NCERT Solutions for Class 7 Civics Chapter 1 On Equality

The universal adult franchise is an important aspect in democratic societies because: 

(a) It promotes equality among its citizens. 

(b) It gives all adults (those who are 18 and above) citizens the right to vote irrespective of their caste, religion, gender, and social and economic backgrounds. Citizens create their government by exercising voting rights. 

(c) It makes the government more accountable to the people of the country. 

Two ways in which Article 15 addresses inequality is: 

(i) It states that all citizens can access public places like shops, public restaurants, hotels and places of public entertainment, etc. No one can be denied entry based on religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth, or gender. 

(ii) It explicitly says that all people, regardless of their background, are entitled to utilise wells, tanks, bathing ghats, highways, and public resorts that are maintained, in whole or in part, by State funds or are allocated to the general public's use.

The experiences of Omprakash Valmiki and the Ansaris were similar in the following manner:

(i) In both circumstances, the person's dignity was not honoured. Both of them have suffered unequal treatment and discrimination at individual levels as they belonged to different castes or religions. 

(ii) Both these incidents show that despite the law of equality, such inequalities exist within our society. 

The term ‘all persons are equal before the law’ means that every citizen, irrespective of caste, religion, race, place of birth, or gender, is entitled to all the constitutional rights and freedom without being discriminated against. It is a founding aspect of democracy that ensures that the government will take care of the needs of all the citizens of the country. It will safeguard the interests of people and ensure that all have access to public resources. 

 No, the Disabilities Act is not being followed in the picture shown. This is a violation of Article 15 because as per the article physically disabled persons should be able to access public places. Buildings must be accessible, have proper ramps, and other required measures. The way the boy is being carried down the stairs is unsafe. Carrying the wheelchair might result in imbalance and cause physical injury to the boy. Moreover, it affects his dignity as he becomes dependent on others for mobility. 

This “charity based” approach will have a negative impact on the boy’s mind and will impact his sense of independence. It is important to address these needs and replace the charity model with a ‘rights-based ’ approach i.e., all persons should have an equal share of use of the public resources. The government should ensure that people with disabilities are also able to access public resources with ease.