GS Paper II — Q2
"Women as a class neither belong to a minority group nor are they regarded as forming a backward class." In the light of this…
"Women as a class neither belong to a minority group nor are they regarded as forming a backward class." In the light of this statement, discuss the evolution of women's reservation from local bodies to Parliament. (Answer in 150 words) 10 marks
हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें
“एक वर्ग के रूप में महिलाएँ न तो किसी अल्पसंख्यक समूह का अंग हैं और न ही वे पिछड़ा वर्ग बनाती मानी जाती हैं।” इस कथन के प्रकाश में, स्थानीय निकायों से संसद तक में महिला आरक्षण के क्रमिक विकास की विवेचना कीजिए। (उत्तर 150 शब्दों में दीजिए)
Model answer
Drafted with AI by UPSC Answer Check against this question's marking rubric, to the 150-word length. UPSC does not publish answers for Mains — this is one way to score well, not an official key. How we build rubrics and answers.
The premise separates women from minority and backward-class claims under Articles 15(4) and 16(4); women’s quotas instead rest on Article 15(3) and specific amendments. The 73rd and 74th Amendments (1992) inserted Articles 243D and 243T, reserving one-third of Panchayat and municipal seats and chairperson posts for women; many States, beginning with Bihar (2006), raised this to 50%. Parliamentary reservation lagged: the Geeta Mukherjee Committee (1996) recommended changes including OBC sub-reservation, and the 108th Amendment Bill passed the Rajya Sabha in 2010 but lapsed in 2014. The 106th Amendment (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023) inserted Articles 330A and 332A, reserving one-third of Lok Sabha and State Assembly seats for women, including one-third of SC/ST-reserved seats for SC/ST women, for 15 years (Article 334A). It commences only after delimitation based on the first Census after 2023; a 2026 bid to advance it using the 2011 Census (Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill) was defeated in the Lok Sabha. OBC women’s sub-quotas remain contested. The evolution thus shows constitutional recognition, but implementation and internal equity remain unfinished.
How this answer will be evaluated
Framework: GS2: Governance, Constitution, and Social Justice
What earns full marks: Critically links the statement to the 73rd/74th and 106th Amendments with a clear constitutional argument.
Evaluation rubric
Each sub-part is marked on its own, against the marks and word limit printed on the paper.
- The answer Discuss the evolution of women's reservation from local bodies to Parliament in the light of the statement that women are neither a minority nor a backward class. 10 marks · 150 words
discuss— intro → 3-4 dimensions → example → balanced close
Must cover
- Contextualize the statement regarding women's constitutional status
- Trace the 73rd/74th Amendment (1992) local body reservation
- Explain the 106th Amendment (2023): Articles 330A/332A, SC/ST women's sub-quota, 15-year term (Article 334A), commencement only after post-Census delimitation
- Link the evolution to the 'class' vs 'minority' distinction
Loses marks
- Reciting Articles without linking to the statement
- Failing to address the 'minority/backward class' argument
- Ending without a forward-looking conclusion or reform
Earns more
- Mention reservation of chairperson posts under Articles 243D/243T and States raising panchayat quotas to 50% (e.g., Bihar 2006)
- Note the implementation delay: Census/delimitation link and the defeat of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026
- Discuss the debate on an OBC women's sub-quota
- Explain why women's quotas rest on Article 15(3) rather than Articles 15(4)/16(4)
Extra mark
- Cite the specific Article (Article 15(3))
- Cite the Geeta Mukherjee Committee (1996) or the 2010 Rajya Sabha passage of the 108th Amendment Bill
What "Discuss" is asking you to do
Lay the issue out from more than one side — how it arose, what is claimed for it, what is held against it, and where it now stands. UPSC attaches discuss to broad topics with several live dimensions, so coverage of the dimensions earns more than the strength of your opinion.
Structure that answers it
Set the issue up → the case as it is made → the case against → the dimension both sides leave out → where the balance now lies
Where marks are lost
Listing facts with no thread between them, or arguing one side throughout and calling it a discussion.
Practice this exact question
Write your answer and it is marked point by point against the model answer above — what you covered, what you missed, what you got wrong.
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