NCERT Syllabus Class 7 Civics

Themes

Objectives

This unit focuses on the historical, as well as the key elements, that structure a democracy. The structures in place to make people’s representation a reality will be discussed with reference to its actual functioning.

Section 1

Why Democracy?

Two main thrusts

• Historical

What were some of the key junctures and transformations in the emergence of democracy in modern societies?

• Key Features

– The different systems of power that exist in the world today.

– Significant elements that continue to make Democracy popular in the contemporary world:

• Formal Equality

• Decision-Making mechanisms

• Accommodation of differences

• Enhancing human dignity

Section 2

Institutional Representation of Democracy

• Universal Adult Franchise

• Elections

• Political parties

• Coalition Governments

• develop an understanding of the rule of Law and our involvement with the law.

• understand the Constitution as the primary source of all laws.

• develop the ability to distinguish between different systems of power.

• understand the importance of the idea of equality and dignity in democracy.

• develop links between the values/ideas of democracy and the institutional forms and processes associated with it.

• understand democracy as a representative government.

• understand the vision and the values of the Constitution.

This unit focuses on the legislative, executive and administrative aspects of state government. It discusses the processes involved in choosing MLAs and passing a bill and discusses how state governments function by taking up one issue. This unit also contains a section on the nation-state.

Section 1: Its working

• Main functionaries – broad outline of the role of the Chief Minister and the council of ministers.

Section 2: Its functioning

Through one example: land reform/irrigation/education/water/health discuss

• The nature of the role played by the government – regarding resources and services.

• Factors involved in the distribution of resources/services.

• Access of localities and communities to resources/services.

• gain a sense of the nature of decision-making within State government.

• understand the domain of power and authority exercised by the state government over people’s lives.

• gain a critical sense of the politics underlying the provision of services or the distribution of resources.

In this unit, the various aspects of the role of media in a democracy are highlighted. This unit also includes a discussion on advertising as well as on the right to information bill.

Section 1: Media and Democracy

Media’s role in providing the following:

• Providing information

• Providing a forum for discussion/debate creating public opinion

Media ethics and accountability.

Relationship between Government and Information.

A case study of the popular struggle that brought about the enactment of this legislation.

Section 2: On Advertising

• Commercial Advertising and consumerism

• Social advertising

• understand the role of the media in facilitating interaction between the government and citizens.

• gain a sense that government is accountable to its citizens.

• understand the link between information and power.

• gain a critical sense of the impact of media on people’s lives and choices.

• appreciate the significance of people’s movements in gaining this right.

This unit is to understand the role gender plays in ordering our social and economic lives.

Section 1: Social Aspects

Norms and values that determine roles expected from boys and girls in the

• family

• community

• schools

• public spaces

• Understanding Inequality: The role of gender in creating unequal and hierarchical relations in society.

Section 2: Economic Aspects

• Gender division of labour within the family.

• Value placed on women’s work within and outside the home.

• The invisibilisation of women’s labour.

• understand that gender is a social construct and not determined by biological differences.

• learn to interrogate gender constructions in different social and economic contexts.

• to link everyday practices with the creation of inequality and question it.

This unit is focused on discussing various types of markets, how people access these and examining the workings of an actual market.

Section 1:

• On retail markets and our everyday needs.

• On the role and impact of wholesale markets, how are these linked to the above.

• People’s access to markets depends upon many factors such as availability, convenience, credit, quality, price, income cycle, etc.

Section 2:

Examine the role of an observable wholesale market, such as grain, fruit, or vegetable, to understand the chain of activities, the role of intermediaries and its impact on farmer-producers.

• understand markets and their relation to everyday life.

• understand markets and their function to link scattered producers and consumers.

• gain a sense of inequity in market operations.