Our Fundamental Duties While our constitution gives us rights, it also expects the citizens to do certain things that are known as Fundamental Duties. Some of the duties are as follows. 1) Respect the Constitution, the national flag and the national anthem 2) P rotect public property and never damage it 3) Protect and improve our forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife 4) Preserve our heritage sites such as museums and monuments 5) Promote harmony and the spirit of A list of the Fundamental Duties common brotherhood amongst all the people of India Directive principles Our Constitution has a set of guidelines for the constitution known as the Directive Principles of State Policy. They are used to make rules and regulations for the functioning of the government. These principles cannot be enforced in the court of law. Some of the important Directive Principles are as follows. • There should be equal pay for men and women. ? Who wrote the Constitution of India? • The government should provide employment opportunities for all the citizens. • The government shall protect the environment and wildlife. • Monuments and places of historical importance should be safeguarded. India as a democracy India gained independence on 15 August 1947. After A democracy is a system India became free, our leaders decided that people of government run by should be allowed to elect their own government. In chosen representatives other words, the people of India chose democracy. of the people. What is a democracy? A democracy is a system of government run by the chosen representatives of the people. In a democracy, the common people have the most power. They can choose their leaders. Democracy is a government of the people, by the people and for the people. Let us now look at some of the features of a democracy. Laws, Rights and Duties 47
Features of a democracy We have read that one of the main features of a democracy is that people get to choose their representatives. In India, we get to choose our representatives through elections. People elect the leaders they want by voting. Features of a democracy Election An election is a method of choosing a representative by voting. These representatives come from different political parties. The party that gets the majority of seats forms the government. The political party that forms the government is called the ruling party. The party that does not win forms the opposition. The leader of the ruling party becomes the head Electronic voting machine of the government. She or he chooses members to form a cabinet. These members look after different departments. For example, one member looks after agricultural department and the other looks after the education department. In India, elections are held every five years. They are conducted by a body of people known as the Election Commission of India. The electronic voting machine (EVM) is used for impartial elections. Elections for different levels of government ? What is a ruling Do you know that there are three levels of government party? in India? They are local, state and central governments. We have elections to elect representatives at all three levels. 48
Name of election Level of government Local election Local government State election State government Central government National election Importance of elections Elections allow us to choose the representatives who we want to run the government. In a democracy, the leaders chosen should perform well otherwise they might not be elected in the next term. It gives us an opportunity to have an opinion about the laws made in our country. The working of the government The central, state and local governments have separate responsibilities. However, the central, state and local governments work together for the welfare of the people. For example, the local government installs street lights. The state government distributes electricity to all the cities and villages. The central government, on the other hand, gives permissions for electrical projects and decides on the electricity prices to be charged. Let us learn more about these levels. Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 The local government The state government The central government Local Government State Government Central Government The local government The state government takes The central government looks after the needs of care of many things such as governs the entire country. people at the village, town education and roads. The It deals with defence, or city level. It has two state government is made railways, shipping and so up of a state legislature, a on. It is made up of the levels — rural and urban Chief Minister, a Governor President, the Prime Minister local governments. and cabinet of ministers. and other ministers. dBe Amaze A The original Constitution of India was handwritten by Prem Behari Narain Raizada. It is preserved in a specially designed helium-filled case and kept in the Parliament House of India. Laws, Rights and Duties 49
Connect the Dots English Fun The word ‘democracy’ comes from the Greek words ‘demos’ meaning ‘people’ and ‘kratos’ meaning ‘rule’. Maths Fun The Constituent Assembly sat for two years, 11 months and 18 days. During this period, 7635 articles were proposed and of these 2473 were discussed in detail. How many articles were not discussed in detail? ____________ New Words 1) e lection – a process through which people can choose the people to act or speak for them 2) polling station – a place where people can go to vote during the elections 3) caste – a n old way of dividing people in Hindu society, based on 4) representative – occupation 5) vote – someone who has been chosen to act or speak for a person 6) impartial – or a group of people 7) rural – 8) urban – choose one from different choices available not taking any sides of villages of towns and cities A Note to Parent Take your child to see the different government offices in your area such as the Municipal Corporation office or the election office. You can share with them the purpose and function of each office. 50
Art Education - 3 Make Your Treasure Map! Treasure maps show the way to hidden treasures. Read the instructions below and follow them to make your own treasure map. Gather the following. • Pencil • Eraser • Sketch pens • Colour pencils Instructions Study the map given on page 52. It is empty with few features. To make the map interesting, draw and colour landforms, the route, the location of the treasure and so on. Read the given clues and use the grid to complete the map. Clues: 1) Draw a treasure chest in A4. 2) Draw a landform across A3 and B3. 3) Draw a non-renewable resource in B2 near the two trees. 4) Draw a water body connecting the non-renewable resource in B2 and the lake in C3. Make a bridge over the water body in the middle. 5) Draw a renewable resource that gives us oxygen across B1 and B2. 6) Mark the four directions on the compass. Where is the compass on the grid? 7) Draw a route from the lighthouse to the treasure. 8) Add a key in D3 and D4 showing the symbols of the things drawn on the map. 9) Your treasure map is ready! Art Education - 3 51
Treasure Map 12 34 A B C D Try and do this for fun! Imagine that you are a pirate who has to hide the treasure map. Study the route carefully and make a four-line riddle to remember how to reach the treasure. 52
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