UPSC GS Paper I: Indian Society, Women's Issues, Status, Violence, Empowerment Schemes

Must?Know

• Article 14 – Equality before law; applied in Vishaka v. State of Rajasthan (1997) to establish guidelines against sexual harassment at workplace until legislative enactment.
• Article 15(3) – Enables state to make special provisions for women and children; used to justify reservations in education and employment.
• The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act (2005) – Civil law providing for protection orders, residence rights; not a criminal statute but complements IPC.
• Section 498A IPC – Criminalizes cruelty by husband or his relatives; often misused, leading to Supreme Court guidelines in Arnesh Kumar v. State of Bihar (2014) against automatic arrest.
• Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017 – Increases paid maternity leave from 12 to 26 weeks for biological mothers, applicable to establishments with 10+ employees.
• The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 – Mandates constitution of Internal Complaints Committees (ICCs) in organizations with 10+ employees.
• National Commission for Women (NCW) – Statutory body established in 1992; recommends policy, investigates grievances, but lacks enforcement powers.
• Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) – Launched in 2015; targets declining child sex ratio (CSR); implemented in 161 gender-critical districts as of 2023.
• One Stop Centre (OSC) Scheme – Launched 2015; provides medical, legal, and psychological support to women affected by violence; funded under Nirbhaya Fund.
• Nirbhaya Fund – Created in 2013 post-Nirbhaya gang rape; corpus fund under Ministry of Finance; utilized for schemes like OSC, Safe City projects, and emergency response systems.
• National Family Health Survey-5 (2019–21) – Shows 30% of women aged 18–49 have experienced physical violence since age 15.
• National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) 2022 data – 4,45,256 crimes against women; highest number under cruelty by husband or his relatives (30.4%).
• Female Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) – 25.1% (PLFS 2022–23); lower than South Asian average of ~30%.
• Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) – 97 per 100,000 live births (SRS 2018–20); decline from 130 (2014–16); Kerala has lowest MMR (14).
• Anemia prevalence – 57% among women aged 15–49 (NFHS-5); highest in Bihar (69.8%).
• Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 – Defines dowry; penalizes giving or taking dowry; amended to include Section 304B IPC (dowry death).
• Section 304B IPC – Dowry death: if woman dies within 7 years of marriage under abnormal circumstances and dowry demand proven, minimum 7-year sentence.
• Section 375 IPC – Defines rape; includes marital rape exception for wife over 15 (now 18 after POCSO alignment) but not criminalized if wife is above 18.
• Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013 – Enacted after Nirbhaya case; introduced new offenses like acid attack, stalking, voyeurism.
• The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 – Sets marriage age at 21 for men, 18 for women; child marriage voidable at option of minor party.
• The Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986 – Bans depiction of women in obscene or degrading manner in advertisements, publications.
• The Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 – Merged into Code on Wages, 2019; mandates equal pay for equal work for men and women.
• The National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) – Launched 2011; promotes women’s self-help groups (SHGs); over 8 crore women mobilized as of 2023.
• Mahila E-Haat – Online marketing platform under Mission Shakti; launched by Ministry of Women and Child Development to support women entrepreneurs.
• Mission Shakti – Umbrella scheme (2021) integrating BBBP, OSC, NCW, and other women-centric programs under WCD Ministry.

Difficulty Level

Intermediate – Requires integration of legal provisions, schemes, and socio-economic data; questions often combine static and current affairs.

Common UPSC Traps

Trap: Marital rape is a criminal offense in India – Fact: Marital rape is not criminalized if the wife is above 18; exception under Section 375 IPC upheld in 2022 by Delhi High Court (challenge pending in Supreme Court).
Trap: NCW can prosecute offenders or pass binding orders – Fact: NCW is recommendatory; cannot initiate prosecution or enforce its decisions (NCW Act, 1990).
Trap: Beti Bachao Beti Padhao reduced child sex ratio nationwide – Fact: CSR improved from 918 (2011) to 934 (2021) but BBBP’s direct impact is debated; natural imbalances and data reporting affect interpretation.
Trap: Nirbhaya Fund is exclusively for rape survivors – Fact: Nirbhaya Fund supports broad safety infrastructure (e.g., CCTV, emergency apps, women’s help desks), not direct compensation.
Trap: Maternity Benefit Act applies to all women workers – Fact: Applies only to establishments with 10 or more employees; excludes most informal sector workers.

Practice MCQs

Question: Which of the following statements is correct regarding the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005?
A) It provides for immediate arrest of the accused upon complaint
B) It is a criminal law that punishes offenders with imprisonment
C) It allows for the right to reside in the shared household
D) It applies only to married women
Answer: C
Explanation: The Act is civil in nature and grants the right to residence in the shared household as a protection measure.
Why others fail: A is incorrect because the Act does not mandate arrest; criminal proceedings are separate under IPC.

Question: The ‘One Stop Centre’ scheme is implemented under which of the following?
A) Ministry of Home Affairs
B) Nirbhaya Fund
C) Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
D) Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana
Answer: B
Explanation: OSC is funded through the Nirbhaya Fund, created post-2012 Delhi gang rape for women’s safety initiatives.
Why others fail: A is tempting as MHA implements some safety schemes, but OSC is centrally funded via Nirbhaya under WCD Ministry.

Question: Which constitutional provision empowers the state to make special laws for women?
A) Article 15(1)
B) Article 15(3)
C) Article 16(4)
D) Article 21
Answer: B
Explanation: Article 15(3) allows the state to make special provisions for women and children, forming the basis for gender-specific legislation.
Why others fail: A prohibits discrimination, but (3) is the enabling clause for affirmative action.

Question: According to NFHS-5 (2019–21), what is the approximate prevalence of anemia among women of reproductive age in India?
A) 45%
B) 52%
C) 57%
D) 64%
Answer: C
Explanation: NFHS-5 reports 57% of women aged 15–49 are anemic, a rise from 53% in NFHS-4.
Why others fail: B was close to NFHS-4 data; C is the current verified figure.

Question: Which of the following is NOT a feature of the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017?
A) 26 weeks of paid maternity leave for biological mothers
B) 12 weeks of paid leave for adoptive and commissioning mothers
C) Mandatory crèche facility in establishments with 30+ women employees
D) Applicability to all private and public sector establishments with 10+ employees
Answer: C
Explanation: Crèche facility is required for establishments with 50+ employees, not 30+.
Why others fail: C is a common misstatement; the threshold is 50, not 30.

Question: The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013 mandates the formation of Internal Complaints Committees in organizations with:
A) 5 or more employees
B) 10 or more employees
C) 25 or more employees
D) 50 or more employees
Answer: B
Explanation: ICCs are mandatory in every workplace with 10 or more employees under Section 4 of the Act.
Why others fail: A is incorrect; the threshold is 10, not 5.

Question: Which of the following committees recommended the setting up of the National Commission for Women?
A) Verma Committee (1999)
B) Shah Commission
C) National Perspective Plan for Women (1988)
D) None of the above
Answer: D
Explanation: NCW was established by executive resolution in 1990 based on the National Commission for Women Act, 1990; not recommended by any of these committees.
Why others fail: A dealt with electoral reforms; C was a planning document but did not recommend NCW.

Last?Minute Revision

• Article 15(3) enables gender-specific laws – not a violation of equality.
• Section 375 IPC marital rape exception: not criminal if wife is 18+.
• Vishaka Guidelines (1997) were binding until 2013 Act was enacted.
• Nirbhaya Fund created in 2013 Union Budget – Finance Ministry, not WCD.
• BBBP launched in 2015 – Panipat, Haryana was launch site.
• NFHS-5 fieldwork: 2019–2021; released in 2022.
• MMR 2018–20: 97; Kerala: 14, Assam: 195.
• Female LFPR (PLFS 2022–23): 25.1% (urban 18.7%, rural 28.1%).
• POCSO Act, 2012 – Child defined as below 18; gender-neutral.
• The Code on Wages, 2019 subsumes Equal Remuneration Act.
• Section 304B IPC: Dowry death – 7-year minimum sentence.
• Section 498A IPC: Non-bailable, cognizable; misuse concerns led to Arnesh Kumar guidelines.
• NCW established 1992; Chairperson appointed by President.
• One Stop Centre scheme: Supports all women, including foreigners and victims of trafficking.
• Mahila E-Haat: Part of Mission Shakti; digital platform for SHGs.
• NRLM: Launched 2011; core component of poverty alleviation via women’s SHGs.
• Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 – Child: male <18, female <21.
• The Indecent Representation of Women Act, 1986 – Amended in 2006 to include electronic media.
• Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013 – Introduced stalking, voyeurism as offenses.
• Maternity Benefit Act, 2017 – Crèche facility: 50+ employees, not 30+.
• Delhi High Court (2022) – Upheld marital rape exception; challenge pending in SC.
• NFHS-5: 30% women aged 18–49 faced physical violence.
• NCRB 2022: Cruelty by husband/relatives – 30.4% of crimes against women.
• Anemia prevalence: 57% women (NFHS-5); highest in Bihar (69.8%).
• Child Sex Ratio (2011 Census): 918; (2021 NFHS): 934 – not directly comparable.
• Verify from standard source: Exact number of OSCs functional as of 2023.