Dokchory learns from the panchayat
Unit: 4 Dokchory learns from the panchayat
Activity 1: Matching Words with Meanings
Here is the matching of the words from the text with their meanings:
a) institution: organisation or society.
b) elections: the exercise through which we vote for new leaders.
c) sincerity: devotion to a purpose.
d) differently abled: having a physical or mental condition that makes it difficult for a person to do all the work that other people do.
e) schemes: plans.
f) tax: the money citizens of a country have to pay the government to help it do different kinds of work.
g) quarrel: angry dispute, unfriendly relations with someone.
h) governance: manner of governing or ruling
Activity 2: Complete the Sentences
(a) Dokchory studies in Class VIII.
(b) The name of her school is Disangmukh Janajati High School.
(c) Her father’s name is Konke Mili.
(d) He works in the Panchayat.
(e) Dokchory goes to school on his bicycle.
(f) She loves the ride because she gets to know new things every day.
(g) To contest the Panchayat elections, one has to be above 21 years old.
Activity 3: Answer the Questions
(a) What was the meaning of Panchayat long ago?
Ans:- Long ago, Panchayat meant a system of governance by five elderly men called Panch Gramin Pramukh.
(b) What is the meaning of Panchayat now?
Ans:- Nowadays, a Panchayat is the body that is responsible for the development of villages. It is an important institution for social change, and the Constitution of India grants it power to raise taxes, plan development schemes, and work for local development.
(c) What kind of work is done by the Panchayat?
Ans:- The Panchayat builds and repairs rural roads, bridges, and houses for the poor. They also work for local development and plan development schemes.
(d) From where does the Panchayat get money to perform all its work?
Ans:- The Panchayat raises a little money from taxes on vehicles, river ghats, bazaars, and beels. They also get an annual grant from the Panchayat and Rural Development Department of the government. Additionally, the local MLA or Ministers can contribute substantially.
(e) How did the Panchayat help Dhaniram?
Ans:- The Panchayat built a house for him last year because he is a differently-abled man with no legs.
(f) How did Dhaniram spend the cold December nights?
Ans:- He spends the bitter cold December nights on the open verandah of the school building.
Activity 4: Complete the Desh (Table)
The Panchayat
a) Minimum age to contest: Above 21 years old.
b) Powers of a Panchayat: To raise taxes, plan development schemes, and work for local development.
c) Kinds of work a Panchayat does: Build and repair rural roads, bridges, and houses for the poor.
d) Sources of money: Money from taxes on vehicles, river ghats, bazaars, and beels; an annual grant from the Panchayat and Rural Development Department; and contributions from the local MLA or Ministers.
Activity 8: Changing Questions into Reported Speech and Imperative Sentences
Reported Speech (Interrogative Sentences)
(a) She said to her father, “What kind of work do you do?”
= She asked her father what kind of work he did.
(b) She said to her father, “Where do you get all the money from?”
= She asked her father where he got all the money from.
(c) She said to her father, “Is that money enough to do so much work?”
= She asked her father if that money was enough to do so much work.
(d) She asked him, “Why don’t you build a house for poor Dhaniram?”
= She asked him why he didn’t build a house for poor Dhaniram.
(e) She said to him, “What is a Panchayat?”
= She asked him what a Panchayat was.
Imperative Sentences (Negative and Emphatic Forms)
Imperative Sentence Negative Form Emphatic Form
(a) Repair the roads. Don’t repair the roads. Do repair the roads.
b) Build a house for Dhaniram. Don’t build a house for Dhaniram. Do build a house for Dhaniram.
c) Work for local development. Don’t work for local development. Do work for local development.
d) Close the door, please. Don’t close the door, please. Do close the door, please.
(e) Please wash your hands. Please don’t wash your hands. Please do wash your hands.
Activity 9: Words with the ‘ch’ Sound
The words with the ‘ch’ sound given in the box are:
Panchayat, child, Dockchory, much, change, Panch.
Other words from the lesson with a similar ‘ch’ sound are:
* chores
* such
* teach (implied in the role of the teacher)
* each
Activity 10: Crossword Puzzle for Adjectives
Here are the adjectives (describing words) found in the crossword puzzle and used to fill in the blanks:
Word to Describe Adjective Found in Puzzle
a) verandah. open
b) grant annual
c) roads rural
d) institution important
e) things new
f) change social
g) questions good
h) cold. bitter
Activity 11: Filling in Letters to Differentiate Spellings and Meanings
Pair. Letter(s) Added Meaning 1. Meaning 2
(a) diary : dairy. i ; ai a record of everyday’s events or thoughts. a place where milk is processed to milk products.
(b) weather : whether ea ; he temperature of a place expressing a doubt.
(c) lake : like a ; i a large area of water similar to
(d) wash : wish a ; i To make something clean by using water To want something to happen
(e) new : now. e ; o fresh, not old or used the present time