I85PREP
⌘ K
MP Mahila Supervisor study materials
MP Mahila Supervisor study resources

MP Mahila Supervisor practice questions

One question at a time. Build your MP Mahila Supervisor understanding.

First 50 of 200 questions. Each one lists the choices, the correct answer, and an explanation. The checker at the top of this page saves progress in this browser when it is available.

Continue in the practice tool above to load more questions, 50 at a time.

Question 1General Knowledge and Current Affairs

The Mahila Samarthya Yojana, a scheme providing interest-free loans to women's self-help groups in Madhya Pradesh, was launched with the aim of promoting which of the following among rural women?

  1. Reservation in state government jobs
  2. Direct cash transfer for girl children
  3. Free secondary school admission for girls
  4. Economic self-reliance through micro-enterprise Correct answer.

Explanation

The scheme works through self-help groups and offers collateral-free, interest-free credit so that women can start or expand small businesses and become financially independent. Its design is economic and entrepreneurial rather than educational or employment-quota based.

Question 2General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Under the Panchayati Raj system, the proportion of seats reserved for women in Panchayats in Madhya Pradesh is best described as:

  1. One-third of total seats
  2. One-half of total seats Correct answer.
  3. One-fourth of total seats
  4. No statutory reservation at the Panchayat level

Explanation

Madhya Pradesh raised women's reservation in Panchayati Raj institutions to fifty per cent of total seats, going beyond the one-third minimum that the constitutional amendment originally mandated. This applies to member and chairperson posts across the three tiers.

Question 3General Knowledge and Current Affairs

A Supervisor in a women and child development office must identify the nodal national scheme that provides supplementary nutrition, immunisation and pre-school education through Anganwadi centres. Which scheme should she refer to?

  1. Mid-Day Meal Scheme
  2. Poshan Abhiyaan only
  3. National Health Mission
  4. Integrated Child Development Services Correct answer.

Explanation

The Integrated Child Development Services is the umbrella programme delivered through Anganwadi centres, covering supplementary nutrition, immunisation, health check-ups, referral services and pre-school education for children under six along with mothers. Poshan Abhiyaan is a convergence mission that strengthens nutrition outcomes rather than the service-delivery platform itself.

Question 4General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which of the following is the constitutional provision that empowers the State to make special provisions for women and children?

  1. Article 14
  2. Article 19(1)(a)
  3. Article 21A
  4. Article 15(3) Correct answer.

Explanation

Article 15(3) expressly permits the State to make special provisions for women and children, which is the constitutional basis for protective and affirmative schemes for them. Article 14 guarantees equality generally but does not itself authorise such special provisions.

Question 5General Knowledge and Current Affairs

The Beti Bachao Beti Padhao programme is primarily designed to address which set of concerns?

  1. Maternal mortality in urban hospitals
  2. Skill training for adolescent boys
  3. Pension for widows and destitute women
  4. Declining child sex ratio and girls' education Correct answer.

Explanation

The programme was launched to arrest the declining child sex ratio and to promote the education and survival of the girl child through advocacy and community mobilisation. It is implemented jointly by the ministries dealing with women and child development, education and health.

Question 6General Knowledge and Current Affairs

A woman approaches a Supervisor saying her employer has not paid wages for three months and she fears retaliation if she complains. Under the Code on Wages framework, which authority should she be guided to approach first?

  1. The Labour Court directly
  2. The State Human Rights Commission
  3. The Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum
  4. The District Magistrate as the appropriate authority for claims Correct answer.

Explanation

Under the wage code framework, a worker may file a claim before the authority notified for the area, commonly the District Magistrate or an officer authorised by the appropriate Government, which decides claims and can order payment of dues with compensation. The Labour Court is an appellate or higher forum, not the first point of filing.

Question 7General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which body is the apex statutory body at the national level for the welfare and development of women?

  1. National Human Rights Commission
  2. Central Social Welfare Board
  3. National Legal Services Authority
  4. National Commission for Women Correct answer.

Explanation

The National Commission for Women is the statutory apex body constituted under the National Commission for Women Act to review safeguards for women, recommend legislative measures and inquire into complaints. It advises and investigates but does not itself function as a court.

Question 8General Knowledge and Current Affairs

The Domestic Violence Act, 2005 provides protection to which category of persons?

  1. Only women who have filed for divorce
  2. Only senior citizens living with their children
  3. Any woman in a domestic relationship, including live-in relationships Correct answer.
  4. Only married women in a shared household

Explanation

The Act defines an aggrieved person as any woman who is or has been in a domestic relationship with the respondent, and the definition of domestic relationship includes relationships in the nature of marriage. The protection therefore extends beyond formal marriage.

Question 9General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which of the following is the correct pairing of a national scheme with its primary objective in the women and child development sector?

  1. Swachh Bharat Mission - providing loans to women entrepreneurs
  2. Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 - strengthening nutrition and Anganwadi services Correct answer.
  3. Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana - providing nutritious food to pregnant women
  4. Ayushman Bharat - providing free education to girls

Explanation

Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 is the umbrella programme that consolidates nutrition support, Anganwadi strengthening and early childhood care. The other pairings attach objectives belonging to unrelated ministries to schemes with different mandates.

Question 10General Knowledge and Current Affairs

In the context of women's political participation, the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments are significant because they:

  1. Provided for reservation in the Union Parliament
  2. Created a uniform civil code for all citizens
  3. Mandated reservation for women in rural and urban local bodies Correct answer.
  4. Established the Election Commission of India

Explanation

The 73rd and 74th Amendments created the Panchayati Raj and urban local body framework and required that not less than one-third of seats be reserved for women, with further reservation for SC and ST women. This brought a large number of women into elected local governance.

Question 11General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which Indian institution publishes the Global Gender Gap Report that is often cited in women's development planning?

  1. International Labour Organization
  2. World Economic Forum Correct answer.
  3. United Nations Development Programme
  4. World Bank

Explanation

The Global Gender Gap Report is published annually by the World Economic Forum and ranks countries on economic participation, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment. The UNDP publishes the Human Development Report and related gender indices separately.

Question 12General Knowledge and Current Affairs

The legal age of marriage for a woman in India, following the amendment of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act framework, is currently:

  1. Twenty years
  2. Twenty-one years
  3. Eighteen years Correct answer.
  4. Sixteen years

Explanation

The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act treats a child as a male below twenty-one and a female below eighteen, so the minimum legal age of marriage for a woman is eighteen years. Child marriage is voidable at the option of the contracting child party.

Question 13General Knowledge and Current Affairs

A Mahila Supervisor is asked to explain the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act provisions to a group of working women. Which statement is accurate?

  1. Paid maternity leave is twelve weeks for all establishments
  2. There is no provision for leave in case of adoption
  3. Paid maternity leave is twenty-six weeks for eligible women in establishments covered by the Act Correct answer.
  4. Maternity benefit is available only to government employees

Explanation

The amendment raised paid maternity leave to twenty-six weeks for women with fewer than two surviving children in covered establishments, while retaining twelve weeks in certain other cases. It also introduced twelve weeks of leave for adoptive and commissioning mothers and made crèche facilities mandatory for larger establishments.

Question 14General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which of the following best describes the role of the District Women and Child Development Officer in relation to Anganwadi services?

  1. Conducting elections to local bodies
  2. Collection of income tax from contractors
  3. Judicial adjudication of family disputes
  4. Supervision, monitoring and coordination of ICDS delivery in the district Correct answer.

Explanation

The district officer is the administrative head for women and child development programmes in the district and is responsible for supervising Anganwadi centres, monitoring nutrition and pre-school delivery, and coordinating with health and education departments. Adjudication and tax collection are functions of courts and revenue authorities.

Question 15General Knowledge and Current Affairs

The term 'gender budgeting' in government administration refers to:

  1. Reducing the overall budget for social welfare schemes
  2. Mainstreaming a gender perspective in the formulation and evaluation of budgets Correct answer.
  3. Reserving seats for women in the finance ministry
  4. Allocating a fixed share of the budget only to women-specific departments

Explanation

Gender budgeting is a tool that incorporates a gender perspective into all stages of the budgetary process, including planning, allocation and audit, so that public spending addresses the differential needs of women and men. It is not merely a separate earmarked fund.

Question 16General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which of the following is the primary function of a One Stop Centre, commonly known as Sakhi, set up under a national scheme for women?

  1. Providing integrated support to women affected by violence under one roof Correct answer.
  2. Running vocational courses for school dropouts
  3. Issuing marriage registration certificates
  4. Distributing free ration cards to women

Explanation

One Stop Centres offer integrated services to women facing violence, including police assistance, medical aid, legal counselling, psychological support and temporary shelter, all coordinated at one location. They are not general skilling or documentation offices.

Question 17General Knowledge and Current Affairs

The Protection of Women from Sexual Harassment at Workplace Act requires an employer to constitute which body for receiving and inquiring into complaints?

  1. An Internal Committee with a majority of women members and an external member Correct answer.
  2. A committee of the board of directors
  3. A grievance redressal committee headed by the HR manager
  4. A district-level police committee

Explanation

The Act mandates an Internal Committee in every workplace with ten or more workers, chaired by a senior woman and including at least two employees committed to women's causes and one external member with experience in sexual harassment issues. Where such a committee cannot be formed, complaints go to the Local Committee.

Question 18General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which day is observed as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women?

  1. 10 December
  2. 25 November Correct answer.
  3. 8 March
  4. 1 December

Explanation

The United Nations observes 25 November as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, which also begins sixteen days of activism against gender-based violence. The date commemorates the Mirabal sisters.

Question 19General Knowledge and Current Affairs

A village health worker reports that a family is planning to marry off a fifteen-year-old girl. As a Supervisor, which action is most appropriate under the law and administrative protocol?

  1. Take no action since marriage is a personal matter
  2. Inform the Child Marriage Prohibition Officer and the police so preventive action can be taken Correct answer.
  3. Advise the family to postpone the marriage by one year
  4. Arrange a job for the girl so the marriage is avoided

Explanation

The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act empowers Child Marriage Prohibition Officers and the police to prevent child marriages, and any person with knowledge of an intended child marriage can report it. Prompt reporting enables preventive action such as injunctions and counselling.

Question 20General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which of the following is the correct description of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act's relevance to women's empowerment?

  1. It provides pension to widows
  2. It guarantees at least one-third of the work to women with equal wages Correct answer.
  3. It is limited to urban local bodies
  4. It funds only women's self-help groups

Explanation

The Act guarantees at least one-third of the person-days of work to women and mandates equal wages for men and women, which has increased women's participation in rural wage employment. It is a demand-driven rural employment guarantee, not a pension or SHG-only programme.

Question 21General Knowledge and Current Affairs

The concept of 'missing women', often discussed in gender and development literature, refers to:

  1. Women who are not enrolled in voter lists
  2. Women absent from the formal labour force
  3. The shortfall in the number of women relative to men expected in a population Correct answer.
  4. Women who migrate to cities for work

Explanation

The phrase describes the deficit of women in a population caused by sex-selective practices, differential mortality and neglect, measured against the number expected under normal sex ratios. It is a demographic measure of gender discrimination, not a description of migration or employment.

Question 22General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which of the following is the correct expansion of the term 'SHG' as used in women's development programmes?

  1. State Health Grant
  2. Social Housing Guarantee
  3. Skill Hub Group
  4. Self Help Group Correct answer.

Explanation

Self Help Groups are small voluntary associations, usually of women, that pool savings and extend small loans to members, often linked to bank credit and government schemes. They are the basic unit for many women's livelihood interventions.

Question 23General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Under the Integrated Child Protection Scheme framework, which body is responsible for the care, protection and rehabilitation of children in need of care and protection at the district level?

  1. District Cooperative Bank
  2. District Child Protection Unit Correct answer.
  3. District Rural Development Agency
  4. Zila Parishad education committee

Explanation

The District Child Protection Unit is the district-level structure under the child protection scheme that coordinates services for children in need of care and protection and children in conflict with law, working with the Child Welfare Committee and Juvenile Justice Board.

Question 24General Knowledge and Current Affairs

The National Policy for the Empowerment of Women, 2001, identifies which of the following as a key goal?

  1. Restricting women's employment to home-based work
  2. Elimination of discrimination against women and their active participation in decision-making Correct answer.
  3. Making education compulsory only for boys
  4. Replacing local self-government with nominated bodies

Explanation

The policy sets out goals including the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women, their equal access to education and health, and their participation in political and administrative decision-making. It aims at expanding women's choices rather than restricting them.

Question 25General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which of the following best explains why women's self-help groups are considered effective instruments of women's empowerment?

  1. They guarantee government employment to all members
  2. They replace the role of Panchayati Raj institutions
  3. They concentrate decision-making power in the hands of a single leader
  4. They combine collective savings with social awareness and group decision-making Correct answer.

Explanation

Self-help groups build financial capital through pooled savings and credit while also promoting collective bargaining, social awareness and shared decision-making, which strengthens women's voice within households and communities. Their strength lies in collective participation rather than in promising jobs or replacing local government.

Question 26General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, what proportion of the wage-seekers who demand work must be women, as per the Act's mandate?

  1. One-half
  2. Two-thirds
  3. One-fourth
  4. One-third Correct answer.

Explanation

The MGNREGA mandates that at least one-third of the persons to whom employment has been provided under the scheme shall be women. This provision aims to ensure women's participation in rural public works and reduce gender disparities in wage employment.

Question 27General Knowledge and Current Affairs

A Mahila Supervisor is reviewing data on crimes against women and notes a high incidence of 'dowry death' in her district. Which section of the Indian Penal Code defines and punishes dowry death?

  1. Section 376
  2. Section 498A
  3. Section 304B Correct answer.
  4. Section 354

Explanation

Section 304B of the Indian Penal Code defines dowry death as the death of a woman caused by burns, bodily injury, or otherwise than under normal circumstances within seven years of marriage, where there is evidence of dowry demand. It prescribes a minimum punishment of seven years' imprisonment, which may extend to life imprisonment.

Question 28General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which of the following is the correct expansion of the acronym 'POCSO', frequently referenced in child protection training for Mahila Supervisors?

  1. Protection of Children and Special Offences Act
  2. Prevention of Cruelty to Children and Sexual Offences Act
  3. Prohibition of Child Sexual Offences Act
  4. Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act Correct answer.

Explanation

POCSO stands for the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012. It is a comprehensive law that provides for the protection of children from offences of sexual assault, sexual harassment, and pornography, while safeguarding the interest of the child at every stage of the judicial process.

Question 29General Knowledge and Current Affairs

A Mahila Supervisor is asked to explain the significance of the 'Nirbhaya Fund' to a community group. Which statement best describes the purpose of this fund?

  1. It provides financial assistance to women entrepreneurs to start small businesses.
  2. It offers compensation to women who have been victims of domestic violence.
  3. It funds projects and initiatives aimed at enhancing the safety and security of women in public spaces. Correct answer.
  4. It supports research on gender budgeting and women's health issues.

Explanation

The Nirbhaya Fund was established by the Government of India in 2013 to support initiatives focused on improving the safety and security of women, particularly in public spaces. It is used for projects such as CCTV installation, women's helplines, and one-stop centres, rather than direct financial assistance or compensation.

Question 30General Knowledge and Current Affairs

In the context of women's representation in local governance, which constitutional amendment mandated that not less than one-third of the total number of seats in Panchayats be reserved for women?

  1. 74th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992
  2. 86th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2002
  3. 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976
  4. 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992 Correct answer.

Explanation

The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992, which added Part IX to the Constitution, mandated that not less than one-third of the total number of seats in Panchayats at all levels be reserved for women. This was a landmark step in promoting women's political participation at the grassroots level.

Question 31Women's Empowerment, Gender Equality, and Women's Rights

Under the Mahila Samarthya Yojana framework, a Mahila Supervisor is primarily expected to perform which of the following functions at the field level?

  1. Approve state budget allocations for women's welfare schemes
  2. Mobilise and organise women into SHGs and federations and link them to services Correct answer.
  3. Directly disburse bank loans to women beneficiaries
  4. Conduct criminal trials in cases of domestic violence

Explanation

The Mahila Supervisor role is a field-level facilitation and community mobilisation function, focused on organising women into Self Help Groups and their federations and connecting them with entitlements, credit and services. Financial disbursement, judicial functions and budget approval lie with banks, courts and state legislatures respectively, not with a supervisor.

Question 32Women's Empowerment, Gender Equality, and Women's Rights

In the context of women's collective empowerment, what does the term 'federation' refer to?

  1. A single Self Help Group operating in one village
  2. A secondary-level body formed by representatives of several SHGs or clusters Correct answer.
  3. A government department for women's welfare
  4. A bank branch dedicated to women borrowers

Explanation

A federation is a secondary-tier organisation in which several primary SHGs or clusters come together through elected representatives to take up larger issues such as credit, marketing and advocacy. It is distinct from a single SHG, a government department or a bank branch.

Question 33Women's Empowerment, Gender Equality, and Women's Rights

A Mahila Supervisor notices that women in a village are excluded from the Gram Sabha because meetings are held at a time when they are busy with agricultural work. Which action best reflects the supervisor's facilitation role?

  1. Conduct a separate parallel Gram Sabha for women only
  2. Report the women to the district authorities for non-participation
  3. Advise the women to accept the schedule since village customs cannot be changed
  4. Raise the issue with the Gram Panchayat and advocate for a time and venue accessible to women Correct answer.

Explanation

Facilitation means working within local governance structures to remove practical barriers to women's participation, so raising the timing and venue issue with the Panchayat is the appropriate step. A supervisor cannot create a parallel statutory body, and blaming the women or accepting exclusion defeats the purpose of the role.

Question 34Women's Empowerment, Gender Equality, and Women's Rights

Which of the following is the minimum number of women required for recognition of a Self Help Group under the standard SHG formation norms followed in most states?

  1. Ten to twenty women Correct answer.
  2. One hundred women or more
  3. Fifty to sixty women
  4. Three to five women

Explanation

Standard SHG norms envisage a group of roughly ten to twenty women, which allows regular attendance, manageable savings contributions and effective group decision-making. Much smaller groups lack the collective strength for credit, while much larger groups become unwieldy.

Question 35Women's Empowerment, Gender Equality, and Women's Rights

A woman approaches a Mahila Supervisor saying her husband has been physically abusive and she fears for her safety. Under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, which immediate course of action is most appropriate for the supervisor?

  1. Advise the woman to resolve the matter privately within the family
  2. Direct the husband to pay a fine to the Panchayat
  3. Issue a protection order personally to restrain the husband
  4. Inform the woman about her right to approach a Protection Officer and to seek a protection or residence order Correct answer.

Explanation

The Act provides for Protection Officers, service providers and magisterial orders, so the supervisor's correct role is to inform and link the woman to these statutory remedies. A supervisor cannot pass orders or impose fines; those powers rest with magistrates and courts.

Question 36Women's Empowerment, Gender Equality, and Women's Rights

The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 defines 'domestic violence' to include which of the following?

  1. Physical, sexual, verbal, emotional and economic abuse Correct answer.
  2. Only acts that have been reported to the police
  3. Only physical assault causing visible injury
  4. Only physical and verbal abuse between spouses

Explanation

The Act adopts a broad definition covering physical, sexual, verbal, emotional and economic abuse within a domestic relationship. This recognises that harm can be non-physical and that economic deprivation is itself a form of abuse.

Question 37Women's Empowerment, Gender Equality, and Women's Rights

A woman is being sexually harassed by her supervisor at her workplace. Which body is mandated under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013 to receive and inquire into her complaint in a workplace with ten or more employees?

  1. The District Legal Services Authority
  2. The Gram Panchayat
  3. The local police station
  4. The Internal Committee constituted by the employer Correct answer.

Explanation

The Act requires every workplace with ten or more employees to constitute an Internal Committee to receive and inquire into complaints of sexual harassment. Where such a committee is not constituted, or the complaint is against the employer, the Local Committee at the district level handles it.

Question 38Women's Empowerment, Gender Equality, and Women's Rights

Which of the following best describes 'economic empowerment' of women in the context of SHG-based programmes?

  1. Ensuring that women receive more household chores
  2. Restricting women's access to formal credit
  3. Increasing women's control over income, assets and financial decisions Correct answer.
  4. Encouraging women to withdraw from paid work

Explanation

Economic empowerment refers to expanding women's access to and control over resources, income, assets and financial decision-making. It is about enhancing agency, not restricting credit or paid employment.

Question 39Women's Empowerment, Gender Equality, and Women's Rights

A Mahila Supervisor is helping an SHG prepare for its first bank linkage. Which of the following documents or records is most essential for the group to maintain to demonstrate creditworthiness?

  1. A record of regular savings, group meetings and internal lending Correct answer.
  2. A list of members' caste certificates
  3. A letter of recommendation from the local MLA
  4. A copy of the village land revenue map

Explanation

Banks assess SHG creditworthiness primarily through evidence of regular savings, disciplined bookkeeping, minutes of meetings and a sound record of internal lending and repayment. Caste certificates, land maps or political recommendations do not demonstrate financial discipline.

Question 40Women's Empowerment, Gender Equality, and Women's Rights

Under the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017, how many weeks of paid maternity leave are available to a woman employee for the first two children?

  1. Twenty-six weeks Correct answer.
  2. Thirty-six weeks
  3. Eighteen weeks
  4. Twelve weeks

Explanation

The 2017 amendment raised paid maternity leave to twenty-six weeks for the first two children, recognising the health needs of mother and child. Twelve weeks remains the entitlement for the third child onwards, and eighteen weeks applies to adopting and commissioning mothers.

Question 41Women's Empowerment, Gender Equality, and Women's Rights

The Equal Remuneration Act, now subsumed in the Code on Wages, 2019, primarily seeks to ensure which of the following?

  1. Equal representation of women in all private companies
  2. Reservation of jobs for women in the public sector
  3. Equal pay for equal work without discrimination on the ground of gender Correct answer.
  4. Mandatory pension for all women workers

Explanation

The principle of equal remuneration requires that men and women receive the same pay for the same or similar work, without gender-based discrimination. It does not mandate quotas, board representation or pensions.

Question 42Women's Empowerment, Gender Equality, and Women's Rights

A Mahila Supervisor is training SHG members on leadership. Which approach best builds sustainable women's leadership at the grassroots?

  1. Rotating responsibilities and mentoring members in public speaking and decision-making Correct answer.
  2. Selecting only the most educated member to speak at all meetings
  3. Inviting only external officials to lead all group discussions
  4. Keeping decision-making with the supervisor to ensure efficiency

Explanation

Sustainable leadership develops when responsibilities are rotated and members are mentored to speak, decide and manage group affairs themselves. Concentrating roles or decisions in one person or in the supervisor undermines collective ownership.

Question 43Women's Empowerment, Gender Equality, and Women's Rights

The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992 is significant for women's empowerment primarily because it provided for which of the following?

  1. Free education for all girl children
  2. Reservation of one-third of seats for women in Parliament
  3. A national commission for women
  4. Reservation of one-third of seats for women in Panchayats Correct answer.

Explanation

The 73rd Amendment mandated reservation of not less than one-third of total seats and offices of chairpersons in Panchayats for women, creating space for women in local governance. Reservation in Parliament and the National Commission for Women came through separate measures.

Question 44Women's Empowerment, Gender Equality, and Women's Rights

A woman elected as a Panchayat member is routinely prevented by male members from speaking in meetings. As a Mahila Supervisor, which strategy is most appropriate?

  1. Ask her to remain silent to avoid conflict in the Panchayat
  2. Complain to the police against the male members for criminal conduct
  3. Organise capacity-building on rules of procedure and accompany her to raise the issue formally in the meeting Correct answer.
  4. Advise her to resign and let a male relative take the seat

Explanation

The appropriate response is to strengthen the elected woman's ability to exercise her mandate through training on rules of procedure and support in raising the matter formally. Advising resignation or silence defeats the constitutional purpose of reservation, and mere obstruction in debate is not ordinarily a criminal matter.

Question 45Women's Empowerment, Gender Equality, and Women's Rights

Which of the following is the principal objective of the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme?

  1. Providing loans to women entrepreneurs
  2. Reserving seats for women in higher education
  3. Giving pensions to widows
  4. Improving the child sex ratio and promoting education of the girl child Correct answer.

Explanation

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao is a tri-ministerial initiative aimed at addressing declining child sex ratios and promoting the survival, protection and education of the girl child. It is not a credit, reservation or pension scheme.

Question 46Women's Empowerment, Gender Equality, and Women's Rights

The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 prescribes the minimum age of marriage as which of the following?

  1. Twenty-one years for both girls and boys
  2. Eighteen years for girls and twenty-one years for boys Correct answer.
  3. Sixteen years for girls and eighteen years for boys
  4. Eighteen years for both girls and boys

Explanation

The Act sets the minimum age of marriage at eighteen years for a girl and twenty-one years for a boy, reflecting the statutory age of majority. It makes child marriage voidable at the option of the child who was married as a minor.

Question 47Women's Empowerment, Gender Equality, and Women's Rights

A village health worker reports that a family is planning to marry off their fourteen-year-old daughter. As a Mahila Supervisor, which of the following is the most appropriate first response?

  1. Counsel the family on the illegality and consequences, and inform the Child Marriage Prohibition Officer Correct answer.
  2. Ignore it because marriage is a private family custom
  3. Wait until the marriage takes place and then file a complaint
  4. Arrange for the wedding to be held quickly to avoid social stigma

Explanation

A child marriage is a statutory offence, so the supervisor should counsel the family and promptly inform the Child Marriage Prohibition Officer, who is empowered to take preventive action. Ignoring the matter, facilitating the marriage or waiting for it to occur would allow a preventable illegality.

Question 48Women's Empowerment, Gender Equality, and Women's Rights

Which of the following best captures the difference between 'gender' and 'sex'?

  1. Gender applies only to women while sex applies to men
  2. Gender refers to biological attributes while sex refers to cultural roles
  3. Both terms are synonyms and can be used interchangeably
  4. Sex refers to biological attributes while gender refers to socially constructed roles and expectations Correct answer.

Explanation

Sex denotes biological and physiological characteristics, whereas gender denotes the social roles, behaviours and expectations assigned to women and men, which vary across cultures and time. The two terms are therefore not interchangeable.

Question 49Women's Empowerment, Gender Equality, and Women's Rights

A supervisor analyses why women in a district rarely access government welfare schemes despite their existence. Which of the following findings would be classified as a 'practical gender need' rather than a 'strategic gender interest'?

  1. The need for women to have equal decision-making power in local governance
  2. The need to change patriarchal norms around inheritance
  3. The need for a crèche near the worksite so mothers can take up paid work Correct answer.
  4. The need to reform laws on women's property rights

Explanation

Practical gender needs arise from women's existing roles and responsibilities, such as childcare that constrains their ability to work, and can be met without altering the gender order. Strategic gender interests concern transforming unequal power relations, such as decision-making power, inheritance norms and property law reform.

Question 50Women's Empowerment, Gender Equality, and Women's Rights

In gender budgeting, what does the term 'gender-responsive budgeting' mean?

  1. Preparing a separate budget only for women's departments
  2. Analysing budgets through a gender lens to ensure public spending addresses the needs of women and men equitably Correct answer.
  3. Reducing the total budget to achieve gender balance
  4. Allocating a fixed percentage of the budget exclusively to women's schemes

Explanation

Gender-responsive budgeting is a process of examining how public resources are raised and spent so that policies and allocations respond to the differing needs of women and men. It is not simply a fixed earmarking of funds or a separate women-only budget.