CBSE Class 10 Social Science Gender Religion and caste VBQs

MCQ Questions for Class 10 Social Science Gender Religion and Caste 

Question : In which of the following countries, the participation of women is not very large ?
(a) Sweden
(b) Norway
(c) India
(d) Finland
Answer : C

Question :  What does the chair in the above image proves ?
(a) Focus on one religion.
(b) President’s power.
(c) Chief Minister’s secular credentials.
(d) People cannot follow all religion.
Answer : C

Question : What are the steps taken to provide representation to women in Panchayats and Municipalities?
(a) Reservation for election to 1/2 of the seats for women.
(b) Appointment of 1/2 women members.
(c) Reservation for election to 1/3 of the seats for women.
(d) None of the above.
Answer : C

Question : Which of the following social reformers fought against caste system ?
(a) Jyotiba Phule
(b) Mahatma Gandhi
(c) B.R. Ambedkar
(d) All of the above
Answer : D

Question : 

What does the chair in the above image proves ?
(A) Focus on one religion.
(B) President’s power.
(C) Chief Minister’s secular credentials.
(D) People cannot follow all religion.
Answer : C

Question : Which one of these does not refer to the ‘Feminist movement’ ?
(a) Improving educational and career opportunities for women.
(b) Giving voting rights to the women.
(c) Training them in household jobs.
(d) Improving their political and legal status.
Answer : C

Question : Which of these Acts provides that equal wages should be paid for equal work to both men and women ?
(a) Similar Wages Act
(b) Equal Remuneration Act
(c) Wages Equality Act
(d) Equality Act
Answer : B

Question : What is meant by the term ‘Feminist’ ?
(a) The qualities which are considered typical of women.
(b) A person who believes in equal rights and opportunities for women and men.
(c) The belief that men and women are unequal.
(d) The man who looks like the woman.
Answer : B

True / False

Question : The process of urbanisation has strengthened the caste norms. 
Answer : False

Question : Gandhiji used to say that religion should be separated from politics. 
Answer : False

Question. Gandhiji used to say that religion should be separated from politics. (True/False)
Answer : False

Question. The process of urbanisation has strengthened the caste norms. (True/False)
Answer : False

Question. The Constitution of India allows discrimination on the grounds of religion. (True/False)
Answer : False

Question. The Constitution of India has banned untouchability. (True/False)
Answer : True

Question. The idea of secularism constitutes one of the foundations of India. (True/False)
Answer : True

Question. Match the following :

Answers : 1. (C), 2. (D), 3. (E), 4. (A), 5. (B)

Assertion and Reasoning Based Questions

Mark the option which is most suitable :
(a) If both assertion and reason are true and reason is the correct explanation of assertion.
(b) If both assertion and reason are true but reason is not the correct explanation of assertion.
(c) If assertion is true but reason is false.
(d) If both assertion and reason are false.

Question : Assertion : Sometimes a caste group becomes vote bank for a party.
Reason : Selecting the candidate from same caste helps in ensuring better governance.
Answer : (c) Sometimes a caste group becomes vote bank for a party as people select the candidate belonging to their own caste. This helps in representing and communicating their personal interests on a wider front. However, it is wrong to select a candidate on the basis of caste instead of personal abilities. Thus the assertion is true, the reason is false.

Question : Assertion : Stereotypical gender roles for males and females helps in avoiding conflicts.
Reason : India is a matriarchal society.
Answer : (d) Stereotypical gender roles where females are expected to do household work and males are expected to earn living is unjustifiable. The female should also get equal rights as the male. Also, India is a patriarchial society, Men are in authority over women in different aspects of society.

Question : Assertion : Equal Remuneration Act, 1976, provides that equal wages should be paid for equal work, irrespective of gender and caste.
Reason : Women are physically weak so, they are righteously paid less than men.
Answer : (c) Equal Remuneration Act, 1976, provides that equal wages should be paid for equal work. However, women are considered to be inferior to men and that is why, they are paid less. However, this belief is not correct and should not be justified. Thus, unequal payment should not be advocated. This belief is unjustifiable as both are equal.

Question : Assertion : Universal Adult Franchise gives right to vote to everyone.
Reason : Right to vote should be given to people of upper caste and class for taking wise decision.
Answer : (c) Universal Adult Franchise gives right to vote to everyone irrespective of caste, religion, colour or gender. It is based on the principle of equality. Right to vote should be given to everyone because that is the whole essence of a democracy, equal representation. Class cannot determine wisdom.

Question : Assertion : Communalism is based on the idea that religion is the principal basis of social community.
Reason : Caste should be kept away from politics.
Answer : (b) Communalism is based on the idea that religion is the principal basis of social community. It considers that people of different religion can’t be equal citizen and one should dominate the other. Caste creates social conflicts and should be kept away from politics as it leads to violence. The reason, however is true but does not explain the assertion.

Assertion and Reasoning Based Questions

Mark the option which is most suitable :
(a) If both assertion and reason are true and reason is the correct explanation of assertion.
(b) If both assertion and reason are true but reason is not the correct explanation of assertion.
(c) If assertion is true but reason is false.
(d) If both assertion and reason are false.

Question. Assertion : Universal Adult Franchise gives right to vote to everyone.
Reason : Right to vote should be given to people of upper caste and class for taking wise decision.
Answer : (c) Universal Adult Franchise gives right to vote to everyone irrespective of caste, religion, colour or gender. It is based on the principle of equality.
Right to vote should be given to everyone because that is the whole essence of a democracy, equal representation. Class cannot determine wisdom.

Question. Assertion : Sometimes a caste group becomes vote bank for a party.
Reason : Selecting the candidate from same caste helps in ensuring better governance.
Answer : (c) Sometimes a caste group becomes vote bank for a party as people select the candidate belonging to their own caste. This helps in representing and communicating their personal interests on a wider front. However, it is wrong to select a candidate on the basis of caste instead of personal abilities. Thus the assertion is true, the reason is false.

Question. Assertion : Equal Remuneration Act, 1976, provides that equal wages should be paid for equal work, irrespective of gender and caste.
Reason : Women are physically weak so, they are righteously paid less than men.
Answer : (c) Equal Remuneration Act, 1976, provides that equal wages should be paid for equal work. However, women are considered to be inferior to men and that is why, they are paid less. However, this belief is not correct and should not be justified. Thus, unequal payment should not be advocated. This belief is unjustifiable as both are equal.

Question. Assertion : Men and women should be given equal rights.
Reason : Men are superior to women physically and emotionally.
Answer : (c) Men and women should be given equal rights as both are equal is every respect. Thus the reason is false.

Question. Assertion : Stereotypical gender roles for males and females helps in avoiding conflicts.
Reason : India is a matriarchal society.
Answer : (d) Stereotypical gender roles where females are expected to do household work and males are expected to earn living is unjustifiable. The female should also get equal rights as the male. Also, India is a patriarchial society, Men are in authority over women in different aspects of society.

Question. Assertion : India is a secular state.
Reason : Constitution gives freedom to everyone to profess, practice and propagate any religion without prejudices or any discrimination.
Answer : (a) India is a secular state. The Constitution gives freedom to everyone to profess, practice and propagate any religion. There is no official religion of India. The reason explains the assertion.

Question. Assertion : Sex-selective abortion led to decline of sex ratio in India.
Reason : Desire for a male child makes Indian families abort girl.
Answer : (a) Sex-selective abortion led to decline of sex ratio in India. Indian parents want to have son and want ways to abort girl child. However, sex-selective abortion is immoral and legally banned in India.The reason thus explains the assertion.

Question. Assertion : Women face discrimination and disadvantage in India in many ways.
Reason : India is a patriarchal society.
Answer : (a) India is a patriarchal society where men are considered superior to women. Hence, women face discrimination and disadvantage in India in many ways. Yet, it is not justifiable. The reason explains the assertion.

Question. Assertion : A casteist is a person who thinks that caste is the principal basis of community.
Reason : All castes are equal and man-made.
Answer : (c) A castiest is a person who thinks that caste is the principal basis of community. However, such a belief is faulty as everyone is equal and no caste is superior to other. Thus, both reason and assertion are true but the reason does not explain the assertion.

Question. Assertion : Communalism is based on the idea that religion is the principal basis of social community.
Reason : Caste should be kept away from politics.
Answer : (b) Communalism is based on the idea that religion is the principal basis of social community. It considers that people of different religion can’t be equal citizen and one should dominate the other. Caste creates social conflicts and should be kept awa from politics as it leads to violence. The reason, however is true but does not explain the assertion.

Source/Extract Based Questions

Read the source given below and answer the questions that follow: 
Partly due to their efforts and partly due to other socioeconomic changes, castes and caste system in modern India have undergone great changes. With 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 times, 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 prohibited any caste-based discrimination and laid the foundations of policies to reverse the injustices of the caste system. If a person who lived a century ago were to return to India, she would be greatly surprised at the change that has come about in the country.

Answer the following MCQs by choosing the most appropriate option:

Question : Who among the following is not a prominent name to bring caste reform in India?
(a) Jyotiba Phule
(b) B. R. Ambedkar
(c) Mahatma Gandhi
(d) Jawaharlal Nehru
Answer : D

Question : The main reason for caste system removal in urban India is:
(a) People do not have any faith in caste system
(b) People’s primary concern is the economic progress
(c) In urban colonies it is difficult to identify someone by his caste
(d) Local authority discourage the caste system
Answer : B

Question : The sentence ‘castes and caste system have undergone great changes’ signifies:
(a) Now castes and caste system have taken new forms 
(b) The caste boundations are breaking down rapidly
(c) In ancient society caste system did not had any importance
(d) Caste system is in India because of globalization and colonization
Answer : B

Question : Find out the incorrect statement about the caste system:
(a) Economic development, urbanization played important role to remove caste system
(b) Removal of zamidari system helped to remove caste system in urban area
(c) Caste based discrimination is a punishable offence in India
(d) The structure of social hierarchy is changing now
Answer : B

Read the extract and answer the questions that follows :
The problem begins when religion is seen as the basis of the nation. The problem becomes more acute when religion is expressed in politics in exclusive and partisan terms, when one religion and its followers are pitted against another. Communal politics is based on the idea that religion is the principal basis of social community. Communalism involves thinking along the following lines. The followers of a particular religion must belong to one community.
This belief is fundamentally flawed. People of one religion do not have the same interests and aspirations in every context. Everyone has several other roles, positions and identities.

Question. ‘Communalism can take various forms in politics.’ Explain.
Answer : Communalism can take various forms in politics are discussed below :
(i) When religious beliefs of a person involve prejudices and stereotypes, claiming one religion’s ideas to be superior to another.
(ii) When a majority community tries to establish its domination over the other communities with the help of the state. Minority communities under such circumstances, retaliates by demanding the formation of separate state for them. Political mobilisation on religious lines occurs when religious symbols and leaders make an emotional appeal to the people in order to bring the members of a particular community together.
(iii) Communal violence is the worst form of communalism. It acquires the political form when it is sponsored by the state.
(iv) Political mobilisation on religious lines is another frequent form of communalism. This involves the use of sacred symbols, religious leaders, emotional appeal and plain fear in order to bring the followers of one religion together in the political arena.
(v) In a democracy, communalism may take the form when the majoritarian community starts believing in the superiority of their religion and ignores the wishes of the minorities.

Question. Explain any two lines along which communalism involves thinking.
Answer : (i) It follows that people who follow different religions cannot belong to the same social community.
(ii) If the followers of different religion have some commonalities, these are superficial and immaterial.

Question. When does the problem of religion in a society become more acute ?
Answer : This happens 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’s power is used to establish domination of one religious group over the rest.

Read the source given below and answer the questions that follow:
Partly due to their efforts and partly due to other socioeconomic changes, castes and caste system in modern India have undergone great changes. With 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 times, 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 prohibited any caste-based discrimination and laid the foundations of policies to reverse the injustices of the caste system. If a person who lived a century ago were to return to India, she would be greatly surprised at the change that has come about in the country

Answer the following MCQs by choosing the most appropriate option:

1. Who among the following is not a prominent name to bring caste reform in India?
(a) Jyotiba Phule
(b) B. R. Ambedkar
(c) Mahatma Gandhi
(d) Jawaharlal Nehru
Answer : D

2. The main reason for caste system removal in urban India is:
(a) People do not have any faith in caste system
(b) People’s primary concern is the economic progress
(c) In urban colonies it is difficult to identify someone by his caste
(d) Local authority discourage the caste system
Answer : B

3. The sentence ‘castes and caste system have undergone great changes’ signifies:
(a) Now castes and caste system have taken new forms
(b) The caste boundations are breaking down rapidly
(c) In ancient society caste system did not had any importance
(d) Caste system is in India because of globalization and colonization
Answer : B

4. Find out the incorrect statement about the caste system:
(a) Economic development, urbanization played important role to remove caste system
(b) Removal of zamidari system helped to remove caste system in urban area
(c) Caste based discrimination is a punishable offence in India
(d) The structure of social hierarchy is changing now 
Answer : B

Read the sources given below and answer the questions that follows :
Source A – Caste inequalities
Unlike gender and religion, caste division is special to India. All societies have some kind of social inequality and some form of division of labour. In most societies, occupations are passed on from one generation to another.
Source B – Caste in politics
As in the case of communalism, casteism is rooted in the belief that caste is the sole basis of social community. According to this way of thinking, people belonging to the same caste belong to a natural social community and have the same interests which they do not share with anyone from another caste.
Source C – Politics in caste
Politics too influences the caste system and caste identities by bringing them into the political arena. Thus, it is not politics that gets caste-ridden, it is the caste that gets politicised.

Source A – Caste inequalities
1. What was the caste system based on ?
Answer : The caste system was based on exclusion of and discrimination against the ‘outcast’ groups.

Source B – Caste in politics
2. When governments are formed, how is caste
taken care of in politics ?
Answer : When governments are formed, political parties usually take care that representatives of different castes and tribes find a place in it.

Source C – Politics in caste
3. Politics in caste takes several forms. Explain one form.
Answer : Each caste group tries to become bigger by incorporating within it neighbouring castes or sub-castes which were earlier excluded from it 

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question. Which form of social division is unique in India ?
Answer : Caste division is unique in India.

Question. Which Act provides that equal wage should be paid for equal work ?
Answer : Equal Wages Act provides that equal wages should be paid for equal work.

Question. What is considered to be the highest form of communalism ?
Answer : Communal violence, riots and massacre are considered to be the highest form of communalism.

Question. What do you mean by gender division ?
Answer : Division of work between the male and female in the society is called gender division.

Question. What are the reasons of breakdown of caste hierarchy in India ?
Answer : Increase in literacy rate and economic development are the reason breakdown of caste hierarchy in India.

Question. Mention any two constitutional provisions that make India a secular state. 
Answer : (i) India is a secular state as no religion has been given special status and no religion has been declared to be the official religion of India.
(ii) People are allowed to follow, practice, and propagate any religion. The state power is not allowed to make any discrimination on the grounds of religion.

Question. In which government bodies seats are reserved for women ?
Answer : In Panchayati Raj bodies seats are reserved for women.

Question. How are caste inequalities still continuing in India ? Explain. 
Answer : Caste problems have not completely been disappeared from India. Most people cease to marry outside their caste. Untouchability is still practiced in some parts of India.

Question. Correct the following statement and rewrite.
There is no official religion for the Indian states i.e., unlike Sri Lanka (Buddhism), Pakistan (Islam) and America (Judaism).
Answer : There is no official religion for the Indian states i.e., unlike Sri Lanka (Buddhism) Pakistan (Islam) and England (Christianity).

Question. Complete the following Secular state is a state which ______.
Answer : has no official religion of its own.

Question. 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.
Answer : Secular/Secularism

Question. Matriarchal: Female dominated, Patriarchal: Male dominated, ___________: Equality for women.
Answer : Feminist

Question. Identify the nature of a country with the help of following features:
l The constitution permits to practice any religion
l Discrimination on religious grounds is prohibite
l Government can intervene to ensure equality within one religion
Answer : Secular state

Short Questions for Class 10 Social Science Gender Religion and Caste

● Effects of centuries of advantages and disadvantages continue to be felt today, e.g., Caste continues to be closely linked to economic status

 

Question : State two reasons to say that caste alone cannot determine election results in India.

Answer :  Caste alone cannot determine election results in India because:

● No parliamentary constituency has a clear majority of one side caste.

● No party wins all the votes of a particular caste.

 

Question : What is the status of women's representation in India's legislative bodies?

Answer :  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 10% in Lok Sabha and 5% in the State Assemblies.

On the other hand, the situation is different in the case of local government bodies. As onethird of seats is 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.

 

Question : Mention any two constitutional protrusions that make India a secular state.

Answer : Two constitutional provisions that make India a secular state are:

● Freedom to practice. Profess and propagate the religion of one's choice.

● The Constitution prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion.

 

Question : Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists:

Answer : (b) B A D C

 

Long Answer Type Questions

Question. Discuss the sexual division of labour.
Answer : The sexual division of labour (SDL) is the delegation of different tasks between males and females. Among human foragers, males and females target different types of foods and share them with each other for a mutual or familial benefit. In some species, males and females eat slightly different foods, while in other species, males and females will routinely share food, but only in humans these two attributes combined. The few remaining hunter-gatherer populations in the world serve as evolutionary models that can help to explain the origin of the sexual division of labour. Many studies on the sexual division of labour have been conducted on hunter-gatherer populations, such as the Hadza, a gatherer population of Tanzania. Boys and girls are brought up to believe that the main responsibility of women is household work and bringing up children.
This is reflected in sexual division of labour.

Question. How do women in India still face discrimination and oppression in various ways ?
Explain with four examples.
                     OR
Write a note on the status of women in India.
Answer : (i) Literacy rate : According to 2011 Census, Women literacy rate is only 65.46 when compared to that of men in India which is 82.14. In rural areas and some percent in the cities, parents do not send girls to schools because they prefer spending on boy’s education than their daughter.
(ii) Unpaid work : It is noted that women are paid less when compared to men, even if the women work extra hours a day. Thus, women’s work is not valued and paid fully
(iii) Sex ration : In many part of India abortion of girl child takes place leading to a decline in the child sex ratio. It is observed that there are only 940 girl child for 1000 boys.
(iv) Domestic violence : Both urban and rural areas come across women being harassed and exploited.
They are not safe in their own house because of domestic violence.

Question. What have been the consequences of the political expression of gender division in free India ? What is the status of women’s representation in India’s legislative bodies ?
Answer : India has a patriarchal society and women face discrimination, oppression in various ways. In India, 74 percent of men are literate, whereas only 56 percent of women are literate. In school, girls perform equal to or even better than boys. Still more girls dropout as parents wants to spend money in their son’s education.
Women are paid less than men for equal work. We have Equal Wages Act in India, which states that women should be paid equal for equal work. On an average, woman works an hour more than man. But her work is neither valued nor paid. Parents usually prefer boy child and abort the girl child before she is born. In India, the sex ratio is 940 female for every 1000 male. In some states it is less than 800. The proportion of women’s representation in the legislatures has always been very low. In the Lok Sabha, it has never touched even 10 percent of its total strength and in State assemblies it is less than 5 percent. In this regard, India is behind several developing nations of Africa and Latin America. Most of the Cabinet Ministers and Chief Ministers are male. To empower women, one-third of the total seats are now reserved for women in all rural and urban local bodies.

Question. What are feminist movements ? What were their major demands ?
Answer : The protest and agitations aimed at enhancing legal and polities status of women and to provide women with better work opportunities constitutes feminist movement. This involves Radicals women’s movement to improve the condition of women in personal and also family life. All these protests and movements together constitute feminist movement. Political mobilisation has helped in improving the condition of women. In countries like Sweden, Finland and Norway, women’s participation in public life is extraordinary.

Question. State different forms of communal politics with one example each.
Answer : When religion is used in politics it becomes a major problem for any country, as the people of that country start considering religion as the basis of the nation and this gives birth to communal politics. In a communal society, one religion is given preference over another.
The followers of one religion face discrimination as the State power promotes the interest of one religious
group. In India, many parties are formed along communal lines. Like Muslim League during freedom struggle, Akali Dal in Punjab, DMK in Tamil Nadu etc.
Parties consider religion as one of the important criteria in choosing candidates for elections. People vote for their religion in elections. Sometimes, this becomes a problematic thing and leads to agitation among people.

Question. Discuss how caste affect the political parties.
Answer : Parties consider caste as one of the important criteria while choosing candidates for elections. They refer to the caste composition of a constituency before declaring their candidate. People vote for their religion and caste in elections and sometimes fail in choosing the right candidate. During the formation of the government, it is mentioned that all religions and castes should be represented. Political parties use communal issues during campaigning.

 

THREE MARKS QUESTIONS

Question. “Secularisam is not an ideology of some political parties or persons, but it is one of the foundations of our country.” Examine the statement.
Answer : a. This idea constitutes one of the foundations of our country. Communalism should not be seen as a threat to some people in India. It threatens the very idea of India. b. A secular constitution like ours is necessary but not sufficient to combat communalism. Communal prejudices and propaganda need to be countered in everyday life and religion-based mobilisation needs to be countered in the area of politics. c. 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. d. The Constitution prohibits discrimination on ground of religion.

Question. How does religion influence the political set up in our country? Explain.
Answer : The religion in politics is not dangerous as it seems to us. Ethical values of each religion can play a major role in politics. As a member of any religious community, people should express their political needs. The political leaders regulate the practice of religion so that there should be no discrimination and oppression. If all religions are treated equally then these political acts are correct in any way.

Question. Why did the Muslim Ulama in India want to introduce religious reforms in Islam? Give any three reasons.
Answer : a. Muslim clergy want to introduce religious reforms in Islam. b. In north India, the Ulama were deeply anxious about the collapse of Muslim dynasties. c. They feared that colonial rulers would encourage conversion, change the Muslim personal laws. d. To counter this, they used cheap lithographic presses, published Persian and Urdu translations of holy scriptures, and printed religious newspapers and tracts. e. The Deoband Seminary, founded in 1867, published thousands upon thousands of fatwas. f. Telling Muslim readers how to conduct themselves in their everyday lives, and explaining the meanings of Islamic doctrines.

Question. Describe the three factors which determine the outcome of the politics of social divisions.
Answer :  Factors that decide the outcome of the politics of social divisions. a. The people’s perception of their identities: When this is singular, the accommodation of other identities becomes difficult. b. Representation of a community by political leaders: While representing a community, if politicians raise demands that are constitutional, then, it is easier to accommodate those demands. c. The government’s reaction: If the reasonable demands of a community are suppressed by the government, then it leads to social divisions, which in turns threaten the integrity of the country.

Question. Suggest any three measures to enhance the participation of women in politics?
Answer : a. Women should be given proper education, so that they are aware of their rights and duties and participate actively in all political occasions.
b. Every woman should be self reliant, so that she enjoys a respectable position in the society and is confident about her meaningful contribution in politics as well. c. It should be legally binding to have a fair proportion of woman in the elected bodies. That is why L’3rd of seats in local government bodies in panchayats and in municipalities are now reserved for women.

Question. Suppose a politician seeks your vote on the religious ground. Why is his act considered against the norms of democracy? Explain.
Answer : His act is against the spirit of democracy as the said politician is not working as per the Constitution. a. It also exploits the social difference. b. It may create social discard and may lead to social division. c. It is also biased attitude and neglects the principle of equality.

Question. Describe three advantages of the political expression of caste differences.
Answer : Advantages of the political expression of caste differences are: a. It gives disadvantaged groups the opportunity to demand a share in power and decision making. b. Many political parties take up the issue of ending caste discrimination. c. Measures for uplifting the status of the backward castes will be undertaken.

Question. Explain the status of women’s representation in India’s legislative bodies.
Answer : The status of women’s representation in India’s legislative bodies are as follows: a. Central legislature: Less than 10% of its total strength are women. b. State legislatures: Less than 5% of then- total strength are women. c. Panchayati Raj: One-third of the seats are reserved for women.

Question. Suggest any two measures to check communalism in India. 
Answer : a. Communal prejudices and propaganda need to be countered in everyday life. b. Religion based mobilisation needs to be countered in the arena of politics.

Question. How can communalism pose a great threat to Indian democracy?
or How can religion be a source of danger to democratic politics? Explain your view points.
Answer : Communalism can pose a great threat to Indian democracy as: a. It leads to the belief that people belonging to different religions cannot live as equal citizens within one nation. Either one of them has to dominate the rest or they have to form different nations. b. Any attempt to bring followers of one religion together in a context other than religion is bound to suppress many voices within that community.

Question. “The Government of India gives holidays for the festivals of most of the religions.” Why is it so? Give your view point.
Answer : It is so because: a. India is a secular state, there is no official religion in our country. b. The Constitution provides freedom to all to profess, practice and propagate any religion or not to follow any. c. The Constitution prohibits discrimination on the grounds of religion.

Question. Define Feminist Movements. Write their objectives.
Answer : Definition: Agitations or movements demanding enhancement in the political and legal status of women and improving their education and career opportunities are called Feminist Movement. Main Objective: The main objective of Feminist Movement is to attain equality among men and women.

Question. What is communalism? How is communalism a hindrance in the functioning of our democracy? Explain.
Answer : Communalism: 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, we call it as communalism. Communalism is a hindrance in the functioning of our democracy as: a. Communalism leads to the belief that people belonging to different religions cannot live as equal citizens within one nation. Either, one of them fias to dominate the lest or they have to form different nation. b. Any attempt to bring all followers of one religion together in context other than religion is bound to suppress many voices within that community.

Question. How are religious differences expressed in politics?
Answer : The religious differences are often expressed in the field of politics, i.e. a. Gandhiji used to say that religion can never be separated from politics, what he meant by religion was not any particular religion like Hinduism or Islam, but moral values that inform all religions. He believed that politics must be guided by ethics drawn from religion. b. Human right groups in our country have argued that most of the victims of communal riots in our country are people from religious minorities. They have demanded that the government take special steps to protect religious minorities. c. Women’s movement has agreed that family laws of all religions discriminate against women, so they have demanded that government should change these laws to make them more equitable.

Question. Describe the adverse effects of caste in politics in India.
Answer : Adverse effects of caste in politics in India: a. Political parties try to use caste to gain votes. b. Promise to take care of interests and demands of different castes. c. Leads to conflicts and tensions among various caste groups.

Question. Assess the influences of politics on caste system.
Answer : Influence of politics on Caste: a. Each caste group tries to become bigger by incorporating within it sub-castes. b. Various caste groups are required to enter into a coalition with other caste or communities. c. New kinds of caste groups have entered politics like ‘backward’ and ‘forward’ castes. d. Politics in caste has allowed many disadvantaged caste groups to demand heir share of power. Caste politics has helped the Dalits and OBCs to gain better access to decision¬making.

Question. What was the Feminist Movement? Explain the political demands of the Feminist Movement in India.
Answer : Feminist Movement was a radical movement which demanded equality for women in personal and family life also apart from politics, society and educational field. The political demands of the Feminist Movements in India were: a. More women representatives in local government. b. More political representatives for women by having elected women representatives. c. Reserving at least one-third of the seats in Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies for women.

Question. What is sexual division of labour? Mention the main demands of the worldwide women’s agitations.
Answer : Sexual division of labour means division of work on the basis of the gender difference and according to this concept all house work and responsibility of bringing up children is women’s work. Women all over the world have been demanding: a. Equal voting rights. b. Enhancement of political and legal status of women. c. Improvement of educational and career opportunities for women.

Question. Why are caste barriers breaking down in India? Explain with three reasons.
Answer : Caste barriers are breaking down in India due to the following reasons: a. 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. b. Due to socio-economic changes, i.e., now, most of the times, in urban areas it does not matter much who is walking along next to us on street or eating at the next table in a restaurant. c. The Constitution of India prohibited any caste based discrimination and laid the foundations of policies to reserve the injustices of the caste system.

Question. Define communalism. Explain any three forms of Communalism in the Indian Politics.
Answer : 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. Various forms of communalism in politics : a. The most common expression of communalism is in every day beliefs. b. A communal mind often leads to a quest for political dominance of one’s own religious community. c. Political mobilisation on religious lines is another frequent form of communalism. This involves the use of sacred symbols, religious leaders, emotional appeals and plan fear.

Question. Explain the impact of caste system on Indian democracy.
Answer : Impact of caste system on Indian democracy: a. Expression of caste differences in politics gives many disadvantaged communities the space to demand this share of power. In this sense, caste politics has helped people from Dalits and OBC caste to gain better access to decision-making. b. Several political and non-political organizations have been demanding and agitating for an end to discrimination against particular castes, for mere dignity and more access to land, resources and opportunities. c. Exclusive attention can produce negative results as well. It can divert attention from other pressing issues such as poverty, development and corruption. In some cases it leads to violence.

Question. “Caste has not still disappeared from contemporary India.” Write any three examples to justify the statement.
Answer : Caste has not disappeared from contemporary India. Some of the older aspects of caste which are persisting are as follows: a. Even now most people marry within their own caste or tribe. b. Untouchability has not ended completely, despite constitutional prohibition. Effects of centuries of advantages and disadvantages continued to be felt today 

Question. How does caste get politicised? Give three points.
Answer : a. Each caste group tries to become bigger by incorporating within its neighbouring castes or sub-castes which were earlier excluded from it. b. Various caste groups are required to enter into a coalition with other castes or communities and thus enter into a dialogue and negotiation. . c. New kinds of caste groups have come up in the political area like ‘backward’ and ‘forward’ caste groups.