Chapter 24 – SOCIAL CHALLENGES

Chapter – 24
SOCIAL CHALLENGES
EXERCISES
I Fill in the blanks with suitable words:

1. Article 24 of the Constitution prohibits employing children for work.
   Answer: Article 24
2. The ‘Prohibition of Child Labour Act’ came into practice in the year 1986_.
   Answer: 1986
3. The National Policy was framed in 1987_ .
   Answer: 1987
4. The Prohibition of Dowry Act first came into effect in 1961__.
   Answer: 1961
5. Protection of Children from sexual offenses (POCSO) act came into force in 2012.
   Answer: 2012
6. Mention any two social challenges plaguing India.
   Answer: Two social challenges plaguing India are,
   A) Child Labour
   B) Child Marriage
7. What is child labourer?
8. What is the meaning of female foeticide?
   Answer: When the foetus is that of a girl and the parents do not want a girl baby to be born, they kill it in the womb itself. This is known as ‘female foeticid
9. What is female infanticide?
10. What is Child Marriage?
    Answer: According to law, the marriage that takes place between a boy of below 21 years and a girl who is below 18 years is child Marriage.
    III Discuss the following in groups and answer the following:
11. Mention the causes for the problem of child labour.
    Answer: Poverty, domestic conflicts, divorce, domestic violence, excessive control, greed of industrialists, illiteracy, kidnapping of children and pledging them etc. are the causes behind child labour and its increase.
12. What are the consequences of child labour?
    Answer: The consequences of child labour are,
13. Child labour is the result of a serious lacuna in the social system.
14. The people who extract work from children throughout the day, do not pay any attention to their mental, emotional, educational or medical needs. Instead, they harass them physically and mentally.
15. Due to ill-health, lack of nutritious food and proper medical facilities, forced employment, economic and social exploitation, thousands of child labourers are suffering even today.
16. At an age when they should have been playing, day-dreaming or studying, their innocence has been snatched away from them by pushing them into employment.
17. Explain the measures for eradicating the problem of child labour.
    Answer: The measures for eradicating the problem of child labour are,
18. The Central government has launched a programme called ‘Rehabilitation Welfare Fund of Child Labourers’ through which their educational, medical and fundamental needs can be fulfilled, and their exploitation stopped.
19. To prohibit appointment of child labourers, the ‘Child Labour Prohibition and Control Act (1986)’ has been enacted.
20. Industrialists who violate this law, will have to mandatorily contribute Rs. 20,000/- per child labourer to the Welfare Fund.
21. What are the evil effects of dowry system?
    Answer: The evil effects of dowry system are,
22. Dowry diminishes women’s self-respect, dignity and stature. It leads to domestic conflicts.
23. It also creates animosity between men and women.
24. Due to this evil, immorality and violence increase. Family relationships suffer.
25. Families of brides get oppressed under financial constraints. Greed for dowry is leading to deception in the name of marriage.
26. In order to escape from the dowry menace, people are resorting to child marriage.
27. Female foeticide and female infanticide are increasing.
28. The number of divorces are also rising.
29. What are the solutions for the problem of dowry?
    Answer: The solutions for the problem of dowry are,
30. Under the ‘Prohibition of Dowry Act’ in 1961, marrying under the condition of being provided dowry is prohibited.
31. Apart from legal measures, encouraging people to become awareness,
32. inter-caste marriages,
33. modern mass media,
34. voluntary organizations and women associations can also help to eradicate this social evil from our midst.
35. What are the effects of Child Marriage ?
    Answer: The effects of Child Marriage are,
36. The holistic development of children is stunted by child marriage and they lose the power of questioning.
37. As a result, violations like sexual assaults on children increase the number.
38. Many rights of children like education, childhood, entertainment, interaction with friends continue to be violated.
39. Children fall into the trap of malnutrition, anemia, diseases, abortions, infanticide and maternal mortality increases.
40. The chance of girl becoming a widow at a young age is also more and they become a victim of violence easily.
    Some more questions and answers
41. Expand ‘POSCO’
    Answer: Expand form of POSCO is ‘Protection of Children from Sexual Offense’
42. What is “POSCO”
    Answer: POSCO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offense) is the protection of children from sexual offenses act, is aimed at curbing the increasing number of sexual assults on children in schools, families and public places these days protetion of children from sexual offenses act 2012 has been passed preventing the increasing sexual violence against children in schools, families and public places these days.
43. What are the reasons for Child marriage?
    Answer: The reasons for Child marriage are,
44. Gender discrimination is the primary reason for Child Marriage. It is believed that since a girl goes to another family after marriage, it is better to send her early.
45. Lack of education is one of the main reasons for Child Marriage. As the children do not go to school, they end up marrying early.
46. Lack of proper implementation of law, Poor implementation of legal provisions in school education,
47. Lack of participation in the part of community and general public in the implementation of child rights and child development programmes has led to the problem of child marriage to prevail.
    4 . What are the solutions for Child marriage?
    Answer: The solutions for Child marriage are,
48. Implementing the education Development Programmes without lapses can prevent school dropouts before 18 years of age. This means all the children within 18 years of age should be within the schooling system and should have 100% attendance.
49. Similarly, birth registration is compulsory and 100% birth registration target is needed.
50. Importance should be given to girls’ education. They should be empowered on priority.
51. A child marriage should always be reported, questioned and opposed.
    5 . What is Dowry?
    Answer: Any kind of property, jewellery or gift given to the bridegroom at the time of marriage, either before or after the marriage is known as ‘dowry’.