In a district, a law has long made it an offence to bar women of certain communities from village councils. Over the years, protests by women's groups have also drawn public attention to the issue. A recent survey there notes that women now attend council meetings, but they are seated apart, their views are seldom recorded, and decisions are often taken in informal gatherings to which they are not invited.
From the sociological view, what is required to break practices like those found in the survey?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → A constant social campaign to change awareness and sensitivity
Option (1) A constant social campaign to change awareness and sensitivity — Correct. Prejudices remain and new ones emerge, so law alone cannot bring lasting social change. A constant social campaign to change awareness and sensitivity is needed to break practices like seating women apart.
Option (2) Stricter punishment under the law, with faster trials in special courts — Incorrect. The law already exists in the district, yet exclusion goes on in new forms. Stricter punishment is still a legal step, and legislation alone is unable to transform society.
Option (3) Reservation of seats for women in village councils — Incorrect. Women already attend the meetings, yet they are seated apart and their views go unrecorded. Reserved seats ensure presence but do not change the attitudes behind such practices.
Option (4) Training programmes for council officials on meeting procedures — Incorrect. The problem is not a lack of knowledge of meeting procedures. It lies in prejudice, which needs a change in awareness and sensitivity.
NCERT (2026-27): “Social Exclusion … |