NCERT Solutions for Class 9 Social Science Chapter 13 Governance and Public Policy (PDF) – 2027

Governance is the process by which decisions are made, implemented and monitored for the welfare of the people. It is the way a country, state, city, village, school or organisation is managed, and it involves the government as well as citizens, the media, civil society and private organisations.

In India its meaning and practice have evolved in three broad stages:

• Ancient India: governance was a sacred duty. The Ṛigveda mentions the Sabhā and Samiti; Rājadharma required the king to uphold Dharma and protect the people; the Arthaśhāstra says the ruler’s happiness lies in the people’s happiness.
• Colonial rule: European rulers imposed their own models, and many colonial institutions continued even after independence.
• After 1947: the Constitution was framed in the spirit of India’s own values. Today governance rests on transparency, accountability, participation and the rule of law, and uses technology (e-governance).

Public policy is a course of action adopted by the government to solve public problems, meet people’s needs and promote the welfare of society. It decides what should be done, why, by whom, how, and how success will be measured.

Daily life: the roads we use, traffic signals, clean drinking water, electricity in classrooms, public parks and garbage collection are all made possible by public policies. They make our lives safer, healthier and more convenient.

What makes it ‘public’ (Fig. 4.4): it exists for everyone, is formulated by the government, uses public resources (taxes), lets citizens participate and promotes public welfare. A school’s mobile-phone rule is a policy, but not a public policy, because it covers only one organisation.

Public policy is made through a continuous cycle, not a single decision. Fig. 4.5 shows seven stages:

1. Policy desirability: identify the needs and problems to be addressed.
2. Prioritising policy: decide which issues need attention first.
3. Policy formulation: consult stakeholders, draft the policy and check financial feasibility.
4. Policy adoption: frame the legislation (laws) and regulations (rules and guidelines).
5. Policy implementation: put it into action through officials, local bodies, civil society, private organisations and citizens.
6. Policy monitoring: measure progress, ensure accountability and find shortcomings.
7. Policy evaluation: assess results and impact, and generate feedback.

Feedback from evaluation is used to improve the policy, so the cycle starts again.

Policy-making is not the work of the government alone. Table 4.1 names six groups of contributors:

Citizens are at the centre of democratic governance. They:

• vote to choose representatives and hold them accountable;
• identify problems and raise them with officials and representatives, as the patients did in the hospital case study;
• take part in consultations: about 2 lakh suggestions were received while NEP 2020 was being drafted;
• follow laws and use public resources responsibly;
• give feedback after a policy is implemented, which governments use to improve it;
• volunteer in their community, for example helping vulnerable neighbours during floods.

In this way citizens help make governance responsive, transparent and accountable.

• Municipal corporation: clears drains and removes garbage.
• Public Works Department (PWD): repairs damaged roads.
• Police: manage traffic.
• School authorities: close schools and inform parents.
• Health workers: prevent the spread of diseases.
• Local representatives: raise people’s concerns with the administration.
• Residents and volunteers: help vulnerable neighbours and report flooded areas.

Since electricity is disrupted, the electricity department also has to restore power. So the response involves government departments, elected representatives and citizens together.

Because a flood creates many problems at the same time: blocked drains, broken roads, traffic jams, power cuts, closed schools and health risks. Each needs different skills, staff, equipment and legal authority. The municipal corporation cannot repair roads or treat patients, and the police cannot clear drains. The scale of the crisis is also too large for one office. Only when each department does its own job, and they work together, can the whole problem be solved.

The response would be slow, wasteful and even dangerous:

• The PWD might repair a road while the drains next to it are still blocked, so the road floods and breaks again.
• If the police are not told which roads are closed, traffic jams could block ambulances.
• Schools might reopen before the area is safe or the water is clean.
• Some areas would get help twice and others none at all.
• Diseases could spread, money would be wasted, and people would lose trust in the government.

The response works because:

• everyone has a clear role and does it, so there are no gaps;
• departments coordinate and communicate and act quickly;
• citizens participate, volunteering and reporting problems;
• representatives make sure people’s concerns are heard and acted upon;
• special care is taken of vulnerable people;
• everyone works towards one shared goal: public safety and welfare.

Qualities that help the town respond effectively:

1. Coordination: departments work together.
2. Responsiveness: quick action on people’s needs.
3. Participation: citizens volunteer and report problems.
4. Accountability: each office answers for its task.
5. Transparency: correct information is shared openly.
6. Inclusiveness: the elderly, sick and disabled are not left behind.
7. Effectiveness: resources are used where they are most needed.
8. Cooperation and empathy: people help one another.

In each case the government is the institution, while governance is the continuous process of planning, delivering, checking and improving the service with people’s help.

The journey of the Sengol, as a picture timeline:

1. Chola period (over 1,000 years ago): a sceptre was a sign that the king must rule justly, following Dharma.
2. August 1947: the Adheenam saints of Tamil Nadu presented the Sengol to Jawaharlal Nehru to mark India’s Independence. Pictures from this time show the ceremony.
3. After 1947: the Sengol was kept for many years in a museum in Allahabad (now Prayagraj).
4. 2023: it was placed in the Lok Sabha chamber of the new Parliament building, near the Speaker’s chair.

The Sengol is a reminder that power is a trust to be used for the people’s welfare.

Sample presentation: Indore (Madhya Pradesh) and Surat (Gujarat), declared joint cleanest cities in Swachh Survekshan 2023, the cleanliness survey of the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (results announced in January 2024).

Steps to stay clean: processing wet waste into compost and bio-gas, recycling dry waste, regular public feedback, and keeping citizens involved.

Sample discussion paper: Good Governance in Kerala

1. Initiatives being implemented

• Kudumbashree (1998): a state-wide network of women’s self-help groups that fights poverty through savings, small businesses and community work. This is participation and inclusiveness.
• Akshaya centres (from 2002): local centres where people get e-governance services and learn digital skills. This makes services accessible.
• People’s Plan Campaign (1996): gram panchayats and municipalities plan local development with people in village meetings. This is decentralisation.

2. Suggestions for improvement

• Publish service delivery times and complaints online so that people can track them (transparency).
• Run digital-literacy camps for elderly citizens.
• Hold regular social audits of local projects (accountability).
• Improve coordination between departments during floods and landslides.

Why 25 December: it is the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee (born 25 December 1924). The day has been observed since 2014 to spread awareness about accountability and efficiency in government.

How it is celebrated (sample for a district):

• government offices and schools take a pledge for transparent and responsive administration;
• the district administration holds camps to settle pending public complaints;
• schools hold essays, quizzes and debates on good governance;
• officials explain e-governance services so that more people can use them.

Method: each group interviews one category of people, asks the same questions for all six issues and notes whether the person has a smartphone, computer and internet.

Sample findings:

Conclusion: e-governance saved time, money and trips, but people without a smartphone or digital skills still depended on others.

We chose option 3: meet the principal with all class representatives and ask the principal to take the issue to the local people’s representative for a traffic signal.

Reasons:

• The jam is on a public road, so a lasting solution needs the local authority, not the school alone.
• A traffic signal controls all road users: buses, rickshaws, cars and pedestrians.
• Going together shows the problem affects the whole school, so it is taken seriously.
• It uses the proper democratic channel: citizens → institution → elected representative.

Our suggestion: a combined ‘Safe School Zone’ plan

• A traffic police constable or trained warden at the gate during school hours.
• A freshly painted zebra crossing, a speed-breaker and ‘School Zone’ signboards from the municipality.
• A pick-up and drop-off bay a little away from the gate (option 5).
• Classes leave in batches 10 minutes apart.
• Traders agree not to load goods or park outside the gate at school times.

Feedback loop: Act → Observe → Report → Review → Improve → Act again.

1. Observe: a student road-safety club records, twice a week, how long it takes to clear the gate and any near-accidents.
2. Report: parents, students and traders use a suggestion box or online form to report problems.
3. Review: every month the principal, a traffic police officer, the councillor and student representatives meet to look at the data.
4. Improve: they adjust the plan, for example shifting the drop-off bay or changing batch timings.
5. Results are shared with everyone, and the cycle repeats each term.

1. Problem identification: elderly, wheelchair-using and visually impaired patients cannot use the hospital easily.
2. Raising the issue: patients and families approach the hospital and local representatives; a disability rights organisation highlights it in the media.
3. Prioritising: the district administration takes note of the issue.
4. Study: the PWD and the Health Department inspect the hospital.
5. Consultation and formulation: doctors, staff, architects, disability organisations, senior citizens and residents are consulted, and a plan is prepared.
6. Adoption: the government approves the funds.
7. Implementation: ramps, lifts, handrails, tactile paths, accessible toilets and signboards are built.
8. Outcome and feedback: the hospital becomes easier to use for all patients, and users’ experience shows whether more changes are needed.

• Citizens (patients and their families, senior citizens, residents): identified the problem and raised it.
• Local representatives: took up people’s concerns.
• Civil society and media: the disability rights organisation highlighted the problem through newspapers and social media.
• District administration: took note and ordered an inspection.
• Government departments: the PWD and the Health Department inspected; the government approved funds.
• Experts: doctors, hospital staff and architects helped prepare the plan.

Sample answer: our local post office. Its entrance has four steps, the counters are high, and there is no toilet anyone can use.

Suggested improvements:

• a gently sloping ramp with handrails beside the steps;
• at least one low counter for wheelchair users and short people;
• an accessible toilet with grab bars and a wide door;
• tactile paths and signboards in Braille and large print;
• seating for elderly people and pregnant women while they wait;
• a doorbell at the entrance to call staff for help.

Each step of the policy cycle has a purpose, so skipping one weakens the whole policy. Example: the hospital accessibility case (page 96).

So a skipped step means wasted public money, unmet needs and loss of public trust.

As a student I can:

• take part regularly in at least one sport and in school, block and district events;
• encourage others, especially girls and specially-abled classmates, to join in;
• look after facilities such as grounds, parks and equipment, and report damage;
• help organise sports days and inter-school matches as a volunteer;
• eat healthy food and stay fit, and spread awareness about fitness;
• give feedback to teachers and local authorities about what facilities are missing.

• Make sure every student plays daily, through regular sports periods.
• Host inter-school and block-level tournaments and invite nearby schools.
• Open its ground and coaching to children from the neighbourhood after school hours.
• Spot talent and link promising players with state sports academies and coaches.
• Provide equal opportunities for girls and specially-abled students, with suitable equipment.
• Seek sponsors from local businesses for kits and equipment.
• Celebrate achievers and run awareness campaigns on fitness and nutrition.
• Collect feedback and report progress to the state sports department.

No, I do not agree. Governance is the government’s responsibility, but good governance depends on how all sections of society and government perform their roles and work together (page 86).

• Government makes laws and policies and provides public services.
• Citizens elect representatives, follow laws, participate and give feedback.
• Media brings public issues to attention.
• Civil society organisations raise awareness and work with communities.
• The private sector contributes through economic activity and innovation.

The chapter’s examples prove this: during the flood, residents volunteered alongside departments; NEP 2020 used about 2 lakh public suggestions; cities stay clean only when residents segregate waste. Good governance is a partnership between the government and citizens.

Students and Good Governance

Yes. Good governance needs active citizens, and students are citizens in the making. Five ways in which students can help:

1. Follow rules: obey traffic rules, stand in queues and never litter. Respect for rules supports the rule of law.
2. Take part in school democracy: vote thoughtfully in student council elections and serve on school committees.
3. Protect public resources: save water and electricity and take care of public property such as parks, buses and libraries.
4. Report problems and give feedback: report broken street lights or overflowing garbage to the local body, and use the school suggestion box.
5. Stop misinformation: check facts before forwarding messages and help elders use e-governance services safely.

Small, responsible actions by many students make governance more effective, accountable and inclusive.

Sample chart: Swachh Bharat Mission (launched 2 October 2014)

The mission shows that a policy succeeds when government action and people’s participation go together.

a. Governance is the process by which decisions are made, implemented and monitored for the welfare of the people. It is the way a country, state, city, village or organisation is managed.

b. Government refers to the institutions (Legislature, Executive, Judiciary) that exercise political authority, that is, who governs. Governance is the process of decision-making and implementation, involving citizens, media, civil society and private organisations too, that is, how governing is carried out.

c. Public policy is a course of action adopted by the government to solve public problems, meet people’s needs and promote the welfare of society.

d. Any four of: transparency, accountability, participation, rule of law, responsiveness, effectiveness, inclusiveness.

a. Government and governance

b. Policy and public policy

Priority areas: (a) drinking water, (b) sanitation and public toilets, and (f) iron and folic acid tablets.

Criteria used: how many people benefit, how serious the problem is, and whether it is a basic need.

• (a) Every student needs safe water every day; unsafe water causes diarrhoea and other diseases.
• (b) Clean toilets protect health and dignity, keep girls in school and benefit thousands in markets.
• (f) Anaemia is common among adolescent girls; it causes tiredness and affects learning. The tablets are cheap and work quickly.

Most important: (a) safe drinking water. It is the most basic need, it affects every student, and toilets cannot be kept clean without water either.

So: 1 – Policy evaluation, 2 – Policy implementation; items 3, 4 and 5 already match their stages.

a. Implementation is weak: the saplings were planted but not watered or protected. Monitoring is also weak, because nobody checked survival in time to correct it.

b. The municipal corporation (horticulture or parks department), the state forest department, Resident Welfare Associations, schools and eco-clubs, NGOs working on the environment, and private companies willing to sponsor tree guards and watering.

c. Two measures:

1. Assign care: give each group of saplings to a named caretaker (a school, RWA or shop owner), with tree guards and a watering plan, and keep part of the budget for maintenance, not just planting.
2. Monitor survival: count surviving saplings every three months, publish the results, and replace dead plants.

a. Agree. A policy is only a plan; benefits reach people through implementation. In the tree-planting case (Q8), funds and a plan existed, yet most saplings died because nobody watered or protected them.

b. Agree. Consultations take time, but they bring in people’s real needs, ideas and support. NEP 2020 took about five years and received about 2 lakh suggestions, but this made it better informed and widely accepted. Policies made with people are also implemented better.

c. Agree. E-governance works only when people have devices, reliable internet and digital skills, and when officials are honest and responsive. Without these, technology can even leave people behind. Good governance also needs effective institutions, responsible officials and active citizens.

Sample proposal: ‘Every Drop Counts’, a school policy on water wastage

Results will be reviewed every month and the policy improved, completing the feedback loop.