Public Facilities class 8 questions and answers: Class 8 Political Science chapter 7 question answer
| Textbook | Ncert |
| Class | Class 8 |
| Subject | Civics |
| Chapter | Chapter 7 |
| Chapter Name | Public Facilities class 8 ncert solutions |
| Category | Ncert Solutions |
| Medium | English |
Are you looking for Class 8 Civics chapter 7 question answer? Now you can download Public Facilities class 8 questions and answers pdf from here.
Question 1: Why do you think there are so few cases of private water supply in the world?
Answer 1: Water is a basic necessity. Hence, universal access to safe drinking water is necessary for a standard quality of life. It needs to be provided to everyone – either free of charge or at affordable rates. But, as private companies work towards the singular goal of maximising profits, there was a steep rise in the price of water in cases where the responsibility for water supply was handed over to private companies.
This made water unaffordable for many. Cities saw huge protests with riots breaking out at various places. This forced the governments to take back the service from private hands. Therefore, only a few cases of private water supply exist in the world.
Question 2: Do you think water in Chennai is available to and affordable by all? Discuss.
Answer 2: Water is not equally available to all citizens in Chennai. Certain areas like Anna Nagar get copious water while areas like Saidapet receive very little water. Municipal supply meets only about half the needs of the people of the city, on an average. Areas that are close to the storage points get more water whereas colonies further away receive less water. The burden of shortfalls in water supply falls mostly on the poor.
Question 3: How is the sale of water by farmers to water dealers in Chennai affecting the local people? Do you think local people can object to such exploitation of ground water? Can the government do anything in this regard?
Answer 3: The sale of water by the farmer to the water dealers in Chennai affects the local people as this water is for irrigation as well for drinking for them. So the agricultural crops, as well as people, suffer. Moreover, groundwater levels have dropped drastically.
- Local people can and should object to such exploitation of groundwater.
- The government on their part should restrict the use of groundwater by the individual farmers according to their needs and make strict laws against overuse.
Question 4: Why are most of the private hospitals and private schools located in major cities and not in towns or rural areas?
Answer 4: The services provided by these private hospitals and institutions are prohibitively expensive for the poor and even many middle-class people. The infrastructure and service quality provided by these hospitals and institutions are unquestionably superior.
Cities have a higher concentration of wealthy and ambitious people who can afford the costs than towns or rural locations. This is why private hospitals and schools are typically found in major cities rather than in small towns or rural areas.
Question 5: Do you think the distribution of public facilities in our country is adequate and fair? Give an example of your own to explain.
Answer 5: One of the most important functions of the government is to ensure that public facilities are made available to everyone. But in our country, the distribution of public facilities is neither adequate nor fair. For example, in Haryana, there is shortage of electricity. Almost eight hours cut is in all the cities of Haryana. But in VIP’s area of each city, there is no such cut. Similar is the case of water. The burden of shortage in water supply falls mostly on the poor.
Question 6: Take some of the public facilities in your area, such as water, electricity, etc. Is there scope to improve these? What in your opinion should be done? Complete the table.
| Is it available? | How can it be improved? | |
| Water | ||
| Electricity | ||
| Road | ||
| Public Transport |
Answer 6:
| Public Facility | Is it available? | How can it be improved? |
|---|---|---|
| Water | Yes, but irregular supply | Improve pipeline infrastructure, install more water tanks, and promote rainwater harvesting. |
| Electricity | Yes, but frequent power cuts | Upgrade power infrastructure, ensure regular maintenance, and promote solar energy. |
| Road | Yes, but in poor condition | Repair damaged roads, improve drainage systems, and ensure regular maintenance. |
| Public Transport | Yes, but not so well | Increase the number of buses, improve last-mile connectivity, and introduce e-rickshaws in more areas. |
Question 7: Are the above public facilities shared equally by all the people in your area? Elaborate.
Answer 7: No, all the facilities are not shared equally by all the people in your area. Nearly 20 percent people are living below the poverty line. They do not have a access to pure and clean drinking water. The rich people purchase sealed water bottles of branded companies. They have access to regular water supply through tap connections.
Question 8: Data on some of the public facilities are collected as part of the Census. Discuss with your teacher when and how the Census is conducted.
Answer 8: The Census in India is conducted every 10 years by the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, Ministry of Home Affairs. The most recent Census was supposed to take place in 2021, but it has been delayed.
How is the Census conducted?
- Data Collection: Government officials visit every household to collect information.
- Two Phases:
- House Listing: Information about houses, water supply, electricity, and sanitation is collected.
- Population Enumeration: Data on people’s age, gender, occupation, literacy, and migration is recorded.
- Use of Technology: The upcoming Census is expected to use digital methods for faster data processing.
The Census helps in planning public facilities like water supply, electricity, schools, hospitals, and transport. It ensures that resources are allocated properly for development.
Question 9: Private educational institutions – schools, colleges, universities, technical and vocational training institutes are coming up in our country in a big way. On the other hand, educational institutes run by the government are becoming relatively less important. What do you think would be the impact of this? Discuss.
Answer 9: Education is a basic need, and there should be universal access to education. But, as the main motive of private education institutes is earning profits, they charge high fees which are affordable only to the affluent section of society.
Thus, the right to quality education is only fulfilled for the rich class. Similarly, if government education institutes are not up to the mark, then weaker sections are again deprived of quality education. This, in turn, results in the disparity of quality education between the rich and the poor.