1. Introduction to the Chapter

In this chapter, Gender, Religion and Caste, NCERT introduces you to three very important forms of social division in India. You have already studied how democracy deals with differences, conflicts and social diversity in earlier chapters. Here, you learn how gender, religious and caste-based differences influence politics and how a democratic system tries to handle them in a fair and just manner.

The chapter is divided into three main parts:

• Gender and Politics – public/private division and women’s political representation.
• Religion, Communalism and Politics – meaning of communalism and the idea of a secular state.
• Caste and Politics – caste inequalities, caste in politics and politics in caste.

All these topics are very important for the CBSE Class 10 Board Examination as they link Social Science concepts to real-life Indian politics and society.

2. Gender and Politics

2.1 Understanding Gender

In everyday language, the term sex refers to the biological difference between males and females, whereas gender refers to the social expectations, roles and stereotypes attached to being male or female. Society often expects men to be breadwinners and women to look after home and family. These expectations are socially created and can change over time.

Gender division is a form of social division that gives more power, status and opportunities to men and less to women. This unequal treatment of women is called patriarchy.

2.2 Public/Private Division

Traditionally, the world has been divided into two spheres:

For a long time, it was believed that politics or public life is not suitable for women. Therefore, women were restricted to the private sphere. This division is unfair because:

• Women also contribute to the economy through unpaid household work.
• Household work is not recognised and not paid.
• They are denied an equal role in decision-making.

2.3 Women’s Situation and Struggles

In almost all societies, women are given a lower status than men. Some common problems faced by women are:

• Low literacy rate compared to men.
• Less participation in paid employment.
• Low wages and unequal pay for equal work.
• Domestic violence and harassment.
• Dowry, female foeticide and other forms of discrimination.

To fight these inequalities, women’s movements and feminist organisations have raised their voice through campaigns, protests, legal struggles and awareness programmes. As a result:

• Many countries, including India, have passed laws to protect women.
• Education and jobs for girls are improving.
• Attitudes towards women in society are slowly changing.

2.4 Women’s Political Representation

Even though women make up about half the population, their presence in political bodies is very low:

• Only a small percentage of Members of Parliament (MPs) and Members of Legislative Assemblies (MLAs) are women.
• Political parties rarely give enough tickets to women candidates in elections.

To improve this, many countries have introduced reservations or quotas for women in elected bodies. In India:

• The 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments provide at least one-third seats reserved for women in Panchayats and Municipalities.
• As a result, lakhs of women now participate in local self-government.
• There is a demand to reserve at least one-third of seats in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies for women.

3. Religion, Communalism and Politics

3.1 Religion in Politics

Religion is an important part of people’s identities. It can guide moral values and give emotional support. However, when religion is used in an extreme way in politics, it can become dangerous. Political leaders must not misuse religious feelings to gain votes or power.

3.2 What is Communalism?

Communalism is a belief that one’s own religion is superior to others and that followers of different religions cannot live as equal citizens within one nation. Some main features of communalism are:

• Religion is treated as the most important identity of a person.
• People who follow the same religion are considered to have the same political interests.
• Belief that different religious communities cannot live together peacefully.
• Sometimes leads to hatred, conflict and violence between communities.

Communalism can take various forms:

• Everyday prejudices and stereotypes against people of other religions.
• Communal campaigns and propaganda during elections.
• Communal riots or violence in the name of religion.

3.3 Secular State

India is a secular state. This does not mean that India is anti-religion. It means that the state does not have its own official religion and treats all religions equally.

The Indian Constitution provides several provisions to maintain secularism:

• There is no official religion of India.
• Every person is free to follow, practise and spread any religion or not follow any religion at all.
• The state will not discriminate against any citizen on the basis of religion.
• The state can intervene in religious matters to ensure equality and protect the rights of individuals (for example, to stop untouchability or discrimination).

These constitutional provisions help to protect minority communities and maintain harmony among different religious groups in a diverse country like India.

4. Caste and Politics

4.1 Caste Inequalities in India

Caste is a traditional form of social stratification in India. People are born into different caste groups and, historically, these groups had different levels of social status, power and economic opportunities.

Features of traditional caste system:

• Hereditary membership – a person’s caste is determined by birth.
• Hierarchical order – from “high” castes to “low” castes.
• Restrictions on social interaction, food, marriage and occupation.
• Practice of untouchability against some castes.

Due to these features, lower castes and Dalits suffered from extreme social discrimination and economic exploitation. Their access to education, land, government jobs and political power was very limited.

4.2 Changes in the Caste System

Over the years, the caste system has undergone many changes due to:

• Spread of education and awareness.
• Growth of urbanisation and industrialisation.
• Influence of social reformers and freedom movement.
• Legal measures and constitutional provisions.

As a result:

• Old caste-based occupations have become less rigid.
• Inter-caste marriages, though still limited, have increased.
• Caste inequalities are being challenged, especially in cities.

However, caste has not disappeared. It still plays an important role in many rural areas and in politics.

4.3 Caste in Politics

Caste influences Indian politics in several ways:

• People often vote for candidates belonging to their own caste or caste group.
• Political parties consider caste composition of a region while selecting candidates.
• Different castes form alliances to increase their political bargaining power.

At first sight, this may look unhealthy. But it also has some positive aspects:

• Caste-based political mobilisation has helped lower castes to organise and demand their rights.
• Many political leaders from disadvantaged castes have emerged.
• Caste groups now use democratic means like voting, campaigns and negotiations to get their demands fulfilled.

4.4 Politics in Caste

Just as caste shapes politics, politics also reshapes caste. This is called politics in caste. In modern democratic politics:

• Different castes come together to form broader social coalitions.
• Old rigid caste boundaries become flexible when people unite for common political or economic interests.
• Caste identities are often expressed in new ways to get representation and benefits from the state.

So, while caste can be a source of division, it can also become a way for disadvantaged groups to organise and demand a fair share in power and resources.

5. Key Takeaways for CBSE Class 10 Board Exam

Before the exam, quickly revise the following key points from this chapter:

• Gender division – a form of social division based on socially constructed roles, not just biological differences.
• Public/private division – women confined to private sphere (home), men to public sphere (work and politics).
• Women’s political representation – low in legislatures; reservation of one-third seats in Panchayats and Municipalities; demand for reservation in Parliament and State Assemblies.
• Communalism – mixing religion with politics in an extreme manner; treating religious identity as the most important; dangerous for democracy.
• Secular state – no official state religion; equal respect and protection to all religions; freedom of religion for all citizens.
• Caste inequalities – historical discrimination against lower castes; constitutional measures and reservations to reduce inequality.
• Caste in politics – caste influences voting, candidate selection and political coalitions.
• Politics in caste – democratic politics changes caste relations and can make them more flexible and open.

This Study Module and Revision Notes are strictly based on the NCERT textbook for Class 10 Political Science (Democratic Politics – II) and are aimed at helping you score well in the CBSE Class 10 Social Science Board Examination.