CBSE Class 8 Social Science - Social and Political Life Important Questions Chapter 7 - Public Facilities - Free PDF Download
FAQs on Important Questions for CBSE Class 8 Social Science - Social and Political Life Chapter 7 - Public Facilities
1. What are the public facilities according to CHapter 9 of Class 8 Social Science?
According to Chapter 7 of Class 8 Social Science water, healthcare, sanitation and education are some of the facilities that are necessary for every individual and should be provided to everyone regardless of the social, economic or political conditions. These facilities are provided by the government for free or at a very low cost. This ensures that the facilities can be enjoyed by everyone and its benefits are shared by all. The government makes these facilities affordable to all. Public facilities satisfied the basic needs of the people.
2. Where does the government get its finances from?
The government makes laws and also provides public facilities to the citizens. Government invests its money in various infrastructural projects and schemes to promote the well-being of the people. Every year the government presents a budget in the Parliament. The budget or the annual financial statement provides an account of the expenses and receipts of the government. The main source of the revenue of the government is the various taxes and duties it levies. The government collects these taxes and duties and uses them for the benefit of all.
3. Are public facilities available to all?
Public facilities such as affordable, accessible and clean water are every individual’s right. But not everyone has access to public facilities. Several cities and towns suffer from a shortage of water. Women and children spend a lot of their time travelling hundreds of kilometres to fetch water. People wait in long queues at the public healthcare centres. Children often drop out of schools to help their parents financially and the education of a boy child is given more preference. All these instances point to the fact that even public facilities are not accessible and available to all.
4. What is the need for public facilities?
Since the 1990s, various private companies have come up in various parts of the country. The private sector produces goods and services and then sells them in the market at the market price. The only concern of private companies is to maximize their profits. The private sector doesn’t produce or engage in a sector where it cannot gain profit. Providing public facilities to millions free or at a low price is one such sector. Thus, the government has to step in to make sure that the benefits of the public sector reach all without any discrimination.
5. What happens when the responsibility of water supply is given to private companies?
Water is essential for the survival of mankind. Water is a basic need. Everyone has the right to affordable, accessible and clean drinking water. Companies driven by a sense of profit maximization find it hard to provide for the basic needs of the people. Private companies operate for profit. When the responsibility for supplying water is given to private companies, there is a steep rise in the prices of water. As a result, water is no longer affordable to everyone. Protests and riots break out in the cities. Hence, the government has been entrusted with this responsibility throughout the world.