Gender, Religion and Caste
Short Questions
1. What is gender division based on?
Answer: It is based on unequal roles assigned by society to men and women.
2. What is the sexual division of labour?
Answer: It means women do all household work while men work outside.
3. What is patriarchy?
Answer: Patriarchy is a system where men are valued more and hold power over women.
4. What is the literacy rate of women in India compared to men?
Answer: Women’s literacy is 54% while men’s literacy is 76%.
5. What does the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 provide?
Answer: It provides equal wages for equal work for both men and women.
6. What is the child sex ratio in India as per 2011 Census?
Answer: It is 919 girls per 1000 boys.
7. What proportion of women were elected in the Lok Sabha in 2019?
Answer: 14.36% women were elected to Lok Sabha in 2019.
8. How many seats are reserved for women in Panchayati Raj bodies?
Answer: One-third of the seats are reserved for women.
9. What is communalism in politics?
Answer: It is when religion is used as the basis of politics and domination.
10. Which model of state did Indian Constitution adopt to fight communalism?
Answer: India adopted the model of a secular state.
11. What are Scheduled Castes also known as?
Answer: Scheduled Castes are also known as Dalits.
12. Who were the Scheduled Tribes referred to as?
Answer: They are often referred to as Adivasis.
13. Which leaders fought against caste inequalities in India?
Answer: Jotiba Phule, B.R. Ambedkar, Gandhiji and Periyar fought caste inequalities.
14. What does caste hierarchy mean?
Answer: It is a ladder-like system of ranking castes from highest to lowest.
15. Which groups together form about two-thirds of India’s population?
Answer: SC, ST and OBC together form about two-thirds of India’s population.
Long Questions
1. Explain the public and private division of labour between men and women.
Answer: In most families, women are expected to do all household work like cooking, cleaning and childcare, while men work outside to earn. This division is not natural but created by society. As a result, women’s work remains undervalued and unpaid, reducing their role in public life.
2. What was the aim of the feminist movements?
Answer: Feminist movements demanded equal rights and opportunities for women in education, jobs and politics. They also sought equality in personal and family life. Their struggles helped women to enter fields like science, law, medicine and teaching, earlier considered unsuitable for them.
3. Why do women still lag behind men in India?
Answer: Women in India face discrimination in literacy, jobs, wages and safety. Parents often prefer educating boys over girls, leading to lower higher education for women. They also earn less than men and are vulnerable to violence and harassment.
4. What steps were taken in India to improve women’s political representation?
Answer: In Panchayati Raj, one-third of seats are reserved for women in panchayats and municipalities. This has brought more than 10 lakh elected women representatives. However, women’s representation in Lok Sabha and state assemblies remains very low.
5. How does communalism affect politics?
Answer: Communalism uses religion as the main identity of people, ignoring other differences. It promotes domination of one religion over another and leads to conflict. In its extreme form, it causes riots, violence and division in society.
6. What measures in the Indian Constitution make India a secular state?
Answer: The Constitution does not give official status to any religion. It guarantees freedom to practice, profess and propagate any religion. It also bans untouchability and prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion, ensuring equality for all.
7. What changes have occurred in caste system after Independence?
Answer: Due to urbanisation, education, economic development and constitutional laws, caste hierarchy has weakened. Discrimination and untouchability are legally banned. Today people of different castes study, work and live together in many urban areas.
8. Why is caste still linked to economic inequality in India?
Answer: Upper castes had historical access to land and education, so they remain better off. Lower castes were deprived for centuries and many still live in poverty. Although rich and poor are found in all castes today, inequalities remain strong.
9. How does caste influence electoral politics in India?
Answer: Political parties consider caste composition while giving tickets in elections. They appeal to caste sentiments to gain votes. Yet, no caste votes entirely for one party, and factors like leadership and performance also matter.
10. What are the positive and negative effects of caste politics?
Answer: Positively, caste politics allows disadvantaged communities like Dalits and OBCs to demand their share in power. It gives them representation and dignity. Negatively, it can divert attention from issues like poverty and development, and sometimes cause conflict.
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