Read the following passage and answer the questions based on the passage :
The discourse on gender roles in modern India occupies a complex intersection between inherited patriarchal structures and evolving socio-political consciousness. While constitutional provisions guarantee equality and the policy framework has increasingly incorporated gender-sensitive measures, deep-seated cultural scripts continue to govern the lived experiences of both women and men across diverse social strata. Contrary to the homogenizing narrative of progress, gender dynamics in India remain highly uneven. Urban centers may exhibit surface-level liberalization in female workforce participation and social autonomy, but these indicators often camouflage the persistent undercurrents of gendered expectations. Women, even when educated and employed, are frequently subjected to the “double burden”—juggling professional obligations with entrenched domestic responsibilities. The idea of the "ideal Indian woman" remains tethered to notions of chastity, compliance, and familial prioritization, subtly reinforced through popular media, matrimonial conventions, and institutional biases. In rural and semi-urban contexts, the scenario becomes even more layered. While grassroots movements and self-help groups have undoubtedly empowered many women economically and politically, the transformation in gender attitudes is far from uniform. Customary practices such as dowry, son-preference, and moral policing continue to restrict female agency. The intersection of gender with caste, class, and religion further complicates this matrix, rendering some women doubly or triply marginalized. For instance, a Dalit woman in a patriarchal village setup not only grapples with gendered subjugation but also caste discrimination and socio-economic precarity. Meanwhile, discussions around masculinity in India have remained relatively under-theorized. The cultural construct of the Indian male continues to valorize dominance, emotional stoicism, and economic provisioning. These norms are not only restrictive for women but also profoundly limiting for men, who face stigmatization when deviating from prescribed masculine roles. The lack of space for emotional vulnerability or non-conformist identity expression among men reveals that patriarchal systems, while privileging one gender, dehumanize both. Education, digital media, and feminist activism have undoubtedly created ruptures in traditional gender narratives. However, the backlash against progressive gender norms—evident in increasing online misogyny, moral vigilantism, and politicization of women’s autonomy—signals that change is not linear. Legislation alone cannot undo centuries of cultural indoctrination; transformation demands a deeper, intergenerational shift in values. To genuinely transcend regressive gender binaries, India must invest not just in policies but in pedagogies—ones that dismantle gender essentialism from early childhood, promote inclusive masculinities, and validate diverse gender expressions. Without such a fundamental reimagining, the rhetoric of equality will continue to outpace reality, and gender roles will remain ensnared in a paradox of progress and persistence.
What long-term solution does the author propose to resolve gender inequality?
- (a)Stringent laws and penalties
- (b)Reforming pedagogy and cultural values
- (c)Promoting arranged marriages
- (d)Expanding reservations for women
Answer
Why
Correct — B. The remedy is the passage's recommendation: 'India must invest not just in policies but in pedagogies—ones that dismantle gender essentialism from early childhood.'
The sentence before it sets the time scale: transformation 'demands a deeper, intergenerational shift in values.' Teaching and values, worked on from childhood → option (b).
Why the others are wrong
- (a)Stringent laws and penalties — The passage rules it out: 'Legislation alone cannot undo centuries of cultural indoctrination.' Laws and penalties are the policy route, and the author says change needs more than policy.
- (c)Promoting arranged marriages — Never proposed. The passage lists 'matrimonial conventions' among the channels that reinforce the 'ideal Indian woman' of chastity and compliance, so marriage custom sits on the problem side.
- (d)Expanding reservations for women — Reservations are never mentioned. A quota is a policy measure, and the author's point is that India must invest 'not just in policies but in pedagogies'.
Concept
An author's-proposal question is answered by the passage's recommendation sentence — look for 'must', 'should' or 'demands'. Here: 'India must invest not just in policies but in pedagogies'.
'Not just X but Y' shows which half the author stresses: policies are allowed, pedagogies are the point. Pedagogy is the method and practice of teaching.
The option joins two of the passage's ideas: 'pedagogies' from the recommendation and 'shift in values' from the sentence before it.
Key facts
- 'Legislation alone cannot undo centuries of cultural indoctrination' is the passage's reason laws are not enough.
- The remedy: invest 'not just in policies but in pedagogies' that dismantle gender essentialism from early childhood.
- Pedagogy means the method and practice of teaching.
- Intergenerational means spanning successive generations — the passage's marker of a long-term change.
Study next
Common traps
- Choosing 'Stringent laws and penalties' because laws look like the obvious fix — the passage says legislation alone cannot do it.
- Choosing 'Expanding reservations for women' from general knowledge — the answer must come from the passage, which never mentions reservations.
The same passage carries English Q.16 and Q.17 on urban women, Q.18 on masculinity and Q.19 on rural women. This one is answered from the recommendation near its end.
Related PYQs
No directly related past PYQ was found.