CBSE Class 8 Social Science Chapter 7: Public Facilities

 

1. Introduction to Public Facilities:

These notes of Chapter 7: Public Facilities, cover the entire chapter comprehensively for CBSE Class 8 examination purpose. Revise with textbook diagrams (water cycle in Chennai, photograph of slum water queue, government hospital, etc.) for better marks.

• Public facilities are those essential services and infrastructure that are provided by the government (or sometimes with government support) for the welfare and well-being of all citizens.
• Examples: Water supply, sanitation, healthcare, education, public transport, electricity, roads, parks, street lighting, public distribution system (PDS), etc.
• These facilities are called “public” because every citizen has the right to use them without discrimination.
• The government is responsible for providing public facilities because private companies usually work for profit and may not serve poor or remote areas.

2. Why are Public Facilities Needed?

• Every person needs certain basic requirements to live a dignified life: clean drinking water, sanitation, healthcare, education, shelter, electricity, etc.
• These are part of the Right to Life guaranteed by Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.
• Private companies supply many goods (clothes, vehicles, mobiles), but water, healthcare, and education cannot be left completely to the market because:
  • Companies charge high prices → poor people cannot afford them.
  • Companies avoid areas where they will earn less profit (rural and slum areas).
• Therefore, the government has to step in to ensure universal access (access for all).

3. Water as a Public Facility

• Water is the most important public facility.
• People need water for drinking, cooking, washing, bathing, and farming.
• Sources of water: rivers, lakes, ponds, groundwater (borewells, hand pumps), municipal supply.

Water Supply Situation in India

• Cities: Most houses have private taps or borewells, but many slums and unauthorised colonies depend on public taps or tankers.
• Villages: Hand pumps, wells, and government pipelines are the main sources.
• Shortage: Many areas face acute shortage, especially in summer. Water supplied is often insufficient or contaminated.

Chennai Example (from textbook)

• There are huge inequalities in water supply in Chennai:
  • Areas like Anna Nagar (posh area) get municipal water for many hours every day.
  • Areas like Mylapore (middle-class) get water for about an hour.
  • Slums like Madipakkam get water once in 3–4 days.
  • Slum areas depend on water tankers or buy water at high prices (₹20–50 per pot).
• People in slums spend a lot of time and money just to get water.

Who is Responsible for Water Supply?

• In cities → Municipal Corporations / Municipalities
• In villages → Panchayats and State Public Health Engineering Departments
• The government is supposed to provide safe and sufficient water at affordable cost (or free) to all citizens.

4. Government’s Role in Public Facilities

The Constitution of India says:

• The government must ensure Right to Water, Right to Health, Right to Education, Right to Food, etc.
• Universal Access to water is a basic goal → every person should get at least 50 litres of safe water per day (as per WHO norms India promises 40–100 litres depending on area).
• The government spends money collected through taxes to build dams, pipelines, treatment plants, hand pumps, etc.

5. Public Facilities and Inequality

• In reality, there is huge inequality in access:
  • Rich people have 24×7 water supply, RO purifiers, swimming pools.
  • Middle class buy water cans or install submersible pumps.
  • Poor people stand in long queues, buy expensive water from tankers, or drink unsafe water.
• Similar inequality is seen in healthcare and education:
  • Rich → private hospitals and schools
  • Poor → overcrowded government hospitals and schools (or no access)

6. Healthcare as a Public Facility

• Public health services include hospitals, primary health centres (PHCs), dispensaries, vaccination programmes, etc.
• Private healthcare is very costly → only 20–30% of people can afford it.
• Government hospitals are supposed to provide free or low-cost treatment, but they suffer from:
  • Overcrowding
  • Shortage of doctors and medicines
  • Long waiting time
  • Poor maintenance

Example from Textbook

• Hakim Sheikh (West Bengal) met with an accident → 8 government hospitals refused admission or proper treatment → finally got treatment in a private hospital by selling assets.
• This shows failure of public health system.

Andhra Pradesh Example (Positive)

• In some villages of Andhra Pradesh, Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) and health workers visit homes, provide medicines, and keep health records → good example of working public health system.

7. Right to Safe Drinking Water – Legal Recognition

• Subhash Kumar vs State of Bihar (1991): Supreme Court said that Right to Clean Water is part of Right to Life (Article 21).
• Government has launched many schemes:
  • Swajal Dhara
  • Jal Jeevan Mission (2019 onwards) → Har Ghar Jal – tap water connection to every rural household by 2024–25)
  • Atal Bhujal Yojana (groundwater management)

8. Sanitation as a Public Facility

• Public sanitation means public toilets, sewerage system, garbage collection, drainage.
• Lack of sanitation causes diseases like cholera, diarrhoea, hepatitis.
• Swachh Bharat Mission (2014) → construction of individual and community toilets, making India Open Defecation Free (ODF) by 2019 (claimed).

9. Public Distribution System (PDS) – Food Security

• Government buys food grains from farmers at Minimum Support Price (MSP) and sells them at low prices through Fair Price Shops (ration shops).
• Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) → poorest of the poor get 35 kg rice/wheat at ₹2–3 per kg.
• National Food Security Act 2013 → 75% rural and 50% urban population entitled to 5 kg food grains per person per month at subsidised rates.

10. Other Important Public Facilities

• Electricity: Government companies like state electricity boards provide power.
• Public Transport: Buses, metro, railways (Indian Railways is the largest public sector undertaking).
• Education: Government schools, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Mid-Day Meal scheme.
• Parks and playgrounds, street lighting, roads, etc.

11. How are Public Facilities Financed?

• Through taxes (income tax, GST, property tax, etc.)
• Sometimes through user charges (small fees for water, electricity, bus tickets) Borrowing from banks or international agencies (World Bank loans for water projects)

12. Problems in Public Facilities in India

• Insufficient funds
• Corruption and leakage of funds
• Poor maintenance
• Overcrowding
• Political interference
• Privatisation trend → government handing over water supply to private companies in some cities (leads to higher bills and disconnection of poor people)

13. What Can Citizens Do?

• Pay taxes and water/electricity bills honestly
• Use water and electricity carefully (avoid wastage)
• Raise voice through RTI, public interest litigation (PIL), protests
• Participate in Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) and Gram Sabhas

Key Points to Remember (for exams)

• Public facilities are essential services provided by the government.
• Water and healthcare are the two major examples discussed in the chapter.
• There is huge inequality in access → rich get more and better services.
• Government has the responsibility to provide universal access.
• Right to Water is part of Right to Life (Article 21).
• Citizens can demand better services using RTI and PIL.

Important Terms

• Universal Access → services available to all citizens on equal terms
• Privatisation → handing over public services to private companies
• Sanitation → safe disposal of human waste and sewage
• Public Distribution System (PDS) → ration shop system

Download pdf notes and Sulutions of the Chapter:

Chapter 8: Law and Social Justice

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