A report recently published that a woman president of Therku Thittai…

The correct answer is Option (4) → Discrimination

Option (1) Stereotype — Incorrect. A stereotype is a fixed and inflexible characterisation of a group, as when a whole community is called ‘lazy’ or ‘cunning’. It is an idea in the mind; the case describes something done to the president.

Option (2) Prejudice — Incorrect. Prejudices are pre-conceived opinions or attitudes held by members of one group towards another. Prejudice may lie behind the act, but prejudice describes attitudes and opinions, while the case reports an action.

Option (3) Exploitation — Incorrect. Exploitation means taking unfair advantage of someone’s labour or resources for one’s own gain. Nothing is taken from the president here; she is denied equal treatment.

Option (4) Discrimination — Correct. Discrimination refers to actual behaviour towards another group or individual, as in practices that keep members of one group from what is open to others. The elected president was made to sit on the floor because of her caste, an act that denied her the equal place her office gave her.

Note: This is an application-based question. The book explains prejudice and stereotypes as attitudes and opinions, and discrimination as actual behaviour towards another group or individual. The answer comes from applying this to the case: making the panchayat president sit on the floor because of her caste is an act done to her, so it is discrimination.