PM SHRI KENDRIYA VIDYALAYA GACHIBOWLI, GPRA CAMPUS, HYD–32

PRACTICE PAPER 15 (2024-25)

Political Science - Chapter 03 Gender, Religion and Caste
(ANSWERS)
SUBJECT: SOCIAL SCIENCE MAX. MARKS : 40
CLASS : X DURATION : 1½ hrs
General Instructions:
(i). All questions are compulsory.
(ii). This question paper contains 18 questions divided into five Sections A, B, C, D and E.
(iii). Section A comprises of 8 MCQs of 1 mark each. Section B comprises of 3 questions of 2 marks
each. Section C comprises of 4 questions of 3 marks each. Section D comprises of 2 questions of
5 marks each and Section E comprises of 1 Case Study Based Questions of 4 marks each.
(iv). There is no overall choice.
(v). Use of Calculators is not permitted
SECTION – A
Questions 1 to 8 carry 1 mark each.
1. Given below is a cartoon created by Neelabh Banerjee, the renowned Indian cartoonist,
illustrator and comics artist.

What is the cartoon trying to depict?

(a) The sexual division of labour in India
(b) Natural and unchangeable gender divisions
(c) Income generating activities done by women in rural India
(d) The ability of men to contribute equally to domestic work as women
Ans. (a) The sexual division of labour in India
2. Which one of the following options best signifies this cartoon?

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 (a) It shows an understanding why the women’s reservation bill is not passed in the parliament.
(b) It shows an understanding of why the canteen rates of the parliament are extremely low.
(c) It shows an understanding of the elections and domination of one party over the parliament.
(d) none of the above
Ans. (a) It shows an understanding why the women’s reservation bill is not passed in the
parliament.

3. Identify the reason why caste alone cannot determine elections in India.
(I) No party can win the votes of all the voters of a caste or community.
(II) Political parties appease certain castes and ignore others.
(III) No parliamentary constituency in the country has a clear majority of one single caste, people
from different castes live in each constituency.
(IV) Mobilising and securing political support has brought new consciousness among the lower
castes.
Codes:
(a) (I) only (b) (II) only (c) (I) & (IV) only (d) (I), (II) & (III) only
Ans. (d) (I), (II) & (III) only

4. Study the following picture and answer the question that follows :

Which of the following option best signifies this cartoon ?

(a) Political leaders treat people belonging to a caste as 'vote banks'.
(b) In elections, political parties give tickets to the candidates on the basis of caste.
(c) Candidates in elections make appeals to caste sentiment to muster support.
(d) None of the above.
Ans. (a) Political leaders treat people belonging to a caste as 'vote banks'.

5. Which of the following statements is correct?

(a) Caste is an important source of economic inequality because it regulates access to resources
of various kinds.
(b) The upper castes are heavily underrepresented among the rich while the lower castes are
severely overrepresented.
(c) The backward castes are best off economically.
(d) The relationship between caste and economic status has remained the same over the years.
Ans. (a) Caste is an important source of economic inequality because it regulates access to
resources of various kinds.
Caste regulates access to resources of various kinds. Higher castes have greater access to
resources and lower castes are deprived of them. Thus, members of higher castes are usually rich
and lower castes have to face poverty.

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6. Which among the following statements about the Constitution of India is wrong?
(a) It prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion.
(b) It gives official status to one religion.
(c) It ensures equality of citizens within religious communities.
(d) It ensures everyone's freedom to profess any religion.
Ans. (b) It gives official status to one religion.
The Indian constitution is secular in principle. It gives respect and recognition to all the religions.
The Indian Constitution also entitles the citizens of the country, the fundamental rights to protect,
profess and freedom to practise their religions.

In the following questions 7 and 8, a statement of assertion (A) is followed by a statement of

Reason (R). Choose the correct answer out of the following choices.
(a) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of
Assertion (A)
(b) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of
Assertion (A)
(c) Assertion (A) is true but Reason (R) is false
(d) Assertion (A) is false but Reason (R) is true

7. Assertion (A): No party wins the votes of all the voters of a caste or community.
Reason (R): Every candidate and party needs to win the confidence of more than one caste and
community to win elections.
Ans. (a) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of
Assertion (A)
No Parliamentary constituency in the country has a clear majority of one single caste. No Party
wins the votes of all the voters of a caste or community. So, every candidate and party needs to
win the confidence of more than one caste and community to win elections.

8. Assertion (A): Women in different parts of the world organised and agitated for equal rights.
Reason (R): There were agitations in different countries for the extension of voting rights to
women.
Ans. (a) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of
Assertion (A)
Women across the world have organized movements and agitated for equal rights, including
issues such as voting rights, property rights, education, and fair treatment in society.
One of the major aspects of the women’s rights movements worldwide was the struggle for
suffrage, or the right to vote. Women in many countries protested and fought for this right, which
was gradually extended to them over time.
The Reason (R) supports the Assertion (A) by providing a specific example of how women
organized and agitated for equal rights, with voting rights being one significant focus of their
efforts.

SECTION – B
Questions 9 to 11 carry 2 marks each.
9. (i) What do you mean by patriarchal society?
(ii) How much representation do local governments provide for women in India?
Ans. (i) Patriarchal society is a male-dominated social system wherein males hold primary and
maximum power. In this society, women are not given equal chances.
(ii) One-third of all the seats present in the local governments institutions are reserved for
women.

10. “Women face discrimination in various ways in our society.” Explain any two ways.

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 Ans. Women face discrimination in multiple ways in our society everyday. This can be
understood through the following points:
(i) Women's contributions to the nation's political and public spheres are minimal. They are
underrepresented in important institutions.
(ii) They are paid less than their male counterparts for the same amount of work. They are also
stereotyped as caregivers.

11. “Sometimes elections are all about castes in India.” How can this situation be avoided?
Ans. To prevent or avoid this, political leaders should be encouraged to work for national and
social welfare rather than focusing on one caste or community. Voters should be educated to
choose candidates based on talent.
OR
(i) What does the term ‘Scheduled’ denotes in ‘Scheduled castes’ and ‘Scheduled tribes’?
(ii) “Caste system is still prevalent in the Indian society.” Suggest any one measure to abolish it.
Ans. (i) 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.
(ii) Casteism can be abolished by providing educational, employment opportunities and health
facilities to all the citizens of the country without any prejudice of discrimination.

SECTION – C
Questions 12 to 15 carry 3 marks each.
12. How can caste take several forms in politics? Explain with examples.
Ans. Caste can take several forms in politics in the following ways:
(i) When a government is formed post elections, political parties take care that different castes
are represented in the government.
(ii) Political parties appeal to caste sentiments during elections to gain votes.
(iii) Voters vote on the basis of caste. Caste heavily affects their choice.
(iv) Political parties raise caste based issues during elections. This is done to gain support as the
‘one man one vote’ system or adult franchise has made the voter very powerful.
(v) The castes considered inferior or low until now have been made conscious of their rights by
the political parties. (any three points)

13. Describe the three advantages of the political expression of caste differences.
Ans. Three advantages of the political expression of caste differences are as follows:
(i) It gives disadvantaged groups an opportunity to enjoy their due share in decision making and
power.
(ii) Political parties take up the issue of ending caste discrimination.
(iii) Measures for uplifting the status of economically, socially and educationally backward
castes are undertaken by various parties, in collective interest or selfish interests to gain power in
politics.

14. Suppose a politician seeks your vote on the religious ground. Why is his act considered against
the norms of democracy? Explain.
Ans. His act is against the spirit of democracy as the said politician is not working as per the
Constitution.
(i) It also exploits the social difference.
(ii) It may create social discord and may lead to social division.
(iii) It is also a biased attitude and neglects the principle of equality.
OR
‘‘In politics, the focus on caste can sometimes give an impression that elections are all about
caste and nothing else.’’ Justify the statement.

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 Ans. (i) When parties choose candidates in elections, they keep in mind the caste composition of
the electorate and nominate candidates from different castes so as to get necessary support to win
elections.
(ii) Political parties and candidates in elections make appeal to caste sentiment to muster support.
Some political parties are known to favour some castes and are seen as their representatives.
(iii) 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.

15. “Secularism is not an ideology of some political parties or persons, but it is one of the
foundations of our country.” Examine the statement.
Ans. Secularism is not an ideology of political parties but is the foundations of our country
because -
(i) There is no official religion of the Indian state. 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.
(ii) The Constitution provides to all individuals and communities freedom to profess, practice
and propagate any religion, or not to follow any.
(iii) The Constitution prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion.
OR
How is gender division understood in Indian society? To what extent does political mobilisation
on gender basis helps to improve women’s role in public life?
Ans. (i) In Indian society, gender division tends to be understood as natural and unchangeable. It
is based on social expectations and stereotypes.
(ii) This attitude leads to sexual division of labour i.e., boys and girls are brought up to believe
that the main responsibility of women is housework and bringing up children, whereas all the
outside works are to be done by men.
(iii) The result of this division of labour is that though the women constitute almost half the
population, their role in public life is minimal.
(iv) Political expression and political mobilisation on this question helped to improve women’s
role in public life. We now find women working as scientists, doctors, engineers, teachers, etc.
Now, with a lot of efforts, 33% seats are reserved for women in local government bodies.
(Any other relevant point may be explained)

SECTION – D
Questions 16 to 17 carry 5 marks.
16. Women still lag much behind men in India despite some improvements since independence.
Analyse the statement.
Ans. In our country, women still lag much behind men despite some improvements since
Independence. Women face disadvantage, discrimination and oppression in various ways :
(i) The literacy rate among women is only 54 percent as compared with 76 percent among men.
(ii) Similarly, a smaller proportion of girl students go for higher studies. When look at school
results, girls perform as well as boys, if not better at some places. But they drop out because
parents prefer to spend their resources for their boys education rather than spending equally on
their sons and daughters.
(iii) The proportion of women among the highly paid and valued jobs is still very small. On an
average an Indian women works one hour more than an average man everyday.
(iv) The Equal Wages Act provides that equal wages should be paid to equal work. However in
almost all areas of work, from sports and cinema, to factories and fields, women are paid less
than men, even when both do exactly the same work.
(v) In many parts of India, parents prefer to have sons and find ways to have the girl child
aborted before she is born. Such sex selective abortion led to a decline in child sex ratio.
(vi) Women face harassment, exploitation and violence on the domestic front.
OR

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 How can the relationship between politics and religion be beneficial and problematic at the same
time? Explain.
Ans. The relationship between politics and religion can be beneficial:
(i) Influence of religion can make politics ethical.
(ii) Religious communities can politically express their needs and interests. Politics can help
ensure their freedom and equality.
(iii) Political authorities can monitor and control religious oppression.
The relationship can be also problematic:
(i) Religion can lead to development of nationalist sentiments leading to birth of conflicts.
(ii) Political parties use religion to make political gains by appeasing one and ignoring others.
(iii) State power may be used to establish the domination of one religious group over another.

17. “Caste has not still disappeared from contemporary India”. Do you agree with the statement?
Justify your answer with suitable arguments.
Ans. Yes, I agree that caste has not still disappeared from contemporary India. This can be
asserted in the following ways:
(i) People still prefer to marry within their own tribes, castes and communities.
(ii) Untouchability is still prevalent and still practiced across the countries.
(iii) There are caste and community related insecurities and conflicts.
(iv) Lower and Backward castes still do not have access to education.
(v) Castes are still linked to economic status.
OR
Define communalism. Explain any three forms of communalism in the Indian politics.
Ans. Communalism: It means attempts to promote religious ideas between groups of people who
are identified as different communities.
Communalism can take various forms in politics:
(i) Communalism in daily beliefs: The most common expression of communalism is in everyday
beliefs. These routinely involve religious prejudices, the stereotype of religious communities and
belief in the superiority of one’s religion over other religions. This is so common that we often
fail to notice it, even when we believe in it.
(ii) Creation of political parties: A communal mind often leads to a quest for political dominance
of one’s own religious community. For those belonging to the majority community, this takes the
form of majoritarian dominance. For those belonging to the minority community, it can take the
form of a desire to form a separate political unit.
(iii) Political mobilisation: 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.
(iv) Sometimes, communalism takes its most ugly form of communal violence, riots and
massacre.

SECTION – E (Case Study Based Questions)

Questions 18 carry 4 marks each.
18. Political participation of women in India is very less when compared to other countries. Only
10% of the total members in Lok Sabha are women. The situation is worse in state assemblies
where only 5% of the total members are women. The women reservation bill to encourage the
participation of women is still pending since past decade. Women have entered into every field
but they are still paid less than their male counter parts. Proportion of women in highlypaid jobs
is still less and studies have showed that on an average they work more than men and yet paid
less. Although the Equal Remuneration Act provides provision for equal wages should be paid
for equal work.

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 (a) What is the status of representation of women in the legislature? (1)
(b) What is the status of the women reservation bill in India in the central and state legislature? (1)
(c) What is the economic status of working women in India? (2)
Ans. (a) The representation of the women in the legislature is very less which is around 10% at
the national level and 5% at the state level.
(b) The women reservation bill which aims to provide 33% reservation to the women in
legislature is pending at the centre and has not been passed till date due to political deadlocks
and lack of will of the legislators.
(c) In past two decades women have been successful in making a strong position in the
professional world however till today they receive lesser salaries than the men and has been kept
away from the powerful positions which have great impact. Strong initiatives should be taken to
make the position of the women stronger in the workplaces.

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