Extra 30 short-answer questions of Chapter 7, Public Facilities, from Class 8 Civics (CBSE):-
1. What are public facilities?
Answer: Public facilities are essential services provided by the government to ensure a basic standard of living for all citizens. Examples include water supply, electricity, healthcare, and public transport.
2. Why are public facilities important?
Answer: Public facilities ensure equal access to essential services like clean water, healthcare, and education, improving the overall quality of life and reducing inequalities.
3. Mention any three public facilities provided by the government.
Answer: Three public facilities provided by the government are:
Clean drinking water
Public transport
Government hospitals
4. How is the right to water linked to the Right to Life?
Answer: The Supreme Court of India has recognized the right to water as a part of the Right to Life under Article 21 of the Constitution, as clean water is essential for survival and good health.
5. Why do public facilities need to be provided by the government?
Answer: The government provides public facilities because private companies may not offer them at affordable rates, and ensuring access to essential services is necessary for social welfare and equality.
6. What role does the government play in providing healthcare?
Answer: The government establishes hospitals, provides affordable medicines, runs health programs, and ensures access to medical services, especially for the poor and rural populations.
7. How is public transport a public facility?
Answer: Public transport, such as buses and trains, is a government-provided service that ensures affordable and efficient travel for all citizens, reducing traffic congestion and pollution.
8. What are the challenges in providing public facilities in India?
Answer: Challenges include lack of infrastructure, corruption, unequal distribution, shortage of funds, and increasing population demand.
9. What is the role of municipal corporations in providing public facilities?
Answer: Municipal corporations manage local public facilities like water supply, sanitation, waste disposal, and public transportation within cities and towns.
10. What is the significance of government schools in ensuring public education?
Answer: Government schools provide free or affordable education, ensuring that children from economically weaker sections have access to learning opportunities.
11. How does electricity function as a public facility?
Answer: Electricity is essential for homes, businesses, and industries. The government ensures its availability at reasonable rates to support economic growth and improve living conditions.
12. How is sanitation an important public facility?
Answer: Sanitation includes waste management, public toilets, and drainage systems, which help prevent diseases and improve public health.
13. What is the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan?
Answer: Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is a government campaign launched in 2014 to promote cleanliness, build toilets, and improve sanitation facilities across India.
14. How does the government fund public facilities?
Answer: The government funds public facilities through taxes collected from citizens, such as income tax, GST, and property tax.
15. Why is clean drinking water a necessary public facility?
Answer: Clean drinking water is essential for health and hygiene. The government ensures its supply to prevent diseases like cholera and typhoid.
16. What is the role of the Public Distribution System (PDS)?
Answer: The PDS provides subsidized food grains and essential commodities to low-income families through fair-price shops.
17. How does lack of public facilities affect the poor?
Answer: The poor suffer the most due to inadequate public facilities, as they cannot afford private services for clean water, healthcare, education, or transport.
18. What is the importance of public parks and recreational spaces?
Answer: Public parks provide open spaces for exercise, relaxation, and community activities, promoting mental and physical well-being.
19. Why is it important to maintain public roads?
Answer: Well-maintained public roads ensure safe and efficient transportation, reducing accidents and travel time.
20. How do public hospitals differ from private hospitals?
Answer: Public hospitals provide low-cost or free healthcare services, while private hospitals charge high fees for medical treatments.
21. What are the disadvantages of privatizing public facilities?
Answer: Privatization makes services expensive, reduces accessibility for the poor, and prioritizes profit over social welfare.
22. How does the Right to Education (RTE) Act support public facilities?
Answer: The RTE Act ensures free and compulsory education for children aged 6 to 14 years, making education a fundamental right.
23. What is the Jal Jeevan Mission?
Answer: Jal Jeevan Mission is a government initiative to provide safe and adequate drinking water to rural households through tap connections.
24. Why do rural areas often have fewer public facilities?
Answer: Rural areas face poor infrastructure, lack of funding, and inadequate government attention, leading to fewer public facilities.
25. How does better public transport help the environment?
Answer: Public transport reduces traffic congestion, lowers fuel consumption, and decreases air pollution by minimizing the use of private vehicles.
26. What is the impact of poor public facilities on public health?
Answer: Poor sanitation, lack of clean water, and inadequate healthcare services lead to widespread diseases and higher mortality rates.
27. How does the government ensure access to affordable electricity?
Answer: The government provides subsidies, regulates tariffs, and invests in power generation and distribution networks.
28. Why is it important to have public toilets?
Answer: Public toilets prevent open defecation, improve sanitation, and reduce health risks, especially in urban and crowded areas.
29. How do public libraries contribute to society?
Answer: Public libraries provide free access to books, internet services, and educational resources, promoting literacy and lifelong learning.
30. What steps can be taken to improve public facilities?
Answer: Steps include increasing government investment, reducing corruption, involving community participation, and ensuring efficient management of resources.
