Previous chapter3 of CBSE, Class10, Political Science, acknowledges the fact that the existence of social diversity doesn’t threaten democracy. It also identifies that political expression of social differences is possible and sometimes quite desirable in a democratic system. Here in CBSE, Class10, Political Science, Chapter4, Gender Religion And Caste, we observe application of these ideas to the practice of democracy in India. Here in CBSE, Class10, Political Science, Chapter4, Gender, Religion And Caste, we also try to understand the nature of social division related to gender, religion and caste in India and the possible implications of their political expression.

The best way to study this material is to study it in stages:

  1. First stage: First concentrate on the title of your chapter and imagine what things might be hidden here. This activity will create an interest in you for the topic.
  2. Second stage: Give a thorough reading of the questions and answers, which are woven here in such a fashion so as to maintain an hierarchy and orderliness. At this stage you should not take any stress. Just enjoy your reading by touching one question after another.
  3. Third stage: Try to establish links between questions. See how they are inter related. Try to focus on the keywords of a topic and try to reach its underlying meaning.
  4. Fourth stage: Now give another reading to each question and answer with a purpose to internalise it in your own way.
Let’s start our journey

Topic: Gender And Politics (Class10, Political Science, Chapter4, Gender, Religion And Caste)

Q.1. What do you mean by gender division?

Ans. Gender division is a form of hierarchical social division. Gender division is understood as natural and unchangeable. However it is not based on biology but on social expectations and stereotypes.

Q.2. What is sexual division of labour ?

Ans. It is a system in which all work inside the home is either done by the women of the family or, organised by them through the domestic helpers.

Q.3. Who is called feminist ?

Ans. A woman or man, who believes in equal rights and opportunities for women and men is considered to be a feminist.

Q.4. What do you mean by feminist movements ?

Ans. Those radical women movements, which aim at equality in personal and family life, are called feminist movements.

Q.5. What are the outcomes of sexual division of labour?

Ans. Sexual division of labour is a system in which all work inside the home is either done by the women of the family or, organised by them through the domestic helpers. The results of this division of labour is many fold.

  1. Although women constitute half of the humanity, their role in public life, especially politics, is minimal in most societies.
  2. Women are denied of equal rights in many parts of world.
  3. In many societies they are denied equal wages, voting rights, and rights in paternal property.

Q.6. What is patriarchy ?

Ans. Patriarchy refers to a system that values men more and gives them power over women.

Q.7. Mention how do women in India face discrimination and exploitation ?

Ans. Indian society is still a male dominated patriarchal society. Women face disadvantage, discrimination and oppression in many ways:

  1. The literacy rate among women is only 54%, where as it is 76% for males.
  2. Only a smaller proportion of girl student goes for higher studies.
  3. Drop out rate for girls in schools is high. This is because parents prefer to spend their resources for their boy child’s education.
  4. Proportion of women among the highly paid and valued jobs is still very small.
  5. Much of women’s work is unpaid and therefore often not valued.
  6. The Equal Remuneration Act 1976 provides that equal wages should be paid for equal work. However in almost all areas of work, women are paid less than men for same work.
  7. In many parts of India parents prefer to have sons. Thus sex selective abortion has led to decline in child sex ratio to merely 919. In some places in India it has fallen below 850.
  8. There are reports of various kinds of harassment, exploitation and violence against women in India. Urban areas have become particularly unsafe for women. Also, there are cases of domestic violence against women in Indian society.

Q.8. What was the outcome of political expression of gender division world wide?

Ans. As a result of sexual division of labour, women faced disadvantage, discrimination and oppression in many ways.

Gradually the gender issue was raised in politics. Women in different parts of the world organised and agitated for equal rights. There were agitations in different countries for:

  1. extension of voting rights to women,
  2. enhancement of political and legal status of women, and,
  3. improvement in their educational and career opportunities.

More radical women’s movements demanded equality in personal and family life as well. Such movements are called feminist movements.

Political expression of gender division and political mobilisation on this issue has helped in improving women’s role in public life in many ways:

  1. women are now entering in those fields of life which were earlier not considered suitable for women.
  2. In some parts of world, for example in Sweden, Norway and Finland, the participation of women in public life is very high.

However in developing and underdeveloped countries, upliftment and empowerment of women is still at very low pace, and they have a very long way to go for achieving the gender equality.

Q.9. Discuss the current political status of women in India. Suggest ways to improve this situation.

Ans. Various women’s movement leaders and feminists realise that unless women control power, their problems will not get addressed. One way to ensure this is to have more women as elected representatives.

In India, the proportion of women in legislature has been very low. For example, the percentage of elected women members in Lok Sabha has touched 12% of its total strength for the first time in the year 2014. Their share in the state assemblies has been less than 5%. In the government, cabinets are largely male dominated.

In this respect India is among the bottom group of nations in the world. India is behind the averages for several developing countries of Africa and Latin America.

Possible ways to improve the level of women representation in elected bodies in India are:

  1. To make it legally binding to have a fair proportion of women in elected bodies. For example, one third of seats in local government bodies ( Panchayat and Municipalities ), are reserved for women. As a result there are more than 10 Lakh elected women representatives in rural and urban local bodies.
  2. A bill with proposal for reservation of at least one third seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies for women has been pending before the parliament for more than a decade, due to lack of consensus among the political parties. This bill needs to be passed by the political parties of India.

Topic: Religion, Communalism And Politics. (Class10, Political Science, Chapter4, Gender, Religion And Caste)

Q.10. Through proper examples, show how religious differences often have political expression.

Ans. Following instances prove that there is a relationship between religion and politics. And religious differences are often politically expressed.

  1. Gandhi ji used to say that religion can never be separated from politics. He believed that politics must be guided by ethics drawn from religion.
  2. Human rights groups in our country have demanded that the government should take special steps to protect religious minorities.
  3. Women’s movements have argued that family laws of all religions discriminate against women. Therefore government should make the family laws more equitable.

Q.11. Give suggestions about how can a healthy interaction be developed between religion and politics.

Ans. Following political practices are helpful in creating healthy interaction between politics and religion; as long as they treat all religions equally.

  1. Ideas, ideals and values of different religions should play a role in politics.
  2. As a member of religious community, people should be able to express in politics, their needs, interests and demands.
  3. Those who hold political power should try to regulate the practice of religion so as to prevent discrimination and oppression.

Q.12. What happens when religion is seen as the basis of the nation?

Or, Q. What does it mean communal politics?

Ans. Communal politics is based on the idea that religion is the principal basis of social community and nation.

Communal politics may involve following elements:

  1. In communal politics religion is expressed in exclusive and partisan terms.
  2. Beliefs of one religion are presented as superior to those of other religions.
  3. One religion and its followers are pitted against each other.
  4. Demands of one religious group are formed in opposition to another religious group.
  5. State power is used to establish domination of one religious group over the rest.

Q.13. Discuss the thought process behind the communalism.

Ans. Communalism involves thinking along the following lines :

  1. The followers of a particular religion must belong to one community.
  2. Fundamental interests of the followers of a religion are same. Any other difference between them is irrelevant and trivial.
  3. If the followers of different religion have some commonalities, these are superficial and immaterial.
  4. Interests of the followers of different religion are bound to be different and involve a conflict.
  5. In its extreme form, communalism leads to the belief that people belonging to different religions can not live as equal citizens within one nation.

Q.14. Discuss how the thoughts or principles of communalism are fundamentally flawed.

Ans. The belief system or principles of communalism 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. There are many voices inside every community . All these voices have right to be heard.

Therefore, any attempt to bring all followers of a religion together (in context other than religion ), is bound to suppress many voices within that community.

Q.15. What are the various forms that communalism acquires in politics?

Ans. The most common expression of communalism is in everyday beliefs. These routinely involve religious prejudices, stereotypes of religious communities and belief in the superiority of one’s religion over the other.

A communal mind, if belongs to majority, often seeks to exercise its majoritarian dominance. Others who belong to minority community, have desire for a separate political unit.

Communalism often triggers political mobilisation on communal lines. This involves use of sacred symbols, religious leaders, emotional appeal and planting fear among the people for the other community.

Sometimes communalism takes its most ugly form of communal violence, riots and massacre. For example, India and Pakistan suffered the worst ever communal riots at the time of their partition.

Q.16. Mention any two constitutional provisions that make India a secular state.

Ans. Communalism is one of the major challenges to democracy in our country. That’s why our constitution makers chose the model of secular state for India.

The following provisions of our constitution make India a secular state:

  1. There is no official religion for the Indian state.
  2. Constitution of India provides freedom to profess, practice and propagate any religion or not to follow any.
  3. Constitution prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion.
  4. Constitution allows the state to intervene in the matters of religion to ensure equality within religious communities. For example, it bans untouchability.

Thus secularism for India is not just an ideology but foundations of our country.

Q.17. Is a secular constitution in India, enough to tackle the problem of secularism? What more is needed to combat the problem of communalism in India?

Ans. Communalism threatens the idea of India. Hence it needs to be combated wisely. Though our constitution has many provisions to handle it but not sufficient.

Communal prejudices and propaganda need to be countered in everyday life. Negative use of social media always worsens the situation and sparks violence. Religion based political mobilisation needs to be countered.

Topic: Caste And Politics (Class10, Political Science, Chapter4, Gender, Religion And Caste)

Q. 18. Discuss the caste system in India. How did it form?

Ans. In most societies, occupations are passed on from one generation to another. Caste system in India is extreme form of it. What makes it different from from other societies in the world is that – in this system, there exists hereditary occupational division which is sanctioned by rituals.

Members of same caste group were supposed to form a social community that (1) practiced the same or similar occupation, (2) married within the same caste group (3) did not eat with the members of other caste group.

Thus in other words caste system in India was based on exclusion of and discrimination against the ‘outcaste’ groups.

Q.!9. Give a brief idea about untouchability in India.

Ans. Caste system was based on exclusion of and discrimination against the outcaste group. These outcaste groups were subjected to the inhumane practice of untouchability.

Various political leaders like Jotiba Phule, Gandhi ji, B.R. Ambedkar and Periyar Ramaswamy Naicker advocated and worked to establish a society in which caste inequalities are absent.

Q.20. Caste and caste system in modern India, have undergone great change. Explain.

Ans. Caste and caste system in India have undergone great change partly due to various social reform movement and partly due to other socio economic changes.

With economic development, large scale urbanisation, growth in literacy and education, increased occupational mobility, and with weakening of landlords in villages; the old notion of caste hierarchy are breaking down in India in a big way.

Our constitution prohibits any caste based discrimination and has laid the foundation of such policies which have been able to reverse the injustices of the caste system.

Yet, caste has not complrtely disappeared from contemporary India. Some of the older aspects of the caste have persisted. Even now caste is the basis of marriages in India. Untouchability also, has not ended completely.

Q. 21. Discuss how the long persistence of caste system in India, continues to show its bad effect in our society.

Ans. Caste system in India has been there since ancient times. Centuries of persistence of this system is still have its impact in this land.

The caste groups that had access to education under the old system, have done very well in acquiring modern education as well. Similarly those caste groups that didn’t have access to education, or , were prohibited from acquiring it, have lagged behind. That’s why there is a disproportionately large presence of upper caste among the urban middle classes in our country.

As per NSSO reports, caste continues to be closely linked to economic status. The average economic status of caste groups still follows the old hierarchy – the upper castes are best off, Dalits and Adivasis are worst off, and the Backward castes in between.

Although every caste has some poor members, the proportion living in extreme poverty (BPL) is much higher for the lowest castes, much lower for the upper castes and the backward castes in between.

Again, although every caste has some members who are rich, the upper castes are heavily overrepresented among the rich, while the lower castes are severely underrepresented.

Even now caste is the basis of marriages in India, and, untouchability has not ended completely.

( Note : BPL i.e. People Below Poverty Line are those who spend rupees 327 or less per person per month in rural areas and rupees 454 or less per person per month in urban area.)

Topic: Caste In Politics (Class10, Political Science, Chapter4, Gender, Religion And Caste)

Q.22. What does the term casteism mean?

Ans. Casteism is rooted in the belief that the caste is the sole basis of social community. In this belief system it is believed that –

  1. People belonging to same caste, belong to a natural social community.
  2. People of same caste have the same interests.

However such a belief is not born out by our experience.

Q.23. In what forms do we see the role of caste in India’s democratic politics and its elections?

Ans. Caste factor in India, can assume various roles in politics:

  1. When parties choose candidates in elections, they keep in mind the caste composition of electorate and nominate candidates from different castes in such a way that it may attract maximum votes and win elections.
  2. When governments are formed, political parties are very conscious about giving place to the individuals of different castes in the government.
  3. Political parties and candidates make appeals to caste sentiments to win support of specific castes.
  4. Universal adult franchise and principle of one person one vote has brought new consciousness among the people of those castes that were hither to treated as low and inferior castes.

Q.24. The focus on caste in politics gives an impression that elections are all about caste and nothing else. Is this true? Justify your answer.

Or, Q. State two reasons to say that caste alone can not determine election results in India.

Ans. Caste is an important factor in electoral political politics in India. But it is not the sole factor on which election results depend. This is clear from the following facts:

  1. No parliamentary constituency has a clear majority of one single caste. So every candidate needs to win the confidence of more than one caste and community.
  2. No party wins the votes of all the voters of a caste or community.
  3. Many political parties may put up candidates from same caste that has majority in the electorate.
  4. The ruling party and the sitting MPs or MLAs often loose elections in our country.
  5. Voters also have attachment to political parties.
  6. People within same caste or community have different interests depending upon their economic conditions.
  7. Rich and poor ; men and women from same caste often vote differently.
  8. People’s assessment of performance of the government and the popularity of leaders also matter a lot and are often decisive.

Note: Percentage representation of women in national parliaments in countries of different regions of world are as below :

Nordic countries (42.3%), Americas (29.5%), World (24%), Europe (26.4%), Sub Saharan Africa (23.7%), Asia (19.8%), Arab (18.6%), Pacific (15.6%), India (11.8%).

Topic: Politics In Caste (Class10, Political Science, Chapter4, Gender, Religion And Caste)

Q.25. How does politics influence the caste system and caste identities?

Ans. Politics influences the caste system and caste identities by bringing them in to political arena.

  1. Each caste group tries to become bigger by incorporating within it neighbouring castes or sub castes, which were earlier excluded from it.
  2. For political gains, various caste groups enter in to coalition.
  3. New kind of caste groups emerge from political point of view. For example – Backward and Forward caste groups.

Q.26. Is expression of caste differences in to politics helpful for society?

Ans. In some situations, expression of caste differences in politics gives many disadvantaged communities the space to demand their share of power. Dalits and OBCs have been able to get access to decision making processes for society, state and nation.

This has caused several political and non political organisations to demand for (a) ending the discrimination against particular castes and, (b) more dignity and more access to land, resources and opportunity to these castes.

However exclusive attention to caste, can produce negative results. For example politics based on caste identity alone, can divert attention from other pressing issues like poverty, development and corruption. In some cases, caste division leads to tension, conflict and violence.

Q.27. What does the term vote bank mean?

Ans. The term vote bank usually means that a large proportion of voters from a particular caste or social group, vote for a particular party.

Topic : Social And Religious Diversity of India (Class10, Political Science, Chapter4, Gender, Religion And Caste)

Note : Percentage population of different religious community in India in 2011, has been as below :

Hindu (79.8%), Muslim (14.2%), Christian (02.3%), Sikh (01.7%), Buddhist ().7%), Jain 90.4%), Other religions and persuasions (0.7%), Others (0.2%).

Note : The census of India records the religion of each and every Indian after every 10 years.

Q.28. Discuss the census report of 2011 regarding proportion of different religious communities in India. Also discuss how it has changed over the years.

Ans.

Percentage population of different religious community in India as per 2011 census, has been as below :

Hindu (79.8%), Muslim (14.2%), Christian (02.3%), Sikh (01.7%), Buddhist ().7%), Jain 90.4%), Other religions and persuasions (0.7%), Others (0.2%).

We can see here that there are six major religious communities in India : Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Jain.

Since independence, the total population of each religious community has increased substantially, but there proportion has not changed much.

In percentage terms the population of Hindus, Jain and Christians has declined marginally since 1961. On the other hand, in percentage terms, the population of Muslim, Sikh and Buddhists has increased slightly during this period.

There is an impression that proportion of Muslims in the country’s total population is going to overtake other religious communities. But the experts estimates done for Prime Ministers High Level Committee ( popularly known as Sachar Committee), show that the proportion of Muslims is expected to go up a little by about 3 to 4 % in the next 50 years. It draws conclusion that in overall terms, the population balance of different religious communities is not likely change in a big way.

Dear readers, did you notice how many multiple choice questions (MCQs) can be created here in above question. please be alert for such information while studying these long type questions and answers.

Q.29. What are Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes? Discuss their share in Indian population according to 2011 census.

Ans. The Census of India counts two social groups : (a) Scheduled Castes (SCs), and (b) Scheduled Tribes (STs).

Both these broad caste groups include hundreds of castes or tribes whose names are listed in an official schedule. Hence the prefix “scheduled” in their names.

The Scheduled Castes commonly known as Dalits, include those that were previously regarded as “outcaste” in Hindu social order, and were subject to exclusion and untouchability.

The Scheduled Tribes, often referred to as Adivasis include those communities that lead a secluded life, usually in hills and forests, and didn’t interact much with the rest of society.

In 2011, the Scheduled Castes were 16.6% of total population of India, and Scheduled Tribes were 8.6% of the country’s total population.

The Census, yet, does not count the OBCs (Other Backward Castes). The NSSO (National Sample Survey Organisation) of 2004-05, however estimates the population of OBCs, to stand around 41%.

Thus the SCs, STs and OBCs together account for about two third (66%) of country’s total population and account for about three forth (75%) of total Hindu population.

Topic : Some Important Terms (Class10, Political Science, Chapter4, Gender, Religion And Caste)

Family Laws : These are the laws that deal with family related matters such as marriage, divorce, adoption, inheritance etc.

Urbanisation : It is a process of population shift from rural areas to urban areas.

Occupational Mobility : This means shift from one occupation to another, usually when a new generation takes up occupations other than those practiced by their ancestors.

Caste Hierarchy : caste hierarchy refers to a ladder like formation in which all the caste groups are placed from highest to the lowest castes.