Hinglish

What Is a Government?

Class 7 Social Science · Chapter 18: The State, the Government, and You · NCERT Exploring Society: India and Beyond section 18.2

Learn

A government is the group of people and the system that runs the country: leaders, ministers and officials who make laws, enforce laws and settle disputes. It is only one part of the state. Governments change after elections, but the state remains, just as teachers in a school may come and go while the school stays. We often say "the state" and "the government" as if they were the same because the government acts for the state and is the face of it we meet every day.

The police maintain law and order in each state and are part of the state government. They may legally use force to keep people safe, work with courts and prisons, and run awareness drives on road safety, drugs and women's safety. But they must respect the rights in the Constitution. Most of our dealings with government are with departments of the executive, such as water, electricity, transport or education.

Explore: state or government?

  1. Sort each clue.

Remember

  • The government makes and enforces laws and settles disputes; it changes, the state remains.
  • Police are agents of the state who keep order within the limits of the Constitution.

Quick check

Which is true?

  1. the government is one part of the state
  2. the state changes after every election
  3. the state and government are always the same thing
  4. police are not part of government
Answer

the government is one part of the state. People, territory and sovereignty are the other parts.

Think about it

Which government departments have you seen around your home or school? What do they do?

One answer

For example the electricity board supplies power, the municipal corporation cleans streets, the post office delivers mail and the transport department runs buses; all are part of the executive.

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.