NCERT Solutions for Class 7th Social Science Chapter 18 The State, the Government, and You
Updated on 2026-09-19
About this chapter
A state is not the same thing as a government. A state “is a political organisation that has the authority to govern a defined territory and its population”, and it has four parts — people , land , government and sovereignty . The government is only one of those four. As the chapter puts it: “Think of the state as a school, and the government as the principal and teachers. Teachers may come and go, but the school remains.” Sovereignty is what makes a state a state. It “means that the state has complete control over its own matters and is able to make and implement laws in accordance with its own needs. No other state or external body can interfere in the internal affairs of that state.” A permanent population matters too — tourists “have no identification with the place”, but people who li
- Chapter opening
- Fig. 6.4
- “What is a Government?”
- The box ‘People, police, and the government’, and Fig. 6.6
- Government departments around you
- ‘Democracy and Republic’
- “Why is the protection of rights important?”
- ‘The Government and You’
- Newspaper editorials and government policy
- ‘Tiers of Government’
Exercises
- Chapter opening — The Big Questions Page 143
- Looking back at Grade 6 and at ‘From the Rulers to the Ruled’ in Part 1 — LET’S REMEMBER Page 144
- Fig. 6.4 — In-text Questions Page 145
- “What is a Government?” — In-text Question Page 146
- The box ‘People, police, and the government’, and Fig. 6.6 — In-text Questions Page 147
- Government departments around you — LET’S EXPLORE Page 148
- ‘Democracy and Republic’ — In-text Question Page 148
- “Why is the protection of rights important?” — In-text Question Page 150
- ‘The Government and You’ — In-text Questions Page 156
- Newspaper editorials and government policy — LET’S EXPLORE Page 160
- ‘Tiers of Government’ — LET’S REMEMBER Page 161
- Which level of government would you go to? — THINK ABOUT IT Page 162
- Why local decisions should be taken locally — LET’S EXPLORE Page 162
- A class discussion on 75 years of the republic — LET’S EXPLORE Page 165
- The chapter in eight points — Before we move on … Page 165–166
- End-of-chapter exercise — Questions and activities Page 166–167