NCERT Democratic Politics-II | Chapter 3: Gender, Religion and Caste — End-of-Chapter Exercises
Key Terms for Gender Religion and Caste — Revision
Feminist
A person who believes in equal rights and opportunities for women and men in all spheres of life.
Communalism
The belief that religion forms the principal basis of social community, and that followers of one faith share common political interests opposed to those of other faiths.
Secularism
The principle that the state does not establish any one religion as its official faith, treats all religions equally, and allows freedom of belief to all citizens.
Caste Hierarchy
The traditional social ranking in which people of various castes are placed in an unequal order from highest to lowest, often determining access to education, wealth, and power.
Patriarchy
A system of social organisation in which men hold dominant power in political leadership, moral authority, and household decision-making.
Occupational Mobility
The freedom to change one's occupation regardless of the caste or community into which one was born — a key marker of weakening caste rigidity in modern India.
NCERT Exercises for Gender Religion and Caste Chapter 3
1
Mention different aspects of life in which women are discriminated or disadvantaged in India.
L3 Apply
Answer: Women in India face discrimination across multiple dimensions of life:
(i) Education: The literacy rate among women is considerably lower than that of men. Parents in many families still prefer to invest in boys' education over girls'.
(ii) Economic participation: Although women carry a large share of domestic and farm labour, much of their work is unpaid and undervalued. Women receive unequal wages compared to men for similar work.
(iii) Political representation: Women's presence in legislatures remains very low — barely around 15 per cent in the Lok Sabha and less than 5 per cent in most state assemblies — despite forming roughly half the population.
(iv) Social practices: Practices like dowry, child marriage, and sex-selective abortions persist in many regions, reflected in the declining child sex ratio.
(v) Family life: Many families prefer male children. Women often have less autonomy in household decisions, and domestic violence remains widespread.
2
State different forms of communal politics with one example each.
L3 Apply
Answer: Communal politics takes several forms:
(i) Everyday beliefs involving religious stereotypes: The most common form is the belief that one's own religion is superior to others, and the characterisation of other religions negatively. Example: Routine prejudice against followers of another faith in social interactions.
(ii) Desire to form a political majority based on religion: This involves quest for political dominance by the religious majority. Example: Majoritarianism in Sri Lanka, where the Sinhala-Buddhist majority imposed its language and religion on Tamil minorities.
(iii) Political mobilisation along religious lines: Sacred symbols, religious leaders, and emotional appeals are used to bring the followers of one religion together in a political arena. Example: Use of religious processions and slogans during election campaigns to consolidate a particular religious community's votes.
(iv) Communal violence and riots: The most ugly expression of communalism occurs when it takes the form of violence, rioting, and massacre. Example: India has seen several instances of communal riots involving destruction of life and property.
3
State how caste inequalities are still continuing in India.
L4 Analyse
Answer: Despite constitutional provisions and legal reforms, caste inequalities persist in several ways:
(i) Marriage patterns: Most Indians still marry within their own caste. Inter-caste marriages remain the exception rather than the norm, showing that caste identities remain deeply rooted in social life.
(ii) Economic disparities: The so-called upper castes tend to be wealthier, better educated, and concentrated in professional occupations. Lower castes, Dalits, and Adivasis disproportionately belong to the landless agricultural labour and poor urban workforce.
(iii) Educational gaps: Access to quality education continues to vary sharply by caste. Literacy and school completion rates among Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes lag behind other communities.
(iv) Untouchability practices: Although banned by the Constitution, practices rooted in untouchability (such as denial of access to common water sources, temples, or social gatherings) continue in parts of rural India.
(v) Discrimination in urban settings: Caste-based discrimination in housing, employment, and social interactions is reported in cities as well, though it may take subtler forms.
4
State two reasons to say that caste alone cannot determine election results in India.
L4 Analyse
Answer:
(i) No single caste commands a majority: No parliamentary constituency in the country has a clear majority of one single caste. Every candidate must win the trust of voters from multiple castes and communities. This means caste alone cannot guarantee electoral victory — broader appeal is essential.
(ii) Ruling parties and sitting members frequently lose: If caste alignments were the sole deciding factor, incumbents backed by dominant castes would always win. In reality, ruling parties and sitting MPs or MLAs frequently lose elections because voters weigh many factors — the government's performance, the candidate's popularity, local development issues, and party loyalty — alongside caste identity.
5
What is the status of women's representation in India's legislative bodies?
L3 Apply
Answer: Women's representation in India's legislative bodies remains far below their share of the population:
(i) Lok Sabha: The percentage of women members has historically been very low. Even with gradual improvement, it reached only about 15 per cent in the 2024 Lok Sabha — far short of the 50 per cent that would reflect the population share.
(ii) State assemblies: The situation is often worse at the state level, where women's representation in most state legislative assemblies has been less than 5 per cent.
(iii) Panchayati Raj: The one bright spot is local governance. One-third of seats in panchayats and municipalities are reserved for women under constitutional amendment. This has brought over ten lakh (one million) women into elected office at the grassroots level.
(iv) Demand for reservation: Women's organisations and various political leaders have long demanded that one-third of seats in Parliament and state legislatures also be reserved for women through the Women's Reservation Bill. India's Parliament passed this bill in 2023, though its full implementation is linked to the next delimitation exercise.
6
Mention any two constitutional provisions that make India a secular state.
L3 Apply
Answer:
(i) No official state religion: The Indian Constitution does not give special status to any religion. Unlike countries such as Pakistan or England that have an official state religion, India treats all faiths equally in the eyes of the law.
(ii) Freedom of religion: The Constitution guarantees every individual the fundamental right to profess, practise, and propagate the religion of their choice (Articles 25–28). At the same time, the state is empowered to intervene in religious matters to ensure equality within religious communities — for instance, banning untouchability or allowing entry of all castes into temples.
7
When we speak of gender divisions, we usually refer to:
L3 Apply
(a) Biological difference between men and women
(b) Unequal roles assigned by the society to men and women
(c) Unequal child sex ratio
(d) Absence of voting rights for women in democracies
Answer: (b) Unequal roles assigned by the society to men and women
Gender division refers to the social construction of different roles and expectations for men and women — not the biological difference between them. It is the society that assigns unequal domestic, economic, and public roles to men and women, creating a gender hierarchy.
8
In India seats are reserved for women in
L3 Apply
(a) Lok Sabha
(b) State legislative assemblies
(c) Cabinets
(d) Panchayati Raj bodies
Answer: (d) Panchayati Raj bodies
Under the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments, one-third of seats in panchayats and municipalities are reserved for women. At the time the textbook was written, no such reservation existed for the Lok Sabha, state assemblies, or cabinets.
9
Consider the following statements on the meaning of communal politics. Communal politics is based on the belief that:
L4 Analyse
A. One religion is superior to that of others.
B. People belonging to different religions can live together happily as equal citizens.
C. Followers of a particular religion constitute one community.
D. State power cannot be used to establish the domination of one religious group over others.
Which of the statements are correct?
(a) A, B, C, and D
(b) A, B, and D
(c) A and C
(d) B and D
Answer: (c) A and C
Communal politics rests on two core beliefs: (A) that one religion is superior to others, and (C) that followers of a particular religion form a single community with shared interests. Statements B and D are actually the opposite of communal thinking — they describe secular and democratic principles. A communalist would reject pluralism (B) and would seek to use state power for religious dominance, contradicting (D).
10
Which among the following statements about India's Constitution is wrong?
L4 Analyse
(a) It prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion.
(b) It gives official status to one religion.
(c) It provides to all individuals freedom to profess any religion.
(d) It ensures equality of citizens within religious communities.
Answer: (b) It gives official status to one religion.
This statement is wrong. India's Constitution deliberately does not give official status to any religion — this is a cornerstone of Indian secularism. All the other statements are correct: the Constitution prohibits religious discrimination (a), guarantees freedom of faith (c), and empowers the state to ensure equality within religious communities (d), for example by banning untouchability within Hinduism.
11
Social divisions based on _________ are peculiar to India.
L3 Apply
Answer: Caste
While divisions based on religion, language, ethnicity, and race exist in many countries, the caste system — with its hereditary social hierarchy and associated practices like endogamy and occupation-based ranking — is a social division distinctly associated with the Indian subcontinent.
12
Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the Lists:
L3 Apply
List I
List II
1.
A person who believes in equal rights and opportunities for women and men
A. Communalist
2.
A person who says that religion is the principal basis of community
B. Feminist
3.
A person who thinks that caste is the principal basis of community
C. Secularist
4.
A person who does not discriminate others on the basis of religious beliefs
D. Castiest
(a) B, C, A, D
(b) B, A, D, C
(c) D, C, A, B
(d) C, A, B, D
Answer: (b) B, A, D, C
1 → B (Feminist): A person advocating equal rights and opportunities for men and women. 2 → A (Communalist): A person who treats religion as the principal basis of community and political identity. 3 → D (Castiest): A person who regards caste as the primary basis of social community. 4 → C (Secularist): A person who does not discriminate against others on the basis of religion.
📚 Competency-Based Questions — Revision Practice
Study the data below and answer the question that follows.
L4 Analyse
Data
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, about 9 per cent of the winning candidates were women. In 2024, the share of women MPs rose to approximately 14 per cent. In contrast, over one-third of elected representatives in panchayats across India are women.
Why is there such a wide gap between women's representation in Parliament and in panchayats?
Answer: The gap exists primarily because there is a constitutional reservation of one-third of seats for women in panchayats and municipalities (73rd and 74th Amendments), whereas no such mandatory reservation applies to Lok Sabha or state legislatures. Without reservation, political parties nominate very few women candidates due to patriarchal attitudes, high campaign costs, and the belief that women candidates are less likely to win. The panchayat reservation demonstrates that when structural barriers are removed through policy, women's political participation rises sharply.
Read the statement and answer the question.
L5 Evaluate
Statement
"Caste has entered politics and politics has entered caste." Both sides of this relationship need to be understood.
Evaluate this statement with two arguments for each side.
Answer:
Caste entering politics: (1) Political parties choose candidates based on caste composition of constituencies to maximise votes. (2) Voters often show loyalty to candidates from their own caste community, leading to the concept of caste-based vote banks.
Politics entering caste: (1) Democratic politics has brought new awareness among lower castes, encouraging them to organise and demand equal access to power, education, and employment. (2) Political competition compels each caste group to form coalitions with other castes, thereby breaking isolation and creating cross-caste dialogue — which gradually weakens the old hierarchical rigidity.
A group of students is debating: "Secularism means that the government should keep completely away from religion." One student disagrees. Who is correct?
L5 Evaluate
Answer: The disagreeing student is correct. Indian secularism does not demand total separation of state and religion. Instead, the Indian model allows the state to intervene in religious matters to protect the rights of individuals — for example, by banning untouchability (a practice within Hindu society) or by reforming personal laws to ensure gender equality. The state does not favour any religion, but it is constitutionally empowered to step in when religious practices violate fundamental rights. This is different from the Western model of secularism, which emphasises complete non-interference.
Design a public awareness campaign that addresses one form of gender discrimination in India. Outline its key message, target audience, and two specific activities.
L6 Create
Sample Answer:
Focus: Declining child sex ratio and sex-selective practices. Key message: "Every girl deserves to be born and to thrive — a balanced sex ratio strengthens families and communities." Target audience: Families in districts with the lowest child sex ratios, especially expecting parents and community elders.
Activity 1 — Community Health Worker Engagement: Train ASHA workers to conduct door-to-door visits with informational pamphlets explaining the legal penalties for sex-determination tests and sharing success stories of families that celebrate daughters.
Activity 2 — School Essay Competition: Organise essay and poster-making competitions in government schools on "Why daughters matter," with prizes and public display of the best entries to build community pride.
(Note: This is a creative question — any well-reasoned campaign addressing a genuine form of gender discrimination would earn full marks.)
⚖ Assertion-Reason Questions
Assertion (A): Communalism can take many forms in politics — from everyday prejudice to communal riots. Reason (R): Communal politics is based on the idea that religion determines social and political community.
(A) Both A and R are true, and R correctly explains A
(B) Both A and R are true, but R does not correctly explain A
(C) A is true but R is false
(D) A is false but R is true
Answer: (A) — Both statements are true and the reason correctly explains the assertion. It is precisely because communalism treats religion as the basis of political community that it can manifest in various forms — from everyday stereotyping to vote-bank mobilisation to violent riots.
Assertion (A): The system of reserved constituencies has helped Dalits and OBCs gain better access to political power. Reason (R): No single caste group has a clear majority in any parliamentary constituency in India.
(A) Both A and R are true, and R correctly explains A
(B) Both A and R are true, but R does not correctly explain A
(C) A is true but R is false
(D) A is false but R is true
Answer: (B) — Both statements are true. Reserved constituencies have indeed helped Dalits and OBCs access political power (A is true). It is also true that no single caste holds a majority in any constituency (R is true). However, the reason does not correctly explain the assertion — reservation helps these groups by guaranteeing them seats, not because of the absence of a caste majority. The lack of a single-caste majority is a separate fact about why caste alone cannot decide elections.
Assertion (A): The Indian Constitution allows the state to intervene in matters of religion. Reason (R): Indian secularism is based on complete separation of religion and the state, as in the Western model.
(A) Both A and R are true, and R correctly explains A
(B) Both A and R are true, but R does not correctly explain A
(C) A is true but R is false
(D) A is false but R is true
Answer: (C) — The assertion is true: the Indian Constitution permits state intervention in religious practices to ensure fundamental rights (for instance, abolishing untouchability or regulating temple entry). However, the reason is false: Indian secularism does not follow the Western model of strict separation. Instead, Indian secularism allows principled distance — the state may engage with religion to reform discriminatory practices while maintaining equal treatment of all faiths.
Review All Parts — Chapter 3: Gender, Religion and Caste
What are important questions for Gender Religion and Caste Class 10?
Important questions for Gender Religion and Caste Class 10 include explaining the sexual division of labour and its political impact, defining communalism and its forms, distinguishing between legitimate religious expression and communal politics, describing features of India as a secular state, analysing how caste influences elections, and discussing the reverse impact of politics on caste. Long-answer questions often ask students to compare different social divisions and their political consequences.
What is the meaning of secular state for Class 10 exam?
For the Class 10 exam, a secular state means a state that does not have any official religion and treats all religions equally. India's Constitution ensures secularism through freedom of religion for all, prohibition of discrimination based on religion, no state-funded religious instruction in government schools, and the government's power to intervene in religious matters for social reform. Students should remember specific constitutional articles and the concept of Indian secularism.
How do you answer long questions on Chapter 3 Civics?
To answer long questions on Chapter 3 Gender Religion and Caste, structure your response with an introduction defining the key concept, then develop your argument with specific examples from the NCERT textbook such as literacy rate data, women's representation percentages, or constitutional provisions. Use comparative analysis when asked about different forms of social division. Conclude by connecting the concept to broader democratic values and include relevant data points.
What is the difference between caste in politics and politics in caste?
Caste in politics refers to how caste identities influence political processes such as candidate selection, voting behaviour, and party formation based on caste calculations. Politics in caste is the reverse phenomenon where the democratic political process transforms caste itself by empowering lower castes, creating reservation policies, and breaking down rigid hierarchies through universal franchise. While caste in politics can reinforce divisions, politics in caste tends to weaken traditional caste discrimination.
What are CBQ questions on Gender Religion and Caste?
CBQ questions on Gender Religion and Caste present real-world scenarios, data, or case studies and ask students to apply textbook concepts. Examples include analysing election data showing women's representation trends, interpreting communal tension scenarios to identify forms of communal politics, examining census data on religious composition, or evaluating policy proposals for gender equality. Students must read the source material carefully and connect their analysis to specific NCERT concepts.
Social Science Class 10 — Democratic Politics II (Civics)
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