irrespective of what religion

they belong to, how much education they have had, what caste they are, or
whether they are rich or poor are given the right to vote, which is called
Universal Adult Franchise.
Universal Adult Franchise gives political equality to the people but it does
not ensure social and economic equality.
Kanta Devi is a domestic worker. She has gone to vote. She is standing in
the queue and is waiting for her turn like others. She is happy that she is
equal to all of the others because of each of them lies one vote. It gives her
a good feeling that even wealthy and influential persons are standing in the
queue.
But the world beyond it is something else. In this world, there is no

equality. When Kanta has to face the bitter reality of this world, she
becomes sure that she is prey to social and economic inequality. She
cannot compare herself with the members of her Saheb’s family, where
she works as domestic help.
The only guarantee of voting rights to all adult persons is not the solution
of all the problems. There are many people like Kanta in our country who
have the right to vote but whose daily living and working conditions are
far from equality.

There are several kinds of inequalities that exist in our country. Just take
the example of the caste system which has been in existence in India for
centuries. This deeply- rooted evil has created divisions among people.
The lower caste people and Dalits are the exploited lot. They have always
been discriminated against.
Dalit means broken. Dalits belong to the unprivileged class.
Omprakash Valmiki is a famous Dalit writer who writes about his bitter
experience for being a Dalit in his autobiography, Jonathan. His
headmaster tortured him greatly. He made him sweep the school and the
playground. While other children in his class were studying he was
sweeping. This was very much insulting for him.
The Ansaris were also exploited, people. They were not given a flat by the
landlady simply because they belonged to other religion.
Both Omprakash Valmiki and the Ansaris are badly treated. Their dignity
is hurt.
The Indian constitution recognises every person as equal. While earlier no

law existed to protect people from discrimination, now there are several
that work to see that people are treated with dignity and as equals.
Every person is equal before the law. What this means is that every person
from the president of the country to a domestic help like Kanta has to obey
the same laws.
No person can be discriminated against on the basis of their religion, race,

caste, place of birth etc.
Thus, there are several laws in India that protect every person’s right to be
treated equally.

In addition to laws, the government has also set up several schemes to

improve the lives of communities and individuals who have been treated
unequally for several centuries.
The Midday meal scheme is one of the various steps of the government in
this direction.
Under the midday meal scheme, all government elementary schools

provide children with cooked food.
This scheme has helped increase the enrolment and attendance of poor
children in school.
In spite of all these efforts to increase equality of opportunity, there

continue to be big differences in our country between schools that the rich
attend and those that the poor attend.
India is not the only country where there is inequality. There are many
democratic countries around the world where the issue of equality
continues to be the key issue around which communities struggle.
In the United States of America, the African-American were seriously

discriminated against. They were considered to be social inferiors.
In the late 1950s there took place a movement known as the Civil Rights
Movement for equal rights for African-Americans. Rosa Parks became the
leader of this movement.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibited discrimination on the basis of

race, religion or national origin.
The struggle for the recognition of all persons as equal and for their
dignity should be maintained so that we may be hopeful for a society of
equals.

Universal Adult Franchise: It means that all adult citizens have the right
to vote irrespective of their social or economic backgrounds. Here, adult
means those who are 18 and above.
Dalit: It means broken.
Dignity: Thinking of oneself and other persons as worthy of respect.
Constitution: A document that lays down the basic rules and regulations
for people and the government in the country to follow.
Civil Rights Movement: This movement took place in the USA in the
1950s in which the African- Americans demanded equal rights and an end
to racial discrimination.

Chapter 2
Role of the Government in Health
What is Health?
Health means our ability to remain free of illness and injuries. There are
certain factors which affect our health.
Healthcare in India
 India has the largest number of medical colleges in the world and is
among the largest producer of doctors.
 India is the fourth largest producer of medicines in the world.
 Most doctors settle in urban areas, while people in rural areas have
to travel long distance for medical facilities.
 About 5 lakh people die from tuberculosis every year, while 2
million cases of malaria are reported every year.
 In India, a paradoxical situation exists as health care resources are
uneven.
Private and Public Healthcare
 Healthcare is divided into two categories: Public health services and

private health services.
 Public health services is a chain of health centres and hospitals run
by the government. One important aspect of public health is that it is
meant to provide quality healthcare services either free or at a low
cost so that even the poor can seek treatment. It is available in both
the rural and urban areas.
 Private health services are not owned or controlled by the
government. People have to pay a lot of money for every service
that they use.
Healthcare and Equality

 In India, private health services are increasing but public health

services are not. As the cost of these private services is high, many
people cannot afford them.
 Private services sometimes encourage practice which is unethical.
Barely 20% of the Indian population can afford medicines that they
require during an illness.
 It is the responsibility of the government to provide quality
healthcare services to all its citizens, especially the poor and the
disadvantaged.
 In 1996, Kerala decentralized its health budget at Panchayati level to
ensure effective health planning.
 The best example of healthcare comes from Costa Rica where the
government provides for adequate healthcare to people.
In a democratic country, it is the expectation of the people that government

work for their welfare through the provision of education, health,
employment, etc.
Health is a vital aspect because only healthy people can prove themselves
resourceful.
Health means our ability to remain free of illness and injuries. In broader
sense, health means something more than this. Apart from disease, we
need to think of other factors such as clean drinking water, pollution-free
surroundings etc. that affect our health. Adequate food is also essential for
keeping ourselves in good health.
A life with stress will lead us to illness. Hence we need to be without

mental strain. Thus, good health includes both a sound mind and sound
body.
We need proper healthcare facilities to maintain good health.
Healthcare facilities include health centres, hospitals, laboratories for test,

ambulance services, blood banks, etc.

In order to run such facilities, we need health workers, nurses, qualified

doctors, etc.
We also need medicines and equipment that are essential for treating
patients.
India has no dearth of qualified doctors. There are a large number of

clinics and hospitals too. Perhaps, therefore, a large number of medical
tourists come to our country for treatment at a reasonable cost.
India is the fourth largest producer of medicines in the world and is also a
large exporter of medicines. Despite all this, the health situation in our
country is very poor. The reason is that the government fails to make
necessary healthcare available to all.
Healthcare facilities can be divided into two categories—Public health

services and Private health facilities.
The public health service is a chain of health centres and hospitals run by
the government. It is found in both the rural and urban areas.
At the village level, there are health centres where there is usually a nurse
and a village health worker. They deal with common illnesses.
At the district level is the District Hospital that supervises all the health
centres.
Big cities have many government hospitals.
Under the public health system, quality health care services are provided
either free or at a low cost, so that even the poor can seek treatment.
Under this system, the action is also taken to prevent the spread of diseases
like Tuberculosis, malaria, jaundice, cholera, diarrhoea, chikungunya, etc.

A wide range of private health facilities exists in our country. A large

number of doctors run their own private clinics.
In the rural areas, Registered Medical Practitioners (RMPs) are found

whereas in the urban areas a large number of doctors can be seen.
There are hospitals and nursing homes that are privately owned, and not
run by the government.
Unlike public health services in private hospitals, patients have to pay a lot
of money for their treatment.
In our country, private services are increasing but public sen/ices are not.
As the private sen/ices are run for profit, the cost of these services is rather
high. Poor people find it difficult to get treatment here.
Adequate healthcare is not available to all in the country. Only 20% of the
population can afford all the medicines that they require during illness.
It has been found that 40% of people who are admitted to a hospital for
some illness have to borrow money or sell some of their possessions to pay
for the expenses.
For the poor, every illness is a curse. As they are undernourished and live
in unhygienic conditions they frequently fall ill. The expenses on illness
make their situation even worse.
So far women’s health is associated, it is easily ignored.
Many tribal areas have few health centres.
Thus, we can say without a doubt that the health situation of most people
in our country is not good.

However, Kerala has made efforts to provide adequate healthcare to

people of the state.
Costa Rica is a country in North America. It is considered to be one of the

healthiest countries in the continent.
The Costa Rican government curtailed the expenses on the army to spend
it on health, education and other basic needs of the people. It provides
them with safe drinking water, sanitation, nutrition and housing.
Medical Tourists: The foreigners who come to our country for medical
treatment at hospitals that change the reasonable cost.
Communicable Diseases: Diseases that spread from one person to another

through water, food, air, etc.
Public: A service that is meant for all people in the country and is
organised by the government. For example, schools, hospitals, etc.
Private: A service that is organised by an individual or company for their

own profit.
OPD: It refers to the Out Patient Department. This is where people are
first brought in and treated in a hospital without being admitted to any
special ward.
RMPs: It refers to Registered Medical Practitioners. They are found in

rural areas.

Chapter 3
How the State Government Works
Government works at three levels-national, state and local.
In states, it is the MLA (Member of Legislature Assembly) who represents

the people. The MLAs enter the assembly and form the government.
Every MLA is elected from one area. This area is known as his
constituency.
A political party whose MLA’s win more than half the number of
constituencies in the state get the majority. The political party is called the
ruling party.
All the other members are called opposition.
Working of the Government
 The organization of the state government includes the Governors,

the state legislature and the state council of ministers.
 Every state in India has a Legislative Assembly and duration of the
Legislative Assembly is five years.
 The head of the state is the Governor while the head of the
government consists of the council of ministers headed by the Chief
Minister.
 The leader of the ruling party who forms the government is the Chief
Minister.
 The Legislative Assembly is a place where leaders debate and
discuss on important issues and make important bills.
 In addition to the Legislative Assembly, the press conference is also
a mode of knowing what the government does for the people.

 The government works through various departments like public

works department, agriculture, health and education.
 The government has the power to make new laws for the state
regarding health and sanitation.
 Laws for the state are made by the state Legislative Assembly.
 Laws for the country are made by the Union Parliament.
An MLA is a member of the Legislative Assembly. He is elected by the

people. In this way, he represents people.
Every state in India has a Legislative Assembly.
Each state is divided into constituencies.
A constituency is an area from which all the voters living there choose
their representatives, who then become Members of the Legislative
Assembly (MLAs).
These MLAs belong to different political parties.
A political party whose MLAs have won more than half the number of
constituencies, a state can be said to be in a majority.
The political party that has a majority becomes the ruling party and all
other members become the opposition.
After the elections, the MLAs belonging to the ruling party elect their
leader who becomes the Chief Minister. The Chief Minister then selects
other people as ministers.
The Governor of the state appoints the Chief Minister and other ministers.
The ministers have separate offices.

Some MLAs have dual responsibilities—one as an MLA and the other as a

minister.
The debate is generally held in the Assembly to discuss current problems.

During debate time MLAs can express their opinions and ask questions
related to the issue or give suggestions about what should be done by the
government. The minister then replies to the questions and assures the
Assembly that adequate steps are being taken.
The Chief Minister and other ministers together are responsible to run the
government.
The word ‘government’, refers to government departments and various

ministers who head them.
All the MLAs who gather together in the legislative assembly are called
the Legislature.
The Legislature Assembly is not the only place where opinions are
expressed about the work of the government. There several newspapers,
TV channels, and other organizations which also talk about the
government.
After the discussion in the assembly, a press conference is generally held

by a particular minister who explains the steps taken by the government.
Media persons then report these discussions in several newspapers.
The government can also decide to make new laws for the state regarding
sanitation and health facilities. The various government departments then
implement these laws.
Whenever the government fails to satisfy people’s needs, they organize

meetings to voice their opinions and protest against the government.

Constituency: It refers to a particular area from which all the voters living
there choose their representatives.
Majority: A political party whose MLAs have won more than half the
number of constituencies in a state can say to be in a majority.
Opposition party: The elected representatives who are not the members
of the ruling party belong to the opposition party. The representative
together plays the role of questioning government decisions and actions.
They also raise new issues for consideration in the Assembly.
Ruling party: The political party that has the majority is known as the
ruling party.
Press conference: A gathering of media persons who are invited to hear

about and ask questions on a particular issue and are then expected to
report on this to the larger public.

Chapter 4
Growing up as Boys and Girls
Gender is a social construction through which the social and cultural roles
of males and females are defined.
Most of the societies value men and women differently. The role women
play and the work they do are usually valued less than the roles men play
and the work they do. This clears the fact that men and women do not have
the same status.
Gender justice is an important issue to be highlighted.
Samoan Islands
 The Samoan islands are one of the large groups of small islands in
the southern part of the Pacific Ocean. Till the 1920s, children in
this island did not go to school. When the babies started walking on
own, they were left under the care of their older brothers and sisters.
Children as old as five years looked after their younger siblings.
 After attaining nine years of age, boys joined the older boys for
outdoor activities like fishing and planting coconuts. However, girls
continued looking after the younger ones.
 When girls became teenagers, i.e., 14 years of age, they were
allowed more freedom as they could then go for fishing and
plantation activities or help their mothers in cooking, etc.
Madhya Pradesh
 In Madhya Pradesh, India, boys and girls had a different outlook.

The school for boys was open while the one for girls was closed.
 Men and women do equal work, but it is not valued equally.
Valuing Housework

 Many women work in offices and many do only household work.

 Valuing housework is an important element which needs to be
propagated in society.
 If we look at the lives of domestic workers, they are involved in
activities like sweeping, cleaning, cooking, washing clothes and
dishes or looking after children. Most of these are women.
 A number of housework actually involves many different tasks. The
work requires strenuous and physically demanding situation.
Women’S Work and Equality
 Equality is an important principle of our constitution which says that

being male or female should not become a reason for discrimination.
 While the constitution does not discriminate between male and
female, in reality, discrimination still carries on.
 Government has introduced measures like Anganwadis or Child
Care Centres to improve the status of women in society.
 The government has also started creche facilities to help women to
take up employment outside the home.
We find distinctions between boys and girls in our societies. This begins at
a very young age.
Boys are often taught to be tough and serious while girls are taught to be
soft and mild.
Boys are given toys like cars and guns to play with while girls are seen
playing with dolls. These toys become a way of telling children what they
will have different futures when they become men and women.
Most societies value men and women differently. The roles women play
and the work they do are usually valued less than the roles men play and
the work they do. This clears the fact that men and women do not have the
same status.

If a woman is a housewife, it is often said that she does not work. But the
reality is that it is always the woman who bears the main responsibility for
housework and caregiving tasks like looking after the family. As she does
not earn money by doing these tasks, her work is not recognized.
The term houseworks involves many different tasks which require heavy
physical work.
In both rural and urban areas women and girls carry heavy headloads of
firewood. Housework also involves washing clothes, cleaning, sweeping
and cooking foods, etc. for the family. All these works are very tough,
still, women do them every day. They do not complain or show any
anguish on their face.
The work of women is time-consuming too. They do not have much time
for leisure.
Many women nowadays work both inside and outside the home. This is
often referred to as the double burden. Women bear this double burden
very skilfully and efficiently.
Equality is an important principle of our constitution which says that being

male or female should not become a reason for discrimination. But what
we see in reality is that inequality still exists between both the sexes. The
government is, therefore, very much keen to take some positive measures
to improve the situation.
The government has set up Anganwadis or Child-care Centres in several

villages in the country.
The government has also started creche facilities to help women to take up
employment outside the home.
Caregiving: Looking after the family with great sincerity.

Devalue: When we do not give due recognition for work, it means we

devalue it. In our society, women’s work is easily devalued.
Double-burden: There are several women who work both inside and
outside the home. This is known as a double burden.
Identity: It is a sense of awareness of who one is. For example, a person

can be a brother, a pilot, an engineer, etc.
Physically demanding: It refers to the household tasks which are very

tough and demand great physical strength.
Time-consuming: It refers to the various household tasks which take

much time.
Strenuous: Very tough and difficult.

Chapter 5
Women Change the World
Women have been facing inequalities at every step.
By getting an education, women have got opportunities to rise in every

field.
Women’s movement has risen to challenge discrimination in all parts of

the world.
Fewer Opportunities and Rigid Expectation
 A lot of people feel that women are fit only for certain kinds of jobs
as a nurse. They are not fit for technical jobs.
 In most families, women are taught that after school they have to get
married. Laxmi Lakra, however, broke this stereotype image when
she became the first woman engine driver of the Northern Railways.
 We live in a society full of pressures. If boys do not work hard and
get a good salary they are bullied
Learning for Change
 Going to school is an important part of life.

 Today, it is difficult for us to imagine that school and learning could
be seen as out of bounds or not appropriate for some children.
 In the past, very few people learnt reading and writing. Most
children learnt the work their families or elders did. Even in families
where skills like pottery, weaving and craft were taught, the
contribution of daughters and women was seen as secondary.
 In the nineteenth century, new ideas about learning and education
appeared. But there was a lot of opposition to educating girls ever
then.
 In the 1890s, Ramabai championed the cause of women’s education.

 Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain learnt English from her elder brother and
an elder sister in spite of family opposition and went on to become a
famous writer.
 Rashsundari Devi of Bengal was the first Indian woman to write an
autobiography called ‘Amar Jiban’.
Schooling and Education Today

Today both boys and girls attend school in large numbers.
The difference in Their Education Still Remains
 Today education is the right of both boys and girls, despite that only
50 % of the girls receive an education.
 India has a census every 10 years which counts the population of the
country. This information is used to measure things like literacy,
sex-ratio, etc.
 A huge number of SC and ST children leave school at an early age.
The 2014 census even shows that Muslim girls are less likely than
Dalit girls to complete primary school.
 Many reasons like non-availability of teachers and schools, lack of
transport, cost of education, indifferent attitude of teachers and
parents are responsible for the negligence of education.
Women’s Movement
 Women have individually and collectively struggled to bring about

changes. This is called the Women’s Movement.
 Different strategies have been used to spread awareness, fight
discrimination and seek justice.
 These movements are related to campaigning, raising awareness,
protesting and showing solidarity.
 Men and women in society are looked upon as playing specific
gender roles.
Women have been facing inequalities at every step since time immemorial.
No doubt, their position and status have been improved with the change of
time, still, they lag behind men in almost every field.

In this male-dominated society, they fail to avail equal privileges and

opportunities.
It has also been seen that some occupations are considered to be more
suitable for men than for women. It means women are good at only certain
jobs.
Many people believe that women make better nurses because they are
more patient and gentle. It is also believed that women do not bear
technical mind and therefore they are not capable of dealing with technical
things. Thus, they have been stereotyped as good nurses, good teachers,
etc. They are never seen as army officers, pilots, railway engine drivers,
etc.
A majority of Indians believe in these stereotypes. It is, therefore, girls do

not get the same support that boys do to study and train to become doctors
and engineers.
Today’s women have become very aware. They are determined to break
these stereotypes by excelling them in fields which were considered male
preserves till now. We have now women pilots, engineers, police officers,
scientists etc. We can mention here the name of Laxmi Lakra who by
becoming an engine driver, showed the world that women can do
everything.
Children especially boys are under great pressure. They are pressurised to
think about getting a job that will pay a good salary.
It is a matter of great anxiety for the parents if their son shows his
inclination towards studying subjects other than science or maths.
In our present social set-up parents have developed a false belief that only
science and maths are meaningful subjects. Only these subjects can make
their son’s future secured. These notions have no base. They must be

eliminated from our mind. Subjects like history, political science, etc. are
also job oriented.
One positive change that is visible today is that more and more children
have started going to school. In the past, the skill of reading and writing
was known to only a few. Most children learnt the work their families or
elders did.
But girls faced the even worse situation. In communities that taught sons
to read and write, daughters were not allowed to learn the alphabet.
Slowly and steadily there came more and more positive changes. The
communities that never learnt reading and writing started sending their
children to school. In the beginning, there was a lot of opposition jp
educating girls. But there were also women and men who made efforts to
open schools for girls.
Women struggled to learn to read and write. Here, the experience of

Rashsundari Devi (1800-1890) is worth mentioning. She was a housewife
from a rich landlord’s family. At that time, it was believed that if a woman
learnt to read and write, she would become a widow. Despite this, she
taught herself how to read and write in secret, after her marriage. She
wrote her autobiography in Bangla which titled Amar Jaban,
Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain was another example who did a lot for
women’s education. She knew how to read and write Urdu, but she was
stopped from learning Bangla and English. In those days only boys were
taught English. However, she learnt to read and write Bangla and English.
Afterwards, she became a writer and wrote a remarkable story titled
Sultana’s Dream in 1905. She did a lot to help other girls go to school and
to build their own dreams. In 1910, she started a school for girls in Kolkata
which is still functioning well.
No doubt more and more girls have started attending school, still they lag
behind boys. As per the most recent census of 2001, 76% of boys and men

are literate but the figure is comparatively very low in case of girls. Only
54% of girls and women are literate in India. Thus, the percentage of the
male group is higher than the female group.
Girls who are from Dalit and Adivasi backgrounds are less likely to
remain in school. One of the many reasons is that several families are too
poor and unable to bear the cost of educating all their children. Boys easily
get preference in such circumstances.
The position and status of women have undoubtedly improved a lot which
is due to the collective efforts of the women of the country. Women’s
Movement also gets the support of men. They used different strategies to
spread awareness, fight discrimination and seek justice. For example, they
organise campaigns to fight discrimination and violence against women.
They also protest when violations against women take place. Women’s
Movement also shows solidarity with other women and causes.
Stereotype: the Fixed image of a person and a community. Stereotypes

prevent us from looking at people as unique individuals.
Discrimination: Treating people unequally.
Violation: When someone forcefully breaks the law or a rule or openly

shows disrespect, we often say that he/she has committed a violation.
Sexual Harassment: Physical or verbal behaviour that is of a sexual

nature and against a woman’s wishes.
Protest: To raise voice against the wrong action or decision.
Scheduled Caste (SC): It is the official term used for Dalit class of
people.

Scheduled Tribe (ST): It is the official term used for Adivasi class of
people.
Autobiography: Autobiography is the life sketch of the writer himself.
Manuscript: The script written in the writer’s own handwriting.
Census: Census is held every 10 years. It counts the whole population of

the country. It also gathers information about the people living in India—
their age, schooling, what work they do, and so on.

Chapter 6
Understanding Media
Media refers to all means of communication, everything ranging from a
phone call to the evening news on TV can be called media. TV, radio, and
newspapers are forms of media. Since they reach millions of people across
the world they are called mass media.
Media is the plural form of the word ‘medium’ and it describes the various
ways through which we communicate in society.
Media and Technology
 Life without media is difficult. Cable TV and the Internet are recent
phenomena.
 Both print media and electronic media have played an important role
in social change.
 Changing technology or machines help media to reach more people.
 Television has enabled us to think of ourselves as members of the
global people.
 It is the responsibility of the media to present a fair and balanced
report.
 Media is far from being independent. This is because of the control
of the government over media called censoring and because big
business houses control the media.
 An independent media means that no one should control and
influence its coverage and news.
Media and Money
 The different technologies that mass media use are expensive.

 In a news studio, it is not only the newsreader who needs to be paid
but also a number of other people who help put the broadcast
together.

 A lot of money is spent on getting the latest technology. To meet this

cost, it needs money.
 Media thus has come to be owned by big corporate.
 Media, therefore, uses advertising as a tool to raise revenue.
Media and Democracy
 Media plays a very important role in providing news and discussing

events taking place in the country and the world.
 New stories of media inform people about important events in the
country.
 Some important ways by which people can take about important
events in the country are organizing public protests, starting a
signature campaign, etc.
Setting Agendas
 The media also plays an important role in deciding which stories to

focus on.
 By focusing on particular issues, it influences and shapes our
thoughts. It is said the media sets the agenda for people.
 Very recently, the media reported alarming levels of pesticides in
cold drinks. This report led to safety standards being set for colas.
 Media plays a very important role in our lives as it tells us about
working of the government.
 Freedom of expression should be given to media to report events
independently.
Media is the plural form of the word ‘Medium’. It describes the various
ways through which we communicate in society.
Media refers to all means of communication, everything ranging from a

phone call to the evening news on television.
Television, radio, and newspapers are called mass media because they
reach millions of people at the same time.

Cable television and the widespread use of the Internet is a recent

phenomenon.
The technology that mass media uses keeps changing.
Newspapers and magazines come under print media while television and
radio come under electronic media.
Changing technology, or machines and making technology more modern,

helps media to reach more and more people. It also improves the quality of
sound and the images. It also changes the ways in which we think about
our lives.
Television plays a major role in our life. We cannot think of life without
TV. It gives us news and entertainment and many other things.
Mass media uses expensive technologies. A TV studio needs lights,

cameras, sound recorders, transmission satellites, etc. All these cost a huge
amount of money.
Mass media also spends a lot of money on getting the latest technology.
Most television channels and newspapers become a part of big business

houses in order to fulfill their requirement of money.
Mass media earns money by advertising different things such as surf,

chocolates, etc.
Media plays a significant role in democracy. It provides news and

discusses events that take place in the country and the world. It is on the
basis of this information we come to know how the government works.

The information that the media provides should be balanced. A balanced

report is one that discusses all points of view of a particular story and then
leaves it to the readers to make up their minds.
Independent media can write a balanced report. Hence, it is necessary for

the media to be independence.
But the reality is that media is far from independent.
There are two reasons behind it. The first is the control that the
government has on the media. Where the government prevents either a
news item or scenes from a movie, or a lyric of a song from being shared
with the larger public, this is known as censorship. During the Emergency
period (1975-77) the government censored the media.
While the government does continue to censor films, it does not really
censor the media’s coverage of news.
Despite the absence of censorship by the government, most newspapers do

not provide a balanced report.
It has been found out by the persons who research media that business
houses control media. It means that the media is not independent.
Media sets the agenda. It means media has to decide what stories to focus
on and therefore, decides on what is newsworthy.
Media should focus on issues that are significant in our lives. But very
often it fails to do so. Cricket, fashion shows are very popular with the
media.
Local media deals with small issues that involve ordinary people and their
daily lives. Khabar Lahriya, a fortnightly newspaper, is run by eight Dalit

women in Chitrakoot district in Uttar Pradesh. It is written in the local

language, Bundeli.
Media: The word ‘media’ refers to all means of communication,

everything ranging from a phone call to the news on television.
Public protest: When people collectively state their opposition to some

issue by organizing a rally, starting a signature campaign, etc., it is known
as a public protest.
Balanced report: A balanced report is one that discusses all points of

view of a particular story and then leaves it to the leaders to make up their
minds.
Censorship: The government has the power to disallow media from

publishing or showing certain stories. This means that the government can
censor the media.
Broadcast: A TV or radio programme that is widely transmitted.
Setting Agenda: One of the important functions of media is that it decides

what stories should be focused on and thus decides on what is
newsworthy. This is often said that the media sets the agenda.
Local Media: It deals with small issues that involve ordinary people and
their daily lives. It publishes news of local importance.

Chapter 7
Understanding Advertising
Advertisements draw our attention to various products, describing them
positively so that we become interested in buying them. Advertisements
are found in several forms: Print and electronic media as well as in
hoarding or on taxis.
Building Brands and Brand Values
 Advertising is all about building brands. At a very basic level,

branding means stamping a product with a particular name of the
sign. Products have an associating brand value with which the
consumer associates themselves.
 For example, there are many soaps but every company will have to
give the soap a different name, by doing this, they create another
brand of soap.
 Through advertisements, the company uses visuals and images to
create a brand value for their product such that the products may
create an impression in the customer’s mind.
Brand Values and Social Works
 Advertisements play an important role in social and cultural life.

 Branded products are costly but companies link them to style,
design, etc. such that people tend to buy them.
 Advertisements appeal to personal emotion of people which induce
people to buy the products.
How Does An Advertisement Get Made
 Advertising plays an important role in making a brand name.

 Advertising is normally made by advertising agencies which help in
devising a marketing strategy.

 Making an advertisement involves a high cost.

 Campaigning is done carefully by the companies to promote their
products.
Advertising and Democracy
 Advertising a product costs a lot of money. Small manufacturers are

not able to compete in the market.
 It makes us believe that things that are packaged and have a brand
name are far better than things that do not come in packets.
 Democracy is based on equality. Sometimes advertisements confuse
the customers and influence their thinking. As citizens of a
democratic country, people should understand that they can take a
better decision about whether they wish to buy a product or not.
All of us are very much familiar with advertisements or ads. It is because

we see advertisements everywhere—on television, on street walls, in
newspapers, etc.
Advertisements draw our attention to various products and describe them

positively in order to impress us.
Advertising is all about building brands. Branding actually means

stamping a product with a particular name or sign in order to differentiate
it from other products in the market.
Only branding a product is not enough because there are many brands of
the same product available in the market. This creates tough competition
for the manufacturers. They have to convince us that their products are
better than the others. And at this juncture advertising comes in. It plays a
crucial role in trying to convince us to buy a product that is advertised.
But when a similar product under different brand names is advertised, it

creates confusion for the consumers. They fail to decide which one they
should buy.

The advertisers are aware of this. Therefore, they begin claiming certain
special values for their brand. In this way, they try to differentiate it from
other similar product. These brand values are conveyed through the use of
visuals and words to give us an overall image that appeals to us.
Advertisements have become a part of our social and cultural life.
All of us watch advertisements with great attention. Most of us discuss

them and often judge people according to the brand products they use.
Advertisements influence our life to a great extent.
Branded products are costly because they include the costs of packaging
and advertising. It is therefore, many people cannot afford them.
Those who manage to buy them feel exalted but those who fail to buy feel
depressed.
We must be aware of the fact that there is little difference between things
sold in packets and those sold loose.
Advertisements often target our personal emotions. By linking our

personal emotions to products, advertisements tend to influence the ways
in which we value ourselves as persons.
Our cricket heroes and film stars advertise several products. We often feel
tempted to buy these products.
Advertisements often show us images of the lifestyles of rich people and

seldom show us the real-life situation.
Advertisements aim to get people to buy a particular brand. This means

that often we see an advertisement we should want to buy the brand.

The persons who make advertisements decide on what images, text and
personal emotions to use to sell the product.
Advertising a product is a costly affair. It is therefore only large companies

can advertise.
Small business cannot afford the cost of advertisement and therefore they
sell their products in weekly markets and neighborhood shops.
Product: A thing or a service that has been made for sale in the market.
Brand: A special identification or name that is associated with a product.
Branding: Stamping a product with a particular name or sign.
Manufacturer: One who is associated with the production of a thing or

things.
Advertisement: Advertisement is a visual and verbal representation to

provide a product among the masses.
Consumer: The person for whom the goods or products have been made
and who pays money to buy and use them.
Lifestyle: The way of living.
Social Advertisements: These are made by the State or private agencies

that have a larger message for society.

Chapter 8
Markets Around Us
A market is where buyer and seller are involved in the sale and purchase
of goods. It establishes a link between the producer and the consumer.
There are different kinds of markets namely; weekly market, shops,

shopping complex or mall.
The profit earned by different market varies. It depends on the type of

investment made by seller and buying capacity of the customer.
In present times, goods are also sold by online marketing and home
delivery.
Weekly Market
 A weekly market is so-called because it is held on a specific day of

the week.
 Shops may be permanent or hawker type. They provide different
goods and sometimes even on credit.
 There are thousands of such markets in India. People come here for
their everyday requirements.
 Traders set up shops for the day and then close them up in the
evening.
 Many things are available in a weekly market at cheaper rates.

 Weekly markets even have a large number of shops selling the same
goods which means there is a competition among them.
 One advantage of weekly markets is that most of the things of need
are available in one place.
Shops in the Neighbourhood
 There are many shops that sell goods and services in our
neighborhood.
 We may buy milk from the dairy, grocery from the departmental
stores, etc.
 These shops are useful as they are near our home and we can go
there on any day of the week.
Shopping Complexes
 There are other markets in the urban area which have many shops at
one place called a shopping complex.
 In many urban areas, we also have multi-storied air-conditioned
buildings with shops on different floors as malls.
 Malls sell branded and non branded goods and invest a huge amount
of money in their shops.
Chain of Markets
 The people in between the producer and the final consumer are
traders.
 The person who produces goods in the producer. The person who
buys goods from him is the wholesaler. The wholesaler gives it to
the traders who gives it to the consumer.
 This trader is known as the retailer.
 The retailer could be a trader in a weekly market, a hawker,
neighborhood shop owner in the shopping complex, etc.
Markets Everywhere
 All markets work in a space in a particular manner and time.

 Buying and selling take place in different ways, not necessarily

through shops in the market.
 There are even markets we may not be aware of. This is because a
large number of goods that we don’t use directly are also bought and
sold. For example a car factory purchases engine, parts, gears, petrol
tanks, axles, wheels, etc. from various other factories. We, however,
do not get to know about either the manufacturers or the sellers
involved in it.
A market is a place where we go to buy many things such as rice,

toothpaste, clothes, notebooks, bread, etc.
There are many kinds of markets—shops, hawker’s stall in our

neighborhood, a weekly market, shopping complex and mall.
The weekly market is held on a specific day of the week. Such markets do
not have permanent shops. Traders set up shops for the day and then close
them up in the evening. Things in weekly markets are available at cheaper
rates. We can bargain easily. Another feature of these markets is that most
of the things that we need are available at one place.
We also find shops in our neighborhoods. These shops sell things of daily
use. We may buy milk from the dairy, groceries from departmental stores,
stationery, eatables or medicines from other shops. Shops in the
neighbourhood may be permanent and roadside stalls. Neighborhood
shops are very useful. As the buyer and seller know each other, these
shops also provide goods on credit.
Apart from these markets, there are shopping complexes and malls too
which are usually found in urban areas. These urban shops are large multi-
storeyed air-conditioned buildings where one can get both branded and
non-branded goods. Branded goods are expensive and therefore a very
small group of people can afford to buy them. These shops are usually not
meant for the common people.

The goods that we purchase in different types of shops are produced in

factories, on farms, and in homes. However, we don’t buy directly from
the factory or from the farm. The producers are also not interested in
selling us small quantities.
The trader comes in between the consumer and the producer. The
wholesale trader buys goods in huge quantities from the producer and then
he sells these goods to the retailers. These retailers finally sell different
articles to consumers. Thus, it is through these links of traders that goods
reach far away places.
This is the age of the Internet. One of the major benefits of the Internet is
that we can buy things of our need without going to the market. We can
place orders for a variety of things through the phone and the Internet and
the goods are delivered at our home.
Medical representatives are also engaged in the selling of goods. Thus,

buying and selling take place in different ways.
There are also markets that we may not be aware of. This is because a
large number of goods are bought and sold that we don’t use directly. A
car factory purchases engines, gears, petrol tanks, wheels, etc. from
various other factories. We do not usually see these types of buying and
selling.
There is a great difference between the shop owners in a weekly market

and those in a shopping complex. The shop owners in a weekly market are
small traders with little money to run the shop but the owners of shopping
complexes or malls are big businessman, with a lot of money.
One thing is clear that the weekly market trader earns little compared to
the profit of a regular shop owner in a shopping complex. Thus, we don’t
see equality in market places.

So, far buyers are concerned, they are also not at all equal. There are many
who are not able to afford to buy even the cheapest goods while others are
busy shopping in beautiful malls.
Market: A Market is a place where buying and selling take place.
Weekly Market: It is held on a specific day of the week. Such markets do

not have permanent shops.
Mall: It is a large multi-storeyed air-conditioned building with shops on

different floors. Malls are found in urban areas.
Chain of Market: A series of markets that are connected like links in a

chain because goods or products pass from one market to another.
Wholesaler: The trader who buys a product in huge quantities from the
producers, and sells this product to small traders, i.e. retailers
Retailer: The trader who buys goods from the wholesaler in small
quantity and sells this to the consumer.

Chapter 9
A Shirt in the Market
Cotton Farmer in Kurnool
 Cultivation of cotton is very expensive and a difficult task.

 A small farmer grows cotton on his small piece of land. Once the
harvesting is done, cotton balls are collected.
 These are taken to the local trader as the farmer had borrowed
money from the trader to buy seeds, fertilisers, etc. for cultivation.
 Even though the market price is high, the trader buys it at a meagre
price from the farmer.
The Cloth Market of Erode
 The bi-weekly market of Erode in Tamil Nadu is one of the biggest

cloth markets in the world.
 Cloth made by weavers from all over comes here for sale.
 Instructions about the type of cloth to be made are given in advance.
 The weavers get yam from the merchants and supply them the cloth.
 The arrangement between the merchant and the weaver is termed as
a putting-out system.
 It saves money of the weavers as they do not have to buy yam.
Likewise, the problem of selling the cloth is also taken care of.
 Since weavers do not know the price of the cloth, they are at a loss
and get a very small amount.
The Garment Exporting Factory Near Delhi
 Erode merchants send the cloth to garments export centre in Delhi.

 The garments factory makes shirts to be sold to the chain of business
from the US and Europe.
 They set a standard of quality and time.
 Faced with the pressure the garment centre tries to extract maximum
work from their workers of the lowest cost.

 Most hired workers are temporary and get a low salary.
The Shirt in the US
 The shirts sent from garments export centres are sold in dollars in
the US.
 The shirts sold at Rs 200 by the garment export centre sell at Rs
1,200 in the US.
 Thus, a chain of markets links the producers of cotton to the buyers
at the supermarket.
Market and Equality
 Foreign businessmen make huge profits in the market.

 Garment manufacturers only make moderate profits.
 Weavers at Erode market and small farmers don’t make a huge
profit.
 Poor people have no option but to depend on the rich.
 Poor are exploited in the market.
 Laws should be made to protect the interest of weavers and small
farmers.
Cultivation of cotton is a very complicated and difficult task. It is very

expensive too because it requires high levels of inputs such as fertilisers
and pesticides. Farmers, therefore, have to incur heavy expenses for which
they need to borrow money from the local traders.
The local traders are very clever people. They give loan to such farmers
and in turn, make them promise to sell all their cotton to them. Thus, they
take advantage of the poor financial condition of the farmers. Here, we can
give an example of Swapna, who is also a cotton farmer and takes a loan
from a local trader to meet all the expenses on cotton cultivation. As a
result, she has to sell all her cotton to that local trader a low price. Thus,
farmers, in spite of their hard labour, never get a fair price.

A large variety of cloth is sold in Erode’s bi-weekly cloth market in Tamil

Nadu. The cloth that is made by weavers is also brought here for sale. This
cloth is bought by the cloth merchants and other traders.
There are other weavers who make cloth under the instruction of the cloth
merchants. These merchants supply cloth on order to garment
manufacturers and exporters around the country. They purchase the yam
and give instructions to the weavers about the kind of cloth that is to be
made.
The weavers are happy because they do not have to spend their money on
the purchase of yarn. They also get rid of the problem of selling the
finished cloth. But at the same time, they lose their freedom. They begin to
depend on the merchants both for raw materials and markets.
The arrangement between the merchant and the weavers is termed as the
putting-out system.
The Erode merchant supplies the cotton cloth produced by the weavers to
a garment-exporting factory near Delhi. The garment exporting factory use
the cloth to make shirts to export them to foreign buyers. These foreign
buyers are powerful business persons. They demand the lowest price from
the supplier. In addition, they set high standards for quality of production
and timely delivery.
These conditions put the exporter in a light situation. Still, they accept the
deal, because they have nothing to do at the cost of their own benefit. They
start cutting costs. They get the maximum work out of the workers at the
lowest possible wages. Thus, their profit remains intact. The sufferers are
always the workers/labourers who hardly fulfil their day-to-day needs. The
weavers too are an exploited lot. Thus, everyone does not gain equality in
the market. Some make huge profits, some make moderate profits. But
nobody thinks about those who are working at the root level. They remain
poor in spite of their hard labour.

Ginning Mill: It is a factory where seeds are removed from cotton bolls.
The cotton is pressed into bales which are sent for spinning into thread.
Putting-Out system: In this system, the cloth merchant supplies the raw
material to the weavers and receives the finished product.
Exporter: One who sells goods in foreign countries.
Profit: The amount that is left or gained from earnings after deducting all
the costs.

Chapter 10
Struggle for Equality
The Indian Constitution recognizes all Indians are equal before the law and
states that no person discriminated against because of their religion, sex,
caste, or whether they re rich or poor.
All adults in India have equal rights to vote during elections, and this
‘power over the ballot box’ has been used by people to elect or replace
their representatives for many years.
However the feeling of equality on the basis of ‘one vote one person’ in
reality does not extend to Poor people face negligence and these people do
not get justice in matters of health, education, etc.
Domestic helpers, small farmers, and many others are forced to work in
hardships due to poverty a shortage of resources.
People also face inequality on grounds of religion, caste, and gender in

India.
Struggles for Equality
 Poverty and discrimination have created inequalities in our society.

 Throughout the world, people are fighting for their rights and
equality, trying to end the discriminator which they face.
 Women’s struggle and movements for equality was one such group
fighting for equality.
 The Tawa Matsya Sangh in Madhya Pradesh is also an example of
people coming together to fight an issue.
 There are many other struggles such as those of beedi workers,
fishermen, agricultural laborers, si dwellers, etc. who have been
fighting for equality and justice.

Tawa Matsya Sangh (TMS)
 It is a federation of fishermen’s cooperatives that fights for the rights

of forest dwellers who have h displaced from Satpura forest located
in Madhya Pradesh.
 With the beginning of the construction of Tawa Dam in 1958 till its
completion in 1978, large parts the forest and agricultural areas were
submerged. Thus, the forest dwellers had to suffer a set bad they
earned very little.
 To government gave rights for fishing in the Tawa reservoir but to
only private contractors in 1994
 When the contractors started exploiting the poor villagers, they came
together to form a union and up an organization to protect their
rights, which was called Tawa Matsya Sangh.
 Rallies and Chakka jam were organized time and again. In response,
the government granted fish; rights to the villagers in 1996.
 With the TMS taking over the fishery workers were able to increase
their earnings substantially.
The Indian Constitution as a Living Document
 The foundation of all movements for justice and the inspiration for
all the poetry and songs on equals is the recognition that all people
are equal.
 Movements and struggle for equality in India promote equality.
 Indian constitution is a living document recognizing greater equality
on existing and other issues.
 It guarantees dignity, self-respect, and equality, all of which are
required in a democracy.
India is a democracy and the soul of democracy is equality. But we do not

see equality at any place except on the polling day on which every adult
citizen of India enjoys the equal right to vote.
Right from the beginning of the chapter, we have been introduced to

persons like Kanta, Ansari, Swapna, Melani, and so on. These people have
to face discriminations because they lack resources.

Under such circumstances, some people take initiative and start struggles
for equality. Others extend their support for the cause.
In India, there are several struggles in which people have come together to
fight for issues that they believe are important. The methods used by the
women’s movement to raise issues of equality can be mentioned here.
Another example can be given of the Tawa Matsya Sangh in which people
came together to fight for an issue.
The Tawa Matsya Sangh is an organization fighting for the rights of the
displaced forest dwellers of Salpura forest in Madhya Pradesh.
The Tawa dam began to be built in 1958 and was completed in 1978. It
submerged large areas of forest and agricultural land. The forest dwellers
were left with nothing. Some of the displaced people began fishing in the
reservoir.
In 1994, the government gave the eights for fishing in the Tawa reservoir
to private contractors. These contractors were not friendly. They began to
push out the local people.
The villagers now stood united and set up Tawa Matsya Sangh (TMS) to
protect their rights.
The TMS organized rallies and a chakka jam demanding their right to
continue fishing for livelihood.
Finally, the government accepted their demand and from Jan. 2, 1997 they
began fishing.
Later on, the TMS set up a cooperative which would buy the catch from
the fishworkers at a fair price. Now, they were able to earn three times
more than they earned earlier.

The TMS has also begun giving the Fishworkers loans for repair and the
buying of new nets.
In a democracy, there are always communities and individuals trying to

expand the idea of democracy and push for greater recognition of equality
on existing as well as new issues. Thus, issues of equality are central to
democracy.
The dignity and self-respect of each person can only be realized if he/she
has adequate resources.
Reservoir: An artificial lake where water is collected and kept in quantity

for use.
Dam: A dam is built across a river at sites where one can collect a lot of
water.
TMS: Tawa Matsya Sangh is an organization fighting for the rights of the
displaced forest dwellers of the Salpura forest in Madhya Pradesh.
Contractor: One that contracts to perform work or provide supplies.
Creative Expression: Writers, singers, dancers, and artists have also been
active against inequality. They use their pen or their voice or their ability
to dance to draw attention to issues of inequality. This is known as creative
expression.

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NCERT Class 7th CIVICS Summary by ORACLE IAS

Equal Right to Vote

Does Equality Exist

 In reality, a difference exists between rich and poor.

Equality in Indian Democracy

 The Indian Constitution recognizes every person as equal. However,

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 Programmes like the mid-day meal scheme have been launched to

Issues of Equality in other Democracies

Equality is the soul of Indian democracy. It influences all aspects of its

In a democratic country like India, all adults irrespective of what religion

But the world beyond it is something else. In this world, there is no

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Dalit means broken. Dalits belong to the unprivileged class.

The Indian constitution recognises every person as equal. While earlier no

No person can be discriminated against on the basis of their religion, race,

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In addition to laws, the government has also set up several schemes to

Under the midday meal scheme, all government elementary schools

In spite of all these efforts to increase equality of opportunity, there

In the United States of America, the African-American were seriously

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibited discrimination on the basis of

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Dalit: It means broken.

Dignity: Thinking of oneself and other persons as worthy of respect.

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Private and Public Healthcare

 Healthcare is divided into two categories: Public health services and

Healthcare and Equality

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 In India, private health services are increasing but public health

In a democratic country, it is the expectation of the people that government

A life with stress will lead us to illness. Hence we need to be without

We need proper healthcare facilities to maintain good health.

Healthcare facilities include health centres, hospitals, laboratories for test,

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In order to run such facilities, we need health workers, nurses, qualified

India has no dearth of qualified doctors. There are a large number of

Healthcare facilities can be divided into two categories—Public health

Big cities have many government hospitals.

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A wide range of private health facilities exists in our country. A large

In the rural areas, Registered Medical Practitioners (RMPs) are found

So far women’s health is associated, it is easily ignored.

Many tribal areas have few health centres.

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However, Kerala has made efforts to provide adequate healthcare to

Costa Rica is a country in North America. It is considered to be one of the

Communicable Diseases: Diseases that spread from one person to another

Private: A service that is organised by an individual or company for their

RMPs: It refers to Registered Medical Practitioners. They are found in

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In states, it is the MLA (Member of Legislature Assembly) who represents

All the other members are called opposition.

Working of the Government

 The organization of the state government includes the Governors,

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 The government works through various departments like public

An MLA is a member of the Legislative Assembly. He is elected by the