CLASS 7th- CIVICS - CHAPTER - ON EQUALITY

Introduction:
❖ What is equality?
❖ Story of kanta.
CLASS 7th- CIVICS - CHAPTER - ON EQUALITY
Introduction:
CLASS 7th- CIVICS - CHAPTER - ON EQUALITY
Introduction:
CLASS 7th- CIVICS - CHAPTER - ON EQUALITY
Introduction:
❖ What we are going to study in this chapter?
➢ Equality and its various forms.

■ [Voting, on the basis of caste, religion etc]

➢ Story of Omprakash Valmiki and Mr and Mrs Ansari.
➢ Importance of recognising dignity.
➢ Equality in Indian democracy.
■ Mid day meal scheme.
■ Issues of equality in other democracies.
CLASS 7th- CIVICS - CHAPTER - ON EQUALITY
Equal Right to Vote:
सभी लोग वोट दे रहे थे
❖ Recall the story of Kanta.

In a democratic country all adults are entitled to vote.

[Irrespective of the cast, religion, sex etc]

Universal Adult Franchise

❖ The idea of universal adult franchise is based on the Idea of equality.

❖ Does the equality in the voting, ensure quality in all sphere?

Connect it with the story of kanta.

CLASS 7th- CIVICS - CHAPTER - ON EQUALITY
Other Kind of Equality:
❖ People in democratic India may have the right to vote but whose daily living and working conditions
are far from equal. How?

● Rich and Poor.

● Upper caste and Lower caste.
● Inequality on the basis of religion.

❖ In this sense people are highly divided despite being treated equally under the constitution.
➢ Let us understand the following inequalities with two stories.
■ Story of Prakash Valmiki.
■ Story of Mr. and Mrs. Ansari.
CLASS 7th- CIVICS - CHAPTER - ON EQUALITY
Story of Om Prakash Valmiki:
❖ Equality There are many challenges to it, in the form of various inequality.

Caste System

❖ E.g. Caste system in marriages.

❖ One such example of caste based inequality is highlighted by Omprakash Valmiki also.

Omprakash Valmiki Autobiography of Omprakash Valmiki

Joothan Cover Photo
❖ Omprakash Valmiki was a dalit writer. In his autobiography, Joothan he express his experience of
inequality suffered by him.
CLASS 7th- CIVICS - CHAPTER - ON EQUALITY
Story of Om Prakash Valmiki:
❖ He was a Dalit. Broken

❖ He writes in his book , “I had to sit away from the others in the class, and that too on the floor.
The mat ran out before reaching the spot I sat on. Sometimes I would have to sit way behind
everybody, right near the door sometimes they would beat me without any reason.”

❖ When he was in class IVth the headmaster asked omprakash to sweep the school and the
playground.

This continued for a couple of days and one day when his father saw him sweeping, he took him
back home.

❖ Understand the discrimination and exclusion which omprakash faced on the basis of caste.

❖ This is caste system Caste based inequality.

CLASS 7th- CIVICS - CHAPTER - ON EQUALITY
Story of Mr and Mrs Ansari:
❖ Their story explain the inequality based on religion.
❖ Mr and Mrs Ansari were looking for an apartment on rent in the city.

Contacted dealer He showed them some apartments. The owner refused to rent apartment to
Ansari family by making various irrelevant excuses such as they eat meat.

But the true reason was their religion.

❖ What do you understand by this example?

Inequality on the basis of religion

CLASS 7th- CIVICS - CHAPTER - ON EQUALITY
Recognising Dignity:
Caste, religion, class
❖ The reason behind the unequal treatment background

E.g. Omprakash Valmiki and Ansaris

❖ When persons are treated unequally, their dignity is violated.

Due to this, one feels as if he/she is less than equal.

❖ Recall the case with Omprakash Valmiki and Ansaris.

❖ Everybody deserve the same respect and dignity.

CLASS 7th- CIVICS - CHAPTER - ON EQUALITY
Equality in Indian Democracy:
❖ The Indian Constitution recognises every person as equal. [In every sense]

● Means equality of all person is recognised in democratic India.

➔ Whereas earlier there was no law existed to protect people from discrimination and ill -
treatment.

❖ How does this equality is recognised in the constitution.

I. Every person equal before the law.
II. No person can be discriminated on the basis of religion, race, caste, place of birth or gender.
III. Every person should have an equal access to all public places.
CLASS 7th- CIVICS - CHAPTER - ON EQUALITY
Equality in Indian Democracy:
❖ Two ways through which government tries to implement the equality that is guaranteed in the
constitution are:

1. Through Laws
a. Banning Untouchability.
2. Through government programmes or schemes
a. Midday meal scheme.
CLASS 7th- CIVICS - CHAPTER - ON EQUALITY
Midday Meal Scheme:
❖ Government programme to ensure equality. How

Under this programme free cooked lunch is being provided to children in all government
elementary schools.

History
In 2001, Supreme Court asked all This programme had
Started in the state of Tamil Nadu. state government to being this many positive impacts.
programme.

❖ Positive impact of midday meal scheme.

1. Many poor children have began enrolling and started attending schools regularly.
2. Earlier children have to go home for lunch and then they did not return to school for second
shift. But now attendance has improved.
CLASS 7th- CIVICS - CHAPTER - ON EQUALITY
Midday Meal Scheme:
3. Earlier their mothers had to interrupt their work to feed their children, now mothers could do their
work in continuity.

4. This programme reduced cast prejudices because both lower and upper caste children in the school
eat
in this meal together. [Dalit women have been employed]

5. Midday meal also helps to reduce the hunger of poor students.

❖ Midday meal scheme play a very important role in increasing equality.

But
● still there are
Difference many challenges
between toattended
the schools equality. by rich and poor children respectively.
● Discrimination on the basis of caste still exist in some schools.
● Attitude change is very slow.
CLASS 7th- CIVICS - CHAPTER - ON EQUALITY
Issues of Equality in Other Democracy:
❖ Struggle against the inequality is not limited to India only, there are many other democratic countries
suffering from this problem.

E.g In the United States of America, African-Americans face huge inequality.

● African-American were treated extremely unequally in the United States and denied equality
through law.

❖ Story of Rosa Parks will definitely give you an idea about the situation in U.S.A.
CLASS 7th- CIVICS - CHAPTER - ON EQUALITY
Issues of Equality in Other Democracy:
❖ Story of Rosa Parks
➢ In U.S.A. there was a system that if a white person wished to sit in the bus then black had to
either sit at the back seat or get up from their seat.

➢ Rosa parks An African-American woman Tired from a long day work.

Her refusal started a huge agitation She refuse to give up her seat to a
white man on 1 december 1955.

Civil Rights Movement

❖ Civil Rights act of 1964 was passed क्या था इसमें ?

CLASS 7th- CIVICS - CHAPTER - ON EQUALITY
Issues of Equality in Other Democracy:

Rosa Parks Rosa Parks, an African–American woman, Civil Rights act of 1964
changed the course of American history
with one defiant act.
CLASS 7th- CIVICS - CHAPTER - ON EQUALITY
Civil Rights Act of 1964:
❖ Against the agitation showed by African-Americans, the U.S. government passed
the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

● Discrimination on the basis of race, religion and national origin was prohibited.
● According to this act, schools were open for African-American children they
would not have to attend separate schools.

❖ This all was done to ensure equality.

❖ Despite this inequality exists in America.

● Most African-American are poor.

● African-American students attend government schools whereas white students attend
private or highly rated government schools.
CLASS 7th- CIVICS - CHAPTER - ON EQUALITY
Challenge of Democracy:
❖ No country can be described as being completely democratic.

Individuals try to expand the idea of democracy and push for a

greater recognition of equality on various issues.

Main struggle is for the recognition of all persons as equal and for their dignity to be maintained.

❖ What do you think, whether the equality of all persons is ensured or not are we able to maintain the
dignity of all individual or not?
CLASS 7th- CIVICS - CHAPTER - ON EQUALITY
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Que 1. Explain/define type -
1. Universal Adult Franchise
2. Civil Rights Movement
3. African-American
Que 2. How does the right to vote promotes equality?
Que 3. Challenge to equality on the basis of caste and religion?
● Inequality on the basis of caste? Explain.
● Inequality on the basis of religion? Explain.
Que 4. What do you understand by dignity? How the dignity of Omprakash Valmiki and Ansaris was
violated?
Que 5. Explain how does the Indian constitution ensure the equality among citizens?
CLASS 7th- CIVICS - CHAPTER - ON EQUALITY
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Que 6. What are the two ways through which the Indian government tries to implement the equality?
Que 7. Explain the Midday Meal Scheme?
Que 8. Advantage of Midday Meal Scheme?
Que 9. What was the reason behind the Civil Rights movement in America?
Que 10. Who was Rosa Parks?
Que 11. What were the changes introduced after the Civil Rights act of 1964?
Que 12. What are the challenge to democracy in context of securing equality?