Hinglish

Tiers of Government

Class 7 Social Science · Chapter 18: The State, the Government, and You · NCERT Exploring Society: India and Beyond section 18.6

Learn

India has over 1.4 billion people, 28 states and 8 union territories. One central government cannot meet everyone's needs, so governance is decentralised, spread across levels. The Constitution first set up two levels: the Union and the states. In the early 1990s, amendments created panchayati raj and municipalities, making local government the third tier. Mahatma Gandhi had long dreamed of grām swarāj, villages as self-governing republics.

Local matters are best decided closest to the people. If Meher's street lamp breaks, the municipality, not the central government, fixes it; but defence is the centre's job. The central government handles defence, foreign affairs and currency; state governments handle police, land, health and agriculture; local governments handle water, drains, streetlamps and parks. Decentralisation makes democracy deeper, uses local knowledge, and makes leaders easier to question. In schools, Parliament passes the Right to Education Act, ministers set schemes like PM Poshan, education officers make sure schools follow rules, and child rights commissions and courts act if rights are denied.

Explore: which level of government?

  1. Sort each task.

Remember

  • India has three tiers: central, state and local; local government became the third tier in the 1990s.
  • Decentralisation brings decisions closer to people and makes leaders more accountable.

Quick check

Decentralisation means …

  1. power is shared across levels, with local issues solved locally
  2. all decisions are made in Delhi
  3. there is no government
  4. only courts decide
Answer

power is shared across levels, with local issues solved locally. Local leaders know local needs best and are easier to question.

Think about it

Should a student council president make all decisions alone? Why or why not?

One answer

No: sharing power among members brings more ideas, prevents misuse of power and lets students question decisions, just as checks and balances work in government.

Practice

Practise with fresh questions at three levels (easy, medium, hard), some answered hands-on, with hints and worked answers. Get 4 of your last 5 right to finish the topic.