Gender, Religion and Caste
1. Mention different aspects of life in which women are discriminated or disadvantaged in India.
Answer:
- Literacy rate among women is much lower (54%) than men (76%).
- Parents prefer to spend resources on boys’ education rather than girls’.
- Women are very few in highly paid and valued jobs.
- Women work longer hours, much of it unpaid and undervalued.
- Women are paid less than men for the same work despite the Equal Remuneration Act.
- Child sex ratio is low (919 girls per 1000 boys) due to sex-selective abortions.
- Women face harassment, exploitation and domestic violence.
2. State different forms of communal politics with one example each.
Answer:
- Everyday beliefs: Religious prejudices, stereotypes, belief in superiority of one religion.
- Desire for political dominance: Majority community trying to dominate minorities.
- Political mobilisation on religious lines: Use of symbols, leaders, emotional appeal in elections.
- Communal violence, riots and massacre: For example, India and Pakistan at the time of Partition.
3. State how caste inequalities are still continuing in India.
Answer:
- People still mostly marry within their caste.
- Untouchability has not ended completely.
- Castes with past access to education are still better off, while others lag behind.
- Upper castes are over-represented among rich and educated, while Dalits and Adivasis are worst off.
4. State two reasons to say that caste alone cannot determine election results in India.
Answer:
- Women in Lok Sabha: only 14.36% (2019).
- Women in State Assemblies: less than 5%.
- India is among the lowest in the world in this respect.
- However, one-third seats are reserved in Panchayati Raj bodies, leading to more than 10 lakh elected women representatives.
6. Mention any two constitutional provisions that make India a secular state.
Answer:
- There is no official religion for the Indian state.
- The Constitution prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion.
(Other provisions also exist, like freedom to practice any religion and state intervention to ensure equality, but only two are asked.)
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
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 bod
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.
Which of the statements are correct?
Answer: (c) A and C
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 equality of citizens within religious communities.
Answer: (b) gives official status to one religion
11. Social divisions based on _________ are peculiar to India.
Answer: caste
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 |
Answer: (a) B, A, D, C
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