NCERT Solution Class 10th Social Science (Civics) Chapter- 3 Gender, Religion and Caste Notes

NCERT Solution Class 10th Social Science Civics Chapter- 3 Gender, Religion and Caste

TextbookNCERT
Class10th
SubjectSocial Science (Civics)
Chapter 3th
Chapter NameGender, Religion and Caste
CategoryClass 10th Social Science (Civics) Notes
MediumEnglish
SourceLast Doubt
These Class 10 Civics Chapter 4 Notes involve a lot of topics which are explained below in detail and all the relevant information is given inside the topic according to the latest CBSE exam pattern.

NCERT Solution Class 10th Social Science Civics Chapter – 3 Gender, Religion and Caste

Chapter- 3

Gender, Religion and Caste

Notes

Feminist – A woman or a man, who believes in equal rights and opportunities for women and men, is called a feminist.
Gender and Politics
Public and Private Division

In society, boys and girls are conditioned to believe that women’s main responsibility is housework and child-rearing. This results in a sexual division of labour within families, with women taking on domestic tasks and men working outside the home. Men are willing to do such work if it is paid, but otherwise, they consider it women’s responsibility. Despite women engaging in various paid and unpaid work, their contributions are undervalued and unrecognised. Consequently, women’s participation in public life, especially in politics, remains minimal. However, over time, women’s movements have sought equal rights and representation, pushing for changes in voting and public office eligibility.
Feminist Movements – The feminist movement refers to a series of political campaigns for reforms on issues such as reproductive rights, domestic violence, maternity leave, equal pay, women’s suffrage, sexual harassment, and sexual violence, all of which fall under the label of feminism and the feminist movement.
Patriarchal society – 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.
Communal politics – 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.
Women’s Political Representation

The political expression of gender division and political mobilisation helped to improve women’s role in public life. As India is a male-dominated, PATRIARCHAL society, women face disadvantage, discrimination and oppression in various ways:

The literacy rate among women is only 54 per cent compared with 76 per cent among men.
On average, an Indian woman works one hour more than an average man every day and yet much of her work is not paid. The Equal Remuneration Act of 1976 provides that equal wages should be paid to equal work.

In India, sex-selective abortion led to a decline in the child-sex ratio (number of girl children per thousand boys).

Urban areas are particularly unsafe for women
Religion, Communalism and Politics

Issues concerning women have often been overlooked, leading to feminists and women’s movements to advocate for women’s representation in positions of power. In India, the proportion of elected women members in the Lok Sabha reached 12 percent in 2014, while their representation in state assemblies is below 5 percent. To address women’s problems, a solution is to ensure a fair proportion of women in elected bodies. In Panchayats and Municipalities, one-third of seats are reserved for women, leading to over 10 lakh elected women representatives. This demonstrates that when social divisions, like gender, are addressed in politics, disadvantaged groups can benefit from increased attention and representation.

Communalism manifests in various ways in politics:

1. Everyday beliefs: Common expressions of communalism involve religious prejudices, stereotypes, and a belief in the superiority of one’s religion over others. These beliefs are so ingrained in society that they often go unnoticed, even by those who hold them.

2. Quest for political dominance: Communal minds may seek political dominance for their religious community. Majority communities aim for majoritarian dominance, while minority communities may desire a separate political unit.

3. Political mobilisation along religious lines: Communalism is often fueled by political mobilisation that uses sacred symbols, religious leaders, emotional appeals, and fear to unite followers of one religion in the political arena. In electoral politics, this can involve appealing to the interests or emotions of voters from a specific religion.

4. Communal violence: In its worst form, communalism leads to violence, riots, and massacres. India and Pakistan experienced severe communal riots during the Partition, and even post-independence periods have witnessed large-scale communal violence.
Caste inequalities in India – Caste has not disappeared from contemporary India and caste division is special to India. Even now most people marry within their own caste. The caste groups that had access to education under old system have done well, whereas those groups that did not have access to education have lagged behind. There is a large presence of ‘upper taste’ among the urban middle classes in our country. Caste continues to be linked to economic status as is evident from National Sample Survey. The average economic status of caste groups still follows the old hierarchy—the ‘upper’ castes are best off, the Dalits and Adivasis are worst off and the backward classes are in between. The upper castes are heavily over represented among the rich while the lower castes are under-represented. The SC, ST and OBC together account for about two-thirds of India’s population.
Status of women’s representation in India’s legislative bodies 

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. 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.
Secular State

India is a secular state, which means it does not have an official religion. Unlike Sri Lanka, where Buddhism holds a special status, Pakistan with Islam, or England with Christianity, India’s Constitution does not grant any religion a special position. The Indian Constitution ensures freedom of religion for all individuals and communities, allowing them to practice, propagate, or not follow any religion as per their choice. Moreover, the Constitution prohibits religious discrimination. However, the state can intervene in religious matters to ensure equality within religious communities, evident in the ban on practices like untouchability to promote social equality.
Politics in Caste

The process of caste politicisation in India involves various aspects:

1. Inclusion and Expansion: Caste groups attempt to increase their size and influence by incorporating neighbouring castes or sub-castes that were previously excluded from their fold. This process helps in consolidating political support and expanding their base.

2. Coalition Building: As no parliamentary constituency has a clear majority of one single caste, various caste groups are compelled to form coalitions with other castes or communities. This leads to a dialogue and negotiation among different caste groups in the pursuit of political power.

3. Emergence of New Caste Groups: In the political arena, new categories of caste groups have arisen, such as “backward” and “forward” caste groups. These categorizations have been influenced by socio-political factors and government policies.

Overall, it is not that politics itself becomes caste-ridden, but rather caste identities and affiliations get politicised as different caste groups seek to assert their interests and gain representation and influence in the political landscape. This interplay between caste and politics has significantly shaped Indian political dynamics.

NCERT Solution Class 10th Civics All Chapters Notes

YoutubeClick here
FacebookClick here
InstagramClick here
TwitterClick here
LinkedinClick here
TelegramClick here
WebsiteClick here