FEMINIST
A woman or a man, who believes in equal rights and opportunities for women and men, is called a feminist.
FEMINIST MOVEMENT
1.It is radical women’s movements aiming at attaining equality for women in personal and family life and public affairs.
2.This movements have organized and agitated to raise channels for enhancing the political and legal status of women.
3.This movement are improving their educational and career opportunities.
PATRIARCHAL SOCIETY
1.It is essentially male dominated.
2.The line of descent is traced through the father.
3.Men are valued more in terms of work they do and the place they hold in society.
4.It gives us more power to the females.
COMMUNAL POLITICS:-
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, this manner of using religion in politics is called communal politics.
DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN:-
1.Generally girls mostly perform better than boys, but they drop out simply because parents prefer to spend their resources on their boys’ education.
2.In an average, a woman works more than an average man everyday. Since much of her work is not paid for, therefore often not valued.
3. Equal Wages Act give for equal wages for equal work. But in almost it not happen in all the field.
4.The sex ratio is very low.
5.In India the national average is 927.
6. Some part of India, it is as low as 850 or even 800, because parents prefer to have sons so they get the girl child aborted before her birth.
7. In a urban area women are unsafe. Even in their homes they suffer from beating, harassment and other forms of domestic violence.
CASTE INEQUALITIES IN INDIA
1.Caste has not disappeared from contemporary India and caste division is special to India.
2.Even now most people marry within their own caste.
3.The caste groups that had access to education under old system have done well, whereas those groups that did not have access to education have lagged behind.
4.There is a large presence of ‘upper taste’ among the urban middle classes in our country.
5.Caste continues to be linked to economic status as is evident from National Sample Survey.
6. Average economic status of caste groups still follows the old hierarchy—the ‘upper’ castes are best off, the Dalits and Adivasis are worst off and the backward classes are in between.
7.Upper castes are heavily over represented among the rich while the lower castes are under-represented.
8. SC, ST and OBC together account for about two-thirds of India’s population.
WOMEN'S REPRESENTATION IN INDIA'S LEGISLATIVE BODIES:-
1.The one way to ensure that women related problems get adequate attention is to have more women as elected representatives.
2.It is legally binding to have a fair proportion of women in the elected bodies.
3.Panchayati Raj in India has reserved one-third seats in Local Government bodies for women.
4.The proportion of women in legislature has been very low.
5.The percentage of elected women members in Lok Sabha is not even 10 per cent and in State Assemblies less than 5 per cent.
RELIGION AND POLITICS IN INDIA
1.Gandhiji said, “Religion can never be separated from politics”.
2.By religion he did not mean any particular religion like Hinduism or Islam, but moral values and ethics drawn from religion to guide politics.
3.Religion in politics is not as dangerous as it may seem to us.
4.Ethical values of each religion can play a major role in politics.
5.According to human rights groups, most of the victims of communal riots in our country are from religious minorities.
6.Government can take special steps to protect them. These instances show a relationship between religion and politics.
8.People should be able to express in politics their needs, interests and demands as members of a religious community.
9.It is the responsibility of those whose political power is able to regulate the practice of religion, to prevent discrimination and oppression.
REASONS WHICH HAVE CONTRIBUTED CHANGES IN CASTE SYSTEM:-
1.Efforts of political leaders and social reformers like Gandhiji, B.R. Ambedkar who advocated and worked to establish a society in which caste inequalities are absent.
2. Socio-economic changes such as:-
a) urbanization
b) growth of literacy
c) education
d) occupational mobility
e) weakening of landlord’s position in the village
f) breaking down of caste hierarchy
3.The Constitution of India prohibited any caste-based discrimination.
4.Provision of fundamental rights has played a major role because these rights are provided to all citizens without any discrimination.
Previous 15 Years' Questions (2010–2024
Section 1: Gender and Politics
1-Mark Questions
Q1. Define the term 'Feminist'. (2019, 2014)
* Answer: A woman or a man who believes in equal rights and opportunities for women and men.
Q2. What is meant by 'Sexual Division of Labour'? (2018, 2012)
* Answer: A system in which all work inside the home is either done by the women of the family or organised by them through domestic helpers, while men work outside to earn money.
Q3. What proportion of seats are reserved for women in local government bodies in India? (2020, 2015)
* Answer: One-third (33\%) of seats are reserved for women in rural (Panchayats) and urban (Municipalities) local bodies.
3-Mark Questions
Q4. "Women face disadvantage, discrimination, and oppression in various ways in India." Support the statement with three examples. (2023, 2020, 2016)
* Answer:
* Lower Literacy Rate: The literacy rate among women is only 54\% compared to 76\% among men. A smaller proportion of girls pursue higher education due to family preference for boys.
* Unequal Wages: Under the Equal Remuneration Act, women should be paid equally, yet in sports, cinema, agriculture, and factories, women are consistently paid less than men for identical work.
* Preference for Male Child: Sex-selective abortion has led to a decline in the child sex ratio in India.
Q5. Explain the status of women's political representation in India. (2019, 2017, 2013)
* Answer:
* National Parliament: The percentage of elected women MPs in the Lok Sabha has historically stayed low, crossing the 14\% mark only recently.
* State Assemblies: Women make up less than 5\% of the total strength in state legislative assemblies.
* Local Bodies: Due to the constitutional amendment granting one-third reservation, more than 10 lakh elected women representatives serve in rural and urban local bodies.
Section 2: Religion, Communalism, and Politics
1-Mark Questions
Q6. What did Mahatma Gandhi mean when he said "Religion can never be separated from politics"? (2017, 2014)
* Answer: Gandhi did not refer to any particular religion like Hinduism or Islam, but to the moral and ethical values derived from all religions that should guide political decisions.
Q7. Mention any one constitutional provision that makes India a secular state. (2024, 2019)
* Answer: There is no official religion for the Indian State (unlike Buddhism in Sri Lanka or Islam in Pakistan).
3-Mark Questions
Q8. State any three forms that communalism takes in Indian politics. (2020, 2018, 2015)
* Answer:
* Everyday Beliefs: Religious prejudices, stereotypes of religious communities, and belief in the superiority of one's religion over others.
* Political Mobilisation: Use of sacred symbols, religious leaders, emotional appeals, and plain fear to unite followers of one religion in the political arena.
* Communal Violence: In its extreme form, communalism leads to riots, targeted mob violence, and massacres (e.g., during the Partition of India).
Q9. Mention three constitutional provisions that ensure India is a secular state. (2023, 2018, 2011)
* Answer:
* No Official Religion: The Constitution does not grant special status to any religion.
* Freedom of Religion: All individuals and communities have the freedom to profess, practice, and propagate any religion, or not follow any.
* Prohibition of Discrimination: The Constitution prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion (Article 15) and permits the State to intervene in religious matters to ensure equality (e.g., banning untouchability).
Section 3: Caste and Politics
1-Mark Questions
Q10. Mention any two social reformers who worked to establish a society free from caste inequalities. (2019, 2013)
* Answer: Jyotirao Phule, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Mahatma Gandhi, and Periyar Ramaswami.
Q11. What is meant by 'Occupational Mobility'? (2016, 2012)
* Answer: The shift from one occupation to another, usually when a new generation takes up occupations other than those practiced by their ancestors.
3-Mark Questions
Q12. Explain the factors responsible for the breaking down of the caste system in modern India. (2023, 2019, 2014)
* Answer:
* Socio-Economic Changes: Large-scale urbanisation, growth of literacy and education, and occupational mobility have weakened caste rigidities.
* Economic Development: The weakening of landlord dominance in villages and the expansion of modern industrial jobs reduce traditional caste dependence.
* Constitutional Safeguards: The Constitution prohibited untouchability (Article 17) and outlawed caste-based discrimination in public appointments and access to institutions.
Q13. "Caste alone cannot determine election results in India." Justify with three arguments. (2020, 2016, 2015)
* Answer:
* No Single-Caste Majority: No parliamentary or assembly constituency in India has a clear majority of a single caste. Every candidate must win the confidence of multiple castes.
* Multiple Candidates from Same Caste: Political parties often field candidates from the same dominant caste, dividing caste-based votes.
* Performance & Anti-Incumbency: Sitting MPs and MLAs frequently lose elections, which would be impossible if caste loyalty were permanent and decisive.
Section 4: 5-Mark Long Answer Questions
Q14. How does caste take various forms in politics? Explain. (2020, 2017, 2015, 2010)
* Answer:
* Candidate Selection: When parties choose candidates, they consider the caste composition of the constituency and nominate candidates from castes that can secure a winning majority.
* Government Formation: When governments are formed, political parties ensure that representatives of different castes and tribes find a place in the council of ministers.
* Appeals to Caste Sentiment: During election campaigning, political parties make emotional appeals to caste sentiments to mobilise voter support.
* Universal Adult Franchise Impact: One-person-one-vote compelled political leaders to gear up to mobilise and secure political support from castes previously treated as inferior.
* "Vote Bank" Politics: Certain castes are perceived as loyal voter bases for particular political parties.
Q15. Explain how politics also influences the caste system. (2019, 2017, 2014)
* Answer:
* Expansion of Caste Identity: Each caste group tries to become bigger by incorporating neighboring sub-castes or related groups that were previously excluded.
* Coalition Building: Different caste groups enter into coalitions or negotiations with other castes or communities, leading to new power-sharing dialogues.
* New Political Groupings: New kinds of caste identities have emerged in the political arena, such as 'backward' and 'forward' caste groups.
* Platform for Voicing Grievances: Politics provides disadvantaged groups (Dalits and OBCs) a platfor
m to demand their share of power, dignity, and access to resources.
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