Important Questions for Gender, Religion and Caste Class 10 PDF

CBSE Important Questions for Class 10 Social Science Civics Chapter 3: Important Questions from gender, Religion and caste​" explores social divisions and their impact on democracy. 

It discusses gender disparities in education, employment, and political representation, highlighting the need for gender equality. The chapter also examines religion in politics, emphasising secularism and the role of constitutional safeguards against discrimination.

Additionally, it addresses caste inequalities, their historical significance, and how democracy provides opportunities to reduce discrimination. Gender, religion and caste class 10 important questions and answers​ focus on the role of gender in politics, the impact of communalism, caste-based discrimination, and constitutional measures ensuring equality in a democratic society.

CBSE Chapter 3 Gender, Religion and Caste Class 10 Important Questions and Answers

Gender, Religion and Caste Class 10 Important Questions​ is crucial as it highlights social divisions and their impact on democracy. It emphasises gender equality and addresses discrimination in education, employment, and politics.

The chapter also explains the role of religion in politics, stressing secularism and constitutional safeguards against communalism. Additionally, it discusses caste-based inequalities and how democracy helps in reducing discrimination.

Understanding these topics is essential for promoting social justice, equality, and inclusivity in a diverse society. Important questions focus on gender representation, communalism, caste discrimination, and constitutional provisions ensuring a fair democratic system for all.

Class 10 Civics Chapter 3 Important Questions and Answers (1 mark)

1. Which of the following statements are true regarding feminist movements?

(A) Radical women’s movements aimed at equality in personal and family life.

(B) Agitations demanded enhancing the political and legal status of women and improving their

educational and career opportunities.

(C) There were agitations in different countries for the extension of voting rights to women.

(D) All of the above.

Ans. (D) All of the above.

2. In Scandinavian countries such as Sweden, Norway and ________, the participation of women in public life is very high.

(A) Finland (B) Hungary

(C) Russia (D) Latvia

Ans. (A) Finland

3. Patriarchal society means ________.

(A) A society dominated by men

(B) A society dominated by women

(C) A society where there is equality between men and women

(D) None of the above

Ans (A) A society dominated by men

4. The literacy rate among women in India is _________.

(A) 45 per cent (B) 50 per cent

(C) 60 per cent (D) 54 per cent

Ans (D) 54 per cent

5. The literacy rate among men in India is _______.

(A) 76 per cent (B) 80 per cent

(C) 66 per cent (D) 56 per cent

Ans. (A) 76 per cent

6. On average, an Indian woman works _______ more than an average man every day.

(A) Three hours

(B) Two hours

(C) One hour

(D) None of the above

Ans. (C) One hour

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

(A) 1986 (B) 1976

(C) 1966 (D) 1972

Ans. (B) 1976

8. The national average of child sex ratio (number of girl children per thousand boys) in the country as per Census 2011 was _______.

(A) 974 (B) 924

(C) 954 (D) 914

Ans. (D) 914

9. Which of the following states have a child sex ratio of less than 800?

(A) Kerala

(B) Maharashtra

(C) Karnataka

(D) None of the above

Ans. (D) None of the above

10. The percentage of elected women members in Lok Sabha had crossed 10 per cent of its total strength for the first time in _______.

(A) 1999 (B) 2004

(C) 2009 (D) 2019

11. The world average of women’s representation in national parliaments across different regions of the world is ___________.
(A) Around 19%
(B) Around 50%
(C) Around 40%
(D) Around 30%
Ans: (A) Around 19%

12. ______ region has the highest representation of women in their national parliaments.
(A) Pacific
(B) Americas
(C) Middle-east
(D) Nordic countries
Ans: (D) Nordic countries

13. Which of the following statements is true?
(A) Every social difference does not lead to social division.
(B) Social differences divide similar people from one another, but they also unite very different people.
(C) People belonging to different social groups share differences and similarities, cutting across the boundaries of their groups.
(D) All of the above.
Ans: (D) All of the above

14. ___________ of seats in local government bodies, in panchayats and municipalities, are now reserved for women.
(A) Three-fourth
(B) One-third
(C) One-fourth
(D) One-fifth
Ans: (B) One-third

15. ____________ used to say that religion can never be separated from politics. He believed that politics must be guided by ethics drawn from religion.
(A) C Rajagopalachari
(B) Sardar Patel
(C) Gandhiji
(D) Nehru
Ans: (C) Gandhiji

16. Which of the following statements are true regarding communal politics?
(A) State power is used to establish the domination of one religious group over the rest.
(B) Beliefs of one religion are presented as superior to those of other religions.
(C) Communal politics is based on the idea that religion is the principal basis of a social community.
(D) All of the above.
Ans: (D) All of the above

17. __________ are those laws that deal with family-related matters such as marriage, divorce, adoption, inheritance, etc.
(A) Family laws
(B) Religious laws
(C) Community laws
(D) State laws
Ans: (A) Family laws

Ans. (C) 2009

Section – B (2 Marks)

18. What proportion of the country’s population do the SC, ST and OBC together account for?
Sol. The SC, ST and OBC together account for about two-thirds of the country’s population.

19. Define the term ‘feminist’.
Sol. A woman or a man, who believes in equal rights and opportunities for women and men, is called a feminist.

20. Explain the term ‘feminist movements’.
Sol. Feminist Movements are radical women’s movements aiming at attaining equality for women in personal and family life and public affairs. These movements have organized and agitated to raise channels for enhancing the political and legal status of women and improving their educational and career opportunities.

21. What is a patriarchal society?
Sol. A patriarchal society is essentially male dominated. The line of descent is traced through the father. Men are valued more in terms of work they do and the place they hold in society. This gives them more power than women.

22. Why do Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes have the prefix ‘Scheduled’ in their names?
Sol. Both these broad groups include hundreds of castes or tribes whose names are listed in an official Schedule. Hence, the prefix ‘scheduled’ in their name.

26. What is communal politics?
Sol. When the demands of one religious group are formed in opposition to another and when State power is used to establish domination of one religious group over the rest, this manner of using religion in politics is called communal politics.

Section – C (3 Marks)

27. Mention any two constitutional provisions that make India a Secular State.
Sol. Two constitutional provisions that make India a Secular State are:

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

2. At the same time, the Constitution allows the State to intervene in the matters of religion in order to ensure equality within religious communities; for example, it bans untouchability.

28. Suppose a politician seeks your vote on the religious ground. Why is his act considered against the norms of democracy?
Sol. If a politician seeks votes on religious grounds, he is acting against the norms of democracy because—

1. This act of his is against the Constitution. He is exploiting social differences which may create social discard and lead to social division.

2. Religion becomes a problem when it is expressed in politics and when one religion and its followers are pitted against another.

3. When beliefs of one religion are presented as superior to those of other religions and the demands of one religious group are formed in opposition to another and the state power is used to establish the domination of one religious group over the rest, it leads to communal politics.

29. Explain the status of women’s representation in India’s legislative bodies.
Sol. The one way to ensure that women related problems get adequate attention is to have more women as elected representatives. To achieve this, it is legally binding to have a fair proportion of women in the elected bodies.

Panchayati Raj in India has reserved one-third seats in Local Government bodies for women.
In India, the proportion of women in legislature has been very low. The percentage of elected women members in Lok Sabha is not even 10 per cent and in State Assemblies less than 5 per cent. India is behind several developing countries of Africa and Latin America. Women organisations have been demanding reservations of at least one-third seats in Lok Sabha and State Assemblies for women.
And only recently, in March 2010, the women’s reservation bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha ensuring 33% reservation to women in Parliament and State Legislative bodies.

30. How does religion influence the political set up in our country? Explain.

Sol. Gandhiji said, “Religion can never be separated from politics”. By religion he did not mean any particular religion like Hinduism or Islam, but moral values and ethics drawn from religion to guide politics. Religion in politics is not as dangerous as it may seem to us. Ethical values of each religion can play a major role in politics.

According to human rights groups, most of the victims of communal riots in our country are from religious minorities. Government can take special steps to protect them. Family laws of all religions discriminate against women. The government can change laws to make them more equitable. These instances show a relationship between religion and politics. People should be able to express in politics their needs, interests and demands as members of a religious community. Thus, it is the responsibility of those whose political power is able to regulate the practice of religion, to prevent discrimination and oppression. These political acts are not wrong as long as they treat every religion equally.

Section – D (5 Marks)

31. “Gender division is not based on Biology but on social expectations and stereotypes’. Support the statement. Or Mention different aspects of life in which women are discriminated against or disadvantaged in India.

Sol. ‘Gender division is not based on Biology but on social expectations and stereotypes’:

1. Boys and girls are brought up to believe that the main responsibility of women is house work and bringing up children. There is sexual division of labour in most families where women stay at home and men work outside to play the role of breadwinners.

2. Literacy rate among women is only 54% in comparison to 76% among men. In studies, girls mostly perform better than boys, but they drop out simply because parents prefer to spend their resources on their sons’ education. A smaller proportion of girls go for higher studies.

3. On an average, a woman works more than an average man everyday. Since much of her work is not paid for, therefore often not valued. The Equal Wages Act provides for equal wages for equal work, but in almost all areas of work from sports to cinema, from factories to fields, women are comparatively paid less because of the male chauvinistic bent of mind of society.

4. Child sex-ratio (number of girl children per thousand boys) is very low. In India, the national average is 927. In some places it is even lower because parents prefer to have sons so they get girl child aborted.

5. In urban areas too, women are not respected and are unsafe even in their homes being subjected to beating, harassment and other forms of domestic violence.

6. The role of women in politics in most societies is minimal.

32. State how caste inequalities are still continuing in India.

Sol. Caste inequalities continue to persist in India for a number of reasons, including:
Economic status: The average economic status of caste groups follows an old hierarchy, with the upper castes being the best off and the Dalits and Adivasis being the worst off. Lower-caste individuals are often relegated to low-paying, unskilled jobs.
Marriage: Most people still marry within their own caste or tribe.
Untouchability: Untouchability has not ended completely, despite constitutional prohibition.
Education: Education is not easily available to the so-called "low castes".
Reservations: The provision of reservations has led to a divide of the Indian society into OBCs, SCs and STs apart from the Unreserved ones.

33. What factors have brought about a change in the Indian Caste system in modern times? Explain.

Sol. The castes and caste system in modern India have undergone great changes due to the efforts of social reformers and the socio-economic changes in India. With economic development, large scale urbanisation, growth of literacy and education, occupational mobility and weakening of the position of landlords in the villages, the old notions of caste hierarchy are breaking down. Politics too influences the caste system and caste identities by bringing them into the political arena. The Constitution of India prohibits any caste-based discrimination and has laid foundations of policies to reverse injustices of the caste system.

34. Explain the various forms that caste can take in politics.
Sol. Various forms of caste in politics:

1. When governments are formed, political parties usually take care that representatives of different castes and tribes find a place in it.

2. When parties choose candidates, they keep in mind the composition of the electorate and accordingly choose candidates from different castes so as to muster necessary support to win elections.

3. Political parties make appeals to caste sentiments to gain support. Some political parties are known to favour some castes.

4. Universal adult franchise and the principle of one-person-one-vote compelled political leaders to mobilise political support. It also brought new consciousness among people belonging to those castes which were treated as inferiors.

35. What was the Feminist Movement? Explain the political demands of the Feminist Movement in India.
Sol. Feminist Movements are radical women’s movements aiming at attaining equality for women in personal and family life and public affairs. These movements have organised and agitated to raise channels for enhancing the political and legal status of women and improving their educational and career opportunities.

Political demands of the feminist movement in India:
The one way to ensure that women related problems get adequate attention in India is to have more women as elected representatives. To achieve this, it is legally binding to have a fair proportion of women in the elected bodies. Panchayati Raj in India has reserved one-third seats in Local Government bodies for women.

In India, the proportion of women in legislature has been very low. The percentage of elected women members in Lok Sabha is not even 10 per cent and in State Assemblies less than 5 per cent. India is behind several developing countries of Africa and Latin America. Women organizations have been demanding reservations of at least one-third seats in Lok Sabha and State Assemblies for women.

And only recently, in March 2010, the women’s reservation bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha ensuring 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and State Legislative bodies.

36. What have been the consequences of the political expression of gender division in free India?
Sol. Political expression of gender division and political mobilisation has helped improve women’s role in public life all over the world including India. However, despite some improvements since Independence, ours is still a male-dominated society and women lag behind in all fields.

• Literacy rate among women is only 54 per cent as compared with 76 per cent among men.
• Proportion of women among highly paid and valuable jobs is still very small.
• Equal Wages Act provides that equal wages should be paid for equal work. However, in all areas from sports and cinema, factories to fields, women are paid less than men for the same amount of work.
• In many parts of India, parents prefer to have sons and find ways to abort the girl child before she is born.

37. Explain the factors that have led to the weakening of the caste system in India.
Sol. Reasons which have contributed to changes in caste system:

1. Efforts of political leaders and social reformers like Gandhiji, B.R. Ambedkar who advocated and worked to establish a society in which caste inequalities are absent.

2. Socio-economic changes such as:
   • urbanisation
   • growth of literacy and education
   • occupational mobility
   • weakening of landlord’s position in the village
   • breaking down of caste hierarchy have greatly contributed.

3. The Constitution of India prohibited any caste-based discrimination and laid the foundations of policies to reverse the injustices of the caste system.

4. Provision of fundamental rights has played a major role because these rights are provided to all citizens without any discrimination.

Section – E (4 Marks)

38. Case Study:
Secularism is a foundational principle of the Indian Constitution, emphasising the separation of religion and state. In India, this concept ensures that the government remains impartial and does not favor any particular religion, safeguarding the freedom of religious belief and practice for all citizens.

Secularism in India has played a pivotal role in preserving its diverse cultural, religious, and linguistic heritage. It promotes tolerance and mutual respect among various religious communities, allowing them to coexist harmoniously.

However, maintaining a secular state in a nation as religiously diverse as India is not without challenges. Instances of religious tension and intolerance have periodically arisen, testing the commitment to secularism. Nonetheless, India’s secularism remains a guiding principle, fostering unity in diversity and ensuring that the nation continues to celebrate its rich tapestry of faiths and beliefs. It stands as a testament to the nation’s commitment to democratic ideals and religious freedom.

(i) What do you understand by the term communal politics?
Sol. Communal politics is based on the idea that religion is the principal basis of social community. Communalism involves thinking along the following lines:

• The followers of a particular religion must belong to one community.

• Their fundamental interests are the same.

• Any differences among them are irrelevant or trivial for community life.

(ii) How does the Constitution of India follow secularism?
Sol.

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

• It prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion.

• It allows the state to intervene in matters of religion to ensure equality within communities. For example, it bans untouchability.

(iii) What is the state religion of India?
Sol. India does not have any state religion. It follows the principle of secularism.

CBSE Important Questions for Class 10 Social Science Civics Chapter 3 PDF

Chapter 3 of Class 10 Civics, "Gender, Religion, and Caste," explores key social divisions and their impact on democracy. It highlights gender inequality, the role of religion in politics, and caste-based discrimination, emphasising the importance of secularism and equality.

Understanding these concepts is essential for a just society. Below, we have provided a PDF containing important questions to help students prepare effectively for exams.

CBSE Important Questions for Class 10 Social Science Civics Chapter 3 PDF