Gender, Religion and Caste in Indian Democracy: 19 MCQs with answers

Social expectations and stereotypes

Gender division is a hierarchical social division based on social expectations and stereotypes, not biology.

To achieve equal rights and opportunities for women and men

Feminist movements agitated for equal rights, voting rights, and improved political and legal status for women, aiming at equality between genders.

919 girls per thousand boys

Sex-selective abortion has reduced India's child sex ratio to merely 919 girls per thousand boys, and below 850 or even 800 in some States.

14.36 per cent

The percentage of elected women members in Lok Sabha touched 14.36 per cent for the first time in 2019.

In Lok Sabha, State Assemblies, and Delhi Assembly

The Women's Reservation Act, 2023 gives 33 per cent reservation for women in Lok Sabha, State Legislative Assemblies, and the Delhi Assembly.

Religion is the principal basis of social community

Communalism is the belief that religion is the principal basis of social community and that different religions cannot coexist as equal citizens.

True

The Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 provides that equal wages should be paid to equal work, yet women are paid less than men in almost all areas of work in India.

Women work more hours but their work is unpaid and invisible

The survey shows women work longer hours overall, but much of their work is unpaid household labour that is not valued or recognised.

Their work is unpaid and does not generate income

Women's work is not valued because it is unpaid and invisible. When the same jobs are paid, men readily take them up, showing the division is about patriarchy, not capability.

There is a gap between constitutional rights and everyday reality

Despite legal protections like the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976, women face lower literacy and unequal wages, showing a gap between constitutional rights and ground reality.

More than 10 lakh elected women representatives in rural and urban local bodies

Panchayati Raj reservation has created more than 10 lakh elected women representatives in rural and urban local bodies.

Communal violence, riots, and massacre

Communalism can take various forms, and in its ugliest form it leads to communal violence, riots, and massacre.

There is no official religion for the Indian state

The Indian Constitution establishes a secular state with no official religion, unlike Buddhism in Sri Lanka, Islam in Pakistan, or Christianity in England.

Hereditary occupational division was sanctioned by rituals

The caste system is special to India because hereditary occupational division was sanctioned by rituals, and it was based on exclusion and discrimination against 'outcaste' groups.

To ensure equality within religious communities, such as banning untouchability

The Constitution allows state intervention in religion to ensure equality within religious communities, for example by banning untouchability.

Strengthening of the ritual sanction of hereditary occupation

Urbanisation, education, occupational mobility, and weakening of landlords have broken down old caste hierarchies. The strengthening of ritual sanction would reinforce, not weaken, caste hierarchy.

It may enhance women's political visibility, but systemic barriers will still hinder their effectiveness.

The correct option highlights that while the Act aims to increase women's visibility in politics, it does not eliminate systemic barriers such as societal biases and discrimination that women face, which can affect their effectiveness in political roles.

Caste influences political dynamics, but economic status and party loyalty also play significant roles.

The correct option recognizes that while caste is a significant factor in political representation, it interacts with other elements such as economic status and party loyalty, making the electoral landscape more complex than a simple caste-based analysis.

It leads to women's work being undervalued and unrecognized, impacting their economic independence.

The correct option illustrates that the public/private division results in women's work being largely unpaid and invisible, which undermines their economic independence and perpetuates gender inequality in the workforce.