1. Mention different aspects of life in which women are discriminated or disadvantaged in India.
Answer:
Different aspects of life in which women are discriminated in India are:
• Education: The literacy rate among women is only 54 per cent compared with 76 per cent among men. When it comes to higher education, a smaller proportion of girls, in comparison to the boys, are allowed to go for higher studies. This is because parents prefer to spend their resources on their sons’ education.
• Sex-ratio: In many parts of India, parents find ways to abort the girl child in a will to have a son. This has led to a decline in child sex ratio (number of girl children per thousand boys) in the country to merely 919.
• High-Paid jobs: The proportion of women working in highly paid and valued jobs is still smaller than men.
• Unequality in wages: The Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 states that equal wages should be paid to equal work. However, in almost all areas of work, from sports and cinema to factories and fields, women are paid less than men, even when both do exactly the same work.
2. State different forms of communal politics with one example each.
Answer:
Communal politics is based on the idea that religion is the principal basis of social community. It has different forms:
• The expression of communal superiority in everyday beliefs: This involves religious prejudices, stereotypes of religious communities and a belief in the superiority of one’s religion over other religions. For example, militant religious groups.
• The desire to form a majoritarian dominance: A communal mind often leads to a quest for political dominance of one’s religion over another in a community. It takes a form of majoritarian dominance. For example, separatist leaders and political parties in Jammu and Kashmir and Central India in the past.
• The use of sacred symbols and religious leaders in politics to appeal to the voters: Political mobilisation on religious lines is another frequent form of communalism. Political parties, generally, nominate their candidates according to the caste or religion dominant in a particular constituency. For example, in a Muslim dominated area, people generally elect a Muslim candidate.
• Communal violence is another form of communalism in politics. For example, the anti-Sikh riots in 1984.
3. State how caste inequalities are still continuing in India.
Answer:
Caste has not disappeared from contemporary India. This can be clear by looking at the following facts:
• According to the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), the average economic status of caste groups in India still remains the same as was in the past. Most of the rich section belongs to higher castes, while people of lower castes are generally poor.
• Despite the constitutional prohibition, many people are still considered as untouchables in the country.
• Even now most people marry within their own caste or tribe.
• Political parties often field their candidates in constituency according to the caste prevailing in that constituency. People also tend to vote on the caste lines.
4. State two reasons to say that caste alone cannot determine election results in India
Answer:
The two reasons that say that caste alone cannot determine election results in India are:
(i) No parliamentary constituency in India has a clear majority of one single caste. So, parties need to win the confidence of more than one caste and community to win elections.
(ii) No party wins the votes of all the voters belonging to one particular caste or community. Voters have become wiser and they only vote for those candidates or parties which are expected to work towards the development of their constituency.
5. What is the status of women’s representation in India’s legislative bodies?
Answer:
In India, the proportion of women in legislature has been very low. Women’s representation has always been less than 10% in Lok Sabha and 5% in the State Assemblies. India is behind several developing countries of the world in the case of women’s representation. On the other hand, the situation is better in the case of local government bodies. Here, one-third of seats in local government bodies – in panchayats and municipalities – are now reserved for women. Now there are more than 10 lakh elected women representatives in rural and urban local bodies.
6. Mention any two constitutional provisions that make India a secular state.
Answer:
Two constitutional provisions that make India a secular state are:
(i) Freedom to practice, profess and propagate the religion of one’s choice.
(ii) Prohibition of discrimination on the basis of religion under the fundamental right to equality.
7. When we speak of gender divisions, we usually refer to:
(a) Biological differences between men and women
(b) Unequal roles assigned by 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 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 bodies
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 is/are correct?
(a) A, B, C, and D
(b) A, B, and D
(c) A and C
(d) B and D
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:
Social divisions based on caste are peculiar to India
12. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the Lists:
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| (a) | 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 |
