Q.1) ‘Family disruption and domestic violence are increasing in recent times’. Discuss the statement in light of globalisation and its impact on social values. ( 15 marks)

As per a study based on Census 2011, 1.36 million people in India are divorced, equivalent to 0.24% of the married population, and 0.11% of the total population.

IMPACT OF GLOBALISATION ON FAMILY DISRUPTION 1. Traditional joint family is virtually disappearing from the urban scene > rise in separation and divorce cases.

2. Higher disagreement and conflicts between wife and husband, parents and children are on the increase.

3.Lack of ties to kinship and the mutual dialogue between parents and grown-up children on familial matters

4. Changes in functions in regard to marriage rituals, procedures > attitudinal change in the society regarding widow remarriage and divorce.

5. The economic and financial authority is not constrained in the hands of the family head >disseminated among family members who are independent and self-sufficient

6. Altered concept of elderly care.7. Live-in relationships : a sharp rise in cases of discord and apprehension. (Justice S N Dhingra observed, “Live-in relationship is a walk-in and walk-out relationship. There are no strings attached to this relationship nor does this relationship create any legal bond between the parties.”)

8. Besides, substantially growing the proportion of dual-earning couples (DEC) >increasing Female participation ratio >enormously altered the traditional and functional role of women, family planning while distressing the family dynamics and affecting children and elderly at home.

IMPACT OF GLOBALISATION ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 1. Women are incapacitated by lack of control over their own resources and earnings > suffer discrimination and violence

2. The women entered the public arena, but the family values dominate and family violence is kept as a closely guarded secret.

3. Many traditional values and norms take new forms, which may be detrimental to old social arrangements, such as providing family support systems to women.

4. An over-exposure to, and increased presence of worldly pleasures and luxury items >essential items of dowry.

5. Transnational companies are giving short-term contract jobs (with no job security); downsizing, laying off staff, and moving to areas/countries with cheaper labor >loses his job and ceases to be the dominant wage earner >prone to

committing all kinds of violence against his wife, including berating her and blaming her for his woes

6. As women are able to earn their own living > less likely to stay in destructive and abusive relationships, or may choose not to marry at all > resulted in a global rise in divorce and an increase in female-headed households.

Men and women are not equal socially, economically or politically, in both private and public life. This inequality reflects the strong patriarchal structure of the family and society as a whole. This unequal status continues despite a constitution, which clearly guarantees equality between the sexes. Women empowerment approach to combat violence against women should be well integrated and interwoven into all policies and programs of the governments. Women should be equal partners not only at the public places but should have adequate control of their own resources.

Q.2) It is often said that 'people do not cast their vote but vote their caste'. Analyse this statement in the light of rise of identity-politics in India. (10 marks)

In India, identity politics has remained deeply rooted, internally crafted and driven, with ‘caste identity’ being one of its most important elements. Identity politics attempts to attain empowerment, representation, recognition of social group.( Art 16(4)-Positive discrimination)

A Study by The Spending & Policy Research Foundation in its report titled “Politics and society between election 2018” conducted in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh points out that

1. About 55% of respondent prefer a political leader from their own caste and religion.

2. About 10% respondents will choose a political leader from a different caste or religion.

WHY CASTE BASED IDENTITY POLITICS PREVAILS IN INDIA:

1. For easy political mobilization due to deep rooted caste system.

2. The political leadership was enforced to make concessions to local opinion. Example: Congress government in Karnataka >minority status to the Lingayats and Veerashaiva communities in April 2018 :Regional parties like BSP, SP, RJD >their caste based identity politics.

CASTE BECOMING AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF PRESENT IDENTITY POLITICS:

1. Government patronage - Seen as a ‘win-win situation’ - For party in power > ‘vote bank’ and for caste groups -receiving political, economic and social favors from the government of the day.

2. Expanding franchise - Growing demand of reservation in various fields- education, employment, promotion, etc.

3. Opportunities- Economic opportunities, administrative patronage and position of power offered by new institutions and new leadership drew caste into politics.

The caste based identity politics has also given rise to social unrest manifesting in forms of polarisation, communalism, mob lynching, riots etc. as witnessed in different parts of the country. On the progressive side the above-mentioned report highlights that, 35% voters don’t factor in caste while voting and for 37% voters, religion does not matter. For India to rise up and sustain as an inclusive economy, it is important to purify the electoral process so that most deserving and eligible get elected by a truly enlightened and informed society.

Q.3) Process of urbanisation have played a significant role in reinforcing the role of manual scavengers in urban areas. Discuss. ( 15 marks)

Manual scavenging is a hereditary, caste-based occupation that predominantly involves forced labour. More than an occupation, it has been a custom or practice.Deaths of manual scavengers in metro cities in past few years have once again reinforced the role of manual scavengers due to increasing urbanisation.

URBANISATION REINFORCING THE ROLE OF MANUAL SCAVENGERS:

1. Quantum of waste generated increase, reinforcing the role of manual scavengers

2. Absence of substantial or collective backing from human rights activists

3.The cause of cleanliness being reduced to celebrity events and photo opportunities further aggreviates this.

4. Sanitation increased/expanded>SBM(U) but higher number of deaths as workers clean septic tanks manually.

Example: The death of five young men who were employed to clean a septic tank in an upmarket residential community in New Delhi and five workers died in a septic tank in Odisha is a shocking reminder that India’s high-profile sanitation campaign has done little to alter some basic ground realities

5. Not proper conduct health check-up of the workers at regular intervals (the common health problems faced by motor loaders and manhole workers are skin and respiratory tract infections, malaria, dengue, back and knee pain, paralysis, hypertension, asthma, tuberculosis and noise pollution causing hearing impairment.)

6. Manual scavengers are not an organized group and don’t have any significant voice in the political and government structures. Hence their problems are not considered to a major issue.

7. Lack of empathy among the government, contractors and household members employing manual scavengers.

8. Poor enforcement of existing laws

Example: Tamil Nadu, which is considered to be one of the most urbanised states with its vast network of underground drainage and septic tanks, continues to witness a significant number of deaths of manual scavengers.

9. Less use of alternative technologies > machine led cleanliness

10. Social Stigma > the cleaning septic tanks as a dirty and against traditions > reinforcement of traditionalism in different form.

11. Lack of alternative skill developments to manual scavengers for alternative jobs.

WAY FORWARD:

1. Complete mechanisation of sewage cleaning, which is the only way to eliminate the practice of getting people to clean it manually.

2. Bio digester toilets designed to convert human waste into gases and manure >The zero-waste bio digester technology should also be promoted.

3. Promote public awareness to either out stigma attached

4. Need to enforce laws and regulations rigorously and ensure conviction of guilty officials.

5. Increasing formal education and skill development to this so called lower class.

6. Implementation of schemes like Garima.

There is need to promote inclusive urbanisation by planning multiple interventions to reduce and eventually eradicate the inhumane, undignified, and unsafe practices in manual sanitation work.

Q4) “An essential condition to eradicate poverty is to liberate the poor from deprivation.” Substantiate this statement with suitable examples. (10 marks)

ANS

Poverty can be defined as economic deprivation, deprivation of opportunities & deprivation of basic needs such as health, education, housing etc.

Liberating the poor from this deprivation is essential to eradicate poverty as:

1. Holistic   healthcare  facilities

decrease mortality and morbidity

more productive workforce & higher productivity and growth along with prosperity.

Eg Healthy mothers gave birth to healthy children hence better learning outcomes and avenues to flourish.

state-sponsored universal healthcare like UK and USA.

2. Food security  and awareness about healthy eating and balanced diet >overall development of body and mind, creating spill-over effects in other dimensions such as education.

3. Provision of education (Art 21(a))   opens up new opportunities  for the people > Skilling and vocational training >enables them to get gainful employment in various fields.

4. Liberating the poor from deprivation of knowledge  – by increasing awareness about common diseases, political awareness, and engendering behavioural change in matters such as sanitation, savings and exercising regularly – will lead to better social indicators, eradication of poverty and a conscientious citizenry.ex: “Nudge units.

5. Proper mechanism for reducing inequality and redistribution of the fruits of growth by the State >The trickle-down effect ensures liberation from deprivation and gives adequate choices in all aspects to the poor.

Goal 1 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals is “Ending poverty in all forms, everywhere”. However, this is not a standalone goal, since poverty is a result of deprivation, and can be eradicated only by removing that deprivation.

Q5)The isolation of the region, its complex social character and its backwardness have all resulted in a complicated set of demands from different states of north-east since independence. Discuss. ( 15 marks)

Q6) How the Indian concept of secularism different from the western model of secularism? Discuss (10 marks)

Secularism means separation of religion from political, economic, social and cultural aspects of life, religion being treated as a purely personal matter.It also stands for equal opportunities for followers of all religions, and no discrimination and partiality on grounds of religion.

Indian vs. Western Model of Secularism

parameters Indian Secularism Western model of secularism

Legal Relationship between State and Religion

Neither in law nor in practice any 'wall of separation' between religion and the State exists.

Requires complete separation of religion and state.

Concept of secularism Positive

Giving equal respect to all religions or protecting all religions equally

Negative

State Assistance The state provides all religious minorities the right to establish and maintain their own educational institutions which may receive assistance from state.

The state cannot give any financial support to educational institutions run by religious communities

Intervention by state in religion

State shall interfere in religion so as to remove evils in it.

Ex: legislation against the practices of sati or widow-burning, dowry, animal and bird sacrifice, child marriage, and preventing Dalits from entering temples.

State does not intervene in the affairs of religion till the time religion is working within the limits of the law.

Sphere of religion No such clear segregation Religion is relegated entirely to the private sphere and has no place in public life whatsoever.

Public policy and religiona State has the policy of setting up Departments of Religious Endowments, Wakf Boards, etc. It is also involved in appointing Trustees of these boards

Model prohibits any public policy to be drafted on the basis of religion therefore

Temporal Background(History) of secularism

Since Ancient times plurality of Hinduism

Ex: 62 heterogenous sects in Ashoka times

Emboldened after Enlightenment .

Over the years, India has developed its own unique concept of secularism that is fundamentally different from the parallel western concept of secularism. In a pluralistic society, the best approach to nurture secularism is to expand religious freedom rather than strictly practicing state neutrality.