CBSE EXAMINATION PAPER-2022

Answer:

(a) Two features of a social movement are: (1) It requires sustained collective action over time, meaning continuous efforts by a group of people to bring about change. (2) It has an organization and leadership that help members work together and make decisions effectively.

(b) An example of a Dalit Movement is the movement led by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar that fought against caste discrimination and worked for the rights and upliftment of Dalits in India.

Answer: Social reform movements shared goals like education access, women's status improvement, and breaking caste barriers, but they had differences as well. Firstly, some movements were reformist, aiming to improve specific social practices, while others were revolutionary, seeking radical change. Secondly, their composition varied; for example, the women's movement united urban middle-class feminists and poor peasant women, whereas other movements often had a more homogeneous membership. These differences influenced their strategies and outcomes.

Answer: Indian nationalists viewed economic exploitation under British colonial rule as a major problem. After independence, they promoted industrialisation as a way to overcome poverty and achieve economic freedom. They emphasized the development of heavy industries and machine-making sectors to modernize the economy. The public sector was expanded significantly to control key industries, and cooperative sectors were encouraged to create social equity. These steps aimed to reduce dependence on foreign countries and build a self-reliant, strong economy, reflecting the nationalist vision of swaraj or self-rule.

Answer: Sanskritisation supports inequality because it assumes the cultural practices of the 'upper caste' as superior, implying that the 'lower caste' practices are inferior. This promotes social exclusion by encouraging lower caste groups to imitate upper castes to gain status, rather than challenging the hierarchy itself. Also, this model benefits mainly those lower caste groups who are financially better off, excluding poorer groups from upward mobility and reinforcing existing social inequalities.

Answer: Commercialisation of agriculture means growing crops primarily for sale in the market rather than for personal consumption. This change led to significant transformations in rural society, especially in labour relations. As agriculture became more commercialised, many small farmers could no longer sustain themselves solely on farming, leading to increased dependence on wage labour. In regions where commercial farming was expanding, there was a higher demand for labourers to work on larger farms and plantations. Consequently, many agricultural workers became migrant labourers, moving from one place to another in search of work. This movement of workers is referred to as the circulation of labour. The growth of migrant agricultural labour has linked different rural regions economically, with labourers supplying their work to more developed agricultural areas. This migration and circulation of labour reflect the transition towards capitalist agriculture, where workers do not own land but depend on wages for survival, linking rural areas to the wider market economy.

Answer:

Contract farming is an agricultural system where companies provide farmers with seeds, inputs, know-how, and capital to grow specific crops, guaranteeing a fixed price for the produce. The positive aspect of contract farming is that it provides farmers with financial security and assured market access, reducing the risks of price fluctuations. This system is common in producing specialized crops like flowers, fruits, cotton, and oilseeds. However, there are negative aspects as well. Contract farming often shifts land use away from food grain production towards export-oriented products. It may disconnect farmers from traditional agricultural knowledge and makes them dependent on companies. It generally promotes crops requiring high inputs of fertilizers and pesticides, which may not be ecologically sustainable. Additionally, since contract farming mainly focuses on elite products, small farmers may find it difficult to benefit equally. Hence, while it offers market assurance, the dependency and ecological concerns pose challenges to this system.

Answer:

Ecological movements can be understood as both old and new social movements because they often address a mix of social, economic, and environmental issues, rather than just environmental conservation alone. The Chipko Movement in India is a clear example of this overlap. It began in the early 1970s in the Himalayan foothills when local villagers, primarily women, protested against the cutting of trees in their forests. While the movement was focused on protecting the environment and conserving forests, it also expressed broader concerns. The hill villagers resented the policies of a distant government that seemed indifferent to their needs, highlighting issues of political representation and economic inequality.

This shows that ecological movements, like the Chipko Movement, are intertwined with social inequality and cultural identity, which are characteristic features of old social movements. For example, tribal communities' struggles involve concerns over economic inequality and cultural identity alongside environmental protection. Therefore, the Chipko Movement demonstrates how ecological movements challenge not only environmental degradation but also social injustice and political marginalization.

In conclusion, ecological movements cannot be categorized simply as new or old social movements because they blend environmental goals with social and political issues, as illustrated by the Chipko Movement. This intermingling of economic, cultural, ecological, and political concerns makes ecological movements significant and complex examples of social movements in India.