sociology

Sociology Q&A 2023

Topical Test - 11

SOCIOLOGY
Time Allowed: 1:30 Hrs. Max. Marks: 100

1. Examine the socio-cultural factors responsible for internal migration in India.

2. How does demographic dividend correlate with international division of labour? Support your
answer with suitable examples.

3. Examine the phenomena of refugee migration, with specific emphasis on impact on culture.

4. Examine the impact of high maternal and infant mortality rate among tribals on population
dynamics of the Indian society.

5. Examine the consequences of population overgrowth through sociological perspective. Do you

agree with the contention that population control is the key to social stability?

6. The unholy alliance between traditional practices and cultural progression has played havoc in
Indian demography. Comment with respect to DEMARU states.

7. Examine the factors that affect the reproductive health of women in India. In this light, also
discuss the role of surrogacy laws.

8. Examine the paradox of low sex ratio at birth and improving sex ratio as revealed by the
NFHS 5.

9. India has moved from brain drain to brain gain. Comment.

10. The projections for demographic growth in India reveal an urgent need to address the concerns
of the geriatric population. Suggest suitable measures.

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Remarks
 Sociology Q&A 2023
Topical Test - 11

SOCIOLOGY
Ans
Answwer Hints
1. Examine the socio-cultural factors responsible for internal migration in India.
Approach:
• Introduction of internal migration
• Sociological understanding of migration
• Causes of internal migration in India
• Conclusion
Hints:
A person is deemed a migrant if he or she is counted in the census at a location other than where he
or she was born. Internal migrants account for 453.6 million people in India (Census of India 2011).
Internal migrants grew as a percentage of the population from 30% in 2001 to 37% in 2011.
Sociological understanding of migration
• In his paradigm, which centred around migration streams, Ravenstein discussed ‘migration
phenomena.’ Migration, he believes, is a continuous process that leads in more balanced population
redistribution.
• The push-pull idea was proposed by Evert Lee. According to Lee, people relocate for two reasons.
A push factor or a pull factor exists. There are push forces in your neighbourhood. People leave
for a variety of reasons, including geography, poverty, natural catastrophes, conflict, and other
factors. One of the draw factors is the destination location, which motivates people to relocate
there. This might be attributed to a healthy economy, higher living standards, and more job
opportunities.
• The Todaro Model (1971) examines the most important economic features of the push-pull
dynamics. Individual migrants must weigh the economic risks and benefits. As a result,
policymakers may reduce rural migration by encouraging rural investment and new job
opportunities.
• According to Castles, migration is the cause of billions of people moving out of poverty, improving
health, education, income, and conflict, and a decrease in migration leads to a less flexible economy.
Causes for internal migration in India
• Marriage: According to Census 2001, the bulk of intra-state migrant mobility occurs from one
rural region to another, owing to marriage in the case of females. Women account for 7% of all
internal migrants, and marriage is a prominent factor for female movement in both rural and
urban areas.
• Urbanization: Rural-urban migration is a significant feature of a country’s urban transition. Wage
disparities between rural and urban areas are influenced by rates of urbanisation. Increased
labour demand in metropolitan areas and higher incomes encourage migration.
• Insecurity: Another factor for internal migration is political unrest and interethnic strife. E.g.
Kashmiri pundits left Jammu and Kashmir in the 1990s.
• Employment-related migration is one of the most common motivations for male movement in
both rural and urban regions. Seasonal migration occurs when people seek work in various
places and sectors. For example, a sizable number of individuals migrate from UP, Bihar to work
in the agricultural fields on Punjab and Haryana.
• Education: Because rural regions lack educational facilities, many flock to cities in search of
greater academic chances. According to the 2011 census, around 1.77% of persons relocated for
education.
• Environmental and catastrophe-related factors: Some migrants are compelled to relocate from
rural to urban regions as a result of an environmental disaster that damaged their homes and
farmland. According to a Lok Sabha Report from 2013, around 50 million people have been
relocated in India over the last 50 years in the name of development initiatives.
• Social considerations include migration for better education, better quality of life, and health
care, as well as social instability caused by ethnic, community, and cast conflicts.
Migration may be caused by a variety of socioeconomic and political circumstances, but also serves

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as a tool for reducing inequities and the gap between affluent and poor. It enables many people to
improve their level of living. However, unsustainable migration poses a hazard to society’s general
growth. To prevent significant migration, rural regions must be developed.
2.
OR
How does demographic dividend correlate with international division of labour? Support
your answer with suitable examples.
Hints:
A result of globalisation is the new global division of labour. The phrase was created by theorists
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who wanted to explain why manufacturing industries were moving from developed capitalist nations
to emerging ones. This continuing process of regional production reorganisation has its roots in theories
about a world labour market.
Historically, developing nations’ economies were integrated into the global economy as providers of
agricultural and mineral products. But now there is a “global industrial shift,” in which production
is moved from developed (US, European countries, and Japan) to developing nations (China, India).
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To produce and assemble goods, businesses need to be located in an affordable area. Developing
nations may create goods for a lot less than a developed nation could.
What is Demographic Dividend?
According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), a demographic dividend is “the economic
growth potential that can result from shifts in a population’s age structure, primarily when the
working-age population (15 to 64) is larger than the non-working-age population (14 and younger,
and 65 and older).”
With low birth rates, the working-age population outnumbers the young dependant population,
resulting in fewer individuals to support and more people in the labour force. This frees up economic
resources for other purposes, such as accelerating a country’s economic growth and raising the
population’s standard of life.
Role of India’s Demographic dividend in international division of labour
• Dependency ratio - If the working population outnumbers children and the elderly, they can
sustain them. This will lower the rate of reliance. Savings and investments will increase as the
dependency rate drops. This will result in an increase in productivity, which will ultimately aid
the economy’s growth.
• India is the world’s largest provider of skilled labour. We can assure that we have educated
people in diverse areas as the world economy transitions to a knowledge economy by educating
everyone. A well-educated workforce has the potential to lead the world and India to prosperity.
[2] Hints: Sociology
 For example, in the service industry, particularly in the IT sector, India has a large presence in
practically all major IT organisations. Big tech businesses like Google and Microsoft are being led
by people with ties to India.
• European countries are seeing negative or zero population growth. It is an opportunity for our
young people. They should improve their skills and go to Europe for better prospects.
• A larger population equals more customers, more manufacturing workers, and thus more output,
which leads to a rise in supply and demand. India is also a significant market for autos, cell
phones, and other consumer electronics. That is why many corporations are setting up shop in
India.
• Many businesses market their products in high-population countries. Companies are attempting
to diversify their supply networks from China to other nations. The existence of a young
population may entice MNCs to begin manufacturing items in our country for western
consumption
How it benefits india
• Skill Development: Exposure and involvement with the outside world boost migrants’ knowledge
and abilities. MNC investment and culture will also improve the efficiency and productivity of

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Indian personnel.
• Economic Remittances: Migrants’ economic well-being offers insurance against risks to households
in their home countries, increasing consumer spending and investment in health, education, and
asset development.
• Social Remittances: Migrants’ social life improves when they learn about new cultures, customs,
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and languages, which fosters brotherhood and greater equality and tolerance. Intermixing persons
can aid in the elimination of prejudices and stereotypes.
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Challenges associated with the demographic dividend in India

• Lack of skills: Because of the rising number of new areas and possibilities, skilling and reskilling
are essential in today’s world. Because of a poor human capital foundation and a less trained
labour population, India may be unable to capitalize on the potential. Because of the country’s
weak education system, government programmes such as Skill India achieved nothing to remedy
the issue.
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• Poor performance in human development parameters: India ranks 130th out of 189 nations in
the UN Development Programme’s Human Development Index (UNDP). Improving health and
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education is critical for India to capitalise on its demographic dividend.

• Informal economy dominance: The informal economy employs the majority of India’s workforce.
This is a barrier to India’s economic progress since the workforce does not receive the government’s
planned advantages. Other informal economy difficulties include labour abuse, black money,
money laundering, and other illicit activities.
• Jobless growth: Because of the present tendency of isolationism in the global economy, the advent
of the fourth industrial revolution, and rapid technical advancement, there is a rising worry
about the Indian economy’s jobless growth. According to the NSSO Periodic Labour Force Survey
2017-18, the labour force participation rate in India for the age range 15-59 years is around 53%.
This indicates that around half of the working-age population is jobless.

3. Examine the phenomena of refugee migration, with specific emphasis on impact on culture.
Approach:
• Define refugees with examples. Quote the data on refugee
• State the impact of refugee migration with emphasis on cultural dimension
• Conclude with some measures to tackle refugee crisis
Hints: Sociology [3]
Hints:
Refugees are people outside their countries of origin who are in need of international protection
because of a serious threat to their life, physical integrity or freedom in their country of origin as a
result of persecution, armed conflict, violence or serious public disorder.
For example, Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, people fleeing from conflict in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan,
Ukraine etc
Impact of Refugee migration:
As per United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, there are 27.1 million refugees across the
world. Low- and middle-income countries host 83% of the world’s refugees. The refugee migration
affects various dimensions of the host country.
Economic impact:
• Refugees influx cause economic competition over scarce resources, competition over jobs and
public goods
• It increases financial responsibility of the host state.
• Decreases the wage level and replace the native people as workers as refugees make the labour
available at lower rates

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Political Impact:
• To avail the benefits of various schemes, refugees procure illegal national identity cards such as
voter id etc
OR
• Refugees’ prior exposure to violence may increase their likelihood to perpetrate future violence.
• The relative social and economic deprivation from opportunities may increase propensity to engage
in criminal activities and terrorism
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Social Impact:
• Refugee crisis increases the social tensions within the society. Increase in diversity in a population
will lead inhabitants to withdraw from collective life
• Community trust may be threatened by higher diversity within the community leading to distrust,
anxiety and resentment.
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• Refugees might create an identity crisis with the indigenous people. For example, the refugees
from Bangladesh currently in Assam and Arunachal, threatens to overtake the indigenous
population of the region.
• The indigenous population fear of being reduced to minority in their own homeland along with
the threat to their unique culture and language. The instances of inter-marriages and cultural
homogenization only worsen their fear
Ecological Impact:
• Refugees’ presence burdens the ecology and infrastructure of the host nations. For instance, the
stress on water, land and other natural resources
Refugee crisis is a shared responsibility and needs a more coordinated approach. States must have
fair domestic procedures to assess refugee claims and must guarantee fundamental rights and access
to services, such as education and healthcare, to refugees. Governments must refrain from engaging
in xenophobia themselves, for example by implying or directly claiming refugees to blame for economic
and social problems, to promote the trust among the communities
4. Examine the impact of high maternal and infant mortality rate among tribals on
population dynamics of the Indian society.
Approach:
• Introduced by defining India as a pluralistic society. Give some

[4] Hints: Sociology

• facts about the infant mortality rate in India.
• the factor that contributes to high IMRs in tribal populations
• Discuss the impact of high IMRS on the tribal population.
Hints:
Indian society is a pluralistic society with a complex social order characterised by a multitude of
ethnic, linguistic, religious and caste divisions. In India the tribal constituting 8.6 percent of the total
population with ninety percent of them living in rural areas.
India’s infant mortality rate (IMR):
• It was 57 per 1,000 live births in 2006 and was 33 in 2017, has decreased by 42% in the last 11
years, according to the government data from the Sample Registration System.
• India’s IMR in 2017 was higher than the 29.4 global average despite the decline.
• India’s IMR is greater than most South Asian nations and comparable to Senegal in West Africa.
• There was a very high newborn mortality rate, per tribal infant mortality rates.
• Over half of the tribes in the central and eastern Indian region were rated as extremely poor in

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a study based on the 55th wave of NSS data.
Why are IMRs higher in tribal societies?
• The increased number of poor tribes is one of the major causes of undernutrition and, as a result,
higher child mortality.
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• Scheduled Tribes face a critical situation when it comes to fully immunizing their children.
Children from lower-income families outlive their wealthy peers.
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• The Indian Census provides useful information about the country’s population and sub-groups,
including India’s Scheduled Tribes.
• Rural tribes had higher IMRs than urban tribes, implying that they are poorer and have less
access to healthcare.
• The region lags behind in terms of both poor health outcomes and the effectiveness of government
programs aimed at improving children’s health, as evidenced by its high IMR.
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• Immunization programmes are either unavailable or inaccessible in rural areas, or they are avoided
by locals due to ignorance, superstition, or plain old indifference. As a result, the deaths caused
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by these diseases can be avoided.

• In India, the vast majority of tribes still lack access to modern birthing facilities. The likelihood of
a baby dying as a result rises.
• The tribes and non-tribes of the region have marked differences on many socioeconomic,
demographic and health dimensions. The study reflects the disadvantageous position of tribes in
terms of their residence, wealth, education, antenatal care and other service utilization like
institutional delivery and delivery by a trained birth attendant/Dai which sometimes makes
their children more susceptible to the risk of infant death.
Impacts of IMRs among tribals in India:
• The WHO recommends classifying newborns weighing less than 2500 grammes as “high-risk
babies” and providing them with specialised care.
• Antenatal care is the most commonly overlooked pregnancy-related service. An anaemic mother
is unlikely to have a healthy child. Prenatal care and sanitary conditions are not always
guaranteed, particularly in rural areas.
• Tuberculosis, measles, diphtheria, pertussis, and polio are common childhood infections;
tuberculosis also contributes significantly to post-natal and child mortality.

Hints: Sociology [5]

• Dehydration kills 60-70% of the estimated 1.5 million children under the age of five who die of
diarrhea each year.
• Children who are undernourished are also more prone to getting diarrhoea and other life-
threatening illnesses, increasing their risk of passing away while still young.
• In addition to causing parents mental grief, high infant and child death rates also lead to high
fertility rates, which creates population problems since couples are more concerned with the
number of children who survive than the number of children born. The care of these youngsters
puts a heavy burden on the nation’s limited resources because they die before they can contribute
to its well-being. It should be noted that a nation’s infant mortality rate is considered a key sign
of its socioeconomic standing and standard of living.

5. Examine the consequences of population overgrowth through sociological perspective.

Do you agree with the contention that population control is the key to social stability?
Approach:
• Brief Introduction
• Sociological perspectives on Population

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• Models of Population growth
• Reason of Population Explosion in India:
OR
• Why we need to control population
• Population as Asset
Hints:
In recent years, a vocal segment of the political class has called for a “population control” law. The
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argument advanced by its supporters is straightforward: India is undergoing a population surge.

This strains economic resources and adds to the disintegration of the social compact that holds our
society together.
To analyse the phenomenon of population expansion, however, a neutral viewpoint is required. India
has the world’s second largest population, sees its people as the source of the so-called “Demographic
Dividend.”
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Sociological perspectives on Population

• Functionalism recognises that adequate population growth is necessary for every community,
but it also recognises that excessive or insufficient population increase leads to a variety of issues.
Environmental challenges are unavoidable in an industrial civilization, but severe environmental
problems are dysfunctional.
• The causes of world hunger, according to conflict theory, are not overpopulation but rather
inequalities in food distribution.
• Symbolic interactionism considers people’s attitudes and behaviours toward population (such as
contraception) and the environment. If population and environmental concerns are to be
addressed, it is important to recognise the socioeconomic influences on these attitudes.
Models of Population growth
• Malthusian Theory - According to Malthusian theory, three factors would control human
population that exceeded the earth’s carrying capacity, or how many people can live in a given
area considering the amount of available resources. He gave the idea of “positive checks” (were
famine, misery, plague and war) and “preventive checks” (preventive checks,” birth control
and celibacy) to control the population.
• Demographic Transition Theory - implies that future population increase will follow a four-
stage pattern.

[6] Hints: Sociology

 – In Stage 1, the rates of birth, death, and infant mortality are all high, and life expectancy is
short.
– Stage 2 - where birth rates increase but infant mortality and death rates decrease. Life
expectancy rises as well.
– Stage 3 - birth rates are declining, but life expectancy is rising. Death rates continue to fall.
– Stage 4 - Birth and mortality rates are low, individuals are healthier and live longer lives,
and society has reached a point of demographic stability. The population as a whole may
potentially decline.
Reason of Population Explosion in India:
• Poverty: Families in poverty tend to have more children due to low child survival rates, a persistent
preference for boys, and the fact that kids help their families out financially and emotionally.
• Illiteracy: In a similar vein, when a woman’s education level rises, she has fewer children overall.
People with poor access to health care and education are caught in a cycle of poverty that gives
birth to more and more kids.
• Infant mortality has decreased as a result of developments in medical science and technology, as

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well as the widespread use of preventative drugs.
• Increase in life expectancy: The average life expectancy of the human population has increased
dramatically as a result of improved living conditions, better cleanliness and sanitation habits,
better diet, health education, and so on.
Why we need to control Population
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• The rising population puts a pressure on our limited resources. As a result, there is a widespread
scarcity of land, employment, capital, housing, and health-care facilities. This also brings up the
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issue of nutrition, since a shortage of nutrients leads to widespread malnutrition. Sanitation and
health are jeopardised since providing healthcare to such a huge population is difficult.
• Rapid population increase has led in resource over-exploitation and environmental harm. The
degradation of the ecosystem has resulted in a series of previously unheard-of natural calamities.
It has also hastened global warming. Human actions are increasing and worsening the situation.
• The primary sector is congested, and because the manufacturing sector hasn’t grown and
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expanded sufficiently, the increasing population has not being absorbed, resulting in
unemployment.
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• India has over 25 million job applicants; yet, the country can only employ 7 million of them. This
18-million-person gap is increasing the country’s weight of unemployment and underemployment,
transforming a demographic dividend into a demographic calamity.
• As a result of unemployment and poverty, many people turn to criminal activities, resulting in a
waste of labour both in illegal operations and in controlling them.
• A large population complicates efficient administration. If not properly managed, achieving
sustainable development would become a pipe dream.
Population as Asset
• Population increase in India will result in a demographic dividend. Both the elderly and children
outweigh the working population. As a result, they can provide for these dependents.
• Dependency ratio - They can support themselves if the working population outnumbers children
and the elderly. This will reduce the level of dependency. Savings and investments will rise as
reliance falls. This will enhance productivity, which will eventually help the economy develop.
• To maintain replacement ratio - Population increase is required to retain the demographic
dividend because the current population will age in a few decades and must be replaced by
others.
Hints: Sociology [7]
• India is the world’s largest provider of trained labour. We can assure that we have educated
people in diverse areas as the world economy transitions to a knowledge economy by educating
everyone. A well-educated workforce has the potential to lead the globe and India to prosperity.
Population may be an asset or a problem depending on how we go. Aside from regulating the present
population, we must strive to keep population growth rates under control in order to reap profits
and manage resources responsibly. The National Population Policy 2000’s long-term aim is to establish
a stable population by 2045, at a level commensurate with the demands of sustainable economic
growth, social development, and environmental protection. As a result, an educated and well-managed
population may become a workforce that drives the engines of growth in the Indian economy.
6. The unholy alliance between traditional practices and cultural progression has played
havoc in Indian demography. Comment with respect to DEMARU states.
Approach:
• What is BIMARU states
• Status of BIMARU states
• Reason for Poor Performance
Hints:

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According to a recent report by the NITI Aayog titled “Healthy States, Progressive India “BIMARU”
states and Odisha are at the bottom, “BIMARU is an abbreviation made from the initial letters of the
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names of the Indian states of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. Ashish Bose
created the phrase in the mid-1980s. BIMARU sounds similar to the Hindi word “Bimar,” which
means “ill.” This was used to describe the states’ terrible demographic situation. Several studies,
notably those conducted by the United Nations, found that the performance of the BIMARU states
was pulling down India’s GDP growth rate.
Status of BIMARU states
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• literacy rates –
– According to the 2011 census, following states have literacy rates that are lower than the
national average of 74.04%: 63.8% in Bihar, 67.1% in Rajasthan, 67.6% in Jharkhand, 70.6%
in Madhya Pradesh, and 71.7% in Uttar Pradesh.
• health-care systems
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– Compared to other Indian states, BIMARU states have shorter life expectancies. In fact, it is
lower than the country’s average life expectancy, which means that these states lower the
average across the board.
• Population aspect
– Some of India’s highest fertility rates are seen in the BIMARU states. In contrast to India’s
national fertility rate of 2.5, Bihar had a total fertility rate of 3.9 in 2010, 3.5 in Uttar Pradesh,
3.2 in Madhya Pradesh, and 3.1 in Rajasthan. These states have faster population increase
than the rest of India as a result.
Reason for poor performance
• Poverty: The poor have more children since child survival is low, son preference stays strong,
and children assist poorer households in economic activities, and so support the family’s economic
as well as emotional needs.
• Illiteracy: Similarly, the number of children per woman decreases as a woman’s level of education
increases. Those with limited access to health and education are trapped in a cycle of poverty,
resulting in an increasing number of children.
• Patriarchal mind-set - In this system, women have less personal autonomy, less worth, and
consequently fewer resources available to them, as well as restricted control over the decision-
making process that affects their own lives and position.

[8] Hints: Sociology

• Cultural Values - Landholding households may choose males over daughters to protect the
land or to ensure sons inherit the land. Women are socialised in such a way, according to Urvashi
Butalia, that it becomes the greatest hindrance to their emancipation.
• Female infanticide - Patriarchal male leadership in the family and community’s backing are at
the basis of this problem; they are pressured to commit infanticide owing to the expense of
marriage, family honour, and so on.
• Male-to-female sex ratios continue to be lopsided. Female foeticide and female infanticide are
still common in India due to society’s preference for boys over daughters. In the year 1991,
Amartya Sen brought up the issue of ‘Missing women’ in India which was as low as 927
over 1000 men.
7. Examine the factors that affect the reproductive health of women in India. In this light,
also discuss the role of surrogacy laws.
Approach:
• Brief introduction of reproductive health
• Factors that affect reproductive health
• Surrogacy in India

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• Sociological understanding of surrogacy
• Surrogacy laws
• Advantages and negative so surrogacy
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Hints:
The World Health Organization defines reproductive health as “people’s ability to have a responsible,
enjoyable, and safe sex life, as well as the power to reproduce and the choice to choose if, when, and
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how frequently to do so.” The right of men and women to such health is implicit in this. However, in
the context of Indian society, it is women who have been subjected to ‘reproductive slavery’
In ‘Sleeping with Enemy,’ Nivedita Menon illustrates how patriarchy expresses itself in both the
public and private spheres through control of a woman’s sexuality. Reproductive health is part of
what Sylvia Walby refers to as “Private Patriarchy,” in which the patriarch of the home regulates
“female sexuality” through reproduction, limitation, and temperance.
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There are several socio-cultural factors that has hampered implementation of reproductive health
of women in India
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• Pollution- Purity: According to Louis Dumont, “women in Indian society were granted permanent
status of impure relative to males.” Leela Dubey’s research on ‘Seed and Soil’ validates this.
According to her research, “women repay Pitra-rin (debt to ancestors) by producing more and
more sons.”
• Hindu Marriage Ideology- India has an estimated 85% Hindu population. Weddings solemnised
for ‘pleasure’ (Rati) are regarded to be ‘asura vivah,’ while marriages for ‘progeny (Santan) is
divine,’ according to Manu’s law. This worldview successfully prevents women from accessing
reproductive health care.
• Patriarchy also causes ‘Son Preference,’ which keeps women reproducing until sufficient numbers
are reproduced. This societal phenomenon is confirmed by Madhu Kishwar’s research on
‘Patriarchy in South Asia.’
• Public Health Systems- Radhika Chopra openly accuse the Indian State of being “Patriarchal,”
which is why its reproductive health policy requires prior approval from males in the home for
any “reproductive health care.”
• Caste - women from lower castes were more liberated than women from higher castes. However,
as a result of the Sanskritisation process, lower castes now efficiently govern a woman’s sexuality
by emulating higher caste in the pretext of ‘Honor.’

Hints: Sociology [9]

Surrogacy in India
Surrogacy is defined as a legally binding agreement between a woman (the surrogate) and a couple
experiencing infertility. This practise is commonly associated with the words “surrogate” and “rent-
a-womb.” Once the surrogate agrees to carry and deliver the kid for them, the couple becomes the
legal guardians of the child. When the baby is delivered, the surrogate is paid.
Surrogacy has become actively advertised in India, making it a lucrative industry for many. The
intensive commercialization of surrogacy has resulted in the widespread legal and illegal creation of
thousands of reproductive clinics around the country. Anand district in Gujarat has gained the label
of “baby factory” for being the top birthplace.
Gujarati women who chose surrogacy do so to help their families financially. This substantial
commercialization produced a $2.3 billion sector, according to CII data. Furthermore, according to
ICMR data, around 2000 children are born through commercial surrogacy each year.
Sociological understanding of Surrogacy
• A case study also demonstrates that some surrogates’ spouses and children detach themselves
from them after the child is born. To avoid social embarrassment, the entire family would
sometimes cut off communication with the extended family.
• According to a prominent feminist, Debra Satz, commercial surrogacy fosters the idea that women

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are “baby factories” and thus should not be put up for sale.
• Surrogacy reflects a patriarchy in society because it aims to further the patriarchal line of ancestry,
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inheritance, and power stemming from the genetic or biological tie with the intending father.
• Using a woman as a surrogate for another person’s child is exploitation of a woman’s reproductive
organs or labour as a commercial good. Surrogacy considers a woman’s reproductive abilities as
an inanimate object ready for purchase.”
What is the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021?
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• If a couple, defined as a lawfully married woman and man, or a woman who is a widow or
divorcee between the ages of 35 and 45, has a medical condition that requires it, they may opt to
utilise a surrogate.
• The law only allows altruistic surrogacy, in which no money is exchanged and the surrogate
mother is genetically linked to those seeking a child, and it criminalises commercial surrogacy,
which is punishable by up to a 10-year prison sentence and a fine of up to Rs. 10 lakhs.
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Advantages of commercial surrogacy

• According to these surrogacy proverbs, the arrangement benefits both parties: “The barren gets
a kid, the broke gets a bonus.” There are several stories from women around the country who
claim that surrogacy has allowed them to provide for their families, clear debts, and make a life.
Kumari (2012)
• From the standpoint of a liberal feminist, commercial surrogacy emphasises women’s autonomy
and sovereignty over their own bodies. It says that a woman should be free to utilise her body in
whichever way she sees fit. If commercial surrogacy is forbidden, women’s reproductive rights
and democracy will be undermined. Surrogacy and its regulation are supported by liberal feminists
because they are aware that in the absence of legislation, surrogacy usually takes an exploitative
turn.
• On the other side, many couples have been able to start a new family and are grateful for
services such as surrogacy that have made this possible.
Negatives of Surrogacy
• Most women have difficulty comprehending and executing surrogacy contracts since they are
often written in English or are not effectively communicated to potential parents.
• Furthermore, many women do not receive financial support in the case of a miscarriage. To get
rid of the “less-viable foetuses,” some couples utilise multiple surrogates and miscarriage drugs.

[10] Hints: Sociology

• Manasi Mishra, director of the Centre for Social Research, claims in her surrogacy research that
“the pregnancy is sacrosanct, the mother is not.” She believes that the risks that women face in
order to become surrogates usually outweigh the financial benefits.
• These women receive no emotional support and are not told of the hazards involved with the
procedure.

8. Examine the paradox of low sex ratio at birth and improving sex ratio as revealed by the
NFHS 5.
Approach:
• Basic information regarding Sex-Ratio
• Various factors related to low sex ratio at birth
• Measures to improve Child Sex ratio
Hints:
For the first time between 2019 and 21 in India, there were 1,020 adult women for every 1,000 men.
The findings should not be used to question India’s current sex ratio at birth (SRB), which is
disproportionately male-biased compared to the natural SRB. According to the National Family Health

RE
Survey (NFHS-5) 2019-21 research, the sex ratio at birth is 929 girls to boys, demonstrating a harmful
preference for male offspring over female children at birth. The “sex ratio at birth” refers to the
percentage of girls and boys born per 1,000. The uneven sex ratio in India is the outcome of
socioeconomic inequality between men and women at birth.
Various factors related to low sex ratio at birth are-
O
• Families with land may prefer sons over daughters in order to preserve the land or ensure that
males inherit the land. In rural India, a research by Arokiasamy and Goli (2012) discovered a
SC

positive correlation between the size of a landholding and the child sex ratio, with land ownership
being linked to having more boys than girls.
• Female infanticide and foeticide - This issue is caused by patriarchal male leadership in the
family and community, who are under pressure to commit infanticide because of the expense of
marriage, upholding family honour, etc. Abortion has less social stigmas, feelings of shame, etc.
than infanticide.
S

• Misuse of contemporary sex discrimination methods to uphold societal norms. Even the
companies offering these services broke the law and assisted in the extermination of girls.
G

• Economic problem: The female kid and mother are treated differently in the home because of
their lower economic worth. As stated by Behrman A person’s economic value is increased
through employment and good wages, but tragically, women are underrepresented in both areas.
• Dowry and marriage - According to B.D. Miller (1981), the systematic neglect of female children
in north and northwest India can be partially attributed to the greater price of marriage in this
area compared to south India. Additionally, in a patriarchal society, a woman’s birth family
does not partake in her earnings.
• Prejudice after birth - a number of publications claim that female children face discrimination
in nearly every area, including food, health, and education.
• Food and resources - According to J.C. Cadwell, when there is a food scarcity, negative socio-
cultural norms work against women and girls, which has an effect on their health, nutrition,
and mortality. Additionally, socio-cultural attitudes sometimes restrict women from consuming
nourishing non-vegetarian cuisine, which contributes to their nutritional deficiencies.
• Patriarchal mentality - In this system, women have less personal liberty, less value, and therefore
fewer resources available to them. They also have less control over the decision-making that
affects their own lives and position.

Hints: Sociology [11]

• Sex ratios and caste status have historically been linked, female infanticide was a recognised
practise among the upper castes, which were more prosperous economically. They decided to
abort them at birth rather than suffer dishonour and risk having their socioeconomic standing
lowered because they were unwilling to marry girls from lower social classes in order to maintain
their better status.
• Extremely high sex ratios predominate in the wealthier states, cities, classes, and castes across
the nation, which is a startling pattern identified by experts. The richest states and cities in
India, such as Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, and Chandigarh, have the highest SRBs. This refutes
the notion of “prosperity optimism,” which maintains that wealthy people wouldn’t treat their
kids differently based on their gender.
Measures to improve Child Sex ratio
• Beti Beti Bachao Padhao Scheme: This programme was introduced in 2015 in an effort to remedy
the declining sex ratio.
• To improve the sex ratio by preventing sex discrimination through the implementation of the
PCPNDT Act and the prosecution of quacks who perform unlawful abortions.
• Early breastfeeding start and raising knowledge of breastfeeding help minimise infant mortality.

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• Education - Ravinder Kaur and colleagues argue that education and class have a substantial
role in determining SRB. They come to the conclusion that women’s education levels can promote
women’s empowerment, boost educated decision-making, and combat the bias against choosing
women over men.
OR
• Sharing in public the experiences of female role models who enhance society rather than
being perceived as a burden
9. India has moved from brain drain to brain gain. Comment.
SC

Approach:
• Explain brain drain and the severity of problem through statistics
• State reasons of brain drain in brief
• Quote statistics on brain gain and state the reasons for the gain
GS

• Conclude
Hints:
India continues to generate educated manpower which it is not always able to absorb. This has
resulted in professionals leaving the country for better career opportunities abroad leading to the
issue of “brain drain,” which hindered national development.
As many as 12% scientists and 38% doctors in the US are Indians, and in NASA, 36% or almost 4
out of 10 scientists are Indians.
Brain drain in India has undergone several stages and has affected different groups in Indian society.
Even as a colony of the British, India had seen numbers of its upper classes and rich members of
society leaving for the UK for higher studies in professions such as medicine, law and applied sciences.
Factors leading to brain drain:
There are push and pull factors which results in brain drain. Push factors are poor educational
infrastructure, lower social mobility, lack of career opportunities etc.
Pull factors include better standard of living, economic opportunities, higher social mobility, quality
education and life chances etc.
India’s transition from brain drain to brain gain:
Brain gain primarily denotes harnessing the technical, economic, and social capital of overseas Indians
for India’s development

[12] Hints: Sociology

As per the Ministry of Science and Technology, over 1,000 Indian scientists working abroad have
returned to India in the last two-three years. This hints towards brain gain. There are various reasons
for this transition:
• Change in domestic policy- Prime Minister advocated for India to embrace its diaspora with
pride instead of thinking of diaspora members as less Indian. Initiatives like Pravasi Bharatiya
Diwas, Padma Bhushan to Google CEO Sundar Pichai, reflects the same
• Growth in India infrastructure and tech-driven work. Emergence of Bangalore, Mumbai as IT
hub has improved job prospects for highly educated Indians
• The brain gain is said to be started in the 1990s, when India opened its economy. The establishment
of world class institutes made it gained momentum in recent years
• Saturation of global markets and protectionist policies of varies countries. For example, American
first instance of USA and stricter Visa norms
• Personal reasons, isolation, prejudices in foreign land and alienation are some other causes of
return
India still has a long way to go. It needs systematic changes to build an overall environment that
would be beneficial for various talents to stay in the country. The government should come up with

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more outreach initiatives to let scholars and researchers know that India is no longer what it used to
be when they left the country
10. The projections for demographic growth in India reveal an urgent need to address the
concerns of the geriatric population. Suggest suitable measures.
Approach:
O
• Describe geriatrics and its sociological implications.
• Highlight the projections of demographic growth in India and what it reveals about the geriatric
SC

population.
• Put some light on the concerns of the geriatric population.
• Suggest some measures.
Hints:
S

The study of aging is known as gerontology. Ageing is defined as accumulation of changes in

personality. Changes can be chronological, biological, social and psychological.
Our focus here is on the social aspect of aging and its implications. Social aging refers to changes in
G

a person’s roles and relationships, both within their networks of relatives and friends and in formal
organizations such as the workplace and houses of worship. Although social aging can differ from
one individual to another, it is also profoundly influenced by the perception of aging that is part of a
society’s culture.
Currently in India the status of elderly population is like;
1. 104 million population of elderly.
2. 8.5% of the total population.
3. 71% of them live in rural areas.
Projections of demographic growth in India:
By 2050:
a) 80% of the world’s elderly population will be in developing countries.
b) India’s total population will increase by 55%.
c) The sixty and above population will be 326% higher in same time period in India.
d) The eighty and above population will be 700% higher in India.

Hints: Sociology [13]

The Indian elderly population will become the fastest growing demographic category, in this context
it is important to assess the concerns and issues of the aging population.
Concerns of Aging population:
• Physical problems: Loss of productive capacity, decline of physical vigor, the loss of cells and
functions and the growing susceptibility to disease in organs.
• Psychological problems: There is a change in cognitive capacity and self image and often self-
image tends to be rather negative.
• Emotional problems: Isolation, loss of status, loss of spouse etc. In every sphere of life, as the
individual becomes old, his/her/capacity to adjust himself/herself to the society declines.
• Material problems: Loss of income, lack of adequate social security.
• Ageism i.e. discriminatory and stereotypical behavior with the aged
• Generation gap i.e. there is a gap in way of thinking of the younger generation and the elderly
population. Often views of older people are ignored as archaic which may hurt them.
• Feminization of aging: Women outnumber men in terms of aging. Older women suffer social
losses greatly with age. Their social life is narrowed down by loss of work associated, death of

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relatives, friends and spouse and weak health which restricts their participation in social activities.
Measures to improve the condition of elderly population:
OR
According to Zakir Hussain, a changing population structure due to aging gives rise to several
issues which needs to be addressed by policymakers.
Article 41 of the Indian Constitution enjoins the state to make effective provision of public assistance
for the benefit of the disadvantaged and weaker sections including the aged.
1. Digital empowerment of elderly to integrate them with the digital era.
SC

2. Government owned old age homes with full-fledged facilities.

3. Affordable medical health care.
4. Ensure gender rights through women’s property and inheritance rights.
5. Bring the concerns of the elderly in national debate,
GS

6. Strengthening the bond between young and elderly through multigenerational homes etc
7. Value system changing, modernization has reduced the identity of elderly to symbolic in family
which needs to change.

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[14] Hints: Sociology