Class 7 Civics Chapter 3 Question Answers - How the State Government Works

Short Answer Questions

Q1: What is the importance of a press conference?

Ans: Press conference is a gathering of journalists from media. They are invited to hear about and ask various questions on a particular issue and are then expected to report about the same to the larger public.

Q2: Explain the responsibility of a chief minister after election of MLAs.

Ans: After the elections, the MLAs of the ruling party elect their leader who becomes the chief minister. The chief ministers select other ministers

Q3: Ravi wants to write a letter addressing sanitation problem of his state and requesting to make a new law for the same, whom he will write the letter?

Ans: Legislative assembly

Q4: How do some MLAs become ministers or chief ministers?

Ans: After the elections the MLAs of the majority party elect their leader who becomes the Chief Minister. The Chief Minister then selects some MLAs from the party to lead different ministries. These MLAs are appointed by the Governor of the state. They are also given different departments or ministries.

Q5: Why should decisions taken by the Chief ministers and other ministers be debated in the Legislative Assembly?

Ans: The Chief Minister and other ministers have to take decision and run the government. However, whatever decisions are being taken have to be approved by the Members of Legislative Assembly. In a democracy, These MLAs can ask questions, debate an important issue, decide where money should be spent, etc.

Q6: What problem are the people of Patalputram facing? What do they expect from the MLA of their area?

Ans: The people of Patalpuram are facing acute water crisis. Streams have dried up and so have tanks. In the worst affected areas, villagers have been carrying water across great distances. People at the district headquarter, Patalpuram receive water supply once in three days. The District Hospital there is full of patients with acute diarrhoea. The people of Patalpuram demand that the authorities must take immediate action to bring the public health situation under control. Their MLAs must take the responsibility for that.

Q7: How do various government departments function?

Ans: The Chief Minister and the other ministers have to take some actions to deal with the difficult situations faced by the state. They do so through various departments like the Public Works Department, the Agriculture Department, the Health Department, the Education Department, and so on. They also have to answer questions that are asked in the Legislative Assembly and convince people that proper steps are being taken.

Long Answer Questions

Q1: What did the government do to control the situation in Patalputram district?

Ans: The Chief Minister and the minister for health visited Patalpuram district. They went to visit the families who had lost their relatives and also visited people in the hospitals from acute diarrhoea. The government announced a compensation for those families. The chief minister also said that there the problem was not only of sanitation but also of a lack of clean drinking water. He said that a high-level inquiry committee will be asked to look into the needs of the district to provide sanitation facilities and would request the minister for public works to take care of the needs of proper water supply in the region.

Q2: Mention three functions of the Chief Minister of a state.

Ans: The Chief Minister is the head of the state council of ministers. He/she is the actual head of the executive power of the state. He/she performs several functions:

• The Chief Minister selects ministers and hand over the list of these persons to the Governor. It is only on the recommendation of the Chief Minister that portfolios are allocated to the ministers.
• He/she presides over the meetings of the Cabinet. He/she announces the policies of the government in the Assembly.
• He/she functions as a link between the Governor and the council of ministers.

Q3: What is the importance of Debate in the Legislative Assembly?

Ans: The decisions taken by the Chief Minister and other Ministers need approval from the legislative Assembly as these decisions play a very significant role in running the government. Democracy has permitted the other members of the house to ask questions, decide where the money should be spent and debate on the more important issues. It looks into the matter where particular decisions are in the interest of the people at large or not. The MLA’s selected as ministers are collectively responsible to the Legislature for their decisions. This enhances the accountability, transparency and representativeness of the Cabinet.

Q4: What is the difference between MLA’s and Bureaucrats?

Ans: MLA is the bridge between Assembly and the departments. The MLA who is a minister approves the work of the department. After the approval of the work, the department becomes solely responsible for the proper completion and implementation. The planning and execution of the work is done according to the budget passed by the government. After the completion of the work, the Minister checks it. The other MLA’s can also ask questions from the minister regarding the work.