The Big Questions
Q1. What was the situation earlier? (Referring to a change in your locality over the past 5 years)
Answer:
Five years ago, in my locality, most daily transactions were conducted using cash. People had to visit banks or ATMs to withdraw money. Small shopkeepers kept large amounts of change, and buyers often faced the issue of not having exact currency. Public transport relied heavily on cash fares, and paying utility bills meant standing in long queues at government offices.
Q2. What has changed?
Answer:
Over the past five years, there has been a massive shift toward digital transactions. Almost every shop, from vegetable vendors to tea stalls, now displays QR codes for UPI (Unified Payments Interface) payments. Public transport allows digital ticketing, and utility bills, school fees, and even grocery deliveries are paid for using mobile wallets and net banking. The use of physical cash has significantly declined.
Q3. What might have caused this change?
Answer:
This change was caused by multiple factors:
- The Government of India's 'Digital India' campaign promoted cashless transactions.
- The availability of cheap smartphones and affordable high-speed internet (Jio revolution).
- The 2016 demonetization event, which pushed people toward digital alternatives.
- The COVID-19 pandemic, which made people prefer contactless, hygienic payment methods over physical cash.
Q4. How has it affected people’s lives?
Answer:
Positively: Transactions are now instant, safer (less risk of theft), and more transparent. Small business owners can easily track their daily sales digitally. People save time by not standing in queues.
Negatively: The elderly and people in rural areas without smartphones or internet access have been left behind (creating a 'digital divide'). Also, there is an increased risk of cyber-frauds and online scams.
LET'S ANALYSE (Page 2)
Q1. Why do some people live in crowded cities while others live in scattered villages?
Answer:
This is shaped by geographical, economic, and historical factors. Crowded cities develop because they offer better employment opportunities in industries, services, and trade. They have better infrastructure, education, and healthcare facilities, which attract people from rural areas. On the other hand, scattered villages exist where the primary occupation is agriculture or natural resource extraction, which requires large open spaces. Historically, villages formed near rivers or fertile lands, while cities grew as centers of power, commerce, and culture. Social Science helps us explore how these settlement patterns are not by chance but are the result of human choices, environmental conditions, and economic activities.
LET'S EXPLORE (Page 5)
Q1. What is Social Science?
Answer:
Social Science is the systematic study of human society. It is a field of study that focuses on society, institutions, cultures, and human interactions. It does not just tell us what happened or where things are located; it also explains why events occur, how people live together, how environments influence life, how governments function, how economies operate, and how the past and present together shape the world. It is a group of related disciplines that help us understand society in a comprehensive and connected way.