NCERT Solutions for Class 6th Social Science Chapter 11 Grassroots Democracy Part 2 Local Government In Rural Areas
Updated on 2026-09-19
About this chapter
The chapter’s one idea: the government nearest to a village should be run by the villagers themselves. Lakshmanpur, the imaginary village in the Himalayan foothills, has 200 houses and about 700 people. Its needs — water for the fields, a road washed away by rain, the primary school, a land dispute — are all local. Nobody can “run to the State or the national capital for every such issue”. So India has a system of local government called the Panchayat , “which refers to a village council”. Panchayati Raj is a form of self-government. Panchayats “bring governance closer to the people, making it possible for them to actively participate in decision-making processes”. They address local issues, promote development, and make sure “that the benefits of government schemes reach the grassroots le
- Chapter opening
- Introduction, and the trip to Lakshmanpur
- The Patwari and the old land maps
- Child-Friendly Panchayat Initiative
- Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad
- Kauṭilya’s Arthaśhāstra
- The chapter in three points
- End-of-chapter exercise
Quick revision
| Term | What it means | Where it appears in the chapter | Worth remembering |
|---|---|---|---|
| Panchayat | “A system of local government called ‘Panchayat’, which refers to a village council” | Page 164 | The word comes from panch, ‘five’ — today it means an elected village council |
| Panchayati Raj | The Panchayat system, “a form of self-government” | Page 164 | It brings governance closer to the people so they can take part in decisions |
| Three-tier system | The system “works at three levels — from bottom up — the village, the block and the district” | Page 165, Fig. 11.1 on page 164 | Village → Block → District. Learn the pyramid bottom-up, the way the book draws it |
| Gram Sabha | “A group of adults from a village (or group of neighbouring villages) who are enrolled as voters” | Page 165 | Nobody elects it. Every registered adult voter of the village is already a member |
| Gram Panchayat | The elected council at the village level, “which is closest to the people in rural areas” | Page 165 | “Its members are elected directly by the Gram Sabha” |
| Sarpanch / Pradhan | “A head or president” of the Gram Panchayat | Page 165 | “In recent years, more and more women have become Sarpanchs” |
| Panchayat Secretary | An official who “performs administrative functions such as calling meetings and maintaining records” | Page 167 | Appointed, not elected — the Panchayat’s office, not its voice |
| Patwari | An officer “who maintains the villagers’ land records” | Page 167 | “In some cases, the Patwari keeps maps that are generations old!” |
| Bal Sabha / Bal Panchayat | Children’s assemblies under the Child-Friendly Panchayat Initiative | Pages 167–168 | Maharashtra’s Bal Panchayats worked to end child labour and child marriage |
| Panchayat Samiti | The block-level body — “the link between the Gram Panchayat and the Zila Parishad” | Pages 164 and 169 | Also called Block Panchayat or Mandal Parishad. It collects the plans of all Gram Panchayats |
| Zila Parishad | The district-level body, the top tier of Fig. 11.1 | Pages 164 and 169 | Also called District Panchayat. Plans reach the district or State level through it |
| Reservation of seats | Special rules so disadvantaged sections are heard, and “a provision for reserving one-third of the seats for women” | Page 169 | Applies at all three levels, not only in the village |
Exercises
- Chapter opening — The Big Questions Page 163
- Introduction, and the trip to Lakshmanpur — In-text Questions Page 163–164
- The Patwari and the old land maps — THINK ABOUT IT Page 167
- Child-Friendly Panchayat Initiative — LET’S EXPLORE Page 169
- Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad — THINK ABOUT IT Page 170
- Comparing the Central and Panchayat levels, and meeting Panchayat members — LET’S EXPLORE Page 170
- Kauṭilya’s Arthaśhāstra — In-text Questions Page 171
- The chapter in three points — Before we move on … Page 171
- End-of-chapter exercise — Questions, activities and projects Page 171