Class 10 Social Science Notes Chapter 4 (Gender; religion and caste) – Democritic Politics Book

Detailed Notes with MCQs of Chapter 4: 'Gender, Religion and Caste' from your Democratic Politics textbook. This chapter is crucial not just for your Class 10 understanding but also forms a foundational part of the syllabus for many government exams, as it deals with social divisions and their interaction with politics in India. Pay close attention to the concepts and constitutional aspects.

Chapter 4: Gender, Religion and Caste - Detailed Notes for Government Exam Preparation

Core Idea: This chapter examines how social differences based on gender, religion, and caste manifest in the political arena. It explores whether such expressions of social divisions are always detrimental to democracy or if they can be accommodated.

1. Gender and Politics

• Sexual Division of Labour:
  • A system where work inside the home (household chores, childcare) is primarily assigned to women, while men are expected to work outside for pay.
  • This is based on social expectations and stereotypes, not biological differences (except childbirth/breastfeeding).
  • Result: Women's work often remains unpaid, undervalued, and invisible. Even when women work outside for wages, they often still bear the primary responsibility for housework.
• Feminism & Feminist Movements:
  • Feminism: A range of social movements, political movements, and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Believes in equal rights and opportunities for women and men.
  • Goals: Challenging the sexual division of labour, demanding equality in personal and family life (e.g., inheritance laws), seeking equal political and legal status, improving educational and career opportunities.
• Political Expression of Gender Issues:
  • Women organized and agitated for equal rights, leading to improvements in some areas.
  • Key demands include:
    • Extension of voting rights (achieved earlier in many countries).
    • Improvement in educational and career opportunities.
    • Equality in personal and family laws.
    • Political Representation: Demand for reservation of seats for women in legislatures.
• Women's Political Representation in India:
  • Legislatures (Lok Sabha/State Assemblies): Remains very low. Women's representation in Lok Sabha has generally hovered around 10-15%, which is significantly lower than many other democracies.
  • Local Government (Panchayats and Municipalities): Constitutional Mandate (73rd & 74th Amendments) reserves one-third (1/3rd) of seats in local government bodies for women. This has significantly increased women's participation at the grassroots level (over 10 lakh elected women representatives).
  • Women's Reservation Bill: A long-pending bill proposes reserving 1/3rd of seats in Lok Sabha and State Assemblies for women. (Note: The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam was passed in 2023, but its implementation is linked to future delimitation based on a census).
• Indicators of Gender Discrimination & Inequality in India:
  • Literacy Rate: Lower for women compared to men (though the gap is closing).
  • Higher Education: Proportion of girls pursuing higher studies is smaller.
  • Wages: Women are often paid less than men for similar work (violates the principle of 'equal wages for equal work').
  • Sex Ratio: Number of girls per 1000 boys. India has a low and declining child sex ratio in many parts, indicating sex-selective abortion and preference for male children.
  • Health: Women face discrimination in access to healthcare and nutrition.
  • Safety & Security: High rates of harassment, exploitation, and violence against women.

2. Religion, Communalism and Politics

• Religious Diversity: India is home to followers of diverse religions, making it a multi-religious society.
• Religion in Politics (Potential Issues):
  • Gandhiji believed religion could not be separated from politics, but by religion, he meant moral values and ethics drawn from all religions.
  • Human rights groups argue that victims of communal riots are often religious minorities, demanding state intervention to protect them.
  • Women's movements argue that family laws of all religions discriminate against women, demanding government intervention for equality.
  • The Danger: When religion is used in politics to promote the interests of one group exclusively and often in opposition to others, it leads to communalism.
• Communalism:
  • Definition: An ideology based on the belief that religion is the principal basis of social community. It assumes that people following the same religion have common fundamental interests, often different from and antagonistic to those following other religions.
  • Manifestations:
    • Everyday beliefs: Stereotyping religious communities.
    • Political Dominance: Desire to establish the dominance of one's own religious community.
    • Political Mobilisation: Using sacred symbols, religious leaders, emotional appeals, and fear to bring followers of one religion together in the political arena, often against other religious groups.
    • Extreme Form: Communal violence, riots, and massacres (e.g., Partition violence, anti-Sikh riots 1984, Gujarat riots 2002).
• Secular State (India's Model):
  • Definition: A state that does not establish any one religion as the official religion.
  • Key Features of Indian Secularism (Constitutional Provisions):
    • No Official Religion: India does not have a state religion like Buddhism in Sri Lanka or Islam in Pakistan.
    • Freedom of Religion: The Constitution grants all individuals and communities freedom to profess, practice, and propagate any religion, or not to follow any. (Article 25)
    • Non-Discrimination: The Constitution prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion. (Article 15)
    • Equality: Guarantees equality before the law and equal protection of the laws. (Article 14)
    • State Intervention: Allows the state to intervene in religious matters to ensure equality within religious communities (e.g., banning untouchability, reforming discriminatory personal laws). This distinguishes Indian secularism from strict separation models where the state cannot interfere at all.
  • Secularism is a cornerstone of the Indian Constitution and fundamental to its democratic fabric. Communalism poses a significant threat to this foundation.

3. Caste and Politics

• Caste System:
  • A traditional system of social stratification unique to the Indian subcontinent.
  • Based on hereditary occupational divisions.
  • Hierarchical: Castes are ranked, leading to discrimination against 'lower' castes.
  • Historically sanctioned segregation and exclusion, particularly 'untouchability' against the Dalits (Scheduled Castes).
• Persistence of Caste Inequality:
  • Despite efforts by social reformers (Jyotiba Phule, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Gandhiji, Periyar Ramaswami Naicker) and constitutional guarantees, caste inequalities persist.
  • Modernization, economic development, urbanization, and literacy have weakened the system but not eliminated it.
  • Caste continues to influence social life, including marriage (most people marry within their caste), access to education, and economic opportunities. Untouchability, though banned by the Constitution (Article 17), still occurs in subtle and overt forms.
• Caste in Politics (How Caste Influences Politics):
  • Candidate Selection: Parties consider the caste composition of constituencies when selecting candidates to appeal to dominant caste groups.
  • Appeals to Caste Sentiment: Political parties and leaders make appeals to caste sentiments to mobilize support.
  • Caste-Based Parties: Some political parties are known to favour particular castes and are seen as their representatives.
  • Universal Adult Franchise: Forced political parties to mobilize support from all sections, including previously excluded lower castes, giving them political leverage.
• Politics in Caste (How Politics Influences Caste):
  • Broadening Identities: Caste groups try to widen their base by incorporating neighbouring sub-castes or castes previously excluded.
  • Coalitions & Alliances: Various caste groups enter into dialogue, negotiation, and alliances to gain political power (e.g., alliances of OBC groups).
  • New Categories: Emergence of political categories like 'Backward' (OBC - Other Backward Classes) and 'Forward' castes, which are political coalitions rather than single castes.
• Nuances and Limitations:
  • No parliamentary constituency has a clear majority of a single caste.
  • No party wins the votes of all voters of a particular caste.
  • Voters have multiple identities (class, region, gender, etc.) that influence their voting decisions, not just caste.
  • Leadership quality and government performance also significantly impact voter choice.
• Positive & Negative Aspects:
  • Positive: Expression of caste differences in politics has allowed marginalized communities (Dalits, OBCs) to demand their share of power and resources, access decision-making, and fight discrimination.
  • Negative: An exclusive focus on caste can lead to social conflict, tension, violence, and distract from crucial issues of development like poverty, corruption, etc.

Conclusion:

Social divisions based on gender, religion, and caste are a reality in India. Their expression in politics is inevitable and not always negative. Democracy provides a framework to accommodate these differences and allows marginalized groups to voice their grievances and demand justice. However, when these divisions are manipulated for political gain leading to exclusion, conflict, or violence (like communalism or extreme casteism), they pose a serious threat to democratic values and national unity. The Indian Constitution provides safeguards (like secularism, fundamental rights, reservations) to manage these divisions democratically.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) for Practice:

1. The system where most work inside the home is done by women, while men work outside, is known as:
   a) Feminism
   b) Sexual division of labour
   c) Patriarchy
   d) Communalism

2. Which feature is characteristic of a Secular State like India?
   a) The state has an official religion.
   b) The state prohibits the practice of all religions.
   c) The state does not discriminate on the basis of religion.
   d) The state promotes one religion over others.

3. Communalism in politics primarily involves:
   a) Believing that different religions should coexist peacefully.
   b) Using religion for political gain, often by pitting one community against another.
   c) Focusing on moral values derived from all religions in governance.
   d) Advocating for equal rights for all religious groups.

4. What percentage of seats are reserved for women in local government bodies (Panchayats and Municipalities) in India?
   a) 10%
   b) 25%
   c) One-third (33.3%)
   d) 50%

5. Which social reformer worked extensively for the eradication of the caste system and untouchability?
   a) Mahatma Gandhi
   b) Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
   c) Jyotiba Phule
   d) All of the above

6. The Indian Constitution prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion under which Fundamental Right category?
   a) Right to Freedom
   b) Right against Exploitation
   c) Right to Equality
   d) Cultural and Educational Rights

7. Which of the following is NOT typically considered a manifestation of communalism in politics?
   a) Spreading stereotypes about religious minorities.
   b) Mobilising voters purely on religious lines against other communities.
   c) Advocating for state intervention to ensure equality within religious personal laws.
   d) Inciting communal violence for political ends.

8. The term 'Feminist' refers to a person (man or woman) who believes in:
   a) Superiority of women over men.

   • b) Traditional gender roles.
     c) Equal rights and opportunities for women and men.
     d) Separate political systems for men and women.

9. Which factor has contributed to the political empowerment of formerly disadvantaged caste groups like Dalits and OBCs in India?
   a) The persistence of untouchability.
   b) Universal Adult Franchise and democratic elections.
   c) Economic liberalization alone.
   d) The decline of regional parties.

10. Caste hierarchy in India is primarily based on:
    a) Economic status
    b) Educational qualification
    c) Hereditary occupation and birth
    d) Political affiliation

Answer Key for MCQs:

1. b) Sexual division of labour
2. c) The state does not discriminate on the basis of religion.
3. b) Using religion for political gain, often by pitting one community against another.
4. c) One-third (33.3%)
5. d) All of the above (All three worked significantly against caste discrimination)
6. c) Right to Equality (Specifically Article 15)
7. c) Advocating for state intervention to ensure equality within religious personal laws (This is often done by women's groups or human rights groups based on principles of equality, not necessarily communalism).
8. c) Equal rights and opportunities for women and men.
9. b) Universal Adult Franchise and democratic elections.
10. c) Hereditary occupation and birth

Remember to connect these concepts to current events and constitutional articles when preparing for government exams. Good luck with your preparation!