Gender, Religion and CasteClass 10 Political Science NCERT Solutions
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Q1Questions
Mention different aspects of life in which women are discriminated or disadvantaged in India.
Solution
In India, women face discrimination and disadvantage in various aspects of life. These are:
- Education: The literacy rate among women is only 54 percent compared to 76 percent among men. A smaller proportion of girls go for higher studies because parents often prefer to spend their resources on their sons' education.
- Employment and Wages: The proportion of women in highly paid and valued jobs is very small. Women are paid less than men for the same work in almost all areas, from sports and cinema to factories and fields, despite the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976.
- Unpaid Labour: An average Indian woman works one hour more than an average man every day. However, much of her work, especially domestic labour like cooking, cleaning, and child-rearing, is unpaid and not valued.
- Sex-Ratio: Due to a preference for sons, many parents practice sex-selective abortion, which has led to a decline in the child sex ratio in the country to just 919 girls per thousand boys.
- Safety and Security: Women face various forms of harassment, exploitation, and violence. Urban areas are particularly unsafe, and women are not always safe even within their own homes from domestic violence.
Q2Questions
State different forms of communal politics with one example each.
Solution
Communalism can take various forms in politics. The main forms are:
- Everyday Beliefs: This is the most common form, which involves religious prejudices, stereotypes of religious communities, and the belief in the superiority of one's own religion over others. For example, cracking jokes that target a particular religious community or holding prejudiced views against them.
- Quest for Political Dominance: A communal mindset often leads to a desire for political dominance of one's own religious community. For the majority community, this takes the form of majoritarian dominance. For a minority community, it can manifest as a desire to form a separate political unit. An example is a political party that seeks to represent and promote the interests of only one religious group.
- Political Mobilisation on Religious Lines: This involves using sacred symbols, religious leaders, and emotional appeals to bring followers of one religion together in the political arena. An example is a political candidate appealing to voters based on their shared religion rather than on policy issues.
- Communal Violence: The most extreme form of communalism is communal violence, riots, and massacres. An example is the communal riots that occurred in India and Pakistan at the time of the Partition.
Q3Questions
State how caste inequalities are still continuing in India.
Solution
Despite constitutional prohibitions and socio-economic changes, caste inequalities continue to persist in contemporary India in the following ways:
- Social Practices: Even now, most people marry within their own caste or tribe. The practice of untouchability has not completely ended, especially in rural areas, despite being constitutionally banned.
- Access to Education and Opportunity: The effects of centuries of advantage and disadvantage are still felt. Caste groups that had access to education in the past have done well in acquiring modern education. This has led to a disproportionately large presence of 'upper castes' among the urban middle classes, while groups that were denied education have lagged behind.
- Economic Status: Caste continues to be closely linked to economic status. The average economic status of caste groups still follows the old hierarchy, with 'upper' castes being the best off and Dalits and Adivasis being the worst off. The proportion of the population living below the poverty line is much higher for the lowest castes.
Q4Questions
State two reasons to say that caste alone cannot determine election results in India.
Solution
Two reasons to say that caste alone cannot determine election results in India are:
- No Single-Caste Majority Constituency: No parliamentary constituency in the country has a clear majority of one single caste. Therefore, every candidate and party needs to win the confidence of more than one caste and community to win an election. They cannot rely solely on the votes of a single caste group.
- Lack of a Uniform 'Vote Bank': No party wins all the votes from a particular caste or community. When people say a caste is a 'vote bank' of one party, it only means that a large proportion of voters from that caste vote for that party, not all of them. Furthermore, many political parties may field candidates from the same dominant caste, which splits the vote of that caste.
Q5Questions
What is the status of women's representation in India's legislative bodies?
Solution
The status of women's representation in India's legislative bodies has been very low.
- In the Lok Sabha, the percentage of elected women members reached 14.36 percent of its total strength for the first time in 2019.
- Their share in the state assemblies is even lower, at less than 5 percent.
- In this respect, India is behind the averages for several developing countries in Africa and Latin America.
To address this, one-third of seats in local government bodies like panchayats and municipalities are reserved for women. Recently, the Women's Reservation Act, 2023 (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam) was passed to provide 33 percent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies, which aims to improve this situation significantly once it is implemented.
Q6Questions
Mention any two constitutional provisions that make India a secular state.
Solution
Two constitutional provisions that make India a secular state are:
- No Official Religion: The Indian Constitution does not give a special status to any religion. Unlike countries like Sri Lanka (Buddhism) or Pakistan (Islam), there is no official religion for the Indian state.
- Freedom of Religion: The Constitution provides all individuals and communities the freedom to profess, practice, and propagate any religion, or not to follow any. This ensures that every citizen has the right to their own beliefs without state interference.
Q7Questions
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
Solution
(b) Unequal roles assigned by the society to men and women
Explanation: The chapter clarifies that gender division is not based on biology but on social expectations and stereotypes. It refers to the system of sexual division of labour where society assigns specific roles, such as housework and child-rearing, primarily to women, and work outside the home to men.
Q8Questions
In India seats are reserved for women in
(a)
Lok Sabha
(b)
State legislative assemblies
(c)
Cabinets
(d)
Panchayati Raj bodies
Solution
(d) Panchayati Raj bodies
Explanation: The chapter states that one-third of seats in local government bodies, which include panchayats and municipalities (collectively known as Panchayati Raj bodies), are reserved for women. While a bill for reservation in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies has been passed, it is not yet implemented, and there is no reservation in cabinets.
Q9Questions
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. Which of the statements are correct?
(a)
A, B, C, and D
(b)
A, B, and D
(c)
A and C
(d)
B and D
Solution
(c) A and C
Explanation: Communal politics is based on the idea that religion is the main basis of a social community. This involves the belief that followers of one religion belong to a single community with the same interests (Statement C) and often includes the belief that one's own religion is superior to others (Statement A). Statements B and D represent secular ideals, which are the opposite of communal politics.
Q10Questions
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 equality of citizens within religious communities.
Solution
(b) gives official status to one religion.
Explanation: This statement is wrong because the Indian Constitution establishes a secular state. It explicitly states that there is no official religion for the Indian state, unlike in some other countries. The other three statements are correct provisions of the Indian Constitution.
Q11Questions
Social divisions based on _____ are peculiar to India.
Solution
Social divisions based on caste are peculiar to India.
Explanation: The chapter states, "Unlike gender and religion, caste division is special to India."
Q12Questions
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 (a) B C A D (b) B A D C (c) D C A B (d) C A B D
Solution
(b) B A D C
Explanation:
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- A person who believes in equal rights and opportunities for women and men is a Feminist (B).
-
- A person who says that religion is the principal basis of community is a Communalist (A).
-
- A person who thinks that caste is the principal basis of community is a Castiest (D).
-
- A person who does not discriminate against others on the basis of religious beliefs is a Secularist (C).