NCERT Solutions for Class 9 Social Science Chapter 4 Governance and Public Policy
NCERT Class 9 Social Science Chapter 4: Governance and Public Policy (Question Answers)
Question 1: “Good governance is the responsibility of the government alone.” Do you agree with this statement? Give reasons to support your answer.
Answer:
I disagree with this statement. While making laws and delivering public services is the primary duty of the government, achieving good governance requires a joint partnership between the government and society.
Reasons:
- Citizen Participation: Citizens elect their representatives, obey laws, and provide feedback on public services to ensure institutions function properly.
- Role of Civil Society & NGOs: Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and civil society help raise social awareness and support communities.
- Role of the Media: The media brings public concerns to light and informs citizens about important government actions.
- Role of the Private Sector: Private organizations contribute through innovation, economic activity, and infrastructure development.
- Shared Responsibility: Without continuous feedback and cooperation from citizens, government policies cannot achieve true public welfare.
Question 2: Do you think students can contribute to good governance? Write a short note describing any five ways in which students can become more responsible and active citizens.
Answer:
Yes, students can play a very important role in strengthening good governance. Here are five ways students can become active and responsible citizens:
- Following Rules and Laws: Students can maintain discipline at school, obey traffic safety rules, and keep public spaces clean.
- Promoting Social and Environmental Awareness: Students can lead campaigns for water conservation, tree plantation drives, and reducing single-use plastics.
- Highlighting Community Problems: Students can report local problems—such as unsafe road crossings or broken streetlights—to school heads or local representatives.
- Fostering Inclusivity: Students can help senior citizens, visually impaired peers, and specially-abled classmates to ensure everyone enjoys equal opportunities.
- Participating in Student Governance: Students can join student councils to voice peer concerns and help design school policies.
Question 3: Choose any one public policy [for example, Right to Education (RTE), Swachh Bharat Mission, PM POSHAN, Ayushman Bharat, Digital India, or Jal Jeevan Mission] and prepare a chart showing the key aspects.
Answer:
Below is a structured analysis of the Swachh Bharat Mission:
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Problem Addressed | Open defecation, unsanitary waste dumping, and lack of clean public toilets causing severe health hazards. |
| Major Stakeholders Involved | Central Government, State Governments, Municipal Corporations, Panchayats, NGOs, sanitation workers, and citizens. |
| Coordination Mechanism | The Central Government provides guidelines and funding; local bodies construct toilets and manage waste collection; and NGOs organize community awareness campaigns. |
| Role of Citizens | Citizens keep their surroundings clean, stop littering, separate dry and wet waste at home, and use public facilities responsibly. |
Question 4: Answer the following in one or two sentences.
a. What is governance?
Answer: Governance is the process of making, implementing, and monitoring decisions for the welfare and management of society.
b. How is governance different from government?
Answer: Government refers to the official political institutions (Legislature, Executive, and Judiciary), whereas governance refers to the overall process of how decisions are made and executed in collaboration with citizens and society.
c. What is meant by public policy?
Answer: Public policy refers to a planned course of action adopted by the government to solve public issues, fulfill people’s needs, and promote public welfare.
d. Name any four principles of good governance.
Answer: Four key principles of good governance are transparency, accountability, responsiveness, and the rule of law.
Question 5: Compare the following and present your answer in a tabular form.
a. Government vs. Governance
| Feature | Government | Governance |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Institutions and authorities that exercise political power. | The overall process of decision-making and implementation. |
| Organs / Actors | Comprises the Legislature, Executive, and Judiciary. | Includes the government, citizens, civil society, media, and private sector. |
| Focus | Focuses on who governs. | Focuses on how governing is carried out. |
b. Policy vs. Public Policy
| Feature | Policy | Public Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Applies to a specific institution or limited group (e.g., a school or private company). | Applies to society as a whole on a large scale. |
| Formulated By | Private bodies, school management, companies, or families. | Formulated and passed by the government. |
| Funding Source | Uses private or organizational funds. | Funded through public money collected via taxes. |
Question 6: Imagine you have been appointed to advise the district administration on improving governance. You have proposed six points (given below), but the administration decides to prioritise only three areas for improvement. Which three would you recommend as priority areas, and which one out of the three do you feel is the most important?
Proposed Points: a. Improve drinking water facilities in schools.
b. Improve sanitation and public toilets in schools and market areas.
c. Provide tricycles for orthopaedically challenged students.
d. Install open-area swings and open-air gym in public parks.
e. Ensure the vaccination of stray dogs to prevent rabies.
f. Ensure distribution of iron and folic acid tablets for female students in schools.
Answer:
- Recommended Three Priority Areas:
- Improve drinking water facilities in schools (Point a): Access to clean water directly prevents waterborne diseases among children.
- Improve sanitation and public toilets in schools and market areas (Point b): Clean toilets maintain health, dignity, and hygiene across public places.
- Ensure distribution of iron and folic acid tablets for female students in schools (Point f): Tackles nutritional deficiencies like anaemia and supports adolescent health.
- Most Important Priority:
- Improvement of sanitation and public toilets (Point b) is the single most critical priority. Proper sanitation prevents widespread infectious diseases, encourages female students to attend school regularly, and protects overall community health.
Question 7: Match the policy action point to its corresponding stage in the policy cycle.
| Policy Action Point | Stage of Policy Cycle |
|---|---|
| 1. Assessing the impact of the policy | Policy evaluation |
| 2. Putting the policy into action | Policy implementation |
| 3. Framing the legislation | Policy adoption |
| 4. Multi-dimensional consultation with stakeholders | Policy formulation |
| 5. Addressing a new need of the people | Policy desirability (problem identification) |
Question 8: Read the following case and answer the given questions.
Case: “The government launches a programme to plant one lakh trees in a city. Funds are allocated, but only a few saplings survive because they are not watered or protected.”
a. Which stage of the policy cycle appears to be weak?
Answer: The Policy implementation and Policy monitoring stages are weak, as there was no care, watering, or protection provided after planting.
b. Which organisations should coordinate to improve the programme?
Answer: The Municipal Corporation/Forest Department, Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs), local NGOs, and school eco-clubs should coordinate.
c. Suggest two measures that could improve the outcome.
Answer:
- Community Adoption: Assign specific tree clusters to local RWAs or school volunteers for daily watering and monitoring.
- Strict Performance Tracking: Implement digital tracking (e-governance) to inspect tree survival rates before releasing complete project funds.
Question 9: Read each statement carefully. Do you agree or disagree? Give reasons for your answer.
a. A good public policy can fail if it is not implemented properly.
Answer: Agree. Even a well-planned policy requires careful execution and resource monitoring; without proper implementation, benefits never reach the public.
b. Citizen participation sometimes makes decision-making slower, but it can improve governance.
Answer: Agree. Consultations take time, but citizen inputs ensure policies solve real public problems, increasing trust and public support.
c. Technology alone cannot ensure good governance.
Answer: Agree. Digital technology improves administrative efficiency, but good governance also requires digital literacy, reliable internet, and honest, accountable officials.
Question 10: Design a public policy as a member of your school’s student representative body.
Policy Proposal: Plastic-Free Campus Initiative
- Reason for Selecting the Issue: Accumulation of single-use plastic bottles and wrappers creates litter and causes long-term environmental harm on campus.
- Proposed Solution: Introduce a ‘Plastic-Free Campus Policy’ by encouraging stainless steel water bottles, banning single-use plastic bags, and installing waste segregation bins.
- Who Should Implement It: School Principal, eco-club teacher coordinators, and student council members.
- How Students Will Participate: Students will bring reusable bottles, separate recyclable waste into designated bins, and volunteer as campus cleanliness monitors.
- Measuring Success: Success will be evaluated by conducting weekly checks to track reductions in plastic waste and ensuring 100% usage of reusable water bottles on campus.