Which of the following is NOT correct about stereotypes?

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 3

The correct answer is Option (3) → Groups are classified as 'lazy' or 'cunning' in English, not Indian, fiction.

Option (1) They are fixed and inflexible characterisations of a group of people. — Correct about stereotypes. Stereotypes are fixed and inflexible characterisations of a group of people. They are often applied to ethnic and racial groups and to women.

Option (2) Many stereotypes in India are partly creations of the colonial period. — Correct about stereotypes. India was colonised for a long time, so many stereotypes are partly colonial creations. Some communities were labelled 'martial races', and others cowardly or untrustworthy.

Option (3) Groups are classified as 'lazy' or 'cunning' in English, not Indian, fiction. — Not correct about stereotypes. Labels like 'lazy' or 'cunning' for a whole group appear in both English and Indian fiction. Limiting them to English fiction makes the statement false.

Option (4) They treat an entire community as though it were a single person. — Correct about stereotypes. Stereotypes fix whole groups into single, uniform categories. They ignore differences between individuals and treat a community as one person with one trait.

NCERT (2026-27): “Social Inequality …
Prejudices are often grounded in stereotypes, fixed and inflexible characterisations of a group of people. Stereotypes are often applied to ethnic and racial groups and to women. In a country such as India, which was colonised for a long time, many of these stereotypes are partly colonial creations. Some communities were characterised as ‘martial races’, some others as effeminate or cowardly, yet others as untrustworthy. In both English and Indian fictional writings we often encounter an entire group of people classified as ‘lazy’ or ‘cunning’. It may indeed be true that some individuals are sometimes lazy or cunning, brave or cowardly. But such a general statement is true of individuals in every group. Even for such individuals, it is not true all the time – the same individual may be both lazy and hardworking at different times. Stereotypes fix whole groups into single, homogenous categories; they refuse to recognise the variation across individuals and across contexts or across time. They treat an entire community as though it were a single person with a single all-encompassing trait or characteristic.”