CIVICS CH 4 NOTES 10th Grade

DPS MODERN INDIAN SCHOOL, DOHA - QATAR
SOCIAL SCIENCE - 2022-2023

Student’s Name: /Roll No:
Grade: X/Section:
Subject: CIVICS
Month: JUNE 2022
INSTRUCTION: Read the lesson: Ch. 4 – GENDER, RELIGION &
CASTE
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Q1. Explain any five aspects of our day-to-day life in which
women are discriminated against in India.
ANS. – Women face disadvantage, discrimination and oppression in
various ways.
 Literacy rate: The first and foremost discrimination is in the field
of education where the literacy rate among women is only 54 per
cent when compared to a high 76 per cent in males. Even otherwise,
parents prefer educating spending their resources of education of a
male child rather than a female child.
 Sex ratio: The sex ratio in India is as low as 940 females per 1000
males. The proportion of women as compared to men is very low. A
major reason behind this is that parents prefer having a male child
over a female child keeping in view the future perspective.
 Unpaid work: The proportion of highly-paid women is very less
when compared to highly-paid men. Though on an average, Indian
women work one hour more than men every day but they are not
equally paid and thus their work is also not often valued as much as
that of men.
 Domestic violence: Women every day in Indian society are
harassed, exploited, and subjected to all sorts of violence behind the
closed doors. Both in urban and rural areas, domestic violence is one
of the most prominent form of discrimination faced by women. Many
cases of domestic violence and dowry deaths are reported in the
media every day.
 Female foeticide: In India, a male child is considered a blessing
and a female child is considered a bane. This has come to an extent
where the female child is killed in the womb of the mother. This
killing of foetus is known as foeticide. Female foeticide is prevalent
in both urban and rural areas.
1
Q2. Explain any five reasons for the declining caste system in
India.
ANS. - The following are the five reasons for the declining caste system
in India:-
 Growth of literacy and education: After industrialisation, the literacy

rate has increased.
 Occupational mobility: Due to occupational mobility, the new
generation takes up occupations other than those practised by their
ancestors.
 Large-scale urbanisation: Shift of people from rural areas to urban
areas in search of jobs and better living conditions.
 Efforts made by leaders and reformers: The political leaders and
social reformers worked to establish a society in which caste
inequalities are absent.
 Economic development: Adoption of never technologies from
agriculture-based to industry-based economy and general
improvement in living standards.
Q3. Mention any three constitutional provisions that make India a

secular state.
ANS. - The constitutional provisions which make India a ‘secular state’

are as follows:-
 The Constitution of India does not give special recognition to any

religion and there is no state religion in India, unlike, Christianity in
America, and Buddhism in Sri Lanka.
 All individuals and communities have been given freedom to

practice, profess and propagate any religion, or not to follow any.
 The Constitution of India has put a ban on any discrimination on the

grounds of religion.
 According to the constitution, the state can intervene in the matters

of religion in order to ensure equality within religious communities.
Q4. Mention different aspects of life in which women are

discriminated against or disadvantaged in India.
2
ANS. - ‘Gender division is not based on Biology but on social
expectations and stereotypes’:
1. Boys and girls are brought up to believe that the main responsibility of
women is house work and bringing up children. There is sexual division
of labour in most families where women stay at home and men work
outside to play the role of breadwinners.
2. Literacy rate among women is only 54% in comparison to 76% among
men. In studies, girls mostly perform better than boys, but they drop
out simply because parents prefer to spend their resources on their
sons’ education. A smaller proportion of girls go for higher studies.
3. On an average, a woman works more than an average man every day.
Since much of her work is not paid for, therefore often not valued. The
Equal Wages Act provides for equal wages for equal work, but in almost
all areas of work from sports to cinema, from factories to fields, women
are comparatively paid less because of the male chauvinistic bent of
mind of society.
4. Child sex-ratio (number of girl children per thousand boys) is very low.
In India, the national average is 927. In some places it is even lower
because parents prefer to have sons so they get girl child aborted.
5. In urban areas too, women are not respected and are unsafe even in
their homes being subjected to beating, harassment and other forms of
domestic violence.
6. The role of women in politics in most societies is minimal.
Q5. Explain the various forms that caste can take in politics.
ANS. - Caste takes various forms in politics:
1. When governments are formed, political parties usually take care that
representatives of different castes and tribes find a place in it.
2. When parties choose candidates, they keep in mind the composition of

the electorate and accordingly choose candidates from different castes so
as to muster necessary support to win elections.
3. Political parties make appeals to caste sentiments to gain support.

Some political parties are known to favour some castes.
4. Universal adult franchise and the principle of one-person-one-vote

compelled political leaders to mobilise political support. It also brought
new consciousness among people belonging to those castes which were
treated as inferiors.
3
Q6. ‘It is not politics that gets caste ridden but it is the caste that
gets politicised.’ Explain.
ANS. - Politics too influences the caste system and caste identities by
bringing them into the political arena. This takes several forms:
1. Each caste group tries to become bigger by incorporating within itself

neighbouring castes or subcastes.
2. Various caste groups enter into a coalition with other castes for
negotiations.
3. New caste groups like ‘backward’ and ‘forward’ have come up in the
political arena.
4. Expressions of caste differences in politics give many disadvantaged
communities the chance to demand their share of power and thus gain
access to decision-making.
5. Many political and non-political organisations have been demanding
and agitating for an end to discrimination against particular castes for
more dignity and more access to land, resources and opportunities .
Q7. Describe how religious differences are expressed in politics.

Ans: 1) 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.
2) Human rights 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.
3) Women’s movement has argued that Family Laws of all religions

discriminate against women. So they have demanded that government
should change these laws to make them more equitable.
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DPS MODERN INDIAN SCHOOL, DOHA - QATAR

SOCIAL SCIENCE - 2022-2023

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

 Growth of literacy and education: After industrialisation, the literacy

Q3. Mention any three constitutional provisions that make India a

ANS. - The constitutional provisions which make India a ‘secular state’

 The Constitution of India does not give special recognition to any

 All individuals and communities have been given freedom to

 The Constitution of India has put a ban on any discrimination on the

 According to the constitution, the state can intervene in the matters

Q4. Mention different aspects of life in which women are

2. When parties choose candidates, they keep in mind the composition of

3. Political parties make appeals to caste sentiments to gain support.

4. Universal adult franchise and the principle of one-person-one-vote

1. Each caste group tries to become bigger by incorporating within itself

Q7. Describe how religious differences are expressed in politics.

3) Women’s movement has argued that Family Laws of all religions

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