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B. Write True or False:
1. Dihang is another name of Amazon River.
2. Koruba is the name of a particular tribe.
3. Agro-based industries are found in the Ganga-Brahmaputra Basin.
4. Seringueiros are actually the politicians.
C. Give Reasons:
1. Tropical region has the thick vegetation.
2. Dark and gloomy interiors of the tropical forest.
3. In the Ganga plains the main occupation of the people is agriculture.
4. Ganga-Brahmaputra Basin has many agro-based industries.
D. Answer the following questions in brief:
1. Name the world’s longest river.
2. Name two agro-based industries.
3. Which trees can be found in the Amazon basin?
4. Which animals are found in the Amazon basin?
5. Name the cities that are situated in the Ganga basin.
6. What is the most common economic activity in the Ganga basin?
E. Answer the following questions in detail:
1. What are the major differences between the Ganga-Brahmaputra Basin and

the Amazon basin?
2. How to calculate the density of population of a particular area?
3. Discuss the flora of the Ganga-Brahmaputra basin.
4. Discuss the fauna of the Ganga-Brahmaputra basin.
5. Discuss the flora of the Amazon basin.
6. Discuss the fauna of the Amazon basin.
7. Discuss the lifestyle of people in the Amazon basin.
8. Discuss the life-style of people in the Ganga basin.

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The areas where the grasses and the few plants dominate the natural vegetation,
are known as grasslands. We have already known something about the
grasslands from chapter-7.

This chapter will give us the details of the two main regions of the temperate
grasslands - the Prairies and the Veldts.

THE PRAIRIES

‘Prairie’ is a French word
which means a meadow or
a grassland. These prairies
are found in North
America, especially in the
USA and Canada. It is
stretched from 40 degree
North to 55 degree North.
In the USA, it is extended
over the states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Oklahoma and some parts of
Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Missouri etc. In Canada, it is spreaded over the
states of Manitoba, Alberta, Ontario and Saskatchewan.

The Prairies are named as “a sea of grass”. It is named so because the prairies are
spreaded over a huge land. In the north-south, the Prairies are extended about
6000 km and in the east-west, they are extended about 2000 km.

The region is flat and slightly sloping. The rivers which flow through the Prairies
include the Saskatchewan River in Canada and Mississippi in the USA. The length
of the Saskatchewan river is 550 km. It is originated from the glaciers of Rockies
and crosses Saskatchewan and Manitoba and finally enters into the Lake
Winnipeg. In North America, the Mississippi is the largest river system. It is
originated from the Lake Itasca in Minnesota and flows across almost all the US
states.

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A continental type of climate is observed in this
region. The reasons behind this type of climate
are that it is in the interior part of the continent
and it is also a landlocked region. Extreme
seasonal variations are important features of
this region. In summers, it is hot while in winters, it is cold. In winters, the
Prairies remain under a thick layer of snow.

The average rainfall in this region is 50cm. From the east to the west, it gets
decreased. Away from the Rockies, the central part of the region remains dry.

From the eastern slopes of the Rockies, the Chinook wind blows. They are the
dry and warm winds. Due to the absence of trees and mountains, these winds
blow very fast. The winter temperature of this region gets raised because of
these winds, i.e., -20 degree C to 10 degree C for a few hours or days. The snow
melts and evaporates in winter due to the warming effect of the winds.

Very few trees and plants are found in these Rraccoons
grasslands. The trees which can be widely found
here include white spruce, black spruce, balsam
fir, bur oak, etc. Most of the trees are found in
patches where enough water is available. The
animals like bisons, bats, rodents, coyotes,
gophers, rabbits, squirrels, black bear, mountain
lions, raccoons, bull snakes, red fox are found
here. Even the birds like doves, cuckoos, finches,
song sparrows, hummingbirds etc. are noticed here.

The main occupation of the people, living in this region is agriculture. Some
modern machineries like harvesters, harrows, combines, packers, threshers, etc.
are used for agriculture. The food production in this region is so high that it is
now called as the granary of the world.

The important crops like wheat, corn (maize), oat, barley, soyabean, potato, etc.
are grown here. Cotton is also grown here. In the world, the Prairies are the
largest corn-growing region. The region has given rise to many leading food-

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processing industries because of the high productivity of agriculture and dairy
farming.

Apart from the agriculture, many people are engaged in dairy farming. Large
cattle grounds which are called ranches, can also be found here. They serve as
good pastures for the cattle. In this region, a cooperative dairy farming is done by
“Prairie farm dairy”. Its main function is to convert milk into various milk
products like cheese, yoghurt, sour cream, ice cream, butter etc.

The region has rich deposits of coal and iron. Therefore, the people are also
engaged in mining. An excellent network of roadways and railways is also found
here.

People of Prairies live in Sod houses. A sod house is that house which is made up
by the strip of bricks laid horizontally. Some people also live in Tepees. Tepees
are the conical tents that are built around the long brandies or wooden poles.

The region consists of some important cities like Chicago, Indianapolis,
Minneapolis, Kansas City and Denver. Some of the important cities in Canadian
Prairies include Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary and Saskatoon.

A Sod houses Tepee

THE VELDTS

The Veldts are the temperate grasslands of
South Africa. ‘Veldt’ is a Dutch word which
means ‘field’. These are the flat areas which
are covered with scrubs. The region is
extended from 25 degree S to 37 degree S
latitudes. The pasture land is stretched over

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a plateau area.
The north-eastern
part of the plateau
is known as “high
Veldt”. In its east,
lies the
Drakensburg
Mountains and in
west, the Kalahari
Desert. To the
South, it has the
close proximity to
the Atlantic Ocean
and to its nasi, the Indian Ocean. The area is drained by the Orange and Limpopo
Rivers along with their tributaries.

The climate of this region is mild. The summers are generally wet and warm. In
daytime, the temperature reaches up to 22⁰C in Johannesburg. The winters are
cold and dry. The coldest month of this region is July. The temperature
fluctuates from 5⁰C to 10⁰C. Here rainfall is scanty and generally occurs in
summers. The average annual rainfall is 15 to 30 inches. In the months of June,
July and August, droughts occur.

The grasses cover the major part of the area.

Trees here are mostly absent. Red grass which

is common in the Bush Veldt are found in

lower altitudes. In well-drained and fertile soil,

it is grown. The thorn veldts are also found

here. Acacia and Marula are the thorn Veldts

which can be found in High Veldt region. Hyaena

Unfortunately, the animals of this area got extinct and endangered because of

the massive hunting of animals and encroachment of land by people. The

animals which are found in the Veldt include lions, leopards, hyaenas, jackals

and cheetahs. To protect the biodiversity of the area, the Great Limpopo

Transfrontier Park has been made.

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As the region does not have rich fertile soil and as it experiences semi-arid type
of climate, this region is not fit for agriculture. Most of the lands are used as the
pasture lands. In the warmer and wetter eastern part of the region, cattle are
reared. For milk and meat, they are actually reared. The milk is converted into
cream, butter and the other dairy products.

In the Veldt, the sheep-rearing is the main occupation. Sheep is reared for wool.
The finest quality of wool is given by the merino sheep. Mohair and leather are
yielded from the Angora goats.

Mohair is the silk-like fabric or yarn that is made from the hair of Angora goat.
The second largest exporter of Merino wool in the world is the Veldt. Now your
work is to find out the first largest exporter of Merino wool in the world.

In some parts of the region, agriculture is also practiced. The main crops like
maize, wheat, barley, oats, tobacco, sugarcanes etc. are grown here. Some
farmers cultivate land and also rear cattle. This is called mixed farming.

Kimberley diamond mine The Veldt has rich mineral deposits. In the
Witwatersrand, the gold is found. Witwatersrand
is one of the richest goldmines in the world. The
gold capital of the world is Johannesburg.
Kimberley is well known for diamonds. The
region also has iron and steel industry. The
transport and communication network is well
developed here.

In 1866, a shepherd, Erasmus Jacobs found a small white marble
along the bank of Orange river. This marble was later identified as a
21.25 carat diamond.

 The Prairies are the grasslands which are found in North
America, mainly in the USA and Canada.

 The Saskatchewan River in Canada and the Mississippi in
the USA are the main rivers that flow through the
Prairies.

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 Chinooks are the warm winds that originate in the eastern Rockies.
 The very few trees and plants are found in the Prairies.
 Veldts are the grasslands and are found in South Africa.
 The main occupation of the Veldt is sheep-rearing. Sheep are reared

for wool. The finest quality of wool is given by the Merino sheep.

 A large open area that is covered with grass.
 A warm dry wind that blows down the east side of the

Rocky Mountains at the end of winter.
 A large farm where cattle are bred.
 A process of rearing cattle for milk.
 A silk-like fabric which is made from the hair of Angora

goat.
 A prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall, leading to

a shortage of water.
 A system of farming that involves the growing of

crops as well as the raising of livestock.

TEST YOURSELF

A. Tick the correct answers:
1. Chinook is the name of a:
a. Wind b. Marble c. Storm d. Bird
2. The word Prairie in French means
a. River b. Grassland c. Shadow d. Plateau
3. People of Paris live in
a. Huts b. Igloos c. Sod houses d. Buildings
4. Kalahari is the name of a
a. Desert b. Mountain c. River d. Wind

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5. Veldts are the grasslands of
a. South America b. North America c. North Africa d. South Africa
B. Write True or False:
1. Veldt is a French word.
2. Red fox is found in the Prairies.
3. Saskatchewan is a river of South Africa.
4. The Angora goats yield mohair and leather.
5. Kimberley is famous for gold.
C. Give Reasons:
1. The Prairies are called the granary of the world.
2. Chinook blows at fast speed.
3. There is a presence of food processing industry in the Prairie region.
4. Cattle– rearing is practiced in the Veldt region.
D. Answer the following questions in brief:
1. What is the main occupation in the Veldt?
2. Who give the finest quality of wool?
3. Which park protects the biodiversity of the Veldts?
4. Name the place where gold is found.
5. Which place is famous for the diamonds?
6. Name the rivers that flow through the Prairies.
E. Answer the following questions in detail.
1. Why does the Chinook blow at fast speed?
2. Write the differences between the Prairies and the Veldts regarding their

location, flora, fauna and climate.
3. Describe the occupations in Veldts.
4. Describe the occupations in the Prairies.
5. Why do the prairies call the granary of the world?

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A desert is such a region where rainfall is very low. The annual rainfall is less than
25cm per year. Deserts are dry and they have scanty vegetation. Nearly one-fifth
of the earth’s surface is occupied by the deserts. There are mainly two types of
deserts:

Hot and dry climate are the features of these regions. Thar Desert in India,
Kalahari Desert and Sahara Desert in Africa, Saudi Arabian Desert and Great
Victoria Desert in Australia are some of the examples of this region.

Extremely cold and dry climate are the features of this region. Siberian Desert,
Mongolian or Gobi Desert and Ladakh region of the Himalayas are some of the
examples of this region. The entire Antarctica is a cold desert.

A CASE STUDY OF THE SAHARA DESERT

The largest and the hottest desert of the world is the Sahara desert. It is located
between 20 degree North to 30 degree South of the Equator. The desert is
stretched over North Africa. Through the centre of the Sahara Desert, the
Equator has passed. Nearly 8.54 million sq. km. area is covered by the Sahara
region. The Atlantic Ocean in the east, the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlas

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Mountains in the north have
bounded the Sahara desert. Over
eleven countries of Africa, the
Sahara Desert is spreaded over.
They are Algeria, Libya, Chad,
Mali, Egypt, Mauritania, Niger,
Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia and
Western Sahara.

The Sahara Desert is also known as El Khela. The term ‘El Khela’ means ‘the
emptiness’. Varied landforms are found
in this region. The main features of this
area are shallow depressions, peaks,
oasis, plateaus, sand and dunes.

Oasis is a small water body. It is a

perennial source of fresh water. It is

such a water body where small

vegetations and settlements can be

located. For the irrigation of the land, Oasis

water is provided by the oasis. To fulfil the water requirement of humans and

animals, the caravans also stop near the oasis.

The Southern part of the Sahara desert is drained by the Nile river. Some small
streams, originating from Atlas Mountains or highlands of Libya, Tunisia and
Morocco, also drain its Northern part.

The highest point in the Sahara is Emi Koussi in the Tibesti range in
Chad. Its height is 3,415 metres. The lowest point of the Sahara is
Qattara depression. It is 133m below the mean sea level.

: Harsh and extreme climate are experienced by the Sahara region. In the
north, it has a dry subtropical climate while in the south, it has a dry tropical type
climate. Very hot summers and dry and cold winters are the climatic features of
this region. I n the summers, the temperature reaches around 50 degree C and
dips below the freezing point in the winters. There is less than 25 cm of the
annual rainfall. The span of the rainy season is very short. For most of the year,
the sky remains cloudless.

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Because of the Canary current, a part of western coast experiences cool
temperature conditions. Libiyan desert is the most arid part of the desert.

The natural vegetation in this region is scarce and scattered. Mainly shrubs,
bushes, grasses and very few trees are found in this region. Most of the plants
are halophytes as they can adapt their living in saline environment.

The plants are deeply rooted into the soil. Waxy stems and thorny leaves are the
main characteristics of these trees. These help the trees not to lose water even in
the time of transpiration.

Palm, oleander, date palms, etc. are included in the vegetation. Even the species
of Cyprus, olive and acacia are also found here.

Oleander Ostrich Scorpions

The fauna that is found in this region includes mammals, reptiles and several
birds. Even hedgehog, spotted hyaena, jackal, sand fox and mongoose are found
here. Reptiles like lizards, snakes, and scorpions can also be found here. Around
300 species of migratory birds are in this region. Some of the common birds
include: ostriches, guinea fowl, desert eagles, owls, ravens, etc.

As the camel can live without water for long time, it is called the ship of the
desert. Moreover, with its padded feet, it can easily walk on the sand of the
desert.

Across the desert, they carry heavy loads. The Trans Saharan trade started with
camels when the camels, moving in caravans entered into the Sahara Desert.
Caravans are the large groups of people who travel for several days with their
animals from one place to another. In the Sahara desert, the most important
mode of transport is the camel caravans.

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In the world, the Sahara region has the lowest population density. It is around
one person per square mile. The harsh climate (such as very hot and dry
conditions), lack of water and sandy soil of this region make the density of the
population very low. The survival of the living beings is actually very challenging
because of all these factors.

The Sahara region has two tribes - Bedouins and Tuaregs. Tuaregs are the
nomadic people. As their robes are dyed in indigo blue, they are called blue men
of the desert. In this region, while the women are involved in preparing milk
products like butter, oil, cheese, etc., the men are involved in selling millets and
animals in the towns.

A Bedouin A Tuareg

Bedouins are the camel-raising tribes. But now days, they rear sheep, goats and

camels for hide, fur, meat and milk. They settle near oasis and grow crops like

wheat and millet there .At the early age, they lived in tents and moved from one

place to another in search of water and pastures. Bedawi is their spoken

language.

The land could be converted into agricultural land in Egypt because of the
irrigation from the sources like oasis and the River Nile. Crops like rice, wheat,
barley, beans and cotton grow here. The economic value of the cotton and the
dates are very high. Many people are engaged in the production of leather coats,
purses, blankets, bags, footwear, etc. The lifestyle has also changed with the
discovery of mineral oil and natural gas in Algeria, Libya and Egypt.
Moreover, due to the influence of the western culture, the Bedouin culture is in
transition. Now there are many roads that are penetrating the Sahara Desert.
These roads are long motorable. Egypt, Algeria and Libya are the urban and the
trading centres. These urban areas have not only banks but also educational
institutes. But unfortunately, very few people are educated. Most of the
Bedouins face the problem of unemployment.

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CASE STUDY OF A COLD DESERT - LADAKH

Ladakh is called Khapachan

which means “snow land”. The

word ‘Ladakh’ has come from

two words, ‘La’, meaning pass

and ‘Dak’, meaning country. It is

known as the land of high

passes. In the mountainous

tract of the region, several

passes are found. Its location is

in the northeastern region of

Jammu and Kashmir. Ladakh is

Ladakh : the cold desert the highest plateau area of

Kashmir. Its altitude varies from

3000m to 8000m.The total area is about 45,110 sq km. The Karakoram Range in

the north and Zaskar range in the South surround Ladakh. Through the region,

the river, Indus flows. This river is originated from the Tibetan Plateau and flows

through Ladakh and then finally enters into Pakistan. Several glaciers which are

the sources of water to the perennial rivers mark the region.

In the Ladakh region, the sunstroke and frostbites can occur
simultaneously. Sunstroke occurs when the body’s heat regulating
system fails because of the exposure to high temperature. Frostbite
occurs when the tissues of the body get damaged because of the
exposure to chilly weather conditions.

Very cold and dry climate are experienced by this region. The winters are
severely cold and the summers are also quite cold. The temperature in this
region varies between 10⁰C in summers and - 45⁰C in winters. At this altitude,
the atmosphere is very thin. So, the sunrays are very intense.

In the rain shadow areas, the region lies. Therefore, the amount of rainfall is very
low in this area. Before reaching Ladakh, the monsoon winds lose all their
moisture. The annual precipitation is as low as 10cm. In the daytime, the dust
storms can be seen very frequently.

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The vegetation cover in this region is very less just like the hot deserts. Mainly
shrubs are included in the vegetation. Willow and poplar are the main trees of
this region. These trees are the sources of timber and fuel. In this area, juniper is
easily found. It is used for religious purposes. Mosses and lichens can be found
above 4000 metres.

In this area, horticulture is practiced. Main trees include apple, apricot, mulberry,
walnut and grapes. The important animals of this region are yak, chiru and snow
leopard. Yak is a herd animal and is domesticated to obtain milk. Some of the
common birds of this region include snowcock, ravens, robins, redstarts.

Lichens Snowcock

The density of population of Ladakh is very low. Its density is 50 people per sq
km. The Buddhists mainly dominate Ladakh. Lama Buddhists who are believed to
have come from Tibet, are found in Ladakh. Their religion influences their
lifestyle. A large number of monasteries can be found here. Some of them are:
Hemis, Thiksey, Shey and Lamayuru.

The main occupation of the people living in Pashmina
this region is agriculture. Wheat, oats, barley,
maize, potato, turnip, beans and peas grow
here. The climatic conditions of this region are
suitable for growing fruits. Many fruits like
apples, apricot, grapes and melons are grown
here. This fruit cultivation is called
horticulture.

In this area, the domestication of animals is also a very common practice. Goats
and sheep are domesticated here. Sheep is domesticated for wool, while goat is
domesticated for milk. Pashmina from goat which is very famous adds to the

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export of the nation. Pashmina is the warmest wool in the world. Pashmina
shawls are very fine and expensive. Many people are involved in weaving
Pashmina shawls. Mainly in winter season, this weaving is done. The snow covers
the entire land in winter and thus makes it unfit for agriculture.

The commercial and political capital of Ladakh is Leh. Leh is linked with Kashmir
Valley by the National Highway 1A.

Another important source of earning in this region is through the tourism. A lot
of tourists are attracted by the scenic beauty of the area and the weather
conditions in the summer season. Leh, Drass valley, Suru Valley are main tourist
palces. Popular treks are from Padum to Manali, Manali to Leh, Manali to
Ladakh. These treks are indeed very adventurous. Tourism is actually a threat to
the natural beauty of the area. Therefore, the Government has recently taken
some steps to preserve the natural beauty. People are instructed not to waste
water and to carry plastic bottles, etc. to avoid littering. The concept of homestay
has been introduced where the trekkers hardly carry tents and can stay with the
local people.

 A region that is marked by low rainfall and scanty
vegetation.

 Cultivation of fruits.
 Native people with traditional lifestyle.
 A small water body in a desert.
 A group of people and animals which move from one

place to another.
 A flat elevated area or a tableland.
 The places where Buddhist monks reside.
 It is a business that is connected with the providing of

accommodation, services and entertainment for people, visiting a
place for pleasure.
 Environment-friendly tourism.

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 Deserts are of two types: Hot desert and Cold desert.

 Sahara which stretches over North Africa is the largest
and hottest desert of the world.

 In the north, the Sahara has a dry subtropical climate
and in south, it has a dry tropical type climate.

 In Sahara region, the plants are deeply rooted into the soil.
Waxy stems and throny leaves are the prime characteristics
of these trees. It is because of this feature that these trees
do not lose water even in the time of transpiration.

 As the camel can live without water for long, it is called ‘the
ship of the desert”. It can run easily on the sand with its
padded feet.

 The Sahara region has two tribes: Bedouins and Tuaregs.

 In the north-eastern region of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh is
located. It is the highest plateau of Kashmir.

 The climate of Ladakh is very cold and dry. The winters are
extremely cold and the summers are also quite cold.

 The Buddhists dominate Ladakh. Their religion completely
influences their lifestyle.

 The main economic activities of Ladakh include horticulture,
agriculture, shawl weaving and tourism.

TEST YOURSELF

A. Tick the correct answers:

1. Which animal is called the “ship of the desert”?

a. Cow b. Camel c. Zebra d. Tiger

2. The hottest desert of the world is:

a. Sahara b. Thar c. The Deccan Plateau d. Spiti Valley cold desert

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3. The name of the shawl of Ladakh is:

a. Pashmina b. Tiliwala c. Tilkar d. Amlikar

4. Another name of the Sahara desert is:

a. El Khela b. Tuaregs c. Khapachan d. Snow-land

B. Fill in the Blanks:

1. The largest desert of the world is __________.

2. Pashmina is obtained from _____________.

3. ___________ are called “blue men of the desert”.

4. The meaning of Khapachan is ______________.

5. The meaning of El khela is _____________.

C. Answer the following questions in brief:

1. What is the language of Bedouins?

2. How many tribes live in the Sahara region? Name them.

3. Name some tourist places in Ladakh.

4. What do you mean by oasis?

5. Name the trees that are found in Ladakh.

6. Name the monasteries in Ladakh.

D. Answer the following questions in detail:

1. What are the differences between Sahara region and Ladakh region on the
basis of location, flora, fauna and climate?

2. What is the population of the Sahara region in the world? Why the density of
the population in the region is very low?

3. What are the occupations of the people, living in the Sahara region?

4. What are the occupations of the people, living in Ladakh?

5. Discuss the importance of an oasis in the desert area.

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UNIT 3 : SOCIAL AND POLITICAL LIFE

Democracy as a form of government ensures people’s participation in politics.
The word originates from two Greek words - demos and kratia - which mean
people and rule respectively. Thus democracy suggests rule by the people,
whereby people govern themselves, or they elect the representatives, who rule
the people. India is said to be the largest democracy in the world. Beside India,
there are many other countries who have taken up democracy as a form of
governance.

Democracy can be categorised into two sections - Direct democracy and Indirect
democracy. Earlier nations and states were much smaller in size, thus it was
easier for the people to govern themselves. Practising the direct democracy is
almost impossible now. So people chose representatives among them, who are
thought to be eligible to govern the mass. Thus indirect democracy is much in
vogue now.

Democracy not only ensures people’s participation but also Abraham Lincoln
allows people to express their views and to criticise and to
change the government if needed. Most importantly,
Equality is an essential pillar of democracy. In 1860, the
president of USA, Abraham Lincoln defined democracy as the
government of the people, by the people, for the people.

SYSTEMS THAT REGULATE DEMOCRACY

Few systems that characterise an ideal democracy are discussed below:

Adult franchise is more popularly known in our country as
voting. In Indirect democracy, the representatives of the people are elected
through the voting procedures. After attaining a fixed age, all citizens of that

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country can vote irrespective of caste, creed, sex, religion etc. The voting age of
our country is 18 years and above.

An election in democracy needs to be A polling booth
regular and fair. Since the elected government is
there for a fixed tenure, after a certain period
the elections are conducted by the election
commission by which decides whether the
earlier government can be re-elected or a new
government needs to be formed. In our country,
elections are generally held at the national or the
state level in an interval of five years.

Generally the representatives of the people have a political
party alienation. A political party is a group of people organised on the basis of
having similar views and ideologies in regard to politics. Every party when it is
registered, becomes a recognised political party. People are chosen as the
representatives from that group which forms the party. The party that comes to
power is the ruling party and the one that does not win, becomes the opposition.

Democracy is one of the popular forms of
governance. Apart from democracy, there are other forms of government too,
like Monarchy and Dictatorship.

Monarchy, as the name suggests, is a rule by the monarch (king or
queen). In this form of government, the monarch has absolute power and is not
subjected to any election or re-election. Generally monarchy is hereditary. The
eldest member of the next generation of the same clan automatically becomes
the next monarch, once the one in throne expires. Constitutional monarchy is a
type of monarchy where the monarch shares his power with the people.

Dictatorship is that form of government where the power rests
with one man or a small group of people. Dictatorship does not allow even the
minimum freedom to the people and most of the power is attained forcibly.

It is for sure that democracy is the most popular form of government which
satisfies people by ensuring them maximum freedom.

In most of the democratic countries, it is believed that
both democracy and equality are interdependent on each other. Equality here
not only suggests the equal treatment of all citizens but also providing equal

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opportunities regarding education, jobs, and other opportunities. Bridging the
gaps regarding inequalities, is looked upon by the government. India being a
democratic country also encourages equality and every person is treated equally,
regardless of his economical and social status.

Right to Equality is one of the
fundamental rights guaranteed by the constitution. This right mentions:

 All Indian citizens are equal before the law and enjoy the equal protection
within Indian territory. And, every citizen has to obey the same laws.

 All Indian citizens are socially equal before the state. This means that the
state cannot discriminate on the grounds of sex, religion, caste, creed etc.

 Untouchability is illegal and is a punishable offence.

A boy and girl child studying together a school providing midday meal

It is true that the constitution guarantees the right to equality, but unfortunately

inequality has not yet been completely abolished from our country. In many

parts of the country, there exists some glaring examples of inequality. Often poor
people are discriminated in our society on the basis of their economical and

social standard. There are people from particular castes and tribes who are

looked down upon because of their status. There has been immense struggle

from many sections of the society in order to win over the rights. It is true that

there are many laws ensuring equality in our country, but those laws often lack

proper implementation. There are special privileges guaranteed by the
constitution for the disadvantaged sections of the society. It is true that

inequality is not only limited to India. We have all read, how in the past, people

were discriminated on the basis of their complexion. But with time, this sort of
discrimination has decreased though not completely obsolete. Hopefully, with

time India will also be free from such inequalities.

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 In Vatican City, Brunei, Saudi Arab, Oman, Swaziland, the power is
vested in a single monarch who is the Head of the state as well as
the government.

 Till 2014, Belarus and North Korea were ruled by dictators.
 There was a Civil Rights Movement in USA, demanding equal

rights.
 Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat in order to let a white man

sit in a bus, as the blacks were expected to do. This led to the
year long bus boycott in USA.
 In India, often the Dalits are ill-treated and that is a form of social
discrimination.

 Democracy is a form of government, where the power of
governance is with the people.

 Democracy can either be direct or indirect. Direct
democracy is no longer present. Indirect democracy is that
where people choose their representatives to govern
themselves.

 Voting, regular elections are the characteristics of indirect
democracy.

 In a monarchy, power resides with the monarch. Monarchy
is generally hereditary.

 In a dictatorship, power resides with a person or with small
group of persons. People governed by dictatorship have very
less freedom.

 Our constitution guarantees the right to equality. There are
also laws to protect the citizen’s Right to Equality.

 There are still certain discriminations that are prevalent in
the society. The Government also takes initiative to promote
equality.

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 Achieving
 From one generation to another
 No longer in use

TEST YOURSELF

A. Answer the following in brief:

1. Which is the form of government that our country follows?

2. What is a political party?

3. Which form of government is better? Dictatorship or democracy?

4. What is an opposition?

B. Answer the following in detail:

1. What are the basic features of democracy? How do you distinguish
democracy from the constitutional monarchy?

2. Do you think that the right to equality as guaranteed by our constitution is
only a formal right? Write facts in support of your answer.

C. Fill in the blanks:

1. The president of USA in 1860 was.............................

2. Practising ................ democracy is no longer possible in the world.

3. Monarchy is generally..........................

4. ........................ are still discriminated in some parts of the society.

D. State true or false:

1. There should be no similar ideologies in a political party.

2. India has successfully ensured equality in every part of the society.

3. Gender discrimination has reduced in our country.

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In India we have government at the national level and also at the state level. The
three main organs of the government are - the executive, the legislature and the
judiciary. The main role of the legislature is to formulate or frame laws, the
executive brings those laws into effect and the judiciary interprets those laws.

Vidhan Sabha , Kolkata

Every state has a legislature. The legislative assembly is known as Vidhan Sabha
and is generally the lower house. Some states only have the lower house. The
upper house or legislative council is known as Vidhan Parishad. States having
only the lower house is known to be of unicameral structure, and those which
have both legislative assembly and legislative council are bicameral in structure.
Jammu and Kashmir Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and
Karnataka have bicameral legislature, while rest of the states are unicameral.

VIDHAN SABHA

Every state is divided into small units called constituencies during elections.
Representatives are selected from each constituency for the purpose of
elections. Every representative who wins from the respective constituency
becomes the assembly member. So larger the population of the state, greater
the number of constituencies and more the number of members of that state
assembly. A state assembly can have a maximum of 500 members.
Vidhan Sabha members serve tenure of 5 years if not dissolved earlier or
extended for a special purpose. The speaker is the presiding officer of the lower
house. The Deputy Speaker serves in absence of the Speaker. Both Speaker and

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Vidhan Sabha, UP Vidhan Sabha, Sikkim

Deputy Speaker are elected among the members of the Vidhan Sabha. The role
of speaker is to preside over the discussions and meetings of the house, restore
and maintain order in the house. On special cases the Speaker is entitled to vote
in regard to an issue.

VIDHAN PARISHAD

Most states do not have a bicameral legislature. The Vidhan Sabha has the
discretionary power to decide about establishing or removing Vidhan Parishad.
The parliament passes the necessary law in order to give effect to that decision.
Vidhan Parishad is a permanent body, and thus cannot be ever dissolved. Every
member serves for 6 years and one third of members retire every two years.

Members of the upper house are known as Members of Legislative Council
(MLC). Members of the Legislative council cannot be more than one third of the
members in the state’s Vidhan Sabha. Members are not directly elected. They
are indirectly elected as

 One third members are elected by MLAs of the state.

 One third members are elected by local bodies like municipalities, district
boards.

 One twelfth members are elected by university graduates of that state.

 One twelfth members are elected by teachers of secondary level in schools,
colleges and Universities.

 One sixth members are nominated by the Governor of the state from
distinguished persons of the state.

The upper house is presided by the Chairman elected by the members from
among themselves. The Deputy Chairman serves in absence of the Chairman.

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All laws concerned with the state are framed by state legislature. Subjects that
are to be administered exclusively by the state are mentioned in the State List.
Subjects in the Concurrent List can be administered by both state and central
government.

A proposition to frame a new law or alter an existing one is called is known as a
bill. A bill is discussed in three stages; irrespective of the house it is introduced.
In the lower house, after the bill is introduced, it is put to vote. If the majority is
in favour of the bill, it is considered that the bill is passed and it is forwarded to
the upper house. In the upper house it undergoes a similar process of debate,
alteration and vote. A bill passed by both houses is sent to the Governor for his
consent. If a state has only the lower house, it is directly sent to the governor
after voting. When the governor signs the bill, it can be said to be a law.

The governor can also send back the bill suggesting certain changes to the bill.
The house can alter as the governor has asked to or not alter and send the bill
back for signature. At times, the governor may withhold his assent to the bill, for
reconsideration of the President. The President may suggest certain changes to
the bill or give his consent. It is the duty of the state legislature to pass the bill
within stipulated period of six months with or without the suggested changes.

Question hour is a fixed period in the Legislature whereby the members can
question the ministers or can draw their attention to important issues related to
the state. Legislature can pass a vote of no confidence if the concerned ministers
fail to satisfy the members with his answer. The concerned ministers then have
to resign.

 Uttar Pradesh being one of the most populous states has 404
members in the lower house while Sikkim has the lowest number
of membership with 32 representatives.

 Lower houses of each state are known by different names, for e.g.
Vidhan Sabha of Karnataka is known as Vidhan Soudha.

 In order to familiarise common people about the proceedings in
the legislature, at times the question hour is telecasted.

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 State legislature mostly consists of the Governor and the
legislative assembly.

 In some states there are both legislative council and
legislative assembly. Such a structure is known as bicameral
legislature.

 The main function of the legislature is to make laws.

 The executive of the state is liable to answer to the queries
posed in the legislature during question hour.

 judges and their authority
 processing law
 division of areas in small units for election purpose
 to close down
 agree

TEST YOURSELF

A. Answer the following in brief:
1. Mention a few states having bicameral structure.
2. What is meant by unicameral legislature?
3. Why do you think the Governor sends the bill back to lower house?
4. Who are the presiding officers of the respective houses?

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B. Answer the following in details:
1. Explain the composition of membership in Vidhan Parishad.
2. How does bill become a law?
3. How can the opposition force the minister in power to resign?
4. Define “state list” and “concurrent list”.
5. What is “Question Hour”? How is it utilised?
C. Fill in the blanks:
1. Vidhan Parishad is absent in _____________________ legislature.
2. Subjects that can be administered at central as well as state level appear in

_____________________ list.
3. The governor may withhold his assent for reconsideration of the

_____________________.
4. _____________________ takes over responsibility in absence of Chairman in

the Legislative Council.
5. Larger the ________________ of the state, greater the number of

constituencies and more the number of members of that state assembly.
6. The ____________________ is known as Vidhan Sabha and is generally the

lower house.
7. All laws concerned with the state are framed by ____________________ .
8. Every member of the ____________________ serves for 6 years and one

third of members retire every two years.
9. The Speaker and Deputy Speaker are elected among the members of the

____________________ .
D. Think and Answer:
Jot down names of 10 states having unicameral legislature and 5 states having
bicameral legislature and mention the number of members.

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The state executive comprises of the Governor, the Chief Minister, the Council of
Ministers. Governor is the formal head of the state, while Chief Minister holds
real power.

The head of the state executive is the Governor. He does not hold real
administrative decision making power. He has certain discretionary power in
regard to appointment, and acts on advice of Chief Minister. A governor is
appointed by the president. He is not directly elected by common people. A
governor can be a governor of more than one state. Generally a governor has
tenure of 5 years, unless he resigns beforehand.

The governor has few discretionary powers. These are decisions which the
governor can take irrespective of advice of Chief Minister or President. Besides
this, Governor has the power to give assent to a bill and then that becomes a
law. Most decisions in the state are taken in the name of the Governor. The
governor also has the duty of appointing high officials like the Chief Minister and
the Council of Ministers (as per the decision of Chief Minister).

Chief Minister can be said to be the real head of the state. The party that
attains majority in state elections selects a leader, who is appointed by the
governor as the Chief Minister. If there is no clear majority, certain parties join
with the majority and form coalition government. A Chief Minister enjoys a term
of five years unless he or she is re-elected.

The Chief Minister is the head of Council of Ministers. The Chief Minister
coordinates the work with Council of ministers. The main decisions are informed
to the governor by the Chief Minister. The allotment of cabinet ministers,
minister of state and deputy ministers are also done by the Chief Minister.

There are mainly three categories of ministers - cabinet ministers, ministers of
state and deputy ministers. Cabinet ministers are responsible for each
department of Government such as health, education, agriculture etc. Each

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department is known as portfolio. Ministers of state work under the supervision
of Cabinet ministers. The Deputy Ministers assist the Cabinet Ministers and
Ministers of State. All the ministers work as a team. This principle is popularly
known as collective responsibility, which means that if a vote of no confidence is
passed against any member, the whole council has to resign.

The officials of the Government who handles administrative work in various
departments of the government are the civil service officials. The Union Public
Service Commission (UPSC) selects civil servants for the central level. Besides
this, the State Public Service Commission selects civil servants for state level.
Each department is headed by a secretary in charge, who is controlled by the
chief secretary, head of civil services.

A lieutenant governor or chief commissioner administers a union territory on the
president’s instruction. The law of administering a union territory is usually made
by the parliament unless that territory has a legislative assembly of its own.

 A governor can use his discretionary power to ask the President
to take over administration of the state.

 Each department of a state when handled by a minister is called a
portfolio.

 Pondicherry is a union territory which has its own legislative
assembly and council of ministers.

 wish
 to invigilate

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 Governor is the official head of the state. He serves a
term of 5 years.

 The main task of the Governor is to act on advice of
Chief Minister. Beside this a Governor has certain
discretionary powers.

 The Chief Minister is the real head of the state. The Chief
Minister along with his or her council of ministers manages
the affairs of the state.

 Civil servants handle the various day to day administrative
work in different departments of the state.

 A chief administrator or chief commissioner administers a
Union Territory.

TEST YOURSELF

A. Answer the following in brief:
1. Name the executive of state in order of hierarchy.
2. By which procedure is a governor elected?
3. What is coalition government?
4. How are union territories administered?
B. Answer the following in detail:
1. What are the functions of Governor?
2. What are the types of council of ministers? How do they work?
3. What is collective responsibility?

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C. Fill in the blanks:
1. A governor can administer _____________________ than one state.
2. Governor is _____________________ elected.
3. Chief Secretary heads _____________________.
4. _____________________ administers a Union Territory.
5. The _____________________ comprises of the Governor, the Chief Minister,

the Council of Ministers.
6. The _____________________ is the head of the state executive.
7. The Chief Minister is selected by the party that attains majority but is

appointed by the _____________________ .
8. If there is no clear majority, certain parties join with the majority and form

_____________________ government.
D. State True or False:
1. The Chief Minister is the head of the State Executive.
2. The civil service officials are the officials of the Government who handle

administrative work in various departments of the government.
3. A lieutenant governor or chief commissioner administers a state on the

president’s instruction.
4. In a state, the Chief Minister is the head of Council of Ministers.
5. Each Government department is known as portfolio.
6. A Governor of any State has a tenure of 5 years, unless he resigns

beforehand.
7. Governor has the power to give assent to a bill, after which it becomes a law.
8. The allotment of cabinet ministers, minister of state and deputy ministers are

done by the Governor.
E. Think and answer:
Make a list of all the Union territories and mention the names of their
administrator.

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India has a federal structure of government, so we are governed by the central
government in matters of national importance and each state is governed by the
state government as well. State government looks into the matters of laws on
subjects that deal with needs of the state.

Matters of national importance are mentioned in the union list, matters related
with state affairs are mentioned in state list and matters which can be dealt by
both the central government and state government are mentioned in concurrent
list. Concurrent list deals with subjects like education, water, irrigation, public
health etc. It can be so said, that else than making laws for the state concerned,
the state government also is responsible for land reforms, water supply,
irrigation, education and public health.

Let us go through the details as to how state governments function in regard to
different subjects:

The state government looks into matters of distribution of land among people,
maximum utilisation of resources, modifying wastelands and using them for
cultivation purposes, developing industries on barren lands, settling of displaced
people etc. Most state governments have passed laws of land reform in order to
meet the needs of their state.

Industrial Development Modifying a Wasteland

Ensuring proper and pure water supply is a major role of the state government.
Water is of immense importance in daily affairs. It is not only useful for drinking
purposes but also for sanitation and crop yielding purposes. Certain

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departments, maintained by local self
government of the state, look into clean
water supply and draining away of impure
water. In the cities, water supply is generally
ensured by the municipality.

Municipality Water Tanker

The state government also looks into the matter
of construction of dams, canals, wells for
irrigation purposes. The main work is assigned to
the local self government. Maintenance of water
resource is a critical issue and is directly handled
by the state government. This is of crucial
importance mainly in the arid states. Often states Construction of Kishenganga dam
depend on rivers as a source of water. These rivers
do not limit their flow to one particular state. So states formally agree on the
level of water sharing between one or more states. If there is a dispute in regard
to water sharing, the union government steps in.

Poor girl child studying Education as a subject is dealt by both
central and state governments. Central
government aims to ensure uniform standard
of education all throughout the country. As
of now, Right to Education has been made a
fundamental right .

State government also looks into the matter of providing free and compulsory
education to all children aged between 6 to 14. Funds for promoting education
are provided by the central government. The state government utilises this fund
for construction of schools, appointing teachers, ensuring hygienic sanitation for
students. The main aim of both central and state government is to maximise
literacy level and minimise drop outs.

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The state government also plans, carries out and establishes schemes to ensure
improvised public health facilities. State run hospitals, medical centres as well as
health centres provide medical facilities at a reasonable cost. Often health camps
in the state are organised by state governments for vaccination and free check
up purposes. In cases of epidemic disease, state government arranges for
awareness programs as well as voluntary health workers. It can be mentioned in
this regard, different training institutions for nurses and workers are state run
institutions. There are health centres under Primary Health Centres (PHC) at the
village level. Many health centres are supervised by a single PHC. Cities usually
do not lack medical facilities. There are many hospitals, medical centres run by
the state government in a city. Besides, there are private nursing homes as well
as private clinics available in a city. The government has taken initiative to spend
more of its fund on improvising public health purposes.

 State governments often tie up with NGOs to reach out to the
masses with schemes.

 Education became a part of concurrent list in 1976.
 Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan scheme encourages girl child education,

education of children from weaker section of society, children
from remote areas and school dropouts.

 altering or changing
 no vegetation
 desert or sandy areas
 condition relating to public health
 abandoning course of study

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 India has a federal structure of government and state
government deals with subjects on state list and
concurrent list.

 State government is responsible for land reform measures,
water supply, providing irrigation facilities.

 Education is a subject dealt by both central and state
governments. Right to education has been incorporated as a
fundamental right.

 State government runs public hospitals, health centres at
much moderate expense in order to serve improvised public
health services.

TEST YOURSELF

A. Answer the following in brief:
1. Mention two subjects on which the state government makes laws.
2. What does land reform imply?
3. Who looks after water supply in cities?
4. Why should one prefer private hospitals to public health centres?
5. Mention two facets how the State Government manages the issue of Public

Health.
B. Answer the following in detail:
1. Why do you think irrigation water is a critical issue?
2. How has the government improvised education facilities?

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3. What are the initiatives taken by state government in regard to public health?

4. Suggest two subjects in which you think both state and central government
can administer and why.

5. How is Education as a subject handled by the Central Government and State
Government both?

C. Fill in the blanks:

1. Modifying _____________________ for cultivation purposes is a part of land
reform measure.

2. _____________________ is incorporated as a fundamental right.

3. When there is a dispute in regard to water sharing among states, the subject
is taken up by _____________________.

4. Vaccinations, free medical check-up are all parts of _____________________.

5. Matters which can be dealt by both the central government and state
government are mentioned in _____________________.

D. State true or false:

1. In a federal structure, the entire administration is handled by the union
government.

2. Municipality is responsible for water supply in cities.

3. All children aged between 6 to 14 are entitled to compulsory education.

4. Health camps are organised by public hospitals for spreading education.

5. Ensuring compulsory education of children falls under the jurisdiction of the
Central Government.

E. Think and answer:

Suppose you have visited the book fair in your locality. How is the state
government involved in this initiative? Does the state government at all have a
role to play in this? Find out why.

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Market is a place with the provision of purchasing and selling commodities.
People gather at such areas for commercial transactions. Market place or market
system allows buyers and sellers to exchange goods as well as services. Often we
are dependent on the market system for any kind of purchase or sale.

The market system does not function only with consumers or sellers. There lies a
complex system underneath. Most of the products that are sold in markets are
produced by farmers. Thus they are producers of that commodity. The produced
good is transported to storage by the transporters. The large quantities of
transported goods are stored by the wholesalers. Wholesalers dispatch goods to
the seller who sells in the market. Consumer is the one who buys from the
market.

The link between the consumers and sellers are set up by the intermediaries.
These intermediaries have an important role to play in the market system.
Intermediaries are popularly known as wholesalers or middlemen. They buy and
sell in large quantities and gain profit. Middlemen are not always a group of
individuals. They can be companies or business units who help in storage
purpose or arrange transport facilities for carrying goods and ensure smooth
functioning of the market system. Thus not only the seller and buyer function in
the market, there are many people involved in the system indirectly.

INTERMEDIARIES AND THEIR ROLE

 Consumers often mistakenly feel that the market prices are
fixed by the producers. But this is not true. Often the prices are fixed by the
intermediaries after adding the cost incurred for storage as well as transport.
There is a competitive market, so generally the prices are kept moderate.

 The intermediaries are well aware about
the need in the market and accordingly they supply to the market.

 At times, the intermediaries directly fund the producers and
help them in production in order to meet the demands in the market.

 Hoarding suggests storing of large quantity of goods
in order to raise the demand and thus raising the price of the product. For e.g.

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if a product is initially not available in the market, the demand for the product
rise. At times, the intermediaries do not dispatch the goods to the market
immediately. They keep it in store till the demand elevates. Once the demand
is extreme, they set high prices and dispatch it to market. Since the demand is
extreme, consumers buy it at any available price. This is how hoarding
benefits the intermediaries.

MARKETS AND ITS TYPES

The weekly market in the suburbs, the neighbourhood vegetable market, the
line of permanent grocery shops in the locality, or the shopping mall in the city,
are all different types of markets.

 Weekly markets are more common in villages. The market functions under
a temporary structure and after the day’s business, the stalls are taken down.
Prices are generally low in these markets, keeping in mind the affordability of
the customers.

 Every neighbourhood generally has a marketplace where the necessary items
are sold. Fresh vegetables and food items are available in these markets.
Prices are moderate subjected to availability.

A village market An urban grocery store An urban shopping mall

 Grocery stores in locality are permanent structures. We get variety of
necessary commodities there. These are mostly found in cities.

 Shopping malls are large buildings found in cities where different types of
products ranging from vegetables to branded clothes are available. Some
products are expensive but there are lot of facilities available for the
customers in a mall.

In order to understand the difference between the above mentioned markets,
we need to know about retailing and wholesaling. Retailing is to buy in large

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quantities from wholesalers and selling to individuals in small quantities.
Wholesaling involves buying in large quantities from the producers and selling
in large quantities, usually to retailers. Thus the differences between the two can
be sited as follows:

 Large quantities are sold in wholesale markets while small quantities are sold
in retail markets.

 Wholesalers mostly deal with a single product while retailers deal with variety
of products in order to maximise profit.

 Retailers come in direct contact with ultimate consumers while wholesalers
mainly come in contact with retailers.

 Prices are higher in a retail market than a wholesale market. This is mainly
because of quantity of goods as well as the fact that retailer adds his share of
cost incurred for storage and transporting that item.

 Retail market can be a weekly market or a neighbourhood market or a
grocery shop or shopping mall. But wholesalers operate in a vast area
exclusively known as the wholesalers market.

We have read about the people involved in a market system. Let us go through
the working procedure of a market system with a particular commodity, e.g.
grains. In our country grains are mostly sold in open markets and at times in
markets regulated by the government. The farmer who grows grains takes the
quantity to be sold to the wholesaler. Often farmers lack the ability for proper
storage, thus they sell soon after harvest. Also the yield of one farmer is not a
very large quantity, so to bear the cost of transporting that quantity becomes
difficult for a farmer. The wholesalers thus come into the scene providing
facilities of storage, transportation and paying the farmers in lieu of his produce.
Often the payment is not very high. However the government announces a
Minimum Support Price (MSP) to ensure fair pricing of the grains for the
farmers, so that if not wholesalers, the government buys from the farmers for
the government regulated markets at fair prices. After the government buys a
part of the grain for government regulated markets, the rest is sold in the open
markets by wholesalers and retailers.

In case of most crops, farmers do not get a fair share of the
profit. In fact they get the lowest share. The intermediaries, retailers and the

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exporters reap out the maximum profit. In case of manufactured items, for e.g.
cotton garments, the farmer who grows cotton and the weaver who weave that
into a cloth earns much less than the ultimate brand selling the cloth. This
disparity in profit distribution has been in vogue for several decades and poor
people are the ones who suffer the most in this case.

 In ancient times, barter system was the only mode of exchange of
goods and services.

 In India, government regulated markets sells items at cheapest
prices mainly for the people who fall under the poverty line.

 Agents in the marketing system help in making deals between
wholesalers and retailers and reap out commission for that
purpose.

 Usually sellers earn 50% of the profit, middlemen 35% and the
remaining 15% reaches the producer.

 send off.
 purchasing goods for personal use.
 an expense that has been spend during the process of

business.
 the extent of having enough money.
 markets whose cost and selling

price is regulated by national or state government.
 the prevailing style.

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 A market is a place where buying and selling of
commodities takes place.

 Intermediaries are persons who establish link between
producers and sellers.

 Role of intermediaries are to take the products to the
retailers, set the prices, informing of demand and supply and
at times hoard commodities.

 The weekly market in the suburbs, the neighbourhood
vegetable market, the line of permanent grocery shops in
the locality, or the shopping mall in the city, are all different
types of market.

 There are certain differences between retail markets and
wholesale markets.

 Minimum Support Price (MSP) as introduced by the
government assures fair prices for the farmers.

 Profits are generally not distributed equally in the market
system.

TEST YOURSELF

A. Answer the following questions in brief:
1. Mention the various types of market.
2. Who are intermediaries?
3. How do hoarding lead to increase in prices?
4. Why has government introduced MSP?

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B. Answer the following in detail:
1. How does a retail market differ from a wholesale market?
2. Why does a farmer depend on wholesaler?
3. Explain why profit distribution is unfair in our country.
4. Site any two differences between a shopping mall and a weekly market.
5. Write a short note on Intermediaries or wholesalers.
C. Fill in the blanks:
1. Wholesalers are also known as ___________ or ___________.
2. ___________ reap the maximum profit in the market system.
3. ___________ is one way to help farmers earn a fair price.
4. ___________ buys from wholesalers and ___________ buys from retailers.
D. State whether true or false:
1. Shopping malls have facilities like car parking, escalators, storage space etc.
2. Sometimes middlemen provide funds to the farmers for production of crops.
3. Retailers generally sell in large quantities for individual purpose.
4. Farmers generally have enough storage and transportation facilities for

dispatching the production.
5. The intermediaries, retailers and the exporters reap out the minimum profit.
6. If a product is initially not available in the market, the demand for the

product falls.
E. Think and answer:
Note down two such items which you can buy from a wholesale as well as retail
market. How much does their price differ and why so?

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Advertisement is basically announcing or promoting a product or commodity,
or any event. The various media options promote about goods, services, events,
ideas and that is known as advertising. It is a mode of informing the people
about availability of products and services. Many people work in the media
houses and earn a living. One of the main tasks of advertisement is to reach out
to the mass with important messages.

Types of advertisement: Advertising can be categorised to broadly two
divisions- commercial and social advertising.

COMMERCIAL ADVERTISING

We as common people come across advertisements regularly. Those
advertisements which promote a particular product, commodity, event,
institution fall under this category. These types of advertisements generally do
not carry any welfare message for the society as a whole. These advertisements
mainly promote the thing concerned and serve the interest of the business
house. Commercial advertising is the most popular type of advertising. There are
further sub categories of this type:
 Product advertising draws attention to buy various commodities or

products. Many consumer products are advertised and in such manner so as
to attract the attention of mass. It is the most important part of
advertisement as to how the product is presented through media. There are
certain products or companies whose products have already earned a name
and foothold in the market. Such products are known to be branded.
Packaged products generally are branded as they are not sold loose.

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 Institutional advertising promotes research, education, institutes and their
efforts.

Product Institutional Industrial Classified
advertising advertising advertising advertising

 Industrial advertising highlights on technical issues related to an industry.

 Classified advertising informs about jobs, birth, death, availability of houses
for rent and sale.

These days, advertisements are not the brainchild of a
single advertiser. The business enterprises generally hand over this duty of
advertising their product to an advertising agency. Agencies design a campaign
as per the product. Agencies being pro in this field are usually aware of which
group of people are most likely to buy that product. According to the target
audience, the copywriters write the words for the advertisement, the artist team
designs the visual set up of the advertisement and at times celebrities endorse
that product in order to promote the product.

SOCIAL ADVERTISING

The other name for social advertising is public service advertising. These
advertisements are printed, broadcasted or telecasted in order to promote
public or societal welfare. Often Government takes initiative to advertise on
these issues. Subjects like taking precautions against epidemic diseases, to plant
more trees, to drive safely, to take necessary precautions while driving is
advertised and these can be labelled as social advertising.

RESPONSIBILITY OF ADVERTISERS

There are many similar products in the markets. Advertisers have to frame their
advertisements in such a manner so as to be better than the rest. There are
certain principles which need to be adhered to while designing an
advertisement. These are:

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 The product cannot make misleading promises or fake claims.
 Should not cross the decency or moral standard.
 Should not hurt the religious sentiment of any person or group.
 Should not provoke the mass to take part in any illegal proceedings.
 Should not hurt or be unfair to any caste, sex, creed or any rival organisation.

BRANDING AND ADVERTISING

The main aim of advertising remains to show that the concerned product is
better than the rest. Often advertisements mislead to stereotypes about how
only a fair lady is successful, who are beautiful and so on. People buy a product
misleadingly thinking of winning over people’s admiration. Branded products are
those which have already a foothold in the market. They are expensive and
promises better quality. But there are many similar products which are not
branded. Though of good quality, often the manufacturer lacks the ability to
advertise it properly. This enlarges the gap between small manufacturers and
large scale enterprises.

 Any political leader with a ministerial position cannot be a part of
an advertisement.

 India aims to be the second in advertising market in Asia by 2018,
topped by China.

 Television and print are by far the strongest advertising media
compared to other medium.

 a secured position
 company
 professional
 a widely held image
 to instigate

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 Advertising is promoting or announcing about goods,
services or any event.

 Advertisements inform people about availability of
products or commodities. It carries messages about the
product concerned.

 There are two broad categories of advertisements-
commercial and social advertisements. There are further sub
categories in commercial advertising.

 Advertisers need to ensure that they adhere to advertising
principles of not making false claims of a product, hurting
sentiments or provoking violence etc.

 Unfortunately advertisements at times favour branded
products which lead to a gap between the small scale
manufacturers and large enterprises.

TEST YOURSELF

A. Answer the following in brief:
1. What are the main tasks of advertising?
2. Mention a few media through which advertisements are promoted.
3. Why are classified as commercial type of advertising.
4. How does advertising enlarge the gap between small scale manufacturers and

large enterprises.

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B. Answer the following in detail:
1. Cite the differences between commercial and social advertising.
2. What are the principles that an advertiser should keep in mind.
3. Who are the target audience? Are they the stereotypes? Answer with points

to support your view.
4. Discuss the role and importance of an advertising agency.
5. Why and how branded products are perceived to be better than non-branded

products?
C. Fill in the blanks:
1. _____________ advertisements do not carry welfare messages for society

and only promote the product concerned.
2. To avoid child abuse is _____________ advertising.
3. _____________ mention about availability of flats, cars, jobs etc.
4. A product is designed keeping in mind the _____________.
5. _____________ is the most popular type of advertising.
D. State whether true or false:
1. Advertisements reduce the gap between the small scale manufacturers and

large enterprises.
2. Advertisement is a mode of informing the people about availability of

products and services.
3. Social advertising is the most popular type of advertising.
4. Advertisements should not hurt the religious sentiment of any person or

group.
5. Branded products are actually of better quality than non-branded products

because they have more expensive advertisements.
E. Think and answer:
When was the last time you or your family bought a new product, being
impressed by its advertisement? Why?

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A term which we come across often these days, media, suggests a medium
through which information reaches people. Since the medium attempts to
inform a large number of people, it is often regarded as the mass media.
Television, Radio, newspapers, internet are examples of such mass media.
Though all these are clubbed under the head of mass media they are categorised
into groups of visual media, print media, depending on the medium by which
they reach the people.

As we have read earlier, democracy is a form of government, where people have
a major role to play. But they do not directly take part in the government
proceedings. All the policies, plans, schemes to be executed by the government
reach out to the people through media. People and their opinions are also
reflected through media. Hence media plays an important role in democracy.

ROLE OF MEDIA

The main task of media remains to be dissemination of information. This
information helps in formulating public opinion. And as we have read earlier,
public opinion is one of the cornerstones in democracy.

Media helps in informing people with the happenings
around the world. People are made aware of all major events throughout the
world. In a democracy, it is very important to be aware about the decisions taken
by the government. The policies adopted by the executives in order to run the
government are also important for people to know. It is an important
responsibility of the media to inform people about all major incidents in an
impartial and correct way.

Media provides with a forum
that allows debates and discussions. Discussions can be in regard to the benefit

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of country or society as a whole. The views held up in the discussions are often of
important personalities. Television channels are found to organise debates that
are beneficial for the mass to have an opinion on. Even in newspapers there is an
editorial column that represents views of the editor as well as readers of the
paper. So many of social, political as well as economical policies are discussed
and debated.

The most important task of media is to shape up
public opinion. Public opinions are deeply influenced by the information and it
depends much on how it is presented. It is to be remembered that there are
numerous media houses and they are all in competition with other. Often in
order to compete, media houses fall short of their responsibilities. There are
some realities which often do not find a place in common newspapers or
television channels as that information might not help them to achieve more
profit. So certain incidents go largely unreported. However, in recent scenario it
is found that media houses are very well grounded to their ethics and
accountability.

MEDIA ETHICS

Media is mainly assigned with the task of informing people but the information
needs to be accurate and unbiased. This can be said to the basic code of media
ethics. There are some other codes that are important for the media houses in
order to run in a fair manner.

 The media cannot mislead people with any information. Thus distorted
information is strictly not broadcasted to people. Verification of each
information thus is of prime importance. A media house cannot favour any
view or opinion.

 Another prime duty of media is to respect privacy of individuals,
communities, groups etc. Anything in regard to an individual if telecasted
should be done with prior permission of that person. If anything is telecasted
or printed in regard to an individual, group or community, which should be in
greater interest of the society.

 Media houses needs to remain careful as to not publish any information that
may jeopardise the security of the nation. Information that can lead to violent
clashes between groups and communities are also very sensitive and thus
must be projected in such a manner that it does not lead to any chaos.

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 It is very obvious that at times there are minor errors in projection of
information. It is then the duty of the media enterprise to rectify promptly
and accept the mistake with an apology. It is also noteworthy to mention,
that media houses should refrain from projecting anything that is vulgar.

RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACT

Citizen of a country needs to be aware of laws related to government, policies
and schemes undertaken by the government. There are some own government
units in our country like the Press Information Bureau, Prasar Bharti, All India
radio etc. the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting remains largely
responsible for broadcasting through these media units. In a democratic country,
people also have the right to know about the government and its work
procedures.

On 12th October 2005, the Right to Information act came into force all over the
country. As the name suggests, Right to Information suggests the right of
common people about information in regard to public authorities and their
proceedings mainly. This right had set out for empowerment of common people
and promoting transparency and accountability of the government. The initiation
of this act had taken birth long back in Rajasthan in 1990s. The movement began
with people demanding to have access to documents related to public works in
Rajasthan. An organisation called Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan was the main
proponent of this movement. They demanded papers and documents related to
public works in Rajasthan. Finally in 2005 the act came into force.

 unbiased
 the act of spreading information
 hamper
 anything reflecting bad taste

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