Gender, Religion, and Caste in Indian
Politics: Understand the impact of gender inequality, caste
discrimination, and religious politics on India’s social and political
landscape.

Chapter 3 Gender, Religion and Caste

Class 10 NCERT Civics: Democratic Politics-II

Updated for 2024-2025 Exams

 

Q.1 Mention different aspects of life in
which women are discriminated or disadvantaged in India.

Ans.

1. Women are discriminated in terms
   of literacy rate. The female literacy rate is lower than that of males.
2. Women have less access to
   higher-paid jobs and economic opportunities.
3. There is gender inequality in
   wages despite laws like the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976.
4. Women face domestic violence and
   harassment in both public and private spaces.
5. The preference for male children
   has led to practices like sex-selective abortion, resulting in a declining
   child sex ratio.

Q.2 State different forms of communal
politics with one example each.

Ans.

1. Religious Prejudices and
   Stereotypes: For
   example, stereotyping religious minorities as threats.
2. Majoritarianism: For example, the imposition of
   the majority religion’s culture or laws over minorities.
3. Political Mobilisation Along
   Religious Lines: Using
   religious symbols and sentiments to garner votes, as seen in many
   electoral campaigns.
4. Communal Violence: For example, the communal riots
   during the Partition of India.

Q.3 State how caste inequalities are still
continuing in India.

Ans.

1. Untouchability: Despite being constitutionally
   banned, the practice still persists in some rural areas.
2. Caste-based Discrimination: Caste inequalities are evident
   in access to education, employment, and social status.
3. Economic Inequality: Lower castes, such as Dalits and
   Adivasis, still face economic disadvantages, with higher poverty rates
   compared to upper castes.

Q.4 State two reasons to say that caste
alone cannot determine election results in India.

Ans.

1. No parliamentary constituency has
   a clear majority of one single caste, so political candidates need support
   from multiple castes and communities.
2. People’s votes are often
   influenced by factors like party affiliation, performance of the
   government, and candidate popularity, rather than caste alone.

Q.5 What is the status of women’s
representation in India’s legislative bodies?

Ans. The representation of women in
legislative bodies is low. For instance, in 2019, women accounted for only
14.36% of Lok Sabha members. In state assemblies, women’s representation is
less than 5%. The Women’s Reservation Act (2023) has now been passed, providing
33% reservation for women in Lok Sabha, State Assemblies, and the Delhi
Assembly.

Q.6 Mention any two constitutional
provisions that make India a secular state.

Ans.

1. There is no official religion in
   India, ensuring equality for all religions.
2. The Constitution provides the right
   to all individuals to profess, practice, and propagate any religion or no
   religion at all.

Q.7 When we speak of gender divisions, we
usually refer to: (a) Biological difference 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

Ans. (b) Unequal roles assigned by society
to men and women.

Q.8 In India, seats are reserved for women
in: (a) Lok Sabha
(b) State legislative assemblies
(c) Cabinets
(d) Panchayati Raj bodies

Ans. (d) Panchayati Raj bodies.

Q.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? (a) A, B, C, and D
(b) A, B, and D
(c) A and C
(d) B and D

Ans. (c) A and C.

Q.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.

Ans. (b) gives official status to one
religion.

Q.11 Social divisions based on _________
are peculiar to India.

Ans. Caste.

Q.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

Ans. (b) 1-B, 2-A, 3-D, 4-C.