Chapter 3 Gender, Religion and Caste

Question 1: Mention different aspects of life in which women are discriminated or disadvantaged in India.

Answer: In India, women are discriminated and disadvantaged in the following ways:

• They are not provided adequate education. Thus, the literacy rate among women is just 54%.
• Most of the labour done by them is unpaid. Where they are paid for their work, they receive lesser wages than men.
• Due to the preference for the boy child, female foeticide is practiced in many parts of the country.

Question 2: State different forms of communal politics with one example each.

Answer: Different forms of communal politics are as given below:

Everyday beliefs: Religious prejudices, stereotypes of religious communities, and belief in the superiority of one’s religion over other religions are so common that we often fail to notice them even when we believe in it. For example even today the members of lower classes are not allowed to enter the temples in many regions.

Majoritarian dominance: A majority community tries to dominate other communities in politics. This may compel the minority community to form a separate political unit. For example, in Sri Lanka, majoritarianism has been followed which has resulted in conflict in the country.

Political mobilization on religious lines: Religious appeals are made to voters to attract their votes. Sometimes sacred symbols and religious leaders are used to bring the followers of one religion together in the political arena. Religious leaders are asked to propagate in favour of a political party. Emotional appeals are made on the basis of religion.

Communal violence: Sometimes communalism takes the ugliest form of communal violence, riots, and massacre. India and Pakistan suffered some of the worst communal riots at the time of the partition. Even after independence, riots on communal lines have taken place in India.

Question 3: State how caste inequalities are still continuing in India.

Answer: Caste inequalities have not completely disappeared from India. Even today, most people marry within their own caste or tribe. Despite constitutional prohibition, untouchability has not ended completely. Education is not easily available to the so called ‘low castes’. Economic status is closely linked to the caste system. In modern India, like in pre-independence India, the poor are mostly the ‘low castes’ while the rich are the ‘high castes’, thereby showing that caste inequalities are still continuing in India.

Question 4: State two reasons to say that caste alone cannot determine election results in India.

Answer:  Caste alone cannot determine election results in India because:

• No parliamentary constituency has a clear majority of one single caste.
• No party wins all the votes of a particular caste.

Question 5: What is the status of women’s representation in India’s legislative bodies?

Answer: There are more than 10 lakh elected women representatives in rural and urban local bodies. Women’s organisations and activists have been demanding a similar reservation of at least one-third of seats in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies for women. A bill with this proposal has been pending before the Parliament for more than a decade. But there is no consensus over this issue among all the political parties. The bill has not been passed.

Question 6: Mention any two constitutional provisions that make India a secular state.

Answer: Two constitutional provisions that make India a secular state are:

• The fundamental right to the freedom of religion clearly states that one has a right to practise, profess and propagate any religion.
• Prohibition of discrimination on the basis of religion is one of the tenets in the constitution under the fundamental right to equality.

Question 7: When we speak of gender divisions, we usually refer to:

(a) Biological difference between men and women
(b) Unequal roles assigned by the society to men and women
(c) Unequal child sex ratio
(d) Absence of voting rights for women in democracies

Answer: (b) Unequal roles assigned by the society to men and women

Question 8: In India seats are reserved for women in

(a) Lok Sabha
(b) State legislative assemblies
(c) Cabinets
(d) Panchayati Raj bodies

Answer: (d) Panchayati Raj bodies

Question 9: Consider the following statements on the meaning of communal politics. communal politics is based on the belief that:

A. One religion is superior to that of others.
B. People belonging to different religions can live together happily as equal citizens.
C. Followers of a particular religion constitute one community.
D. State power cannot be used to establish the domination of one religious group over others.

(a) A, B, C and D       
(b) A, B and D         
(c) A and C                   
(d) B and D

Answer: (c) A and C 

Question 10: Which among the following statements about India’s Constitution is wrong? It

(a) prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion
(b) gives official status to one religion
(c) provides to all individuals freedom to profess any religion
(d) ensures the equality of citizens within religious communities.

Answer: (b) gives official status to one religion

Question 11: Social divisions based on ______________ are peculiar to India.

Answer: Social divisions based on caste are peculiar to India.

Question 12. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the Lists:

	List I	List II
1.	A person who believes in equal rights and opportunities for  women and men	A. Communalist
2.	A person who says that religion is the principal basis  of community	B. Feminist
3.	A person who thinks that caste is the principal basis of community	C. Secularist
4.	A person who does not discriminate others on the basis of religious beliefs	D. Castiest

	1	2	3	4
	B	C	A	D
(b)	B	A	D	C
(c)	D	C	A	B
(d)	C	A	B	D

Answer:

(b)

B

A

D

C

Class 10 Political Science (Civics) Chapter 4 Gender, Religion and Caste: Chapter Overview

In the previous chapter, you studied that the existence of social diversity does not threaten democracy. The political expression of social differences is possible and sometimes quite desirable in a democratic system. In this chapter, you have to apply these ideas to the practice of democracy in India. Going through the chapter you will learn about three kinds of social differences that can take the form of social divisions and inequalities. These are social differences based on gender, religion and caste. In each case, you will see the nature of this division in India and how it gets expressed in politics. Further, you will know whether different expressions based on these differences are healthy or otherwise in a democracy.