Complete Solutions and Summary of Gender, Religion and Caste – NCERT Class 10, Civics, Chapter 3 – Summary, Questions, Answers, Extra Questions
Comprehensive summary and explanation of Chapter 3 'Gender, Religion and Caste', examining how social differences based on gender, religion, and caste are expressed in Indian society and democracy, their impact on politics, the outcomes of such divisions, and the significance of healthy democratic expressions—with all question answers and extra questions from NCERT Class X Civics.
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Categories: NCERT, Class X, Civics, Summary, Extra Questions, Gender, Religion, Caste, Social Differences, Indian Society, Democracy, Chapter 3
Gender, Religion and Caste
Chapter 3: Civics - Complete Study Guide | NCERT Class 10 Notes & Questions 2025
Comprehensive Chapter Summary - Gender, Religion and Caste Class 10 NCERT
Overview
- Chapter Purpose: Explains that social diversity does not threaten democracy; political expression of differences can be desirable. Applies to India with three divisions: gender, religion, caste. Examines nature in India and political expression. Asks if expressions are healthy for democracy. Key Insight: Divisions based on social inequalities; politics can address or exacerbate them.
- Expanded Relevance 2025: With ongoing debates on reservations, communalism, gender equality; links to current events like Women's Reservation Act 2023. Update: Focus on secularism amid rising polarization.
- Exam Tip: Distinguish divisions; use graphs/maps for visuals; know constitutional provisions.
- Broader Implications: Divisions affect equality, representation; democracy accommodates via secularism, reservations.
Gender and Politics
- Gender Division Overview: Hierarchical social division, seen everywhere but rarely recognized in politics. Understood as natural/unchangeable, but based on social expectations/stereotypes, not biology. Poster: Bengal affirming women's strength.
- Public/Private Division: Boys/girls raised believing women's main role is housework/child-rearing. Sexual division of labour: Women do home work (cooking, cleaning, etc.); men outside. Men can do housework but think it's women's domain; paid jobs like tailoring/cooking done by men. Women work outside (villages: water/fuel/fields; urban: domestic help/offices) plus domestic labour, but unpaid/undervalued. Glossary: Sexual division of labour.
- Why Discuss in Politics?: Household dominance political if politics about power; household work is politics if domination discussed.
- Feminist Movements: Agitations for equal rights, enhancing women's political/legal status, education/career. Radical for personal/family equality. Glossary: Feminist. Helped improve public life roles; women now scientists/doctors/etc. High participation in Scandinavia (Sweden/Norway/Finland).
- Perceptions of Ideal Woman: Discuss prevailing ideas (fashion, beauty, housewife, etc.); student's image. Illustration: Perceptions from TV/society/fashion/etc.
- Patriarchy and Disadvantages: Male-dominated society; women disadvantaged: Literacy 54% vs 76% men; girls dropout for boys' education preference; unequal pay despite Equal Remuneration Act 1976; sex-selective abortion, child sex ratio 919 (below 850/800 some states). Map: Child Sex Ratio 2011; Glossary: Patriarchy. Harassment/violence urban/domestic.
- Time Use Survey: Women work 7.5+ hours/day vs men's 6.5; men's work income-generating/visible; women's household/unpaid. Table: Daily time use. Activity: Conduct family survey.
- Women's Political Representation: Low in India; Lok Sabha 14.36% (2019), states <5%; bottom globally. Graph: Women in parliaments. Panchayati Raj 1/3 reserved; >10 lakh women representatives. Women's organizations demand 1/3 Lok Sabha/State Assemblies; Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (2023) passed for 33% reservation. Poster: We Can (violence against women).
- Gender Division in Politics: Example of social division needing political expression; disadvantaged groups benefit when raised politically.
Religion, Communalism and Politics
- Religion Division: Not universal like gender; widespread diversity. India: Multiple religions; even same religion (Northern Ireland) has differences. Expressed in politics.
- Examples of Religion-Politics Link: Gandhiji: Religion inseparable from politics (moral values/ethics from all religions). Human rights: Protect minorities/prevent riots. Women's movement: Change discriminatory family laws. Not wrong if treat religions equally.
- Communalism: Religion as nation basis dangerous (Northern Ireland). Acute when exclusive/partisan: One superior, demands oppose others, state dominates. Followers one community; differences irrelevant; different religions can't coexist. Flawed: Multiple identities/voices per religion. Glossary: Family laws.
- Forms of Communalism: Everyday beliefs (prejudices/stereotypes/superiority); quest for dominance (majoritarian/minority separatism); political mobilization (symbols/leaders/appeals/fear); violence/riots/massacre (Partition/post-Independence).
- Secular State: No official religion (unlike Sri Lanka/Pakistan/England); freedom to profess/practice/propagate; prohibits discrimination; intervenes for equality (bans untouchability). Foundation of India; combats communalism via everyday countering and political resistance.
Caste and Politics
- Caste Inequalities: Special to India; social inequality/division of labour extreme. Hereditary occupational, sanctioned by rituals; same caste community, marriage/eating within; excluded 'outcastes' (untouchability). Reformers: Phule, Gandhiji, Ambedkar, Periyar advocated equality.
- Social and Religious Diversity of India: Census records religions; proportions stable since 1961 (Hindus 79.8%, Muslims 14.2%, etc.). Pie Chart: 2011. SC 16.6%, ST 8.6%; OBC ~41%; together 2/3 population, 3/4 Hindus. No major shifts expected.
- Changes in Caste System: Socio-economic: Urbanization, literacy, mobility, weakened landlords. Old hierarchy breaking; inter-caste interactions; Constitution prohibited discrimination. Caste persists: Endogamy, untouchability remnants, education/economic links.
- Caste in Politics: Casteism: Caste sole community basis (flawed). Forms: Candidate selection/cabinet balance; appeals/sentiments; 'vote banks'; universal franchise mobilized castes.
- Not Just Caste in Elections: No single-caste majority constituencies; no party wins all caste votes; multiple candidates same caste; ruling parties lose despite castes.
- Politics in Caste: Castes enlarge (incorporate sub-castes); coalitions/negotiations; new groups ('backward'/'forward'). Positive: Space for disadvantaged (Dalits/OBC) to demand power/dignity/resources. Negative: Diverts from poverty/corruption; tensions/violence.
- Caste Inequality Today: Regulates resources; past exclusions effects persist. Hierarchy: Upper best off, Dalits/Adivasis worst, OBC middle. Poverty higher lower castes; rich over-represented upper. Table: Poverty 1999-2000.
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Key Themes
- Social Divisions: Gender (hierarchical), Religion (communal), Caste (unique).
- Political Expression: Mobilization, reservations, secularism.
- Constitutional Links: Equality, secularism, reservations.
- Critical Thinking: Healthy vs unhealthy expressions; role in democracy.
Cases for Exams
Use graph for representation; discuss communalism examples; analyze caste vote banks.
Exercises Summary
- Focus: Expanded to 60 Q&A from PDF: 20 short (2M), 20 medium (4M), 20 long (8M) based on NCERT exercises + similar.
- Project Idea: Debate on divisions; map marking child sex ratio.
Group Discussions
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