GENDER, RELIGION,

CASTE
Women face disadvantage, discrimination and oppression in
various ways even today.
Assess the statement by giving five suitable arguments. [CBSE
2018]

"Women face discrimination in various ways in our society"

Explain any two ways. [2023]

Women still lag much behind men in India despite some

improvements since
independence. Analyse the statement. [CBSE 2019, 32/1/1]

Describe the ways of discrimination faced by women in India.

[2020]
Ours is a patriarchal society (ruled by father) where women face disadvantages,
discrimination and oppression in many ways.

❖ Low female literacy rate : 65.46% for women and 82.14 % for men. Parents prefer
boys over girls in sending schools. Girls drop out before going for higher studies.
❖ Low proportion of women in paid jobs: There is very small share of women of
women in highly paid and valued jobs
❖ Unpaid work of women is not valued: An Indian woman works one hour more
than an average man yet her unpaid work is generally not given importance.
❖ Crime against women: Urban areas are becoming unsafe for women. Women face
domestic violence, exploited and harassed at work places.
❖ Disparity in salaries and wages for the same job: The Equal Remuneration Act,
1976 provides for equal wages for the same work yet women are paid less than
men in almost all areas of work – from sports and cinema to factories and fields
❖ Preference for son and sex-selective abortions: The abortions- have led to decline
in child sex ratio which is at 940 per thousand boys (2011 census)
Explain the major factors responsible for the rigid caste
system disappearing from India.Give two suggestions of your
own.

How has caste system in modern India undergone great

change? Explain. [2023]

Explain the factors that have led to the weakening of the caste
system in India. [2019 C,
2014, 2016, 2017]

How has caste system in modern India undergone great

change? Explain. [2023]
Economic development, education, occupational mobility etc have been
weakening the Caste-hierarchy

● Leaders like Jyotiba Phule, Gandhiji, B R Ambedkar and Periyar

Ramaswami Naicker worked to establish society which is not based
on Caste inequalities
● Urbanisation and growth of literacy and education has helped in the
weakening of Caste institutions
● Occupational mobility (choice of occupation) is breaking the old
notion of Caste hierarchy
● Weakening of the position of landlords in villages has also
contributed to the decline Caste hierarchy
● The Indian Constitution also prohibits Caste based discrimination.
3 Mention any three forms in which communalism is expressed in
politics. Describe the solution provided by the Constitution
framers of India to meet this challenge?

OR

Define communalism. Explain any three forms of communalism

in the Indian politics.
Communalism is a situation when beliefs of one religion are presented as superior to those
of other religions. When the demands of one religious group are formed in opposition to
another and when state power is used to establish domination of one religious group over
the rest.

Different forms of Communalism

1. Communalism in everyday beliefs- It so common that people fail to notice that
they have developed a routine thinking on communal lines- superiority of their
religion, prejudices and stereotypes of religious communities.
2. Urge to form a separate political unit- Quest for political dominance results in the
belief in majority-dominance for those in majority and the minority start to desire
for a separate political unit based on their identity.
3. Political mobilization on religious lines- It refers to attempts made to bring the
target Religious community together. It involves the use of sacred symbols, use of
religious leaders, emotional appeals and plain fear from other religions. During
elections special appeals are issued to woo the voters of one religion in preference to
others.
4. The ugly form of communalism- It involves Communal violence, riots, and
massacre. India suffered some of the worst communal riots at the time of partition.
4 How does the Constitution of India ensures that India remains
a secular state?

What is a secular state ? Explain factors which make India a

secular state. [CBSE 2016-17]

“Secularism is not an ideology of some political parties or

persons, but it is one of the foundations of our country.”
Examine the statement. [CBSE 2018]
Secularism is a belief system that rejects religion, or the belief that religion should not
be part of the affairs of the state or part of public education. It is not an ideology of
political parties but is the foundations of our country because -

● There is no official religion of the Indian state. Unlike the status of Buddhism in
Sri Lanka, that of Islam in Pakistan and that of Christianity in England, our
Constitution does not give a special status to any religion.
● The Constitution provides to all individuals and communities freedom to profess,
practice and propagate any religion, or not to follow any.
● The Constitution prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion.
Explain the status of women's representation in India's
legislative bodies. What can be done to improve the situation.

Explain any five methods to raise the political representation

of women in India. [AI 2019]

Suggest any one way to increase the participation of women in

the legislative domain of
India. [2020 C]

What percentage of reservation is given to women in local

administration in India?
[2020]
When it comes to representation of women in legislative bodies, India is among the bottom group of nations
in the world. Women's representation has always been less than 15% in Lok Sabha. On the other hand, the
situation is different in the case of local government bodies. As one-third of seats in local government bodies
(panchayats and municipalities) is reserved for women, there are more than 10 lakh elected women
representatives in rural and urban local bodies.
methods to raise the political representation of women in India:

1. Reservation of seats: One of the most effective ways to increase the political representation of women is to
reserve a certain percentage of seats in the parliament and state assemblies for women candidates. This will
ensure that a minimum number of women are elected to these positions.

2. Political parties' commitment: Political parties can play a significant role in increasing the political
representation of women by committing to fielding more women candidates in elections. Parties can also
reserve a certain percentage of tickets for women candidates.

3. Women's empowerment: Empowering women through education, training, and employment can help
increase their participation in politics. When women are financially independent and have access to education,
they are more likely to participate in political activities and run for office.

4. Awareness campaigns: Raising awareness about the importance of women's political representation
through campaigns and programs can help encourage more women to participate in politics. These campaigns
can also educate people about the benefits of having more women in political positions.
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