Equality
Class 7 | Social Science — Civics | Unit 1
Class 7 Unit 1 Civics
Unit 1 - Equality
Learning Objectives
- To understand the meaning of Equality
- To know the importance of Equality
- To learn the different types of Equality
- To know the various Articles of our constitution that have guaranteed Equality
Person 1: "You look too tired today"
Person 2: "heavy work in office"
Person 1: "lets share house chores"
Person 2: "wow, that's great"
Introduction
Nature has made man inequal in colour, height, talent, physical strength etcetera, and the natural inequalities can never be rectified. Even the twins looking like the similar are not equal in their abilities. Manmade inequalities on the basis of caste, religion, language, economy etcetera. can be rectified. It is universally accepted that people are differed in their capacity, ability, attitude etcetera. but at the same time, it is also accepted that they should be given equal opportunities for the development of their skills and talents.
What is Equality?
Equality is ensuring individuals or groups that are not treated differently or less favourably on the basic of specific protected characteristic, including areas of race, gender, disability, religion or belief, sexual orientation and age. According to Prof Laski "Equality does not mean identity of treatment, the sameness of reward. It means first of all absence of social privilege, on the second it means that adequate opportunities are laid upon to all".
Importance of Equality
Equality is a powerful moral and political ideal that has inspired and guided human society for many centuries. The concept of equality invokes the idea that all human beings have equal worth regardless of their caste, colour, gender, race or nationality. The democratic ideals such as liberty, equality etc are meaningful and effective only when they are implemented with justice.
Kinds of Equality
Social equality
Social equality means that all citizen is entitled to enjoy equal status in society. There should not be any discrimination of caste, creed, colour and race. All should have equal opportunity to develop their personality and to complete goals.
Civil Equality
Civil equality is enjoyment of civil rights by all citizen. There should not be any discrimination of superior or inferior, the rich or the poor, caste or creed. Equal rights should be available to all the persons and nobody should be denied enjoyment of any rights. Rule of law is in force in England and in the eyes of law all are equal and equal treatment is given to all by the rule of law. In India the same rule of law is followed.
Do You Know?
Rule of law was advocated by A.V.Dicey, the British legal luminary
Political Equality
All the democratic countries including India have guaranteed the political rights to all citizens. It includes:
- Right to vote
- Right to hold public Office
- Right to criticise the government
Citizens should have equal opportunity to actively participate in the political life. These rights can be enjoyed through the Universal Adult Franchise. In India the voting right is given to all the citizens who has attained 18 years of age without any discriminations. India is the first country to give right to vote to women from the very first general election held in the year 1952. In Switzerland the right to vote is given to women in 1971. Any person who has completed the age of 25 years can contest in the election in India. Right to criticise the government is also very important right and the people can express their resentment through demonstrations. The value of the vote of the Prime Minister and value of vote of common man in general election is same which denotes political equality
Gender Equality
All human beings, both men and women, are free to develop their personal abilities and make choices without any limitations. woman were not given equal rights and they were considered as weak as compared to man and they were placed in a secondary position to men. They should be treated equally. It does not mean that women and men have to become the same, but their rights, responsibilities and opportunities will not depend on whether they are born male or female. Gender Equality is the equal right of both men and women to have access to opportunities and resources. They have right to participate in the economic sphere and make important decisions. Women with their talent and hard work have proved that their ability is not less than men in any aspect. Nowadays, women are successfully working in many fields like Border Security force, Indian Air Force, etcetera For the uplift of women 50% reservation has been given for women in local bodies.
UNICEF says Gender Equality "means that women and men, and girls and boys, enjoy the same rights, resources, opportunities and prolictions. It does not require that girls and boys, or women and men, be same, or that they be treated exactly alike." As of 2017, gender equality is the fifth of seventeen sustainable development goals of the United Nations.
Do You Know?
Efforts were made by many social activists from the 19th century for the development of women. The noted champions of this cause were Raja Rammohan Roy, Ishwar chandra Vidyasagar Dayanand Saraswati, Mahadev Govind Ranade, Tarabai Shinde, Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hussain, Savithribha Phule. They worked hard to get equal status to the women.
Human dignity
Dignity means self – respect. Human dignity is the most important human right from which all other fundamental rights derive. Dignity is the quality of being honourable, noble and excellent. Every human being should be regarded as a very valuable member of the community
Equality of Opportunity and Education
All the individuals should have similar chances to receive education. They should have similar opportunities to develop their personality. We need equality to get equal treatment in society. If we treat equality, we can earn respect and dignity.
Equality in Indian constitution
Almost the constitution of all the countries in the world have guaranteed equality. Likewise, the constitution of India has also guaranteed equality to all citizens by providing Articles from 14 to 18
Do You Know?
- Article 14, guarantees to all the people equality before law.
- Article 15, deals with the prohibition of discrimination.
- Article 16, provides equality of opportunity in matters relating to public employment.
- Article 17, abolishes the practice of untouchability.
- Article 18, abolishes the titles conferred to citizen
Equality before law and equal protection of law have been further strengthened in the Indian constitution under Article 21. We can promote equality by
- Treating all fairly
- Creating an inclusive culture
- Ensuring equal access to opportunities
- Enabling to develop full potential
- laws and policies
- Education
Conclusion
India is the largest democratic country in the world. Equality and justice are the pillars of democracy. Justice can be achieved when people are treated equality. Equality is so important because it preserves the dignity of an individual. Equality is an important principle for a society to function
Summary
Liberty and Equality are the two fundamental concepts of democracy. All people should be equal before law and everybody should be given equal chance and opportunity to participate in political life. Civil equality implies equality of all before law. Gender equality means both the men and women should be treated equally. The various laws programmes of the government aim at gender equality.
Glossary
Equality absence of any privilege to anybody, சமத்துவம் Rule of law rule based on law, சட்டத்தின் ஆட்சி Monarchy government by a single person, முடியாட்சி Privileges special concessions, சலுகைகள் Discrimination difference, பாகுபாடு
Evaluation
Exercise 1. Choose the correct answer
1. Which one of the following does not come under Equality?
a) Non-discrimination on the basis of birth, caste, religion, race, colour, gender. b) Right to contest in the election. c) All are treated equal in the eyes of law. d) Showing inequality between rich and poor.
2. Which one of the following is comes under political Equality?
a) Right to petition the government and criticize public policy b) Removal of inequality based on race, colour, sex and caste. c) All are equal before the law. d) Prevention of concentration of wealth in the hands of law
3. In India, right to vote is given to all the citizens at the age of
a) 21 b) 18 c) 25 d) 31
4. Inequality created by man on the basis of caste, money, religion etcetera is called as
a) Natural inequality b) Manmade inequality c) Economic inequality d) Gender inequality
5. In Switzerland, the right to vote is given to women in the year
a) 1981 b) 1971 c) 1991 d) 1961 Exercise 2. Fill in the blanks
1. Civil equality implies equality of all before .
2. The Indian constitution deals about the Right to equality from Article to .
3. Right to contest in the election is a Right.
4. Equality means, absent of privileges .
Exercise 3. Give short answer
1. What is Equality?
2. Why is gender Equality needed?
3. What is civil Equality?
Exercise 4. Answer in detail
1. Write about the importance of Equality.
2. What is political Equality?
3. How does the Constitution of India protect the Right to Equality?
Exercise 5. HOTs
1. How can we eliminate inequality at school level?
Exercise 6. Life Skills
Enumeration of Different types of equality
| Type of equality | Description |
|---|
| 1. | |
| 2. | |
| 3. | |
| 4. | |
Reference books
- Eddy Asirvatham, Misra, K. K, Political Theory, S.Chand & Company, New Delhi, 2004.
- Agarwal, R.C, Political Theory, S.Chand & Company, New Delhi, 2009.
- Kapur, A.C. Principles of Political Science, S.Chand & Company, New Delhi, 2000.
- Johari, J.C, Contemporary Political Theory, Sterling Publishers, New Delhi, 2000.
Book-back Exercises — Questions & Answers
Answers generated strictly from the Samacheer Kalvi textbook content. Attempt each question first, then click "Show Answer" to check.
1. Choose the correct answer
1. Which one of the following does not come under Equality?
a) Non-discrimination on the basis of birth, caste, religion, race, colour, gender. b) Right to contest in the election. c) All are treated equal in the eyes of law. d) Showing inequality between rich and poor.
Answer: d) Showing inequality between rich and poor.
Explanation: Equality means absence of social privilege and adequate opportunities for all, not showing inequality between rich and poor.
2. Which one of the following is comes under political Equality?
a) Right to petition the government and criticize public policy b) Removal of inequality based on race, colour, sex and caste. c) All are equal before the law. d) Prevention of concentration of wealth in the hands of law
Answer: a) Right to petition the government and criticize public policy
Explanation: Political equality includes right to vote, right to hold public office and right to criticise the government.
3. In India, right to vote is given to all the citizens at the age of
a) 21 b) 18 c) 25 d) 31
Answer: b) 18
Explanation: In India the voting right is given to all the citizens who has attained 18 years of age without any discriminations.
4. Inequality created by man on the basis of caste, money, religion etcetera is called as
a) Natural inequality b) Manmade inequality c) Economic inequality d) Gender inequality
Answer: b) Manmade inequality
Explanation: Manmade inequalities on the basis of caste, religion, language, economy can be rectified.
5. In Switzerland, the right to vote is given to women in the year
a) 1981 b) 1971 c) 1991 d) 1961
Answer: b) 1971
Explanation: In Switzerland the right to vote is given to women in 1971.
2. Fill in the blanks
1. Civil equality implies equality of all before ________.
Answer: law
2. The Indian constitution deals about the Right to equality from Article ________ to ________.
Answer: 14 to 18
3. Right to contest in the election is a ________ Right.
Answer: Political
4. Equality means, absent of ________ privileges.
Answer: social
3. Give short answer
1. What is Equality?
Answer: Equality is ensuring individuals or groups that are not treated differently or less favourably on the basis of specific protected characteristics, including areas of race, gender, disability, religion or belief, sexual orientation and age. According to Prof Laski, equality means absence of social privilege and adequate opportunities for all.
2. Why is gender Equality needed?
Answer: Women were not given equal rights and were considered weak compared to men and placed in a secondary position. Gender equality ensures both men and women have equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities regardless of whether they are born male or female. Women should be treated equally and have right to participate in economic sphere and make important decisions.
3. What is civil Equality?
Answer: Civil equality is enjoyment of civil rights by all citizens. There should not be any discrimination of superior or inferior, the rich or the poor, caste or creed. Equal rights should be available to all persons and nobody should be denied enjoyment of any rights.
4. Answer in detail
1. Write about the importance of Equality.
Answer: Equality is a powerful moral and political ideal that has inspired and guided human society for many centuries. The concept of equality invokes the idea that all human beings have equal worth regardless of their caste, colour, gender, race or nationality. The democratic ideals such as liberty, equality etc are meaningful and effective only when they are implemented with justice. Equality is so important because it preserves the dignity of an individual and is an important principle for a society to function. Justice can be achieved when people are treated equally.
2. What is political Equality?
Answer: All democratic countries including India have guaranteed political rights to all citizens. Political equality includes right to vote, right to hold public office and right to criticise the government. Citizens should have equal opportunity to actively participate in political life. These rights can be enjoyed through Universal Adult Franchise. In India, voting right is given to all citizens who have attained 18 years of age without any discrimination. Any person who has completed 25 years can contest in elections, and the value of vote of Prime Minister and common man is same.
3. How does the Constitution of India protect the Right to Equality?
Answer: The Constitution of India has guaranteed equality to all citizens by providing Articles from 14 to 18. Article 14 guarantees equality before law to all people. Article 15 deals with prohibition of discrimination. Article 16 provides equality of opportunity in matters relating to public employment. Article 17 abolishes the practice of untouchability. Article 18 abolishes titles conferred to citizens. Equality before law and equal protection of law have been further strengthened under Article 21.
5. HOTs
1. How can we eliminate inequality at school level?
Answer: We can eliminate inequality at school level by treating all students fairly, creating an inclusive culture, ensuring equal access to opportunities for all students, and enabling every student to develop their full potential through equal educational opportunities regardless of their background, caste, religion or economic status.
📝 Summary
- Equality means ensuring individuals or groups are not treated differently on the basis of race, gender, disability, religion, or age, and provides equal opportunities for development of skills and talents.
- There are three main types of equality: Social equality (equal status without caste, creed, colour discrimination), Civil equality (equal civil rights for all), and Political equality (equal political rights including voting and holding office).
- Social equality ensures all citizens enjoy equal status in society with equal opportunities to develop their personality and achieve goals without discrimination based on caste, creed, colour, or race.
- Political equality includes the right to vote, right to hold public office, and right to criticise the government, which are guaranteed through Universal Adult Franchise to all citizens aged 18 and above in India.
- India was the first country to give voting rights to women from the very first general election in 1952, while Switzerland granted women voting rights in 1971, and any person aged 25 years can contest elections in India.