POLITICAL SCIENCE

Chapter 4
TO BE WRITTEN IN THE POLITICAL SCIENCE NOTEBOOK
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

i. Which of the following is the best-performing country in terms of women’s participation in public life?

a. Norway b. Russia

c. Saudi Arabia. d. India

ii. Which of the following reasons for the caste hierarchy breaking down in India is incorrect?

a. Growth of literacy

b. Urbanization

c. Secularism

d. Occupational mobility

iii. In most societies ________ are passed on from one generation to another.

a. Right to vote

b. Gender equality

c. Occupations

d. None of the above

iv .Gandhiji believed that politics must be guided by the ethics drawn from different _________.

v.Social divisions based on _______ are peculiar to India.

vi.________ division is a form of social division seen everywhere but is rarely recognized.

vii.The Equal Remuneration Act of _______ provides that equal wages should be paid to equal work.

a) 1986 b) 1976

c) 1966. d) 1972

viii.Which of the following divisions is unique to India?

(a) Gender division
(b) Caste division
(c) Economic division
(d) Religious division

.ix.Which one of the following is not a cause of communalism?

(a) Religion is taken as the basis of nation
(b) When one religion is discriminated against other
(c) State has no official religion
(d) Demands of one religious group are formed in opposition to another

x.Which of these is true about the ugliest form of communalism?

(a) Communal violence
(b) Riots
(c) Massacre
(d) All the above.

ANSWER THE FOLLOWING TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS

Q.1.Mention different aspects of life in which women are discriminated or disadvantaged in India. (Answer marked in book.)
Q.2. State different forms of communal politics with one example each.
Answer: Different forms of communal politics are as given below:

1.Everyday beliefs: Religious prejudices, stereotypes of religious communities, and belief in the superiority of one’s religion over
other religions are so common that we often fail to notice them even when we believe in it. For example even today the members of
lower classes are not allowed to enter the temples in many regions.

2.Majoritarian dominance:

A majority community tries to dominate other communities in politics. This may compel the minority community to form a separate
political unit. For example, in Sri Lanka, majoritarianism has been followed which has resulted in conflict in the country.

3.Political mobilization on religious lines: Religious appeals are made to voters to attract their votes. Sometimes sacred symbols
and religious leaders are used to bring the followers of one religion together in the political arena. Religious leaders are asked to
propagate in favour of a political party. Emotional appeals are made on the basis of religion.RSS and BJP

4.Communal violence: Sometimes communalism takes the ugliest form of communal violence, riots, and massacre. India and
Pakistan suffered some of the worst communal riots at the time of the partition. Even after independence, riots on communal lines
have taken place in India.

Q.3. State how caste inequalities are still continuing in India.

Answer: Caste inequalities are still continuing in India in the following ways:

1.Most people still marry within their own caste or tribe. The upper caste people or sometimes other caste people too do not allow
inter-caste marriages.

2.Untouchability has been prohibited by the Constitution but in practice, it still exists in different parts of the country, particularly in
rural areas.

3.In the field of education too the position is far from satisfactory. The caste groups that had access to education under the old
system have done very well in acquiring modern I education as well. But those groups who did not have access to education or
were prohibited from acquiring it have naturally lagged behind.
4.Caste is still an important source of economic inequality because it regulates access to
resources of various kinds while the upper classes are best off, the Dalits and Adivasis are worst off, and the backward classes are
in between.

5.Although every caste has some poor members, the proportion of living in extreme poverty is much higher for the lowest castes.

6.Lower caste people like rural landless labourers, are generally poor and are exploited even today. Caste still continues to be
closely linked to economic status.

Q.4.State two reasons to say that caste alone cannot determine election results in India.

Answer: 1.No parliamentary constituency has a clear majority of one single caste – to regard as a vote bank. Every candidate or
party, therefore, needs to win the trust of the entire community.

2. People with the same caste or community have the same interests. They may have different interests depending on their
economic status and social condition. Thus caste cannot be a sole factor.

3.Voters may have more than one candidate from their caste while others may not have any candidate from their caste.

4.Irrespective of caste, voters consider the performance of the government and popularity of the leaders while voting. Hence the
ruling party in the sitting MP or MLA frequently lose elections in our country.

Hence, we can clearly conclude that “caste alone cannot determine election result in India.

Q.5.What is the status of women’s representation in India’s legislative bodies?

Answer : The status of women’s representation in India’s legislative bodies is very less as mentioned
below :

1.In Lok Sabha, the percentage of elected women members has never reached even 10 percent of its total strength.

2.Their share in the state assemblies is less than 5 percent. India is among the bottom group of nations in the world in this respect.
3.Cabinets are also male-dominated even when a woman becomes a Chief Minister or the Prime Minister.

4.Thus the proportion of women in legislative bodies has been very low. Women’s organizations and activists have been demanding
reservation of at least one-third of seats in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies for women. A bill with this proposal has been
pending before the parliament for more than a decade but due to lack of consensus among the political parties, it has not been
passed.

Q.6.Mention any two constitutional provisions that make India a secular state.

Answer: 1.There is no official religion for the Indian state. Unlike the status of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, that of Islam in Pakistan and
that of Christianity in England, our Constitution does not give a special status to any religion.

2.The Constitution provides to all individuals and communities freedom to profess, practice and propagate any religion, or not to
follow any.

Q.7 How are religious differences expressed in politics?

Answer.

1.Gandhiji used to say that religion can never be separated from politics. He believed that politics must be guided by ethics drawn
from religion.

2.Human rights groups in our country have argued that most of the victims of communal riots in our country are people from
religious minorities. They have demanded that the government take special steps to protect religious minorities.

3.The women’s movement has argued that family laws of all religions discriminate against women. So they have demanded that the
government should change these laws to make them more equitable.

Q.8.Why is communal thinking flawed?

Answer.

1.People of one religion do not have the same interests and aspirations.
2.There are many voices inside every community. All these voices have a right to be heard.

3.Therefore, any attempt to bring all followers of one religion together in a context other than religion is bound to suppress many
voices within that community.

Q.9 The focus on caste in politics can sometimes give an impression that elections are all about caste and nothing else. Do you
agree? Explain.

Answer . No, this is not true.

1.No parliamentary constituency in the country has a clear majority of one single caste. So, every candidate and party needs to win
the confidence of more than one caste and community to win elections.

2.No party wins the votes of all the voters of a caste or community.

3.Many political parties may put up candidates from the same caste. Some voters have more than one candidate from their caste
while many voters have no candidate from their caste.

4.The ruling party and the sitting MP or MLA frequently lose elections in our country. That could not have happened if all castes and
communities were frozen in their political preferences.

Q.10. Caste has not still disappeared from contemporary India.’ Write any three examples to justify the statement.

Answer:

1.Even now most people marry within their own caste or tribe.

2.Untouchability has not ended completely, despite constitutional prohibition.

3.The effects of centuries of advantages and disadvantages continue to be felt today. The caste groups that had access to
education under the old system have done very well in acquiring modern education as well. Those groups that did not have access
to education or were prohibited from acquiring it have naturally lagged behind.

Q. 11 What are some negative aspects of caste in politics?

Answer.

Caste politics lead to tension and violence.

Politics based on caste identity alone is not a healthy feature in a democracy.

1.It can divert attention from other pressing issues like poverty, development, corruption, etc.

Q.12 ‘It is not politics that gets caste-ridden, it is the caste that gets politicized.’ Explain.

Answer.

1.Each caste group tries to become bigger by incorporating within it neighboring castes or sub-castes that were earlier excluded
from it.

2. Various caste groups are required to enter into a coalition with other castes or communities.

3. New kinds of caste groups have come up in the political arena like ‘backward’ and ‘forward’ caste groups.

Q 13. How have caste and the caste system undergone changes in modern India?

Or,

Explain the socio-economic changes responsible for breaking down the old notion of caste hierarchy in India.

Answer.

1.Social reformers like Jotiba Phule, Mahatma Gandhi, and Periyar Ramaswamy Naicker have carried out movements to end caste
inequalities.

2.Economic development and urbanization have broken caste hierarchies in India.

3.Growth of literacy and education, as well as occupational mobility, have also changed the mindset of people towards caste.

4.The Constitution of India prohibits caste-based discrimination.

5.Practicing untouchability is a punishable offense in India.

Describe three advantages and two disadvantages of the political expression of caste differences.
Answer:
The following are the advantages of the political expression of caste differences.

1.In the present times, several political and non-political organisations have fought discrimination against particular castes, for more
dignity and more access to land, resources and opportunities for the people from lower caste, who were not given equal status and
opportunity like the uppercaste people.

2.In some situations, expression of caste differences in politics gives many disadvantaged communities the space to demand their
share of power. 3.Usually it is seen that the disadvantaged communities are not able to exercise their rights but because of political
representation of such caste differences, the oppressed people get to put forward their rights to get what they deserve.

The following are the disadvantages of the political expression of caste differences.

1.In case of religion, politics based on caste identity alone is not very healthy in democracy. It can divert attention from other
pressing issues such as poverty, development and corruption. Because caste is not the only issue that is causing a hindrance in the
society there are various issues that need to be given equal importance.

2. In some cases, caste differences lead to caste division, which further leads to violence and tension among the people of different
caste and that might lead to outburst of riots in the society.

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