NCERT Solutions for Class 7 social science Chapter 14: India and Her Neighbours Class 7

What defines a ‘neighbour’? Is it just shared land borders?
Answer:
The most common definition of neighbours is countries that directly touch each other’s boundaries. For example, India and Nepal are neighbours because they share a land border.
Countries separated by short stretches of sea or ocean are also considered neighbours. For instance, India counts Sri Lanka and the Maldives as maritime neighbours.

How do geography and history influence the nature of India’s relationships with her neighbours?
Answer:
Geography and history together play a decisive role in shaping India’s relations with its neighbours. India’s vast land borders with countries like Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Myanmar, as well as its maritime proximity to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, naturally influence issues of security, trade, and cultural exchange.

In what ways are India and her neighbours interconnected today?
Answer:
Today, India and her neighbours are closely linked through trade, culture, travel, and cooperation. People cross borders for work, study, and festivals, while countries share rivers, traditions, and history. They also work together on security, climate, and regional peace, showing that neighbours are connected in many ways beyond just borders.

Identify the three large water bodies that surround India in the map below. (Page 30)
Answer:

The three large bodies that surround India are:

The scene in Fig. 2.21 depicts the well-known Hindu myth of samudra manthana or the churning of the ocean. The devas (gods, on the right here) and the asuras (demons, on the left) decided to join forces to churn the cosmic ocean in search of amrita or the nectar of immortality, with the serpent Vasuki as the churning rope and Vişhnu (above) presiding over the operation – he will eventually deceive the asuras to make sure that the amrita goes to the devas alone. Note also the airport’s official name of ‘Suvarnabhumi Airport’ – does it remind you of something? (Page 51)

Answer:
Yes, the official name of ‘Suvarnabhumi Airport’ reminds us the islands of Java, Sumatra, and Malaya, Indian traders visited these islands in search of gold and other valuable resources that these places to came to be known as “Suvarnabhumi” (the golden land) or “Suvarnadvipa” (the golden island).

Seeing that Tamil is one of Singapore’s official languages, what does this suggest to you about the relationship between south India and Singapore? (Page 53)
Answer:
Tamil is one of Singapore’s official languages. It shows the strong relationship between South India and Singapore.
Singapore shares close cultural and commercial ties with India.
Buddhist monks and traders visited Singapore a few centuries BCE.

Can the Kartarpur Corridor be a model for the possible progress of peace and dialogue? (Pages 36)
Answer:
Yes, the Kartarpur Corridor can be seen as a small but meaningful step toward peace between India and Pakistan. By allowing Indian Sikh pilgrims to visit a holy site in Pakistan without visas, it shows how shared faith and culture can overcome political barriers. Though larger issues still divide the two nations, the corridor highlights that cooperation in areas of mutual respect can build trust and open the door for dialogue.

Explain who a maritime neighbour is with two examples with respect to India.
Answer:
Maritime Neighbour is a country that is connected to another country by a shared sea or ocean even without a direct land border.
Two examples with respect to India are Sri Lanka and Thailand.

How has Buddhism created links with India’s neighbours? Give examples to explain your answer.
Answer:
Buddhism created strong cultural and spiritual links between India and her neighbours by spreading teachings, art, and traditions across Asia. From India, Buddhism travelled to Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and further into Tibet, China, and Southeast Asia, shaping their societies and beliefs.

What does ‘open border’ policy mean? How does the India-Nepal ‘open border’ policy affect the lives of people living along the border?
Answer:
Open border policy means that people from India and Nepal can visit across the border without a visa or passport.
The Treaty of Peace and Friendship 1950 between India and Nepal opened borders (free movement of people and goods between the nations).

The chapter says, “Being neighbours is not just about geography.” Explain this statement with an example.
Answer:
“Being neighbour is not just about geography”. It is more about historical, cultural and economic connections. It is far beyond the geographical landscape and border. India has cultural and economical (trade) relations with her neighbours from ancient time.

What are the different ways in which India has helped smaller countries in her neighbourhood? Explain with examples.
Answer:
Different ways in which India has helped smaller countries in her neighbourhood.
(i) In Myanmar, India helped to restore the Ananda temple (Bagan) which was damaged by an earthquake and also gifted a 16 feet replica of the Sarnath statue of the Buddha.

How do shared challenges become opportunities for cooperation? Were there examples in this chapter to illustrate this?
Answer:
Shared challenges become opportunities for cooperation.

If borders were drawn only by culture and connections, how would the map look different?
Answer:
If borders were drawn only by culture and connections, the map would look completely different. It would look like a complex mosaic rather than the neat lines as in a political map.

On blank maps:
(a) Label India’s neighbours.
(b) Draw arrows showing cultural flows (e.g, food, festivals, languages) between India and her neighbours.
(c) Imagine and redraw new “borders of friendship” that connect neighbours through rivers, trade routes, or cultural zones.
(d) Collect pictures of the flags of the countries listed in this chapter and write your observations.
Answer:
(a)

(b) The cultural flow of food, festivals, and languages between India and its neighbours. This exchange is centuries old, shaped by trade, migration, and shared traditions.