CBSE Class 12 Sociology Question Paper 2025 Solved Code 62

SECTION A

1. Assertion (A) : Industrialisation leads to greater equality, at least in some spheres, such as, caste distinctions do not matter any more in trains, buses, etc.
Reason (R) : Social inequalities are reducing in the world.
Select the most suitable option considering the Assertion and Reason. [1 Mark]
(A) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
(B) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
(C) Assertion (A) is true, but Reason (R) is false.
(D) Assertion (A) is false, but Reason (R) is true.

Answer: (A) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of Assertion (A).

Both statements are true. In shared public spaces created by industrial society, such as trains and buses, ascribed distinctions like caste no longer decide who may sit or travel where. This is a concrete instance of inequalities reducing, so Reason (R) correctly explains Assertion (A).

Teacher's Note:
a) Note the qualifier 'at least in some spheres' in the Assertion - industrialisation reduces some inequalities while creating new ones (class, income).
b) Use the standard method: first check if A is true, then R, then whether R explains A.

2. Assertion (A) : The old social movements functioned within the frame of political parties.
Reason (R) : Old social movements were national.
Select the most suitable option considering the Assertion and Reason. [1 Mark]
(A) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
(B) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
(C) Assertion (A) is true, but Reason (R) is false.
(D) Assertion (A) is false, but Reason (R) is true.

Answer: (B) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of Assertion (A).

Both statements are true. Old social movements (such as the labour movement) worked within the framework of political parties and were mostly class-based. They were also national in scale. However, being national is not the reason they functioned within party frames, so R does not explain A.

Teacher's Note:
a) Old movements: class-based, worked through political parties. New movements: work outside party politics, address identity, environment, gender issues, and often cross national borders.
b) Two true statements are not automatically a cause-effect pair - check the link.

3. As per the theory of Demographic Transition, which of the following statements are correct ?
(I) Population growth is linked to overall levels of economic development.
(II) Every society follows a typical pattern of development.
(III) The development is related to population growth.
(IV) There are four stages of population growth. [1 Mark]
Options :
(A) (I) and (II)
(B) (II) and (IV)
(C) (I) and (III)
(D) (I), (II) and (III)

Answer: (D) (I), (II) and (III)

Demographic transition theory holds that population growth is linked to overall levels of economic development, that every society follows a typical pattern of development, and that development is related to population growth. Statement (IV) is incorrect because the theory describes three stages (a low-growth stage, a transitional high-growth stage and a low-growth stage again), not four.

Teacher's Note:
a) The three stages: (1) high birth and death rates, low growth; (2) death rate falls, birth rate stays high, so 'population explosion'; (3) both rates fall, growth slows.
b) Watch for the number in the statement - 'four stages' is the trap.

4. Assertion (A) : Often it is thought that imparting knowledge of 'scientific' farming methods will improve the conditions of Indian farmers.
Reason (R) : The Indian farmers have been cultivating the land for centuries, much before the advent of the Green Revolution.
Select the most suitable option considering the Assertion and Reason. [1 Mark]
(A) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
(B) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
(C) Assertion (A) is true, but Reason (R) is false.
(D) Assertion (A) is false, but Reason (R) is true.

Answer: (A) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of Assertion (A).

Both statements are true and, as per the marking scheme, R explains A. Indian farmers already possess deep, long-tested knowledge of cultivation, so the assumption that they are waiting to be taught 'scientific' methods overlooks this. R is the reason why the assumption in A is questionable.

Teacher's Note:
a) Sociologically, farmers' knowledge is not 'unscientific' - it is experience-based and locally adapted.
b) Follow the official key (A) for this item.

5. Which of the following statements related to Tribal Identity is not true ? [1 Mark]
(A) Assertions of tribal identity are on the rise.
(B) This can be laid at the door of the emergence of a middle class within the tribal society.
(C) Issues relating to matters of ethnic-cultural identity are becoming less important.
(D) Issues relating to control over vital economic resources like land and specially forests, are on the rise.

Answer: (C) Issues relating to matters of ethnic-cultural identity are becoming less important.

Ethnic-cultural identity issues are becoming more, not less, important. Tribal identity assertion is rising, partly due to an emerging tribal middle class, and control over land and forests remains a central issue.

Teacher's Note:
a) In 'not true' questions, look for the option that reverses the actual trend.
b) Identity and resources (land, forests) are the two strands of tribal assertion.

Based on the following passage, answer Q. No. 6 and 7.

Social inequality and exclusion are facts of life. Social inequality and exclusion are social because they are not about individuals but about groups. In every society, some people have a greater share of valued resources - money, property, education, health and power - than others. People often face discrimination and exclusion because of their gender, religion, ethnicity, language, caste and disability.

6. Social inequality and exclusion are facts of life because :
(I) This everydayness of social inequality and exclusion often makes them appear inevitable, almost natural.
(II) We often think of them as being 'deserved' or 'justified' in some sense.
(III) These are natural which can be changed.
(IV) The poor and marginalised are not blamed for their own plight.
Which of the above statements are correct ? [1 Mark]
Options :
(A) (I) and (II)
(B) (I) and (III)
(C) (I) and (IV)
(D) (II) and (III)

Answer: (A) (I) and (II)

Because inequality and exclusion happen every day, they come to seem inevitable and almost natural, and people often regard them as 'deserved' or 'justified'. Statement (III) is contradictory (natural things cannot be easily changed), and (IV) is wrong because the poor and marginalised are often blamed for their own condition.

Teacher's Note:
a) This is a passage-based item; the same passage is used for Q7.
b) Social inequality is a feature of society, not of individuals.

7. Which of the following statements is not true related to Exclusion of Dalits ? [1 Mark]
(A) The institution of untouchability does not refer to the avoidance or prohibition of physical contact.
(B) Untouchability refers to a much broader set of social sanctions.
(C) Untouchable castes are outside the caste hierarchy.
(D) They are considered to be so impure that their mere touch severely pollutes members of all other castes.

Answer: (A) The institution of untouchability does not refer to the avoidance or prohibition of physical contact.

Untouchability does refer to avoidance or prohibition of physical contact - that is at its core - and also extends to a much broader set of social sanctions. So the statement in (A), which says it does not, is not true.

Teacher's Note:
a) Read negatives carefully: 'does not refer' flips the meaning.
b) Untouchability = physical avoidance + wider exclusion + exploitation + humiliation.

8. Assertion (A) : The laws of a colonised country did not have to stick to the democratic norms that the British back home had to follow in Britain.
Reason (R) : The colonial administrators were clear that harsh measures were taken against the labourers to make sure they benefitted the planters.
Select the most suitable option considering the Assertion and Reason. [1 Mark]
(A) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
(B) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
(C) Assertion (A) is true, but Reason (R) is false.
(D) Assertion (A) is false, but Reason (R) is true.

Answer: (A) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of Assertion (A).

Both are true. Colonial laws, such as those governing plantation labour, were harsh and undemocratic because administrators wanted to protect planters' interests. This is exactly why colonies did not follow the democratic norms observed in Britain.

Teacher's Note:
a) Example: penal laws that tied plantation workers (e.g. in Assam tea gardens) to their employers.
b) Link between R and A is causal here, so (A).

The socialisation process involves a continuous dialogue, negotiation and even struggle against significant others ... Our community provides us the language (our mother tongue) and the cultural values through which we comprehend the world. It also anchors our self-identity.

9. Which of the following statements is incorrect ? [1 Mark]
(A) We don't have to do anything to be born into a community.
(B) No one has any choice about which family they are born into.
(C) No one has any choice about which country they are born into.
(D) These types of identities are acquired.

Answer: (D) These types of identities are acquired.

Community, family and national identities are ascribed - based on birth - not acquired through effort or choice. So calling them 'acquired' is incorrect.

Teacher's Note:
a) Ascribed = by birth; achieved/acquired = by effort.
b) Passage is shared with Q10.

10. Community conflicts are hard to deal with because :
(I) Each side in the conflict thinks of the other side as a hated enemy.
(II) There is a tendency to exaggerate the virtues of one's own side.
(III) There is a tendency not to exaggerate the vices of the other side.
(IV) In such conflicts, they are constructing matching but reversed mirror images of each other.
Which of the above statements are correct ? [1 Mark]
Options :
(A) (I), (III) and (IV)
(B) (I), (II) and (III)
(C) (I), (II) and (IV)
(D) (II), (III) and (IV)

Answer: (C) (I), (II) and (IV)

In community conflicts each side sees the other as a hated enemy, exaggerates its own virtues, and builds a mirror-image picture of the other. Statement (III) is wrong: there is a tendency to exaggerate the vices of the other side, not to avoid exaggerating them.

Teacher's Note:
a) Statement (III) is the deliberately reversed one.
b) It is hard to see that the other side thinks of you exactly as you think of them - that is the mirror-image problem.

11. Why is the study of Social Movements important in Sociology ? [1 Mark]
(A) Social movements were about protests which were perceived by elites as a major threat to the established order of society.
(B) Social movements were not seen as forces that led to disorder.
(C) Participants of social movements do not have their own shared understanding of right and wrong.
(D) Participants did not often resort to public protest.

Answer: (A) Social movements were about protests which were perceived by elites as a major threat to the established order of society.

Sociology studies social movements because their protests were seen by elites as a serious threat to the established social order. Options (B), (C) and (D) contradict this: movements were seen as forces of disorder, participants do share their own sense of right and wrong, and they often protested publicly.

Teacher's Note:
a) Early sociologists studied crowds and protest because elites feared disorder.
b) Three of the four options are reversed versions of the truth.

12. Which of the following statements related to urbanization is not true ? [1 Mark]
(A) These metros attract migrants from the rural areas as well as from small towns.
(B) The larger cities in India are not growing at such a rapid rate.
(C) Urban infrastructure can hardly keep pace.
(D) With the mass media's primary focus on these cities, the public face of India is becoming more and more urban rather than rural.

Answer: (B) The larger cities in India are not growing at such a rapid rate.

The stem itself says the biggest cities - the metropolises - are growing the fastest. So the statement that larger cities are not growing at a rapid rate is not true.

Teacher's Note:
a) Use the information in the stem to eliminate options.
b) Metro growth strains urban infrastructure - housing, water, transport.

13. Assertion (A) : Agriculture is the single most important source of livelihood for the majority of the rural population.
Reason (R) : The rural is not just agriculture. Many activities that support agriculture and village life are also sources of livelihood.
Select the most suitable option considering the Assertion and Reason. [1 Mark]
(A) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
(B) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
(C) Assertion (A) is true, but Reason (R) is false.
(D) Assertion (A) is false, but Reason (R) is true.

Answer: (B) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of Assertion (A).

Both statements are true. However, the fact that rural life includes non-farm activities does not explain why agriculture is the most important source of livelihood; if anything it qualifies it. So R is not the correct explanation of A.

Teacher's Note:
a) Rural livelihoods include artisans, service providers, traders, etc., alongside cultivation.
b) True + true does not always mean 'explains'.

14. Assertion (A) : There is absorption of different tribal groups into caste Hindu society at varying levels of the hierarchy.
Reason (R) : Tribal lands were colonised and the forests cut down.
Select the most suitable option considering the Assertion and Reason. [1 Mark]
(A) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
(B) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
(C) Assertion (A) is true, but Reason (R) is false.
(D) Assertion (A) is false, but Reason (R) is true.

Answer: (A) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of Assertion (A).

Both are true, and per the marking scheme R explains A. As tribal lands were taken over and forests cleared, tribal groups lost their independent resource base and were drawn into the wider, caste-Hindu agrarian society at different levels of the hierarchy.

Teacher's Note:
a) Loss of forests and land pushed tribal groups towards the surrounding caste society.
b) Follow the official key (A).

15. Which of the following statements is true for westernisation ? [1 Mark]
(A) The changes brought about in Indian society and culture is a result of over 150 years of British rule.
(B) Westernisation does not involve the imitation of external forms of culture.
(C) The west did not influence Indian art and literature.
(D) Westernisation did not include the sub-culture of Indian intellectuals.

Answer: (A) The changes brought about in Indian society and culture is a result of over 150 years of British rule.

M.N. Srinivas defined westernisation as the changes brought about in Indian society and culture as a result of over 150 years of British rule. The other options are false: westernisation does involve imitation of external forms, influenced art and literature, and included the sub-culture of Indian intellectuals.

Teacher's Note:
a) Definition to remember: Srinivas - '150 years of British rule'.
b) Do not confuse with Sanskritisation (upward mobility by imitating higher castes).

16. Put the following statements in the correct order.
(I) Workers have to work at the pace of the machine.
(II) The more mechanised an industry gets, the fewer people are employed.
(III) Two tea breaks of 7.5 minutes each and one lunch break of half an hour.
(IV) Workers get only 45 minutes rest in the entire day. [1 Mark]
Options :
(A) (II), (I), (IV), (III)
(B) (I), (II), (III), (IV)
(C) (IV), (I), (III), (II)
(D) (I), (IV), (III), (II)

Answer: (A) (II), (I), (IV), (III)

The logical sequence is: (II) more mechanised industry employs fewer people; (I) workers must then work at the pace of the machine; (IV) they get only 45 minutes of rest in a whole day; (III) this is made up of two 7.5-minute tea breaks and a half-hour lunch break (15 + 30 = 45).

Teacher's Note:
a) Check the arithmetic: 7.5 + 7.5 + 30 = 45 minutes, so (III) explains (IV) and must follow it.
b) Ordering questions: find the general statement first, then the details.

SECTION B

17. "By and large, work for most Indians is still in small-scale workplaces. Here personal relationships determine many aspects of work."
In large organisations work is not determined by personal relationships. What inference can you draw from this statement ? [2 Marks]

Answer:
In large organisations work is governed by impersonal, well-defined rules rather than personal likes and dislikes.
1. Rules are well-defined and recruitment is more transparent.
2. There are mechanisms for complaints and redressal if there is a disagreement with the immediate superior.

Teacher's Note:
a) Contrast small workplaces (personal relationships decide raises, dismissals) with large organisations (formal rules, transparency).
b) Two clear inferences = 2 marks.

18. (a) "Cultural Diversity can present tough challenges." Support the statement with suitable examples. [2 Marks]

Answer:
Cultural diversity poses challenges because:
1. Cultural identities are very powerful - they arouse intense passions and can mobilise large numbers of people.
2. Cultural differences are often accompanied by economic and social inequalities, which complicates matters further.
3. The situation worsens when scarce resources such as river waters, jobs or government funds have to be shared.

Teacher's Note:
a) Give at least two distinct points with an example (e.g. river-water disputes between states).
b) Do not describe diversity in general - the question asks about challenges.

OR

(b) Give one argument each for and against secularism. [2 Marks]

Answer:
For: Secularism implies equal respect for all religions rather than separation or distancing. For example, the secular Indian state declares public holidays to mark the festivals of all religions.
Against: Opponents argue that secularism is only an excuse to favour minorities in return for their votes or other kinds of support.

Teacher's Note:
a) One argument on each side is needed - 1 mark each.
b) Indian secularism = equal respect for all religions, not strict separation of religion and state.

19. Adivasis shared a common hatred for dikus. Why ? Give two reasons. [2 Marks]

Answer:
Dikus were migrant traders and moneylenders who settled in Adivasi areas.
1. They grabbed the Adivasis' wealth and land, impoverishing the original residents.
2. In Jharkhand, most benefits from mining and industrial projects in the mineral-rich region went to dikus while Adivasis were alienated from their lands, leaving them with a sense of marginalisation and injustice.

Teacher's Note:
a) Diku = outsider (moneylender/trader/settler).
b) Mention both loss of land/wealth and the resulting marginalisation.

20. (a) Workers in underground mines face very dangerous conditions. Give examples. [2 Marks]

Answer:
Underground mine workers face several dangers:
1. Flooding and fire.
2. Collapse of roofs and sides.
3. Emission of gases and ventilation failures.
4. Breathing problems and diseases such as tuberculosis and silicosis.
5. Injuries from blasting and falling objects.

Teacher's Note:
a) Two specific examples are enough for 2 marks.
b) Mention both accidents (collapse, fire) and long-term illness (silicosis).

OR

(b) Give one advantage and one disadvantage of the policy of liberalisation. [2 Marks]

Answer:
Advantage: Licences are no longer required to open industries (or: foreign products are now easily available in Indian shops).
Disadvantage: Companies reduce permanent staff and outsource work, so employment has become more insecure with the rise of contract labour (other valid points: rising income inequality; land acquisition for industries).

Teacher's Note:
a) Give exactly one of each to earn full marks.
b) Liberalisation = reduced state control over the economy, opening to private and foreign players (from 1991).

21. During the 1960s, scholars debated whether tribes should be seen as one end of a continuum with caste-based (Hindu) peasant society, or whether they were an altogether different kind of community.
What is the basis for the argument for tribe and caste distinction ? [2 Marks]

Answer:
Those who argued that tribes are different from castes based their view on cultural and social differences:
1. Tribes have no notion of purity and pollution, which is central to the caste system.
2. Tribes are 'animist', more egalitarian and less stratified, with kinship-based social organisation and more community-based ownership of resources.

Teacher's Note:
a) Purity-pollution is the key idea distinguishing caste from tribe.
b) The other side (continuum view) saw no fundamental difference.

22. Many districts of colonial India were administered through the Zamindari system.
What problems were faced by the peasants due to the Zamindari system ? [2 Marks]

Answer:
Under the Zamindari system the British gave property rights and greater control over land to zamindars.
1. Zamindars extracted as much produce or money as they could from cultivators, who had to hand over a substantial share of the produce.
2. Heavy land revenue increased the burden of taxation on peasants, so agricultural production stagnated or declined.

Teacher's Note:
a) Two problems - heavy taxation/extraction and stagnation - are enough.
b) Zamindars were intermediaries between the state and cultivators.

23. One of the negative outcomes of the Green Revolution strategy was the worsening of regional inequalities. Give two reasons for your answer. [2 Marks]

Answer:
1. Areas that underwent technological transformation (Punjab, Haryana, western U.P., parts of the south) became more developed, while other areas, especially in the east with poorer irrigation, stagnated.
2. Well-to-do farmers with land and capital in green revolution regions increased production and income, while other regions retained a feudal agrarian structure that kept lower castes, landless workers and small cultivators subordinate.

Teacher's Note:
a) Give two distinct reasons: regional concentration and unequal access to capital/irrigation.
b) This also widened caste and class inequality within regions.

24. The major epidemic diseases in the past were fevers of various sorts, plague, smallpox and cholera. But the single largest epidemic was the influenza epidemic of 1918-19, which killed about 5% of the total population of India at that time.
Differentiate between epidemic and pandemic. [2 Marks]

Answer:
Epidemic: a sudden increase in the rate at which a disease affects the people of a given geographic area at a specific time.
Pandemic: an epidemic that spreads over a very wide geographical area - national, international or even global.

Teacher's Note:
a) The difference is the geographical spread.
b) Example: 1918-19 influenza was a pandemic; local plague outbreaks were epidemics.

25. "Theoretically, the caste can be understood as the combination of two sets of principles." Name them and define any one. [2 Marks]

Answer:
The two sets of principles are: (a) difference and separation, and (b) wholism and hierarchy.
Difference and separation: each caste is supposed to be different from, and strictly separated from, every other caste. Scriptural rules aim to prevent mixing of castes in marriage, food sharing, social interaction and occupation.
Wholism and hierarchy: castes exist only in relation to the larger whole of society; this whole is hierarchical rather than egalitarian.

Teacher's Note:
a) 0.5 + 0.5 for naming the two principles, 1 for defining one.
b) Define only one, but define it fully.

SECTION C

26. From the 1950s to the 1970s, a series of land reform laws were passed - at the national level as well as in the states. What were the reasons behind these reforms ? [4 Marks]

Answer:
1. After independence, Nehru and his policy advisers embarked on planned development focusing on agrarian reform as well as industrialisation.
2. Policy-makers were responding to a dismal agricultural situation marked by low productivity, dependence on imported food grains and intense rural poverty.
3. They felt that a major reform of the agrarian structure, landholding system and distribution of land was necessary if agriculture were to progress.
4. Land reforms were needed to boost agricultural growth, eradicate rural poverty and bring social justice.

Teacher's Note:
a) Four clear reasons for 4 marks; link each to production, poverty or justice.
b) Land reform = abolition of intermediaries, tenancy reform, land ceilings, consolidation of holdings.

27. Sociologists use the term 'Social Stratification' to refer to a system by which categories of people in a society are ranked in a hierarchy.
How does Social Stratification persist over generations ? [4 Marks]

Answer:
1. It is closely linked to the family and to the inheritance of social resources from one generation to the next.
2. A person's social position is ascribed - children assume the social positions of their parents.
3. Within the caste system, birth dictates occupational opportunities.
4. The practice of endogamy - marriage restricted to members of the same caste - reinforces the ascribed aspect of inequality.

Teacher's Note:
a) Key words: family, inheritance, ascription, endogamy.
b) Do not just define stratification - the question asks how it persists.

28. (a) Westernisation does involve the imitation of external forms of culture. Illustrate the process of westernisation. [4 Marks]

Answer:
1. M.N. Srinivas defined westernisation as the changes brought about in Indian society and culture as a result of over 150 years of British rule, at levels such as technology, institutions, ideology and values.
2. A westernised sub-cultural pattern emerged first among a small minority of Indians who came into contact with western culture, including the sub-culture of Indian intellectuals who adopted western ways of thinking and life styles.
3. There was also a general spread of western cultural traits: new technology, dress, food, and changes in habits and styles - for example, many middle-class homes now have a television, fridge, sofa set and dining table.
4. People adopted modern values of democracy and equality, and the west also influenced Indian art and literature.

Teacher's Note:
a) Start with Srinivas's definition, then give examples.
b) Mention both the sub-culture of intellectuals and the general spread of cultural traits.

OR

(b) The varied Social Reform Movements did have common themes. Yet there were also significant differences. Discuss. [4 Marks]

Answer:
Reform movements shared concerns about social evils but differed in emphasis and understanding:
1. For some, concerns were confined to problems faced by upper-caste, middle-class women and men.
2. For others, injustices suffered by discriminated castes were the central question.
3. For some, social evils emerged because of a decline of the true spirit of Hinduism; for others, caste and gender oppression were intrinsic to the religion itself.
4. Muslim social reformers actively debated the meaning of polygamy and purdah.

Teacher's Note:
a) Structure the answer as 'similar themes' then 'differences'.
b) Use contrast pairs: upper-caste women vs. discriminated castes; decline of religion vs. oppression intrinsic to religion.

29. Each one of us is born into a family, and most of us spend long years within it. Usually we feel very strongly about our family. The family is an integral part of our lives. Elaborate. [4 Marks]

Answer:
1. We feel very good about parents, grandparents, siblings, uncles, aunts and cousins, and miss their overbearing ways when we are away.
2. The family is a space of great warmth and care.
3. Work schedules of young parents may lead to grandparents moving in as care-givers to young grandchildren.
4. Families can be classified on the basis of authority (patriarchy-matriarchy), residence (patrilocal-matrilocal), inheritance (patrilineal-matrilineal) or size (joint/extended-nuclear).

Teacher's Note:
a) Combine emotional and sociological points.
b) Mention the family forms for a well-rounded answer.

30. "In India, the impact of the very same British industrialisation led to deindustrialisation in some sectors." Identify the impacts on the basis of the above statement. [4 Marks]

Answer:
1. As manufacturing boomed in Britain, India's traditional exports of cotton and silk manufactures declined in the face of Manchester competition.
2. Old urban centres such as Surat and Masulipatnam declined while Bombay and Madras grew.
3. Towns like Thanjavur, Dhaka and Murshidabad lost their courts and hence some of their artisans and court gentry when the British took over Indian states.
4. Unlike Britain, where industrialisation moved people into towns, the initial impact in India was that more people moved into agriculture.

Teacher's Note:
a) Deindustrialisation = decline of traditional industries because of colonial policy and machine-made imports.
b) Name cities/industries to score full marks.

31. There is a close relationship between disability and poverty. Discuss. [4 Marks]

Answer:
1. Malnutrition and mothers weakened by frequent childbirth increase the chance of disability in poor families.
2. Inadequate immunisation programmes leave poor children exposed to disabling diseases.
3. Accidents in overcrowded homes contribute to disability among poor people.
4. Disability in turn creates and worsens poverty by increasing isolation and economic strain, not just for the individual but for the whole family.

Teacher's Note:
a) Show the two-way link: poverty causes disability, and disability deepens poverty.
b) Give concrete causes (malnutrition, poor immunisation, overcrowding).

32. "In response to harsh working conditions, sometimes workers went on strike." Justify taking the example of the famous Bombay Textile Strike of 1982. [4 Marks]

Answer:
1. The 1982 Bombay Textile Strike was led by trade union leader Dr. Datta Samant and affected nearly a quarter of a million workers and their families.
2. It lasted nearly two years; workers demanded better wages and the right to form their own union.
3. Workers were desperate and found it hard to sustain themselves without wages, so people slowly began going back to work.
4. Nearly one lakh workers lost their jobs and went back to villages, took up casual labour or moved to smaller towns.

Teacher's Note:
a) Give the leader, duration, demands and consequences.
b) The strike shows both the power and the cost of collective action.

SECTION D

33. The declining Sex Ratio in India 1901 - 2011 is given below :
Year | Sex Ratio all age groups | Variation over previous decade | Child Sex Ratio (0-6 years) | Variation over previous decade
1901 | 972 | - | - | -
1911 | 964 | -8 | - | -
1921 | 955 | -9 | - | -
1931 | 950 | -5 | - | -
1941 | 945 | -5 | - | -
1951 | 946 | +1 | - | -
1961 | 941 | -5 | 976 | -
1971 | 930 | -11 | 964 | -12
1981 | 934 | +4 | 962 | -2
1991 | 927 | -7 | 945 | -17
2001 | 933 | +6 | 927 | -18
2011 | 943 | +10 | 919 | -8
Based on the above data, answer the following questions. [6 Marks]

(a) What are the reasons for the declining child sex ratio ? [2 Marks]

Answer:
Reasons for the declining child sex ratio (any two):
1. Severe neglect of girl babies in infancy, leading to higher death rates.
2. Sex-specific abortions that prevent girl babies from being born.
3. Female infanticide, or killing of girl babies, due to religious or cultural beliefs.
4. Misuse of modern medical techniques such as the sonogram to identify and selectively abort female foetuses.

Teacher's Note:
a) Two reasons are enough for 2 marks.
b) Child sex ratio = number of girls per 1000 boys in the age group 0-6.

(b) Compare the data of the 20th century with that of the 21st century and state your inferences. [4 Marks]

Answer:
Comparison:
1. 20th century: the overall sex ratio fell from 972 (1901) to 927 (1991), with only a small rise in 1951 and 1981; the child sex ratio fell steadily from 976 (1961) to 945 (1991), a sharp drop of 17 points in the 1980s.
2. 21st century: the overall sex ratio improved from 927 (1991) to 933 (2001) and 943 (2011), the highest rise of 6 and then 10 points, but the child sex ratio fell further, from 945 to 927 (-18) in 2001 and to 919 (-8) in 2011.
3. In 2001 the child sex ratio fell below the overall sex ratio for the first time.
Inferences:
1. The overall sex ratio has improved due to better nutrition, general education and awareness, and availability of medical and communication facilities.
2. The child sex ratio is falling because economically prosperous families have fewer children and may wish to choose the sex of their child.
3. Government programmes such as 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' and 'Ladli Yojana' are important policy measures for raising the child sex ratio.

Teacher's Note:
a) Mention actual figures from the table for both centuries.
b) The key inference: overall ratio recovering, child ratio worsening - an anomaly.

34. Discuss the classification of Social Movements. [6 Marks]

Answer:
1. Reformist movements try to change existing social and political arrangements through gradual, incremental steps - for example the 1960s movement for the reorganisation of Indian states on the basis of language, and the Right to Information campaign.
2. Redemptive movements aim to change the personal consciousness and actions of individual members - for example, the Ezhava community in Kerala led by Narayana Guru changing its social practices.
3. Revolutionary movements attempt to radically transform social relations, often by capturing state power - for example the Bolshevik revolution in Russia and the Naxalite movement in India.
4. Social movements are also classified as old (working within political parties and class-based) and new (identity, environment, gender-based) social movements.

Teacher's Note:
a) Classification: reformist, redemptive, revolutionary (plus old and new). Give 2 marks each for three types with examples.
b) Examples must be paired with each type.

35. The Civil Society has been instrumental in taking many significant initiatives, the most recent being the campaign for the Right to Information. Discuss the initiative and its outcome. [6 Marks]

Answer:
Initiative (2 marks):
1. The campaign began as an agitation in rural Rajasthan for the release of information on government funds spent on village development, and grew into a nation-wide campaign.
2. Despite bureaucratic resistance, the government was forced to respond and pass a law formally recognising citizens' right to information.
Outcome (4 marks):
1. The Right to Information Act 2005 gives Indians access to government records; it was passed on 15 June 2005 and came into force on 13 October 2005.
2. Any person may request information from a 'public authority', which must reply expeditiously or within thirty days.
3. Every public authority must computerise its records so that citizens need minimum recourse to formal requests.
4. Citizens may request any information, take copies of documents, inspect documents, works and records, take certified samples of materials, and obtain information in the form of printouts, diskettes, tapes, video cassettes or other electronic modes.

Teacher's Note:
a) Structure: how the campaign began (2) + what the Act provides (4).
b) Remember the dates and the 30-day rule.

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