Important Questions: Gender Religion and Caste | Social Studies (SST) Class 10 PDF Download

Welcome to this carefully curated document designed to prepare you for your board exams. The questions included here are highly significant, frequently asked in previous exams, and crafted to boost your confidence and performance.

1. Gender Issues

Q1: “Role of women is gradually enhancing in the politics of the country.” Examine the statement.

View Answer  Ans: In India, the number of women involved in politics has significantly increased in the past few years. The increasing number of women running for office, holding elected positions, and actively participating in decision-making processes at all levels of government is evidence of this growing trend.

Q2: Suggest any one way to protect women from domestic oppression.

View Answer  Ans: Women can seek assistance from NGOs or the Mahila Aayog to protect themselves from domestic oppression.

Q3: What percentage of reservation is given to women in local administration in India?

View Answer  Ans: 33% or one-third of reservation is given to women in local administration in India. This reservation is provided to ensure adequate representation of women in decision-making bodies at the grassroots level, such as Panchayats and Municipalities.

Q4: Describe the problems of low representation of women in Indian legislature.

View Answer  Ans:
- Political parties are not giving tickets to women candidates to fight elections in proportion to their population.
- The lack of representation has led many feminists and women's movements to conclude that unless women control power, their issues will not receive adequate attention.
- India is lagging behind the averages for several developing countries in terms of women's representation in the legislature, placing India among the bottom group of nations in the world.

Q5: Describe the ways of discrimination faced by women in India.

View Answer  Ans: In India, women continue to face significant disadvantages and discrimination despite some progress since Independence. The following points highlight the various forms of inequality:
- The literacy rate for women stands at only 64.60%, compared to 80.90% for men (2011 data).
- A smaller number of girls pursue higher education. Although they perform well in school, many drop out as families prioritise spending on boys' education.
- Women occupy a minority of high-paying jobs. On average, an Indian woman works one hour more than a man daily, yet much of her work remains unpaid and undervalued.
- In some regions, there is a preference for sons, leading to sex-selective abortions and a declining child sex ratio.
- Women frequently experience harassment, exploitation, and violence, particularly within the home.

Q6: Explain any five methods to raise the political representation of women in India.

View Answer  Ans: To enhance the political representation of women in India, several methods can be implemented:
- Improve literacy rates: Currently, the literacy rate for women is only 65.46%, compared to over 82% for men. Increasing literacy among women will boost their political awareness.
- Ensure equal pay: Many women are still paid less than men for the same jobs. Achieving equal pay will strengthen women's voices in society.
- Amend inheritance laws: The Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005, grants daughters equal rights to inherit their father's estate. This legal change has enhanced women's political power.
- Increase representation in politics: Women are underrepresented in Indian legislatures. Political parties should nominate more female candidates for elections, and the Supreme Court should enforce this change.
- Expand reservation in local bodies: Currently, one-third of seats in local government bodies are reserved for women. This should be increased to 50% to further enhance women's representation in panchayats and municipalities.

Q7: Women face disadvantage, discrimination, and oppression in various ways even today. Assess the statement by giving five suitable arguments.

View Answer  Ans:
- Education:
- Women are deprived of equal access to education. Thus, the literacy rate among women is only 54 per cent as compared to 76 per cent among men.
- A smaller proportion of girl students go for higher education because in spite of their better performance parents prefer to spend their resources on son’s higher education.
- The number of women on highly paid jobs is less than men.
- In spite of the Equal Remuneration Act 1976, women are paid less than men even when both do exactly the same work.
- Parents prefer sons and get girl child aborted before she is born. This has led to a decline in child sex ratio to merely 919 (2011 census).
- Women are exploited by their employers. They are sexually assaulted and do not feel safe during journey at night. They are subjected to various forms of domestic violence such as beating and harassment.

Q8: ‘Gender division is not based on biology but on social expectations and stereotypes.’ Support the statement.

View Answer  Ans: Gender division is a hierarchical social structure that is often seen as natural and unchangeable. However, it is primarily shaped by social expectations and stereotypes rather than biology. Here are some key points:
- Domestic Roles: Women are typically responsible for household tasks such as cooking and cleaning.
- Public Roles: Men are generally seen as the breadwinners, working outside the home.
- Paid Work: Men may engage in cooking or domestic work if it is paid, while women often juggle both paid work and household responsibilities.
- Urban Dynamics: In urban areas, women may work in offices but their contributions often go unrecognised.
- Consequences of gender division include:
- Minimal representation of women in politics.
- Formation of feminist movements advocating for women's rights and opportunities.
- Demands for improved educational and career prospects for women.

2. Caste System

Q1: How has caste system in modern India undergone great change? Explain.

View Answer  Ans: Partly due to the efforts of political leaders and social reformers like Jotiba Phule, Gandhiji, B.R. Ambedkar, etc., and partly due to other socio-economic changes, castes and the caste system in modern India have undergone great changes:
- With the economic development, large-scale urbanisation, growth of literacy and education, occupational mobility, and the weakening of the position of landlords in the villages, the old notions of caste hierarchy are breaking down.
- Now, most of the time, in urban areas, it does not matter much who is walking along next to us on a street or eating at the next table in a restaurant.
- The Constitution of India also prohibits any caste-based discrimination and lays down the foundations of policies to reverse the injustices of the caste system.
In spite of these changes, caste has not disappeared from contemporary India. Some of the older aspects of caste have persisted.

Q2: “The caste system is still prevalent in Indian society.” Suggest any one measure to abolish it.

View Answer  Ans: One measure to abolish caste system is increasing the literacy rates in our country.

Q3: “Sometimes elections are all about caste in India.” How can this situation be avoided?

View Answer  Ans: Proper laws should be passed to separate elections from casteism:
- Implement strict regulations to limit caste-based campaigning.
- Encourage political parties to focus on issues and policies rather than caste affiliations.
- Promote awareness about the detrimental effects of casteism in politics.
- Support candidates based on their qualifications and integrity, not caste.

Q4: Fill in the blank: Castes and Caste system in modern India have undergone a great change because____ .

View Answer  Ans: Castes and Caste system in modern India have undergone a great change because:
- Occupational mobility: This refers to the ability of individuals to change their jobs, often leading to new generations pursuing different careers than their ancestors.
- Implementation of laws: The Indian Constitution prohibits caste-based discrimination, promoting equality and social justice.

Q5: Describe the influence of Politics in the Caste system.

View Answer  Ans: Politics significantly influences the caste system, but it is not the only factor at play:
- Caste affects electoral politics, influencing voting behaviour.
- Other factors, such as economic status and gender, also shape voting patterns.
- Individuals from the same caste may have different interests based on their economic conditions.
- Caste groups often form coalitions, leading to new classifications like 'backward' and 'forward' castes.
- Political dynamics can lead to the politicisation of caste identities.
In summary, while caste plays a role in politics, it interacts with various other factors that influence electoral outcomes.

Q6: Examine the different forms of ‘Casteism’ in Indian politics.

View Answer  Ans: Different forms of casteism in Indian politics:
- Candidate Selection: Political parties consider the caste makeup of the electorate when choosing candidates, aiming to secure votes from various castes.
- Government Formation: When forming governments, parties ensure representation from different castes and tribes to reflect the electorate's diversity.
- Campaigning: Political parties often appeal to caste sentiments during campaigns, with some parties seen as representatives of specific castes.
- Electoral Dynamics: The principle of universal adult franchise has led leaders to address caste-based issues to gain support, raising awareness among historically marginalised castes.

Q7: What does the term ‘Scheduled’ denote in ‘Scheduled castes’ and ‘Scheduled tribes’?

View Answer  Ans: These groups include hundreds of castes or tribes whose names are listed in an official Schedule in the Indian Constitution. Hence, they are called Scheduled.

Q8: Discuss various forms of caste in politics.

View Answer  Ans:
- At the time of election, parties select their candidates on the basis of caste of the voters in a constituency to muster support to win election.
- At the time of formation of government or Council of Ministers, effort is made to have representatives from all castes and communities.
- During election campaign, appeals are made to voters to caste their vote in favour of the candidate of their own caste.
- Universal adult franchise and the principle of one-person-one vote compelled political leaders to gear up to the task of mobilising and securing political support.
- Political parties are also formed on the basis of caste to attract the voters in the elections. The BSP in UP, DMK and AIDMK are examples of such political parties.

3. Communalism

Q1: Suggest any one way to create communal harmony among various communities of India.

View Answer  Ans: Spread awareness about unity and integrity.

Q2: Describe any three problems of communalism in Indian politics.

View Answer  Ans: Problems of communalism in Indian politics:
- Religious Prejudices: Communalism often involves biases and stereotypes against different religious communities, fostering a belief in the superiority of one's own religion.
- Desire for Separation: Members of minority communities may seek to create separate political units, driven by a sense of alienation.
- Communal Violence: This ideology can escalate into severe violence, including riots and massacres, as seen during the Partition of India and in subsequent years.

Q3: 'Communalism can take various forms in politics'. Explain.

View Answer  Ans: Communalism can take various forms in politics:
- The most common expression of communalism is in everyday beliefs. These involve the spread of religious prejudices, stereotypes of religious belief, and the superiority of one's religion over other religions. This is so common that we often fail to notice it, even when we do not believe in it.
- It often leads to a quest for political dominance of one's own religious community. This takes the form of majoritarian dominance. For those belonging to the minority community, it leads to the formation of a separate political unit.
- Political mobilization on religious lines is another frequent form of communalism. This involves the use of sacred symbols by religious leaders. Emotional appeals are made to bring the followers of one religion together in the political arena.
- Sometimes communalism can lead to communal violence, riots, and massacres.

Q4: Describe the solution provided by the Constitution framers of India to meet the challenge of communalism.

View Answer  Ans: The makers of our Constitution were aware of the challenge of communalism. The model of a secular state was chosen to prevent these conflicts. This choice was reflected in several constitutional provisions like:
- There is no official religion for the Indian state.
- 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.
- At the same time, the Constitution allows the state to intervene in the matters of religion in order to ensure equality within religious communities.

Q5: How can the relationship between politics and religion be beneficial and problematic at the same time? Explain.

View Answer  Ans: The relationship between politics and religion can have both benefits and drawbacks:
- Benefits:
- Religion can encourage ethical behaviour in politics.
- Religious communities can express their needs and interests politically.
- Politics can help protect the freedom and equality of religious groups.
- Political authorities can intervene to prevent religious oppression.
- Problems:
- Religion may foster nationalist sentiments, leading to conflicts.
- Political parties might exploit religion for electoral gains, favouring some groups over others.
- State power can be misused to dominate one religious group over another.

4. Secularism

Q1: Fill in the blank: The Indian Constitution provides to all individuals and communities the freedom to profess, practice and propagate any religion because of ____ .

View Answer  Ans: The Indian Constitution provides to all individuals and communities freedom to profess, practise and propagate any religion because of secularism. Secularism is one of the fundamental principles of the Indian Constitution, which ensures that the state remains neutral in matters of religion and treats all religions equally. This allows individuals and communities to freely exercise their religious beliefs without any discrimination or interference from the state.

Q2: Mention any three features of 'secularism’ described in the Indian Constitution.

View Answer  Ans: The makers of our Constitution were aware of religion-related challenges. That is why they chose the model of a secular state. The important provisions that make India a secular state are:
- There is no official religion for the Indian states. 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.
- At the same time, the Constitution allows the state to intervene in the matters of religion in order to ensure equality within religious communities. For example, it bans untouchability.

Q3: Read the following information and write a single term for it. The Constitution of India provides freedom to profess and practice any religion to all its citizens. The Constitution of India prohibits discrimination on religious grounds.

View Answer  Ans: The Constitution of India promotes secularism:
- It grants freedom to all citizens to profess and practice any religion.
- Discrimination based on religion is prohibited.
- There is no official religion for the Indian state.
- The Constitution allows state intervention to ensure equality among religious communities.

Q4: What is a secular state? Explain factors that make India a secular state.

View Answer  Ans:
- A secular state is a concept of secularism, whereby a state is or purports to be officially neutral in matters of religion, supporting neither religion nor irreligion. It grants equal status to all religions.
- Factors that make India a secular state:
- There is no official religion in India like Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
- The Constitution grants every individual freedom to profess, preach and practice their own religion.
- The Constitution prohibits discrimination on the grounds of religion.
- The Constitution allows the state to intervene in the matters of religion in order to ensure equality within religious communities. For example, it bans untouchability.

Q5: Suppose a politician seeks your vote on religious ground. Why is his act considered against the norms of democracy? Explain.

View Answer  Ans: His act is against the spirit of democracy as the said politician is not working as per the Constitution. This is also because:
- It also exploits the social difference.
- It may create social discord and may lead to social division.
- It is also biased and neglects the principle of equality.