What was the Panchayat's judgment about the water?

The neighbour can keep the water

If the neighbour owns the water, he must remove it from the farmer's well or the water belongs to the well's owner

The farmer must return the well

What punishment did the cunning neighbour receive?

He had to pay a fine and apologise

How did the neighbour feel after the judgment?

He realised cheating will not lead anywhere

Why was the neighbour's argument ('I sold the well, not the water') considered clever but ultimately flawed?

It seemed logical initially, but the Panchayat turned it against him—if he owns the water, he has no right to store it in someone else's property

What does the Panchayat's judgment demonstrate?

That justice can be achieved through community wisdom and logical reasoning rather than force or wealth

Why did the farmer go to the village Panchayat instead of fighting with the neighbour?

He understood that disputes should be resolved through proper community institutions rather than direct conflict

What does 'the cunning man realised that cheating will not lead anywhere' teach us?

Dishonest schemes ultimately backfire—the neighbour's cleverness became the tool of his own punishment

Neighbours should not sell wells

How did the village chief's judgment use the neighbour's own argument against him?

She agreed that the neighbour owned the water, then logically concluded he had no right to keep it in another person's well—forcing him to either remove it or lose it

What is the central theme of 'The Decision of the Panchayat'?

The power of wit and logical reasoning to deliver justice; community institutions can resolve disputes fairly

Neighbours should not sell property to each other

How does the story illustrate the concept of community justice?

The Panchayat—a community institution—provides fair, logical, and wise justice without involving any external authority

Justice is impossible in villages

The village chief is always right

What makes the village chief's solution elegant?

It uses the neighbour's own argument against him—if the water is his, it cannot legally remain in someone else's property—turning cleverness into justice

It ignores the neighbour's point

It makes everyone happy immediately

What does the term 'village chief' being a woman suggest?

The story presents a progressive view where women can hold positions of authority and wisdom in community governance

If the neighbour had actually removed all the water from the well, what would that imply for the practical situation?

It is practically impossible to remove all water from a well, so the only real option was to accept the judgment and acknowledge the water belongs to the well's owner

Multiple Select: What does the Panchayat system represent according to this story?

A community institution for dispute resolution

A system based on collective wisdom rather than individual authority

A place where all villagers vote on punishments

Multiple Select: Which qualities does the village chief demonstrate in the story?

Wisdom in understanding the logical implication of the neighbour's own claim

Fairness by hearing both sides before judging

Decisiveness in delivering a clear judgment

Multiple Select: What are the consequences of the neighbour's dishonesty?

He had to apologise to the farmer

He gained the water permanently

He realised cheating does not work

Evaluate the fairness of the Panchayat's judgment. Does the judgment correctly use legal logic?

Yes—it applied the neighbour's own legal claim consistently: if you own the water but not the well, you must remove the water, making storage in another's property illegal; this is logically and legally consistent

No, the farmer should have lost

What broader lesson about the design of legal arguments does this story teach?

A seemingly clever legal argument can be turned against the person who makes it if the logic is followed to its full conclusion—showing that exploiting legal loopholes can backfire

Only educated people can make legal arguments

Why is the Panchayat system described as effective in this story compared to going to a king's court?

The Panchayat knows local context, hears both sides fairly, and delivers community-accepted justice quickly—showing local institutions can be more effective for local disputes than distant formal courts

The Panchayat always favours farmers

Kings' courts are always corrupt

Multiple Select: Which elements contribute to the wisdom of the Panchayat's judgment?

The judgment used the neighbour's own claim against him

The logical conclusion was followed to its natural outcome

Multiple Select: How does the story demonstrate that wit and knowledge of logic are more valuable than physical or financial power in disputes?

The farmer had more money than the neighbour

The Panchayat used reasoning rather than force or financial consideration

The village chief was the most powerful person

The logic of the argument prevailed over the neighbour's cunning attempt to exploit ownership rules

NCERT Solutions Class 5 English Chapter 8 – The Decision of the Panchayat

Name: The Decision of the Panchayat – Class 5 English
Uploaded: 2026-07-23T01:41:47+00:00
Description: “The Decision of the Panchayat” tells how a wise village council resolved a dispute between a farmer and his cunning neighbour over water rights, ensuring justice and fairness prevailed.

Class 5 English

Last Updated: 23 July 2026

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Chapter Introduction

“The Decision of the Panchayat” tells how a wise village council resolved a dispute between a farmer and his cunning neighbour over water rights, ensuring justice and fairness prevailed.

हिंदी में (Hindi)

कहानी “पंचायत का निर्णय” यह बताती है कि कैसे एक समझदार गाँव की पंचायत ने एक किसान और उसके चालाक पड़ोसी के बीच पानी के अधिकार को लेकर विवाद सुलझाया, जिससे न्याय और निष्पक्षता कायम रही।

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Important Points

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Practice MCQ Questions (28 questions)

Q1. How many fields did the farmer own initially?

Q2. Who did the farmer buy the well from?

Q3. The cunning neighbour claimed the water in the well still belonged to him because:

Q4. Where did the Panchayat members gather for the meeting?

Q5. Who was the leader of the village mentioned in the story?

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Tough Words (Glossary)

Farmer

Meaning: A person who grows crops and raises animals.

अर्थ: किसान

"The farmer worked in the fields."

Village

Meaning: A small group of houses in the countryside.

अर्थ: गाँव

"They live in a small village."

Field

Meaning: An open land where crops are grown.

अर्थ: खेत

"The wheat field looked golden."

Prospered

Meaning: To become successful and wealthy.

अर्थ: समृद्ध हुआ

"The family prospered after hard work."

Neighbour

Meaning: A person living near you.

अर्थ: पड़ोसी

"Our neighbour is very kind."

Cunning

Meaning: Clever in a tricky or dishonest way.

अर्थ: चालाक

"The cunning fox fooled the crow."

Cheat

Meaning: To trick or act dishonestly.

अर्थ: धोखा देना

"He tried to cheat in the game."

Refused

Meaning: Said no; not willing to do something.

अर्थ: इंकार किया

"He refused to help me."

Belongs

Meaning: To be owned by someone.

अर्थ: का होना

"This book belongs to me."

Case

Meaning: A matter or situation to be discussed.

अर्थ: मामला

"The lawyer discussed the case."

Chief

Meaning: The leader of a group or village.

अर्थ: मुखिया

"The village chief solved the problem."

Panchayat

Meaning: A council of elders who make decisions in a village.

अर्थ: पंचायत

"The Panchayat met under the tree."

Gathered

Meaning: Came together in a group.

अर्थ: इकट्ठा हुए

"The villagers gathered in the square."

Summoned

Meaning: Called someone to appear.

अर्थ: बुलाया गया

"The chief summoned both men."

Explained

Meaning: Made something clear.

अर्थ: समझाया

"He explained the lesson to the class."

Situation

Meaning: The condition or state of something.

अर्थ: स्थिति

"The situation was very serious."

Adamant

Meaning: Not willing to change one’s mind.

अर्थ: हठी

"She was adamant about her decision."

Judgment

Meaning: The final decision given by a court or council.

अर्थ: फ़ैसला

"The judge gave his judgment."

Satisfied

Meaning: Happy or pleased with something.

अर्थ: संतुष्ट

"He was satisfied with the answer."

Business

Meaning: Work or activity for profit or purpose.

अर्थ: व्यवसाय

"He started a new business."

Relieved

Meaning: Feeling happy after a problem is solved.

अर्थ: राहत महसूस की

"She was relieved after the exam."

Apologise

Meaning: To say sorry for something wrong.

अर्थ: माफ़ी माँगना

"He apologised for being late."

Praised

Meaning: Said good things about someone.

अर्थ: प्रशंसा की

"The teacher praised the student."

Wisdom

Meaning: The ability to make good decisions.

अर्थ: बुद्धिमानी

"The old man was full of wisdom."

Fine

Meaning: Money paid as a punishment.

अर्थ: जुर्माना

"He had to pay a fine for breaking the rule."

NCERT Solutions Class 5 English Chapter 8 – The Decision of the Panchayat

Chapter Introduction

Watch Video Lecture

Important Points

Practice MCQ Questions (28 questions)

Q1. How many fields did the farmer own initially?

Q2. Who did the farmer buy the well from?

Q3. The cunning neighbour claimed the water in the well still belonged to him because:

Q4. Where did the Panchayat members gather for the meeting?

Q5. Who was the leader of the village mentioned in the story?

Q6. What was the Panchayat's judgment about the water?

Q7. How did the farmer react to the judgment?

Q8. What punishment did the cunning neighbour receive?

Q9. How did the neighbour feel after the judgment?

Q10. What did the villagers praise after the judgment?

Q11. Why was the neighbour's argument ('I sold the well, not the water') considered clever but ultimately flawed?

Q12. What does the Panchayat's judgment demonstrate?

Q13. Why did the farmer go to the village Panchayat instead of fighting with the neighbour?

Q14. What does 'the cunning man realised that cheating will not lead anywhere' teach us?

Q15. How did the village chief's judgment use the neighbour's own argument against him?

Q16. What is the central theme of 'The Decision of the Panchayat'?

Q17. How does the story illustrate the concept of community justice?

Q18. What makes the village chief's solution elegant?

Q19. What does the term 'village chief' being a woman suggest?

Q20. If the neighbour had actually removed all the water from the well, what would that imply for the practical situation?

Q21. Multiple Select: What does the Panchayat system represent according to this story?

Q22. Multiple Select: Which qualities does the village chief demonstrate in the story?

Q23. Multiple Select: What are the consequences of the neighbour's dishonesty?

Q24. Evaluate the fairness of the Panchayat's judgment. Does the judgment correctly use legal logic?

Q25. What broader lesson about the design of legal arguments does this story teach?

Q26. Why is the Panchayat system described as effective in this story compared to going to a king's court?

Q27. Multiple Select: Which elements contribute to the wisdom of the Panchayat's judgment?

Q28. Multiple Select: How does the story demonstrate that wit and knowledge of logic are more valuable than physical or financial power in disputes?