Working of Democracy: NBSE class 10 social science answers

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Here you will find all the questions, solutions, answers, and notes of chapter 11 Working of Democracy of Social Science for class 10 students studying under Nagaland Board of School Education (NBSE). However, the study materials should be used only for references and nothing more. The notes can be modified/changed according to needs.

Summary

In this chapter, you will learn more about democracy and how different aspects of society affects the system of democracy of a country like India, Democracy is affected by communalism (thinking that one religion is better and above another religion), gender division (thinking that women and men are different and they cannot do each other’s work), casteism (thinking one caste is better than another caste), etc.

Politicians take advantage of communalism, castism, etc. and try to win elections using these differences. Like you can see presently some political parties fight elections using the name of gods, caste, etc. These weaken the system of democracy and prevents real development.

Social divisions do exist in most of countries and their political expression is obvious and desirable in a democracy. It strengthens as well as weakens democracy. It all depends on a country’s citizens, the political parties and their leaders. If they place the nation above social differences, the unity, integrity and prosperity of a nation are ensured. If the social divisions are given priority, democracy and the very unity of a country are in jeopardy. In light of this, let us examine the three prominent social differences in our own country – Gender, religion and caste.

Textual questions and answers

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What is meant by ‘gender division’?

(a) Division between the rich and the poor
(b) Division between males and females
(c) Division between educated and uneducated
(d) None of the above

Answer: b. Division between males and females

2. A man was having a discussion regarding communal politics with his friend. Aman’s friend spoke a few statements given below.

(i) State power is used to establish the domination of one religious group over the rest.
(ii) Communal politics is based on the idea that religion is the principal basis of a social community.
(iii) Beliefs of one religion are presented as superior to those of other religions.

Select the correct option

(a) i and ii (b) ii and iii (c) i, ii and iii (d) iii only

Answer: c. i, ii and iii

3. What does the term “communalism” refer to?

(a) Cooperation among different religious groups
(b) Excessive involvement of religious leaders in politics
(c) Religious expression within a democracy
(d) Religious division and conflict in politics

Answer: d. Religious division and conflict in politics

Very Short Answer Questions

1. Name a famous leader who was associated with Muslim League?

Answer: M.A. Jinnah was a famous leader who was associated with Muslim League.

2. Name one factor which influences Indian politics.

Answer: Casteism is one factor that influences Indian politics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the main demand of women organisations and activists regarding reservation of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies?

Answer: The main demand of women organisations and activists regarding reservation of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies is to have one-third of seats reserved for women.

2. What is the meaning of patriarchal society?

Answer: Its literal meaning is rule by father. It is a system where father is the head of the family and all important decisions are taken by male members of a family to the exclusion and seclusion of women.

Long Answer Questions

1. State two reasons to say that caste alone cannot determine elections in India.

Answer: No parliamentary constituency has a clear majority of one single caste. More than two castes generally inhabit a constituency. A candidate or a party needs to secure the confidence of more than one caste to win elections. It is impossible to secure votes of all the voters of a caste in a constituency. There are a host of other factors that count. If a large proportion of voters from a particular caste vote for a candidate, we call it the ‘vote bank’ of a particular party.

2. ‘Caste can take various forms in politics.’ Give any six reasons in support of the statement.

Answer: Six reasons in support of the statement are:

• Each caste group has a tendency to grow bigger by including in its fold most immediate castes or sub-castes.
• Many caste groups form some sort of coalition with other caste groups around some important social and political issues.
• Recently new kind of caste groups have come up, especially after the implementation of the Mandal Commission report. All upper castes are referred as ‘Forward’ castes and others as ‘Backward’ castes.
• Generally, people of a same caste vote en bloc for a candidate of the same or different caste.
• When they do not vote en bloc they prefer a candidate of their own caste irrespective of the merits or demerits of the candidates.
• While selecting a candidate for a particular constituency, parties keep in mind the caste composition of the electorate, and whether the candidate would be able to get the support of the majority caste.

3. Describe the influence of politics on caste system.

Answer: There is a two-way relationship between caste and politics. Politics influences the caste system and the caste system influences politics. There is politicisation of the castes who are drawn into the political arena.

• Each caste group has a tendency to grow bigger by including in its fold most immediate castes or sub-castes.
• Many caste groups form some sort of coalition with other caste groups around some important social and political issues.
• Recently new kind of caste groups have come up, especially after the implementation of the Mandal Commission report. All upper castes are referred as ‘Forward’ castes and others as ‘Backward’ castes.

4. Explain the main features of communalism.

Answer: The main features of communalism are:

• Religion is the principal basis of social community.
• The followers of a particular religion belong to one community.
• Fundamental interests – socio-economic and political interests – of a particular religious community are the same.
• People who follow different religions cannot belong to the same social community
• Whatever similarities are there among followers of different religions, these are superficial and insignificant.
• Interests of various religious communities are different and mutually conflicting
• Ultimate ideological conclusion is that people belonging to different religions cannot live together as equal citizens. Either one of them has to dominate the rest or they have to form different nations.

Extra/additional MCQs

1. What does the existence of social divisions depend on?

A. A country’s citizens B. Political parties C. Leaders D. All of the above

Answer: D. All of the above

2. What is a prominent social division in our country?

A. The gender division B. The economic division C. The religious division D. The caste division

Answer: A. The gender division

3. What is the generally understood basis of gender division?

A. Biological differences B. Social expectations and stereotypes C. Educational disparities D. Economic inequalities

Answer: B. Social expectations and stereotypes

4. How are boys and girls brought up?

A. Similarly B. With equal opportunities C. Differently D. With a focus on individual talents

Answer: C. Differently

5. What is considered the main responsibility of women?

A. Providing for the family B. Housework and bringing up children C. Pursuing higher education D. Engaging in political activities

Answer: B. Housework and bringing up children

6. What is considered the main responsibility of men?

A. Housework and bringing up children B. Providing bread and butter to the family C. Pursuing higher education D. Engaging in political activities

Answer: B. Providing bread and butter to the family

7. What is the basis of division of labour in most families?

A. Age B. Education C. Gender D. Income

Answer: C. Gender

8. Where do women typically work in rural areas?

A. In fields B. In factories C. In offices D. In schools

Answer: A. In fields

9. What is the reason why women’s work is not valued and recognised in our society?

A. Lack of skills B. Lack of education C. Much of it is unpaid work D. Preference for male workers

Answer: C. Much of it is unpaid work

10. What was the status of women’s voting rights in most countries until the early decades of the twentieth century?

A. They had full voting rights. B. They had limited voting rights. C. They did not have voting rights. D. Voting rights varied widely among countries.

Answer: C. They did not have voting rights.

11. What is the collective term for movements advocating for women’s rights?

A. Suffrage movements B. Feminist movements C. Equality movements D. Women’s liberation movements

Answer: B. Feminist movements

12. What is the name of the landmark legislation passed during Jawaharlal Nehru’s prime ministership that improved women’s rights in India?

A. The Women’s Empowerment Act B. The Hindu Code Bill C. The Equal Rights Amendment D. The Gender Equality Act

Answer: B. The Hindu Code Bill

13. What is the literacy rate among women in India?

A. 45.46 per cent B. 55.46 per cent C. 65.46 per cent D. 75.46 per cent

Answer: C. 65.46 per cent

14. What is a major reason for the higher school dropout rate among girls compared to boys in India?

A. Lack of interest in education B. Early marriage C. Poverty and limited income D. Distance to schools

Answer: C. Poverty and limited income

15. What is the legal right recently granted to women in India regarding inheritance?

A. Right to inherit ancestral property B. Right to inherit father’s agricultural property C. Right to inherit mother’s property D. Right to inherit husband’s property

Answer: B. Right to inherit father’s agricultural property

16. What is the sex ratio in India according to the 2011 Census?

A. 840 females per 1000 males B. 940 females per 1000 males C. 1040 females per 1000 males D. 1140 females per 1000 males

Answer: B. 940 females per 1000 males

17. What is the term for the belief in the superiority of one’s religion and the political expression of religious divisions?

A. Secularism B. Communalism C. Pluralism D. Tolerance

Answer: B. Communalism

18. What is the basis of communalism?

A. The belief that all religions are equal B. The belief that religious distinction is the most important distinction C. The belief in the separation of religion and politics D. The belief in the unity of all religions

Answer: B. The belief that religious distinction is the most important distinction

19. What is a consequence of communalism?

A. Social harmony B. Political stability C. Religious tolerance D. Religious conflict

Answer: D. Religious conflict

20. What is an example of the extreme form of communalism that led to the Partition of India?

A. The Indian National Congress B. The Hindu Mahasabha C. The Muslim League D. The Communist Party of India

Answer: C. The Muslim League

21. What is the belief that people of the same caste form a separate social community with similar interests?

A. Secularism B. Communalism C. Casteism D. Feminism

Answer: C. Casteism

22. What is a consequence of casteism in politics?

A. It promotes social equality. B. It reduces political participation. C. It leads to reservation policies. D. It strengthens national unity.

Answer: C. It leads to reservation policies.

23. What is the term for the political dominance of majority religious groups over minority groups?

A. Secularism B. Communalism C. Majoritarianism D. Minority rights

Answer: C. Majoritarianism

24. What is a characteristic of politics based on caste identity?

A. Candidates are chosen based on their qualifications and experience. B. Political parties focus on addressing national issues. C. Voters prioritize economic development over caste affiliations. D. Caste considerations influence voting patterns.

Answer: D. Caste considerations influence voting patterns.

25. What is a factor that can make caste insignificant in elections?

A. The presence of a single dominant caste B. The absence of development issues C. The candidate’s past performance and merits D. Strong caste-based loyalties

Answer: C. The candidate’s past performance and merits

26. What is the term for the tendency of caste groups to include related sub-castes to become larger?

A. Caste consolidation B. Caste hierarchy C. Caste mobility D. Caste system

Answer: A. Caste consolidation

27. What is a recent development in the caste system in India, especially after the implementation of the Mandal Commission report?

A. The abolition of caste-based reservations B. The emergence of new caste groups C. The decline of caste-based discrimination D. The strengthening of traditional caste hierarchies

Answer: B. The emergence of new caste groups

28. What is the term for all upper castes in India?

A. Backward castes B. Scheduled Castes C. Scheduled Tribes D. Forward castes

Answer: D. Forward castes

29. What is a negative outcome of caste division?

A. Social harmony B. Political stability C. Economic development D. Conflict and violence

Answer: D. Conflict and violence

30. What is a system where the father is the head of the family and important decisions are made by male members?

A. Matriarchy B. Patriarchy C. Equality D. Feminism

Answer: B. Patriarchy

Extra/additional questions and answers/solutions

1. What is meant by ‘gender division’?

Answer: Division between males and females.

2. Who led the Muslim League?

Answer: M.A. Jinnah.

3. What is the meaning of patriarchal society?

Answer: A system where father is the head of the family and all important decisions are taken by male members.

4. What is the meaning of communalism?

Answer: The belief that religious distinction is the most important and fundamental distinction.

5. What is the basis of casteism?

Answer: Belief that people of same caste form a separate social community with similar interests.

6. What is the relationship between caste and politics?

Answer: Politics influences the caste system and the caste system influences politics.

7. What is the goal of feminist movements?

Answer: To give equal rights and opportunities to both men and women.

8. What is the percentage of elected women members in Lok Sabha?

Answer: Around 10 percent.

9. What is the percentage of elected women members in state assemblies?

Answer: Less than 6 percent.

10. What is the child sex ratio as per 2011 Census?

Answer: 914 girls per thousand boys.

11. Who was the first woman President of India?

Answer: Pratibha Patil.

12. Who was the second woman President of India?

Answer: Droupadi Murmu.

13. What is the purpose of reservation of seats for women in panchayats and municipalities?

Answer: To empower women.

14. What is the status of Women’s Reservation Bill in the Parliament?

Answer: Pending.

15. What is the literacy rate among women?

Answer: 65.46 percent.

16. What is the literacy rate among men?

Answer: 82.14 percent.

17. What is the sex ratio as per 2011 Census?

Answer: 940 females per 1000 males.

18. What is the provision in the Equal Wages Act 1976?

Answer: Equal pay for equal work.

19. What is the role of political parties in selecting candidates based on caste?

Answer: They keep in mind the caste composition of the electorate.

20. What are the new kind of caste groups that have come up after the Mandal Commission report?

Answer: ‘Forward’ castes and ‘Backward’ castes.

21. What are the positive outcomes of caste politics?

Answer: Reservation of seats in government jobs for SCs, STs and OBCs.

22. What are the negative outcomes of caste politics?

Answer: Conflict and violence.

23. What is the relationship between a voter’s attachment to political parties and their attachment to caste or religion?

Answer: Voter’s attachment to political parties is stronger than their attachment to a particular caste or religion.

24. What are the factors that determine voting behavior apart from caste?

Answer: Performance of the government/party/candidate, popularity and personality of the party leaders.

25. What is the meaning of ‘majoritarianism’?

Answer: Political dominance of majority religious groups over minority.

26. What was the reason for the partition of India according to the Muslim League?

Answer: Belief that Hindus were bound to dominate Muslims in all walks of life after Independence.

27. What are the features of communalism?

Answer: Religion is the principal basis of social community, followers of a particular religion belong to one community, and interests of various religious communities are different and mutually conflicting.

28. What are the ways in which communalism is expressed in politics?

Answer: Political mobilization of masses on religious lines, communal violence, and riots.

29. What is the two-way relationship between caste and politics?

Answer: Politics influences the caste system and the caste system influences politics.

30. What is the purpose of caste-based reservation policies?

Answer: To address historical injustices and promote social inclusion.

31. What is the meaning of communalism according to Bipan Chandra?

Answer: According to Bipan Chandra, the concept of communalism is based on the belief that religious distinction is the most important and fundamental distinction, and this distinction overrides all other distinctions.

32. What are the features of communalism?

Answer: The features of communalism are that religion is the principal basis of social community, the followers of a particular religion belong to one community, and the fundamental interests – socio-economic and political interests – of a particular religious community are the same.

33. How has the political expression of gender division been beneficial?

Answer: The political expression of gender division has led to significant improvement in the status of women, with women marching shoulder to shoulder with men in all walks of life, including as engineers, doctors, lawyers, scientists, executives, and teachers, and even as members of parliament and chief ministers.

34. What are the negative consequences of the political expression of communalism?

Answer: The political expression of communalism has led to far-reaching negative consequences, including the Partition of India, and even in the post-Independence period, there have been the worst communal riots at the instigation of political parties.

35. How has the political expression of caste led to both positive and negative outcomes?

Answer: The political expression of caste has led to the reservation of seats in government jobs for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes, giving these caste groups more presence in the three organs of the government, but it has also resulted in conflict and violence, and politics based on caste identity alone is not healthy for democracy.

36. What are the factors that influence voting behavior apart from caste?

Answer: The factors that influence voting behavior apart from caste are the performance of the government/party/candidate, the popularity and personality of the party leaders, and the economic background or economic benefit or loss of the voters.

37. How does the caste system influence politics?

Answer: The caste system influences politics through the tendency of each caste group to grow bigger by including its immediate castes or sub-castes, the formation of coalitions between caste groups around important social and political issues, and the emergence of new kinds of caste groups, especially after the implementation of the Mandal Commission report.

38. What is the relationship between a voter’s attachment to political parties and their attachment to caste or religion?

Answer: The voter’s attachment to political parties is stronger than their attachment to a particular caste or religion, and this is evident from the fact that the ruling party and incumbent MPs and MLAs frequently lose elections, indicating that voters from the same caste or community do not necessarily vote for the same candidate or party.

39. How do political parties take into account the caste composition of the electorate when selecting candidates?

Answer: Political parties keep in mind the caste composition of the electorate when selecting candidates, and they appoint office bearers of the party on the basis of caste to please or not to displease a caste group in the party and in the constituency.

40. Describe the gender division of labor in Indian society.

Answer: The gender division of labor in Indian society is such that women are primarily responsible for housework and childcare, cooking, cleaning utensils, washing clothes, and all work inside the four walls of the house, while men are responsible for working outside the home, in fields in rural areas and in factories and offices in towns and cities. Even when women also work outside their homes, in villages they work in fields, collect fuel and firewood, and fetch water, while in towns, poor and illiterate women work as domestic helps, and educated women work in offices as teachers, lecturers, nurses, doctors, engineers, and so on. However, the work of women is not valued and recognized in our society because much of it is unpaid work, and as a result, women remained confined to the four walls of their houses, with a very limited role in politics or public life until the early decades of the twentieth century.

41. Discuss the condition of women in Indian society.

Answer: Indian society is still a patriarchal society with male domination in family, offices, and all walks of life, where the father, rather than the mother, is the head of the family, and most family decisions are taken by male members. Women in our society face disadvantage, discrimination, and oppression, with a lower literacy rate of 65.46 percent as against 82.14 percent for men, a much higher school dropout rate among girls than boys, a lower proportion of girl students in higher and technical education, a smaller proportion of women in highly paid jobs and higher posts, and on average, women working one hour more than an average man per day, but their work not being recognized because much of it is unpaid housework. There is also a preference for the birth of sons over daughters, leading to a decline in the sex ratio, and the practice of domestic violence and exploitation of women at the workplace.

42. Explain the political expression of gender division and its impact.

Answer: The political expression of gender division has been largely positive, with significant improvement in the status of women. Though women’s overall representation in politics is still quite low in comparison to other countries/regions, with around 10 percent elected women members in Lok Sabha and less than 6 percent in state assemblies, and low representation in the union and state council of ministers, the political expression of gender division has led to women marching shoulder to shoulder with men in all walks of life, including as engineers, doctors, lawyers, scientists, executives, teachers, and even as members of parliament, chief ministers, and presidents. The Panchayati Raj Amendment Act has also reserved one-third of seats in panchayats and municipalities for women, leading to more than 10 lakh elected women representatives in these bodies. However, the Women’s Reservation Bill envisaging 33 percent reservation of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies is still pending before the Parliament.

43. Analyze the role of caste in Indian electoral politics.

Answer: Casteism is based on the belief that people of the same caste form a separate social community with similar social, economic, and political interests, which are different from those of other castes. In Indian electoral politics, different caste groups have their loyalties behind different political parties and their ideologies, and generally, people of the same caste vote en bloc for a candidate of the same or different caste, even if the merits or demerits of the candidates are not considered. Political parties also keep the caste composition of the electorate in mind while selecting candidates, and the office bearers of a party are appointed on the basis of caste to please or not to displease a caste group in the party and in the constituency. However, caste alone cannot determine elections in India, as no parliamentary constituency has a clear majority of one single caste, and voters’ attachment to political parties is stronger than their attachment to a particular caste or religion.

44. Discuss the influence of politics on the caste system in India.

Answer: There is a two-way relationship between caste and politics, where politics influences the caste system, and the caste system influences politics. The political expression of casteism has led to the politicization of the caste system, where caste groups are drawn into the political arena. Each caste group has a tendency to grow bigger by including its immediate castes or sub-castes, and many caste groups form some sort of coalition with other caste groups around important social and political issues. Recently, new kinds of caste groups have come up, especially after the implementation of the Mandal Commission report, with all upper castes referred to as ‘Forward’ castes and others as ‘Backward’ castes. The political expression of caste division has led to both positive and negative outcomes, with the reservation of seats in government jobs for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes, but also conflict and violence based on caste identity.

45. Explain the features and political expression of communalism.

Answer: Communalism is based on the belief that religious distinction is the most important and fundamental distinction, and this distinction overrides all other distinctions. The features of communalism are that religion is the principal basis of social community, the followers of a particular religion belong to one community, the fundamental interests – socio-economic and political interests – of a particular religious community are the same, whatever similarities are there among followers of different religions are superficial and insignificant, the interests of various religious communities are different and mutually conflicting, and the ultimate ideological conclusion is that people belonging to different religions cannot live together as equal citizens. The political expression of communalism involves the expression of communalism in everyday beliefs through religious prejudices, political dominance of majority religious groups over minority, and political mobilization of masses on religious lines by political leaders, often leading to communal violence, riots, and massacre for political gains.

46. Analyze the factors that influence voting behavior in India, apart from caste.

Answer: While caste is one of the important factors in Indian electoral politics, it is not the sole determinant of voting behavior. Voters’ attachment to political parties is stronger than their attachment to a particular caste or religion, and depending on their economic background or economic benefit or loss, voters from the same caste or community can vote differently. The decisive factors in voting behavior are the performance of the government/party/candidate, the popularity and personality of the party leaders, and issues like development and the candidate’s past performance, merits, and demerits. It is generally observed that the ruling party and incumbent MPs and MLAs frequently lose elections, indicating that voters from the same caste or community do not necessarily vote for the same candidate or party, and that other factors play a significant role in determining the outcome of elections.

47. Discuss the positive and negative outcomes of caste politics in India.

Answer: The political expression of caste has led to both positive and negative outcomes in India. On the positive side, caste politics has led to the reservation of seats in government jobs for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes, giving these caste groups more presence in the three organs of the government. Several lower castes are now demanding more share in land, resources, and other opportunities, leading to greater social inclusion. On the negative side, caste division has also resulted in conflict and violence, and politics based on caste identity alone is not healthy for democracy, as it often overshadows important issues like poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, and corruption. The politicization of the caste system has also led to the emergence of new kinds of caste groups, with all upper castes referred to as ‘Forward’ castes and others as ‘Backward’ castes, further entrenching caste divisions.

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