Lesson Special Features of
Nepali Customs and
2.7
Pre-reading Activities Traditions
If you were to pick a few things that truly represent Nepal, what would they be
and why?
Reading
In lesson two of this
unit, you learned about
cultural and religious
customs of our country.
You also learned about
the customs and rituals
specific to different
castes and religions.
Customs are not only
related to religion and
culture. Customs include
profession, language,
attires and food habits as
well.
Nepal is a country that features multiple languages, religions, castes and
cultures. So, naturally there are various such practices in Nepal. But despite
the diversity of customs and traditions, there are certain practices common
to all Nepali people irrespective of their castes and religions. We respect our
guests and regard them well. We make temples and chautaris (resting places on
the pathways) for wayfarers. We believe that giving to the poor and helpless
brings us respect and virtue. So we dig wells, make taps along the tracks so that
wayfarers can drink water and quench their thirst. We plant bar and pipal trees,
around temples. We help each other in need. We participate in neighbours'
cultural rituals. Likewise, we share labour and borrow and lend essential
Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7 51
goods among neighbours. These days women's groups, children’s clubs, and
religious clubs are formed in villages. Members of these clubs get united and
work for development.
Nepali costumes and jewelry are unique in the world. Let's discuss about them.
Special costumes
Nepali people wear different dresses on
different cultural and religious occasions.
Our dress patterns are different in different
castes. The clothes worn by people from a
particular community are collectively
known as costume. There are various
costumes in Nepal. For example, women in
the hills wear sari, blouse, shawl, patuka,
frocks, etc. Men wear Daura suruwal, shirt, pajamas, etc. Women in Himalayan
region wear pangden. Muslim women wear Burka. Gurung, Magar and
Tamang women wear ghalek and tikiya. Sherpa, Tamang and Gurung men
wear special dress called bakkhu.
Jewelry/Ornaments
You may have seen your parents wear rings
in fingers, bracelets round wrists, necklace
round the neck, etc. People wear various
objects to add to physical beauty. We call such
objects ornaments and jewelry. Ornaments
and jewelry reflect our culture and traditions.
As a nation of diverse castes, people in Nepal
also wear different ornaments and jewelry.
Mostly, Nepali jewelry is made of gold, silver
and precious stones. Brahmin, Chhetri, Gurung, Rai, Magar and Limbu women
wear sirbandi, dhungri, phuli, bulaki, tilahari and naugedi. Newari women wear
makashi. Hasuli (worn round the neck) is common in Terai. Most women wear
bracelets, pote, dhago, clips, etc.
Free the Words
irrespective of : without considering something
person who travels from one place to another on foot
wayfarer : things with special features
unique :
52 Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7
In-class Activities
Which community or caste do you belong to? Make a list of special costumes
and ornaments people in your community wear. Then, state how such costumes
and ornaments are important part of the culture.
Exercise
1. Complete the table below with the costume and ornament details worn
by your family members.
Family members Ornaments Costumes
Grandfather
Grandmother
Father
Mother
Sister/Brother
2. Answer these questions.
a. What does custom include?
b. What is costume?
c. What are the special features of Nepali cultures?
d. Write about the dresses and ornaments women of the hills wear.
e. Costumes and ornaments used by Nepali people reflect the diversity
of the country. Justify this statement.
3. Can you make some sketches of special dresses and ornaments of
Nepali people? Try a few.
4. Make a list of costumes and ornaments worn by people of your
community.
Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7 53
Lesson
2.8
Nepali Folk Culture
Pre-reading Activities
Name songs or dances you particularly enjoy. Pick one song or dance and perform
to the class.
Reading
Neeta is on her way home from school. She finds an American tourist humming
the tune Resham firiri …. How come a foreigner knows this popular tune?
Neeta wonders. She decides to have a conversation with the tourist.
Neeta : Hello, good afternoon. I'm Neeta.
Foreigner : Hello, I'm Alex. Nice to meet you.
Neeta : Nice to meet you too. I liked the tune
you were humming just now.
Foreigner : Oh, did you? I heard this tune in
Thamel, when I arrived in Nepal
one week ago. I liked it.
Neeta : Did you, really? That's one of the
most popular folk songs of Nepal.
I'm happy that you like it.
Foreigner : You seem to know many things about folk culture here. Can
you explain more?
Neeta : Look Alex, our culture, tradition, music, art, folklore faith,
religion have their roots in the past. In fact, these things were
handed down to us from generations to generations. This
includes our folk music, folklore, folk dance, etc. Collectively
we call them our folk culture.
54 Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7
Foreigner : Folk culture? I know American folk culture. But don't know
Neeta : your country’s.
Foreigner : Folk culture is based on beliefs of ordinary people of a particular
Neeta : community.
That sounds interesting. Please tell me more.
Foreigner : Let me start with folk song then.
Neeta : Nepali folk songs reflect joys and
sufferings of ordinary people.
Foreigner : Folk songs are more popular
Neeta : among people of the rural areas.
They are so touching. Some of
Foreigner : those songs make the listeners
Neeta : emotional.
Foreigner : I see, can you give some examples?
Neeta : Prayer song, ratteuli song, teej song, gaura song, deusi bhailo
song are some of them. Jhyaure, kaura, maruni, sorathi, deuda
Foreigner : are others. These songs are sung with wonderful musical
instruments.
Such as ……..
The most common is the madal. It is carried round the waist
and played by both hands. Sarangi is another. People of
Ganadharva community play this instrument. Panche baja and
naumati baja (band comprising five and nine different musical
instruments), binayo, murchunga are folk musical instruments.
What about folk music tune?
Popular folk tunes are Malashri, Sorathi and Brijbhar.
Now you must tell me about folk dances as well.
Sure. You can watch different types of folk dances in Nepal. You
may find some of the names I'm going to tell very unfamiliar.
But these are the folk dances of Nepal: Deusi bhailo, deuda,
balan, sangini, maruni, kauda, ghatu, khyali, selo, sakela,
jhijhiya, bagbhairav nach, lama nach, dhan nach, lakhe nach,
kattik nach, satar nach, hudke nach, basanta, sabai…. in fact,
there are so many.
It seems I can learn a great many things from you. Do you
mind if I come to your home?
Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7 55
Neeta : Not at all. I'll introduce you to my parents. They can tell you
more about our culture. Please come with me.
humming Free the Words
folklore : the act of singing with closed lips
touching : traditional stories of a particular community
: making one feel emotional
In-class Activities
Divide the class into 4-5 small groups. As a group, select a folk song that you
think best reflects the culture of Nepal or a particular region. Then, as a group,
present the song (singing) to the class. Have a discussion as to how this song
represents the culture.
Exercise
1. Answer these questions.
a. What is folk culture? What does it include?
b. What is folk culture based on?
c. What are folk songs?
d. What do folk songs talk about?
e. Write a folk song that is popular in your community.
f. What is folk music tune? Write any two folk music tune popular at
local level.
g. What is folk dance? Write any four folk dances.
h. What is Panche baja? Name the instruments that it comprises.
2. At present how is the condition of folk songs in your community? Write
any four ways to preserve them.
3. Make a list of folk songs, dances and musical instruments that are
popular in your community and present one of them in the class.
4. Which is your favourite folk song? How often do you sing it? Write first
stanza of the song.
5. Sing folk songs in the class.
56 Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7
Unit Revision
In this unit, we have learnt that:
• Nepal has many religious traditions but there is mutual respect and
tolerance among people who follow diverse religious traditions.
• Social customs, rites, and rituals are important for the society to function;
such social customs tend to be specific to a community.
• the constitution has made a provision that everyone is free to practise their
own religion and culture.
• we have many caste-specific customs which make our culture diverse.
• we take inspiration from the life of national personalties who have
significantly contributed to the nation.
• respect to each other and mutual appreciation of each other's culture is the
special feature of Nepali society.
Community Projects for This Unit
1. Think about religious/cultural ritual you have experienced or observed
and describe the whole process in a sheet of chart-paper and present it to
your teacher.
2. Think about most popular folk song in your community. Then make a
group of few friends and sing it in the class. You have to play the musical
instruments yourself. Some of you may dance as others sing and clap.
(Ask your teacher to organize a folk music competition.)
3. Like the historical/political personalities you read in this unit, there
may be some in your community who have contributed for the country.
Identify them and prepare a short profile.
Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7 57
Unit
3
Social Evils/Problems
and Their Solutions
Learning Objectives
After the completion of this unit, students will be able to:
• identify social evils and social problems caused by superstition.
• raise voice against the wrong practices of spending unnecessarily in the
name of social and religious functions.
• raise awareness against human trafficking and participate in and lend support to
the initiatives of national and international organizations to fight the social evils.
• help manage conflict in the family and the society.
• understand the role of media and communication in conflict management.
• find ways to ensure lasting peace and understand the importance of peace.
58 Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7
Lesson Socials Evils
3.1
Pre-reading Activities
Make a list of social evils that you know. Then explain why you think they are
social evils.
Reading
Child marriage rampant in Dom community
MAHOTTARI, December 8: Sound
of traditional musical instruments
blared out of the small house in
Matihani early in the morning.
It was occasionally punctuated
by thunderous laughter of those
indulged in drunken reveling.
Any wedding party is a pleasant
sight—even at otherwise gloomy,
impoverished locality of the Doms,
the most oppressed community in
the Terai.
Child marriage is rampant in the backward Dom community in the district
although the minimum marriageable age for groom and bride according to the
Muluki Ain is 20 years.
But the real irony of the situation was that they were celebrating marriage of
11-year-old Bina Kumari Dom with Roshan Dom, who is just a year older.
Before the children could fully understand what the elders were up to, the
priest pronounced them husband and wife.
Notwithstanding the effort of the government and various rights organizations
Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7 59
to eradicate child marriage in the country, the social evil continues unabated
among the Dom communities in the district.
When asked why they were marrying off their children, the parents argued
that early marriage will help them take up responsibility early in their life.
"We don't know what the future holds for them. They might land up with
wrong people. So it is better if they get married and settle down early in their
life and take up family responsibility," said one of the parents.
So ignorant are some of these people that they are completely unaware that
child marriage is a punishable offense.
To make the matter worse, marriage is a pretty expensive affair, especially for
the bride's family, owing to the dowry system that pervades the region.
Bina's family offered a bicycle, few gold ornaments, Rs. 25,500 as dowry,
besides spending Rs. 300,000 for the wedding reception.
"Most of the money was spent on food, musical band, and the transportation
of the wedding party," said Bina's father Jhagaru Dom.
[Text and photo: Republica, December 9, 2013 ]
Woman kills self under dowry heat
PARSA, AUGUST 06
A young woman committed
suicide in Bhisawa of Parsa
on Sunday night upon
learning that her parents
had mortgaged their house
to arrange for the dowry
demanded by the family of
the man she was to marry.
The 22-year-old had
mentioned in her suicide
note that she could not see her parents lose their house at the cost of her
marriage.
The victim, who was studying for a Master's degree, was to marry the man, a
bank manager, from Muzaffarpur in India.
60 Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7
According to the neighbors, the
woman and her parents were in a
state of stress after the family of the
groom-to-be made dowry demand
that was beyond their means. The
woman's father had then put up
the house as collateral for a loan.
Sita Devkota, a local social activist,
said the practice of dowry has set
its root in the society, prompting
the incidents of suicide, murder
and domestic violence.
"It's sad that an educated woman should take her life over dowry pressure,"
she said.
According to her observation, family of an educated woman is likely to
pay larger dowry amount to the groom side compared to the family of an
uneducated woman. For the very reason, Devkota said, the parents in some of
the Tarai communities discourage their daughters from receiving an education.
The anti-dowry campaign run in Parsa has not made any progress, as the
people, especially the parents, are unwilling to let go of traditional thinking
and practice. Offering or demanding dowry during marriage is the norm of
the society that they should adhere to.
"A woman dies because her parents are unable to meet the dowry demand
made by her future husband and his family, but this does not affect the society
because they are used to following this practice," said Deputy Superintendent
of Police Basudev Khatiwada.
"Dowry-related deaths are quite common in this part and it's worrying."
Text: The Kathmandu Post, August. 7, 2013
The above reports illustrate only two kinds of social evils. There are many
other such evils which have affected our society badly. In many rural and
even urban households, there exists various socials evils like untouchability,
discrimination between sons and daughters, discrimination based on caste,
Chhaupadi, mismatch marriage, etc. When we come to know about such
problems we need to report them to the police stations and social organizations.
Unless such problems are addressed, our country will remain backward for long.
Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7 61
Free the Words
blare out : produce loud sound
punctuate : stop for a short time
reveling : celebrate noisily
gloomy : filled with sadness
impoverished : very poor
out of control
rampant :
In-class Activities
Get into a group of 4-5 students. Make a list of social evils that are not mentioned
in this lesson. Select one social evil and suggest ways to solve the problem of this
social evil. Share your ideas with the class.
Exercise
1. Match the following.
A B
Dom dowry death
Roshan/Bina Kumari marriageable age for boy and girl
20 years according to law
young groom and bride
Killing oneself because of dowry oppressed community of Terai
2. Write True or False against the following statements.
a. Roshan Dom and Bina Kumari are marrying out of their
own will.
b. People in Dom community know child marriage is a
punishable offense.
c. Marriage becomes an expensive affair because of dowry.
d. The young woman was going to marry an Indian banker.
62 Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7
e. She committed suicide because the would-be groom
demanded a huge dowry.
f. Anti-dowry campaigns are being effective in Terai.
3. Answer the following questions.
a. What is the marriageable age for boy and girl according to the law?
b. Why do the parents marry off their children at a young age?
c. What did Bina's family give to Roshan's family in dowry?
d. Why did the young woman of Parsa district commit suicide?
e. What may be the reasons behind the growth of social problems and
evils?
4. What should be done to address the problems mentioned in the news
reports above? Write an essay and read it out in the school assembly.
5. Make a similar news as in the text that reflect social evils.
Project work:
1. Visit a person in your community who has been a victim of social evils
or problems. Seek solutions to the problem.
Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7 63
Lesson Know the Social
Problems
3.2
Pre-reading Activities
Imagine someone in your neighbourhood gets drunk everyday. The person
disturbs the entire neighbourhood all night along. Think of some ways of solving
this problem and share with the class.
Reading
Daughter 'sold' to Indian brothel by dad
SURKHET, Jan 18
A 19-year-old woman from
Maintada VDC -3 in the district
has claimed that she was sold to
an Indian brothel by her father
for IRs 15,000.
Superintendent of Police (SP)
Bishwa Niranjan Pradhan of
the District Police Office said
the woman filed a complaint
against her father and couple
of others upon returning from
India recently.
The young woman spent more than two years in a brothel run by one Mamata
Badi in Delhi before finally being rescued from the place by one of her
customers, who went on to become her husband.
Based on the woman's complaint, police have arrested her father Parshuram
Budathoki Mizar and others—Bisey Kami, Om Mizar and Tulasi Badi—for
64 Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7
investigation. SP Pradhan said some of the suspects are absconding.
Among the arrestees, Tulasi is said to be the mother of the brothel keeper
Mamata while Bisey and Om are said to be Tulasi's aides.
The woman said after getting out from the red light area she married the
man who rescued her. Parshuram had reached Delhi upon learning about his
daughter's marriage and reportedly extorted IRs 10,000 from his new son-in-
law accusing him of cutting off his source of income.
The woman revealed her story when she was stopped by police at the
bordering village of Chhinchu as she was headed for India with an Indian
man, her husband. She recounted her time in Delhi before the police and said
she decided to expose her father after he reportedly threatened and expelled
her from the house when she was visiting the village with her husband.
Police Inspector Ramesh Tamang said they had stopped the woman and the
Indian national suspecting if she was being trafficked. The couple had with
them marriage document to prove they were in fact partners.
Text: The Kathmandu Post, January 1, 2013
We often hear such news of human trafficking. It is a heinous act and we must
go against such act. The following activities can be carried out to stop human
trafficking:
– Conduct literacy and awareness programs
– Strict punishment to those who are involved in human trafficking
– Active concern of the local people on the issue
– Find out the network of traffickers and report to the police
– Active involvement of local organizations, civil society, and other agencies to
fight against the problem
– Provide job opportunities to unemployed people
– Find out the root cause of the problem and seek solution to it
Free the Words
brothel : a building where prostitutes are available
rescue : free from harm or evil
investigation : the work of inquiring into something
suspect : the person being accused of crime
abscond : run away
Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7 65
In-class Activities
Get into small groups of 4-5 students. As a group research on a recent news on
girl-trafficking. In your group discuss what happened, what caused the event,
and how it can be solved.
Exercise
1. Write True or False against the following statements.
a. The 19-year old woman was sold for Indian Rs. 15,000.
b. The woman married the man who rescued her from brothel.
c. The woman's husband is Nepali.
d. The woman's father is happy to see his daughter free.
e. The news story is about women trafficking.
2. Match the following. B
A SP, Surkhet
Maintada Village the main perpetrator
Mamata Badi brothel operator
Parshuram Budhathoki the woman's village
Bishwa Niranjan Pradhan
3. Answer these questions.
a. What are the major factors to cause incidents like the one described
in the above news?
b. What kind of social problem does the news report highlight?
c. What should be done to solve the problem mentioned in the news?
d. 'Human trafficking is a henious crime.' Justify the statement.
e. Compose a song or a poem to create awareness against girl trafficking.
Project work:
4. With the help of elders and your teacher, prepare a similar news
report on an event (real or imagined). The news should be related to
social problems.
66 Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7
Lesson Causes of Social
Evils/Problems
3.3
Pre-reading Activities
What are some of the superstitions you personally observe? What kinds of
superstition does your family believe? For example, do you have rules such as
"don't cross the road if a cat crosses before you" or "don't eat with your one hand
on the forehead"? If so, list them and write why you believe in such ideas?
Reading
Mohanlal has four children. All of them are
daughters. Mohanlal is a poor man. He has a
small piece of land to work on, nothing more.
His wife works at home. He has not been
able to send any of his daughters to school.
His daughters’ future is gloomy. Mohanlal is
not bothered about it. He is sad that he does
not have a son. When asked, “Why did you
produce these many daughters?” Mohanlal replies, “Without a son, we’ll not
get to reach heaven. Son secures my passage to heaven after death. I won’t
give up hope. Perhaps my next child will be a son.”
Anyone can understand that belief in superstition and ignorance are the main
causes of problems in Mohanlal's family. There are several social evils prevalent
in Nepal. Let us look into some social evils, their causes and remedial measures
to address them.
S.N. Social evils/ Causes Remedial measures
problems
1. Early marriage/ poverty/superstition/ raising awareness / creating
child marriage misinterpretation of jobs / outlawing these
religion and tradition practices/ educating the
people about legal provisions
Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7 67
2. Discrimination superstition/ equality between girls and
between son traditional belief boys/ encouraging all to seek
and daughter/ system/ right to their rights/ granting property
preference to parental property rights to daughters
son
3. Dowry system lack of awareness/ prohibiting giving and taking
tendency to immitate of dowry/educating both girls
others and boys/raising awareness
4. Belief in lack of education/ raising awareness through
witchcraft, awareness/ social organizations/
shamanism superstition boycotting those who practice
witchcraft/ booking them to
law
5. Extravagance desire to show convincing those who engage
off/ irresponsible in extravagance not to do so/
tendency telling them about good things
of being economical
6. Drinking/ wrong practices in prohibiting such practices by
gambling the name of religion forming women's groups/
and tradition/ ostracizing those who drink
unemployment/ and gamble/ creating jobs/
idleness/ bad avoiding company of bad
company/ women's people
tendency to tolerate
things/ lack of
implementation of
laws
Free the Words
bothered : worried
sire : to be father of children
extravagance : habit of spending more money than one can afford to
In-class Activities
Think of an event related to superstition such as witchcraft etc. and briefly write
why people believe in such practices. Also suggest how you can help people give
up their superstition.
68 Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7
Exercise
1. State the causes and offer the remedial measures for social evils/
problems listed below.
S.N. Social evils/problems Causes Remedial measures
1. Early marriage
2. Drug addiction
3. Neglecting elderly people
4. Black marketing
5. Smoking in the public places
6. Hooliganism
2. Develop the information in the above table into paragraphs. First one
is done for you.
Early marriage is a social problem of our country. Poverty, superstition, and
misinterpretation of religious and social tradition encourage people to marry off young
children. To address this problem, we need to raise awareness, create jobs, outlaw such
practices and also educate the people about the legal provision regarding this practice.
3. Unnecessary spending during the festivals makes people poorer.
Explain.
4. Identify the family which is facing one of the problems discussed
above. Note the causes of the problem and also suggest remedial
measures.
5. Read the news story
alongside and identify
the cause of this
problem.
Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7 69
Lesson Social Problems/Evils
and Their Solutions
3.4
Pre-reading Activities
As a class, pick a social evil that you think is very harmful to society. Then divide
the class into two groups. One group suggests causes for the evil and another
group suggests ways to solve the problems.
Reading
The following is a report prepared on the basis of social problems evils
discussed in previous lessons. Read the report.
Report on Social Problems and Evils Prepared by Community Initiative
Introduction
Nepal is the home to people belonging to various castes, cultures, religions,
languages and customs. People follow different customs and are engaged
in different professions. Such diversity is a feature of our country. Nepali
cultural practices have many positive aspects. Nepali people live in a
community. They help each other in need. They regard guests like gods
and respect elderly people and love juniors. But Nepali society is beset with
some serious social problems and evils. This report has been prepared to
study those problems, identify the causes of those problems and find their
solutions.
Objectives of the report
• To identify the social problems and evils and list them
• To collect views and opinions of people to solve those problems
Methodology of the report
• Preparing the list of questionnaire, grouping them under separate headings
and asking those questionnaire to community people
• Collecting the views and information from the community people and
making final list of serious evils and problems
70 Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7
• Preparing the final report based on the response to the questions and
making the report public
Questionnaire
• What do you think are the existing social problems and evils in your
community?
• What are the causes of those problems? What are the solutions?
• What role can a school and other social service organizations play to solve
those problems?
• What else do you have to say about the above issue?
• Name of the respondent …................… Age : ….................... Sex : ….............…
Response/Information from the community people
Respondents identified various issues as social evils and problems. They
are as follows: superstition, sexual violence, labour exploitation, smoking,
drinking alcohol, child labour, addiction, extravagance, smuggling of
drugs, discrimination between men and woman and sons and daughters,
discrimination between rich and poor, neglect of the elderly, helpless
and poor, human trafficking, dowry system, donation spree, gambling,
human organ trafficking, theft, haliya system, untouchability, etc.
Causes of these evils and problems
The respondents suggested identifying the causes of these problems
before taking remedial measures. The causes of the problems are as
follows:
• Traditional belief system, superstition
• Population growth, migration
• Caste, class and gender discrimination
• Poverty, unemployment
• Lack of access to education and opportunities
• Impunity
Remedial measures
• There should be access to education and opportunities for all.
• Programmes should be launched to alleviate poverty.
Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7 71
• Measures should be taken to control population growth and awareness
programmes should be launched.
• People should be given skills and training and employment opportunities
should be created.
• There should be equal distribution of national income and resources to all.
• State of impunity should be brought to an end.
Conclusion
Local communities, social service organizations and civil society groups
should work together to implement the measures suggested by the
people. Schools and social organizations should launch awareness
programmes and take them to the grassroots level.
Free the Words
questionnaire : set of questions
a person who answers questions in a survey
respondent : to make something less severe
tending for the improvement
alleviate : a state in which a person is not punished for wrongdoing
to apply, to make something effective
remedial :
impunity :
implement :
In-class Activities
Get into small groups. As a group, select a social evil that really interests you.
Then prepare a set of questions to know more about the evil. Ask at least seven
people, including your teacher. Based on their responses, write a brief report on
the evil.
72 Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7
Exercise
1. Match the following.
Identifying social evils cause of social problems
Questionnaire objective of the report
Poverty, unemployment report methodology
Education, opportunities remedial measures
2. Suppose that you are preparing a report on child labour. Prepare five
questions to be asked to the respondents.
a. .............................................................................................................. .
b. ............................................................................................................. .
c. ............................................................................................................. .
d. ............................................................................................................. .
e. ............................................................................................................. .
3. Answer these questions.
a. What is the report about?
b. What are the two main objectives of the above report?
c. What are the most severe social evils identified by the respondents
in the report?
d. Write down any four reasons behind social problems and evils.
e. List the remedial measures to address the social evils.
f. List out the major social problems and evils that exist in your
community.
Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7 73
Lesson Role of Schools and Social
Organizations in Addressing
3.5
Social Problems
Pre-reading Activities
As a student, what can be your role in making your family and community aware
of prevalent social evils? What can you do to solve social evils?
Reading
Neeti talks to her brother about social problems and role of students, schools
and social organizations in minimizing them.
Neeti : You know what
Ramesh, I am really
frustrated reading
about dowry deaths,
child labour and
trafficking in the
newspapers.
Ramesh : You don't need to be.
You can change the
situation. I mean you
can help change it if
you want, and your
school can play a vital
role in this.
Neeti : Are you serious? How
can I?
Ramesh : If you are disciplined, if
you understand your duties and responsibilities, if you respect
elderly people, if you tell the people of your community about
the bad impacts of social problems it will also help to raise
awareness among people. This is how you can help.
74 Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7
Neeti : Hmm. But what can a school do? School like mine in particular?
Ramesh : Look. A school is a symbol of civilization, progress, learning,
change and creativity. It teaches you to be disciplined. It teaches
you to preserve good traditional practices and avoid the bad
ones. Besides, good education makes citizens moral. If students
and teachers of school develop good social conduct, they can
set examples as role models of the society. People will look up
to such students and teachers and follow their conduct.
Neeti : That sounds impressive. Please tell me more.
Remesh : Students can develop a habit of sharing and helping others
in need through extra-curricular activities of school.
Such activities develop the feeling of collectivity and equality
in students. Only when students feel respected and equal
among themselves, they can spread this message to others.
Neeti : I agree. But are schools and students only agents to render
social change?
Remesh : Not really. There are social service organizations and
development organizations which make plans and
programmes to eliminate social ills. Such organizations can
work in the local levels too.
Neeti : I didn't get it. Please elaborate.
Ramesh : Local organizations like local clubs, religious organizations
like temples, guthis, mosques work to address social
problems. National organizations like Maiti Nepal, Paropakar
Sanstha help. Likewise International Organizations like Save
the Children, UNICEF, ILO, USAID also launch programmes
to educate people in Nepal. Then there are professional and
business organizations which work for charity and social
service. In fact, there are many such organizations in Nepal.
Neeti : Thank you so much, Ramesh. I'll discuss all these issues with
my teacher in school tomorrow.
frustrated Free the Words
elaborate : feeling annoyed because you cannot do something
render : explain
: cause to become
Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7 75
In-class Activities
Read the
news report
alongside and
write how
Maiti Nepal
is working to
address social
problems.
Exercise
1. Based on the conversation between Neeti and Ramesh, state whether
the following statements are True or False.
a. Students can become the agents of change in the society.
b. Students need to be the role models of the society.
c. Schools can't help in spreading awareness against social evils.
d. Guthi, temple, etc are the examples of national organizations.
e. ILO, USAID are local organizations.
2. Answer these questions.
a. List the local organizations working for social cause in your community.
b. Neeti mentions dowry death, child labour and human trafficking.
Think of similar problems of your society and mention them.
c. A school is a symbol of civilization and learning. Justify this statement.
d. How does a school help to solve social problems?
3. Write a letter to a social organization (national or international)
requesting it to address social problems. Discuss with your teacher
and identify the problem first.
76 Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7
Lesson Misunderstanding:
A Cause of Conflict
3.6
Pre-reading Activities
Think of an incident in which you misunderstood someone or you falsely
blamed someone for wrongdoing. Then explain what exactly happened and
how you felt about it. Share your experience with the class.
Reading
Sagar and Meena
are good friends.
But they are not
speaking for three
days. Sagar had
asked Meena to help
him with his project
work. She agreed to
do so. But she didn't
come to school on
Sunday. When she
did on Monday she
didn't speak to Sagar.
In fact, she spoke to no one that day. Sagar thought she ignored him so that she
didn't have to help him. He shared this with his friends. They all said the same
"Meena doesn't want to help you. So she is ignoring you." It went all round the
class. Everyone said the same thing. Sagar felt hurt. He decided not to speak
to her, too. Meena was equally hurt to know that Sagar had thought bad of her.
They stopped saying 'hello' to each other. Good friendship came to an end in
just three days.
In fact, Meena didn't ignore Sagar. The truth was her mother was ill at hospital.
Meena had quite a tough time in those days. She was worried about her
mother and had to manage household work and then come to school as well.
Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7 77
So, she remained quiet. She didn't feel like speaking to anyone in the class.
No one asked her how she was doing. She didn't think it a good idea to share
her family matter with the class as well. The school principal had noticed this
change in Meena. He called her to his office and had a friendly talk. Meena told
everything to the principal. The principal offered to go to the hospital to see
her mother. Meena felt happy. Later everyone came to know the truth. Sagar
came to know about it as well. He went up to Meena and said sorry for getting
her wrong. Meena regretted that Sagar believed in this misinterpretation of
event. He should have tried to find the real reason, she said.
The above anecdote shows the result of faulty communication. In a faulty
communication, we misinterpret the situation, and people's behaviour.
Thus someone might consider a remark as an insult where none was
given. Silence can be misinterpreted and understood as an act of hostility.
A good gesture of friendship may be understood as a design to cause harm.
When such misunderstanding and misinterpretation are spread like "truth"
by the people, the media and newspaper, it makes the situation worse. The
distance between two parties widens. And conflict arises. Thus, we must be
cautious about faulty communication.
Free the Words
regret : to feel sorry about something
misinterpret : to understand something wrongly
anecdote : a short account of a real incident
hostility : unfriendly, bitter feelings between two parties
In-class Activities
Get into small groups. Imagine that two of your friends stopped talking to each
other. They even quarreled in public. As a group, you need to bring the friends
together and reconcile them. Explain how you would do that. Take clues from
the lesson.
78 Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7
Exercise
1. Rewrite the following sentences in order.
a. Sagar asked Meena to help him.
b. Meena came to school two days later.
c. Meena had to attend her mother at hospital.
d. Everyone misinterpreted Meena's silence.
e. Meena didn't speak to anyone in the class.
f. They felt sorry for Meena.
g. The principal found the truth behind Meena's silence.
2. Answer the following questions.
a. Why did Meena not attend school for two days?
b. What did Sagar and other friends think about Meena's silence?
c. How did they spread this news in the class? How did it affect Sagar
and Meena?
d. How did the conflict between Meena and Sagar come to an end?
3. What is faulty communication? How does it lead to a situation of
conflict?
4. What would have happened if the cause of conflict between Meena
and Sagar had not been identified and addressed in time?
5. 'There remains cordial relation between individuals and organizations
if internal conflict is managed in time.' Justify the statement.
6. In your community there may be examples of conflict due to faulty
communication among different individuals. If so, find it and suggest
some ways to solve the problem.
Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7 79
Lesson
3.7 Conflict Management
Pre-reading Activities
Is conflict always bad? Can conflict be a good thing? In what situations do you
think conflict can indeed be a good thing? Give some examples.
Reading
In the previous lesson Sagar and Meena were in conflict. A conflict is a situation
in which two persons or groups argue or have a fight. They misinterpret and
misunderstand the situation. This finally leads to conflict. Conflict is a negative
stressful experience. It can lead to verbal and physical violence. It can be nasty.
When conflict between two nations intensifies, it can lead to war. In this lesson,
you'll learn about causes of conflict and ways to manage it.
Solving Conflict
Several factors can cause conflict. When people do not get correct information,
they feel badly about the situation. They may even be angry (remember Sagar
and Meena's case). When the right information is not disseminated in time it
can also cause misunderstanding between two parties. Likewise, when wrong
messages are spread without knowing the truth it can make the situation
much worse. Sometimes people do not know what they are thinking about
because there is no communication between the two. It's called the situation
80 Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7
of blocked communication. It
can also contribute to conflict.
Not respecting others, clash of
interest and arguments between
two persons or groups can also
lead to conflict. There are other
factors of conflict. Weakness
in management, external
pressures, use of force, political
interference, discriminatory
behaviour, misunderstanding
and lack of proper guidelines
are some of them.
Conflict can be resolved. It must be. If conflict is not resolved in time, it can lead
to very serious consequences, even war and physical violence. First, we need
to understand the causes of conflict and create an atmosphere for minimizing
conflict. For this we should regard each other with respect. Parties in conflict
should listen to each other patiently. When they have to put their views, they
should do so in a clear language. They should also keep friendly relation with
each other. The two parties should be transparent about their dealings. And
above all, they should communicate in positive spirit and spread a clear and
positive message.
Free the Words
verbal : in words
to increase in degree
intensify : to spread information
unfair
disseminate :
discriminatory :
In-class Activities
In a small group of 4-5 students, discuss the possible causes of conflict during the
period of Maoist Insurgency in Nepal. Then, interview five persons randomly,
other than your teachers and fellow friends, asking what they think are the reasons
behind the conflict. Compare and contrast to see whether your ideas match with
that of the people you have interviewed.
Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7 81
Exercise
1. Fill in the blanks.
a. A conflict is a situation in which two ............................ .
b. Conflict can lead to............................ violence.
c. Conflict between nations can ............................ .
d. Blocked communication is a situation when ............................ .
e. ............................ it can lead to serious war.
2. Match causes of conflict in A with their solutions in B.
A B
Discriminatory behaviour communicating in clear language
Faulty communication equal treatment
Imposing one's views honoring other's sentiments
Insulting opponents listening to others
3. Answer these questions.
a. How do you define conflict?
b. Why is conflict a bad situation?
c. What should be done not to let the conflict create?
d. State three major factors that cause conflict.
e. How can conflict be resolved? Mention three ways.
4. How would you resolve the conflict if you were in Meena or Sagar's
situation?
5. What will be the consequences of conflict between teachers and
students? Explain.
6. List out the probable impacts of conflict created within the family
members or neighbours. Write down the possible ways to solve these
problems.
82 Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7
Lesson
3.8 Importance of Peace
Pre-reading Activities
Below is a picture of two famous Nepali politicians signing a document to solve
conflict and bring peace in the country. Do you know them? Who are they? What
kind of conflict do you think are they formally ending?
Reading
Is it possible that you get respect and love, you can do whatever you like
without causing any harms to others, you respect each other, you get happiness
and justice, there is no fear of injustice, conflict, violence, war and people help
each other, in which they are free? Can such things ever be possible? You may
be thinking. But such a situation is possible. Such a situation is situation of
perfect peace. When there is peace, a person can get love and respect, enjoy the
fundamental rights and live without the fear of violence, war and conflict. Thus
peace is a situation in which an individual can live with dignity, justice, rights,
mutual respect and there is no danger of violence, war and conflict.
Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7 83
But where on earth does such place exist where there is perfect peace? You
may be wondering. There are places ravaged by war and violence in the world.
There are societies in which a person is not respected. This is because the basic
elements of peace are lacking in those societies. Peace cannot be achieved in
absence of inclusion, shared understanding, cooperation, active hearing, rule
of law, mutual respect, equality, social justice, transparency, positive thinking,
security, democratic culture, tolerance, and fulfillment of basic needs. In other
words, these are the basic elements of peace.
Peace is the first condition for development of society and country.
But how can we attain it? There are certain conditions. First of all,
people should be peace loving in themselves. They should be at peace
internally. Thus when all the people stay in peace, peace can be attainable.
Human community is very important for peace. When people respect others
and themselves, when they develop positive attitude and treat others with
respect, when they do not harm others, and when they do not engage in acts
that harm the society, there will be peace in the society. Only talking about
peace but not acting to attain it won’t help us achieve it.
Peace is the most important condition for school. In fact, schools are called
"zone of peace" by laws. But the laws alone cannot ensure peace at school.
To make school a true zone of peace, we need to do some of these things.
There should be fearless atmosphere; every student should be disciplined;
Everybody at school should speak politely with each other and show good
conduct. There should be no discrimination against anyone. There should be
inclusion. And if any problems arise they should be solved through peaceful
means.
Thus everyone has equal importance to achieve peace in the society. From an
individual to family to community to school, every organization has its role in
building peace in the society.
Free the Words
dignity : self - respect
inclusion : act of including everyone
transparency : easy to understand, see
In-class Activities
State 10 points required to develop your school as a zone of peace and hand it
over to your principal.
84 Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7
Exercise
1. Statements below suggest peace or conflict. Write 'P' for those that
stand for peace and 'C' for those that suggest conflict.
a. A person thinks ill of others and is often jealous.
b. The person meditates and finds that everything is beautiful.
c. Ramu is not happy with anything, he finds faults in almost
everything.
d. Nora and John go to school together, they do combined
studies and help each other in project works.
e. XYZ school has a separate restroom for the students of
Dalit community.
f. Somila talks about peace all the time but goes wild when
she does not get what she wants.
2. Fill in the blank spaces with appropriate words from the above lesson.
a. Peace is ................. in which an individual can live with dignity.
b. There is violence in some societies because some .................. are
lacking there.
c. Schools are declared ................... in Nepal.
3. Answer these questions.
a. Define peace.
b. What are the basic elements of peace? Describe.
c. What are the various conditions for peace?
d. How can a school be established as true 'zone of peace'?
e. Write any four roles that you can play to maintain peace.
f. Mention any four positive impacts of peace.
4. There is not complete peace and order in Nepal. What do you think can
the government play to maintain perpetual peace in the country?
Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7 85
Unit Revision
In this unit, we have learnt that :
• a belief without reason is called a superstition. Superstition often leads to
social evils and bad practices.
• child marriage, dowry system, untouchability are some of the social evils
practised in a society.
• lack of education, poverty, superstition, and false beliefs are the main cause
of social evils.
• social problems can be solved through education, legal measures and
changing our beliefs and behaviour.
• a school can play an important role in solving social problems.
• misunderstanding and false belief often lead to conflict.
• sometimes conflict can lead to good results but the conflict cannot continue
for a long time; it should be managed to bring peace.
• peace is necessary for the growth and development of a society; only when
there is peace, people can enjoy their rights and freedom.
Community Project Work for This Unit
1. Collect the news cuttings of social problems, paste them on a chart
paper and display it on the school board.
2. Interview your own school principal regarding the role your school
played in helping solve social problems. Ask him the following
questions.
• What are the most pressing social problems of this community?
• What are the causes of these problems?
• How can they be solved?
You can frame questions with the help of your teachers. Then publish
the interview in the school newsletter or wall magazine.
3. Visit a local social organization and ask for a report about the
organization’s role in solving social problems. Share that report
among friends.
86 Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7
Unit
4
Civic Consciousness
Learning Objectives
After the completion of this unit, students will be able to:
• identify the fundamental elements of state and the fundamental rights
mentioned in our constitution.
• understand the importance of children's rights, constitutional provisions
for protecting their rights and role of social organizations in this regard.
• develop democratic culture in themselves and their family and treat
everyone in their community with equal respect and regard.
• identify the social rules and follow them.
Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7 87
Lesson
4.1 Elements of State-I
Pre-reading Activities
What do we need to have a good school? What and who constitutes a school?
Think about it and make a list of elements needed to run a school.
Reading
Look at your body. It is supported by hands, head, legs and other many parts.
There are bones, flesh and blood as well. Without these a human body cannot
be complete. So is it with a nation or state or nation state? (you have learned
about nation in earlier grades). Nepal is a nation state. What is it supported
by? Of course, as a state Nepal has its land, Nepali people, Nepali government
and power to decide on its own. Like hands, head and legs to human body,
land, people and government are to a state. In other words, these are the basic
elements of a state. We'll discuss them in detail. But let's learn more about state.
88 Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7
A state is an organization of human beings living together as a community. It
is also called a political community. A state comprises individuals of different
castes, class, culture and community. It may also consist of foreigners.
States came into being along with human evolution. Greek philosopher
Aristotle says, “State was born to fulfill man's political and social needs.”
Thus a state is a natural institution. People sometimes take state and
government as the same thing. They are not. A state is a permanent
institution whereas the government can change from time to time.
For example, government changes in Nepal every five years. But Nepal
remains unchanged. A state has its own power and rights. But the government
has rights and power as mandated by the constitution.
Basic Elements of State: Population and Territory
Population
Can you imagine Nepal without Nepali people? A state is a human institution.
Therefore, population is its most important element. It's difficult to fix the size
of the population for the state. Greek philosopher Plato is of the view that
there should be no more than 5040 people in a state. But French philosopher
Rousseau has set the size of population at 10,000. Another Greek philosopher
Aristotle has said that only good citizens can make a good state. Thus it is
important that a state has a population of good quality and good character.
With such a population a state can achieve progress in a short time.
Territory
Population alone will have no meaning, if they have no place to settle down.
So they need a fixed place called land and territory. Thus territory is another
very important element of a state. It is like an abdomen of human body.
When people reside in a fixed place, they develop a community, and they
become united. Thus a state requires a fixed territory with clearly demarcated
boundaries. The territory of a state includes land, mountains, rivers, lakes,
territorial water, air space lying above the territory, etc.
Free the Words
permanent : not changing, fixed
reside : live
demarcate : to mark or establish the limits of something
Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7 89
In-class Activities
Like population and territory as the elements of a state, what do you think are the
elements of:
a. A family?
b. A school?
c. A community?
Exercise
1. Write True or False against these statements.
a. A state can be compared to a human body.
b. Foreigners are not the members of a state.
c. A state was developed in the recent times.
d. State and the government are the same thing.
e. According to Plato a state requires 10,000 people in it.
2. Answer these questions.
a. What is a state?
b. How old is the concept of state?
c. What are the fundamental elements to be a state?
d. What is the fundamental difference between a state and a
government?
e. Why is population the most important element of a state?
f. What does territory of a state comprise?
g. 'Good citizens make a good state.' Justify the statement.
h. How did the state origin? Explain.
3. Write short note on basic elements of state.
90 Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7
Lesson
4.2
Elements of State-II
Pre-reading Activities
What do we need to have a good state? Think about it and make a list of elements
to make a progressive state.
Reading
Population and territory are two crucial elements of a state. But they are not
all. There are two more vital elements. We are going to discuss them in this
lesson.
Government
A state is governed by a group of people. They protect the territory of a state,
make laws and give security to the people. We call such group of people
government. The head of government is either the Prime Minister or the
president according to the constitution of the country. In Nepal, it's the Prime
Minister. The government runs administration, collects taxes from people, and
maintains foreign relations. A government is supported by three elements:
the legislature, the executive and the judiciary. We also call them organs of
Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7 91
the state. The legislative makes laws, the executive implements them and the
judiciary interprets them. There is a fine balance between these three organs.
Government can be of several forms. But in the modern age, democratic
government is considered to be the best.
Sovereignty
We have our own government. We hold elections to choose our representatives,
who form the government and protect us and our country. No foreign power
dictates what should be done here. This is because Nepal is a sovereign state.
Sovereignty refers to a situation in which a country has a complete freedom
to govern. A sovereign country does not have to depend on others to take
decision. Nor the foreign countries can intervene in the internal affairs of a
sovereign country.
Thus, sovereignty is the most important and most necessary element of a state.
In fact, it is the soul of the state. Sovereignty gives a state an international
recognition. Constitutions of all nations make clear provision for sovereignty.
Our constitution has vested sovereignty in the people of Nepal. That means
Nepali people are the ultimate force to take decision about the state affairs of
the country.
As you may have seen by now, a state requires various other elements. A state
delivers services to its people through the government. It is the responsibility
of the state to protect its people and keep the country in peace. Also it is the
duty of a state to rule according to the will of the people. That means a state
should be democratic.
dictate Free the Words
intervene
recognition : to tell others what to do
: to become involved in a situation
: identity
In-class Activities
Go to your school library and check out with a copy of the Constitution of Nepal.
As a class read the section on fundamental rights. Then, discuss what constitutes
fundamental rights.
92 Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7
Exercise
1. Match the following. soul of the state
Territory body of the state
Constitution first important element of the state
Population main law of the nation
Government machinery of a state
Sovereignty
2. Fill in the blank spaces.
a. ............... protects territory of a state and gives security to its people.
b. The Head of the government in Nepal is .............................. .
c. There are ........................... organs of the government.
d. .................... is a state in which the state has a complete freedom to
govern.
e. Sovereignty gives a state an .................... recognition.
3. Answers these questions.
a. What's a government? Why is it necessary for a state?
b. What are three organs of a government? What do they do?
c. Why is sovereignty called the 'soul' of the state?
d. Why is constitution taken as a basic element of the nation?
e. What kind of government is called a good government? Write down
any four qualities of a good government.
f. Nepal is a sovereign state. Justify this statement.
4. Make a list of three decisions the government has recently taken and
tell your teacher in the class.
5. Explain the given figure. Legislature
Judiciary
organs of government
Executive
Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7 93
Lesson
4.3
Fundamental Rights
Pre-reading Activities
What are you usually not allowed to do at home and school that you really want
to do? Make a list of such things and then write why you are not allowed to do
these things.
Reading
g]kfnsf] ;l+ jwfg
In previous lesson we discussed population as the
important element of a state. Population is also citizens
of a country. That is they are the members of that
country. Therefore, the state gives them certain rights.
This is because unless state gives its citizens certain
rights, they will not feel good about being the citizens of ;+ljwfg;ef ;lrjfno
that country. Therefore, the state gives basic rights and
l;+xb/af/, sf7df8f}+
opportunities to its citizens. They are called fundamental
rights. Fundamental rights are most necessary to human beings. Therefore,
they are also called natural rights.
Fundamental rights are granted to citizens through the constitution itself. In
Nepal, Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal, 1990 had granted several rights
to people. The present constitution has added to the list. So, Nepali people
enjoy many more fundamental rights today than in the past. The Constitution
of Nepal has mentioned about fundamental rights in part three. Present
Constitution has listed 31 rights under fundamental rights. They are:
1. Right to live with dignity 2. Right to freedom
3. Right to equality 4. Right to communication
5. Right to justice 6. Right of victim of crime
7. Right against torture 8. Right against preventive detention
9. Right against untouchability and discrimination
94 Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7
10. Right to property 11. Right to religious freedom
12. Right to information 13. Right to privacy
14. Right against exploitation Right to language and culture
Right regarding labour
15. Rights regarding clean environment Right to food
Right of women
16. Right to education 17. Right of dalits
18. Right to employment 19. Right to social justice
20. Right to health care 21. Right of consumers
Right to constitutional remedy
22. Right to housing 23.
24. Right of children 25.
26. Right of senior citizens 27.
28. Right to social security 29.
30. Right against exile 31.
Each citizen should get to exercise the rights
mentioned above because they are their
fundamental rights. But we should not only
claim our rights. We should also understand
our duty. As citizens we have certain duty
toward the state, the society and other
citizens. Thus, we should make sure that
we do not can not go against others’ rights
while claiming our own. All the citizens and
political parties should understand this.
Free the Words
preventive detention : the state of being kept in custody or prison and prevented from
exile hearing
: the state of being sent to live in another country
In-class Activities
Of all the rights listed in the lesson, which right do you really like and want to
enjoy. Also explain why this particular right is important to you.
Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7 95
Exercise
1. The following are the constitutional provisions from fundamental
rights. State which right they refer to.
a. All citizens shall be equal before the law. Right to equality
b. Except as provided for by law no person shall be deprived of his/her per-
sonal liberty.
c. Every person shall have right to practise his religion.
d. Every person shall have the right to demand or obtain information.
e. No person shall be exploited in the name of custom, tradition and practice.
f. No citizen shall be exiled.
g. Every employee and worker shall have the right to proper work practices.
h. No person shall be subjected to physical or mental torture.
i. No person shall be detained without being informed of the ground for such
detention.
j. Every child shall have the right to be nurtured, to basic health and social
security.
2. Answer these questions.
a. What do you mean by fundamental rights?
b. How are fundamental rights granted to citizens?
c. How can a citizen maintain a balance between his right and duty?
Project work:
1. Make a list of the fundamental rights mentioned in the present
Constitution of Nepal.
2. Go to the library
and from "Right of
Children" under
fundamental rights,
of the Constitution
of Nepal 2072 list
the rights granted
to children. Then
read the news story
below and write how
the incident violates
children's rights.
96 Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7
Lesson Child Rights
4.4
Pre-reading Activities
The constitution has made a special provision for the child rights. Why do you
think children need special rights?
Reading
Our constitution has guaranteed the following rights to children:
You are children today but you will be the responsible citizens of the country
tomorrow. A child can grow into a responsible citizen only when he/she gets
proper education, health, and protection during their formative years. These
are the basic necessities for a child. They are also called children's rights.
1. Every child shall have the right to his or her own identity and name.
2. Every child shall have the right to be nurtured, to basic health and
social security.
3. Every child shall have the right not to be subjected to physical, mental
or any other form of exploitation. Any such act of exploitation shall
be punishable by law and any child so treated shall be compensated
as determined by law.
4. Helpless, orphaned or mentally retarded children, children who are
victims of conflict or displaced and street children at risk shall have
the right to receive special privileges from the state to ensure their
secure future.
5. No child shall be employed in factories, mines or in any other
hazardous work nor shall be used in army, police or in conflicts.
Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7 97
Children Act
Children's rights can be divided into four categories.
A. Right to life: This includes right of a child to food, clothes, residence,
health and security.
B. Rights to growth and development: This includes right to education,
sports, exercise, recreation, help, family affection.
C. Right to protection/security: This includes right against discrimination,
exploitation, neglect, hazardous work, war, conflict, etc.
D. Right to participation: This includes right to participate in various
activities, right to express opinion, and right to participate in religious and
cultural practices.
It is the duty and responsibility of everyone of us to protect and promote
child rights. We all need to have the same voice to let the children grow in
healthy and safe environment.
nurture Free the Words
compensate
privilege : to care, to protect
hazardous : make payment to; adjust for
recreation : special right
: involving risk or danger
: entertainment, fun
In-class Activities
If you were to take out one right of children as unnecessary, which one it would
be and why? If you were to include one more to the list, which one it would be
and why?
98 Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7
Exercise
1. Which rights have been violated in the following cases?
a. Sanumaya was married off while she was very young.
b. Dalit children are not allowed to share food with non-Dalit children
in a certain school.
c. Children work in a carpet weaving factory in Jorpati.
d. Three children died of diarrhoea. They did not get treatment on
time.
e. Roshan never gets to watch TV, nor do his parents ever take him to
fun parks.
2. Fill in the blank space.
a. Every child has a right to be nurtured and get .......................... .
b. Any act of .......................... is punishable by law.
c. Helpless and orphan children receive special ................... from the state.
d. Nobody is allowed to employ children in .......................... and mines.
3. Answer these questions.
a. What do you mean by children's rights?
b. List the things that fall under children's rights.
c. What are the four main aspects of children's rights?
d. How can a family help to ensure children's rights?
e. Write down the importance of child rights.
f. What role can schools play to protect and promote child rights?
4. Describe what you do from early morning to evening and write which
of the children's rights your activities support.
5. If you see the events of the violation of child rights around your
community, what will you do? Write in points.
6. What efforts have been made by your school in the protection of child
rights?
Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7 99
Lesson Initiatives
for Preserving
4.5
Child Rights
Pre-reading Activities
In your view which child rights do you often feel are violated? What can be done
to protect the right?
Reading
You have learnt about various aspects of
children's rights. But those rights will mean
nothing if the conditions mentioned in them
are not implemented properly. Without
preserving those rights, children cannot grow
into responsible citizens. A state is responsible
for preserving children's rights. Has Nepal
taken initiatives towards this direction? It has.
Our country has taken some important steps in
protecting children's rights. They are as follows:
United Nations passed Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989. This
was an important declaration in persevering children's rights in the world.
Nepal is a signatory to this convention.
The SAARC observed the year 1990 as the SAARC year of the girl child. The
decade of 1991-2000 was declared the SAARC Decade of the Girl Child. And
the decade of 2001–2010 was observed as the SAARC Decade of the rights of
the child. As a member of the SAARC, Nepal has supported and implemented
these initiatives.
• The government of Nepal has implemented Children's Act 2046 and
Children's Regulation 2056.
• There are children's home, rehabilitation centres and children's courts in
Nepal.
100 Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7
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