Project Work Sociology-12

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According to Latest Syllabus and Guidelines prescribed by the
Central Board of Secondary Education, New Delhi
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for the Academic year 2022-23.
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Project Work in PR
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Sociology
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By For class
XII
Dr. Aishwarya Raina Sharma
M.A., Ph.D., P.G.T. (Sociology)
UGC-NET Qualified
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Goyal Brothers Prakashan
educational PuBlishers
Sales & Registered Office :
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11/1903, Chuna Mandi, Paharganj, New Delhi - 110055
Post Box : 5720, Phones : 43551877, 43561877
E-mail : info@goyal-books.com
Website : www.goyal-books.com
Administrative Office :
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D-231, Sector 63, Noida-201301 (U.P.)
Phone : 0120-4655555
SHOWROOMS
Ahmedabad : Y-10, Dev Castle Complex Opp. Radhekrishan Villa, Jaymala-Govindwadi Road Isanpur,
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Ahmedabad–382 443 (Gujarat) Tel : 09925004030
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(Tamil Nadu) Tel : 044-29530414, Fax : 044-29530874
Guwahati : H. No. 69, KRB Road, Beside Bharalumukh, SO
Guwahati – 781009 (Assam), Phone : 0361-2967044 Email : guwahati@goyal-books.com
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Kolkata - 700014, Phone : 033-22262683
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Bengaluru - 560 021, Phone : 080-23320655

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Tele-fax : 0755-4271371
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Lucknow - 226 006, Phone : 0522-2320841

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Pani Tanki Lane, Pirmohani, Patna – 800003
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Phone : 9823655077
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To buy our books online log on to www.goyal-books.com

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© Reserved
Edition : May, 2022
Price : ` 299
Disclaimer
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Due care and diligence has been taken while writing, editing and printing the book.
Neither the author nor the publishers of the book hold any responsibility for any
mistakes that may have inadvertently crept in.
Published & Printed by

Roshan Lal Goyal for Goyal Brothers Prakashan, New Delhi
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PREFACE
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Sociology as subject gives its student a very rational, realistic, diversified and unbiased
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view about Society. However, without practical knowledge and research on social issues
it is almost impossible to comprehend all the basic concepts, principles and concerns
erupting in society which are a major part of this subject. To further reinforce these
objectives, the CBSE has introduced Project Work in Sociology, at the senior secondary
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level where students need to associate with this Project work to develop the skills of
Research Methodology, Sampling breaking barriers of biases and pre-conceived notions
to reach out to people keeping in mind the Sociological Principles. Sociology widens the
students’ horizons towards society and social issues. It also helps students to understand
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the changes in the structure and culture of society from earlier times to modern Era.
Students also become aware of how a particular social issue impacts youth, India and the
world. The theme outlined in the book is linked to the diverse social issues across the world
and will help students to become global citizens by perceiving all social issues globally.
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We are pleased to introduce our project guidelines book in Sociology for students preparing
for the CBSE Class 12 Examination. This book strictly follows the latest syllabus prescribed
by the CBSE.
Some salient features of this book are:
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● Detailed guidelines issued by the CBSE to make students aware of the purpose and
scope of the project along with the proposed list of topics.
● Extensive research has been done on each topic with appropriate Review of Literature,
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Articles as evidence and Questionnaire on the Topic.

● Viva-Voce Questions are provided on the particular topics at the end of each project.
● Analysis and Interpretation of the Research Questions are enclosed to enhance the
quality of research.
Every effort has been made to familiarise students with the stepwise work that is required
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for Sociology Projects. We hope this book will meet the expectations of Teachers and
Students of the subject. Furthermore, we will always welcome your valuable suggestions
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for the betterment of this book.

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— Author
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CBSE GUIDELINES FOR SOCIOLOGY PROJECT WORK
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One Project to be done throughout the session, as per the existing scheme.
objectives of Project Work

Objectives of project work are to enable learners to:
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● probe deeper into personal enquiry, initiate action and reflect on knowledge and skills, views, etc. acquired
during the course of class XI-XII.
● analyse and evaluate real-world scenarios using theoretical constructs and arguments.
● demonstrate the application of critical and creative thinking skills and abilities to produce an independent
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and extended piece of work.
● follow up aspects in which learners have interest.
● develop the communication skills to argue logically.
role of the teacher

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The teacher plays a critical role in developing thinking skills of the learners. A teacher should:
● help each learner select the topic after detailed discussions and deliberations of the topic;
● play the role of a facilitator to support and monitor the project work of the learner through periodic discussions;
● guide the research work in terms of sources for the relevant data;
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● ensure that students must understand the relevance and usage of primary evidence and other sources in
their projects and duly acknowledge the same;
● ensure that the students are able to derive a conclusion from the content; cite the limitations faced during
the research and give appropriate references used in doing the research work.
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● educate learner about plagiarism and the importance of quoting the source of the information to ensure
authenticity of research work.
● prepare the learner for the presentation of the project work.
● arrange a presentation of the project file.
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assessMent
allocation of Marks (20)
The marks will be allocated under the following heads:
C. Project undertaken during the academic year at school level 20 Marks
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1. Introduction 2 Marks
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2. Statement of Purpose 2 Marks

3. Research Question 2 Marks
4. Methodology 3 Marks
5. Data Analysis 4 Marks
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6. Conclusion 2 Marks
Total 15 Marks
D. Viva–based on the project work 05 Marks
Note: The project reports are to be preserved by the school till the final results are declared, for scrutiny by CBSE.
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one Project to be done throughout the session, as per the existing scheme.
steps involved in the conduct of the project
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Students may work upon the following lines as a suggested flow chart:
Choose a Title/topic
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Need of the Study, Objective of the Study
Hypothesis
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Content - Timeline, Mind maps, Pictures, etc.
(Organization of Material/Data
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Present Material/Data)
Analysing the Material/Data for Conclusion

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Draw the Relevant Conclusion

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Bibliography
expected checklist for the Project Work

● Introduction of topic/title
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● Identifying the causes, events, consequences and/or remedies

● Various stakeholders and effect on each of them
● Advantages and disadvantages of situations or issues identified
● Short-term and long-term implications of strategies suggested during research
● Validity, reliability, appropriateness, and relevance of data used for research work and for presentation in
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the project file

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● Presentation and writing that is succinct and coherent in project file

● Citation of the materials referred to, in the file in footnotes, resources section, bibliography etc.
assessment of Project Work

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● Project Work has broadly the following phases: Synopsis/ Initiation, Data Collection, Data Analysis and
Interpretation, Conclusion.
● The aspects of the project work to be covered by students can be assessed during the academic year.
● 20 marks assigned for Project Work can be divided in the following manner:
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PROJECT WORK: 20 Marks
The teacher will assess the progress of the project work in the following manner:
Month Periodic Work Assessment Rubrics Marks
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April - July Instructions about Project Guidelines,
Introduction, Statement of Purpose/Need and 5
Background reading Discussions on objectives of the study, Hypothesis/Research
Theme and Selection of the Final Topic,
Question, Review of Literature, Presentation
Initiation/ Synopsis of Evidence, Methodology, Questionnaire,
Data Collection.
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August - October Planning and organization: forming Significance and relevance of the topic; 6
an action plan, feasibility, or baseline challenges encountered while conducting
study, Updating/modifying the action the research.
plan, Data Collection
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November - Content/data analysis and Content analysis and its relevance in the 5
January interpretation. current scenario.
Conclusion, Limitations, Suggestions, Conclusion, Limitations, Bibliography,

Bibliography, Annexures and overall Annexures and Overall Presentation.
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presentation of the project.
January - Final Assessment and VIVA by both External/Internal Viva based on the project 4
February Internal and External Examiners
TOTAL 10
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Viva-Voce
● At the end, each learner will present the research work in the Project File to the External and Internal
examiner.
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● The questions should be asked from the Research Work/ Project File of the learner.
● The Internal Examiner should ensure that the study submitted by the learner is his/her own original work.
● In case of any doubt, authenticity should be checked and verified.
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stePWise Guideline For WritinG the socioloGy ProJect

1. Cover Page - Research Topic and Decoration
2. Research Question
3. Certificate
4. Index: (a) Acknowledgement, (b) Introduction and (c) Statement of purpose: Relevance of the topic with
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regards to (i) World, (ii) India, (iii) Youth and you.

You can also do a Hypothesis here i.e. select 2 questions and assume the answers the respondents will give.
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5. Methodology: What are the methods selected and advantages of the method
reason for selecting the method or methods
Sample Selection: (i) Name of the respondents (ii) age group (iii) why this age group (iv) Area (v) why this
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Area
6. Presentation of the Evidence: (i) Select articles related to your topic (ii) Stick them on the blank side of
your project (iii) comment on them on the ruled side
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7. Analysis and Interpretation: Of the data collected by questionnaire (closed and open-ended questions)
with pie diagram on the blank side and tally graph on ruled side along with explanation per question
8. Evaluation: Elaborate the open-ended questions per person and their views
9. Limitations: What problems did you face while doing this research e.g. Questionnaire not returned on time,
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incomplete questionnaire returned, not ready to give exact answer or their POV.
10. Outcome: First Paragraph what new have you learnt from this research; second paragraph what personal
qualities have been enhanced, e.g., time management skills, patience, planning, etc.
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toPics For ProJect Work (socioloGy)
1. Portrayal of women in Media 2. Social impact of the Pandemic
3. Single parenting 4. Depression in Youth
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5. Is Caste still rigid in India? 6. Human Trafficking
7. Fake Identities in India 8. Social Media
9. Cyber crime 10. Leadership in Modern Era
11. Role of women in Politics 12. Should Youth directly engage in politics
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13. Is Marriage as an institution collapsing in India? 14. Conception of Beauty in Our society
15. Challenges of Virtual Schooling 16. Depression in Youth
17. Youth Entrepreneurs - Change in Businesses 18. Role of Youth in politics
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19. Fake Baba's in India 20. Difference between Tradition and Superstition
21. Honour Killing - Measures to eliminate this practice 22. Increasing Divorces in India - A matter of Concern
23. Women Empowerment 24. Surrogacy - Pros and Cons
25. Joint Family - is it really eroding in India 26. Ragging and laws to curtail it
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27. Do the current youth believe in religion?

28. Glass Ceiling (women prevented from top positions in various sectors)
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PROFORMA OF THE PROJECT FILE
DEPARTMENT OF HUMANITIES
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Sociology Project
This is to certify that this is the bonafide work of student ________________ of
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Class____ Division/Section ____ Roll no. _____________. She/he has carried out the
necessary practical work for the Senior Secondary School Examination of CBSE for the
academic year 2022-23.
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Teacher in charge Date:
External Examiner Date:

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__________________
(Name of the Student)
Class ______ Section _____
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Roll No. Alloted by CBSE
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
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I would like to express my special thanks of gratitude to my Sociology teacher, Mr./Ms.

_________________, as well as our Principal Mr./Ms. _________________, who gave me
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the golden opportunity to do the wonderful project work: “________________________

________________________________” which also helped me in doing a lot of research
and I came to know about so many new concepts, I am thankful to them.
Secondly, I would also like to thank my parents and friends who helped me alot in
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finalising the project within the limited time frame.

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__________________
(Name of the Student)
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Class XII
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 CBSE Guidelines for Sociology Project Work (iv)
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c  Proforma of the Project File (viii)
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n PROJECTS (Solved)
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t 1. The Effect of Parents’ Employment on Children’s Behaviour, Development and Growth 1 – 19
e 2. The Ethics of Euthanasia 20 – 44
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3. Superstitions in India 45 – 68
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4. Perceptions of Menstruation in Society 69 – 96
s PROJECTS (With Outlines)

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1. Social Impact of the Pandemic 97
2. Do the Current Youth Believe in Religion? 98

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3. Is Marriage as an Institution Collapsing in India? 99
4. Conception of Beauty in Our Society 100
5. Human Trafficking 101

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6. Honour Killing 102

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PROJECT
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1 tOPic : The Effect of Parents' Employment on Children's
Behaviour, Development and Growth
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Objectives Of the PrOject
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The main objectives of this project are:
} To explain the transformations in employment pattern and practices.
} To understand how have children affected with parent’s employment.
} To explore well-being of children with reference to society and culture.
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} To discuss about the parent-child relations in the family and society.
} To know the parental involvement in homework of children in family.
} To analyse and interpret the open-ended and closed-ended questions.
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} To discuss and evaluate the importance of parents in the society.
inTROduCTiOn
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Transformations in the economy have led to changes in employment practices that now create mismatches
between work schedules and family routines. At the same time, approaches to child-rearing have become more
time-intensive, with expectations of increased parental involvement in all aspects of children’s lives.
Mothers are subject to a more intensified maternal role and for fathers, the provider role is no longer
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sufficient. There are stronger social pressures for more active participation in children’s lives and to
nurture greater emotional connectivity in the parent-child relationship.
Children were more likely to show behavioural problems if their fathers were overly involved
psychologically in their careers, whether or not they worked long hours. For mothers, on the other
hand, having authority and discretion at work was associated with mentally healthier children. That is,
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children benefit if their mothers have control over what happens to them when they are working.
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Psychological and sociological theories suggest that the types of interactions parents have with their
children can be influenced by a number of factors, both at work and elsewhere. For example, are there
two parents in the household, and are both working? How involved is the mother vis-a-vis the father
in hands-on care of the children? Children and adolescents may change their own behaviour and goals
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in response to the behaviour modelled by their parents; for example, they might devote more time to
their studies to increase their future prospects. In lower-income families where work replaces welfare,
Project Work in Sociology (Class-XII) 1

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reliance on welfare may appear less attractive. Once again, many factors may help determine how
parents as role models influence their children’s well-being.
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STATEMEnT OF PuRPOSE
The well-being of children is one of the most highly debated and talked about topics in today’s society,
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and the attention it is given is justified because of the great bearing it has on how it moulds tomorrow’s
society and culture. There is perhaps no group of individuals who have an effect on the youth’s well-
being greater than parents. While parenting is not the only factor affecting children’s development, and
while it is acknowledged that their educational environment, peer associations and societal linkages affect
their growth, parenting still is one of the most important factors affecting their development. Therefore it
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is of utmost importance that there must be proper understanding of the linkage and relationship between
parenting and child development so that conditions can be made favourable for practices that result in
wholesome and balanced growth of children.
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In today’s cosmopolitan and capitalist society, time is of the greatest importance, this is more relevant
in context of daily schedules of parents and children. For parents, lengthy office periods coupled
with constant calls and tantrums, parents find it increasingly hard to balance time between work and
home priorities. For children, increasing school and extra-curricular activities, align with peer pressure
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and inability to properly communicate with their parents tend to cause blockages to their wholesome
development.
This is especially an issue in countries like India, as the rapid transition in the economy from being
based on agriculture to being based on industrialisation has meant large implications for how the family
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is organised, and also on the role of the different members of a family. In a rural setting, parents would
work in the fields with children assisting them, however in modern urban setting, there is a clear
distinction in the roles carried out by both parents and children.
Such changes being brought in rapidly, has sparked social issues in child development. Children find
it increasingly hard to communicate with their parents, they fall pray to dangerous activities online,
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etc. Therefore, it is clearly visible how one changes in how parent’s employment is organised has also
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meant a paradigm shift in the approach to child well-being. There is also a rise in self-harm activities,
depression and suicides among children. There are also increasing conflicts at home, which may be
attributed to the high levels of stress of parents and the inability of the children to cope up with their
different engagements.
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The purpose of this research is to understand how children perceive the importance of their parent’s
employment, how they believe it affects their growth, development and behaviour. To get a glimpse
of the family environment and now it is related to parent’s employment, further to see how children
believe their parent’s employment situation affects their future and opportunities.
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RESEARCH QuESTiOn
This research work is centred on how children perceive their parent’s employment situation, and to understand
how much importance they attach to it, how they will respond to any changes to their parent’s employment
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situation, how they feel their parent’s employment impacts their personal life, opportunities and experiences.
The main questions for which answers are sought in this research are:
1. How important children believe their parent’s employment is for them?
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2. How they feel it impacts them and their development?
3. How they believe their parent’s employment situation will shape their future and their opportunities for success?
4. To find out if children believe their parent’s employment stands in the way of their wholesome
development.
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5. To find if parent’s employment arrangements are a reason for conflict within the family.
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METHOdOLOGY
One of the most widely utilised survey methods, an online survey is the systematic gathering of data from
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the target audience characterised by the invitation of the respondents and the completion of the questionnaire
over the World Wide Web.
Advantages
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Ease of Data Gathering: A survey that requires a lot of respondents can be conducted faster via the
Internet. The survey questionnaire can be rapidly deployed and completed by respondents.
Minimal Costs: Internet surveys facilitate low-cost and fast data collection from the target population.
Sending email questionnaires are more affordable than the face-to-face method.
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Automation in Data Input and Handling: With online surveys, the respondents are able to answer
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while connected to the Internet. Then, the responses are automatically stored in a survey database,
providing hassle-free handling of data and a smaller possibility of data errors.
Increase in Response Rates: Online survey provides the highest level of convenience for the respondents
because they can answer the questionnaire according to their own pace, time and preferences.
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Eliminates person-to-person contact: This is a major advantage, especially during a health crisis like
Covid-19, online survey eliminates the need to meet in person, and so provides a safe alternative for
conducting surveys.

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Sample Selection
The sample size will be 20, equally divided into 10 boys and 10 girls. The respondents will fill out an online
form as part of the survey. The range of the age group will be between 16 and 25, as in this age group, the
respondents will be able to answer with proper ability the questions as they are going through a phase in
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their life, where their parent’s employment situation has direct effects on them.
The geographical area from where the respondents are chosen are urban areas around the world, as children
in urban areas live more of a modern and cosmopolitan lifestyle and their daily lifestyle is dependent on their
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parent’s employment and work arrangements.
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PRESEnTATiOn OF THE EVidEnCE
Article 1: Effects of Maternal Employment in the Two-Parent Family
This work deals mainly with maternal employment during the child’s pre-school years. Because of the
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difficulties in measuring enduring traits in young children, and because neither previous research has revealed
clear differences between children in dual-wage and single-wage families, attention is also given to the effects
on the family process that mediate child outcomes. The influence of maternal employment on these variables,
as well as on child outcomes, is found to be dependent on the attitudes of the parents, the number of hours
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the mother is employed, social support and the child’s gender.
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Article 2: Parent-Child Relations – Assessing Recent Changes
Profound structural changes in American marriage and family life over the past three decades have transformed
‘traditional’ living arrangements for children and stimulated an enormous amount of popular and scholarly
interest regarding the consequences for children’s well-being of greatest concern have been the impact of
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divorce, single-parent families, maternal employment, dual-earner marriages, and a general erosion of parental
commitment and support. A review of the research indicates that although parents and children spent very little
time together, they remain generally satisfied with their relationships largely due to a pattern of consistent,
but detached, parental support. The author argues that the consequences of maternal employment, divorce, and
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single-parent family structure have been greatly exaggerated, and that researchers need to investigate processes
more directly influencing children, notably economic hardship and high levels of marital and family conflict.
Article 3: Short-term and Long-term Effects of Early Parental Employment
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on Children
This study examined the effects of early parental employment on children. Minimal effects on children’s
functioning were found. Early maternal employment status and the timing and continuity of it were not
consistently related to child’s development. Working more hours was associated with slightly lower cognitive
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development through age 9 and slightly lower academic scores before age 7, but had no significant relation
to children’s behaviour problems, compliance or self-esteem. There was some support for the hypothesis that
early parental employment positively affects children’s development by increasing family incomes.
Article 4: Parental Involvement in Homework

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This article is reviewed research on parental involvement in student homework. It focused on understanding:
Why parents become involved in their children’s homework; how their homework involvement influences
student outcomes; and which student outcomes are influenced by parents involvement. Findings suggest that
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parents involve themselves in student homework because they believe that they should be involved, believe
that their involvement will make a positive difference, and perceive that their children’s teacher want their
involvement. Parent’s involvement activities take many forms, from establishing structures or homework
performance to teaching for understanding and developing student learning strategies. Operating largely through
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modelling, reinforcement, and instruction, parents’ homework involvement appears to influence student success
insofar as it supports student’s attributes related to achievement (e.g., attitudes about homework, perceptions
of personnel competence, self-regulatory skills).
AnALYSiS And inTERPRETATiOn

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Closed–Ended Questions
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1. What is your parent’s employment situation?

Options Tally Marks Numbers of Responses
Both are currently working. IIII IIII 9
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One is employed, while other is not. IIII IIII I 11

Both are currently not employed. 0

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From among the participants, in 55% of participant
Both are currently employed
families only one parent is employed, and in the rest 45% 55%
One is employed, while the
of families both parents are employed. Therefore, in most
other is not employed
of the families, especially in ones where mere is only one
Both are currently not
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earning parent, a change in the employment situation may 45%
employed
bring about profound change to the emotional, physical
and social well-being of the children.
2. Do you feel that your parent’s employment situation affects you in any way? (Physically,
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emotionally, socially or in any other way).
Yes, I feel it affects me. IIII IIII 10
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No, it does not affect me. IIII I 6
I feel the effect is negligible. IIII 4
About 50% of the participants feel that their parents’

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occupational arrangements does indeed affect them.
Whereas, 30% of children feel that it does not affect
30% Yes, I feel it affects me
them in any way, and 20% feel the way their parent’s 20%
No, I feel it does not affect
employment affects them personally is negligible. me
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Interestingly, 55% of respondents who are above the 50% I feel the effect is negligible
age of 18, feel that their parent’s employment does affect
them, while only 45% of those below 18 believe it affects
them. Showing that despite age and financial ability
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children may still feel that their parent’s employment

situation affects them.
3. To what degree does your parent’s employment affect you, rate on a scale of 1–10, with 1 being
small very limited to 10 being absolute/very great.
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Limited (1– 4) IIII I 6
Intermediate (5 – 6) IIII 5
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Great (7–10) IIII IIII 9

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Up to 60% of respondents feel that the impact of their parent’s employment is very noticeable in their
lives, and the rest 40% believe it has only a mild effect. 20% of respondents believe that their parent’s
employment affects them to a great degree, whereas 30% felt the impact was very less or limited. 60%
of both male and female participants feel that their parent’s employment affects them to a considerable
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extent, meaning that a majority of both genders feel that their parent’s employment affects them mentally,
socially, and emotionally.

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6
5(25%)
4(20%) 4(20%)
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3(15%)
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2(10%)
2
1(5%) 1(5%)
0(0%) 0(0%) 0(0%)
0
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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
4. What kind of an effect does your parent’s employment have on you?

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Positive impact IIII IIII 9
Negative impact I 1
Balanced impact (neither positive nor negative) IIII IIII 10
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45% of respondents felt that their parent’s employment
had an overall positive effect on them, whereas up to 50%
Positive Impact
of participants felt that the impact was neither negative or 50%
Negative Impact
positive, but was balanced. About 70% of those above 18 5%
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Balanced impact (neither

felt that their parent’s employment on them was balanced, 45% positive nor negative)
and among those below 18, about 65% of participants felt
the impact was only positive. Therefore, it can be seen
that among those who are above 18, or those who have come to depend less on their parents, view the
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impart of their parent’s employment as balanced, but those who continue to depend on their parents,
perceive the impact of parent’s employment as positive.
5. Whose employment do you feel affects you more?

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My Father’s IIII 4
My Mother’s IIII 4
I feel both of their employment affects
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IIII IIII II 12
me equally.
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More than half (60%) of the participants believed that the

employment of both their parents affects them equally, My Father's
60%
My Mother's
this is despite the fact that in only 45% of families are
I feel both of their
both parents employed. This shows that for the majority
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20% employment affects me

20%
of the participants it does not seem to matter which parent equally
is employed, but that either of their employment impacts

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them to the some extent. Among genders the impact is even, with among the 40% of participants who
felt that either their mothers or fathers employment affects them more. Equal number of girls and boys
believe that their mothers or fathers employment affects them more.
6. Do you feel that spending time with parents is important for yourself and your overall growth
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and development?

Yes, it is important. IIII IIII IIII IIII 19
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No, it is not important. 0
I feel it does not affect my growth and
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development.
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An overwhelming 95% of respondents believe that Yes, It is important
spending time with their parents is important for their No, It is not important
95%
overall growth and development. This shows that children I feel it does not affect my
growth and development
very highly value time spent with parents.
RS
7. What activity do you feel, bars your parents from spending time with you?

HE
Work or job-related activities IIII IIII III 13

Social or community activities IIII I 6
Personal activities I 1
OT
In 65% of the families, the major cause which Work or Job related activities (Office time, time
shortens or limits the time spent between spent on talking to clients, preparing reports
30% etc.)
parents and children is found out to be the
BR
Social or community activities (Social events,

parent’s work-related activities, which goes Religious ceremonies or events etc.)
65%
to show that most children feel that their Personal activities (Exercising, Meditation,
Shopping, Leisure activities)
parent’s employment arrangements are major
hindrance blocking interaction with their parents. In about 30% of families, social or community activity
L
pairs parents from spending time with children.
8. On a scale of 1 to 10, rate how important you feel your parent’s inputs are for your growth and
YA
betterment. (Inputs – Time spent with you, physical help, advice, etc.)
Limited/less (1– 4) 0
GO
Intermediate (5 – 6) IIII 4

Great/absolute (7– 10) IIII IIII IIII I 16

N
All the participants believed that their parent’s input’s are valuable for their proper development, with
HA
almost 65% of participants valuing parent’s inputs and advices to be of great importance to them.
6
5(25%) 5(25%)
AS
4
3(15%) 3(15%) 3(15%)
AK
1(5%)
0(0%) 0(0%) 0(0%) 0(0%)

0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
PR
9. Open-Ended Question
10. Do you feel that there is conflict/tension between your daily schedule and your parent’s work
schedule?
RS
Yes, I often come into conflict with my parents
II 2
due to difference in our schedules.
No, they go hand in hand. IIII IIII 10
HE
Maybe, but my parent’s make up for it. IIII III 8
In almost 50% of the families surveyed,

Yes, I often come into conflict with my parents
OT
the children feel their parent’s employment, 40% due to the difference in our schedules
arrangements does not clash with their No, My parents and my schedule go hand in
hand and I feel there is no problem.
personal schedules, but rather go hand-in- 10%
50% Maybe, there is a difference, but my parents
hand. However, 50% of children feel there make up for it by finding time for me.
BR
is such a conflict, but within these families

itself, about 80% of children feel that even though there maybe a clash between both arrangements,
the parent’s make up for it by finding time for children, thus minimising any negative effects on one
children.
11. How often do you feel your’s and your parent’s schedule come into conflict, (rate on a scale of 1
L
to 10).
YA

Rarely/(very rare) (1 – 4) IIII IIII II 12
Sometimes (5 – 6) IIII 4
GO
Often/very often (7 – 10) IIII 4

N
About 60% of participants felt that conflict between their parent’s work-related arrangements and the
HA
children’s engagements occur only rarely to very rarely. About 20% of respondents felt sub-classes occur
in their families very often, which shows that in the majority of families parent-child conflict due to
difference in routines and arrangements occur only rarely.
6
AS
5(25%)
4
3(15%) 3(15%) 3(15%)
AK
2(10%)
2
1(5%) 1(5%) 1(5%) 1(5%)
0(0%)
0
PR
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
12. How flexible do you feel is your parent’s daily schedule with regard to work arrangements? (Rate
on a scale of 1 to 10).
RS
Rigid/not flexible (1 – 4) IIII 4
Somewhat flexible (5 – 6) IIII I 6
Flexible/elastic (7 – 10) IIII IIII 10
HE
About 30% of respondents felt that there parent’s daily schedule is somewhat flexible, and interestingly
about half of the respondents felt that their parent’s daily schedules are flexible to very flexible only
20% that it was rigid or not flexible.
OT
6(30%)
6
5(25%)
4
BR
2(10%) 2(10%) 2(10%)

2
1(5%) 1(5%) 1(5%)
0(0%) 0(0%)
L
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
YA
13. Do you feel that your parents work priorities or schedules have meant that you make sacrifices?

Yes, I have had to make sacrifice. IIII IIII IIII II 17
GO
No, I have not had to make any sacrifices. III 3

N
HA
About 85% of participants feel that they
have not had to make any kind of sacrifices Yes, I have to had made sacrifices from my side
from their side in order to cope with their 85%
to cope with my parents work related priorities
parent’s work-related priorities. Also, all of No , I have not had to make sacrifices from
15%
AS
my side to cope with my parents work related
the respondents who felt they have had to priorities
make sacrifices were male.
AK
15. Do you feel a change is necessary in parent’s daily routine for your benefit and betterment?
Yes, there needs to be changes. IIII II 7
PR
No, there is no need for changes. IIII II 7
I feel it will have no implication on me. IIII I 6

RS
About 65% of children felt that a change
Yes, there need to be changes in my parents
was not needed or that such a change would timetable for my betterment
30%
have no implications on them. However, No, I feel there is the need for no change in
my parents schedule for my benefit.
upto 35% felt a change was needed for 35%
HE
I feel a change in my parents schedule will

the benefit of themselves and their parents. 30% have no implications for me.
Half of the participants who wanted change, It is for parents and children's betterment...for
both
were above the age of 18, showing that
OT
children who may not entirely depend on

their parents or even not live with them may still seek a favourable change to their parent’s employment
arrangements.
16. How feasible do you think such a favourable change will be? Rate on a scale of 1 to 10.
BR
Not feasible/hard (1 – 4) II 2
Somewhat feasible (5 – 6) IIII II 7

L
Feasible/very feasible (7 – 10) IIII IIII I 11

YA
More than half of the respondents feel that if a change is needed within their parent’s daily schedules
it can be achieved with care. Within the participants who felt a favourable change can be made, half of
them are in families were both parents are employed, showing that, even in families where both parents
GO
are employed, the daily schedule or routine of parents need not to be seen as very rigid, but as one’s
must be accommodative to an extent.

N
HA
6(30%)
6
5(25%)
AS
2(10%) 2(10%) 2(10%) 2(10%)
2
1(5%)
0(0%) 0(0%)
AK
0(0%)
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
17. Would you blame your parent’s employment or its related effects for any negative experience in
your life?
PR
Certainly, there are instances of such negative
I 1
experiences in my life.
No, I cannot associate any negative experience
IIII IIII IIII IIII 19
in my life to my parent’s employment.
RS
Almost all of the participants feel that they can attribute no negative or bad experience in their life
occurring due to them because of their parent’s employment arrangements or related activities.
HE
Certainly, there are many instances of negative

experiences in my life caused by my parents
work arrangement or its related effects
95%
5% No, I do not think there are negative
experiences in my life related to my parents
employment or its effect
OT

19. Do you feel that your parent’s employment arrangements, demands and limitations, mean that
your chances to personal, educational and financial success and fulfilment are constrained?
BR

Definitely, I feel it hinders my success. IIII 5
Not at all, I do not feel it will affect my
IIII IIII IIII 15
success.
L
About 75% of respondents feel that their

YA
Definitely , I feel my parents work related

parent’s employment situation does not in any priorities and its demands that my chances for
way, don’t their personal ability to achieve 75% success are cut
success or fulfilment. Among those who feel 25% Not at all, I do not feel my parents work
that there are problems with their parent related priorities will constrain my success.
GO
employment situation that may hinder their

success, 80% are those who are below 18, this maybe need to the feeling of younger children that their
potential, educational attainment is affected by their parent’s current employment situation.

N
HA
21. Do you feel that certain milestones or key points or events in your life have not been given proper
attention and concern by your parents because of their busy schedule and work-related arrangements?
AS
Yes, important milestones of mine have not be
II 2
given due attention.
Not at all, my parents have given attention to
IIII IIII IIII III 18
AK
all my key events.
About 85% of participants believe that their
parents have been able to given proper Undoubtedly, certain important milestones/
achievements of mine have not been given
attention to the significant milestones in
PR
proper attention by my parents due to their
their lives. This shows that children believe 85% tight schedule or work related arrangements
10%
that parents do find time to share in their Not at all, I feel my parents have given all due
attention and concern to my key milestones.
happiness, achievements, and milestones
Not at all
and that their work arrangements have never
RS
been a hindrance.
22. Have you ever felt a sense of alienation or loneliness because you were not given due concern or
care, due to your parents conflicting work-related priorities?
HE

Yes, I have felt lonely. II 2
Never, I have felt a sense of loneliness. IIII IIII IIII III 18

OT
About 90% of respondents believe that they have

never felt any sense of loneliness or alienation
Yes, I have often felt alone and lonely
because of their parents job-related priorities. 90%
Never, I have not had a feeling of loneliness
BR
Within this 90%, it is split equally between 10% due to my parents work related priorities.
males and females, which shows that neither
female nor male children tend to believe that
they are ignored or given inadequate attention due to their parent’s engagement in their employment.
23. How great do you think is the importance of parent-child communication for mental health of a
L
child? Rate on a scale of 1 to 10.

YA
Not important (1 – 4) 0
Somewhat important (5 – 6) 0

GO
Very important (7 – 10) IIII IIII IIII IIII 20

N
HA
All of the participants believe that parental-child communication is of great importance for the proper
mental health of a child, with up to 55% believing that is of absolute importance. This may show
that majority of children across age and gender believe that parents and the family environment is the
single largest factor determining the mental health of a child.
AS
15
11(55%)
10
AK
5(25%)
4(20%)
5
0(0%) 0(0%) 0(0%) 0(0%) 0(0%) 0(0%) 0(0%)

0
PR
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
24. Do you think such important conversation and dialogues between parent and child are hindered
by the parent’s work schedule or priorities?
RS
Yes, they are hindered. IIII IIII IIII I 16
No, they are not. IIII 4
Up to 80% of respondents believe that important
HE
conversation between parents and children are blocked

by their employment arrangements. This is very serious, 20% Yes, they are
considering that with regard to the precious question, No, they are not
80%
children feel that do not have the ability to converse
OT
with their parents on important matters. It may block

their wholesome development.
Open–Ended Questions
BR
9. Do you feel you can be/could have become a better individual, had your parents spend more
time with you? If yes or no, why do you feel that spending more time with your parents would/
would not be for your betterment.
Mrudav: Mrudav feels it is important that parents spend time with their children. According to him,
the time spent with parents allows for proper development of children and the introduction of the right
L
values in their children, thus helping them to be better members of society. He also feels a positive
personal relationship that can be built between parents and children through increased interaction and
YA
mutual spending of time. His answer seems to echo his can conviction of the importance of parental
interaction with their children, most possibly formed by personal experience within his own family.
Jeveshni: Jeveshni does not feel that the amount of time spend between the child and the parent
greatly influences a child’s development, but it depends on the quality in which time is spent between
GO
parents and their kids. Jeveshni feels that she can attribute her personal development to both her parents
equally and the process instilled different values in her. Her thoughts depict her personal experience
with her parents as she has been studying in a boarding school in India for the post 2 years and so
has learned to adapt to a lifestyle of periodic and short interaction with her parents.
N
HA
Dhannya: Dhannya believes that spending time with parents is of paramount importance, as the resulting
conversations will prove to be bridge to the difference arising due to the ‘generational gap’ between the
parents and their kids. Increased interaction between parents and their children will result in a stronger
bond and relationship.
AS
Zachary: Zachary is 18 years old now and becoming increasingly less dependent on his parents, and so
is same as to how having spent more time with his parents when he was younger would have affected
him or brought out something different. However, he still feels it would have been better, had he got
more time to spend with his dad when he was younger.
AK
Joyce: Joyce agrees that spending time with her parents is important and that their inputs are valuable.
She feels that parents will be able to resolve issues better and are the most understanding.
Jinoy: According to Jinoy, parents are the pillars in the lives of children whether young or old and so
the time spent between them is of utmost importance. Jinoy’s viewpoint can be shaped by the fact that
PR
he lives with his parents, despite having his own job and despite the potential ability to finance himself.
Ritambhara: Ritambhara feels that the time she has spent with her parents has been of absolute benefit
to her, as it instilled in her important values as well as decency. She can confidently say that barring
a few instances, the time spend with her parents ultimately lead to her betterment.
Nandana: Nandana feels that spending time with parents is important as they teach certain lessons, which
RS
help to overcome challenges and obstacles and allows children to think ahead before making any decisions.
Sarah: Sarah feels that if she spends more time with her parents it will benefit her as it will create a
better understanding between her parents and her.
Meriyam: Meriyam says that it will make her happier if her parents spend more time with her, as it
HE
would lead to the development of a better relationship with her parents.

Sherin: Sherin agrees that spending more time with her parents would be for the betterment of the children,
as it would minimise any chance of her development of loneliness and depression among children.
OT
Aishwarya: Aishwarya feels that to make a better individual, it does not depend only on the effort of the
parents, but also the active involvement of the children themselves, in order to bring about wholesome
development. She feels that children on their account should be independent.
Sharon: Sharon does believe that it would have been of some benefit for him, had his parents spent
BR
more time with him when he was younger.

Johan: Johan feels that spending time with his parents and mentors is beneficial and such experiences
help youngsters. He feels that elders especially parents have gone through different experiences which
which they share with young people will guide them.
Sam: Sam believes that being with his parents and interacting more with them would help him to be
L
a better social being by inculcating in him important values.

YA
Antony: Antony feels that spending additional time with his parents would be for his good or wellness they
would give him important inputs, that would help him to face the various obstacles and issues in life.
Bhashya: Bhashya believes that it would have not made a difference to him, had his parents spent
more-less time with him.
GO
Nityashri: Nityashri believes that she is in her best possible place at the moment as she has everything
provided and accomplished. However, she does feel that at times, she is not able to openly express
himself and her feelings with her parents because she does not get to spend enough time with them.

N
HA
Ashfaaq: Ashfaaq feels that spending more time with his parents will be beneficial for him. He believes
that it will build-up his character, as he can learn from his parents about their experiences in life and
would allow him to understand and not repeat their mistakes.
Ritwik: Ritwik feels that a child’s parents are their best friends. Parents are able to love their children
AS
without any conditions and always advice and guide their children, and so Ritwik believes that spending
more time with his parents would be of great benefit to him.
14. What kind of sacrifices did you make?
Ashfaaq: Ashfaaq recollects that when was younger he at to stay in at the homes of others while his
AK
parents were at work.
Ritambhara: Ritambhara feels that the sacrifices she had to make are negligible.
18. If yes, narrate one of the incidences and the impact it had on you.
Ritambhara: Ritambhara feels that she cannot attach any negative experiences in her life with regard
PR
to her parent’s employment, parents can only guide and inform their children, the children have to learn
to make the right choices.
20. Why do you feel or do not feel that your chances of success are constrained by your parent’s
employment.
Mrudov: Mrudov feels that even though parents do significantly shape the opportunities before their
RS
child, the single most important factor is the individual divisions made by the child himself/herself. In
his view individual agency is of paramount importance.
Jeveshni: Jeveshni feels that the impact of her parent’s employment on her success or rather the
importance of her parent’s inputs in churning her success is rather limited, and that there are other people
HE
such as teachers or relatives who provide her greater support. This is possibly due to the fact that she
has come to depend on people other than parents in recent years, causing her to feel the decreased
role of her parents.
Dhannya: Dhannya feels their parent’s employment arrangements do not constrain her personal success,
OT
rather to the contrary her parents are more eager than her success, that she will be established. They
are ready to make the necessary arrangements regardless of their personal engagements.
Zachary: Zachary now feels that he can work out his own success without much help from his parents
BR
as he has a job now and can sustain himself as well as pay for his education without inputs from
his parents. In other words, his job has made him financially independent and he feels his parent’s
employment situation no longer affects his opportunities or chances.
Joyce: Joyce feels that her parent’s employment does indeed affect her chances of success as it is her
parents who fund her education, and any change to her parent’s employment situation would cause a
L
different outcome in her educational and qualificational attainment.

Jinoy: Jinoy argues that parent’s employment does influence his decision-making process regarding his
YA
future, especially in making the small choices. But, on the other hand, he believes his success is not
entirely dependent on his parents, but majority on his individual hard work, ability and skill.
Ritambhara: Ritambhara does not feel that in any way her personal success is constrained by her
parent’s employment situation.
GO
Nandana: Nandana feels that her chances of success are not constrained by her parent’s employment
in any way, as she believes its hard work and effort that in reality establishes a person, and not their
parents line of occupation.

N
Sarah: Sarah feels that she cannot comment on this question.
HA
Meriyam: Meriyam does not believe that her chances to success are in any way constrained by her
parent’s employment arrangements.
Sherin: Sherin feels that a child’s success are constrained by their parent’s employment. She feels that
employed parents can provide better opportunities and chances to their children, which in turn would
AS
directly affect their chances of success.
Aishwarya: Aishwarya feels that a child’s success is not dependent on his/her parent’s employment, as
parents find ways to financially support their children, whether though employment or not truly does
not make a difference. It is up to the children to make the most out of the opportunities and resources
AK
presented to them and be successful.
Sharon: Sharon feels that parents have never acted as a constrain, and has only propelled him to
opportunities and fulfilment.
Johan: Johan does argues that his success is directly affected by his parent’s employment situation, as
PR
their employment is the major source of income, which in turn would determine what type or quality
of education or opportunities the parents would be able to provide their children.
Sam: Sam does not feel that his chances of personal success are hindered by his parent’s employment
or occupation, but rather his personal will, his hard work, and the will of god.
RS
Antony: Antony does not believe that his parent’s employment proves to be a constrain of any sort to
his success, because it is his responsibility to be successful through his personal effort.
Bhashya: Bhashya does not feel that in any way his chances of success are hindered by his parent’s
employment situation.
HE
Nityashri: Nityashri feels that her parent’s employment situation does not have any kind of negative
impact on her success. She says it rather has positive effect, as she has learned to become independent
and has been able to accomplish different things through her own effort.
Ashfaaq: Ashfaaq does not believe that his chances of success are hindered because of his parent’s
OT
work arrangements. However, he believes the finances for his higher education are high, and it would
be difficult for his parents to meet it. Thus, Ashfaaq believes that his potential educational attainment
can be affected due to his parent’s current employment situation.
Ritwik: Ritwik does not feel that his success is affected by his parent’s employment arrangements. He
BR
believes that if a child is able to properly carry out their responsibilities and work, success will follow
irrespective of their parent’s employment.
LiMiTATiOnS
L
1. Many participants did not send the answers within the stipulated time which created difficulties.
2. Lack of ability to properly communicate with respondents due to the social restrictions during
YA
the pandemic.
3. The open-ended questions were not answered in a satisfactory manner by many respondents.
4. The participants also hesitated to give elaborate answers that were well explained, which hindered
GO
me from properly understanding the reason behind their responses.

N
COnCLuSiOnS
HA
After analysing the result and the responses of the survey, it can be concluded that children attach great
significance to their parent’s employment and they believe that it does impact their personal lives to an
extent despite differences on how dependent they are on their parents, or on the basis of their age and
gender. Certain variations can be found with regard to how children believe it impacts them and their future,
AS
but at the same time there are echoes of a common understanding among children that their chances of
success and fulfilment are indeed bolstered by the benefits they derive from their parent’s employment.
Overall, the respondents have a positive response on how they believe their parent’s employment affects
them. The impact of parent’s employment over both genders can be derived as similar, as both male and
AK
female participants answered questions in a similar pattern, with no response being largely skewed by any
single gender. Both male and female respondents answered in an identical fashion, and do not seem to
convey any disadvantage to them particularly because of their gender when it comes to the impact their
parent’s occupation has on them. Across age groups as well, there is an even pattern of responses, with
respondents from both sides, that is, those who are 18 and above 18, as well as those below 18, answering
PR
the queries in a mixed manner. This is to say that even children who are elder who at present need not
depend on their parent’s employment for their needs, still attach importance to it for their overall well-being.
Most children feel that spending time with parents is of great importance to them, and others feel that it is
indeed the parent’s work-related arrangements that hinder them from fully interacting with their parents,
but at the same time they also feel that their parents make up for it and find time for them. Children also
RS
believe that proper interaction and communication with parents is extremely important for their mental
health and well-being, however most children feel that their parent’s work arrangements often hinder such
important conversation from taking place. The majority of respondents also feel that clashes between their
priorities and their parent’s job-related priorities occur only rarely, and they also put forward that their
parents schedules are mostly in their favour and that necessary changes can be brought about with some
HE
case. Almost all children feel that they have not needed to make any sacrifices in their life owing to their
parent’s employment or work priorities. When it comes to future opportunities, while children do realize
the importance of the financial benefits or disadvantages they face from their parent’s employment. Most
of them do not believe that it is the benefits derived from their parent’s employment is what will propel
OT
them to success, opportunities and fulfilment, but rather personal hard work, effort and will as the single
largest factor to determine their future.
VIVA-VOCE QuESTiOnS
BR
1. Why did you choose this topic?

[Hint: You should give valid reasons, i.e. your interest, you were intrigued and wanted to know more.]
2. What is research methodology and what methodology you chose?
L
[Hint: You should be in a position to explain the methodology you used and what is methodology.
Question will be asked upon the review of literature, i.e. the various books, articles and information
YA
that you have read upon your topic.]

3. What do you think is the impact on kids upbringing due to working parents?
[Hint: Here you should refer your work and talk.]
GO
4. Did you talk to parents as well?

[Hint: Answer according to your project.]

N
HA
AS
PROJECT
AK
2 tOPic : The Ethics of Euthanasia

PR
RS
} To introduce the ethics of euthanasia and its moral dilemmas.
} To discuss about arguments against and in favour of euthanasia.
} To explore the concepts related to suicide in major religions of India.
HE
} To understand the act of ending the life of a person and its outcome.
} To acquaint with physician-assisted suicide and its legislation in India.
} To analyse how to embrace dignified death and code of medical ethics.
} To observe and evaluate various responses related to euthanasia.
OT
inTROduCTiOn
The word Euthanasia, originated in Greece means a good death. Euthanasia encompasses various dimensions
BR
from active (introducing something to cause death) to passive (withholding treatment or supportive measures),
Voluntary (consent) to involuntary (consent from friends and relatives) and physician-assisted suicide (where
the physicians prescribe the medicine to the patient or third party administers the medication to cause
death). Request for premature ending of life has contributed to the debate about the role of such practices in
contemporary health care. This debate cuts across complex and dynamic aspects such as, legal, ethical, human
L
rights, health, religious, economic, spiritual, social and cultural aspects of the civilised society.
YA
Euthanasia is performed by physicians and has been further defined into various types on the basis of the
level of consent. Whereas in Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS) is done by the patient themselves to end their
life with the help of their doctor.
The Ethics of Euthanasia

GO
Euthanasia raises a number of agonizing moral dilemmas :

1. Is it ever right to end the life of a terminally-ill patient who is
undergoing severe pain and suffering.
2. Under what circumstances can enthanasia be justifiable, if at all?
N
HA
3. Is there a moral difference between killing someone and letting them die?
AS
At the heart of these arguments are the different ideas that people have about the meaning and value of human
existence. Should human beings have the right to decide on issues of life and death?
Arguments against Euthanasia
AK
Euthanasia opposers argue that if we embrace ‘the right to die with dignity’, people with incurable and
debilitating illnesses will be dispose off from our civilised society.
In the era of declining morality and justice, there is a possibility
of misusing euthanasia by family members or relatives for
PR
inheriting the property of the patient.
Passive euthanasia occurs in a majority of hospitals across the
country, where poor patients and their family members refuse or
withdraw treatment because of the huge cost involved in keeping
RS
them alive. If euthanasia is legalised, the commercial health
sector will serve death to many disabled and elderly citizens.
The most common is the religious argument which is that human beings are the sacred creation of
God, so human life is by extension sacred. This means there are limits to what humans can do with
HE
their life, such as ending it. Only God should choose when a human life ends, so an act of euthanasia
or assisting in suicide is acting against the will of God is sinful.
If euthanasia is legalised, then there is grave apprehension that the state may refuse to invest in health
and stop working towards ‘Right to Life’. Legalised euthanasia has led to a severe decline in the
OT
quality of care for terminally-ill patients in Holland. Hence, in a welfare state there should be no role
for euthanasia in any form.
The slippery slope argument is based on the idea that once
a healthcare service, and by extension the government, starts
BR
killing its own citizens, a dangerous precedent gets set. The

concern is that a society that allows voluntary euthanasia will
then gradually change its attitudes to include non-voluntary and
then involuntary euthanasia.
L
Research has revealed that many patients requesting euthanasia

have major depression, and this is cause of the desire for death
YA
among the terminally-ill patients.

The medical ethics argument states that legalising euthanasia would violate one of the most
important medical ethics: “A doctor must always bear in mind the obligation of preserving human
life from conception”. Asking doctors to abandon their obligation to preserve human life is against
GO
their role as healers. The process of causing death may become a routine administrative task for
doctors.
The motive for many euthanasia requests is unawareness of alternatives. Patients hear from their doctors
that ‘nothing can be done anymore’. However, when patients hear that a lot can be done through
palliative care that the symptoms can be controlled, many may not want euthanasia anymore.
N
HA
Counter-arguments of Euthanasia Supporters
‘Right to Die’ supporters argue that people who have an incurable, degenerative, disabling or debilitating
condition should be allowed to die in dignity. Majority of such petitions are filed by the sufferers or
family members in their caretakers. The caregiver’s burden is huge and cuts across various domains
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such as financial, emotional, time, physical, mental and social well-being.
An ethical arguments according to the widely accepted ethical principle
of respect for autonomy (freedom of choice), people should have the
right to control their own body and life (as long as they do not abuse
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any other person's rights) and the state should not create laws that
prevent citizens from being able to choose when and how they die.
Many patients in a persistant vegetative state or else in chronic illness
do not want to be a burden on their family members. Euthanasia can
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be considered as a way to uphold the ‘Right to Life’ by honouring the
‘Right to Die with Dignity’.
The Constitution of India reads ‘Right to Life’ in a positive direction of protecting life. Hence, there
is an urgent need to fulfill this obligation of ‘Right to Life’. Yet, till date, most of the states have not
done anything to support the terminally-ill people by providing for hospice care. India also lacks in the
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awareness and existence of the palliative care centres less than 2% of those needing palliative care in
the country receive it.
Concept of Suicide in Major Religions in India

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Hinduism : According to Hinduism, if a person commits suicide, he/she

neither goes to hell nor heaven but remains on Earth as a bad spirit, wandering
aimlessly until they complete the alloted lifespan.
Committing suicide is considered a violation of the code of Ahimsa (non-
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violence) and is therefore as sinful as committing murder.

Islam : According to Prof. Ysuf-Al-Qardhawi (Islamic scholar). “Euthanasia or mercy killing is forbidden in
Islam, for it encompasses a positive role on the part of the physician, to end the life of the patient and hasten
his death. This is an act of killing, and killing is a major sin, and thus forbidden in Islam”.
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The Quran reads: “Do not kill yourselves, for verily Allah has been to you most merciful and Allah is the
one who gave you life, then he shall ordain you to die”.
Christianity : According to the theology of the Catholic Church, death by suicide is considered as a grave
or serious sin and this belief is based on another belief that life is God's property and a gift to this world,
and nobody else has the right to destroy it.
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Sikhism : The Sikhs believe that the Gurus rejected suicide as none have the right to take life. Birth and
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death are the mercy of the creator and there is no place for mercy killing or PAS in Sikhism.
Buddhism : For Buddhists, as the first percept is to refrain from the
destruction of life, including oneself, suicide is seen as a negative form
of action. “Intentionally bringing about the untimely death of a human
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being, even if it is still a foetus, is an offence of Defeat”. “Even praising

death or assisting death out of compassion, that is, euthanasia is still
considered a Defeat for a bhikku”.

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Jainism : Jainism is one religion that permits suicide with restrictions. Jain Munis and other elderly people
have been known to starve themselves to death. Jain scriptures talk about ending life in a dignified way in
Sutra Krtraanga.
“When a wise man, in whatever way, comes to know that the apportioned space of his life draws towards its
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end he should quickly learn the method of dying a religious death”.
The Sutra Krtraanga identifies a holy fast into death, which rids the
soul of negative karma and brings about death with dignity, and within
the Jain religion, this method of ending life is not considered suicide.
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Judaism : One who is in the dying condition is regarded as living
in all aspects. Rabbi Meir says “Whoever closes the eyes of a dying
person is compared to have taken the soul. Assisting and requesting
suicide assistance is forbidden among jews.”
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The Indian Reality
It can be argued that in a country where the basic human rights of individuals are often left unaddressed,
illiteracy is rampant, more than half the population is not having access to portable water, people die every day
due to infections, and where medical assistance and care is less, for the few people, issues related to euthanasia
and PAS are irrelevant. However, India is a country of diversities across religious groups, educational status,
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and culture. In this background, the debate on euthanasia in India is more confusing as there is also a law in
this land that punishes individuals who try to commit suicide.
The Medical Council of India (MCI), in a meeting of its Ethics
Committee in February 2008 in relation to euthanasia opined:
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Practicing euthanasia shall constitute unethical conduct. However, on

specific occasions, the question of withdrawing supporting devices
to sustain cardio-pulmonary function even after brain death shall be
decided only by a team of doctors and not merely by the treating
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physician alone. A team of doctors shall declare withdrawal of support

system. Such team shall consist of the duties in-charge of the patient,
Chief Medical Officer in-charge of the hospital and a doctor nominated by the incharge of the hospital from
hospital staff in accordance with the Transplantation of Organs Act, 1994.
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In India, euthanasia is a crime. Section 309 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) deals with the attempt to commit
suicide and Section 306 of the IPC deals with abetment of suicide – both actions are punishable. Only those
who are brain dead can be taken off life support with the help of family members. Likewise, the honourable
Supreme Court is also of the view that the right to life guaranteed by Article 21 of the constitution does
not include the right to die. The court held that Article 21 is a provision guaranteeing protection of life and
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personal liberty and by no stretch of imagination can extinction of life be read into it. However, various pro-
euthanasia organisations the most prominent among them being the Death with Dignity Foundation, keep on
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fighting for legalisation of an individual’s right to choose his own death.

A major development took place in this field on 7 March 2011. The Supreme Court, in a landmark
judgement, allowed passive euthanasia. A two judge bench laid down a set of tough guidelines
under which passive euthanasia can be legalising through a High/Court monitored mechanism,
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after the verdict of the Aruna Shanrbag vs. Union of India Case. The court further stated that
parents, spouses or close relatives can make such a plea to the High Court. The chief justices
of the High Courts, on receipt of such a plea, would constitute a bench to decide it. The bench
would, in turn, appoint a committee of at least three renowned doctors to advise them on the matter.

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Aruna Ramchandra Shanbaug vs. Union of India
Aruna was a nurse in Mumbai's King Edwards Memorial (KEM), Hospital. She was sexually assaulted by a
ward boy, Sohanlal Walmiki, when she was changing her clothes in the basement of the hospital on November
27, 1973. During the extremely violent assault, Walmiki tried a dog chain around Aruna's neck, and this cut
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off oxygen supply to her brain leaving her in a permanent vegetative state. She also suffered from serious
injuries to her spine. Shanbaug never recovered all through the 42 years of the rest of her life that she was
taken care of by the nurses at KEM Hospital.
Journalist-activist Pinki Virani, who published a book regarding this case titled Aruna’s
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story, filed a writ petition in 2009 before the apex court under Article 32, seeking
legalisation of mercy killing so the Aruna’s suffering could be brought to an end by the
withdrawal of medical support. Her contention was that Aruna was not left with a chance
at recovery as she had been in a permanent vegetative state for decades.
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Aruna Shanbaug
On January 24, 2011, the apex court set up a medical committee, which examined Aruna and concluded that
she met most of the criteria of being in a permanently vegetative state. The three-doctor panel also reported
that his patient was not brain dead and responded to some situations on her own. The apex court thus turned
down Pinki Virani’s plea on March 7, 2011.
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The KEM Hospital nurses were happy to look after Aruna as they had been doing for year. The hospital staff filed
counter-petition in the case, opposing mostly killing for Aruna as sought by Virani. On May 18, 2015, Shanbaug
then 66 years, died of severe pneumonia. She was on ventilator support in KEM's acute care unit for 42 years.
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Do we “Play God” when we seek to end life? Where is the line that separates lives worth living and lives
that are better off dying?
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Euthanasia is defined as the act or practice of ending the life of a person suffering from a terminal illness or
an incurable disease. A more familiar name for euthanasia is mercy killing, which involves doctors providing
and administering the drugs needed to kill someone. Mercy killings are similar to the problems of abortions
because it comes down to the ultimate controversy of sanctity of life versus the freedom of choice.
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Euthanasia is indeed one of the most controversial issues to date. Taking both sides, supporting and opposing
euthanasia in the society, doctors and governments into considerations, the main question now centres on
whether euthanasia is the right act to consider on the cases with no cure and whether euthanasia should be
legalised. With the current debates and developments in the world, euthanasia is being discussed globally,
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legalised in some countries and still discussed in others. While some say that we don’t have a legal right
to die, people still do have a human right to end their life if they are suffering. Even if there isn’t a single
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person who would choose to end their life, that option should always be available.
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No one who is not terminally-ill knows the pain that they are suffering. And if that pain is severe enough that they
would want to take their own life, then we should help them end that pain. Physicians always do everything in
their power to help terminally-ill patients, but they reach a point where there isn't much more they can do but try
and make them as comfortable as possible, and unfortunately that isn't always enough. It is ultimately the patient’s
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choice if they want to end their life or live out the last few weeks of suffering of their life.
Although almost every person has heard of the term mercy killing or euthanasia and have basic knowledge
about it, through my research I realised that there is a lot more to the topic tham what meets the eye. The
research for this project has been an eye opener in understanding the suffering of people and the reasons for
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their demand for the legalisation of euthanasia. I have also been able to understand the various concerns of
people regarding the legalisation and implementation of euthanasia in India.
Hypothesis
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Majority of the respondents will be against euthanasia or PAS and its legalisation in India.
Outcome
Majority of respondents were in favour of euthanasia or PAS and its legalisation in India.
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% Yes, doctors cannot help their patients Yes, I will support the legalisation of
.9 commit suicide euthanasia if safeguards are in place.
12 41.9%
25.8% No, doctors should be allowed to, if it No, I will not support the legalisation,
61.3%
means ending their suffering. as the safeguards will not be fully
58.1% successful.
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Not sure
I will oppose euthanasia in any case.
METHOdOLOGY
The Survey Method was used for this research. The survey method is the technique of gathering data by
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asking questions to people who are thought to have desired information. Survey is an attempt to provide
an overview or a wide ranging perspective on a subject based on the information received from a carefully
chosen set of people known as respondents, who respond to the questions asked to them by the researchers.
Survey is probably the most used sociological method of research.
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Advantages of Survey Method

As compared to other methods (direct observation and experimentation) survey yield a boarder range
of information. Survey is effective to produce information on socio-economic characteristic, attitudes,
opinions, motives, etc. and to gather information for planning product features, advertising media, sales
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promotion, etc.
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(i) Questioning is usually faster and cheaper than observation.

(ii) Questions are simple to administer; the data is reliable as the variability of results is reduced.
(iii) It is relatively easy to analyse, quote and interrelate the data obtained by survey method.
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Disadvantages of Survey Method

(i) Inability of the respondents to provide information. This may be due to lack of knowledge or lapse of
memory.

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(ii) Inability to identify their motives and provides reasons for their opinions.
(iii) Human biases of the respondents.
(iv) Respondents may be hesitant to reveal their honest opinions.
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(v) Different interpretations of questions or options by respondents.
Reasons for Selecting Questionnaire Survey Method

(i) Cost effective (ii) Time saving as compared to other methods
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(iii) Easy administration, for example, online (iv) Can cover a large number of people
Survey Sampling
Survey sampling describes the process of selecting a sample of elements from a target population to conduct
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a survey. Target population is the total group of individuals from which the sample is taken. The sample
includes only the selected representatives from the population who will take part in the research.
Sample Selection
Number of respondents — 30
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Age groups — 15 – 20 years 20 – 30 years 30 – 40 years 40 – 50 years
Gender – 19 females and 11 males
Survey on Attitudes towards Euthanasia

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This survey is designed to analyse the attitudes of individuals regarding euthanasia and Physician-assisted suicide.
1. Age
15-20 20-30 30-40 40-50
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2. Gender
Male Female
3. On a scale of 1 to 10, how well aware are you about euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide?
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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
4. Euthanasia is the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease. It includes
the injection of a lethal dosage of medicine (active euthanasia) and the removal/withholding of lifesaving
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equipment (passive euthanasia). Do you think this is ethical?

Yes, it is ethical.
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No, it is not ethical.

Passive euthanasia may he considered ethical but active euthanasia is not ethical.
5. When a person suffers from an incurable and painful disease, where death is inevitable, do you think
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doctors should be allowed by law to assist the patient in committing suicide by providing them with
the required advise/medicine, when requested by the patient?
Yes No Not sure

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6. Do you think your religious beliefs affect your opinion of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide?
Yes No, but I am religious I am not religious
7. Some people oppose physician-assisted suicide because they believe that the role of doctors is to only
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heal and cure patients and that they have no right to kill their patients even if it means ending their
pain and relieving them of their suffering. What is your opinion on this?
Yes, doctors cannot help their patients commit suicide
No, doctors should be allowed to if it means ending their suffering
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Not sure
8. If a parent/guardian is found guilty of assisting their terminally-ill son or daughter to die, do you think
they should be prosecuted?
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Yes No Not sure
9. If you were diagnosed with a terminal illness with no hope of recovery, on a scale of 1 to 10, how
likely are you to choose the option of ending your life?
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
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10. If a loved one is in a coma or a persistent vegetative state, with no hope of recovery, will you put them
on a ventilator till they die a natural death or will you take them off the ventilator to relieve them of
their suffering?
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Yes No, I will keep them on the ventilator Not sure

11. People diagnosed with terminal illness, who do not wish to go through a life of degeneration and
wish to die with dignity, are forced to kill themselves through harsh means. Do you think euthanasia/
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physician-assisted suicide can be a peaceful alternative for such people to end their life?
Yes No Physician-assisted suicide should never be an option
12. Some of the major concerns of those who oppose the legalisation of physician-assisted suicide is misused
by family members for economic reasons, disposal of age, population, etc. However, if the adequate
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provision for standard procedure with no loopholes for misuse or malpractice is made by the law, do
you think euthanasia/physician-assisted suicide can be legalised?
Yes, I will support the legalisation of euthanasia if safeguards are in place.
No, I will not support the legalisation, as the safeguards will not be fully successful
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I will oppose euthanasia in any case

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13. Studies conducted in countries where euthanasia/physician-assisted suicide is legalised have shown that
the legal safeguards are successful at preventing misuse. On a scale of 1 to 10, how successful do you
think such safeguards will be, if implemented in India?
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
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14. “Assisted death should never be an alternative to good palliative care. Physician-assisted death should
be restricted to those relatively few patients for whom hospice care ceases to be effective, and suffering

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is so intolerable that death is their only answer”. These are the words of Timothy E. Quill an American
physician specialising in palliative care at the University of Rochester, New York. Do you agree with
this statement?
I agree with this statement I do not agree with this statement Not sure
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15. Palliative care is a highly effective alternative to euthanasia. The primary purpose of palliative care is
to make the patients comfortable and free of pain for the time that remains. However, India ranks at the
bottom of the Quality of Death Index in overall score. India also lacks in the awareness and existence
of the Palliative Care Centres. Less than 2% of those needing palliative care in the country receive it.
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What do you think can be done about this?
____________________________________________________________________________________
16. Supporters of euthanasia/physician-assisted suicide often argue that keeping terminally-ill patients alive
against their will, is a drain on medical funds and that the funds should instead be used on patients
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who can be saved. What do you think about this?
____________________________________________________________________________________
17. One of the major oppositions against euthanasia/physician-assisted suicide is the argument that life is
given by God and that humans have no right to interfere in it. Euthanasia is seen as a crime against
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life and a sin from a religious viewpoint. What are your views on it?
____________________________________________________________________________________
18. What are your views on an individual's ‘Right to Die’?
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____________________________________________________________________________________
19. If a patient suffering from a terminal illness wishes to undergo physician-assisted suicide after
confirmation from the doctor that he/she has no hope of revival, but the patient's family refuses on the
grounds that he/she could still be saved, while hoping for a miracle. What do you think should be done
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in such a situation?
____________________________________________________________________________________
20. Do you agree with the concept of euthanasia/physician-assisted suicide and its legalisation? If yes or
no, state the reasons for your stand.
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____________________________________________________________________________________
Attitudes of Medical Practitioners

These questions are to be answered only by Medical Practitioners.
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1. As a doctor, if you were requested to assist a terminally-ill patient to commit suicide (PAS), would you
do it?
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Yes No Maybe
2. From your medical experience, how common or relevant is euthanasia or medical-assisted suicide?
____________________________________________________________________________________
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3. From your experience, how effective and beneficial do you think palliative care can be for a terminally-
ill patient?
____________________________________________________________________________________

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4. Do you think euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide is contradictory to the Hippocratic Oath?
____________________________________________________________________________________
PRESEnTATiOn OF EVidEnCE
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“The right to die should be a matter of personal choice”
We are able to choose all kinds of things in life from who we marry to what kind of work we do and I think when
one comes to the end of one's life, whether you have a terminal illness or whether you're elderly, you should have a
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choice about what happens to you...
I'm pro life – I want to live as long as I possibly can, but I also believe the law should be changed to let anyone with
some severe medical condition which is causing unbearable symptoms to have an assisted suicide. I wouldn't want
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to be unnecessarily kept alive against my own will."
Michael Irwin, MPH, MD

Coordinator, Society for Old Age Rational Suicide (SOARS)
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1. The Right to Die should be a Matter of Personal Choice
The current practice prevalent in most countries, prohibits people from seeking assistance to end their lives.
Just as it could be wrong to force people to die, so is it wrong to force people to endure conditions that they
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find to be unbearable. If a patient is competent to decide, nobody other than that patient should have the
authority to decide whether life is worth continuing.
The decision about whether to continue living in such conditions is one of the most important decisions
that can be made. Just as people value having control over where to live, which occupation to pursue,
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whom to marry, and whether to have children, so people value having control over whether to continue
living when quality of life deteriorates. That is why the, “Right to Life” and the “Right to Die” are not
two rights, but two aspects or descriptions of the same right’. If the right to life were only a right to
decide to continue living, then it would be a duty to live rather than a right to life, as it does not include
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a right to decide to continue living.

Killing people or helping them to kill themselves is usually wrong became continued life is, we assume,
usually in those people's interest. It is extremely implausible, however, to think that continued life is always
in a person’s interest. Quality of life can fall to abysmal levels. While there can be reasonable disagreement
about how poor the quality must be before life is not worth continuing, it is an indecent imposition on people,
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an unconscionable violation of their liberty – to force them to endure a life that they have reasonably judged
to be unaccepted. Accordingly, it is incumbent on liberty – respecting states to allow assisted suicide or
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euthanasia for those whose lives have become a burden to themselves.

Kelly Taylor suffered from Eisenmenger Syndrome, a heart and lung conditions, can develop in people born
with a hole in the heart if it is not treated in infancy. Mrs Taylor also suffered with the rare musco-skeletal
developmental disorder, Klippel-Fiel Syndrome.
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“Enough is enough. I don’t want to suffer any more I'm not depressed. I've never been depressed. I am a
happy person. But my illness is now at the point where I don’t want to deal with it anymore.”

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In 2003, after waiting nearly 10 years for a heart and lung transplant, she was told that a match could not
be found and taken off the transplant list. Her doctors were unable to find a combination of drugs to relieve
her pain as she was allergic to many of them. In 2005, to end the “pain and misery” of her condition, she
attempted to starve herself to death as an act of voluntary euthanasia. But after 19 days she was in so much
pain she decided it was less dignified than her medical condition and began eating again.
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Mrs Taylor said, “My consultant has told me that he does not expect me to live for another year. In that time
I will deteriorate and that deterioration will be quite undignified. I want to avoid that.” She also considered
going to a Swiss assisted suicide clinic, but disliked the idea. “I don’t want to die in a foreign country, I want
to die at home. While I have respect for people who go there, it shouldn't be necessary. We should have a law
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over here,” She said. Kelly Taylor, died on February 27 in Frenchay Hospital. The 35 year old campaigned
for more than six years to change the law on assisted dying.
“The right of a competent, terminally ill person to avoid excruciating pain and embrace a timely and dignified
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death bears the sanction of history and is implicit in the concept of ordered liberty. The exercise of this right
is as central to personal autonomy and bodily integrity as rights safeguarded by this Court's decisions relating
to marriage, family relationships procreation, contraception, child rearing and the refusal or termination of life-
saving medical treatment.”
ACLU Amicus Brief in Vacco v. Quill
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American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
2. The Right of the Terminally Ill to Embrace Dignified Death

Human beings are independent biological entities and as an adult, have the right to take and carry out
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decisions about themselves. A human being decides who they spend their life with, their career path, where
they live, whether they want to bear children. So what is the harm in allowing a terminally-ill patient to
decide for themselves whether they die in a hospital or in their own home? Surely a terminally-ill patient is
better qualified to decide for themselves whether they are better off dead or alive? Their disease makes them
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so crippled they cannot commit suicide alone. Human beings should be as free as possible and unnecessary
restraints on human rights are strongly discouraged.
The opposition makes an argument of inclination. However, it ought to be rejected that people, institutions or
legal entities should advocate the death of an individual. The life of an individual rests in the considerations
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of the consequences of an individual's action. If we deny them this right, we make a claim that we own their
life. We own the product of their time, energy and utility. This is something we must never fall into. It may
be said that human beings are precious for various seasons, but the value of an individual's life can never be
determined by the state or another individual.
“There's people that tell me why are you doing this [advocating for PAS], you're supposed to cure, you're
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supposed to help this person, my answer to that is some people need help dying. To prolong a death
in some cases is not helpful, it can be counter productive. My objective is that given the Hippocratic
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Oath, I'm not going against it, I'm helping people, people like my daughter [Emily, who died at 25 after
a 17-year battle with leukaemia] who need help at the end of their lives. What spurred me is Emily on two
occasions when she was lucid and competent, she asked me to give her enough sleeping pills so that she could
go to sleep permanently. She was blind, but in the bed and had to be carried, but her mind was still competent.
Had I known it was legal in five other states... and understanding what her wishes were, I would have left [to
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go to a legal state] in a heartbeat.”

Robert Olvera, MD

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3. Doctors Debate on the Ethics of Assisted Suicide
In support of physician-assisted suicide or voluntary active euthanasia, the argument is often made that, as
people have the right to live with dignity, they must also have the right to die with dignity. Some medical
conditions are simply so painful and unnecessarily prolonged that the capability of the medical profession to
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alleviate suffering by means of palliative care is surpassed.
Intractable terminal suffering robs the victims of most of their dignity. In addition, medical science and practice
is currently capable of an unprecedented prolongation of human life. It can be a prolongation that too often
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results in a concomitant prolongation of unnecessary and pointless suffering.
Enormous pressure is placed upon both the family and the health care system to spend time and very costly
resources on patients that have little or no choice of recovery and are irrevocably destined to die. It is, so the
argument goes, not inhumane or irreverent to assist such patients – particularly if they clearly and repeatedly
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so request – to bring their lives to an end.
The primary task of the medical profession is not to prolong life or to promote health, but to relieve suffering.
We have a right to die with dignity and the medical profession has a duty to assist in that regard.
A person dying from cancer feels weak, exhausted and loses the will to fight. Muscles waste away, appearance
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changes and the patient starts to looks older. A cancer patient becomes confused, no longer recognising family
and friends. Motor neuron diseases cause the sufferer to lose mobility in the limbs, having difficulty with
speech, swallowing and breathing. Those suffering with diseases that have symptoms like dementia, loss of
rational thought, involuntary movements, difficulty in speaking, moving, swallowing, weight loss, depression,
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etc., are being watched by their families, who see their loved one suffer a slow and painful death. Surely, it
is better and kinder to put them out of their pain and misery and allow them to die a peaceful death, as is
their last wish.
A stroke in 2005 left Tony Nicklinson with ‘locked-in syndrome’– mentally sound but paralysed from the
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neck down and unable to speak.

In 2012, Tony Nicklinson who is physically unable to commit suicide took his ‘Right to Die’ case to the High
Court. At the High Court in London, he described his existence as ‘dull, miserable, demeaning, undignified and
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intolerable,’ as he began his landmark case that challenged the law on Euthanasia. He wanted the three judges
to rule that if and when, he decides to die, a doctor will be inhumane from presentation if they help him.
Mr. Nicklinson, 58 year-old, who communicates by blinking or with limited head movement, described having
no ‘privacy or dignity left’ and said that his right to choose life or death had been taken away.
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In an email sent to his solicitor last week, that his barrister read to the court, Mr Nicklinson said, “I have
wanted by life to end since 2007, so its not a passing when. I know consent makes no difference but the
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doctor has it anyway. Legal arguments are fine but they should not forget that a life is affected by the decision
they come to – a decision that goes against me and condemns me to a life of misery.”
Mr Nicklinson added, “It is misery created by the accumulation of lots of things which are minor in themselves
but taken together, ruins what's left of my life. I can't tell how significant it would be or how much peace of
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mind I would have, knowing that I can determine my own life instead of the state telling me what to do.”
His daughter said, “He is living the life he does not wish to live. He is condemned to a state of suffering
and indignity that no one should be forced to endure.”

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“It would be hard for me to construct addressing the suffering of a terminally ill patient as a harm. It is an
obligation. The question is, how we can respond to those kinds of sufferings? Part of our job, in my opinion, is
to help people die better. I say that in a direct way because it irks me when we say that doctors should not help
people die. We need people who are committed to caring for people all the way through to their death as if they
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were family members, committed to relieving their suffering. Sometimes that requires helping people to die.”
Timothy E Quill, MD
Professor of Palliative Care, Medicine and Psychiatry,
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University of Rochester
4. Should Physicians help Terminal Patients Die?

To say that someone has a right is to say that he or she holds a morally justified option that he or she may
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choose either to exercise or not; an option to demand certain actions from another, or not to do so.
If rights are understood in this way, then part of what it means to say that a patient has a “Right to Life”
is that he or she holds the option either to exercise it or not. A physician's duty to preserve the patient's life
would then not be unconditional at all, but rather dependent on the patient's decision whether to exercise his
or her right to life or not.
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On this conception of rights, it seems, the doctor has a strict duty never to intentionally kill the patient so
long as the patient does not wish to be killed. But if the patient does competently express a desire to die,
under circumstances where would be rational to do so, and if that is what he or she does desire, then the
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patient has waived the Right to Life, and the physician no longer has a moral duty to refrain from intentionally
killing him or her.
In countries where euthanasia is currently legal, such as Switzerland and the Netherlands, strict legal guidelines
are in place to ensure that process does not include issues. All patients who request euthanasia require the
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diagnoses of atleast two doctors to verify the terminal nature of their illness, and undergo psychological
examination by these doctors and often other experts to examine the reasons for their choice.
It is not a situation of “Surely it is wrong to give one or two individuals the right to decide whether a patient
should live or die.” It is one of two medical professionals deciding whether the legal parameters allow them to
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enact the patient’s wishes. It appears, therefore, that if the physician’s moral duties are constructed as correlative
with the rights of patients, then the doctor's duty not to kill cannot be an unconditional duty of physicians.
“It is understandable, though tragic, that some patients in extreme duress – such as those suffering from a
terminal, painful, debilitating illness – may come to decide that death is preferable to life. However permitting
L
physicians to engage in assisted suicide would ultimately cause more harm than good. Physician-assisted suicide
is fundamentally incompatible with the physician's role as healer, would be difficult or impossible to control,
YA
and would pose serious societal risks ... [P]ermitting physicians to engage in euthanasia would ultimately cause
more harm than good. Euthanasia is fundamentally incompatible with the physician's role as healer, would be
difficult or impossible to control, and would pose serious societal risks. Euthanasia could readily be extended
to incompetent patients and other vulnerable populations. The involvement of physicians in euthanasia heightens
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the significance of its ethical prohibition. The physician who performs euthanasia assumes unique responsibility
for the act of ending the patient's life.”
American Medical Association (AMA)

N
HA
5. The Code of Medical Ethics
Aging is a process that all humans must live through. Aging from childhood to adulthood implies deterioration
and ultimately ends in death. Pain and suffering come to all, more so towards the end of life.
AS
The social scientist Francis Fukuyama explains: “What we considers to be the highest and most admirable
human qualities are related to the way we react to, confront and succumb to pain and suffering, and
death. In the absence of these human evils there would be no sympathy, compassion, courage, heroism,
solidarity or strength of character. A person who has not confronted suffering or death. Our ability to
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experience these emotions is what connects us potentially to all other human beings, both living and
dead”. (Fukuyama 2003)
The proponents of euthanasia support the practice based on the principle of autonomy of the individual and
the ethics of compassion. The autonomy of the individual is thought by some to override all other moral
PR
standards. Modern culture views pain and suffering as disgraceful and undignified and insists that it must
be removed. However, true compassion means suffering with the person, and sharing his/her burdens. True
compassion can never justify the taking of an innocent life. Taking a person's life is not the solution to
their pain and suffering.
RS
“Nothing, absolutely nothing, requires that physicians be the instruments of suicide aid... The
physician's task is to tell the patient... what's wrong, and to the best of the doctor's ability,
what is going to happen. The physician's job is to heal the sick, to stave off death, and to say
as best as he or she can what the future will be like for each particular patient. The physician
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gets to be the helpless person's medical guide because he or she is trusted to hold the patient's
good uppermost and the patient's good does not include death.”
Stefan Bernard Baumrin, PhD, JD
OT
Professor of Philosophy, City University of New York
6. Physician-Assisted Suicide : Expanding the Debate

The ends of medicine are health, cure and care. The killing of the patient is not a goal of the physician
BR
– patient encounter. There is no role for the physician in euthanasia and assisted suicide. The physician
must care for the ailing patient with love and compassion, treating physical and emotional pain always
with respect, preserving the person's dignity, and never cause any harm. The taking of an innocent life
is never a moral act.
L
The ambivalence and discomfort experienced by a substantial percentage of PAS participating physicians is
directly connected to the Hippocratic Oath – arguably, the most important foundational document in medical
YA
ethics. The oath clearly states :

“I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody if asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect.”
Inded, when patients nearing the end of life expresses fears of loosing control or being deprived of dignity,
compassionate and supportive counselling is called for – not assistance in suicide. “Do we want doctors
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deciding who lives and who dies? No, we do not want that. This is a slope, a real slope where we are going
to end up playing God. We do not and should not have that power.”

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HA
“[T]he empirical slippery slope cannot be ignored when one looks at the facts across the world...[T]
here remains a real possibility of the extension of euthanasia to infants, those with mental incapacities
or disabilities, and the elderly...
Indeed, this has materialised to some degree, whether by a formal extension of categories of persons to
AS
whom euthanasia is allowed, or by loose application of criteria by personnel involved in the administration
of euthanasia. For example, Belgium removed the age restriction for euthanasia in 2014; assisted death
has extended beyond the line originally drawn by the law in the Netherlands to patients regarded as
legally and mentally incompetent and the possibility of extension to those who are not terminally ill but
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feel their lives are complete is being considered; severe psychic pain in and otherwise healthy person
has been thought sufficient ground for requesting euthanasia; and researchers have found cases of non-
voluntary euthanasia in the form of the termination of lives of disabled infants in the Netherlands.”
Tan Seow Hon, SJD
PR
Associate Professor of Law
Singapore Management University
7. The Slippery Slope Argument in PAS and Euthanasia

RS
One of the biggest arguments against the legalisation of PAS is the “slippery slope” that the legalisation may
cause. The slippery slope argument asserts that one exception to a law or rule is followed by more exceptions
until a point is reached that would have been initially unacceptable. Those view PAS in the context of the
slippery slope argue that PAS would be regulated with safeguards, but over time those safeguards could be
HE
followed less closely. As a result, instead of being a last resort, PAS could become an option that is sought
out more quickly or even become a first choice for some people. This “Slippery slope” has led some to worry
about the potential for abuse of the safeguards set in place of PAS were to be legalised. For example, in the
Netherlands more than 560 deaths (0.4% of total deaths) were caused by giving lethal substances without
having given explicit consent. The potential for abuse of safeguards is very worrisome due to the possibility
OT
of PAS becoming something comparable to euthanasia. Other worrisome data indicates that no patients in
2007 who participated in PAS were evaluated by psychologists or psychiatrists. This is strange considering
the prevalence of depressive syndromes among terminally-ill cancer patients is around 59%.
BR
Until 2001, the Netherlands allowed only adults access to euthanasia or PAS. However, the 2001 law allowed
for children aged 12-16 years to be euthanasia if consent is provided by their parents, even though this age
group is generally not considered capable of making such decisions. The law even allows physicians to proceed
with euthanasia if there is disagreement between the parents. By 2005, the Groningen Protocol, which allows
euthanasia of newborns and younger children who are expected to have “no hope of a good quality of life,”
L
was implemented. In 2006, legislators in Belgium announced their intention to change the euthanasia law to
include infants, teenagers, and people with dementia or Alzheimer disease.
YA
Initially, euthanasia in the Netherlands was to be a last resort option in the absence of other treatment options.
Surprisingly, however, palliative care consultation are not mandatory in the jurisdiction that allows euthanasia
or assisted suicide, even though uncontrolled pair and symptoms remain among the reasons for requesting
euthanasia or PAS. Requesting by the Belgian palliative cure community to include an obligatory palliative
GO
care consultation “palliative filter” were denied. From 2002 to 2007 in Belgium, a palliative care physician
was consulted (second option) in only 12% of the cases of euthanasia palliative care physicians and teams
were not involved in more than 65% of cases receiving euthanasia.

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Moreover, the rates of palliative care involvement have been decreasing. In 2002, palliative care teams were
consulted in 19% of the cases, but by 2007, such involvement had declined to 9% of the cases. That finding
contradicts claims that in Belgium, legalisation has been accompanied by significant improvements in palliative
care in the country. It must be noted that legalisation of euthanasia or PAS has not been required in other
AS
countries such as United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland, France and Spain where palliative care has developed
more than it has in Belgium and the Netherlands.
“[C]ampaigning to end certain people's lives doesn't end suffering – it passes on the suffering to other
similar people, who now have to fear they are the next people in line to be seen as having worthless lives.
AK
And people who have died from a drug overdose have no freedom of choice at all. Moreover, societies that
authorize suicide as a 'choice' for some people soon end up placing pressure on them to 'do the right thing'
and kill themselves... Seeing suicide as a solution for some illnesses can only undermine the willingness of
doctors and society to learn how to show real compassion and address patients' pain and other problems.
In states that have legalized assisted suicide, in fact, most patients request the lethal drugs not due to pain
PR
(or even fear of future pain), but due to concerns like ‘loss of dignity’ and ‘becoming a burden on others’
– attitudes that these laws encourage. The solution is to care for people in ways that assure them that they
have dignity and it is a privilege, not a burden, to care for them as long as they live.”
Richard Doerflinger, MA
Public Policy Fellow, Center for Ethics and Culture
RS
University of Notre Dame
8. Euthanasia : A Slippery Slope

Allowing PAS open the door for the disabled, sick and elderly to see themselves as an excessive financial
HE
and emotional burden. The ‘Right to Die’ could very quickly became a ‘Duty to Die’. No legislation can
protect against this. Critics of PAS have found that once assisted suicide is accepted as an available option for
competent terminally ill adults, it may be permitted for ever-larger groups of persons including the terminally
ill, those whose pain is emotional instead of physical, and so forth. Critics point to the fact that permitting
OT
euthanasia and assisted suicide, as is done in the Netherlands, does not prevent violation of procedures (e.g.,
failure to report) which occurs frequently in the medical profession, or abuse (involuntary euthanasia). In
addition, the option of assisted suicide for mentally competent, terminally-ill people could give rise to a new
culture norm of an obligation to speed up the dying process and subtly or not-so-subtly influence end-of-life
BR
decisions of all sorts. This ultimately costs the patient one of the inalienable rights, the pursuit of life.
Unfortunately giving any sort of ‘Right to Choose’ also denies a right to choose for others. If euthanasia is allowed
then people who are terminally-ill, critically injured or simply old may fell compelled to choose an option they
don’t really want to take. If euthanasia is allowed in some cases these people whose treatment may be costing the
relatives or the state a lot of money may felt that they are not worth the cost of keeping them alive.
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Legalising physician-assisted suicide is merely a part of the debate about improving end-of-life care. It cannot
YA
be viewed as a quick and easy fix, or a way to protect patients from inadequate care arrangements. Too many
people still suffer needlessly, often because doctors and families just do not know how to serve people who
are dying. To legalise physician-assisted suicide would make real reform, such as better pain control, less
likely. The main problem lies with a lack of knowledge. Many suffers because doctors fail to provide adequate
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medication for pain. Without the reform of pain medication, patients end up with no prospects to live well
while dying. In this scenario, making suicide an option is not offering a genuine choice but instead forcing a
decision on the patient who again loses rights under this plan the affirmative have presented.

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AnALYSiS And EVALuATiOn
HA
Question 1. Age
Observations Tally Marks Frequency
15-20
15-20 IIII III 8
AS
22.6% 25.8% 20-30
20-30 IIII III 8
30-40
25.8%
30-40 IIII I 6 25.8%
30-40
40-50 IIII III 8
AK
Question 2. Gender
Observations Tally Marks Frequency 22.6% 25.8%
38.7% Male
– Male IIII IIII IIII IIII 19 61.3% Female
25.8% 25.8%
PR
– Female IIII IIII I 11
Question 3. On a scale of 1 to 10, how well aware are you about euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide.

RS
1 0
2 I 1
3 0
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4 0
5 IIII II 7
6 II 2
OT
7 IIII 4
8 IIII 5
9 IIII 4
BR
10 IIII II 7
8(25.8%)
8
7(22.6%)
6
L
5(15.1%)
4(12.9%) 4(12.9%)
YA
2(6.5%)
2
1(3.2%)
0(0%) 0(0%) 0(0%)
0
GO
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

N
Question 4. Euthanasia is the painless killing of a patient
HA
Yes, it is ethical
suffering from an incurable and painless disease. It includes 22.6%38.7%
25.8% No, it is not ethical
the injection of a lethal dosage of medicine (active euthanasia)
Passive Euthanasia may be
19.4% 41.9%
and the removal/withholding of life-saving equipment (passive 25.8% 25.8% considered ethical but active
euthanasia). Do you thick it is ethical? Euthanasia is not ethical
AS
Yes, it is ethical IIII IIII III 13
No, it is not ethical IIII 5
AK
Passive euthanasia may be considered
IIII IIII II 12
ethical but active euthanasia is not ethical
Question 5. When a person suffers from an incurable and painful disease, 19.4% Yes
22.6%
where death is inevitable, do you think doctors should be allowed by
PR
No
law to assist the patient in committing suicide by providing them with Notsure
58.1%
the required advise/medicine, when requested by the patient?

RS
Yes IIII IIII IIII III 18
No IIII 5
Not sure IIII II 7
HE
Question 6. Do you think your religious beliefs affect your Yes

opinion of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide? 80.6%
9.7% No, but I am religious
9.7%
I am not religious
OT

Yes III 3
BR
No, but I am religious IIII IIII IIII IIII IIII 24

I am not religious III 3
Question 7. Some people oppose physician-assisted suicide Yes, doctors cannot help their
patients commit suicide
because they believe that the role of doctors is to only heal
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and cure patients and that they have no right to kill their No, doctors should be allowed
61.3% 12.9%
to, if it means ending their
patients even if it means ending their pain and relieving suffering
YA
them of their suffering. What is your opinion on this? 25.8% Not sure

Yes, doctors cannot help their patients commit suicide. IIII II 7
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No, doctor should be allowed to, if it means ending their suffering. IIII IIII IIII IIII 19
Not sure IIII 4

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Question 8. If a parent/guardian is found guilty of assisting their Yes
48.4%
terminally-ill son or daughter to die, do you think they should be No
32.3%
prosecuted? 19.4% Not sure
AS
Yes IIII I 6
AK
No IIII IIII 10
Not sure IIII IIII IIII 14
Question 9. If you were diagnosed with a terminal illness with no hope of recovery, on a scale of 1 to 10,
PR
how likely are you to choose the option of ending your life?
1 IIII I 6
2 II 2
RS
3 II 2
4 I 1
5 IIII 4
6 I 1
HE
7 II 2
8 II 2
9 III 3
OT
10 IIII II 7
8
7(22.6%) 7(22.6%)
BR
4(12.9%)
4
3(9.7%)
2(6.5%) 2(6.5%) 2(6.5%) 2(6.5%)
2
L
1(3.2%) 1(3.2%)
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
YA
Question 10. If a loved one is in a coma or a persistent vegetative

Yes
state, with no hope of recovery, will you put them on a ventilator till 35.5%
No, I will keep them
they die a natural death or will you take them off the ventilator to 19.4% on the ventilator
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45.2%
relieve them of their suffering? Not sure

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HA
Yes IIII IIII IIII 14
No, I will keep them on ventilator IIII I 6
AS
Not sure IIII IIII 10
Question 11. People diagnosed with terminal illness, who do not wish Yes
16.1%
to go through a life of degeneration and wish to die with dignity, 22.6% No
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are forced to kill themselves through harsh means. Do you think Physician-assisted
suicide should never
euthanasia/physician-assisted suicide can be a peaceful alternative for 61.3%
be an option
such people to end their life.
PR
Yes IIII IIII IIII IIII 19
No IIII 4
Physician-assisted suicide should never be an option IIII II 7
RS
Question 12. Some of the major concerns of those who
oppose the legalisation of physician-assisted suicide Yes, I will support the legalisation of
41.9% Euthanasia if safeguards are in place
is misused by family members for economic reasons,
No, I will not support the legalization, as
disposal of age, population, etc. However, if the adequate
58.1% the safeguard will not be fully successful
provision for standard procedure with no loopholes for
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I will oppose Euthanasia in any case

misuse or malpractice is made by the law, do you think
euthanasia/physician-assisted suicide can be legalised?
OT
Yes, I will support the legalisation of euthanasia if safeguards are

IIII IIII IIII III 18
in place.
No, I will not support the legalisation, as the safeguards will not
IIII IIII II 12
be fully successful.
BR
I will oppose euthanasia in any case. — 0

Question 13. Studies conducted in countries where euthanasia/physician-assisted suicide is legalised have
shown that the legal safeguards will be, if implemented in India?
L
1 III 3
2 III 3
YA
3 IIII II 7
4 II 2
5 II 2
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6 III 3
7 IIII 5

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HA
8 IIII 4
9 I 1
10 — 0
AS
8(25.8%)
8
6
5(16.1%)
AK
4(12.9%)
4
3(9.7%) 3(9.7%) 3(9.7%)
2(6.5%) 2(6.5%)
2
1(3.2%)
0(0.6%)
0
PR
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Question 14. “Assisted suicide should never be an alternative to I agree with this statement
29%
good palliative care. Physician-assisted suicide should be restricted I do not agree with this
12.9%
to those relatively few patients for whom hospice care ceases to statement
RS
be effective, and suffering is so intolerable that death is their only 58.1% Not sure
answer.”
There are the words of Timothy. E. Quill, an American physician, specialising in palliative care at the
University of Rochester, New York. Do you agree with this statement?
HE

I agree with this statement IIII IIII IIII III 18
I do not agree with this statement IIII III 8
OT
Not sure IIII 4
Question 15. Palliative care is a highly effective alternative to euthanasia. The primary purpose of palliative
care is to make the patients comfortable and free of pain for the time that remains. However, India ranks
at the bottom of the Quality of Death Index. India also lacks awareness in the existence of Palliative Care
BR
Centres less them 2% of those needing palliative care in the country receive it, what do you think can be
done about this?
Observations
Most people answered that the solution to the problem was to increase awareness about palliative are in the
L
country or similar answers like :

(i) Establishing more Palliative Care Centres.
YA
(ii) Rising awareness and knowledge about palliative care.

(iii) Ensuring that palliative care is economically accessible to all.
(iv) All states should draft Palliative Care Policies.
GO
(v) Palliative care training for all the health professionals in the country.
(vi) Ensuring friendly environment in Palliative Care Centres and ensuring that palliative care personnel is
empathetic towards patients.

N
HA
Question 16. Supporters of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide often argue that keeping ill patients alive
against their will, is a drain on medical funds and that funds should instead be used on patients who can be
saved. What do you think about this?
Observations
AS
(i) About 60% of the respondents agree with the statement. They supported their choice by saying that
the medical funds could be used on patients with curable diseases instead of keeping the terminally-ill
alive against their will. These resources can be used to save patients who are being failed to be cured
due to lack of funds.
AK
(ii) About 28% of the respondents did not agree with the statement on the 12%
Yes
grounds that every individual is deserving of the treatment that they No
28% 60%
need and that every patient’s life is valuable and had the right to be Depends
treated equally. Some also stated that if the patient's loved ones wish
PR
to keep them alive then they should be allowed to do so.
(iii) About 12% of the respondents answered that it depended from case to case and that the statement was
not confirmatory in all cases.
Question 17. One of the major oppositions against euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide is the argument
RS
that life is given by God and that humans have no right to interfere in it. Euthanasia is seen as crime against
life and sin from a religious viewpoint. What are your views on it?
Observations
HE
(i) About 23.8% of the respondents agreed with the statement. They argued that life is given by God and
hence humans should have no right to interfere.
(ii) About 76.1% of the respondents did not agree with the statement. The offered various reasons like :
(a) People’s beliefs should not be taken into consideration in the medical field.
OT
(b) While ending one's life for other reasons (suicide) was a sin, using euthanasia to end pain and
suffering is not wrong.
(c) People are free to hold such religious beliefs, but euthanasia should 23.8%
Agree
be an option available to those who wish to undergo it.
BR
Don’t Agree
(d) A merciful God would not mind/God does not want his children to 76.2%
suffer.
(e) Everyone will die anyway. Why wait till they suffer terribly and then die.
Question 18. What are your views on an individual's “Right to Die”?

L
Observations
YA
(i) About 36.3% of the respondents answered that people don't have the ‘Right to Die’. They argued that
rights were only for the living and that the Right to Die was baseless and illogical. They said that no
individual has the right to kill themselves and that statements like, “Individuals have the right to choose,
it's their life” were an excise to run away from the responsibilities.
GO
(ii) About 63.6% of the respondents answered that people have the ‘Right to Die.’ They supported their
stand by saying that :
(a) It should be done only by euthanasia.

N
HA
(b) It should be done with a lot of guidelines to ensure that there is misuse.
(c) If a person has the right to live, why is the “Right to Die” seized from them?
(d) A law should be passed providing the ‘Right to Die’ so that
AS
people can die in a peaceful and a legally appropriate way. 36.3% Does not have right
63.6% Has right
(e) It can be done to end the suffering of a patient but only the
treating doctor should be allowed to do so.
Question 19. If a patient suffering from a terminal illness wishes to undergo physician-assisted suicide
AK
after confirmation from the doctors that he/she has no hope of revival, but the patient's family refuses
on the grounds that he/she could still be saved, while hoping for a miracle. What do you think should
be done in such a situation?
PR
Observations
(i) About 47.6% of the respondents said that the family choice had to be considered. They argued that the
family's choice had to be respected and that one must accept their hope for a miracle. If the family's
decision is not considered in such a situation they may feel that they did not try their best to save their
loved one and may regret it.
RS
(ii) About 38.9% of the respondents answered that the patient’s choice was
important. They argued that if the patient was an adult, they should 14.2%
Family’s choice
have the right to choose as it is their own life. As the family is not 47.6% Patient’s choice
aware of the patient's pain, the family need counselling and also needs 39.9% Depends
HE
to be brought to terms with the reality.

(iii) About 14.2% of the respondents said that it depends on case.
Question 20. Do you agree with the concept of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide and its legalisation?
If yes or no, state the reasons for your stand.
OT
Observations
(i) About 75% of the respondents answered that they supported the concept of euthanasia/PAS and its
legalisation. They backed up their stand using statements like :
BR
(a) It should be considered only in cases where the patient is beyond medical help.
(b) Nobody should be forced to live in constant pain, if they have no chances of getting better.
(c) It should only be done with complete transparency and strict rules to ensure there is no misuse.
(d) Death is better than pain.
L
(e) While palliative care is an option, those who do not want it should have PAS as an option.
(ii) About 25% of the respondents answered that they did not agree with the
YA
concept of PAS and its legalisation. They argued that one was born to live 25% Yes
and to die. They stated that if a law was passed we will not keep it under 75% No
control and it may be misused. One respondent, who was a doctor also
GO
answered that they were supposed to be constructive and not destructive.

N
11.
Yes
1%
Question 21. As a doctor, if you were requested to assist a terminally-ill
HA
44.4% No
44.4%
patient to commit suicide (PAS), would you do it? No
Observations Tally marks Frequency
AS
Yes IIII 4
No IIII 4
Maybe I 1
AK
Question 22. From your medical experience, how common or relevant is euthanasia or medical-assisted
suicide?
Observations
(i) About 33.3% of the medical practitioners responded that euthanasia was very relevant.
PR
(ii) About 66.7% of the respondents answered that cases of euthanasia were quite rare in the medical
experience.
Question 23. From your experience, how effective and beneficial do you think palliative care can be for a
terminally-ill patient?
RS
Observations
(i) About 85% of the respondents replied that they thought that palliative care can be very effective for a
terminally-ill patient.
(ii) About 25% of the medical practitioners replied that they thought that palliative care is not always
HE
effective for a terminally-ill patient.
Question 24. Do you think euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide is the contradictory to the Hippocratic
Oath?
OT
Observations
(i) About 43% of the practitioners answered that it was contradictory.
(ii) About 57% of the medical practitioners answered that it was not contradictory.
BR
“Modern times call for modern solutions.”

“The oath was made by another human. There are loopholes in every system. It should be rectified with
passing time.”
L
YA
GO

N
HA
LiMiTATiOnS
Due to the lockdown and travel restrictions of the pandemic, it was difficult to visit libraries and I had to
limit my sources of secondary data to the data that was available online.
AS
It was also not possible to go out for conducting surveys and collecting primary data for my research.
Using an online portal for conducting surveys was quite difficult. The answers provided by the respondents
were quite restricted and there was no way to ask the respondents further questions to have a deeper
understanding of their view on a particular aspect of the topic.
AK
Not all the questions in the surveys were answered, because of which it was difficult to have a complete
understanding of the respondent's opinion.
Other than non-attempted questions of the survey, some respondents also answered many questions with
“no comment” or “not sure”. Since the survey was conducted using an online portal, it was not possible
PR
to request them to answer every question of the questionnaire properly.
COnCLuSiOnS
Since euthanasia is not a common subject of conversation. I was not very aware of the topic.
RS
However, a movie on euthanasia, sparked my interest on the topic. A simple Google search
revealed what a vast and serious issue this was. Hence, I decided to make euthanasia my Board
Project topic and do extensive research on the topic. Through the research and making of this
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project, I was able to learn a lot of new things, including, the different types of euthanasia, its
history and legal status in India, the various arguments in support of and against euthanasia and
the various arguments and opinions of people regarding euthanasia through the survey. Through
the process of making this project, I was also able to develop and improve a lot of qualities like
OT
my time management skills, my information organisation skills, etc. It also taught me to respect
and try to understand the opinions of different people on an issue, no matter how different it
may be from my personal opinion on a topic.
BR
VIVA-VOCE QuESTiOnS
1. What was the reason for you to choose Euthanasia as your research topic?
L
[Hint: you should be able to always answer this question based directly on your research.]
YA
2. Why do you think a lot of countries do not approve Euthanasia? Do you think its correct?
[Hint: Its expected that you should have done your proper research on the topic globally.]
3. What do you think are merits and demerits of Euthanasia?
GO
[Hint: You should be confident to answer this question.]

N
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PROJECT
AS
3 tOPic : Superstitions in India
AK
PR
} To explain the superstitious beliefs that exist in India.
} To discuss about types of superstitions and its possible logic.
RS
} To explore how superstitions are relevant to cultural practices.
} To acquaint with sources of superstitions through case studies.
} To know the Anti-Superstition Act and the law related to it.
} To analyse the effects of superstitions on rational thinking.
HE
} To evaluate the possible outcomes with regard to superstitions.
inTROduCTiOn
OT
Superstitions are beliefs or practices that are based upon one’s trust
in luck or other, irrational, unscientific, or supernatural forces. It is
not based on reason or knowledge, or in the ominous. Significance
of a particular thing, proceeding, occurrence or the like. It is often
BR
a custom or act based on irrational fear of what is unknown or

mysterious, especially in connection with religion.
Life in India is suffused in Superstition of various kinds, from the
most bizarre to the innocence. Everyone has their own stories and
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many, their own superstitions.

YA
Questions that often come to mind include, “Does this have to do

with our failure to separate religion and faith from belief in the
supernatural? Or is this the result of shallow education, especially
science education?” Perhaps both. Scientific understanding can
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dispel superstitious and magical thinking without us losing our

sense of wonder.

N
HA
From where do These Beliefs Come?
Superstitions come from traditions and your upbringing - people
teach you superstitions; you’re not born believing in Friday the
13th or that if you step on a crack, you’ll break your mother’s
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back. They also come from the uncertainty of life if you have
something you desire that you cannot make sure will happen, you
might engage in superstitious belief. That’s because superstitions
after provide the illusion of control.
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Why does Eradication of Superstition Require Efforts of the People and
Social Groups?
Superstition continues to rule the lines of people, as such beliefs are
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closely linked to faith in god. It is against this that one must consider
how scientists and rationalists have been endeavouring to spread the
message of science in their own limited spheres. But their efforts
are like drops in an ocean. Larger efforts by the state or humongous
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social movements are required to eradicate superstitious practices. For
example, practices such as sati were not eradicated by ‘persuasion’ Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti
but due to the enormous efforts put in by the social reformers and ultimately by legislation. “Persuasion” is
an excellent tool, but is limited in its scope and reach. Finally, educationalists and governments must ensure
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that people are suitably educated to develop their scientific temper and rational thinking. Childhood is the
best period to sow the seeds of scientific thinking and to develop reasoning. The media has a great role to
play in this regard as its reach in this technological age is unlimited.
Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (MANS) is an organisation dedicated to fighting superstition
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in India, particularly in the province of Maharashtra. It was founded by Dr. Narendra Dabholkar’s in 1989.
It is currently headed by Avinash Patil after Dabholkar’s assassination.
One would assume poverty, and consequent illiteracy might be factors. But a study by the University
of Kerala reported 48% of post graduate students responding positively to such beliefs, so education
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doesn’t seem likely to affect such thinking much. Ever affluent people are seen awaiting ‘auspicious’
moments for functions.
Types of Superstitions
L
Superstitions itself are classified into good luck superstitions and bad
luck superstitions. Here we will discuss about the good luck and bad luck
YA
superstitions from India and around the world. Maharashtra Andhashraddha

Nirmoolan Samiti
Good Luck Superstitions
1. Eye twitching.
GO
2. Eating curd before heading out for an important task.

3. If you sneeze, it means some one is missing you.

N
HA
4. If your right hand palm itches, you will get money.
5. If you dream of white cat, it brings luck (prosperity).
6. If you find a four leaf clover, you will have good luck (faith, love, hope and good fortune).
7. If you step on your shadow, it brings you luck (gain confidence and self-esteem).
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8. If your right ear itches, someone is speaking well of you.
Bad Luck Superstitions

It is usually observed that more people believe in bad luck superstitions.
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Listed below are some of the common bad luck superstitions in India
and outside of India.
1. Putting your clothes on inside out in Russia invites a beating.
2. Friday the 13th is considered unlucky in the US. People protesting against the
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aclipose Superstition
3. Don’t pass money by hand in Tajikistan.
The same is believed in India, about scissors.
4. If a dog howls at night, death is near.
5. If you break a mirror, it will bring you 7 years of bad luck.
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6. If you walk under a ladder, you will have bad luck.
7. It is bad to see an owl when there is sunlight.
8. If a bat flies into your house, it is bad luck. People on strike
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9. It is bad luck to open an umbrella in the house.
Indian Superstitions and the Possible Logic Behind Them

Attempts have been made time and again to prove that the rituals we label as
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superstitions were at one point carefully thought scientific procedures. With the
passage of time and development of a hierarchical society, this knowledge became
more and more esoteric and finally only the rituals were propagated not the reasons
behind them.
BR
Here is an attempt to decode the logic behind some of the old-age practices of
our ancestors.
Superstition Possible Logic
1. Don’t step out during an eclipse preventing loss of eyesight
L
2. Don’t wash your hair on a certain day to save water

3. Plastering floors with cow dung is auspicious It acts as a disinfectant.
YA
4. Avoid to stand under a peepal tree at night At night, plants exhale CO2 which could be toxic for humans
In the old days, electricity wasn’t always available, and so
5. No cutting of nails after sunset
it could be dangerous.
GO
6. Broken-mirrors are seen as a sign of bad luck Mirrors are very expensive, especially in the older days.
Since sanitary pads were only invented in the year 1896,
Limiting women from doing certain things
7. these women were in pain and stressed and this superstition
during periods as it causes impurity
was to give them rest.

N
HA
Most people are at least a little superstitious whether that be placing trust in lucky numbers or trying to avoid
bad omens, different cultures have incredible stories behind their superstitions.
Relevance of My Topic with Regard to The World
AS
People all across the world are superstitious, every country has superstitions that are majority believed in.
And occasionally these superstitions even contradict each other. For instance, in many countries, Friday the
13th signifies bad luck and in other countries, such bad luck is denoted by Tuesday the 13th.
AK
In some cases, superstitions across the world mirror each other as in the widely believed superstition in Turkey
and India that giving a knife or pair of scissors directly to someone will cause a huge flight. And sometimes
it is observed that such practices can cause harm to other countries. Cases are widespread of foreigners in a
particular country being ridiculed or harassed due to their ignorance or unawareness of superstitions of that
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country and so it becomes the duty of every human to understand superstitions.
With Regard to Indian Society

Superstitions are strongly tied to the cultural practices, especially
in India. Although 17% of the world’s population resides in India.
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Indian culture is understudied and there has not been sufficient
attempts to understand Indian superstitions in a scientific manner
from a psychometric viewpoint, and so this topic and my project
is of utmost importance to the Indian society. The cases are
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innumerable of discrimination on the basis of superstitions. There

are various practices in India termed under superstitions that are
detrimental to an individual and society. In India, superstitions
are not limited to the private sphere of life but often leak into the
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public sphere too and here is when it becomes a problem, as the

beliefs of one are usually imposed on the other. India has been
termed as the “most superstitious country” in the world.
In Relation to Youth
BR
India is a youthful nation in the sense that no other country has so much youth population as India does. A
survey of 2016, jointly conducted by the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, Konrad Adenauer-
Stiftung and Lokniti about Indian Youth’s altitudes, anxieties and aspirations–pointed out that the young
people are certainly becoming more modern in their appearance and consumption habits but their thoughts
L
and views seen to reflect an inclination towards traditional ideas and thus, it is important to understand how
prevalent superstition is in youth, the need for the youth of the nation to discard practices that is harmful
YA
for the nation and its people.
In Relation to Youth
I haven’t been brought up in a very superstitious family, but I have friends from different states and of different
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religions who strongly believe in certain superstitions and I have always found these superstitions interesting
and that is why I chose this topic.

N
RESEARCH QuESTiOn
HA
1. Do superstitions still exist is India?
2. What is the effect of superstitions on the different age-groups?
HYPOTHESES
AS
Hypothesis 1 : My Hypothesis for the Investigation
That as the number of superstitious beliefs increases, the age of the participant increases. Therefore, we
predict that the older you are, the more superstitious you will be, and consequently the younger you are, the
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less superstitious you will be.
Generally, older people are believed to be more superstitious and this assumption
arises since science and technology are evolving every day and thus the youth
and middle aged who are more exposed to it often discard their superstitions and
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hold on to the more logical reasons from an early age. Whereas in the case of
the older population in India, they’ve been conditioned in such a way that these
superstitions are the norm for them, which are not questionable.
However, in the survey, out of the four options.
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11 respondents believe that the older the people are, the more is superstitious.
10 respondents are of the opinion that it cannot be specified.
And the remaining 3 respondents think that persons of the middle aged group are more superstitious.
Out of the 8 respondents that filled my survey (4 men, 4 women) from the “old age” group:
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5 believe in superstitions and the other 3 respondents don’t.

But what stands out is that even the respondents (from the early age group) who claim not be
superstitious believe that women should not enter Temples, Churches or Mosques while menstruating;
this brings us to the conclusion that this particular superstition is often treated as a norm or religious
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requirement rather than a “superstition”.

And thus, my hypothesis is only partially correct since out of the 24 respondents only
11 believe that elderly is more superstitious. But out of the total respondents of the older
group, 5 are superstitious and 3 are not.
BR
And I would like to emphasise on the fact that superstition does not necessarily depend
on age. If one is brought up in a family that is highly superstitious and conditioned in
such a way that they turn out to be superstitious themselves.
Hypothesis 2 : Source of Superstitious Belief

L
My hypothesis for this particular question is that the source of superstitious belief is mainly religion since
through my research I have come across so many superstitions based on religion.
YA
A few of them are listed below:

1. Hanging lemon and 7 green chillies. It is believed in India that ‘Alakshmi’, the
goddess of misfortune can bring bad luck to the shop owners or business. Since, she
GO
likes sour, pungent and hot things, shop owners in India hang lemon and 7 green
chillies at their door so that the goddess eat her favourite food, satisfy her hunger and
leave without entering the shop.
N
HA
2. Hindus believe that cutting nails and hair on Saturday brings bad luck. Hindus believe that its
inauspicious to cut hair and nails on Saturday because it angers planet Saturn (Shani) which brings bad
luck.
3. Omitting the 13th floor from the building. Ancient Christianity declared
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the number thirteen unlucky and therefore till date apartments and hotels
skip the thirteenth floor.
4. Do not sweep after sunset. Goddess lakshmi will walk out of your house
if you sweep your place after sunset.
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5. If a black cat crosses your path, it’s a bad omen. The origin of this superstition has come from the
Egyptians who believed that black cats were evil creatures and they bring bad luck. In India, colour is
generally associated with the Lord Shani.
Through these examples I hope to establish the evident connection between religion and superstition.
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However, out of 24 respondents who filled the questionnaire, 50% of them believe that the source of
superstition is culture whereas only 29.8% of them believe region, pre-existing beliefs and tradition, lifestyle,
climate, etc., have made their roots in superstitions.
METHOdOLOGY
RS
This research uses Survey Method. Survey research is quickly becoming the number one tool that market
researchers use to gather data. The advent of online survey tools has led to widespread use of quantitative
survey in order to collect, analyse and use data.
HE
Yet depending on the type of research that is being done, survey research may not be as appropriate. Here
are the advantages and disadvantages of surveys.
Advantages of Survey
OT
Relatively easy to administer Cost effective

Reduced geographical dependence Allows extensive flexibility in data analysis
Disadvantages of Survey
BR
Respondents may not feel encouraged to provide honest accurate answers.

Inattentiveness - in close-ended questions.
Not appropriate for low literacy audiences.
Sample Survey
L
Sampling is the process of selecting a representative group from the population under study. The target
YA
population is the total group of individuals from which the sample might be drawn. A sample is the group
of people who take part in the investigation.
I. Sample Selection Based on Gender 50% Male 12%

GO
On the basis of gender, number of respondents: 24 respondents Female 12%

(12 male and 12 female).

N
HA
Reasons for selecting questionnaire survey include:
1. It is relatively easy to administer.
2. It is economical and time saving.
3. It can be administered remotely via online, mail, email, mobile, etc.
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4. It is capable of collecting large number of respondent’s responses.
II. Sample Selection Based on Age and Area

Young adults
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(i) Age group: These include – 33.3% 33.3%
Middle aged
Young adults – 8 (33.3%) Elderly
33.3%
Middle aged – 8 (33.3%)
Elderly – 8 (33.3%)
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I have taken people from the three major age groups since I wanted my survey to be a reliable source
that would not be inclined towards any one age group and their beliefs. I also wanted to understand if
there would be a chance in superstitious beliefs with age and the prevalence of superstitious beliefs in
each age group.
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(ii) Area: In my questionnaire I have people of different countries answering but those of Indian origin
since I am mainly focusing on belief of Indians and impact on Indian societies in my survey.
BLAnk QUESTIOnnAIRE
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Research Topic: Do superstitions still exist in India and its impact on social life?
The respondents identity will remain anonymous, thank you for your cooperation.
1. Age
OT
2. Gender
Mark only one oval.
Male Female
BR
3. Do you think superstitions still exist in India?

Mark only one oval
Yes No
4. Who primarily influenced your superstitious beliefs?
L
Mark only one oval

YA
Parents Grandparents Siblings, cousins, uncles or aunts

Friends Colleagues
5. What is the source of superstitious beliefs, according to you?
GO
Mark only one oval.

Culture Religion Region Other

N
6. What is superstition as a way of behaviour centred on?
HA
Mark only one oval.
Insecurity Lack of faith Fear of weakness Other
7. Do you think people use the name of ‘superstition’ to commit atrocities to their benefit? (discrimination
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on the basis of caste, class, status, sex, etc.). Rate on the scale of 1 to 10.
Mark only one oval.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
8. What comes to your mind when you hear the word superstition?
AK
Mark only one oval.
Absurd Fear Truth Other
9. Why do you believe in superstitions?
Mark only one oval.
PR
Because it has always been believed in (passed on from one generation to the next)
If don’t, I’ll be insulted in society
I have always believed in superstitions (I personally believe that there is real meaning behind
superstitions, or because I have had first-hand experience)
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I don’t believe in superstitions
10. Do you believe that some days, numbers or dates are lucky or unlucky?
Mark only one oval.
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Yes No
11. Which of the activities are you and your family most superstitious about?
Mark only one oval.
OT
Sports Exams Food superstitions Animal superstitions

In workplaces
None Other
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12. Would you turn away if a black cat passes by?

Mark only one oval.
Yes No
13. What kinds of superstition do you believe in?
Mark only one oval.
L
good luck superstitions bad luck superstitions

YA
both none
14. Do you believe that superstitions have some scientific reasons behind them? Rate on a scale of 1 to 10.
Mark only one oval.
GO
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
No, there are no scientific reasons Yes, there are certain scientific reasons

N
15. Do you believe in the concept of evil eye?
HA
Mark only one oval.
Yes No
16. Do you think women should be allowed in religious institutions during menstruation? (Temples,
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Churches, Mosques, etc.)
Mark only one oval.
Yes No
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17. Which age group do you believe to be the most superstitious?
Mark only one oval.
Youth Middle aged Elderly Cannot be specified
18. Do you think education has a role to play in superstitions? Rate on a scale of 1 to 10.
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Mark only one oval.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
No, superstitious beliefs do not depend on education. Yes, education has a certain superstitious beliefs.
RS
19. What are the most common superstitions you have heard of?
20. Do you believe in any specific superstition? If you do, why?
21. Do you think superstition in India is a problem? If yes, then why?
22. Do you think belief in superstitions is harmful for an individual or society?
HE
Case 1: Rape and Molestation
OT
Aurangabad rural police have arrested a 40-year-old self proclaimed Godman on charges of raping a
widow and molesting her sister, an MBBS student, on the pretext of “freeing them from the clutches
of spirits and evil souls”.
BR
The accused Narayan, is a resident of Bidkin, Karnataka. As per the complaint lodged by the 28-yearold
woman, she went into depression after her husband passed away a couple of years ago. The accused,
claiming to have supernatural powers, came in
contact with her family and informed them that
she was haunted by an evil spirit and needed to
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‘be treated’.
Falling prey to this trap, the family allowed him
YA
‘to treat’ her and the accused would call her to his
place. This woman in her complaint has stated that
in a span of about a year, the accused allegedly
raped her several times by spiking her drinks and
GO
food, he would offer as prasad.

N
HA
Case 2: Murder
There’s also a price for fighting superstition – sometimes life.
The price of fighting superstition is also high. In August 2015, rationalist MM Kalburgi, 77 years
old, was shot dead. He was outspoken against superstition and idol worship and received several death
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threats. In February the same year, CPI leader Govind Pansare met a similar fate. With his anti-
superstitious arguments, he had riled the conservatives for years. Three were arrested for his murder.
Case 3: Assault and Force Fed Cow-Dung
An 18-year-old Maharashtrian girl was beaten and force- Why was a girl assaulted,
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force-fed cow-dung?
fed cow-dung in Karnataka’s Bider. Police said another Written by Gogona Saikia. India
woman underwent similar assault. She was beaten up and
force-fed cow-dung to remove evil spirits from her body.
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The entire process was video taped and the video
had gone viral. According to unconfirmed reports, the
incident happened on the instigation of a ‘godman’ to
ward off problems from their life.
This is just the tip of the ice-burg. In India, superstitions
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are responsible for much more heinous crimes.
Case 4: Black Magic
Narendra Dabholkar, 67 years, was a physician-turned activist who openly
HE
criticised and questioned supernatural phenomena attributed to practitioners of

black magic in India. He campaigned against superstition in India for more
than two decades, was shot dead in Pune.
He was instrumental in drafting a new law in Maharashtra State that sought to
OT
target conmen who exploited superstitious beliefs, especially among the illiterate.
The controversial bill is yet to be passed by the state assembly due to opposition
from right wing groups and political parties who fear the new law might curb
religious freedom.
BR
In his speeches, Dabholkar said his draft law was not against religion but exploitative practices like
dropping babies in rivers to killing or raping children as a care for infertility. He wrote extensively in
Marathi and English newspapers and magazines, propagating rational thinking.
Case 5: Child Sacrifices Human sacrifice: Parents kill
L
(i) A couple in Kannauj in financial trouble went to an exorcist their children for gains
for help, they accepted when he promised 5 kilos of gold
YA
in lieu of sacrificing their 15-year-old daughter. He stripped

the girl before strangling her, dumped her body in a field
and raped it as her parents stood by. They never received
the gold.
GO
(ii) An irrational approach often facilitates horrific crimes.

Recently, a 10-year-old girl in Bengaluru was sacrificed to
cure her paralysed uncl

N
HA
(iii) Last year, a man in Chattisgarh beheaded his son as it was the ‘only way to end his miseries’.
(iv) In Maharashtra, a 6-year-old boy (Krishna’s) paternal aunt The horror is unimaginable
(Draupadi Pol), kidnepped the boy from his home, bundled
him into a jute sack, and a few hours later, slit his throat. The
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murder was a human sacrifice-committed to gain the favour of
a goddess.
In 2014, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) recorded
16 such deaths, but many were likely overlooked as they are
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recorded as murder/suicide in the absence of relevant laws.
Case 6: Food Poisoning

The poor Kolam families in Adilabad district are on the edge in the wake of three children dying of food
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poisoning on May 8. The Kolams, who are one among the tribes classified as Particularly Vulnerable
Tribal Group (PVTG), fear that more ill luck could be in store for them.
The superstitious nature of Adivasis has them believe that the
tragedy struck as someone cast an evil eye on them. They are
searching for a bhatak/devari or a priest to ‘exorcise’ the evil
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that has gripped their habitation.
In the process, they would end up spending a few thousand
rupees to appease their gods as per the instructions of a bhatak.
HE
The worst that could happen to them is that a priest suggests

them to vacate their village.
In this case, due to the people’s superstitious beliefs they lost a lot of money and had high chances of
even becoming homeless.
OT
Case 7: CNS Disorder – Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a central nervous system (neurological) disorder in which brain activity becomes abnormal, causing
seizures or periods of unusual behaviour, sensations and sometimes loss of awareness. Anyone can develop
BR
epilepsy.
Since pre-historic era, human beings have been practicing multiple self-innovative techniques for
managements of unique disorder. There are evidences that management of epilepsy has been done by
witchcraft, practising exorcism, evil treatment by burning in fire, by time
and heating above fire by sacrificing animals.
L
It is hard enough to make out what made to promote this theory of

YA
supernatural practices which are still prevalent in the society for the treatment
of epilepsy. Availability of the modern medical facilities in remote and
isolated areas due to difficulty of assessing transport facility is an emerging
challenge. Hence, we conclude that we need to work hard on curbing
GO
these supernatural practices in epilepsy management by health awareness

promotion and making people educated and self-e

N
HA
Case 8: Witchcraft Related Attacks
Four elderly people, including two women, were lynched by a mob in
the village of Siskari in Jharkhand. The victims, all above 60 years of
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age, were dragged out of their homes and beaten to death by masked
men, wielding sticks. Eight of the attackers were subsequently arrested
by the police, according to local media. Members of this village are
mostly inhabited by indigenous tribes or adivasis, has been plotting an
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attack on the four victims whose suspected use of ‘black magic’ has
resulted in the death of a village resident some time ago.
According to police data published by ‘The Times of India’ newspaper, some 123 people were killed
by mobs in Jharkhand between May 2016 and 2019. These people, mostly women were accused of
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practicing sorcery. Across the country 134 people were killed for the alleged use of ‘black magic’ in
2016, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). Jharkhand topped the list with 27 deaths
in 2016, although activists say the actual number of witchcraft-related attacks could be much higher as
many cases go unreported. Also, in several cases, attacks by community member are not documented.
Case 9: Partially Buried Children
RS
Bangaluru, December 26, 2019: Though India has reached the far sight of the moon with Chandrayaan
2 still a few sections believe in superstitions.
A shocking incident took place in Karnataka where three specially-abled children were partially buried
HE
in sand due to superstitious beliefs in Kalaburagi.

OT
BR
Ahead of the annual solar eclipse today, the couple heard the old wines tale that if they half bury their
children who were specially-abled, they will be cured and the sin of the family will be over. And so
the couple half buried their children and waited with them till the eclipse got over.
According to science, the physical cure has no association with eclipse get we witness such irrational
incidents like this happening over-and-over again in our country.
L
Case 10: Resorted Outside India

YA
Once the richest man in Brazil, Eike Fuhrken Batista is claimed to have resorted to
one of the oldest superstitious rituals in the world in the hope of rebuilding his billion
pound empire, throwing money into the biggest wishing well he could find the South
Atlantic Ocean. Eike Batista
GO
Eike Batista is claimed to have one of the largest personal and financial collapses in the corporate
history. He tossed over 7,00,000 Brazilian Reais (£ 130,000) in gold coins into the waves off Rio de
Janeiro’s Ipanema beach last month after a Brazilian African religious leader told him he needed to
appease a water bound diety, Yemanja, known as Queen of the Sea, for his past ‘ungrateful’ actions.

N
HA
AnTI-SUPERSTITIOn ACT
Three years after the Karnataka Prevention and Eradication of Inhuman Evil Practices and Black Magic
Act was passed, the act has finally come into force from January 2020.
AS
Initially, there was stiff opposition to the bill with BJP functionaries and religious leaders taking serious
objection to the first draft of the bill prepared by the National Law School of India University (NLSIU). In
the first draft, the law school had identified 13 rituals as evil practices and proposed stringent punishment
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for practitioners of these rituals.
The draft also proposed death sentence for human sacrifice in the name of black magic. Owing to the
opposition, the government diluted the bill and kept controversial religious practices like made Snena out of
its purview.
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What does the Bill Entail?
The act bans performing any black magic, inhumane act
and evil practices in search of treasure or bounty, tantric
acts which include physical and sexual assault, practices
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such as parading people naked, ostracising a person in
the name of the ritual and encouraging inhumane acts
during said rituals, exorcism, assaulting people under the
pre-text of exorcism, misinformation and creating a panic
HE
like situation under the pre-text of ghosts, black magic

and others.
What is the Penalty Imposed?

Those who violate the provisions of the Act will be tried under various sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC)
OT
including Section 302 (murder) and Section 307 (attempt to murder), Section 308 (abetting suicide) if a person
dies, gets hurt or commits suicide due to offence under the act.
dATA AnALYSiS And EVALuATiOn

BR
Closed-Ended Questions
1. Do you think superstitions still exist in India?
Options Percentage (%) Tally Marks Numbers of Responses (Frequency)
L
Yes 95.8 IIII IIII IIII IIII III 23

No 4.2 I 1
YA
Observations
(i) Majority of the respondents feels that superstition still exists in India.
(ii) People from all the three age groups are of the opinion that superstition
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is still a major phenomenon in India. Yes



(iii) However, there is one person who believes that superstition does not 95.8% No


currently exist in India.

(iv) This respondent is from the middle age group.
Yes 23 (95.8%)

N
HA
Result: There is a class majority in this question, 95.8% of the people who filled the survey believe
that superstitions still exist in India.
2. Who primarily influenced your superstitious beliefs?
Numbers of Responses
AS
Options Percentage (%) Tally Marks
(Frequency)
Parents 54.2 IIII IIII III 13
Grandparents 37.5 IIII IIII 9
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Siblings, cousins uncles or aunts 0 - -
Friends 8.3 II 2
Colleagues 0 - -
Observations
PR
(i) A majority of the respondents believe that their parents have primarily influenced their superstitious
beliefs (13 out of 24 respondents).
(ii) The second most common option is grandparents.  Parents

Overall 9 out of 24 respondents claim that their  Grandparents

37.5%  S iblings, cousins,

54.2%
RS
superstitious beliefs were primarily influenced by their uncles or aunts
grandparents.  Friends

8.3
(iii) Two of the respondents say that their friends have  Colleagues

%
influenced their superstitious beliefs at a primary level.
HE
(iv) Colleagues, siblings, cousins, uncles and aunts have

not been chosen by anyone.
Result: This could indicate that how superstitious beliefs are picked up from people – one is around
on a daily basis and during childhood.
OT
3. What is the source of superstitions beliefs according to you?

(Frequency)
BR
Culture 50.0 IIII IIII II 12

Religion 29.2 IIII II 7
Region 4.2 I 1
Others 16.8 IIII 4
L
Observations
 Culture
(i) About 50% of the respondents have chosen Religion
YA

(12 respondents) culture as the source of  Region
Lifestyle, climate, rituals,
superstitious beliefs. Indian culture is the most 
pre existing beliefs, traditions
superstitious. 50%  Combination of Culture,
(ii) The second most common option is religion, 29.2% religion, and Region.
 I don’t think there is any suspicious
GO

29.2% (i.e. 7 out of 24 respondents) claim that beliefs.
the source of superstitious beliefs is religion.  I feel these are perspectives of
people and it has got no basis

N
HA
(iii) There is only one person who is of the opinion that region is the source of superstitious beliefs.
(iv) There are four people who have chosen ‘other’; they believe that lifestyle, climate, pre-existing
beliefs, and tradition play an important role as the superstitions.
(v) There are two respondents who feel that superstitions are based on the perspectives of people and
AS
superstitions don’t actually exist.
Result: Some believes that the source is a combination of any three options.
4. What is superstition as a way of behaviour centred on?
AK
Insecurity 12.5 III 3
Lack of faith 29.2 IIII II 7
Fear of weakness 33.3 IIII III 8
PR
Others 24.2 IIII I 6
Observations
(i) A majority of the respondents believe that superstition as a way of behaviour is centred on fear
of weakness (8 out of 24 respondents).
RS
(ii) The second most common option was lack  Inspecurity
 Lack of faith
of faith (7 out of 24 respondents).  Fear of weakness
(iii) The option with the least votes was insecurity  Lack of awareness
33.3%  Fear of the unknown, tendency to
with only 3 respondents. attribute incomprehensible things to so.
HE
(iv) About 6 people have chosen ‘other’ and 33.3%  Anecdotal evidence and lack of
what’s noticeable is that some of the options explanation.

33.3%  Centred on a need to explain the wor.
centred by respondents revolve around the  Fear that these superstitions are true.
religion centred. Some include ‘Power of  Power of faith in god.
OT
faith in god’.
Result: Some other responses are based on unawareness and human need to explain all phenomena.
5. you think people use the name of “superstition” to commit atrocities to their benefit?
(Discrimination on the basis of caste, class, status, sex, etc.). Rate on the scale of 1 to 10.
BR

1 4.2 I 1
2 8.3 II 2
3 0.0 - 0
L
4 4.2 I 1
YA
5 8.3 II 2
6 3.3 II 2
7 25.0 IIII I 6
GO
8 20.8 IIII 5
9 4.2 I 1
10 16.7 IIII 4

N
HA
Observations: Number of respondents who have chosen from 1 to 5 is only 6; however, those who
have chosen between 5 and 10 is 18.
Result: This shows that more people think that superstitions are harmful and lead to discrimination.
6(25%)
AS
6
5(20.8%)
4(16.7%)
4
AK
2(8.3%) 2(8.3%) 2(8.3%)
2
1(4.2%) 1(4.2%) 1(4.2%)
0(0%)
0
PR
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
6. What comes to your mind when you hear the word superstition?
(Frequency)
RS
Absurd 54.2 IIII IIII III 13
Fear 16.7 IIII 4
Truth 8.3 II 2
HE
Others 21.0 IIII 5
Observations
OT
(i) Most of the respondents who took the survey, i.e. more than half of the respondents believe that
superstitions are absurd.
(ii) The second most common option was
 Absurd
‘other’ in which reasons given by the Fear
BR

respondents include disbelief, scepticism,  Truth
 Disbelief, scepticism, curiosity
curiosity, uncertainty, etc. And so, most 8.3%  Mistaken
54.2%
respondents who have chosen other believe  Lack of knowledge and belief
16.7%  Uncertainty
that superstition is based on uncertainty
 Over time fear has changed into thinking
and need to explain things. that it is absurd
L
(iii) The third most chosen option was fear, with 4 out of the 24 respondents claiming that fear is the
word coming to their mind or thoughts of superstition. This could be fear of superstitions or fear
YA
of the world.
(iv) Only 2 of the respondents have chosen truth.
Result: This shows that superstitions lead to fear due to lack of knowledge.
GO

N
HA
7. Why do you believe in superstitions?
(Frequency)
Because it has always been believed in
AS
45.8 IIII IIII I 11
superstitions
If I don’t I’ll be insulted in society 0 - -
I have always believed in superstitions 8.3 II 2
AK
I don’t believed in superstitions. 45.8 IIII IIII I 11
Observations
(i) There are equal number of respondents who say that they believe in superstitions because they have
PR
always been believed in superstitions (11 respondents) and those who don’t believe in superstitions
(11 respondents).
 Because it has always been believed
(ii) Only 2 out of 24 respondents believe in in (passed on from one generation
superstitions since they have had personal 54.2% to the next)
 If don’t i’ll be insulted in society
experience or find reason to believe in
RS
 I have always believed in
54.2%
superstitions. superstitions (I personality believe
that there is real meaning behind
(iii) None of the respondents chose the option “If I 54.2% superstitions, or because I have had
first hand experience)
don’t believe in superstitions, I will be insulted  I don’t believe in superstitions.
HE
in society’.
Result: This could be because at this point of time, people have the freedom to choose what they want.
8. Do you believe that some days, numbers or dates are lucky or unlucky?
OT
(Frequency)
Yes 37.5 IIII IIII 9
No 62.5 IIII IIII IIII 15
BR
Observations
(i) A majority of the people (62.5%) don’t believe that certain days, numbers or dates are lucky or
unlucky.
L
(ii) About 9 respondents, i.e. 37.5% of the respondents do believe that

some numbers or days are lucky or unlucky.
YA
37.5%
Yes


(iii) It can be observed that a lot of superstitions do revolve around day, 62.5% No


dates or days.
(iv) For example, Friday the 13th or in India cutting your hair on a
GO
Saturday is seen as bad luck and so are multiples of 4.

Result: Number 7 is seen as a positive number; this is mainly believed due to spiritual practices.

N
9. Which of the activities are you and your family most superstitious about?
HA
(Frequency)
Sports 0 - -
AS
Examinations 4.2 I 1
Food superstitions 16.7 IIII 4
Animal superstitions 16.7 IIII 4
In workplaces 0 -
AK
-
None 41.7 IIII IIII 10
Others 21 IIII 5
Observations
PR
(i) Animal superstitions are the options chosen by a majority. This can easily be understood in Indian
society as widely believed superstitions include the bad luck due to a black cat.
(ii) About 41.7% say that they and their family don’t  Sport
 Exams
believe in any superstitions.
RS
 Food superstitions
 Animal superstitions
(iii) Food superstition is an option chosen by 16.7% of the 41.7%  In workplaces
respondents. 16.7%
 None
 Parent often have
(iv) About 5 respondents have chosen ‘other’ where they (although dont im
HE
16.7%
 Time of sleep, skipping
mention belief in time of sleep, skipping, prayers, evil prayers
eye, religious beliefs, etc.
Result: this shows that most of the people believe in superstitions in India.
OT
10. Would you turn away if a black cat passed by?

(Frequency)
BR
Yes 25 IIII I 6
No 75 IIII IIII IIII III 18
Observations
L
(i) Most people would not turn away if a black cat passed by (75%).
(ii) But, 25% of the respondents would turn away if a black cat passed by.
YA
25%
(iii) An Indian superstition states that when a clack cat walks away from Yes


75% No


someone. It brings bad luck or even let someone walk before you so
that the bad luck does not rub off on you.
GO
Result: This is a very famous and widely believed superstition in India.

N
11. What kinds of superstition do you believe in?
HA
(Frequency)
Good luck superstitions 16.7 IIII 4
AS
Bad luck superstitions 8.3 II 2
Both 37.5 IIII IIII 9
None 37.5 IIII IIII 9
Observations
AK
(i) More people believe in good luck superstitions as
8.3%
compared to bad luck superstitions. 16.7% Good

luck superstitions
37.5%
(ii) An equal percentage of respondents believes in Bad

luck superstitions
Both


both bad luck and good luck superstitions (9 out
PR
None


37.5%
of 24 respondents) and believe in neither (9 out of
24 respondents)
12. Do you believe that superstitions have some scientific reason behind them? Rate on a scale of 1
to 10.
RS
(Frequency)
1 20.8 IIII 5
2 8.3 II 2
HE
3 8.3 II 2
4 8.3 II 2
5 12.5 III 3
OT
6 12.5 III 3
7 4.2 I 1
8 12.5 III 3
BR
9 4.2 I 1
10 8.3 II 2
Observations
(i) About 14 people, i.e. the majority believe that there is some scientific reasons behind the superstitions.
L
6
5(20.8%)
YA
4
3(12.5%) 3(12.5%) 3(12.5%)
2(8.3%) 2(8.3%) 2(8.3%) 2(8.3%)

2
GO
1(4.2%) 1(4.2%)
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

N
(ii) 10 people believe that the chances of superstitions having logical scientific reasons behind them is
HA
unlikely.
13. Do you believe in the concept of evil eye?
AS
(Frequency)
Yes 41.7 IIII IIII 10
No 58.3 IIII IIII IIII 14
Observations
AK
(i) The evil eye is a “look” or state that is believed to bring bad luck
for the person at whom it is directed for reasons of envy or dislike.
The perception of the nature of the phenomenon, its causes and
41.7% Yes
possible protective measures, varies between tribes and cultures. 

PR
58.3% No


The evil eye is a talisman that is meant to protect you from these
evil spirits.
(ii) Though it is understood from the analysis of the earlier questions it is
understood that most of the respondents are not superstitious; however,
RS
41.7% i.e. 10 respondents do believe in evil eye.
(iii) About 58.3% of the respondents, i.e. 14 out of 24 respondents do NOT believe in the concept of
evil eye.
14. Do you think women should be allowed in religious institutions during menstruation?
HE
(Temples, Churches, Mosques, etc.)

(Frequency)
OT
Yes 58.3 IIII IIII IIII 14

No 41.7 IIII IIII 10
Observations
BR
(i) Culturally in many parts of India, menstruation is still considered

impure and dirty. Women are banned from entering not only religious
institutions but also kitchens in their own homes and other public 41.7% Yes


places. Some women also have to sleep in a separate room when 58.3% No


they are menstruating.

L
(ii) This is one of the most widely believed superstitions in India that
originates from the Vedic time.
YA
(iii) A majority of the people do believe that women should be allowed in religious spheres (58.3%).
(iv) However, 41.7% i.e. 10 respondents believe that women should NOT be allowed.
Result: Even in this survey, these is a very small percentage between the two opinions.
GO

N
15. Which age group do you believe to be the most superstitious?
HA
(Frequency)
Youth 0 - -
AS
Middle aged 12.5 III 3
Elderly 45.8 IIII IIII I 11
Cannot be specified 41.7 IIII IIII 10
AK
Observations
(i) A majority of the people (11 respondents) believe that the age group that believe in superstitions
the most is the elderly group.
PR
(ii) However, 10 respondents believe that something like 12.5%
this does not depend on age and CANNOT be specified. Youth


41.7% Middle
(iii) Only 3 respondents believe that middle-aged people 

Elderly


are the most superstitious, all the people who chose 45.8% Cannot

be specified
the middle-aged group as the most superstitious is the
RS
elderly.
Result: Not a single respondent believed that “youth’’ is the most superstitious group.
16. Do you think education has a role to play in superstition? Rate on a scale of 1 to 10.
HE
(Frequency)
1 20.8 IIII 5
OT
2 12.5 III 3
3 0 - -
4 4.2 I 1
5 4.2 I 1
BR
6 20.8 IIII 5
7 12.5 III 3
8 4.2 I 1
9 12.5 III 3
L
10 8.3 II 2
YA
Observations
(i) The number of respondents who have chosen from 1 to 5, i.e. those who believe that superstitious
belief is not influenced by education are in majority with 14 respondents.
GO
(ii) The ones who have chosen from 5 to 10, i.e., those who believe that superstitious beliefs are
influenced (decreases) with education are 10 respondents.

N
HA
6
5(20.8%) 5(20.8%)
4
3(12.5%) 3(12.5%) 3(12.5%)
AS
2(8.3%)
2
1(4.2%) 1(4.2%) 1(4.2%)
0(0%)
0
AK
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Open-Ended Questions
17. What is the most common superstition you have heard of?
PR
Observations
(i) Very often, the first thought that comes to
our mind on thought of superstitions is ‘black
 black cat crossing
cat’, a lot of our respondents think so too,
Evil
 eye
respondents say that thins is the superstition
RS
Religious superstitions

they have heard of the most.  Animal superstitions
 Related to numbers/days
(ii) The second most common superstition seems  Other
to be ‘evil eye’ or ‘Nazar’ with 4 respondents

HE
choosing this (16%)

(iii) Religious superstitions, superstitions related to numbers or days and animal superstition has been
mentioned by 2 respondents each.
(iv) Only 7 respondents have chosen ‘other’ in which, there is mention of superstitions related to witches
OT
glass breaking, doing a lucky routine, beliefs that writing with the right is better than left.
18. Do you believe in any specific superstitions? If yes why?
Observations
BR
(i) In this question, 10 respondents have said that they do NOT believe in superstitions at all (43%).
(ii) Only 4 respondents say that they believe because they have had first-hand experience and truly
believe that certain seemingly random practices can have an effect on an individual.
(iii) Only four respondents claim to believe in
L
superstitious beliefs because their family believes

in it and they have never felt the need to question
YA
 No
it or contradict it. Yes,
 firsthand
experience
(iv) Only 5 respondents (22%) have chosen ‘other’, in Yes, family

which they say that they believe in superstitions believes
 Other
related to god and those with scientific backing. A
GO
lot of respondents have said that the superstition

they believe in is ‘evil eye’ because of first-hand
experience and because it has been passed on.

N
HA
19. Do you think superstition in India is a problem? If you do think so, why?
Observations
(i) A clear majority of the respondents think that it is a
problem in India, most respondents who have said
AS
‘yes’ say that the reason for this is that a lot of social  Yes
evils and social practices (harmful ones) are based on No

Can
 be
superstitions. Others believe that religious authorities
and other influential people use it to their advantage.
AK
One person superstition is imposed on the other and
very often superstition are found to be discriminatory
and unfair.
PR
(ii) Other respondents feel superstitions are harmful to society as is used to justify acts of violence,
can lead to even problems as grave as communal riots. There is also a respondent who thinks it
is harmful as it affects the scientific temperament of society.
(iii) There are 5 respondents that believe that superstition in India is not a problem since it is a belief
that a person has in their private life and thus it won’t harm society on the whole as it is a personal
RS
belief. It could even lead to people being better human beings due to irrational fears.
(iv) Only 3 respondents are of the opinion that superstition ‘can be’ harmful to society if one’s
superstition or personal belief is imposed on the other, or if these superstitions are discriminatory
HE
or unfair towards one group of people.
20. Do you believe that superstition is harmful for an individual or society?

Observations
OT
(i) About 13 people, i.e. 54% of the respondents are

of the opinion that superstitions are harmful to
 Yes
society as it creates fear, paranoia and ruins the
No

personality of a person. It is discriminatory and we Sometimes

BR
have seen cases of families treating health issues

as a result of cause (a part of superstition) and not
giving the required medical treatment for it.
(ii) And thus, according to the responses received that superstitions are restrictive, creates paranoia,
decreases scientific temperament of society.
L
(iii) There are 3 respondents who believe that it is not harmful to society or an individual.
YA
(iv) About 8 respondents are of the belief that it is harmful only if one’s superstition is imposed on
another, or if the superstitions followed are discriminatory.
GO

N
HA
LiMiTATiOnS FACEd
1. The responses for the questionnaire was slow and was not done immediately.
2. Some responses were inaccurate, for the open-ended questions, one word
AS
answers were given, i.e. an incomplete questionnaire was returned.
3. The respondents were often not ready to give the answers according to
their exact point of view in fear of judgement (though anonymity has been
given high priority in filling of the questionnaires).
AK
4. A few answers were difficult to analyse due to differences in understanding
and interpretation.
COnCLuSiOnS
PR
I have learned a lot from this research about superstitions, the various cases
all across India, the harmful effect it has on society and its impact across
different age groups. Superstitions are also strongly tied to cultural and
religious practices, that is why, people are often reluctant to let go off them. I
also gained more insight on the sources of superstitions and about the logical
RS
reasons behind a few superstitions. A society often conditions a child in such
a manner that a superstition becomes the norm. Through this survey I have
also learned the reason to why people believe in such superstitions and why
India is said to be the ‘Most Superstitious Country’ in the world.
HE
Superstitions are rituals and practices that is rooted in the very fabric of India. It will not be an
easy task to eradicate this from society and many might even question the need to eliminate
such practices. But through hours of research and questioning on the topic it is evident that the
superstitious project a problem for society since an individual’s superstition is often imposed
OT
on another and these are various cases of discrimination, economic exploitation, rape, murders,
loots, etc. solely in the name of superstition.
VIVA-VOCE QuESTiOnS
BR

[Hint: You need to tell the teacher about you urge to do research on this topic cause even though we
are educated and seem quite radical however we still have that fear of the unknown which perhaps
L
makes us superstitious and to know all of that you wanted to research.]

2. What is your Hypothesis?
YA
[Hint: you need to have some hypothetical idea as to why according to you people are superstitious.]
3. What is your methodology?
[Hint: you need to answer this question according to whatever methodology you choose.]
GO
4. Do you think superstitions still exist?

[Hint: you need to answer this question based on your research and should be able to site some
examples from your research.]

N
HA
PROJECT
AS
4 tOPic : Perceptions of Menstruation
AK
in Society
PR
} To discuss about perceptions related to menstruation in the society.
} To explore the impacts caused due to menstrual traditions.
RS
} To know about how to access the menstrual in the family.
} To understand the myths associated with menstrual cycle prevalent all around the world.
} To explain how to break the vicious cycle of menstrual taboo or period.
} To analyse the social attitudes and social norms surrounding the menstruation.
HE
} To evaluate the challenges faced and limitations towards the menstruation.
inTROduCTiOn
OT
A womb is home to humankind, the process of menstruation helps make humankind

a possibility. Yet, the taboos surrounding it abound, cutting across cultural and
religious boundaries. This places a menstruation in a curious position, somewhere
between sanctity and seclusion. This has wider sociological implications that
BR
continue to be felt, even as society modernises. Different cultures view menstruation

in different ways. Many traditional religious perceive menstruation as ritually
unclean although anthropology points out that the concepts ‘sacred’ and ‘unclean’
may be intimately connected.
According to anthropologists Buckley and Gottlieb, numerous menstrual
L
traditions: “bespeak quite different, even opposite purposes and meanings”.

One body of cultural evolutionary scholarship posits that menstrual rituals
YA
Smartphone users will now be

may have initially been established by female coalitions in their own interests able to discuss menstruation
(to provide themselves a separate space away from the male gaze and with an emoji – as a period
unwanted sexual or domestic demands). But with the rise of patriarchal emoji has been released as part
of Apple's latest iOS software.
power, these same beliefs were harnessed by religious patriarchs to intensify
GO
women’s oppression. Anthropologist Wynne Maggi provides the, example of the menstrual hut in Pakistan
which served as an all-female organising centre but has become a dangerous embodiment of women’s exclusion.

N
HA
A theme central to many myths is the synchronisation of menstruation with
the moon. This is seen in the indigenous myths of South and North America.
Association of menstruation with sanctity and power has been seen in other
cultures like among the Cherokee and in Africa where menstrual blood is
AS
used to make magic charms. In India, the most common connotations of
menstruation are ‘impurity’ and ‘unholiness’, this dates back to a declaration
in the vedas that the guilt of Indra’s slaying of Vritras appears every month
as the menstrual flow.
AK
Over time taboos, whether they are empowering or negative have serfed to
stigmatise the menstrual process and de-normalise it. In today’s society these
underlying myths coupled with the stigma around sexual reproduction and
the supposedly ‘gross’ nature of menstrual blood have resulted in a highly
PR
unfavourable attitude to menstruation. We have been socialised to understand the
menstrual process as something to be hidden and be shameful about societies
have developed several euphemisms for menstruation and we balk at the prospect
of talking about it.
RS
The issues spawned by this menstrual ‘hush and shush’ includes the period-
exclusion of women from several spheres of social interaction. In India
this exclusion takes various forms from being denied entry into temples,
prayers rooms and kitchens to being forced to live in separate menstrual
HE
huts. Women in India are also prohibited from touching food particularly
pickles. Another major issue is that of ‘period poverty’ – a dire lack of 'Menstruation is not illness' reads
sanitary conditions and period pads required during menstruation which a message on a sanitary napkin
has severe repercussions for women’s health. during a protest in Kolkata in April
OT
harness your hormones and

get your cycle working for you To solve these problems, they need to be talked about on varied platforms. The
entire conversation about menstruation, steeped in the idea of impurity has to be
Period
BR
redefined. In her book ‘Period Power’, Maisie Hill points out “When menstrual
Power. products are described as sanitary pads and hygiene products it infers that we are
dirty or unhygienic”. Thus not only do we have to start talking about the menstrual
Maisie Hill process, we also have to do it the right way.
L
A significant aspect of the issue that is often overlooked is the inclusion of menstruations
who are transgender or gender non-confirming. Jennifer Weiss-Wolf in her book ‘Periods
YA
Gone Public’ remarks “...everyone and anyone who menstruates needs to be included in the
discussions around it”. For people in the transgender community the stigma around periods
adds to other challenges like gender dysphoria. Society’s attitude towards menstruation
GO
manifests itself as social impediments in various ways. In our era of neo-sexual revolution it
is important to see how far we have come in breaking down the bloody red walls of taboos.

N
HA
Being part of the Indian community in a metropolitan society like that
of the UAE, I have been exposed to a vast diversity of social attitudes,
institutions, value systems and practices. Thus the factors that shape
AS
perspectives and perceptions and the impact they have on society have
always been important to me. The topic of menstruation is a quintessential
example of an issue located at the intersection of gender, religion, culture, These women wore aprons that
said "I am a proud menstruating
economic status and regional traditions. Several factors shape how it is
AK
women" while cooking food during
perceived by society. the 'Period Feast' event.
As a menstruating female I have been acutely aware of the stigma
around the menstrual process which led to my interest in understanding
PR
what has shaped this stigma. Several news reports on the death of
women and children in menstrual huts made me realise how pernicious
the issue truly is. A particularly shocking incident was the death of
Laisara Buka, a 14 year old in May 2017 as a result of cold related
illness from living in a menstrual hut (The Independent Co., UK).
RS
social norms surrounding menstruation...
The purpose of my study is to attempt to elaborate on and classify the

factors that contribute to the prevalence of taboos and myths around
menstruation. I seek to identify the demographic components of different
HE
perspectives and how they mix with each other. I want to throw light on the
kind of impact that these taboos have on those who menstruates, particularly in
relation to period poverty. This recent debate regarding the entry of women into
the Shabarimala temple made me realise that the idea of menstrual ‘impurity’ is
deeply entrenched is society. The stigma around menstruation has to be closely
OT
studied through sociological tools and cannot be left to simplistic common sense Arunachalam Muruganantham
understanding as it a systemic problem. Through my study I hope to come to a
rigorous sociological understanding of the matter at hand.
BR
The Bollywood film Padman, starring Akshay Kumar, is the story of how India's
'menstrual man' Arunachalam Muruganantham came up with a revolutionary new
method of producing cost effective sanitary pads. This helped to improve menstrual
health and provide an income for rural women in India and beyond. One of the
aims of this new comedy-drama is to reach a wide audience, create awareness and
L
challenge the taboos and stigma surrounding menstruation.

YA
RESEARCH QuESTiOn
What shapes the social perception of menstruation and what is its impact?
HYPOTHESES
GO
1. How are perceptions of menstruation in society shaped by religion, gender,

economic status, etc.?
2. How do these perceptions impact the menstruations’ lives and interactions?
N
HA
3. How acute is period poverty today?
4. What are the social factors shaping period poverty?
Rationale for Hypothesis
AS
Taboos about the menstrual function are deeply embedded in religious
beliefs. Sociologically it is important to analyse the extent to which these
factors continue to shape perceptions about menstruation. Another key
area of inquiry is how economic conditions and level of education play Women Can't Enter Holy Temples
AK
a role in uprooting or entrenching these taboos. It is often believed that
with upward mobility in the class system and access to education superstitions begin to play a less important
role. But it is important to verify this empirically to ensure that this is not merely a common-sense based
assumption. Identifying how different genders view menstruation and its taboos is central to understanding
the role of patriarchy and different gender experiences in shaping the perceptions.
PR
My hypothesis also seeks to understand how society’s attitude to menstruation impacts menstruators. This has
to be examined both in terms of how their own attitude to menstruation is moulded by the stigma they are
exposed to and in terms of how their routine activities and interactions are impacted by the menstrual process.
Another point of enquiry that is of great material relevance is the prevalence of period poverty in the society.
RS
This is a question of socio-economic relevance because the lack of sanitary facilities and supplies is not the
result of just financial constraints but also social stigma. Examining the socio-economic pattern that emerges
while analysing incidences of period poverty will reveal the extent to which social perceptions can be held
responsible for period poverty.
HE
Demystifying Menstrual Taboos

OT
Keddasa-menstruation of Mother Earth

Celebration in Tulu Nadu, Karnataka
BR
METHOdOLOGY
Humans and their social interconnections are so diverse that they can seem impossible to chart or explain.
Every aspect of human behaviour is a source of possible investigation. For my research I have chosen the
Sample Survey Method. A survey is an attempt to provide a general overview of a subject based on information
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obtained from a carefully chosen representative group of people.

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Period. End of Sentence is a 2018 documentary short

film directed by Rayka Zehtabchi about Indian women
leading a quiet sexual revolution. The documentary short
film follows a group of local women in Hapur, India,
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as they learn how to operate a machine that makes

low-cost, biodegradable sanitary pads, which they sell
to other women at affordable prices.

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Survey method involves instruments or procedures that ask one or more questions
that may or may not be answered by the respondents. They are generally conducted
through typically structured questionnaires designed to collect information from a
large number of people in a standardised form.
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The investigator uses the data from the surveys to learn about similarities, differences
and trends. It then becomes possible to make predications and conclusions about the
population being studied. Surveys are generally done by the researchers and their
associates – the investigators.
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Survey questions may be asked orally during personal visits by the researchers or through telephonic
conversations. Responses may also be sought in writing to questionnaires brought by investigator or send
through post or e-mail.
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Sample selection is an important part of the survey method which is based on two principles. The first
principle is that all relevant sub-groups in the population must be represented. Secondly ‘randomisation’
must be followed i.e. the selection of the actual unit should be purely based on chance. This ensures that the
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characteristics of the sample closely resembles the population it is drawn from. The survey method provides
an aggregate picture, that is a picture based on a collectivity rather than single individual. This helps in study
several social phenomena, which become visible only at aggregate level.
Rationale for Methodology

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The various aspects and factors influencing menstrual taboos

and their impacts on the lives of women and society have
to be scientifically investigated. The scope of the matter and
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the diversity of the variables involved required the use of a

scientific method like the survey method which is committed
to a systematic observation of the empirical world.
Survey method gave me access to primary data through the This picture shows women in Delhi making and
serving food to the public during their periods
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questionnaire that the respondents were given. As menstruation

to fight the stigma around food made by
is a highly stigmatised subject it was important that I get a menstruating women.
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first-hand account of people’s opinions and experiences.

The survey method helps us to provide a comprehensive perspective of the subject based on information
obtained from a representative set of people. A multi-cultural society like the UAE enabled me to chose
such a representative sample. The survey method allowed for the generalisation of the results for a large
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population while actually studying a small portion of the population with manageable investment of time,
effort and money.

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Another reason I opted for the survey method was that it allowed
a very high degree of objectivity. As the respondent’s answers
are unaffected by my perspective, the research was independent
of my religious and social beliefs.
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A survey allows concepts to be translated into observable
variables thus providing information that can be transformed
into statistical inferences. Though qualitative data is collected, A sign prohibiting the entry of
menstruating women into a temple
the observations could be transferred into quantitative data.
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Most importantly my topic required me to cover different social, economic and cultural groups. The survey
method made this possible due to its cross-sectional study design. It is a systematic method ensuring reliability.
Sample Selection
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The sample selected for the survey consisted of 53 respondents in the age group 10–50. This
age group was chosen to incorporate views across different generations with a focus on women
in the menstruating age group. The sample consisted of 9 males, 43 females and one member
of the transgender community. The respondents included Hindus, Christians, Muslims, Sikhs
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and Jains from different sects and socio-economic backgrounds from both rural and urban
areas. Different nationalities were covered in the research including people from Nepal, Russia, Pakistan and
Phillipines though primarily the study revolves around Indian respondents.
All of the respondents were either residents of UAE or India. It was important not to limit my study to a
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particular area in order to collect diverse responses so as to understand the interplay of different social factors
in shaping the attitude towards menstruation.
Steps for Implementation of Technique

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A scientific process of research establishes parameters that help make sure that results are objective and
accurate. Proper steps of scientific research provide limitations and boundaries that focus on a study and
organise its results. Systematic sociological research can be carried out through a series of prescribed steps
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that have been established over decades of scholarship.
I. Identify Research Problems and Ask a Question

The first step was to identify my specific area of interest and ask a relevant question.
The topic had to be narrow enough to study within a given time frame but broad
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enough to have universal merit.

I was interested in examining social attitudes to concepts relating to gender. I chose
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a question regarding society’s attitude to menstruation as it is closely associated with

perceptions of gender roles and is deeply embedded in culture and society.
II. Research Existing Data

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The next step was to undertake a literature review of existing similar or related
studies which helped gain a broad understanding of the topic. I researched

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on the books like “Period Power”, “Period Gone Public”, and “Flow: The Cultural Story of Menstruation”,
etc. and blogs and websites like thewomens.org, helloclue.com and rubycup.com. Valuable information was
obtained from the “Menstrual Hygiene Survey Project” by the Uganda Red Cross.
III. Form Hypothesis
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A hypothesis is an assumption about how two or more variables are related. It
is not random but based on theory, observation and existing literature.
For my research I identified the independent variables as gender, caste, religion,
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region and economic status, i.e., these data were considered as the ‘cause’ while
‘perceptions of menstruation’, ‘women’s experiences’ and ‘period poverty’
were the dependent ‘variables’ or ‘effect’. I wanted to examine the correlation
of these variables and identify a possible causal relationship.
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IV. Select Method and Design Study
This encompasses the methodology and procedures for conducting the research.
I chose the survey method as it was best suited to a cross-cultural study design.
The study had to be designed in such a way that was sensitive to respondent’s
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norms, values, practices and customs, while ensuring access to the required data.
The research design had both qualitative and quantitative aspects which allowed
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Pro to
both statistical and in-depth analysis of the topic. a
be man
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Residing in the UAE gave me access to a multi-cultural community which allowed
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me to choose a representative sample in a limited time frame. My study was designed in such a manner that
was both descriptive and correlational.
V. Frame Questionnaire
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The reliability, validity and objectivity of the survey depend on adequate and
appropriate questions. The steps followed to ensure this were:
(a) First it had to be decided what kind of information was to be collected.
It was decided to cover both people’s attitudes and personal experiences
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through closed and open-ended questions.

(b) It was also decided to frame the questions to cover all the demographic
variables that had to be examined like age, religion, income and gender.
(c) The third step was to prepare the sample questionnaire which was submitted for approval to my guide
and revise it according to her suggestions.
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(d) The questionnaire was then pre-tested through a pilot-study method and aimed at analysing possible flows
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so that the required changes can be made.
VI. Collection of Data Not being ashamed

This process was carried out over the course of months. While in India, I was of your period
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able to personally approach different respondents. In some cases, the questions

had to be asked over the telephone or send through the mail. I was also able to
reach out to respondents of diverse nationalities in the UAE.

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VII. Analysing Data
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Through the analysis of data I aimed to identify meaningful sociological patterns. Through ‘Regression Analysis’
I attempted to understand the relationship between a dependent variable and one or more independent variables.
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VIII. Drawing Conclusions
Conclusions were drawn on the basis of these analyses. Attempts were made to
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ascertain the answers to my hypotheses on the basis of observable patterns that
suggested possible sociological correlations and causal relationships.
The taboos and myths associated with menstruation make it a difficult subject to broach in society. This
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‘shame’ associated with periods is now increasingly being challenged by individuals and the media.
Extreme practices based on menstrual taboos like the confinement
of women in menstrual huts often result in the exposure of
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women to severe harm and even death. Reports of these incidents

are often seen in the news, particularly in South Asia.
Several news reports are testament to the fact that ‘period
poverty’ is a wide-spread social issue that affects even supposedly
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developed countries.
Despite the persisting problems, several sections of society are
working towards bringing about period positivity often with the
support of governments. Issues like ‘period poverty’ and the need
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for period leaves are now being increasingly addressed.

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AnALYSiS, inTERPRETATiOn And EVALuATiOn
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Close-Ended Questions
1. How do you believe menstruation is viewed in your society?
AS
ToTal ParTiciPanTs
Positively (11)
21%
Negatively (42)
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79%
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Positively Negatively
Total Positively Negatively

Participants 11 42
RS
Male Positively FeMale
(1) 11% Positively (10)
23%
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Negatively (8) Negatively (33)

89% 77%
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Positively Negatively Positively Negatively

Male Female
1 8 10 33
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rural Positively urban Positively

(3) 13% (4) 13%
Negatively (26)
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Negatively (20) 87%

87%
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Rural Urban
3 20 4 26
5454
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HinDus cHrisTians
Positively
(6) 19% Negatively (3)
30%
AS
Negatively (25) Positively (7)
81% 70%
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Hindus Christians
6 25 7 3
PR
MusliMs oTHers
Positively
(3) 30%
RS
Positively
Negatively (1)
(1) 50%
Negatively (7) 50%
70%
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Muslims Others
3 7 1 1
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Tally graph
ToTal parTicipanTs
Negatively: IIII IIII IIII IIII IIII IIII IIII IIII II – 42
IIII IIII I – 11
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Positively:
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An overwhelming number of respondents believe that their societies view menstruation negatively.
Contrary to common sense assumptions the negative attitude to menstruation is prevalent in urban areas
as much as in rural areas, 87% of both urban and rural respondents think their society views periods
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negatively. This negative outlook is particularly dominant amongst Hindus (81%), while Christian
respondents suggested a more positive outlook (70%).
2. Do you believe that different genders (men and women) perceive menstruation differently?

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ToTal ParTiciPanTs
No (23) 43%
AS
Yes (30) 57%
AK
Yes No
Total Yes No
PR
Participants 30 23
Male FeMale
No (1)
11%
RS
No (22) 51% Yes (21) 49%
Yes (8) 89%
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Yes No Yes No
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Yes No Yes No
Male Female
8 1 21 22
rural urban
BR
No (10) 43% Yes No (14) 47% Yes

(13) 57% (16) 53%
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Yes No Yes No
Yes No Yes No
Rural Urban
13 10 16 14
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HinDus cHrisTians
No (15) 48% No (3) 30%

Yes
AS
(16) 52%
Yes (7) 70%
AK
Yes No Yes No
Yes No Yes No
Hindus Christians
PR
16 15 7 3
MusliMs oTHers
RS
No (3) 30%
No (1) 50% Yes
Yes
(1) 50%
(7) 70%
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Yes No Yes No
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Yes No Yes No
Muslims Others
7 3 1 1
BR
Tally graph
ToTal parTicipanTs
Yes : IIII IIII IIII IIII IIII IIII – 30

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No : IIII IIII IIII IIII III – 23

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A significant majority (57%) of respondents do think that the menstrual function is perceived differently
by different genders. Only 11% of the male respondents thought that perceptions do not vary with
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gender. The existence of a gendered perception of periods was acknowledged by both rural and urban
respondents across all the religions surveyed.

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3. Who introduced the concept of menstruation to you?
ToTal ParTiciPanTs
Father (0) 0%
Media
(4) 8%
AS
Mother (18)
34%
Friends (23)
43% Siblings or
Relatives (8)
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15%
Mother Father Siblings or Relatives Friends Media
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Total Mother Father Siblings or Relatives Friends Media
Participants 18 0 8 23 4
Father (0) 0%
Male FeMale
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Father (0) 0% Media (0) 0%
Siblings or Mother (0) 0%
Media (4) Relatives (2)
36% 18% Friends (18) 43% Mother (18)
43%
Friends (5) 46%
Siblings or
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Relatives (6)
14%
Female
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Mother Father Siblings or Relatives Friends Media Mother Father Siblings or Relatives Friends Media
Male Female
0 0 2 5 4 18 0 6 18 0
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Father (0) 0% urban Media (0) 0%

rural Father (0) 0%
Media (4) Mother (4) Friends (10)
17% 17% 33%
Siblings or Relatives Mother (14)
(2) 9% 47%
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Friends (13) Siblings or

57% Relatives (6)
20%
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Rural Urban
4 0 2 13 4 14 0 6 10 0

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Siblings or Relatives (0) 0%
HinDus Father (0) 0% cHrisTians Father (0) 0%
Media Media (1)
(1) 3% Mother (9) 10% Mother (4)
29%
AS
40%
Friends (15)
49% Siblings or Friends (5)
Relatives (6) 50%
19%
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Hindus Christians
9 0 6 15 1 4 0 0 5 1
MusliMs Father (0) 0% oTHers Fathers or Relatives (0) 0%

Media (0) 0%
Media (2) Father (0) 0%
20% Mother (4)
RS
40% Friends (1) Mother (1)
Friends (2) 50%
50%
20%
Siblings or Relatives
(2) 20%
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Muslims Others
4 0 2 2 2 1 0 0 1 0
Tally graph
ToTal parTicipanTs
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Friends – IIII IIII IIII IIII III – 23
Siblings or Relatives – IIII III – 8
Mother – IIII IIII IIII III – 18

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Media – IIII – 4
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Father – 0
None of the respondents were introduced to the concept of menstruation by their fathers. This in
evidence of the stigma around males dealing with the concept of periods. Most respondents came to
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know about menstruation through friends (43%). Though 43% of women were introduced to the concept
by their mothers, this was not true of any of the males. Most respondents from the urban areas (47%)
were introduced to menstruation by their mothers, this is probably due to an awareness about menstrual
health. In rural areas, ‘Friends’ (57%) was the commonly cited source.

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4. Are you forced to keep the matter of your monthly periods undercover from the male members
of your family?
ToTal ParTiciPanTs
AS
Not Applicable
(Male) (9) 17% Yes (13) 24%
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Somewhat
(19) 36% No (12) 23%
PR
Yes No Somewhat Not Applicable (Male)
Total Yes No Somewhat Not Applicable (Male)

Participants 13 12 19 9
RS
FeMale
Yes (13) 30%
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Somewhat
(18) 42%
Yes No Somewhat
No (12) 28% Female
13 12 18
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Female Yes No Somewhat

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MusliMs (FeMale) oTHers (FeMale) Somewhat (0) 0%

Somewhat
(1) 13%
No (1) 12%
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No (1) 50% Yes (1) 50%

Yes (6) 75%
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Yes No Somewhat Yes No Somewhat

Muslims Others
6 1 1 1 1 0

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rural (FeMale) urban (FeMale)
Yes (4) Somewhat
24% (7) 26% Yes (10)
Somewhat
37%
AS
(8) 47%
No (5)
29% No (10)
37%
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Rural Urban
4 5 8 10 10 7
PR
HinDus (FeMale) cHrisTians (FeMale)
Yes (6) Somewhat Yes (1)
23% (2) 25% 12%
Somewhat No (4)
RS
(16) 62% 15%
No (5)
63%
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Yes No Somewhat Christians Yes No Somewhat

Hindus Christians
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6 4 16 1 5 2
Tally graph
ToTal parTicipanTs
BR
Somewhat – IIII IIII IIII IIII – 19
Yes – IIII IIII III – 13
No – IIII IIII II – 12
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Not Applicable – IIII IIII – 9

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Around 72% of the women surveyed are forced to keep the matter of their periods either completely
or partially hidden from the male members of their family. This is seen both in urban and rural areas.
A significant portion (62%) of Hindu respondents have responded to this question with ‘somewhat’
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indicating that despite the stigma around periods having to sleep in separate rooms, avoid entering
temples, etc. means it is not possible to fully hide the fact that one is menstruating despite the ‘hush
and shush’ around it.

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5. Which of the following is used by you during monthly periods?
ToTal ParTiciPanTs Not Applicable

(Male) (9) 17%
Paper, mud
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or sand....
Sanitary pads
(27) 47%
Reusable clothes
(17) 30%
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PR
Sanitary pads Reusable clothes Paper, Mud or Sand Not Applicable (Male)
Total Sanitary Reusable Paper, mud Not Applicable

Participants pads clothes or sand (Male)
27 17 4 9
RS
FeMale Paper, mud
or sand (4)
9%
Sanitary pads
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Sanitary Reusable Paper, mud

Reusable clothes (26) 55%
Female pads clothes or sand
(17) 36%
26 4 17
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Female
Sanitary pads Reusable clothers Paper, Mud or Sand
BR
MusliMs (FeMale) Paper, Mud or Sand (0) 0%

oTHers (FeMale)
Reusable clothes
(2) 25%
Sanitary pads (2)
100%
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Sanitary pads (6)

75%
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Sanitary pads Reusable clothers Paper, Mud or Sand Sanitary pads Reusable clothers Paper, Mud or Sand
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Sanitary Reusable Paper, mud Sanitary Reusable Paper, Mud

Muslims pads clothes or sand Others pads clothes or Sand
6 2 0 2 0 0

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Paper, Mud or Sand (0) 0%
Paper, Mud
Reusable clothes
or Sand (4) Sanitary pads (6) 24%
17% (8) 35%
AS
Sanitary pads
Reusable clothes
(19) 16%
(11) 48%
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Sanitary pads Resuable clothes Paper, Mud or Sand Sanitary pads Resuable clothes Paper, Mud or Sand
Sanitary Reusable Paper, Mud Sanitary Reusable Paper, Mud

Rural pads clothes or Sand Urban pads clothes or Sand
PR
8 11 4 19 6 0
HinDus (FeMale) cHrisTians (FeMale) Paper, Mud or Sand

(0) 0%
Paper, Mud or
Sand (4) 17% Sanitary pads Reusable clothes
(15) 50%
RS
(3) 38%
Sanitary pads
Reusable clothes (5) 62%
(11) 37%
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Christians
Sanitary pads Resuable clothes Paper, Mud or Sand Sanitary pads Resuable clothes Paper, Mud or Sand
Sanitary Reusable Paper, Mud Sanitary Reusable Paper, Mud

Hindus pads clothes or Sand Christians pads clothes or Sand
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15 11 4 5 3 0
Tally graph
ToTal parTicipanTs
BR
Sanitary pads – IIII IIII IIII IIII IIII II – 27
Reusable clothes – IIII IIII IIII II – 17
Paper, Mud or Sand – IIII – 4

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Not Applicable – IIII IIII – 9

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About 55% of the women surveyed have said that they use sanitary pads but surprisingly 36% often
use reusable clothes and 9% even use mud or sand.
This shows the continuing prevalence of period poverty. This is particularly stark in rural areas where
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48% rely on reusable clothes and 17% rely on paper, mud or sand. Even in urban areas 24% of women
rely on reusable clothes. A certain degree of correlation between the economic and educational levels
of respondents and period poverty has been observed.

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6. Are hygienic facilities accessible to you during your periods? (Toilets, clean water, washrooms to
change pads)
ToTal ParTiciPanTs
AS
NA (Male) (9) Yes (13) 25%
17%
Rarely (9)
11%
Most of the No (7) 13%
AK
time (18) 34%
PR
Yes No Most of the time Rarely NA (Male)
Total Yes No Most of the time Rarely NA (Male)

Participants 13 7 18 9 9
RS
FeMale
Rarely (9) Yes (12)
21% 28%
HE
Most of the No (7) 16%

time (15) 35% Yes No Most of the time Rarely
Female
12 7 15 9
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Yes No Most of the time Rarely

BR
MusliMs (FeMale) No (0) 0% oTHers (FeMale) Yes (0) 0%

No (0) 0%
Rarely (2) Rarely (0) 0%
20%
Yes (4)
Most of the
40%
time (2) 100%
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Most of the
time (4) 40%
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Yes No Most of the time Rarely Yes No Most of the time Rarely
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Muslims Others
4 0 4 2 0 0 2 0

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Rarely (4)
Rarely (5) Yes (4) 24% 15% Yes (8) 31%
29%
AS
Most of the Most of the
time (3) 18% No (5) 29% time (12) 46% No (2) 8%
AK
Rural Urban
4 5 3 5 8 2 12 4
PR
HinDus (FrMale) cHrisTians (FeMale)
Rarely (3)
12% Yes (6) 23% Rarely (3)
38% Yes (3) 37%
Most of the
RS
time (10) 38%
No (7) 27% Most of the No (1) 12%
time (1) 13%
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Hindus Christians
6 7 10 3 3 1 1 3
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Tally graph
ToTal parTicipanTs
Most of the time – IIII IIII IIII III – 18

BR
Yes – IIII IIII III – 13
Rarely – IIII IIII – 9

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Not Applicable (Male) – IIII IIII – 9

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No – IIII II – 7
Of the total numbers of females surveyed, 37% claimed to rarely or never have access to hygienic
facilities during their periods. This is true of 23% of respondents from urban areas and 58% of
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respondents from rural areas. In this case, there is a close relationship between economic backwardness
of respondents and the availability of sanitary facilities. It is observable that ‘period poverty’ is related
to the larger context of poverty and deprivation.

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7. Are you barred from entering holy places or taking part in religious activities during your periods?
ToTal ParTiciPanTs
Not Applicable
Male...
AS
Yes (27) 51%
No (17) 32%
AK
Yes No Not Applicable (Male)
PR
Total Yes No NA (Male)
Participants 27 17 9
FeMale
RS
No (16) 37%
Yes (27) 63%

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Yes No
Female
27 16
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MusliMs (FeMale) oTHers (FeMale)

BR
Yes (1) 12%
Yes (1) 50%

No (1) 50%
No (7) 88%
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YA
Yes No Yes No
Yes No Yes No
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Muslims Others
1 7 1 1

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No (5) 29%
No (13) 48%
AS
Yes (12) 71% Yes (14) 52%
AK
Yes No Yes No
Yes No Yes No
Rural Urban
PR
12 5 14 13
HinDus (FeMale) cHrisTians (FeMale) Yes (0) 0%
No (2) 8%
RS
No (8) 100%
Yes (24) 92%
HE
Yes No Yes No
OT
Yes No Yes No
Hindus Christians
24 2 0 8
BR
Tally graph
ToTal parTicipanTs
Yes – IIII IIII IIII IIII IIII II – 27
No – IIII IIII IIII II – 17

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An overwhelming 63% of female respondents answered in the affirmative to this question. This
menstruation based exclusion is seen to be widely prevalent in both urban (52%) and rural (71%) areas
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and is rooted in religious beliefs and practices that persist even among the educated and economically
well-to-do. About 92% of Hindu female respondents said that they have faced such exclusion while
the proportion is only 12% among Muslims. None of the Christian women respondents have reported
such exclusion.

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8. Are you forced to live in separate menstrual huts/room during your periods?
ToTal ParTiciPanTs
Not Applicable
Male (9) 17%
AS
Yes (20) 38%
No (24) 45%
AK
PR
Yes No Not Applicable (Male)
Total Yes No NA (Male)

Participants 20 24 9
RS
FeMale
No (23) 53% Yes (20) 47%

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Yes No
Female
20 23
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Yes No
BR
MusliMs (FeMale) oTHers (FeMale)
No (8) 100%
No (1) 50% Yes (1) 50%
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YA
Yes No Yes No
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Yes No Yes No
Muslims Others
0 8 1 1

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No (5) 29% Yes (8) 30%

Yes (12) 71%
AS
No (19) 70%
AK
Yes No Yes No
Yes No Yes No
Rural Urban
12 5 8 19
PR
HinDus (FeMale) cHrisTians (FeMale) Yes (0) 0%
No (7) 27%
RS
No (8) 100%
Yes (19) 73%
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Yes No Yes No
Yes No Yes No
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Hindus Christians
19 7 0 8
Tally graph
BR
ToTal parTicipanTs
Yes – IIII IIII IIII IIII – 20
No – IIII IIII IIII IIII IIII – 24

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About 97% of female respondents have reported that they have been forced to live in separate menstrual
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huts or rooms at some point or the other during their periods. About 71% of rural women have
experienced this in some way or another. No Christian or Muslim respondents have been subjected to
this exclusion. Thus, this extreme manifestation of period-based exclusion linked to ideas of ‘unholiness’
is mainly seen among Hindus (73%).
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9. I think menstruation is embarrassing.
ToTal ParTiciPanTs Disagree (10)
19% Strongly agree
Neutral (6) (13) 25%
11%
AS
Agree (24)
45%
AK
Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree
Total Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree

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10. I think menstruation is gross.
ToTal ParTiciPanTs Disagree (9)
17% Strongly agree
(15) 28%
Neutral (8)
15%
RS
Agree (21)
40%
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11. I am comfortable while speaking about menstruation with the opposite gender.
ToTal ParTiciPanTs Strongly
agree (7)
13%
Disagree (20) Agree (10)
BR
38% 19%
Neutral (16)
30%
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Tally graph
ToTal parTicipanTs
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Agree – IIII IIII – 10 Disagree – IIII IIII IIII IIII – 20
Strongly agree – IIII II – 7 Neutral – IIII IIII IIII I – 16

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Only 38% of respondents ‘disagreed’ to this opinion, the rest were ‘neutral’ (30%) or in agreement
(32%). The reluctance to speak openly about menstruation with the opposite gender is seen across all
genders. This is due to its characterisation as a ‘private’ matter and its association with sex.
12. Do you think women need period leave? Please explain.
AS
ToTal ParTiciPanTs
Yes (18) 34%
No (35) 66%
AK
Yes No
PR
Total Yes No
Participants 18 35
Tally graph
ToTal parTicipanTs
RS
Yes – IIII IIII IIII III – 18
No – IIII IIII IIII IIII IIII IIII IIII – 35

HE
Majority of respondents (66%) believe that period leave is not needed. Most women surveyed think
that such an arrangement would only serve to deepen the prejudice against women at workplaces and
further stigmatise menstruation. Most men, on the other hand, see periods as a painful experience for
which women must be granted leave.
OT
13. Do you think ‘menstrual shame’ is justified? If ‘yES’ please explain.

ToTal ParTiciPanTs
Yes (21) 40%
BR
No (32) 60%
Total Yes No
Yes No Participants 21 32
L
Tally graph
YA
ToTal parTicipanTs
Yes – IIII IIII IIII IIII I – 21
No – IIII IIII IIII IIII IIII IIII II – 32

GO
Only 60% of respondents think that ‘menstrual shame’ as such is not justified. This includes respondents
who agree with the view that it is ‘impure’ or ‘unholy’. Those who think that it is justified cite the
reason that menstruation is a ‘private matter’.

N
HA
Open-Ended Questions
14. What according to you has shaped your society’s view of menstruation?
Most respondents believe that ‘religion’ or ‘culture’ has shaped their society’s view of menstruation
giving it ‘impure’ and ‘unholy’ connotations. This response is generally seen among Hindu respondents
AS
while others see the stigma around menstruation in society to be a result of the perceived ‘disgusting’
nature of menstrual blood.
15. How did your family and society respond to your first period? Was it celebrated? Were there rituals?
AK
Most Christian and Muslim respondents did not recall any special response to the onset of their periods
besides informal presents. On the other hand, Hindu respondents have mentioned several elaborate rituals
and ceremonial that varied regionally like ‘Manjal Neerattu Vizha’. ‘Bhoomi Puja’, etc. Despite the stigma
around menstruation, its onset is often celebrated as it marks the beginning of fertility and womanhood.
16. How has your life and social interactions changed since you began mensturating?
PR
For most respondents, the onset of their periods was accompanied by restrictions on interactions with
males, particularly in rural area. Many Hindu respondents have reported being prohibited from entering
prayer rooms, temples, kitchen, etc. Some Muslim women have said that sexual intercourse while on their
period is disallowed. In general, the menstrual function seems to have a restrictive effect on women’s
social interaction.
RS
17. Do you think society should change its attitude to menstruation?
Many of those surveyed responded to this question by saying that ‘sacred’ beliefs are not to be changed
and that periods is a ‘private matter’. Nevertheless a significant number of respondents have said that
they would like to see society’s attitude towards menstruation change in one way or another. Many
HE
women wish to do away with separate menstrual rooms and huts.

18. Has a lack of sanitary pads ever prevented you from attending school/work? Explain how the use
of sand or paper affected your health?
Several respondents from rural or economically underprivileged backgrounds have said that the use of
OT
reusable clothes, which often take time to dry and cause infections and the lack of sanitary pads have
hampered their ability to attend school or work during their periods. Some respondents from urban areas
have also cited a lack of sanitary facilities as having prevented them from continuing their daily activities.
19. What are the myths and practices associated with menstruation in your community?
BR
Most of the myths associated with menstruation is premised on its ‘impure’ nature. Several Hindu
respondents mentioned how menstruating women are prohibited from touching food, plants, domestic
animals, books, etc. and are prevented entry into temples and kitchens. Some traditions believe that
burying clothes soiled with menstrual blood can attract demons. Other religions seem to have fewer
myths around the topic. One Christian respondent talked about the belief that women should not receive
L
holy communion during their periods.

YA
20. Explain your experience in a separate menstrual hut or room where you spend your period days.
(If any).
Only Hindu respondents and one Christian respondent from Tamil Nadu have recalled experiences in
separate menstrual huts and rooms. In urban areas, the practice is mainly restricted to just separate
rooms. Respondents from rural areas have recalled harrowing experiences in menstrual huts based on
GO
taboos like ‘Chaupadi’, where they are forced to confine themselves throughout their period despite
perilous weather, snakes and scorpions. Some respondents have recalled being prevented from touching
anyone and anything in the house.

N
HA
LiMiTATiOnS
1. Dishonest answers may have affected the reliability of the research. Respondents may not be
completely truthful about the answers due to social desirability bias or privacy concerns.
2. There may have been differences in the understanding and interpretations of questions.
AS
3. There was difficulty in analysing open-ended questions which cannot be quantified.
4. Several respondents may have made uncontentious responses due to ‘survey fatigue’.
5. There was a great deal of reluctance from several respondents who found the topic ‘taboo’ and did
AK
not want to actively participate in the survey so a large number of people had to be approached
before enough responses could be obtained.
COnCLuSiOnS
PR
The menstrual function continues to be stigmatised owing to its peculiar location in popular imagination
at the intersection of gender, religion, culture, sex, sandity and impurity. The reluctance of men to engage
with the issue is evident from the fact that none of the respondents were introduced to the concept
of menstruation by their fathers. The significant number of men who think ‘menstrual shame’ is
justified show that patriarchy plays a substantial role in sustaining menstrual taboos. There is a direct
RS
relationship between how menstruation is perceived by society and the extent and nature of change that a
menstruator’s life and social interactions undergo. The menstruator is often barred from entering temples
or prayer rooms, touching food, plants, animals, etc. This is widely present among Hindus, and to a lesser
extent, among certain Muslim sects. Such an exclusion hardly exists among Christians but regardless of
HE
religion or economic status, many women are forced to keep the matter of their periods hidden from male
members of the family. The fact that most women respondents have rejected the proposal of ‘period leave’
shows that they want the menstrual function to be seen as ‘normal’. This study reveals that the only way
to de-stigmatise menstruation is to engage people of all genders from all sections in society in healthy
OT
discussions around menstruation and make it a part of our daily conversation.
VIVA-VOCE QuESTiOnS
BR

[Hint: Answer it based upon your reason for choosing the topic.]
2. Do you think its still a Taboo to talk about Menstruation?
[Hint: Based upon your research you need to answer this question.]
L
3. What is the perception of people on this topic?

[Hint: Based upon your understanding.]
YA
4. What was your research Methodology? Can you site some case studies or experiences the respondents
shared?
[Hint: You need to be thorough with the methodology that you would be using and definitely share
some experiences of your respondents keeping their identity safe.]
GO
5. What measures do you think we can take to make people more aware and conscious?
[Hint: For any student to be thorough with the topic its important to first do an amazing review of
literature and then an extensive research.]

N
HA
PROJECT
AS
1 tOPic : Social Impact of the Pandemic
AK
PR
Overview of the Project
1. The first step would be the Review of Literature, wherein you will first read books and articles related
to this topic. Reading books related to the pandemic will help you to understand the topic extremely
RS
well and you will be able to frame a very informative questionnaire on the topic.
2. Since you are taking up the social impact of the pandemic, so you have to make the questionnaire
based on the social life of people. Questionnaire should have 30 questions (at least); you can have
more than that as well, based on your interest and topic. Out of 30 questions 6 to 8 questions should
HE
be open-ended (means these questions should not have choices to mark, the respondents should write
their feelings and opinions in them).
3. You will mention why this topic is close to your heart and the reason why you wanted to research on
it, you need to also write the relevance of this topic in regard to the World, India, Youth and lastly
OT
you. (All this is possible only if you have read the material related to the topic very well).
4. Hypothesis is your hypothetical thinking as to what you think will be the outcome of your research topic.
For example, if you make the research question stating: To understand the social impact of pandemic
on the students, then you should have a hypothetical answer to it as well.
BR
5. Questionnaire framework has been given in the project topics given for example for you to refer. Any
questionnaire should be clearly mentioned/written on the same lines.
6. You should have 5 to 7 articles cut and pasted with your observation on the article. Here you are
presenting some evidence (something that has been written on the topic that you have chosen).
7. Based upon the filled questionnaire by your 30 respondents you will put the data on the Google
L
software and take out the pie charts which you will put in your project file. It should be question-wise
interpretation of the respondents via a pie chart and tally mark, graph (as shown in the sample projects)
YA
8. Evaluation should be of the open-ended questions of your questionnaire wherein you should take up
response of each respondent on each question and write an elaborate understanding. (Example is given
in the sample Project Work).
9. Limitations means the issues you had faced while researching upon the topic. You should very clearly
GO
state the same.

10. Outcome means your conclusion on research work, i.e., what do you think about the social impact on
the students based on your research.

N
HA
PROJECT
AS
2 tOPic : Do the Current Youth Believe in Religion?
AK
PR
to this topic. Reading books related to youth and religion will help you to understand the topic extremely
well and you will be able to frame a very informative questionnaire on the topic.
RS
2. Since your topic is whether current youth believe in religion, so you have to make the questionnaire
based on the same. Questionnaire should have 30 questions (at least); you can have more than that
as well, based on your interest and topic. Out of 30 questions 6 to 8 questions should be open-ended
(means these questions should not have choices to mark, the respondents should write their feelings
HE
and opinions in them).

OT
4. Hypothesis is your hypothetical thinking as to what you think will be the outcome of your research
topic. For example, if you make the research question stating: Do the current youth believe in religion,
then you should have a hypothetical answer to it as well.
BR

L
interpretation of the respondents via a pie chart and tally mark, graph (as shown in the sample projects).
YA
state the same.
GO

N
HA
PROJECT
AS
3 tOPic : Is Marriage as an Institution Collapsing in India?
AK
PR
RS
to this topic. Reading books related to the changing structure of the institution of marriage will help you
to understand the topic extremely well and you will be able to frame a very informative questionnaire
on the topic.
2. Since you are taking up a topic which is very essential to the Indian Society or any other society, so
HE
you have to make the questionnaire based on it. Questionnaire should have 30 questions (at least); you
can have more than that as well, based on your interest and topic. Out of 30 questions 6 to 8 questions
should be open-ended (means these questions should not have choices to mark, the respondents should
write their feelings and opinions in them).
OT
topic. For example, if you make the research question stating: To Understand the institution of marriage
BR
and its importance or is it collapsing, then you should have a hypothetical answer to it as well.
L
YA
GO
state the same.
N
HA
PROJECT
AS
4 tOPic : Conception of Beauty in Our Society
AK
PR
to this topic. Reading books related to beauty and its concepts or standards in today’s time will help you
RS
on the topic.
2. Since you are taking up the conception of beauty in our society, so you have to make the questionnaire
based on it. Questionnaire should have 30 questions (at least); you can have more than that as well,
based on your interest and topic. Out of 30 questions 6 to 8 questions should be open-ended (means
HE
these questions should not have choices to mark, the respondents should write their feelings and opinions
in them).
OT
topic. For example, if you make the research question stating: To understand the beauty standards and
concepts in today’s society, then you should have a hypothetical answer to it as well.
BR

L
8. Evaluation should be of the open-ended questions of your questionnaire where in you should take up
YA
state the same.
GO

N
HA
PROJECT
AS
5 tOPic : Human Trafficking
AK
PR
to this topic. Reading books related to Human Trafficking and What is Human Trafficking will help you
RS
on the topic.
2. Since you are taking up this topic, so you have to make the questionnaire based on the social life of
people. Questionnaire should have 30 questions (at least); you can have more than that as well, based
on your interest and topic. Out of 30 questions 6 to 8 questions should be open-ended (means these
questions should not have choices to mark, the respondents should write their feelings and opinions in
HE
them).
OT
topic. For example, if you make the research question stating: To know Human trafficking and its
prevalence and impact also how is the racket carried out (since it’s a challenging Topic so you might
have challenges facing the same so it is pertinent for you to choose topic only once you are sure), then
you should have a hypothetical answer to it as well.
BR
questionnaire should be clearly on the same lines.
L
YA
state the same.
GO
the students based on your research?
N
HA
PROJECT
AS
6 tOPic : Honour Killing
AK
PR
1. The first step would be the Review of Literature, wherein you will first read books and articles
related to this topic. Reading books related to Honour Killing – Measures to Eliminate this Practice
will help you to understand the topic extremely well and you will be able to frame a very informative
RS
questionnaire on the topic.
2. Since you are taking up the topic of Honour Killing, so you have to make the questionnaire based
on it only once you have read extensively upon the topic. Questionnaire should have 30 questions
(at least); you can have more than that as well, based on your interest and topic. Out of 30 questions
HE
6 to 8 questions should be open-ended (means these questions should not have choices to mark, the
respondents should write their feelings and opinions in them).
OT
topic. For example, if you make the research question stating: To know Honour Killing and how it
impacts the society and youth then you should have a hypothetical answer to it as well.
BR

L
YA

state the same.
GO

[Note: These framework has been given for your stepwise understanding of the topic. You should be in a position to
apply the same on any topic of your choice.]

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N

Ernakulam - 682019 (Kerala) Phone : 0484-2305288

Bengaluru - 560 021, Phone : 080-23320655

Lucknow - 226 006, Phone : 0522-2320841

To buy our books online log on to www.goyal-books.com

Published & Printed by

Articles as evidence and Questionnaire on the Topic.

for the betterment of this book.

objectives of Project Work

role of the teacher

2. Statement of Purpose 2 Marks

Analysing the Material/Data for Conclusion

Draw the Relevant Conclusion

expected checklist for the Project Work

● Identifying the causes, events, consequences and/or remedies

the project file

● Presentation and writing that is succinct and coherent in project file

assessment of Project Work

Conclusion, Limitations, Suggestions, Conclusion, Limitations, Bibliography,

stePWise Guideline For WritinG the socioloGy ProJect

regards to (i) World, (ii) India, (iii) Youth and you.

27. Do the current youth believe in religion?

External Examiner Date:

Roll No. Alloted by CBSE

I would like to express my special thanks of gratitude to my Sociology teacher, Mr./Ms.

the golden opportunity to do the wonderful project work: “________________________

ﬁnalising the project within the limited time frame.

e 2. The Ethics of Euthanasia 20 – 44

s PROJECTS (With Outlines)

2. Do the Current Youth Believe in Religion? 98

3. Is Marriage as an Institution Collapsing in India? 99

4. Conception of Beauty in Our Society 100

5. Human Trafficking 101

6. Honour Killing 102

} To discuss and evaluate the importance of parents in the society.

Project Work in Sociology (Class-XII) 1

2 Goyal Brothers Prakashan

Project Work in Sociology (Class-XII) 3

4 Goyal Brothers Prakashan

Project Work in Sociology (Class-XII) 5

Article 3: Short-term and Long-term Effects of Early Parental Employment

Article 4: Parental Involvement in Homework

AnALYSiS And inTERPRETATiOn

1. What is your parent’s employment situation?

One is employed, while other is not. IIII IIII I 11

6 Goyal Brothers Prakashan

About 50% of the participants feel that their parents’

children may still feel that their parent’s employment

Options Tally Marks Numbers of Responses

Great (7–10) IIII IIII 9

Project Work in Sociology (Class-XII) 7

4. What kind of an effect does your parent’s employment have on you?

Balanced impact (neither

5. Whose employment do you feel affects you more?

Options Tally Marks Numbers of Responses

More than half (60%) of the participants believed that the

20% employment affects me

is employed, but that either of their employment impacts

8 Goyal Brothers Prakashan