Q8
(a) Explain the thematic linkages between 'Patriarchy' and 'Honour killing' in India, citing some recent cases. (20 marks) (b) Discuss the challenges faced by the cooperative movements in India. Suggest measures to strengthen the movement at the grass-roots level. (20 marks) (c) What is 'Ageing' ? Discuss the major problems of aged people in India. (10 marks)
हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें
(a) कुछ हालिया मामलों का हवाला देते हुए भारत में 'पितृसत्ता' और 'सम्मान रक्षा हेतु हत्या' (ऑनर किलिंग) के बीच विषयगत संबंधों की व्याख्या कीजिए । (20 अंक) (b) भारत में सहकारी आंदोलनों के सामने आने वाली चुनौतियों की चर्चा कीजिए । जमीनी स्तर पर इस आंदोलन को मजबूत करने के उपाय सुझाइए । (20 अंक) (c) 'वयोवृद्धि' से क्या अभिप्राय है ? भारत में वृद्ध लोगों की मुख्य समस्याओं की चर्चा कीजिए । (10 अंक)
Directive word: Explain
This question asks you to explain. The directive word signals the depth of analysis expected, the structure of your answer, and the weight of evidence you must bring.
See our UPSC directive words guide for a full breakdown of how to respond to each command word.
How this answer will be evaluated
Approach
The directive 'explain' in part (a) demands causal and thematic linkage, not mere description; parts (b) and (c) use 'discuss' requiring balanced argumentation. Allocate approximately 40% word/time to part (a) given its 20 marks and conceptual depth, 35% to part (b) for its dual demand (challenges + measures), and 25% to part (c). Structure: brief integrated introduction → three distinct sections with sub-headings → conclusion that synthesises across themes (patriarchal control, collective economic action, lifecycle vulnerability).
Key points expected
- Part (a): Patriarchy as structural control over female sexuality and lineage; honour killing as extreme enforcement mechanism; linkage through izzat, gotra exogamy, and caste-purity anxiety
- Part (a): Recent cases: 2021 Kausalya-Shankar (Tamil Nadu), 2020 Nikita Tomar (Haryana), 2022 Delhi case; Khap panchayat role
- Part (b): Challenges: political interference, bureaucratisation, credit access, member apathy, regional imbalance (Gujarat-Kerala vs BIMARU), Amul vs. IFFCO contrast
- Part (b): Grass-roots measures: professional management, ICT integration, women-led cooperatives (Kudumbashree model), NABARD linkage, legal reform (97th Constitutional Amendment implementation)
- Part (c): Ageing as demographic transition + social construction; problems: economic dependency, empty-nest syndrome, elder abuse, pension gaps, healthcare burden, feminisation of ageing
- Part (c): NSS 76th round data, Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act 2007, SAGE portal limitations
Evaluation rubric
| Dimension | Weight | Max marks | Excellent | Average | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demand-directive understanding | 20% | 10 | For (a), treats 'explain' as establishing causal mechanisms between patriarchal structures and honour violence, not mere correlation; for (b), addresses both 'challenges' and 'suggest' equally without imbalance; for (c), defines ageing sociologically (not just biologically) before enumerating problems. | Recognises directives but treats (a) descriptively, (b) skews toward challenges with thin suggestions, and (c) lists problems without conceptual definition of ageing. | Misreads (a) as 'define honour killing'; (b) omits suggestions entirely; (c) provides only demographic statistics without sociological framing. |
| Theoretical framing | 20% | 10 | Deploys Sylvia Walby's patriarchy structures (paid work, sexuality, culture) for (a); uses Robert Owen/Drake-Cayton cooperative ideals or Banerjee-Duflo RCT critique for (b); applies Disengagement theory or Activity theory and Cowgill's modernisation thesis for (c); integrates at least two named frameworks across parts. | Names theorists (e.g., 'according to Walby') but applies concepts superficially or only in one part. | No theoretical scaffolding; answer reads as general knowledge compilation without sociological concepts. |
| Indian / empirical examples | 20% | 10 | For (a): cites 2021 Kausalya case, 2020 Nikita Tomar murder, Supreme Court judgments (Shakti Vahini 2018); for (b): contrasts Amul/NDDB success with Bihar cooperative collapse, cites 97th Amendment; for (c): NSS 76th round dependency ratios, SAGE portal, MWPSC Act implementation gaps; minimum three concrete data points per part. | Mentions honour killing cases without specifics, names 'cooperative movement' without regional contrast, cites 'old age homes increasing' without data source. | Generic examples ('in some villages', 'many cooperatives failed') or transplants Western cases ( honour killing in Pakistan) without Indian grounding. |
| Multi-paradigm analysis | 20% | 10 | For (a): considers whether honour killing is 'patriarchal' or 'caste-patriarchal' intersection; for (b): weighs state-led vs. spontaneous cooperative models, acknowledges successful cases (SEWA, Amul) against failures; for (c): contrasts Disengagement vs. Activity theory on ageing; shows awareness of debate in at least two parts. | Acknowledges alternative view in passing ('however, some argue') without elaboration or integration. | Monolithic treatment: patriarchy causes honour killing (period); cooperatives always fail; ageing is uniformly negative. |
| Conclusion & sociological imagination | 20% | 10 | Synthesises across parts: links patriarchal control of female labour to women's cooperative potential and feminisation of ageing; connects state-civil society tension across honour killing (law vs. khap), cooperatives (bureaucracy vs. autonomy), and ageing (family vs. state care); proposes integrated policy or research direction; demonstrates Mills' 'personal troubles to public issues' movement. | Summarises three parts separately without cross-linking; adds no new analytical insight. | Absent or single-sentence conclusion; or conclusion merely restates question without synthesis. |
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