Vedanta Integrated Social Studies 7 Final (2078)

Approved by the Government of Nepal, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology,
Curriculum Development Centre, Sanothimi, Bhaktapur as an Additional Learning Material

vedanta

INTEGRATED SOCIAL STUDIES
AND

POPULATION EDUCATION

7Grade

Authors: Youba Raj Dhakal Hritesh Shrestha

Surya Bahadur Gurung

vedanta

INTEGRATED SOCIAL STUDIES
AND

POPULATION EDUCATION

7Grade
Authors:
Youba Raj Dhakal Hritesh Shrestha
Surya Bahadur Gurung

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may
be reproduced, copied or transmitted in any way,
without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Design: Manoz Manohar
First Edition: BS 2078 (2021 A. D.)

Price: Rs. 423.00





Preface

Vedanta Integrated Social Studies and Population Education is a carefully graded multidimensional
textbook series of Social Studies for school-level children. The series consists of ten books from grade
one to grade ten. A team of subject experts has prepared it in adherence to the latest national curriculum
of the Curriculum Development Centre. This series aims at promoting civic competence in the students,
helping them grow into responsible, honest, dedicated, hardworking, and influential citizens with positive
attributes and a profound sense of patriotism.

Prominent Features of this book:

It has been written rigorously according to the prescribed curriculum and approved by the Curriculum
Development Centre, Sanothimi, Bhaktapur.

It has been prepared by a team of dynamic, experienced and highly qualified authors who have
extensive knowledge and decades-long experience in teaching, writing textbooks and teacher’s
guides, and facilitating teachers’ training and workshops.

Each unit contains a brief introduction and learning outcomes that enable pupils and teachers to
understand the subject matter of the unit, plan accordingly and delineate learning outcomes.

The content of the lessons has been written in simple, precise and lucid language so that the
students can study the lessons themselves and grasp the theme of the lessons. They are inclusive
and include the latest and comprehensive data and contemporary issues taken from various
authentic sources.

Almost every lesson has been illustrated with artist-made content-related pictures and attractive
illustrations. They have made the lessons more joyous, meaningful and engaging.

Abundant and a wide variety of Activities, Exercise and Project Work/Community Work are
given at the end of each lesson as per the objectives of the curriculum.

We are earnestly indebted to Mr Suresh Kumar Regmi (Chairperson), Mr Jiwan Shrestha (Managing
Director), Mr Hukum Pd. Dahal (Academic Director), Mr Manoj Kumar Regmi (Executive Director, Sales
and Marketing), Mr Pradeep Kandel (Manager, IT Department) and all the members of the Vedanta
Publication family for their entrustment and cordial assistance to bring the series to this form. Likewise,
we owe gratitude to Mr Manoz Manohar for his sincere and utter diligence in the designing and layout
part.

We have attempted to make the series student-friendly, up to date, and cogent in every possible way.
However, we are always eager to welcome feedback, comments, and constructive suggestions from the
teachers, facilitators, and readers to further improve the series. Thank you!

NB: Supplementary learning and practice materials related to maps, contemporary affairs, and other
topics are available on www.vedantapublication.com.np.

Authors

Table of Contents

Unit : One WE AND OUR SOCIETY 9
Lesson 1.1
Lesson 1.2 Origin, Development and Need of Society 10
Lesson 1.3
Lesson 1.4 Development of Human Society 14
Lesson 1.5
Lesson 1.6 Socialisation 18
Lesson 1.7
Lesson 1.8 Agents of Socialisation 21

District Assembly and District Coordination Committee 24

Development Work in Our District 28

Transportation 32

Communication 37

UNIT: TWO OUR SOCIAL NORMS AND VALUES 42
Lesson 2.1 Our Religious Rituals 43
Lesson 2.2 Our Social Rituals 49
Lesson 2.3 Some Castewise Rituals 53
Lesson 2.4 Respect of Nation and Promotion of Our Nationality 57
Lesson 2.5 Some Important Aspects of Our Customs and Traditions 61
Lesson 2.6 Our Folk Culture 65
Lesson 2.7 Gehendra Shumsher: The First Scientist of Nepal 69
Lesson 2.8 Some Historical Personalities 72

UNIT: THREE SOCIAL PROBLEMS AND THEIR SOLUTIONS 76
Lesson 3.1 Social Problems and Evils 77
Lesson 3.2 Social Problems: Their Causes and Solutions 80
Lesson 3.3 Human Trafficking 84
Lesson 3.4 Ways to Solve Social Problems 88
Lesson 3.5 Role of Schools and National Level Organisations in
Solving Social Problems 92
Lesson 3.6 Conflict Management 95
Lesson 3.7 Miscommunication and Its Impatcs 98
Lesson 3.8 Peace and Its Necessity 102

UNIT: FOUR CIVIC SENSE 106
Lesson 4.1 Basic Elements of State 107
Lesson 4.2 Fundamental Rights 112
Lesson 4.3 Child Rights 115
Lesson 4.4 Efforts for Protection of Child Rights 118
Lesson 4.5 Democratic Culture 122

Lesson 4.6 Equal Behaviour 126
Lesson 4.7 Social Rules 130
Lesson 4.8 Benefits of Following Social Rules 133

UNIT: FIVE OUR EARTH 136
Lesson 5.1 Longitudes and Latitudes 137
Lesson 5.2 Topography of the Earth 140
Lesson 5.3 Land Structure of Nepal 144
Lesson 5.4 Diversities in Nepal 148
Lesson 5.5 Map Work 151
Lesson 5.6 Physical Condition and Socio-economic Life of Europe 156
Lesson 5.7 Physical Condtion and Socio-economic Life of Australia 160
Lesson 5.8 Climate Change 164
Lesson 5.9 Effects of Climate Change 167
Lesson 5.10 Disaster Management 170

UNIT: SIX OUR PAST 173
Lesson 6.1 Introduction to Medieval Nepal 174
Lesson 6.2 Political Condition of Medieval Nepal 179
Lesson 6.3 Social Condition of Medieval Nepal 183
Lesson 6.4 Economic Condition of Medieval Nepal 187
Lesson 6.5 Art and Culture of Medieval Nepal 192
Lesson 6.6 Hwang Ho Valley Civilisation 195
Lesson 6.7 Mesopotamian Civilisation 199

UNIT: SEVEN OUR ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES 203
Lesson 7.1 Natural Means and Resources in Nepal and Their Utilisation 204
Lesson 7.2 Natural Means and Resources, Forest and Minerals 208
Lesson 7.3 Industrial Activities 212
Lesson 7.4 Relationship Between Agriculture and Industry 215
Lesson 7.5 Trade 219

UNIT: EIGHT OUR INTERNATIONAL RELATION AND COOPERATION 222
Lesson 8.1 SAARC and Its Activities 223
Lesson 8.2 Role of Nepal in SAARC 228
Lesson 8.3 Landlocked Countries: Their Problems and Solutions 232
Lesson 8.4 Current Affairs of the World 237

UNIT: NINE INTRODUCTION TO POPULATION AND DEMOGRAPHIC SITUATION 239
Lesson 9.1
Lesson 9.2 Introduction to Population Education 240
Lesson 9.3
Lesson 9.4 Scope of Population Education 244
Lesson 9.5
Lesson 9.6 Evolution of Population Education 247
Lesson 9.7
Source of Population Statistics 249

Trends of Population Growth in Nepal 253

Population Composition of Nepal 255

Region-wise Population Distribution in Nepal 259

UNIT: TEN POPULATION GROWTH AND MANAGEMENT 262
Lesson 10.1 Population Growth in Nepal 263
Lesson 10.2 Causes and Effects of Rapid Population Growth 266
Lesson 10.3 Population Management and Quality of Life 269
Lesson 10.4 Measures to Population Management 271
Lesson 10.5 Ways of Quality of Life 274
Lesson 10.6 Family Life Education 277
Lesson 10.7 Roles of Various Agencies for Population Management 279

UNIT

1 WE AND OUR SOCIETY

Learning On the completion of this unit, we will be able to:
Outcomes
• tell about the origin and development of human society;

• involve in socialisation process;

• identify the means and mediums of socialisation and share the same with
others;

• tell the formation of District Coordination Committee and its functions;

• identify the development work in our district and share the same with others;

• introduce transportation and communication as the infrastructures of
development; and

• tell the importance and condition of transportation and communication in
our country.

Vedanta 9 Approved by Curriculum Development Centre,
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Population Education - Book 7

Lesson Origin, Development and Need of
Society
11..11

Introduction to Society Social lifestyle

Human beings are social animals. They live
together sharing their joys and sorrows in
society. Society is a system in which people
live together in an organised community
sharing customs, laws and modes of life
within a defined territory. It is also a
collective settlement of human beings in
a particular place. We are going to discuss
the origin and need of society in this lesson.

Origin of Society

In the beginning, human beings used to live in the jungle-like other wild
animals. They used caves, big trees and open spaces for their shelter. They
hunted animals and collected fruits for their foods. They ate raw fruits and
meat as other wild animals did. Their needs were limited to only food and
shelter. However, they had to live a very difficult life in the jungle for the
same limited needs.
Physically human beings are comparatively weaker than other animals.
They do not have a huge and strong body like that of an elephant. They have
neither sharp teeth nor long paws like that of a lion. They cannot jump from
one tree to the next like monkeys. These factors made human beings very
difficult to live a secure life in the jungle. Therefore, they started coming out
of the jungle and started living around the banks of rivers. They got water
for drinking and stones for making weapons and tools from the rivers. They
discovered fire by rubbing stones. Then, they began to eat roasted meat and
fruits.
In the course of living together on the river banks and visiting the jungle for
collecting fruits and hunting animals, human beings developed a sense of
living together in them. They started living together by showing kindness,
courtesy, honesty, and co-operation to one another. As time passed, they
started rearing animals and cultivating the lands. They also made houses

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for permanent settlement and to be safe from other animals and enemies.
In this way, society was originated in search of mutual co-operation and
security from wild animals and their enemies. Later, they developed art and
crafts. An organised system of government was established. They started to
educate their children. Taking care of children, sick and old people became
their responsibility. Human civilisation developed in this way. Egypt
Civilisation, Indus Valley Civilisation, Mesopotamian Civilisation and
Hwang Ho Valley Civilisation are examples of ancient human civilisations.

Need for Society

Human beings live in society. Society is needed to fulfil the following
objectives of human beings as social beings.

Cooperation and mutual help in society

To fulfil the individual and common needs of human beings in a secured
environment;
To solve the common problems of human beings;
To protect and enrich human culture and civilisation;
To protect tradition and social norms and values;
To render the norms and values to new generations;
To exchange happiness and sorrows;
To develop feeling of fellowship, cooperation and interrelationship; and
To provide social justice to all.

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Positive Aspects of Society

Mutual co-operation;
Protection of life and property;
Communicate the messages;
Exchange goods and services;
Preservation of public property, and so on.

Glossary

territory : an area of land that belongs to or is controlled by a
government
courtesy
enrich : polite behaviour that shows respect for other people
render
: to make (someone) rich or richer

: to cause (someone or something) to be in a specified
condition

ACTIVITIES

(1) Organise a speech programme in the class on the topic 'Origin and
Need of Society’, and note down the main points brought by speakers.

(2) Collect the pictures related to the different stages of human society
from different sources and display them in the class by pasting them
on a chart paper.

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EXERCISE

(1) Fill in the blanks with suitable answers.
(a) Early human beings lived in the ____________ and ____________ .
(b) Human beings came out of jungle for ____________.
(c) The ancient civilisations developed on the ____________ of rivers.
(d) The ____________ civilisation is the oldest civilisation in the world.
(e) Human beings need society to fulfil their needs in a ____________
way.

(2) Answer the following questions.
(a) Define the word ‘society’ in your own words.
(b) How was a society formed in the beginning of human civilisation?
(c) What developed the feeling of living together in the mind of human
beings?
(d) Make a list of the things that we get from society.
(e) Why is society important to human beings?

(3) What would be our condition if there were no development in society?
Discuss and write the conclusion.

(4) Why do we need society? Write your opinion in six points.

(5) “Human beings are comparatively weaker than other animals.” Justify
this statement in your own words.

COMMUNITY WORK

Are all the objectives of the formation of human society given in the
lesson fulfilled in your community? Ask this question to any ten people
of your community and write a report based on your study.

Vedanta 13 Approved by Curriculum Development Centre,
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Population Education - Book 7

Lesson Development of Human
Society
11..21

Development of human society is a continuous process. It has a long history
of its development. Human society has gone through several stages and
reached the present modern stage. Different scholars have different views
regarding the development of human society.

British anthropologist Edward Burnett Tylor had classified it into three
stages. They are savagery, barbarism, and civilisation. This classification
is common and popular in the world. An American scholar, Lewis Henry
Morgan, has similar thought to Tylor. On the basis of the thoughts of Tylor
and Morgan, the development of human society up to this date has been
classified into the following three stages.
1. Savagery stage (Primitive age)
2. Barbarian stage (Middle age)
3. Civilisation stage (Modern age)

1. Savagery Stage (Primitive Age)

The savagery stage is the earliest stage
of human society. This has been further
divided into three sub-stages. They are
lower, middle and upper stages. The early
savagery stage is called the lower stage.
It is also called the older stage. In this
stage, human beings used to live in the
jungle depending on fruits and roots. They
invented speech. In the middle savagery
Primitive age

stage, people started coming out of the
jungle and started living on the banks of rivers and caves, forming a small
group for security. They invented fire by rubbing two stones and also caught
fish for their food in this stage. The upper or later stage of savagery stage
of human society began when people developed bows and arrows to hunt
animals. They started to wear clothes made of animal skins and eat food by
cooking and roasting in this stage. The primitive people like Homo habilis,
Homo erectus and Neanderthal developed society in the savagery stage

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(primitive age).

2. Barbarian Stage (Middle Age)

The barbarian stage is the second
stage of human society. This stage of human
society began after the use of pottery. Human
beings modified and formed various things
during this stage. They built houses from
stone and bricks. They lived permanently in
a certain place. They domesticated animals
and cultivated lands. They irrigated land
and developed agriculture. They used iron
weapons in place of stone weapons. They Barbarian lifestyle

developed languages and kinship. They had
faith in the divine power of the god and performed the funeral rites. This
stage of human society has been divided into three sub-stages. They are:

Lower Barbarian Stage:

The stage began with the use of pottery and ended when people started
to domesticate animals.

Middle Barbarian Stage:

It lasted up to the age when people started to use iron weapons made
by melting the iron since they domesticated animals.

Later or Upper Barbarian Stage:

The period commenced after the use of iron weapons.

3. Civilisation Stage (Modern Age)

The present stage of human society Modern lifestyle
after the end of the barbarian stage is
known as the civilisation stage of human
society. It is also called the modern stage
of human society. Social evolutionists claim
that it began after the invention of phonetic
alphabets and writing. Human society and
culture have made good progress in this
stage. People became virtuous, disciplined,

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cultured and more civilised. The development of art, craft, literature,
languages, science and technology have been taking place. Industrial
development, development of trade, social institution, transportation,
communication and other sectors of human society have become good
identities of this stage. The development in education has played an
important role in the development of various fields in this age.

Glossary

anthropologist : a person studies the human race, especially of its origin,
development, customs and beliefs.
savagery :
the condition of being savage, or wild, primitive, etc.
Neanderthal :
a type of primitive people who lived in Europe and Asia
Homo erectus : from about 150,000 to 30,000 years ago

kinship : an extinct hominid that is believed to have spread from
Africa to Europe and Asia 2 million years ago and appears
to have survived in Asia to around150,000 years ago

the state of being related to the people in your family

ACTIVITY

(1) Make a list of any three major features of human society in different
stages on a chart paper and display it in the class.

Features of Human Society

Savagery Stage Barbarian Stage Civilisation Stage
• ……......................... • ……......................... • …….........................
• …........…................. • ……......................... • ……........................
• ........…................. • ........…................. • ........….................

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EXERCISE

(1) Answer the following questions.
(a) Define the term ‘ social evolution’.
(b) Write about the savagery stage of human society in brief.
(c) Make a list of any three features of modern society that are similar
to barbarian and savagery societies.
(d) Differentiate the savagery and barbarian stages of human society in
three points.

(2) Describe human society in the modern age in your own words.

(3) Although human society has developed into the present modern stage
from its primitive stage, people like Rautes in Nepal and Eskimos in
America still have the primitive way of life. Why do they still live by
hunting and gathering? Explain your answer with reasons.

(4) Why did early people live near rivers and sources of water? Write
with suitable reasons.

COMMUNITY WORK

Study the individual interest of three generations of people in your
community based on their food habit, clothes, means of transportation
and communication and the way of entertainment. Then, write a
paragraph based on your study.

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Population Education - Book 7

Lesson

11..31 Socialisation

A human being is born in society as a
biological organism. She or he does not
show any social behaviour at the time
of birth. She or he learns it while living
in a society adjusting to various social
environments. This learning process
moulds every child into a social being
gradually in the society. This process
of moulding and shaping a child into
a social being is called socialisation. It
refers to the process by which people, A child enjoying with her parents

especially children, are made to behave in a way that is acceptable in their
society.

Socialisation is the process of transforming human creatures into human
beings converting the merely biological being into a social being. Every
human child has become a mature person with a variety of experiences she
or he gains while living in society. The various social rules and practices
make an individual socialised. Thus, the process of socialisation makes an
individual a functional member of society.

A human being begins her or his life as a child. She or he becomes an adult
passing through the adolescent stage. She or he becomes a parent after
marriage. She or he also becomes grandparent as well. Thus, a human
being belongs to different groups at different stages of her or his life. She
or he cannot live comfortably in the same role throughout her or his life.
Therefore, she or he must learn new rules and a new pattern of behaviours
with the change in the stages of her or his life. As a member of a family or a
society as well as a nation, the role of a human being is constantly changing.
She or he acquires new roles and drops or modifies old ones. Every role of
the human being comes with a new pattern of behaviour which she or he
must learn. This process of learning different social behaviour is called the
socialisation process. It is a continuous process as the process continues
throughout one’s life.

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Characteristics of Socialisation

Socialisation is the process of learning social behaviour for making a
person good and practical.
It remains throughout life.
Socialisation is a universal process that takes place differently
according to the process and the place.
It is the process of transforming and adapting the culture from
generation to generation.
Socialisation is also a process of converting a human-animal into a
complete human being.

Glossary

mould : to change the form of something or someone
merely
acquires : only, simply
modifies
: gets something, gains something by your efforts

: changes some parts of (something) while not changing
other parts

ACTIVITIES

(1) How do we know whether a person is socialised or not? Discuss in the
class among your friends and note down the ways that your friends
suggest.

(2) What are the ways to become ideal citizens of the nation? Discuss
among your friends and make a list of ways.

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EXERCISE

(1) Answer the following questions.
(a) Define the term 'socialisation' in your own words.
(b) How can we recognise a socialised person?
(c) What are the different stages of human life?
(d) Why should a person change her or his role in different stages of
human life?
(e) Make a list of the major characteristics of socialisation.

(2) Write any three good ideas to know the condition of socialisation
within us.

(3) Have all of your friends adjusted well in your class? If yes, write how
it has become possible.

(4) Describe the process of socialisation of a person.

COMMUNITY WORK

Prepare various questions as given below to ask any ten educated people
in your community for collecting their views regarding socialisation and
write a report on the topic ‘Different view of socialisation from my
community.’
Sample questions:

What do you know about socialisation?
How has a child becomes acceptable member of the society?
Why is socialisation important to us?

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Lesson

11..41 Agents of Socialisation

Socialisation is a process of moulding
a human child into a good social being.
In this process, the child comes into
contact with various agents and gets
various knowledge to develop skill and
a positive attitude. These agents which
socialise a human being are called
agents of socialisation. Family, friends,
age mates, politics, mass media,
literature, institutions, customs, social
practices, schools and other mediums Family as an agent of socialisation

are the agents of socialisation. They
are classified into two groups on the basis of nature. They are:

1. Primary or informal agents

2. Secondary or formal agents

1. Primary or Informal Agents:

Those agents of socialisation that socialise a child informally are the primary
or informal agents. Family or parents, kins, marriage, fairs, festivals and
neighbours are examples of primary agents. A child is born in a family. She
or he grows in the family. She or he learns various social behaviour, norms,
values and practices of the society from her or his family. The maternal
influence on a child is great for socialisation. Similarly, the relationship
between a child and other family members also plays a very important role
in moulding and shaping a child with abilities and capacities to learn new
ideas in society. Age mates, neighbours and relatives of a child also help to
socialise a child as a good social being. In addition to these agents, different
social occasions such as festivals, fairs, marriage and Bartabandha (Thread
ceremony) greatly influence a child for socialisation. Thus, primary agents
play an important role in the socialisation of a child informally.

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2. Secondary Agents:

Those agents of socialisation that
socialise a child formally are the secondary
agents of socialisation. Schools, colleges,
universities, trade centres, banks,
cooperatives, civil society, and so on are the
secondary agents of socialisation.

Everyone becomes socialised with the help
of different agents. Teachers play a very
Participation in social affairs

important role in making a child a social
being in schools. Peers in schools give various pieces of information on good
and bad aspects of society. They play an important role in the socialisation
of a person. People work in different fields as employment for earning. In
the course of working in such fields, they learn the attitude of socialisation.
Various civil societies, banks, cooperatives and corporation motivate
the people to work together, helping one another for solving the common
problems through which the socialisation of a person takes place.

Glossary

custom : an action or way of behaving that is usual and traditional
among the people in a particular group or place
kin
peers : a person's relatives

cooperative : a person who belongs to the same age group or social
group as someone else

: a business or organisation

ACTIVITY

Complete the following table with social behaviours that you have
learnt from the primary and secondary agents of socialisation.

Social behaviours learnt from Social behaviours learnt from
primary agents secondary agents

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EXERCISE

(1) Answer the following questions
(a) What do you mean by the agent of socialisation?
(b) Name various agents that socialise a child.
(c) What do you mean by the primary agents of socialisation? Give
examples too.
(d) How does socialisation make a child a good social being?
(e) Write how do secondary agents help to socialise a child.

(3) “Maternal influence on a child is great for socialisation.” Justify this
statement in your own words.

(4) How do the primary agents play an important role in the socialisation
of a child? Discuss.

COMMUNITY WORK

Ask the following questions to any ten educated people in your
community and write a report on the topic ‘Role of the different agents
of socialisation in human life.’

What is socialisation?
How do primary and secondary agents help in socialisation of a
person?

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Lesson District Assembly and District
Coordination Committee
11..51

Democracy is a system of ruling in which preparing laws, carrying out
the development and administrative activities are done through people’s
representatives. People from different ethnic, lingual, religious, and regional
communities get equal opportunities in a democracy. This system of ruling
through people’s representatives is the rule of people. Representation is a
good aspect of democracy.

Nepal is a democratic country. It is
necessary to carry out the development
work with people’s participation based on
the spirit of the constitution in democracy.
The central government only cannot carry
out the development work and deliver
services to the people. It also cannot fulfil
the spirit of the constitution. Therefore,
the present constitution of Nepal has the District Development Committee building

provisions of three levels of government. They are the federal, provincial and
local government. The people elect their representatives for three levels of
government in Nepal. The local government consists of rural municipalities,
and municipalities. There is a district coordination committee in each district
to coordinate the rural municipalities and municipalities. Parts 17 and 18 of
our constitution have provisions of the local government.

Here, we are going to discuss district assembly and district coordination
committee.

District Assembly

There are 77 districts with a headquarters each in our country. According
to the provision in the constitution of Nepal, there is a district assembly to
carry out the administrative and development work in each district. The
district assembly consists of chairpersons and vice-chairpersons of village
executives and mayors and deputy mayors of municipal executives within
the district as its members. The first meeting of the district assembly will
be held no later than the thirty days of the date of the final result of the
elections of the village assemblies and municipal assemblies. This meeting
elects a district coordination committee.

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District Coordination Committee

In order to perform the task that should be done by the district assembly,
there is a district coordination committee in each district. It consists of a
maximum of nine members elected by the district assembly as given below.
(a) One chief and one deputy chief;
(b) At least three women members;
(c) One member from the Dalit or minority; and
(d) Three other members.
The candidate for any post of the district assembly and district coordination
committee must be the members of the village assembly or municipal
assembly within the concerned district. But if any member from village
assembly or municipal assembly is elected for the post of district assembly
or district coordination committee, her or his office of the member of village
assembly or municipal assembly will be ipso facto lapsed. The tenure of the
office of all members of the district coordination committee is five years from
the date of being elected.

Functions, Duties and Powers of District Assembly and District
Coordination Committee

The constitution of Nepal has the provision of the district assembly to
coordinate the village bodies and municipalities within the respective
district. The functions, duties and powers of district assembly mentioned in
our constitution are:

To coordinate between the rural municipalities and municipalities
within the district.
To monitor development and construction work to maintain balance in
them.
To coordinate between federal and state government offices and rural
municipalities and municipalities within the district.
To perform other functions as per the state law.

District assembly and district coordination committee are the responsible
bodies to form the effective plans and programmes for the development of
the concerned district. They should prepare such plans and programmes
according to the desire of the people and the need of the district. They should
encompass the following areas while making plans and programmes.

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Population Education - Book 7

Agriculture Hydroelectricity

Rural drinking water and residential development

Construction and transportation

Land reforms and land management Women development

Forest and environment Education and sports

Labour wage Health service

Irrigation, soil erosion and river control Tourism

Information and communication Language and culture

Cottage industry Miscellaneous

Glossary

minority : a group of people who are different from the larger
group in a country, area, etc., in some way (such as race
ipso facto or religion)
tenure
encompass : by that very fact or act

: the amount of time that a person holds a job, office, or
title

: include (something) as a part

ACTIVITIES

(1) What problems do people have to face if they there are no
elected representatives at local level? Discuss among your
friends and write.

(2) Imagine that your classroom is a district assembly. Form district
coordination committee with the help of your Social Studies
teacher.

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EXERCISE

(1) Answer the following questions.
(a) What do you mean by democracy? Write its four major features.
(b) How many rural municipalities and municipalities are there in your
district?
(c) Write about the formation process of the district assembly.
(d) What difficulties does a country face in the absence of local
government?

(2) Write about the formation of the District Coordination Committee in
your own words.

(3) What are the activities carried out by the local government in your
locality? Discuss among your friends and write the answers in six
points.

(4) Write the differences between the district assembly and the district
coordination committee in points.

COMMUNITY WORK

Ask some questions regarding the all-round development of your
area with the people in your locality to know their views regarding
development. Then, prepare a paragraph based on their answers.

Vedanta 27 Approved by Curriculum Development Centre,
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Population Education - Book 7

Lesson Development Work in Our
District
11..61

26 June 2021

Dear Phuluwa,
Sweet remembrance,
I am delighted to receive your e-mail after a long time. I did not get time to
check my e-mail since a couple of weeks. It is because of my unit test. I am
really sorry for the late reply to your e-mail.
I got information about the latest update about the development activities in
your district. As you are interested to know about my district, I am writing
this e-mail to give you a brief update about the development activities in
my district. You know that each district has district assembly and district
coordination committee to carry out development work in different fields
as per the need of the people. The people in the concerned district also
help the authorities for the effective implementation of the development
plan. Although this process is applied in all district for their development,
they are not equally developed. It is because of the diversified geographical
situation in different districts.

Drinking IrrigaƟon Agriculture Forest
water

Industries Development Health
in the district

Roads EducaƟon Electricity Tourism

Phuluwa, you know well that my district, Syangja, lies in the Hilly region.
It is quite difficult to carry out development work in my district as most part
of it is mountainous. However, we can feel many changes taking place in our
district these days.

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Life of people was really difficult a
decade ago. People used to walk a
long distance to reach market for
their productions. They could not get
health facilities. They had to cross
several village for basic treatment.
The environmental situation was
not so good. People in Pelkachour,
Simle, Chandrakot, Sirubari and
Dhimregaun had to travel a long
distance even to fetch water. Lack
of employment, communication and
electricity, along with poverty and Map of Syangja district

illiteracy, were common problems of the people. Therefore, people used to
migrate away from our district. Most of them migrated to the Terai region
and some people shifted to Pokhara, Kathmandu and other cities in search
of agricultural land and other facilities. However, many changes took place
in our district during this decade.

Recently, various development work have been carried out. Roads have
been constructed in various places of our district such as from Sirubary,
Biruwa, Pauwai Gaude, Khilung, Bajadi, Pelkachour, Simle, Majkot and
Rapakot. They connect with the district headquarters and major highways
of the nation. Motorable bridges over Andhikhola at Majuwa and Helu have
been completed. There are many suspension bridges in many places. Life
of people of our district has become far better and easier than before. It
has become easier to travel and transport goods from one place to another.
Edible goods and other necessary goods are available at a cheaper cost in
the markets. The products of our district like oranges and gingers have got
good market as they are transported to many cities from here. People in
my district earn much selling fruits and cash crops grown by them. They
deposit money earned by selling such goods in the banks and cooperatives
nearby them and get interest. They have developed saving habit.

Many hospitals, health posts, health centres have been established. They
provide quality and reliable health service to the people. Distribution of
mobile phone with the construction of mobile phone’s towers makes the
people easy to communicate among them. FM radio stations have been
established in the towns like Syangja and Waling. There is a trend of
installing the cable network and the internet in many villages. These all help
with communication in our district. I remember that people in our village
used to gather in a house to listen to the radio. The postal worker used to

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Population Education - Book 7

bring the letters to the people, which were sent by their family members and
relatives living away from them. The family members of Indian and British
soldiers used to complain that they had not received the letter from their
family member for a long time. We don’t have such situation at present.
There were few schools in our district a decade ago. Students had to walk
a long distance every day to reach their schools. But many schools have
been established these days. Technical and vocational education has been
started in some schools. They got permission from CTEVT (Council for
Technical Education and Vocational Training). Educational status of the
people has improved. Similarly, barren land in different parts of the district
has been cultivated as irrigation facility has been improved. The forest
user’s groups are active to protect the community forest. Kalika Temples
of Khilung and Banethok,Chhang Chhangdi area, Mankamana Temple,
Jhapakot and Akaala Devi Temple are very popular religious places of this
district. Religious tourism has been promoted in these areas. A survey for
paragliding has been done in different places here. Because of these all, out-
migration rate has decreased these days. Andhikhola and Kaligandaki - A
hydroelectricity projects provide electricity in our district.

Glossary

poverty : the state of being poor

illiteracy : the state of not knowing how to read or write

suspension bridge : a bridge that is hung from two or more cables that are
held up by towers

barren : having very few plants, not suitable for plants

ACTIVITIES

(1) What development activities are being carried out in your locality and
district? Discuss among your friends and make a list of at least five
pieces of work.

(2) Among various sectors of development, which sectors need to be
focused for the progress of your district? Discuss among your friends
and draw a conclusion.

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EXERCISE

(1) Answer the following questions
(a) Make a list of development work done in Syangja district as
mentioned in the lesson.
(b) What are the effects of the development work in the Syangja
district?
(c) Write about the development work done in the field of
transportation and communication in your district.

(2) Compare the situation of development in your locality a decade ago
and present days.

(3) What development works are done in your district in the field of
education? Write about it asking your seniors.

(4) Make a list of problems that the people in your district faced last ten
years and write about their situation in the present days.

(5) Which sector should be developed at first for the development of
your district? Why? Write your answer in six points.

COMMUNITY WORK

Meet few learned and educated people in your community and ask
them some questions to get their ideas what development activities to
be done in the district. Then, write a letter to the mayor or chairperson
of rural municipality including the views of the people from your locality.

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Population Education - Book 7

Lesson

11..71 Transportation

Transportation is the activity of taking goods or people from one place to
another in a vehicle such as bus, truck, aeroplane, train, ship, and so on.
It is one of the main prerequisites of development. Development in the
transportation system helps to develop all sectors in the country. Different
modes and means of transport play an important role in development.
Roadways, airways, railways, waterways and ropeways are the main modes
of transportation. Buses, truck, aeroplane, train, ship, taxis, lorry, etc., are
the main means of transportation. Besides, horses, mules, sheep, elephants,
oxen, buffaloes etc., are also used as means of transport in various parts of
our country. They are traditional means of transportation.

Importance of Transportation

Transportation is an important prerequisite of development. Transportation
supports the development of different sectors of the economy in any country of
the world. Transportation is essential for the supplies of the goods, movement
of the people and delivery of the services. Construction materials to build a
school for the development of education and a hospital for the development
of health services can only be transported to the construction area easily
with the support of transportation. The development of industry and trade
depends on transportation. Transportation also helps in the development
of agriculture, tourism, and communications. Thus, transportation is
considered the backbone of the national economy.

Present Condition of Transportation in Nepal

In comparison to other developed countries, transportation has not been
developed well in Nepal. There are many places, which are not linked by any
mode of transportation. Several factors are responsible for this situation in
Nepal. Lack of capital, lack of skilled human resource, lack of advanced
technology, difficult topography, lack of political commitment, corruption
and political instability are some of them. Besides, most of the available
roads have been damaged due to frequent occurrence of landslide, soil
erosion, floods, etc. It will be clear if we read the condition of the following
modes of transportation in Nepal.

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Roadways

The roadway is an important
mode of transportation. Nepal is a
mountainous country. The airway
is very expensive. It also cannot
link all parts of the country to one
another as it requires plain land
structure for the construction of
the airport. Nepal is a landlocked
country. The rivers in Nepal are not
navigable. Therefore, the waterway
is also not possible here. Therefore, Roadways

the roadway is the most important mode of transportation among all modes
of transportation in the context of Nepal. It links the different parts of the
country to one another. Most of the district headquarters are connected with
motorable roads in Nepal. There are three types of roads in Nepal. They are
metalled (black-topped or pitched) roads, gravelled roads and earthen roads

Development of roadway is quite easier than other modes of transportation
in a mountainous country like Nepal. Therefore, our government has focused
on its development. Some of the main highways that link the main cities of
Nepal are given below.

Major Highways in Nepal

Highway Name of the Highways Length Places connected
Code No. (in KM)
H01 East-West Highway 1027.67 Jhapa to Kanchanpur
H02 Tribhuwan Highway 159.66 Kathmandu to Parsa
H03 Araniko Highway 112.83 Kathmandu to Kodari
H04 Prithivi Highway 173.43 Dhading to Kaskil
H05 Madan Ashrit Highway 36.16 Mugling to Narayanghadh
H06 B.P. Highway 158 Mahottari to Kavre
H07 Mechi Highway 391.06 Kechana to Taplejung
H09 Sagarmatha Highway 178.97 Saptari to Khotang
H10 Sidhartha Highway 146.94 Rupandehi to Kaski
H13 Karnali Highway 233 Surkhet to Jumla
H14 Mahakali Highway 415.15 Kailali to Darchula
H15 Seti Highway 65.96 Dadeldhura to Doti

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Airways

Airway is another mode of
transportation. Our country is a
mountainous country. It is very
difficult to construct roads in all
places due to its mountainous
structure. Therefore, airway has
become an important mode of
transport in Nepal after roadways.
But the air service was started very
late in our country. The Nepal Airline
Corporation is the oldest airline
company in Nepal. It is the only
government-owned air company. It Airways

was established in 1953 AD. Besides this, there are many private-owned
air companies such as Buddha Air, Sita Air, Yeti Air, Everest Air, Agni Air,
Shree Airlines, Simrik Air, Garud Air, Guna Air, Lumbini Air, etc. These
air companies have been providing air services in Nepal. The airway is
quite expensive mode of transportation. Most of the average Nepali people
cannot afford it, but it is the only mode of transport in some parts of the
mountainous region.

Railways

The railway is another mode of transportation. The first railway in Nepal
was the Nepal Government Railway. The British built it in 1927 AD during
the Rana period. It connected Raxaul in British India with Amlekhganj. It
was 39 km long. Another railway in the country was the Nepal Janakpur–
Jainagar Railway. It was built in 1937 AD. Several railways are under
construction in our country at present.

Ropeways Cable car

The ropeway is an important mode
of transportation in a mountainous
country like Nepal. It has become an
alternative mode of transportation
to roadways. The rope way can be
constructed in the places where
construction of the road becomes

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difficult. The 42 km long ropeway connecting Hetauda and Kathmandu
was the only one ropeway in Nepal. As its importance decreased after the
construction of road, it is not in operation these days. There is only cable car
service in operation as the ropeway in Nepal. Manakamana cable car and
Chandragiri cable cars are only providing ropeway service in Nepal.

Waterways

Waterway is the cheapest mode of
transportation. A large ship can
sail through waterways carrying
many passengers and things at a
time. Water transportation has not
been developed in Nepal as it is a
landlocked country and rivers here
are not navigable. A few big rivers
in the Terai like the Koshi, the
Gandaki and the Karnali can be
used for navigation. The rivers like
the Trishuli, the Kaligandaki, the
Bhotekosi, etc. are very suitable for Rafting

rafting. So, they are used for rafting. Boating is also done in the lakes like
Fewa, Begnas, Rupa, etc.

Glossary

essential : completely necessary
lorry
landlocked : a large vehicle for carrying heavy loads on the road
navigable
: completely surrounded by land.

: (of rivers) wide and deep enough for ship or boats to
sail

Vedanta 35 Approved by Curriculum Development Centre,
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ACTIVITIES

(1) Have a short discussion in the class on ‘Present condition of
transportation in Nepal’ and prepare a short report of it.

(2) Why has the waterway not developed in Nepal? Ask this question
to your friends and note down their best answer.

EXERCISE

(1) Answer the following questions.
(a) Write the different modes of transport commonly used in
Nepal.
(b) Name the major highways of Nepal with their length.
(c) Name some private airlines in operation in our country.
(d) Why has water transport not been developed well in Nepal?
(e) Give some reasons for having limited railway in Nepal.

(2) Which means of transport do you use daily? Write a short note about
it.

(3) Write the names of the highways and airports of your district.

(4) “Transportation is an important infrastructure of development.”
Justify this statement in your own words.

(5) Distinguish between the mode and means of transportation.

(6) “The roadway is the most commonly used mode of transportation in
Nepal.” Explain with suitable reasons.

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Lesson

11..81 Communication

We get various information and news through the means of communication.
We also exchange our views and ideas with others and get other’s ideas
in the same way. Actually, communication refers to the process of passing
information, news, views, ideas, and knowledge from one person or a place to
another. The means of communication such as newspaper, radio, television,
postal service, telephone, wireless, e-mail, internet, films, fax and satellite
help us to share different information among us. Communication is another
infrastructure of development. It supports the development of various
sectors in the country.

Importance of Communication

Communication is an important
infrastructure of development. It helps
to accelerate and sustain modern trade,
commerce, industry, tourism, health,
education and other sectors of the national
economy. Important information, news,
views, ideas and knowledge can be shared
among people with the help of means of
communication. The development of the
modern means of communication has
Nepal Telecom

turned the whole world into a global village.
People living in different parts of the world can contact one another within
a few seconds. The transformation of information and knowledge for the
development of the nation becomes possible with the help of the development
of communication.

Present Condition of Communication in Nepal

There is a tremendous change in the field of communication in Nepal
in recent years. However, it is lagging far behind in comparison to the
developed countries. We can study the present situation and development
of communication in Nepal under the following topics.

Vedanta 37 Approved by Curriculum Development Centre,
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Postal Service

Postal service is an important means of
communication. It is the oldest means of
communication service in Nepal. It was started
in 1935 BS in our country, although it was
limited to the government offices for official
purposes. After three years of the establishment
of the general post office, it was made open for
general people in 1938 BS. At the beginning of Post office

the first five years plan, there were 124 post offices in Nepal. Among them,
one was the general post office, and other post offices were additional post
offices. Later, the number of post offices has been increased. All parts of
the country have been provided with the postal service. Although postal
services have been established in all parts of the country, people have do
not use postal services as means of communication in Nepal, especially after
the development of the telephone and the internet. The courier services and
deliveries are preferred these days as they are faster and reliable.

Radio

The radio is a popular means of communication in Nepal. Radio Nepal was
established on 20 Chaitra 2007 BS. It provides services to more than 90% of
people in our country. Although its service was limited in the beginning, its
service has become wide and regular after the establishment of its regional
transmission centres at Pokhara, Dhankuta, Surkhet and Dipayal. Besides
Radio Nepal, several FM (Frequency Modulation) radios have become very
popular, especially among the youths these days. There are many FM stations
established in all the major towns of the country. Some popular FM stations
of the nation are Kantipur FM, Hits FM, Saptakoshi FM, Sagarmatha FM,
Annapurna FM, Kanchenjunga FM, Butwal FM, Resunga FM, Shri Nagar
FM, Lumbini FM, Big FM, and so on.

Television

Television is both audio and visual means of communication. It is another
popular means of communication in Nepal next to radio. Television provides
news, information, views of the people. Serials, films and other entertainment
programmes are also broadcast through television. Nepal Television was
established in 2041 BS. It started its regular programmes from 2042 BS.
Initially, it had limited programmes broadcast in limited time. But it has
more programmes in these days. There are many private televisions such

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as Kantipur Television, Sagarmatha Television, Avenues Television, AP1
HD , Galaxy 4K Television, Makalu Television and Himsikhar Television
established in Nepal. Besides these national television channels, many
international television channels such as Zee TV, Sony, Star Sports, Nick,
Cartoon Network, CNN, Animal Planet, Discovery and many more can also
be watched in Nepal. Different cities of Nepal have some local television
such as Dibya Darshan Television in Dhading, Mountain Television in
Kathmandu, Ramailo Television in Dolakha, Fewa television and Golden
Eye in Pokhara, and so on.

Telephone Service

Telephone service is an important means of
communication. It is the most used means of
communication in Nepal. Telephone service in
Nepal is the best among the SAARC countries.
The telephone service was started late in Nepal.
It was made available for public only after the
Telephone service

introduction of democracy in 2007 BS in Nepal.
It has been distributed in almost all parts of the country these days. Nepal
Telecom, Ncell and Smart Cell provide telephone service in Nepal. It has
really benefited and made the communication system easy and faster. The
mobile phones have become extremely popular these days.

Newspapers

Newspapers and magazines are common
means of communication. They are mostly
read by the people in the cities and
well-facilitated areas. Newspapers and
magazines publish news, opinions, articles,
weather reports, money exchange rate, film Newspaper

news, advertisement and different creative work such as poem, story and
jokes. The Gorkhapatra is a popular government-owned newspaper in our
country. It was published in 1957 BS for the first time. Now, there are many
newspapers published daily, weekly, fortnightly and monthly. After the re-
establishment of democracy in 2046 BS, the newspapers and magazines have
become a very popular and important means of communication in Nepal.
Newspapers and magazines can be daily, weekly, fortnightly and monthly.

Vedanta 39 Approved by Curriculum Development Centre,
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Population Education - Book 7

Glossary

accelerate : to happen or to make something happen faster
and easier than expected
pace
access : the speed at which something happens
remarkable
: the way of reaching a place
satellite
broadcast : unusual or surprising in a way that causes people
conscious to take notice

: outpost station

: transmit, sent out, convey

: able to use senses and mental power to understand
what us happening

ACTIVITIES

(1) Discuss on the advantages and disadvantages of using mobile phone
and note down the points in a table.

(2) Collect news stories about the development of communication from
different sources and read them in the class.

EXERCISE

(1) Answer the following questions.
(a) Why is postal services less used in Nepal these days?
(b) What means of communication do you use more? For what
purposes do you use them?
(c) Write the importance of communication in your own words.
(d) Why do think the mobile phones have become very popular these
days?
(e) How can you say that communication is an infrastructure of
development?

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(2) Make a list of the national newspapers published daily, weekly,
fortnightly and Monthly in a table.

(3) “The development of communication has turned the whole world
into a small village.” Justify this statement in your own words.

(4) Compare the development of communication in Nepal fifty years
before and now.

COMMUNITY WORK

Which means of communication do people use the most in your community?
Visit at least ten houses in your community and find out. Present your
findings in your classroom.

Vedanta 41 Approved by Curriculum Development Centre,
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Population Education - Book 7

UNIT OUR SOCIAL NORMS AND
2 VALUES

On the completion of this unit, the students will be able to:

• recognise the important rituals of different religions;

• identify and preserve the social traditions and rituals of various castes and
ethnic groups;

• involve in the activities that promote the feeling of nationality;

Learning • comprehend the significance of Nepali folk songs, folk dance and Nepali
Outcomes musical instruments;

• assist in the preservation of locally available folk music, folk dance and folk
musical instruments;

• seek, promote and preserve local costumes and ornaments;

• be inspired form inspirational historical personalities;

• recognise the personalities who have been involved in social welfare and in
the field of science;

• recognise the findings of personalities involved in the sector of science; and

• seek and mention the contribution of historical figures. Unit One:
42 We and Our Society
Approved by Curriculum Development Centre,

Sanothimi, Bhaktapur

Lesson

21..11 Our Religious Rituals

Nepal is a multi-religious country. People follow different religions such
as Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Kirant, Christianity, Jainism, Sikhism,
Bon, Bahaism, etc. in Nepal. Religion is belief in a god or gods and the
activities that are connected with this belief. Although their religious
background is different, Nepali people maintain social harmony. There
is a system of treating and respecting all religions equally. This system
is known as religious tolerance. It helps to maintain social harmony by
preventing conflicts in the names of religions. It also encourages people to
participate in each other’s religious and cultural activities. Different rituals
are associated with various religions in our society. Rituals are sets of fixed
actions performed regularly as a part of ceremony. Celebration of different
festivals is also a part of rituals.

Hinduism

Most of the people follow Hinduism in Nepal.
In fact, more then 81% of total population
in Nepal are Hindu. Hinduism is regarded
as the oldest religion in the world. It was
originally called Sanatan or Vedic religion.
Sanatan means having no specific founder
and Vedic based on the Vedas.

Some of the major religious scriptures of Hindu
the Hindus are the Vedas, the Upanishads,
the Purans, the Bhagawat Geeta, the
Mahabharat and the Ramayan. The Vedas are the earliest Hindu
sacred writings. The four Vedas are Rigveda, Samveda, Yajurveda and
Atharvaveda. The Hindus believe in polytheism. Polytheism is the worship
of or belief in more than one god. They worship idols and pictures of gods and
goddesses like Brahma, Bishnu, Shiva, Durga, Saraswati, Laxmi, Ganesh,
Surya and Chandra. They follow different methods of worshipping, such as
Panchopachar, Dasopachar and Shodshopachar. Other forms of worshipping
include chanting hymns and performing small sacrifices to the gods. They
fast during certain occasions, days or Tithis.

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Meditation is a very important part of Hinduism. It encourages relaxation
and concentration that frees the mind. Most Hindus believe that human
souls are reborn after death. The Hindu law of karma says that what a
person does in one life affects her or his future life.
The Hindus worship at temples. They recite religious hymns (Bhajans) while
worshipping. They hold the concept of heaven and hell. They believe that
good deeds lead one to the heaven and bad deeds take one to the hell. They
believe in charity. They like to serve and help the poor, disabled, helpless,
elder and needy people. Dashain, Tihar, Chhath, Mahashivaratri, Teej, Ram
Nawami, and Holi are some major festivals of the Hindus.

Buddhism

Gautam Buddha founded Buddhism. The
term ‘Buddha’ means ‘the enlightened
one’. It is not a name but a title of respect.
The actual name of Buddha is Siddhartha
Gautam, who was born as the son of a
king named Suddhodhan in Lumbini. He
decided to give up the life of a prince at
the age of 29 and left his home in search
of truth. He wanted to realise the truth
about life. Finally, at the age of 35, he Buddhists

attained enlightenment. In Buddhism,
enlightenment is a final spiritual state in which everything is understood,
and there is no more suffering or desire. The Buddhists believe that the
path to enlightenment is through the practice and development of morality,
meditation, and wisdom. If we see an image of Gautam Buddha, he looks
peaceful, wise, and full of love.

The Buddhists worship at monastries (Gumbas). They spend a lot of time in
meditation, from which they get mental peace and satisfaction. The sacred
books of Buddhism are the Tripitaka and the Jataka. The Tripitaka is the
three collections of books making up the Buddhist canon of scriptures, and
the Jataka contains the story of Buddha and his former life.

Buddhism is a tradition that focuses on personal spiritual development. The
Buddhists do not worship gods or deities. Truth, peace and non-violence are
the main mantras of Buddhism. The Buddhists celebrate Buddha Jayanti,
Lhosar, etc.

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Sanothimi, Bhaktapur Our Social Norms and Values

Kirant Dharma

Kirant is an ancient religion followed by
Kiranti people in our country. The Kirats
live in the eastern part of Nepal, mainly
in the eastern and western parts of the
Arun River. Rai, Limbu, Sunuwar, and
Yakkha are generally called Kirati. They
are nature worshipper. They see the face
of God in trees, forests, streams, stones,
rivers, and mountains and worship them
Kirant people celebrating Udhauli

as the symbols of Parohang and Sumnima.
Parohang (Shiva) and Sumnima (Parbati) are the chief deities of the Kirants.
They worship at Margasthan or Bhumesthan. They celebrate Udhauli and
Ubhauli as their major festival. Mundhum is their main sacred book.

Islam

Islam began in Arabia and was revealed Islam
to humanity by the Prophet Muhammad.
Those people who follow Islam are called
Muslims. Muslims believe that there is only
one God, Allah. They do not worship idols.
A Muslim must pray five times a day, either
alone or with others in a mosque (masjid).
This type of ritual prayers is known as
namaz. Muslims also go to mosque for a
collective worship, usually on Friday.

The Quran (also spelled as Koran) is the holy book on which the religion of
Islam is based. It contains the preaching of Muhammad in 114 chapters.
It was revealed to him by God in Arabic. Islam has five duties that every
Muslim should perform. These five Pillars of Muslim instruct Muslims to
make known their faith in God, pray five times a day, give money to charity,
fast and make a pilgrimage to Mecca (at least once in a lifetime). The
pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia is known as Hajj. Mecca is the holiest
city in Islam because the Prophet Mohammed was born there. All Muslims
face towards Mecca when they pray.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim year when Muslims do not
eat between the rising and setting of the sun. During Ramadan, Muslims
celebrate the fact that it was in this month that God first revealed the words

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of the Quran to Mohammed. The major festivals of Islam are Eid (Eid-ul-
Fitr), Bakr-Eid (Eid ul Adha) and Ramadan.

Christianity

Christianity is the world’s most widespread
religion. It is a religion based on the
teachings of Jesus Christ and the belief that
he was the son of God. The Christian holy
book is the Bible, and consists of the Old
and New Testament. Christians worship in
churches. All Christians celebrate certain
holy days. Christmas is celebrated on 25th
December to mark the birth of Jesus. Easter
is celebrated on a Sunday in March or April Christians

to mark Christ’s return to Life, and the Friday before Easter is called Good
Friday. It is the anniversary of Jesus’ death. The major teachings of this
religion are to forgive others, show good conduct, help the poor and needy
ones, and love others.

Jainism

Jainism is an ancient religion from India. It teaches that the way to freedom
and happiness is to live a life of harmlessness. Jains believe that animals
and plants, as well as human beings, contain living souls. Each of these
souls is of equal value and should be treated with respect and compassion.
They are strict vegetarians. They also hold the belief that there are no gods
that will help human beings. It is a religion of self-help. The three guiding
principles of this religion are right belief, right knowledge and right conduct.
The primary guiding belief of Jainism is non-violence. Mahavira is regarded
as the man who gave Jainism its present-day form. The texts containing the
teachings of Mahavira is called the Agamas. This religion promotes charity
and service. The Jains believe that they will obtain peace if they do so.

Sikhism

Guru Nanak founded Sikhism in the 16th century in Guru Nanak
Punjab. The Sikh place of worship is known as Gurdwara
(gateways to the gurus). The chief Gurdwara is the
Golden Temple in Amritsar, India. Sikhs eat together
in the Gurdwara as a sign of the equality of all kinds

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of people. The Sikh scripture is the Guru Granth Sahib. The Sikhs do not
worship idols.
Apart from these religions, people belonging to other religious groups
have their own culture and traditions according to their religion. Although
religious rituals differ from religion to religion in our country, there is
good understanding, and co-existence among people. People respect each-
other’s rituals. They even participate in each other’s religious activities. Our
government doesn’t interfere in the religious beliefs of people. Our country
promotes all religions equally. It is a matter of pride that no riot has been
recorded in the name of religions in our country till now.

ACTIVITY

(1) Which religions do your friends in the classroom follow? Ask and write.

EXERCISE

(1) Identify these religions with the given information.

(a) A religion based on the teachings of .......................................
Jesus Christ

(b) A religion founded in Punjab in the .......................................
15th century by Guru Nanak

(c) A widespread Asian religion founded by

Gautam Buddha .......................................

(d) An ancient Hindu religion founded by .......................................
Jina Vardhamana Mahavira

(e) An ancient religion followed by the Kirati

people in our country .......................................

(f) The oldest religion in the world developed

from Vedic religion .......................................

(g) The religion of the Muslims started by

Mohammad .......................................

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(2) Fill in the blanks with suitable answer.
(a) Sets of fixed actions performed regularly as a part of ceremony
are ..............................
(b) ........................... is worshipped as the living goddess in Hinduism.
(c) The Hindu goddess of learning and the arts is .................................
(d) The ................................. is the Islamic sacred book written down
in Arabic.
(e) ...................................... is the goddess of Kirants.
(f) The sacred book of the Buddhism is the .................................. .

(3) Answer the following questions.
(a) What do you mean by religion?
(b) Compare the main features of Hinduism and Buddhism in four
points.
(c) Give a short introduction to Kirant Dharma.
(d) How do the Kirants worship their God?
(e) How is Islam different from Christianity? Compare in four points.
(f) What are the three guiding principles of Jainism?
(g) Give a brief introduction to Sikhism.

(4) What do you mean by religious tolerance? How does it help to
maintain social unity, peace and harmony? Discuss among your friends
and write.

(5) Insert these religions mentioned in the lesson into right columns.

Religions that worship idols Religions that do not worship idols

COMMUNITY WORK

Visit a religious place near by your home and write a paragraph about
that religious place.

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Lesson

21..21 Our Social Rituals

A society is a network of social relationships
among organised groups of human beings.
It also refers to a group of people who live
in a certain area and their shared laws
and customs. Social rituals are important
factors that introduce a society. Rituals
mean religious services or other ceremonies,
which involves a series of actions performed
in a fixed order. Nuwaran (naming
ceremony), Pashni (rice feeding ceremony), Marriage ceremony

Bratabandha (thread wearing ceremony),
Gufa Rakhne or Guniu Choli Dine (hiding or giving traditional clothes),
Bihaha (marriage) and Daagbatti ra Shraddha (death rites) are important
social rituals in our society. Besides them, we have our own rituals to
celebrate festivals, perform religious ceremonies and respect our guests.
People perform them for their physical and mental purity.

Nepali society in rich in religious, cultural and social traditions. Such
customs or beliefs have existed for a long time. Different norms and values
are associated with those traditions. Norms are ways of behaving that
are considered normal in a particular society. An example of a norm is a
student should respect her or his teacher. Likewise, values refer to the
moral principles and beliefs or accepted standards of a person or social
group. Values such as fundamental rights, patriotism, sacrifice, equality,
democracy etc., guide our behaviour in many ways. Different religious
beliefs have a range of values and norms.

Culture is the fundamental aspect to introduce any society, caste and
country. It refers to the way of living of the people in that society or country.
It includes a set of beliefs, rituals, traditions, norms and values, habits, arts
and philosophy of people living there. It differs from place to place. What
is acceptable in one society may not be accepted in another society. Those
rituals related to birth, childhood, socialisation, marriage, and death are
the primary aspects of culture. One can distinguish a community, cultural
group, caste or ethnic group from another one with the help of its social

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rituals and traditions. However, some customs are common in all societies.
The practice of sharing, respecting seniors or elders, celebrating various
festivals and respecting other’s culture and religious belief are common
rituals in many Nepali societies.
Our country is a common garden of different castes, languages, cultures
and civilisations. People holding various religious beliefs live together
harmoniously in our country. They follow their own culture as per their
religious rituals. There is a provision of right to freedom of religion in our
present constitution of Nepal -2072. It states, “Every person who has faith
in religion shall have the freedom to profess, practise and protect her or his
religion according to her or his belief. Every religious denomination shall
have the right to operate and protect its religious sites and religious Guthi
(trusts). No person is allowed to conduct any activities that breach public
peace or convert another person from one religion to another or any act or
conduct that may risk other's religion and such act shall be punishable by
law”. The social traditions and customs of our country are prevalent based
on the periphery of this law.
Unity in diversity and tolerance are the typical features of Nepali society.
Although people come from different diversities on the basis of geography,
caste, race, religion, language, rituals, culture, and traditions, the underlying
unity is remarkable. Likewise, we allow other people to say and do as they
like, even if we do not agree or approve of it. This is the quality of tolerance.
We never fight in the name of religion or culture. People belonging to one
religion go to the shrine of another religion. We participate in each other’s
religious ceremonies, festivals, fairs, worships, and prayers. Our society is
a perfect example of religious tolerance. We respect and treat all religions
equally. However, some evil or superstitious beliefs such as untouchability,
gender discrimination and dowry system are found in our society in the
name of customs and traditions. Likewise, we have the practice of spending
money extravagantly, organising unnecessary feasts and celebrations,
consuming liquors in various occasions and sacrificing animals in the name
of culture. Such activities harm the peace, progress and prosperity of our
society. Therefore, it is our duty to abolish these evils and problems for the
welfare of our society.

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