Class 10 Social Science Notes — Chapter 14: Gender, Religion and Caste
How social divisions shape politics — and how politics can address them.
Detailed NCERT notes
- Gender division is not natural but based on socially constructed roles and unequal opportunities.
- Sexual division of labour: women do most domestic work; men more visible in paid work — reinforced by patriarchy.
- Feminist movements pushed for political rights, equal pay, education, protection from domestic violence.
- India's gender indicators: literacy gap (women lag), lower participation in paid work, sex ratio issues (especially child sex ratio due to female foeticide), under-representation in Parliament (~14%); 33% reservation in local bodies helped somewhat.
- Religion in politics: Gandhi believed religion inspires morality in politics; but communal politics — treating one religion as superior or seeking a state based on a single religion — undermines democracy.
- Communalism can be everyday (prejudice), political (mobilisation by parties), or extreme (riots, calls for separate state).
- Indian Constitution: secular state — no official religion, freedom of religion, ban on religious discrimination.
- Indian secularism = 'principled distance': state may intervene in any religion to protect rights (e.g. temple entry laws) — distinct from Western strict separation.
- Caste in politics: caste-based inequality persists (occupation, marriage, discrimination against Dalits). Caste-based political mobilisation is both a democratic outcome and a challenge when it becomes exclusive.
- Politicisation of caste: parties align caste identities with vote banks (e.g., Mandal politics from 1990); but no single caste dominates all seats in any state.
- Positive: caste-based reservations, movements against untouchability (Ambedkar, Periyar), affirmative action.
- Challenge: politicisation of caste can obscure other identities (class, gender) and inflame tensions.
Formulas & key results
Mind map
- Gender division → sexual division of labour → feminism
- Religion in politics → communalism → secular state (principled distance)
- Caste in politics — mobilisation and reform
Tricks & shortcuts
- Indian secularism = 'principled distance', not equal distance.
- Every caste is a minority — none can win alone at the state level.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Confusing communalism with religion.
- Assuming political competition on caste is always bad — it also empowers marginalised groups.
Competency-based questions & answers
- Q. How does caste influence Indian politics?A. Parties consider caste equations while selecting candidates; caste identity influences voting; caste-based reservation exists — but no single caste dominates a state entirely, so coalitions across castes are essential.
- Q. Distinguish communalism from religion.A. Religion is a personal or community faith; communalism is the political use of religion — treating one's own community as superior or seeking special political power based on faith.