Social Studies and Population Education Book 6_2077 Edition

Approved by the Government of Nepal, Ministry of Education Curriculum Development Centre (CDC), Sanothimi, Bhaktapur, Nepal. Readmore New Social Studies and Population Education Revised and Updated Edition 2077 6GRADE Authors Matrika Pd Lamsal Sanjeev Rai

Published by TU Road, Kuleshwor, Kathmandu, Nepal Phone: 4672071, 5187211, 5187226 Fax: 00977-1-4672073 e-mail: [email protected] www.readmorenp.com © Copyright: Publisher 2073 BS First Edition : 2069 BS Revised Edition : 2072 BS Revised and Updated Edition : 2073 BS Updated Edition : 2074 BS Revised and Updated Edition : 2075 BS Reprint : 2076 BS Revised and Updated Edition : 2077 BS No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted by any means, electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of the publisher. Any breach of this condition will entail legal action and prosecution. Special thanks to: Editors Krishna Prasad Parajuli Ishwar Lamsal Pushpa Raj Bhandari Ganesh Dhakal Kiran Thapa Ellen Dietrich Michael L Wasuita Layout Readmore Desktop Betty Wasuita Jagat Prasad Bhattarai Printed in Nepal Krishna Prasad Lamsal You can exchange this book from your nearest book shop if any binding errors are found. Read to help others read ! We are pleased to inform that a certain amount from each book is allocated to the Charity Fund. The fund is provided to deserving and needy students all over Nepal. The charity always welcomes co-operation and support from all well wishers and agencies.

About the book ’s New Social Studies and Population Education is a graded series of books for school children. This series consists of three books suitable for class VI to VIII. This series is prepared especially for the children of English medium schools of Nepal. It is appropriately planned graded series fulfilling the needs of students and teachers in the changing situation of our country and the world. Salient features of the book: The entire curriculum has been divided into 10 units as specified by Curriculum Development Centre, Government of Nepal. Each unit consists of lessons covering entire curriculum and additional materials. Every lesson has been supplemented with suitable pictures and illustrations. The contents have been presented in simple and interesting manner to draw the attention of the students such as letters, dialogues, stories, news, etc. Evaluation exercises are presented in two ways. The first is “Think and Write” type, in which students solve the problems by themselves. This also gives an idea to the teachers to understand whether or not the students have been able to grasp the theme of the lesson. The second type is textual questions in which the students read the text and solve the problems. The contents of the lessons are written in simple language edited by expert language editors. These are appropriately illustrated books reflecting the socio-cultural side of Nepal. The social, ethnic, and geographical diversities, and gender equality are given special attention. These are child-centred and activity-oriented books with sufficient evaluation activities to test the understanding and knowledge of students. The meaning of difficult words are given at the end of every lesson for the convenience of teacher and students. We would like to express our sincere thanks to the principals and teachers who have recommended ’s New Social Studies and Population Education book to their students and schools. We are confident that these books will be able to fulfill the objectives set forth by CDC/GoN of Nepal. We highly appreciate the opinion and constructive suggestions from the teachers and intellectuals. - Authors

UNIT 1. WE AND OUR SOCIETY UNIT 6. OUR PAST 1. Introduction To Community And Society 6 135 1. Kathmandu Valley 137 2. Origin And Formation Of Society 10 2. Sinja Valley 3. Political Condition Of Ancient 140 3. Our Rural Municipality 14 143 Nepal 4. Our Municipality 18 4. Social Structure Of Ancient Nepal 145 5. Economic Activities Of Ancient 148 5. Functions, Duties And Powers Of Rural 151 Nepal 154 Municipality And Municipality 22 6. Art And Culture Of Ancient Nepal 7. The Indus Valley Civilization 6. Our Infrastructure Of Development: 8. The Nile Valley Civilization Education 25 7. Our Infrastructure Of Development: Health 28 UNIT 2. OUR SOCIAL VALUES UNIT 7. OUR ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES AND NORMS 1. Introduction To Our Economic Activities 159 1. Our Festivals 34 2. Agricultural Activities Of Nepal 162 2. Our National Pride 41 3. Present State Of Agriculture In Nepal 3. Unity In Diversity 45 And Its Importance 166 4. Our Cultural Heritages 48 4. Service: An Important Economic Activity 169 5. Our Religious Heritages 51 5. Present State Of Service Sector And Its 6. Jaya Prithvi Bahadur Singh: A Humanist 54 Importance 171 7. Tulsi Meher Shrestha: A Social Activist 58 UNIT 8. OUR INTERNATIONAL RELATION AND UNIT 3. SOCIAL PROBLEMS AND COOPERATION SOLUTIONS 1. Social Problems 63 1. Introduction To International Relation And Cooperation 2. Social Evils 66 175 2. Introduction To SAARC 178 3. Causes And Solutions Of Social Problems 3. Objectives Of SAARC 182 4. Importance Of SAARC For Nepal 185 And Evils 69 5. Contemporary World And Nepal 188 4. Social Discrimination 72 5. Empathy And Cooperation 75 6. Conflict Management And Sustainable UNIT 9. INTRODUCTION TO POPULATION AND ITS Peace 77 STATUS UNIT 4. CIVIC AWARENESS 81 1. Introduction And Importance 83 1. Our Constitution 86 Of Population 194 2. Introduction To Citizen 89 3. Rights Of Citizen 92 2. Demographic Components 196 4. Duties Of A Citizen 95 5. Right To Information 97 3. Relation Of Population With 5. The Traffic Rules 100 6. Nation And Nationality Other Subjects 199 7. Federal Democratic Republic Of Nepal 4. Size Of Population 201 5. Population Composition And its Distribution 203 UNIT 5. OUR EARTH 104 UNIT 10. POPULATION GROWTH 107 AND MANAGEMENT 1. Introduction To Our Earth 111 1. Population Growth And Its effect 209 2. Latitudes And Longitudes 113 3. Location, Size And Boundary Of Nepal 116 2. Introduction And Importance Of 4. Topography And Climate Of Nepal 119 5. Social Life Of Nepal 122 Population Management 212 6. Map Work 127 7. Asia: The World’s Largest Continent 131 3. Problems Of Population Management 214 8. Climate Change 9. Disaster Management 4. Measures Of Population Management 217 5. Role Of Governmental And Non-Governmental Organization In Population Management 220

1UNIT WE AND OUR SOCIETY ??? Learning Achievement A Introduce community and society, A Discuss the development of society, A Introduce Rural Municipality/Municipality, and mention their structure and functions, A List out the development activities of their Rural Municipality/Municipality, and A Introduce education and health as the infrastructures of development.

Lesson INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNITY AND SOCIETY 1 Lakpa is a student of grade six. He is a confident speaker as he can speak in front of a big crowd easily. Today, in the morning assembly, he delivered a short speech on the topic “Introduction to Community and Society”. Do you want to know what he said? Let’s listen to him. “Respected principal, teachers and my dear friends, I am Lakpa from grade VI and I would like to deliver a short speech on the topic “Introduction to Community and Society”. First of all, I would like to introduce what a community is. All of us live in a family. When many families live together in a place, it is called a neighbourhood. Similarly, many neighbourhoods living together, helping and co-operating with each other forms a community. A community is very important for us. We are social animals. We cannot live alone. We need help from each other to fulfill our needs. We can fulfill all our needs only in a community. Our life becomes easier and comfortable when we live in a community. Let me tell you how a community fulfills our needs. People of different occupations like farmers, doctors, tailors, teachers, cobblers, engineers, labourers, etc live in a community. Doctors treat us when we are sick. Farmers grow crops and provide food for us. Tailors make our uniforms. Cobblers make shoes for us whereas 6 SOCIAL STUDIES AND POPULATION EDUCATION - BOOK 6

teachers give us education. It is not possible to do all these tasks by ourselves. We feel more secured in a community than living alone. So, the community plays a very important role in our daily life. Culture, art, music, literature, etc too develop in a community. Language, attitude and behaviors of the children are greatly influenced by the community and its environment. So, a community plays a vital role in shaping the mind of the children. A community is also necessary to protect our interests and rights. The government might not pay much attention to an individual’s demands. But when the same demands are made by a community, the government has to take action towards fulfilling those demands. Thus, we can protect our rights and interests through a community. This helps to unite the people in a community too. They automatically develop a feeling of “We” instead of “I” while living in a community. Now, I would like to talk about the society. World Country Society is a group of different communities Society living together, co-operating with each CoFmammuilnyity other to achieve a common goal. Society is formed on the basis of geography, Person religion, culture, etc. People need to live in a society to share their sorrow, happiness and to fulfill their needs. Society consists of the people of different races, religions, ages and classes. Besides human beings, animals also have their own society. Deer always roam in a group. Ants get together to carry their food. Sheep live in a flock and birds of the same feather flock together. So, there are both human and animal societies. The difference between human and animal societies is that in animal world, society is formed by the same race only whereas in human world, there is a combination of multiple races. We and Our Society 7

There are some similarities and Similarities and differences differences between community between society and community and society. Community is smaller than society. In fact, community is SOCIETY Unity COMMUNITY a part of the society. Community is organized within a specific Comprehensive Responsibility A part of geographical region whereas society may be beyond the Large range Belongingness Society geographical boundary. Society can be big and wider whereas Cooperation Communal spirit Beyond Security geographical Limit range territory community is smaller and limited. Feeling of unity, attachment to each other, accountability, security, mutual understanding, etc are the similarities found both in community and society. Dear friends, at last but not the least, I would like to repeat that to fulfill the need of the society, to save ourselves from enemy, to do creative work and to protect our fundamental rights and freedoms, community and society both are essential for us. I would like to thank my class teacher Mr. Singh for giving me this opportunity to speak few words among all of you. Thank you and have a great day. KEY TERM Accountability : responsibility Assembly : a regular gathering of teachers and pupil at the start or end of the day Influence : the capacity of having an effect on a person’s character and behaviour Secure : feeling of safety and protection Vital : absolutely necessary 8 SOCIAL STUDIES AND POPULATION EDUCATION - BOOK 6

Evaluation Exercises 1. Think and write. a) What do you learn from your community? Write any two things you learn from your community. b) Write any two things you like most about your society and two things you dislike. 2. Fill in the blanks. when we live in a community. a) Our life becomes easier and b) We feel more in a community than living alone. c) A community plays a vital role in the mind of a child. d) A community is also necessary to our interests and rights. e) Community is than society. f) Society is formed on the basis of , religion, culture, etc. 3. Answer the following questions. a) What is a community? b) How does our life become easier and comfortable in a community? c) What do we learn from the community? d) Write any four advantages of living in a community. e) What is society? f) What advantages do people get from the society? g) What are the similarities between community and society? h) Differentiate between society and community and present in the table given below: Society Community In your community a) Find out the major problems of your community and also write their solutions. b) What role do you play in a community to preserve the public places? Write in detail. We and Our Society 9

Lesson ORIGIN AND FORMATION OF SOCIETY 2 Society has been progressing since its origin. In the beginning, the progress was slow, but those progresses were the milestone in the formation and further development of the society. It took a long time to come to the present modern form. The different stages of development of society are as follows: a) Hunting and gathering stage This is the earliest known stage of human society. During this stage, human beings used to live in caves and eat flesh of animals to survive. They didn’t know about the edible grains and fruits then. So, they always depended on the flesh of the animals that they had hunted. To hunt animals, they needed to wander far and wide in the forest. Hence, they were always moving from one place to another in search of food i.e. the animals. Life was very difficult for the human beings then. b) Animal rearing stage Hunting animals all the time was very difficult for the human beings. And if they failed to hunt, they needed to stay hungry until their next successful hunt. Hence, they started to rear animals to get food whenever they wanted. This also helped them to stay at one particular place for longer period. c) Agricultural stage With passage of time, human beings realized that some grains, fruits and nuts could be eaten as well as cultivated by them. This knowledge allowed them to stay forever at one particular place as now they need not to solely depend on animals for food and can store grains, fruits etc as food for their future use. 10 SOCIAL STUDIES AND POPULATION EDUCATION - BOOK 6

d) Industrial age With time human beings’ need and desire increased which led them to produce handmade products like hand-woven and knitted clothes, handmade agricultural tools etc. Since human population was increasing too, supplying handmade products to huge mass on time at cheaper rate was getting difficult. Therefore the machines were invented and factories were established for the convenience of human beings. Hence the industrial stage began in human history. e) Stage of Science and Technology Due to human curiosity, they wanted to travel around the world, connect and communicate with others, and entertain themselves. As a result many discoveries and inventions were made in the field of medicine, transportation, communication, entertainment etc. Radio, television, telephone, mobile phones, airplane, car, ships, computer, internet etc were invented. Similarly, advancement in education sector too was made worldwide, leading the society towards the modern world. The present modern world is service oriented, and always looking for easier and faster methods of service delivery. Online shopping, e-banking, emails, SMS, video chatting, online distance learning etc are some of the facilities developed for the benefits of humans. Bases of the development of society Human beings are social animals. They always live in society for their survival. The following factors help to develop human society: a) Living in a group b) Cooperation c) Interdependence d) Sense of Responsibility e) Fulfilment of needs f) Security g) Profession h) Unity We and Our Society 11

KEY TERM Curiosity : a strong desire to know or learn something Edible : safe to eat Hand-woven : produced on a hand operated loom Milestone : landmark Evaluation Exercises 1. Think and write. a) What differences do you find in the lifestyle of the people of primitive age and modern age? b) Why do we call the present society as service-oriented society? Write your logics. 2. Fill in the blanks. since its origin. a) The society has been b) In primitive society, human beings used to live in a like wild animals. c) In the Agriculture Stage people grew various and stored for future use. d) Now we are in the age of and technology. e) Life has become now than it was in the past. 3. Look at the pictures given below and answer: a) b) a) Which stages of society do the above pictures indicate? b) Write any four differences in the lifestyle of the people of those ages. 12 SOCIAL STUDIES AND POPULATION EDUCATION - BOOK 6

4. Answer the following questions. a) State the differences between the hunting and gathering stage and animal rearing stage? b) Why is the modern age called the age of science and technology? c) How did people spend their life in the hunting and gathering stage? d) What benefits are people getting due to the development of science and technology? e) What are the bases of the development of society? Mention. f) Classroom is also a small society. What are the good aspects of this society? g) Study the picture given below and comment on human development. In your community a) Visit your community and find out which races and castes live there. Make a list and present in class. b) What celebrations are observed in your community like festival, mela, parva, etc? Observe any one of them and write main activities performed and paste in your class. We and Our Society 13

Lesson OUR RURAL MUNICIPALITY 3 Gadhawa, Dang 10th Jan, 2020 Dear Wang, I received your letter yesterday. It was a pleasant surprise for me as you have written after a long time. Your letters are always a source of information for me because I get to know about your country more in detail. Just like your letters, I am trying to make my letters informative for you. That’s why this time I would like to discuss about our Rural Municipality. Nepal is a Federal Democratic Republic state. There are three levels in the structure of state, namely the Federation, Province and Local level. Federation is the apex unit, province is the middle unit and local level is the lowest unit of the federal structure. There are 7 provinces and 753 local levels including 460 Rural Municipalities, 276 Municipalities, 11 Sub-metropolitan Cities and 6 Metropolitan Cities. There are 77 administrative districts in Nepal. Rural Municipality is one of the administrative units under the local level to run administration in rural areas/village in Nepal. There are 460 Rural Municipalities in Nepal. In a Rural Municipality, there are three different bodies: Rural Municipal Assembly, Rural Municipal Executive and Judicial Committee. Rural Municipal Assembly exercises legislative power and Rural Municipal Executive exercises executive power. Similarly, Judicial Committee exercises power to settle disputes under their jurisdiction. Rural Municipal Executive issues general directives, controls and regulates the administration of the Rural Municipality. Likewise, Rural Municipal Assembly makes necessary laws for the concerned Rural Municipality. 14 SOCIAL STUDIES AND POPULATION EDUCATION - BOOK 6

Composition Rural Municipal Executive Chairperson Vice-chairperson Ward Chairpersons Four women members Two members elected elected from each elected by the Rural by Rural Municipal Municipal Assembly Assembly from the Dalit ward members from amongst or minority communities themselves Rural Municipal Assembly Chairperson of Rural Municipal Executive Vice-chairperson of Rural Municipal Executive Ward Four members Two members of the Rural Chairpersons Municipal Executive elected by elected from elected from Rural Municipal Assembly from Dalit or minority communities each ward each ward (Open: 2, Woman: 1 and Dalit Woman: 1) Judicial Committee Coordinator: Vice-Chairperson of Rural Municipal Executive Two members: Elected by the members of Rural 15 Municipal Assembly from amongst themselves We and Our Society

There can be minimum 5 and maximum 21 wards in a Rural Municipality. Each ward of a Rural Municipality is composed of the Ward Chairperson and four members. The election is made by the voters residing within the concerned area by secret ballots on the basis of one person one vote, in accordance with the first-past-the- post electoral system. In order to vote in an election, a voter must be 18 years old or above and a resident of the concerned area. Qualification to be elected to the office of the Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Ward Chairperson and member: a. Being a citizen of Nepal, b. Having completed the age of 21 years, c. Being a voter whose name is included in the electoral rolls of the concerned Rural Municipality, and d. Not being disqualified by any law. The term of office of the Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Ward Chairpersons and members is 5 years after the date of being elected. I hope now you are clear about our Rural Municipality. In my next letter you will get more information about our country. Convey my regards to your parents and love to your younger brother. I will be delighted to write you further about my country in next letters. Bye and take care. Your Friend Suman KEY TERM Apex : highest point Ballot : vote Composed : formed Concerned : related Electoral roll : list of people entitled to vote Ward : an administrative division of a city or a village 16 SOCIAL STUDIES AND POPULATION EDUCATION - BOOK 6

Evaluation Exercises 1. Think and write. a) What is the name of your Rural Municipality/Municipality? b) In which ward do you live? c) If you were given the opportunity to choose the members of your Rural Municipality, what type of candidates would you choose? d) What might be the reasons for electing the representatives from women, Dalit and minority communities? 2. Fill in the blanks. a) Rural Municipality is one of the units under the local level to run administration in rural areas/village in Nepal. b) To be a voter, one must be a resident of the concerned Rural Municipality and have completed the age of or above. c) In Rural Municipality members are elected from Dalit or minority community. d) Each ward of a Rural Municipality is composed of the Ward Chairperson and members. 3. Answer the following questions. a) What is a Rural Municipality? b) How is the Rural Municipal Executive composed? c) Write the composition of Rural Municipal Assembly. d) Mention the qualifications required to be elected to the office of the Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Ward Chairpersons and members. e) Make a table and show the number of Rural Municipality, Municipality, Sub-metropolitan Cities and Metropolitan Cities of Nepal. f) Prepare an organizational chart of the Rural Municipal Assembly and Rural Municipal Executive. In your community How can we help to reform our village/town/city as its common citizen? Ask with seniors and present in the class. We and Our Society 17

Lesson OUR MUNICIPALITY 4 Municipality is one of the administrative units under the local level to run administration in urban/city areas in Nepal. Municipalities are divided into three levels on the basis of population, income and urban facilities. They are: a) Municipality b) Sub-metropolitan City c) Metropolitan City There are 276 Municipalities, 11 Sub-metropolitan Cities and 6 Metropolitan Cities in Nepal. Ward is the smallest unit of municipality. In a Municipality, there are three different bodies: Municipal Assembly, Municipal Executive and Judicial Committee. Municipal Assembly exercises legislative power and Municipal Executive exercises executive power. Similarly, Judicial Committee exercises power to settle disputes under their jurisdiction. Municipal Executive issues general directives, controls and regulates the administration of the Municipality. Likewise, Municipal Assembly makes necessary laws for the concerned Municipality. 18 SOCIAL STUDIES AND POPULATION EDUCATION - BOOK 6

Composition Municipal Executive Mayor Deputy Mayor Ward Chairpersons Five women members Three members elected elected from each elected by the Municipal by Municipal Assembly Assembly members from ward from the Dalit or amongst themselves minority communities Municipal Assembly Mayor of Municipal Executive Deputy Mayor of Municipal Executive Ward Four members Three members of the Municipal Chairpersons Executive elected by Municipal elected from elected from Assembly from Dalit or minority each ward each ward communities (Open: 2, Woman: 1 and Dalit Woman: 1) Judicial Committee Coordinator: Deputy Mayor of Municipal Executive Two members: Elected by the members of Municipal 19 Assembly from amongst themselves We and Our Society

There can be minimum 9 and maximum 35 wards in a Municipality. Each ward of a Municipality is composed of the Ward Chairperson and four members. The election is made by the voters residing within the concerned area by secret ballots on the basis of one person one vote, in accordance with the first-past-the- post electoral system. In order to vote in an election, a voter must be 18 years old or above and a resident of the concerned area. Qualification to be elected to the office of the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Ward Chairpersons and members: a. Being a citizen of Nepal, b. Having completed the age of 21 years, c. Being a voter whose name is included in the electoral rolls of the concerned Municipality, and d. Not being disqualified by any law. The term of office of the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Ward Chairpersons and members is 5 years after the date of being elected. KEY TERM Administration : management of government Exercise : carry out Infrastructures : public services or systems 20 SOCIAL STUDIES AND POPULATION EDUCATION - BOOK 6

Evaluation Exercises 1. Think and write. a) What is the name of your Municipality? b) How many Municipalities are there in your district? c) Name the Metropolitan Cities of Nepal. 2. Fill in the blanks. areas. a) Municipalities are formed to develop b) The term of office of the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Ward Chairpersons and members is years after the date of being elected. c) Municipalities in Nepal are grouped into categories. d) Ward Committee of Municipality is composed of a chairperson and members. 3. Answer the following questions. a) What is a Municipality? b) How is the Municipal Executive formed? c) What are the three categories of Municipalities in Nepal? d) How is the Judicial Committee composed and what does it do? e) What are the criteria to be a voter to vote in an election? f) Which electoral system is applied in the election of Municipality? Name it. g) On what basis are the Municipalities categorized? h) Prepare an organizational chart of the Municipal Assembly and Municipal Executive. In your community Visit ‘Tole Sudhar Samittee’ and ward office nearby your home. Ask questions regarding major problems, their solutions and the development efforts in your locality. Then, prepare a report on the basis of the information that you have obtained. 21 We and Our Society

Lesson FUNCTIONS, DUTIES AND POWERS OF RURAL MUNICIPALITY AND 5 MUNICIPALITY Rural Municipality and Municipality are the local levels in the federal structure of our country. The Constitution of Nepal has provisioned some powers to be exercised by local levels. According to the powers of local levels, the Rural Municipality and Municipality have the following functions, duties and powers: 1. Municipal police 2. Cooperative institutions 3. Operation of F.M. 4. Local taxes (wealth tax, house rent tax, land and building registration fee, motor vehicle tax), service charge, fee, tourism fee, advertisement tax, business tax, land tax (land revenue), penalty, entertainment tax, land revenue collection 5. Management of the Local services 6. Collection of local statistics and records 7. Local level development plans and projects 8. Basic and secondary education 9. Basic health and sanitation 10. Local market management, environment protection and biodiversity 11. Local roads, rural roads, agro-roads, irrigation 12. Management of Rural Municipal Assembly, Municipal Assembly, District Assembly, local courts, mediation and arbitration 13. Local records management 14. Distribution of house and land ownership certificates 15. Agriculture and animal husbandry, agro-products management, animal health, cooperatives 16. Management of senior citizens, persons with disabilities and the incapacitated 17. Collection of statistics of the unemployed 18. Management, operation and control of agricultural extension 22 SOCIAL STUDIES AND POPULATION EDUCATION - BOOK 6

19. Water supply, small hydropower projects, alternative energy 20. Disaster management 21. Protection of watersheds, wildlife, mines and minerals 22. Protection and development of languages, cultures and fine arts Rural Municipality and Municipality exercise some powers in the coordination with Federation and Province. It has been mentioned in the Constitution of Nepal under the concurrent powers of Federation, Province and Local Level. So, the Rural Municipality and Municipality perform and exercise the following functions, duties and powers under the federal and provincial law: 1. Cooperatives 2. Education, health and newspapers 3. Health 4. Agriculture 5. Services such as electricity, water supply, irrigation 6. Service fee, charge, penalty and royalty from natural resources, tourism fee 7. Forests, wildlife, birds, water uses, environment, ecology and biodiversity 8. Mines and minerals 9. Disaster management 10. Social security and poverty alleviation 11. Personal events, births, deaths, marriages and statistics 12. Archaeology, ancient monuments and museums 13. Landless squatters management 14. Royalty from natural resources 15. Motor vehicle permits KEY TERM 23 Arbitration : process for resolution of disputes Revenue : the income of a government Royalty : mining company’s payment to landowner Squatter : illegal occupant of land We and Our Society

Evaluation Exercises 1. Think and write. a) Prepare a note about the development works made in your local level. b) Draw a picture showing the development in your Rural Municipality/ Municipality. c) What do you think are the best ideas to develop your local level? 2. Fill in the blanks. to be a) The Constitution of Nepal has provisioned some exercised by local level. b) Rural Municipality and Municipality exercise some powers in the coordination with Federation and . c) Rural Municipality and Municipality are the local levels in the structure of our country. 3. Answer the following questions. a) Mention any six major functions of a Rural Municipality/Municipality which they can carry out by their own. b) Mention any six functions of a Rural Municipality/Municipality which they carry out in the coordination with Federation and Province. c) If you are elected as the Chairperson/Mayor of your Rural Municipality/ Municipality, what programmes would you implement to develop your area? Mention any four programmes. d) List any six development works done at your locality by the Rural Municipality/Municipality. In your community Ask any five persons of your neighbourhood about the benefits made in the community by development works launched at local level and present in the following table: First person Second person Third person Fourth person Fifth person 24 SOCIAL STUDIES AND POPULATION EDUCATION - BOOK 6

Lesson OUR INFRASTRUCTURE OF DEVELOPMENT: EDUCATION 6 Definition Education is the process of imparting and acquiring knowledge or ability. It is the most important infrastructure of development. Importance Education is the most important factor for the development of an individual, society and the nation. When a person is educated, s/he gains knowledge and implements that to transform his/her life into a better state. S/he becomes wise and skillful then s/he starts imparting knowledge to different people. This helps in making other people around him/her educated too. When we have a group of educated people, they start thinking about their surroundings and ways to implement their learning into practical life. That is how a community, a society and a country develop. Thus, education is very important for the development of a country. The most important resource of any country is its citizens. It is a well known fact that a country’s pace of development depends upon its educated and technical human resources. They must be well educated, trained and motivated to carry out various works. Education promotes awareness and aware people contribute to the development. Education teaches skills and good behaviour. It enables us to lead a good life No country in the world has made progress without the development of education. The development of a country depends on the skilled and active human resources and such human resources are produced by education. The country where the literacy rate is very high, there is no lack of skilled and trained human resources. Let’s take an example of Japan. Till 1960’s, the per capita income of Japan was We and Our Society 25

less than Nepal. Japan then paid much attention to the development of education and it made tremendous progress in producing skilled human resources. Using those skilled human resources Japan developed itself as one of the industrialized countries and a country of big economy in the world. Education in the past In the history of Nepal, the first formal educational institution was Durbar High School established by Junga Bahadur Rana in 1910 BS. Before this, the education was based on Gurukul system where the children were mainly taught religious, social norms and values, occupational skills etc. But with the establishment of public schools after the introduction of democracy, the scope of education expanded. At present, we have universities and schools in Nepal to educate our young generation and produce skilled manpower for the development of our country. A country needs human resources like doctors, engineers, teachers, researchers, farmers, etc who can give their best in the concerned field. The literacy rate of Nepal is low. So, the Government of Nepal has been putting efforts to make education available to all through both formal and non-formal education. There are many universities, schools and colleges established in the country which provide formal education. The non-formal education is managed as follows: a) Child education : for the under privileged children who do not have easy access to school b) Adult education : for the aged people who are uneducated c) Women education : skill based education for women so that they can increase their income and become independent d) Special education : for physically challenged people KEY TERM Initiated : started something Literacy : ability to read and write Motivate : to encourage somebody to do something Transform : to change the nature function and condition Tremendous : very great in amount scale or intensity 26 SOCIAL STUDIES AND POPULATION EDUCATION - BOOK 6

Evaluation Exercises 1. Think and write. a) Write four benefits that you are getting from education. b) Write four differences between educated and uneducated people. c) What is the most important objective of education? 2. Write a short answer of the following questions. a) How does illiteracy affect society? b) Write two characteristics of an educated society. c) What is meant by women education? d) What types of people can get benefit from special education? 3. Answer the following questions. a) Define education in your own words. b) Why is education important for us? Write in points. c) Can a country make progress without the development of education? Give your opinion. d) How was the education system in the past? e) Who started English education in Nepal and when? f) What types of human resources are created by education? g) Differentiate between formal and non-formal education. In your community Meet with the educated people of your community. Ask their name, qualification and profession and present the report in your class. We and Our Society 27

Lesson OUR INFRASTRUCTURE OF DEVELOPMENT: HEALTH 7 Definition Health is one of the important infrastructures of development. The condition of being physically, socially and mentally fit is called health. According to World Health Organization (WHO), “Health is the state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of diseases or infirmity.” Importance Health is more precious than gold and diamond. If wealth is lost, it can be regained but if health is lost, it becomes difficult to regain. The main aim of our life is to be happy. In order to live a happy life, we must have good health. A sick and unhealthy person cannot be productive and happy even if s/he is highly educated and rich. Hence, it is said ‘Health is Wealth’. A healthy person can think better, perform better, and contribute more towards the development of the country. The development of a country depends on her healthy human resources. One should take the following measures to remain healthy: M Use clean and pure drinking water, M Eat a balanced diet containing vitamins, proteins, minerals and carbohydrates in proper quantities, M Keep surrounding clean, M Avoid harmful habits of smoking, taking drugs and alcohol, M Keep oneself physically fit by regular exercise, and M Make use of available health resources. Problems in the health sector of Nepal Major problems in the health sector of Nepal are as follows: 28 SOCIAL STUDIES AND POPULATION EDUCATION - BOOK 6

a) We have not been able to establish hospitals, health post, etc and manage to send doctors to all the rural areas of Nepal. b) Very few rural areas of Nepal have got hospitals, health posts, etc but either lack experienced doctors or necessary tools or medicines. c) The doctors prefer to stay in cities and towns, where all the facilities and privileges are available. d) Due to the lack of education and awareness, people in backward and remote areas prefer to go to witch doctors (Dhami-Jhankri) instead of visiting the doctors for their treatment. Solutions a) Government and non-government organizations should launch awareness programmes in rural areas. b) Health posts and health centres should be established in all parts of the country. c) Doctors, nurses, primary health workers, etc should be mobilized throughout the country. d) Doctors should be motivated to work even in the remote areas. e) Blood donation programmes and mobile health camps should be conducted regularly. f) Media, like radio, television, newspapers, social medias and magazines should be used to aware people of their health and a healthy environment. g) Health education should be made compulsory in the school level curriculum. We and Our Society 29

Health facilities 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 102 104 123 125 Facilities 201 202 200 203 Hospital 3,808 3,803 3,808 3,808 Primary Health Centers 6,353 6,847 7,354 8,332 Health Post Hospital Beds (Available) Source: Department of Health Services Health Services 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 16,854 19,861 20,387 21,413 Health Human Resources 33,293 38,759 43,924 49,930 Human Resources 24,202 25,398 28,698 31,623 Doctors* Nurse 805 817 830 835 ANM Foreign Nurse Source: Nepal Nursing Council * : Nepal Medical Council KEY TERM : condition of being sick Infirmity Mobile Health Camps : health camp that are conducted from one place to another School Curriculum : all the courses of study offered by an educational institute Evaluation Exercises 1. Think and write. a) What advice would you like to give to those people who go to Dhami-Jhankri instead of going to the health post? b) Are there any health posts, health centres and hospitals in your community? Are they enough for your community? How far are they? Discuss in few lines. c) Study the table titled “Condition of health facilities in Nepal” again. And comment on the status of health sector of Nepal in brief. d) What advice will you give to a person who frequently gets sick? 30 SOCIAL STUDIES AND POPULATION EDUCATION - BOOK 6

2. Fill in the blanks. of development. a) Health is one of the important b) Blood donation programmes and should be conducted regularly. c) There are 21,413 in Nepal. d) Due to the lack of education and awareness, people prefer to go to instead of visiting the doctors. e) Most of the doctors are not interested in going to work in areas. 3. Answer the following questions. a) According to WHO, what is health? b) What kind of treatment do most of the villagers prefer? c) What is meant by a balanced diet? d) What measures should be taken to remain healthy? e) Why is health called wealth? f) What are the advantages of being healthy? g) Mention any four major problems existing in the health sector of Nepal. h) What can be the solutions to the problems of the health sector of Nepal? i) Why do the people of remote area lack health services and facilities? In your community a) Visit any ten houses of your community and find out the following things. Present your report in class. Number of Drink boiled Drink filtered Drink purified Drink without houses water using purifying water water other methods b) Find out the health related problems in your community and write what can be done to solve those problems. Prepare in a table and present it in your class. We and Our Society 31

Review Exercise Very short answer questions: 1. What is a community? 2. Define a society? 3. Write any two things that you learnt from your community. 4. What differences do you find in the lifestyle of people of primitive age and modern age? Write any two differences. 5. Why do we call the present society as service-oriented society? Write your logic. 6. What is a Rural Municipality? 7. What are the three categories of Municipalities in Nepal? 8. Which electoral system is applied in the election of Municipality? Name it. 9. What do you think the best idea to develop your local area? Write any one idea. 10. How many local levels are there in Nepal? 11. Write two differences between educated and uneducated people. 12. “Health is Wealth.” Why? Write in a sentence. Short answer questions: 1. Mention the major problem of your community and also write its solutions in point. 2. How did people spend life in the hunting and gathering stage? 3. What benefits are people getting due to the development of science and technology? 4. What are the bases of the development of society? Mention any six of them. 5. How is the Rural Municipal Executive composed? Show it in an organizational chart. 6. Mention the qualification required to be elected to the office of the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Ward Chairpersons and Members of a Municipality. 7. How is the Judicial Committee composed and what does it do? 8. What are the criteria to be a voter to vote in an election? 9. List any six development works done at your locality by the Rural Municipality/ Municipality. 10. Why is education important for us? Write in six points. 32 SOCIAL STUDIES AND POPULATION EDUCATION - BOOK 6

UNIT OUR SOCIAL 2 VALUES AND NORMS ??? Learning Achievement A Describe various festivals observed in Nepal, A Celebrate the festivals observed in family and community as per the tradition, A Be familiar with our national pride and help in preserving and promoting them, A Identify and respect the local educationist and social workers, A Discuss about the contributions made by our national personalities like Jaya Prithvi Bahadur Singh and Tulsi Meher Shrestha, A Identify the cultural and religious heritages of their locality and help to preserve them, and A Identify the major cultural and religious heritages of Nepal.

Lesson OUR FESTIVALS 1 People celebrate different festivals according to their caste, religion and culture. Festivals play a significant role in our social and cultural life. When people celebrate various festivals, it strengthens the bond among the family members, relatives, friends and neighbours. People forget all their disputes and conflicts with each other during festivals. There are numerous festivals observed in Nepal. Usually, the festivals are observed in honour of a God and Goddess. Some of the major festivals of Nepal are given below: Dashain Dashain is one of the major festivals of Hindus. This festival is the symbol of victory of the God and Goddesses over the demons. It is observed during the month of September/October for 15 days. This festival is also known as Bada Dashain, Dashera and Vijaya Dashami. Ghatasthapana marks the beginning of Dashain. The seventh day of the Navadurga or Dashain is celebrated as ‘Phulpati’. The eighth day is called the ‘Maha Asthami’ and the ninth day is called ‘Maha-Navami’. The tenth day of the festival is ‘Dashami’. On this day elders offer Tika and Jamara (seedlings of barley and maize) to the junior members of the family along with their blessings and Dakshina. The entire family members gather together to exchange their happiness and good wishes among each other. All the government and private institutions remain closed during this festival. People wear new clothes and eat delicious food. While children are busy flying 34 SOCIAL STUDIES AND POPULATION EDUCATION - BOOK 6

kites, the older members of the family pass their time by getting together. Children enjoy Linge Ping too. Different kinds of fairs and celebration events are also organized during the festival. People whether they are rich or poor celebrate this festival with great joy. Tihar Tihar is celebrated for five days which comes soon after Dashain. It is also known as the festival of lights or Deepawali, where many candles, Diyo are lit both inside and outside the houses. Four different animals are worshipped during Tihar. The first day of the festival is called “Kaag Tihar”. The crows are worshipped by offering them sweets and dishes on this day. The second day is called “Kukur Tihar”. People offer garlands, Tika and delicious food to the dogs on this day. The third day is called “Gai Tihar” or “Laxmi Puja”. Goddess Laxmi is regarded as the goddess of wealth. On this day houses are decorated with different flowers, electric lights, candles, etc. In the evening, people play Bhaili with joy. The fourth day is “Gobardhan Puja”. People worship Ox or Bull in the morning and play Deusi in the evening. Newar community performs Ma: Puja on this day. The fifth and last day of Tihar is “Bhai Tika”, a day when sisters put seven colourful Tika on the forehead of their brothers wishing them for a long and prosperous life. Sisters offer sweets, food, fruits, etc to their brothers and in return their brothers give them gifts or money with lots of love. Similarly, New year of Nepal Sambat begins on this day. Chhath Chhath is a Hindu festival dedicated to the Sun (Surya). It is also known as “Surya Shashti”. It is celebrated for four days soon after “Bhai Tika” or on the sixth day of ‘Kartik Sukla Pakshya’. It is mostly celebrated in the Terai region. Our Social Values and Norms 35

On the first day of Chhath Puja, the devotees take a dip in the holy river and carry the holy water of the river to home in order to prepare the offerings. On the second day people take fasting for the whole day which ends in the evening a little after sunset. From this day onwards, for the next 36 hours, the parvaitins go on fasting without water. The third day is spent preparing the prasad (offerings) at home. On the eve of this day, the entire household accompanies the parvaitins to a riverbank, pond or a common large water body to make the offerings (Argha) to the setting sun. People offer various kinds of food like Thekuwa, Bhusuwa, coconut, etc as the offerings. On the final day of Chhath Puja, the parvaitins, along with family and friends, go to the riverbank again before the sunrise, in order to make the offerings (Argha) to the rising sun. The festival ends with the ending of the parvaitins fast after consuming the prasad, and friends visiting the houses of the parvaitins to receive the prasad. It is believed that the worship of Sun will help to cure a variety of diseases, including leprosy, and ensure the longevity and prosperity of family members, friends, and elders. Lhoshar Lhoshar is the festival celebrated to mark the beginning of the New Year. The term Lhoshar is derived from two words of Sherpa language: ‘Lho’ means ‘Year’ and ‘Shar’ means ‘New’. It is celebrated by Tamangs, Sherpas and Gurungs. There are three kinds of Lhoshar celebrated by people here. Tamu Lhoshar is observed in the month of Poush by Gurung communities. Sonam Lhoshar is 36 SOCIAL STUDIES AND POPULATION EDUCATION - BOOK 6

observed in the month of Magh by Tamang communities and Gyalpo Lhoshar in Falgun by Sherpa communities. People decorate their houses with Swastik symbols and other pictures. During this festival, people enjoy dancing and singing in the traditional songs. They eat delicious foods. They welcome their guests and visit their elder relatives and exchange good wishes. Eid All the people who follow the Islam religion celebrate this festival with great devotion. It marks on the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting calendar. People fast from sunrise to sunset during this month. This month long fasting from sunrise to sunset is known as ‘Roza’. During this period, they eat and drink only after Namaz, the Islamic prayer after the sunset to “Allah”. They ask for God’s forgiveness for their sins and pray for mercy, peace and blessings for all living beings across the world. The last day of the festival is “Eid al-Fitr”. On this day they wear new cloths and visit the mosque to offer their prayer. They exchange greetings by saying ‘Eid Mubarak’ to each other. They eat varieties of sweets and dishes, and visit their friends, neighbours and relatives to convey their good wishes. They prepare a special dish called ‘Sewai’ on this day. As an act of charity (Zakat), they donate money to the needy people before offering the ‘Eid prayers’, on this day too. Christmas 37 It is the main festival celebrated by the Christians all over the world. This festival is marked as the birth day of Jesus Christ. It falls on 25th of December. It is believed Our Social Values and Norms

that the God came into the world in the form of human on this day to atone for the sins of humankind. The day before Christmas is known as ‘Christmas Eve’ which is celebrated on 24th of December. On this day, people decorate their houses and Christmas tree with lights, flowers and other colourful items. They also keep the gifts under the Christmas tree for their friends and relatives. On the day of Christmas, they visit church to offer their prayers. They sing the Christmas carols in the church, and pray for peace and prosperity in the world. They invite their friends and relatives, and prepare a special Christmas meal on this day. On 26th of December, Christian people give clothes and food to the needy and poor. This day is called ‘Boxing Day’. Christmas cards and gifts are exchanged during this festival. Buddha Purnima/Jayanti It is the most important festival of the Buddhists, and is celebrated with great enthusiasm. It is celebrated on the full moon day in the month of Baishakh. The strange three fold coincidence gives this festival its unique significance, which are as follows: 1) Gautam Buddha was born on this day in 563 BC. 2) On this very day, he got enlightenment and nirvana at the age of 36. 3) He passed away on the same day at the age of 80. On this day, many devotees visit and worship in Monasteries, Gumbas, Stupas and Bihars. Foods and clothes are distributed to the needy. Monks and devotees worship the statue of Buddha and sing devotional songs. They also offer incenses, flowers, candles and fruits to the idol. Udhauli Ubhauli Udhauli and Ubhauli festivals are celebrated by Kirant community living in the hilly region of Province No. 1. These two festivals signify the farming 38 SOCIAL STUDIES AND POPULATION EDUCATION - BOOK 6

season and migration system followed by the ancient Kirants. Mundhum, the holy book of Kirant community mentions that there are two phases in one year that are Ubhauli and Udhauli. The word Udhauli means downward while Ubhauli means upward in Kiranti language. Udhauli and Ubhauli festivals are celebrated in two different seasons i.e., summer and winter of the year. As they are the worshipper of nature, and agriculture being the life line of this community, they celebrate the Udhauli festival to thank nature for providing them with good harvest in the month of Mangsir (November/ December). Similarly, Udhauli also marks the beginning of the downhill journey of theirs to protect them from severe cold during winter season. Likewise, Ubhauli festival marks the beginning of the farming season and the arrival of summer. It also marks the beginning of upwards migration of the Kirants. Ubhauli festival falls on the full moon day of Baisakh (April-May). They organize feast to celebrate these festivals. On these occasions, Sakela dance is performed. Hence, these festivals are also called Sakela Udhauli/Ubhauli. Besides these festivals, people celebrate other festivals like Guru Nanak Jayanti and Baisakhi by the Sikh community, Paryusana Parva and Mahavir Jayanti by the Jain community, etc. They all celebrate these festivals with great enthusiasm. KEY TERM 39 Atone : to make correction for wrong actions Demons : an evil spirit or devil Disputes : disagreement Incenses : a sweet smelling substance offered to god Numerous : a number of Significant : important Our Social Values and Norms

Evaluation Exercises 1. Think and write. a) What festivals do you celebrate at home? List them. b) Which festivals do you like more? Why? Give reasons. c) Which festivals are observed in your community? d) What reforms need to be made in celebrating festivals in Nepal? 2. Fill in the blanks. a) The devotees who fast on Chhath are also known as . b) During and festivals people give money to the needy and poor. c) Tamu Lhoshar is observed in the month of Poush by communities. d) The Sikh community observes festivals like Guru Nanak Jayanti and . 3. Answer the following questions in a sentence. a) Write any two festivals celebrated in Nepal? b) When do people celebrate Christmas? c) What do Islamic people do during Ramadan? 4. Answer the following questions. a) Why do we celebrate festivals? b) Which animals are worshipped during Tihar? c) What is the significance of Chhath festival? d) Which three events are associated with Buddha Jayanti? e) What do Muslim people do on Eid? f) Which festivals are incomplete without giving alms to the poor and the needy? g) Write the activities people do during Udhauli and Ubhauli? Activities a) Prepare a greeting card about any one festival celebrated in your community. b) Sing a song in your classroom that is sung during the celebration of any festival in your community. 40 SOCIAL STUDIES AND POPULATION EDUCATION - BOOK 6

Lesson OUR NATIONAL PRIDE 2 NATIONAL ANTHEM ;of} y'u“ f k\"mnsf xfdL Pp6} dfnf g]kfnL ;fj{efd} eO{ km} lnPsf dr] L–dxfsfnL . Every country has its own national anthem. kj| m[ ltsf sf6] Lsf6] L ;Dkbfsf] cfr“ n The national anthem makes citizens feel proud of their country. It also gives the jL/x¿sf /utn] :jtGq / c6n feeling of self-respect and identity of the 1fge\"ld zflGte\"ld t/fO{ kxf8 lxdfn country. The national anthem is sung at the cv08 of] Kof/f] xfdf| ] dfte[ l\" d g]kfn beginning of the celebration of National ax'n hflt efiff wd{ ;+:sl[ t 5g\\ ljzfn Days, National Festivals, any formal cuu| fdL /fi6« xfdf| ] ho ho g]kfn . programmes of honour, games and sports, etc. When the national anthem is sung, we Pradip Kumar Rai Amber Gurung have to stand up from our seat in a disciplined (Byakul Maila) way to pay respect to the nation. NATIONAL FLAG Like the national song, every country has 41 its own national flag. The national flag represents the nation. Our national flag is unique as it is the only triangular flag in the world. It has two triangles joining together. Its background is crimson and the border is deep blue in colour. The crimson/deep red colour on our flag represents brave and courageous nature of Nepalese people whereas the blue colour represents for peace loving nature of Nepalese people. There is a symbol of the moon on its upper part and the Our Social Values and Norms

sun on its lower part. The sun and moon on our national flag indicate that Nepal will exist as long as the sun and moon remain in the universe. Our national flag reflects our history, culture and religion. COAT OF ARMS (Nisan Chhaap) The Coat of Arms is an identity of our country. It is used in the government offices to legalize government documents. It is the symbol of government of Nepal. The new coat of arms was introduced in Nepal on 30th December 2006 (15th Poush 2063 BS). It represents all the special features of Nepal such as the National flag, the National flower, Sagarmatha, and three ecological regions of Nepal: mountain, hill and Terai. Similarly, to indicate the gender equality in our country there is picture of a male and female shaking hand and there is a sheaf of paddy to indicate Nepal as an agricultural country. “Janani Janmabhoomischa Swargadapi Gariyasi” which means mother and motherland are greater than the heaven is engraved at the bottom. SAGARMATHA (Mt. Everest) Sagarmatha is the highest peak in the world. Its height is 8,848 meter. It has made Nepal well-known in the world. It is the pride of our country. UNESCO has enlisted it in the World Heritage Sites in 1979 AD. LUMBINI Lumbini is the birthplace of Gautam Buddha. It is located in Province No. 5 of Nepal. It is recognized as a pilgrimage for 42 SOCIAL STUDIES AND POPULATION EDUCATION - BOOK 6

Buddhist people. Gautam Buddha is also called the “Light of Asia”. The UNESCO has enlisted Lumbini as World Heritage Site in 1997 AD. Gautam Buddha and his birthplace Lumbini are the prides of our country. DANPHE (Lophophorus) Danphe is our national bird. It is found in the Himalaya region of Nepal. It is a very colourful bird. It has nine colours. So it is also called the naurangi danphe. LALIGUNRAS (Rhododendron) Laligunras is our national flower. It is red in colour. Like danphe, it is also found in the high hills and Himalaya region of Nepal. Both danphe and laligunras give unique identity to our country. So they are the prides of our country. KEY TERM 43 Engrave : to cut words or designs on wood, stone, metal, etc Legalize : to make something lawful Sheaf : a bundle of cut stalks of grain Unique : being the only one of its kind Our Social Values and Norms

Evaluation Exercises 1. Think and write. a) How is our national flag different from the flags of other countries of the world? b) In what programmes have you participated where our national song was sung? 2. Fill in the blanks. of Nepal. a) Coat of arms is the symbol of the b) UNESCO has enlisted and of Nepal in World Heritage Sites. c) “Janani janmabhoomischa swargadapi gariyasi” means mother and are greater than the heaven. d) A national makes the citizens feel proud of their country. e) Laligunras is found in the and region of Nepal. f) Our national flag our history, culture and religion. 3. Answer the following questions. a) Why is Sagarmatha regarded as our national pride? b) Write the meaning of the colour of our national flag. c) What does our coat of arms reflect? Describe. d) At what occasions is the national anthem sung? e) What do the sun and moon on our national flag indicate? Activities a) Sing the national anthem together with your friends in the class. b) Find out the things that represents the identity of your place and also write their importance. c) Draw a picture of any one national pride. Colour it and exhibit in your class. 44 SOCIAL STUDIES AND POPULATION EDUCATION - BOOK 6

Lesson UNITY IN DIVERSITY 3 Janakpur, Dhanusha 24th March, 2020 Dear Ben, I received your letter last Sunday. Now I’m looking forward to visiting your country because of the description you have given about the natural beauty of your country, Switzerland. As you are curious about my country, I am writing about the diversity of my country. Nepal is a small country situated at the foothills of the Himalaya. There are 125 caste/ethnic groups living here. Among them 59 are the indigenous nationalities. 123 languages are spoken here. The followers of ten religions are living here. Don’t you think we have great diversity here? Diverse topography and climate have influenced the lifestyle, customs and traditions of the people of Nepal. Nepalese people speak different languages, eat different varieties of food, wear different dresses and celebrate different festivals. So, it is a multilingual, multicultural, and multi-ethnic country. The unique feature of Nepal is that in spite of all these diversities, there is a mutual understanding and respect among the people. There is unity in diversity. And that’s why I’m very proud of my country. The different communities living in different parts of the country speak different languages. The languages differ from the Terai to the hills and the mountain regions. Some of the languages spoken here are Maithali, Bhojpuri, Awadhi, Magar, Rai, Gurung, Limbu, Sherpa, Tamang, Tharu, Newari, etc. All language spoken as the mother tongues in Nepal are the languages of Nepal and the Nepali language is the official language of Nepal. 45 Our Social Values and Norms

Bhotiyas and Sherpas mostly live in the high mountains, while Tharus, Maithalis, Bhojpuris and Rajbansis are the indigenous people of the Terai. Kathmandu valley is the traditional habitat of the Newars. The heritage of art and architecture of Nepal is the contribution of these people. Despite being different in caste, community and language, there is mutual co-operation and understanding among the people. Mutual respect for each other’s culture has resulted in cultural harmony and a feeling of nationality. One of the distinctive features of Nepali culture is its religious harmony. All the religions of Nepal get equal respect from the people. The people of Nepal have different cultures, festivals and rituals according to their caste and region. People living in the Himalaya region and high hilly areas celebrate Sonam Lhosar, Sakela, Sakewa, Nuwagi and Chamachasok. Similarly, people of mid-hills and the Kathmandu valley celebrate Teej, Buddha Jayanti, Sithi Nakha and several jatras. People celebrate Chhath, Maghi, Holi and Siruwa with joy in the Terai. Dashain and Tihar are observed throughout the country. All these festivals are our national festivals. Along with social and cultural diversity, there are natural, geographical and biological diversity in our country. There are about 6000 large and small rivers in Nepal which flow from the north to the south. There are several lakes throughout the country. Several species of birds, animals and plants that are rare in the world are found here. Like the spiny babbler, the one horned rhino, the wild buffalo (arna), the red panda, the Royal Bengal Tiger, etc. I hope my letter is as informative as yours. I would like to invite you to visit my country in your next holiday. You will be amazed to see the natural beauty of my country. It is a not less than paradise. Hope to see you soon in Nepal. Yours Saraswati KEY TERM Architecture : structural design, building, style Distinctive : unique, typical Diversity : variety Foothills : bottom of the hill Topography : landscape, geography 46 SOCIAL STUDIES AND POPULATION EDUCATION - BOOK 6

Evaluation Exercises 1. Think and write. a) Why do you follow your culture and tradition? Give three reasons. b) List the languages spoken in your community. c) Write about two customs or tradition of your community which needs to be reformed. d) Can you speak your mother tongue? e) Write a sentence in your mother tongue and also write its meaning. 2. Fill in the blanks: a) Nepal is a small country situated at the of the Himalayas. b) Diverse and climate have influenced the lifestyle, custom and tradition of the people of Nepal. c) The of Nepal differ from the terai to the hill and the mountain regions. d) Bhotiyas and mostly live in the high mountains. e) The most common feature of Nepali culture is to show to our parents, teachers and elders. f) One of the distinctive features of Nepali is its religious harmony. 3. Answer the following questions. a) Name some of the rare species of animals found in Nepal. b) What has led Nepal to be rich in custom and tradition? c) What has influenced the lifestyle of Nepali people? d) Why are we proud to call ourselves as Nepali? 4. Draw a full page outline map of Nepal. Collect the pictures of people belonging to various ethnic groups. Paste them on the map according to the respective areas of their settlement and write a brief note on one of them. In your community Collect information about the various cultures and traditions followed by the people in your community and present in class. Our Social Values and Norms 47

Lesson OUR CULTURAL HERITAGES 4 Nepal is multi-cultural country. So, several types of dresses, ornaments, folk music, folk dances, sculptures, etc are found here. They are our cultural heritages. Some of them are presented below. Traditional Dresses The traditional dresses of Nepalese people differ according to difference in caste, and geographical location. Daura-suruwal, bhoto, topi, kamij, dhoti, gamchha, pagari, pangden, aangi, bakkhu, gado, ghalek, tikiya (worn by Gurung community), bona, petani, mekhali, hakupatasi, gaman, klatoli (worn by Sunuwar community), ghanghar, lehenga, etc are the major traditional dresses worn by the people of Nepal. Traditional Ornaments Like traditional dress, Nepalese women wear various types of ornaments. Some of the important ornaments worn by Nepalese women are dhungri, bulaki, fuli, kalli, tilahari, naugedi, shirbandi, kampani mala, chandrahar, aunthi, nathuni, bichhiya, bichkini, mugamala, hasuli, cheptesun, etc. Traditional Dances Traditional dances of Nepal differ according to place and caste. Some of the traditional dances practised in different communities are deuda, balan, sangini, maruni, kaura, ghantu, selo, sakevasili, syabru, jhijhiya, samachakewa, dhan naach, dhangdhange naach, lakhe naach, jhangad naach, satar naach, chyabrung, baiarab naach, sabai, deusi, bhailo, sakhiya, sorathi, chanchari, malashree, hudkeli etc. Folk Musical Instruments Several folk musical instruments are played in different parts of Nepal. Some of the important folk music instruments are: panchai baja, madal, sarangi, binnayo, murchunga, tungna, dhol, jhyamta, yalambar, damphu, ektare, mridanga, dhime, majura, flute, damaru, etc. Painting (Chitrakala) Important paintings of Nepal are: book painting, wall painting, mithila painting and scroll painting (pauva chitra/thanka chitra). Architecture (Bastukala) The art dealing with a place of dwelling is called architecture. Various types of architectures are popular in Nepal such as: 48 SOCIAL STUDIES AND POPULATION EDUCATION - BOOK 6

Pagoda style: temple of Pashupatinath of Kathmandu, Nyatpol of Bhaktapur. Stupa or Chaitya style: Mayadevi temple of Lumbini, Swayambhunath, Bouddhanath. Shikhar style: Krishna Mandir of Patan. Gumbaj style/Mugal style: Janaki temple of Bouddhanath Janakpur. Sculpture (Murtikala) Making objects of different shapes, sizes and features of metal, stone, wood, clay, glasses, etc is called sculpture. Some examples of sculpture are: Stone sculpture: Budhanilkantha, Birupakshya. Budhanilkantha Metal sculpture: Statue of Buddha, statue of various God and Goddesses. Wood sculpture: The statues craved on the wooden door and other wooden parts of the temples of Nepal. Clay sculpture (Terracotta Sculpture): People of terai region make the statues of various God and Goddesses during Dashain and Tihar. Typical Nepali Utensils Different types of utensils are used in our household such as Karuwa, Amkhora, Surahi, Khadkula, Anti, Gagri, Kanse Thal, Tapke, Kachaura, etc. Typical Nepali production Anti Many kinds of goods are produced in Nepal. Some of the typical Nepali production are: Nepali paper, Dhaka cloth, Dhaka Topi, Khukuri, Sukul, Gundri, Radi-Pakhi, Doko, Dalo, Namlo, Gundruk, Nanglo, Daliya, Bichhana, Suppo, Theki, Madani, Dhiki, etc. Typical Nepali Rituals From the birth to death, Nepalese people perform several rituals Theki such as Chhaithi, Nwaran, pasni, chhewar, bratabandha, ihin, bhim ratharohan, ghewa, shuddhain, hakika, janaja (ritual of Islam people), mundan (practice among the Brahmin of Terai) etc. Our Social Values and Norms 49

KEY TERM Ritual : ceremony, custom Scroll painting : painting made on the cloths, like Thanka Sculpture : statue, monument, carving Thanka : painting made on the cloths Evaluation Exercises 1. Think and write. a) Name the traditional dresses worn in your community. b) What traditional ornaments are worn by the female members of your family? Name them. c) What rituals are practised in your home? List them. d) Which Nepali musical instruments do you like the most? Name them. 2. Write very short answer of the following questions. a) What is Thanka? b) Name any two typical Nepali utensils used at your home. c) In which place of Nepal, Deuda dance is practiced? d) Name any two folk musical instruments of Nepal. e) Which religion is Janaja related to? f) What is sculpture? 3. Write short answer of the following questions. a) Name the traditional dresses and ornaments worn in your family. b) Name any five popular folk musical instruments played in Nepal. c) What types of sculpture are found in Nepal? Write one example of each of them. d) Write a folk song practiced in your society. Classroom Activities a) Sing a folk song which is popular in your community. b) Bring a typical Nepali utensil used in your home and compare it with your friends. Find out the similarity and differences between the utensils. 50 SOCIAL STUDIES AND POPULATION EDUCATION - BOOK 6