NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Social Science, Political Science Chapter 4 - Gender, Religion and Caste

In Chapter 4 of Class 10 Political Science, students will study 3 kinds of social differences based on gender, religion and caste that can take the form of social divisions and inequalities.

In this chapter, students will learn about gender inequality issues existing in society. The chapter presents the topic of the Equal Wages Act, which provides for equal wages for all in all areas of work. However, women are still comparatively paid less. The chapter also discusses the low child sex ratio in India and the factors contributing to it.

The chapter discusses the topic of caste in India and its special role in India. The chapter also discusses the issues arising from caste discrimination. The caste groups, i.e., the higher castes that had access to education under the old system, have done well. In contrast, the lower caste groups that were restricted from having access to educational resources have lagged behind comparatively.

There is a dominant presence of 'upper caste' among the urban middle classes in India. Moreover, caste continues to be linked to economic status, as is evident from the National Sample Survey. Also, the average economic status of caste groups still follows the old hierarchy belief that the 'upper' castes are better off, and the Dalits and Adivasis are worst off, and the backward classes are in between.

Although Mahatma Gandhiji stated the "Religion can never be separated from politics", he did not indicate any particular religion but referred to the moral values and ethics drawn from religion and religious practices to guide politics. However, religion has often been targeted to create communal rifts. Moreover, religion has been considered the basis of Communalism.

According to human rights groups of India, most of the victims of communal riots in India are from religious minorities. These instances show a relationship between religion and politics.