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Read the following source… (Social Science 2025 32/4/1 Q36)

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Social ScienceCBSE Class 10 · Board exam 2025, set 32/4/1 · 4 marks · Case-based

CBSE Class 10 Social Science 2025: question 36

Set in the CBSE Class 10 board exam of 2025, paper 32/4/1, section E, question 36, for 4 marks. Try it first; the hints and our step-by-step solution are below.

Q36 · 4 marks · Case-basedCompetency-basedFederalism

Read the following source and answer the questions that follow:

Local Self Government

The local government structure goes right up to the district level. A few gram panchayats are grouped together to form what is usually called a panchayat samiti or block or mandal. The members of this representative body are elected by all the panchayat members in that area. All the panchayat samitis or mandals in a district together constitute the zilla (district) parishad. Most members of the zilla parishad are elected. Members of the Lok Sabha and MLAs of that district and some other officials of other district level bodies are also its members. Zilla parishad chairperson is the political head of the zilla parishad.

Similarly, local government bodies exist for urban areas as well. Municipalities are set up in towns. Big cities are constituted into municipal corporations. Both municipalities and municipal corporations are controlled by elected bodies consisting of people’s representatives. Municipal chairperson is the political head of the municipality. In a municipal corporation, such an officer is called the mayor.

This new system of local government is the largest experiment in democracy conducted anywhere in the world.

  1. 36.1

    Explain the relationship between gram panchayats and panchayat samitis.

    1 mark
  2. 36.2

    How is the structure of municipal corporation different from municipality?

    1 mark
  3. 36.3

    How does the local government structure promote democracy? Examine.

    2 marks

Source: official question paper from cbse.gov.in (PDF). See it in the full 2025 board paper, set 32/4/1.

Hints

Open one hint at a time and try again before the next.

Hint 1

Read how a panchayat samiti is formed.

Hint 2

Compare the type of urban area and the title of the political head in each body.

Hint 3

Think about who participates in decisions at the local level, including women.

Step-by-step solution

Each step shows the marks it earns, as an examiner would award them. Checked by an independent re-solve from the question paper.

  1. (i) A few gram panchayats are grouped together to form a panchayat samiti (block or mandal), whose members are elected by the panchayat members of the area. The samiti links the gram panchayats with the zilla parishad.

    1 mark

  2. (ii) A municipality is set up for a town, with a municipal chairperson as political head. A municipal corporation is set up for a big city, and its political head is the mayor.

    1 mark

  3. (iii) Local government promotes grass-root democracy by bringing decision-making close to the people, who take part in decisions about local problems.

    1 mark

  4. It deepens democracy through regularly elected bodies and, with reserved seats, increases women's participation.

    1 mark

Answer: (i) Gram panchayats together form a panchayat samiti, which links them to the zilla parishad. (ii) A municipality serves a town and has a chairperson; a corporation serves a big city and has a mayor. (iii) Local government brings grass-root participation, deepens democracy and increases women's participation.

Where the marks are

  • 36.1: Gram panchayats are grouped to form the samiti, which acts as a link (1 mark)
  • 36.2: Municipality is for a town with a chairperson; corporation is for a big city with a mayor (1 mark)
  • 36.3: Grass-root democracy and people's participation in decisions (1 mark)
  • 36.3: Deepens democracy or increases women's participation (1 mark)

Revise the chapter

  • Chapter: Federalism (notes, formulas, where marks are lost and every past question)
Practise this chapterBoard-style questions from Federalism, one at a time, marked against the answer key and marking points.Back to the full paper2025 board paper, set 32/4/1: every question, by section.

The question is transcribed from the official paper; figures are described in words. The solution, hints and chapter tag are ours. Spotted an error? Write tosupport@questionbuddy.in.