Social Institutions MCQ Quiz - Objective Question with Answer for Social Institutions - Download Free PDF

The correct answer is - (ii)-(b), (ii)-(d), (iii)-(a), (iv)-(c)

Key Points

• Purity - (b) Belief associated with high caste status and the sacred
  • The concept of purity is central to caste hierarchy.
  • Higher castes, especially Brahmins, are associated with ritual purity and sacredness.
• Pollution - (d) Belief associated with low caste status and distance from the sacred
  • Pollution is the opposite of purity and is linked to lower castes and occupations involving impure work.
  • Practices such as untouchability were based on this concept.
• Tribe - (a) Communities defined by their lack of a written religion or state
  • Tribes traditionally have distinct cultural and social systems separate from mainstream caste society.
  • They are often outside the Varna system and have their own customary laws.
• Herbert Risley - (c) The Census under his direction was crucial for recording caste hierarchy
  • He led the 1901 Census, which classified Indian society based on racial and caste criteria.
  • His work reinforced the colonial interpretation of caste as a rigid system.

Additional Information

• Purity and Pollution in Caste System
  • This concept was detailed by M.N. Srinivas and Louis Dumont.
  • It justifies caste-based restrictions on food, occupation, and social interaction.
• Colonial Impact on Caste
  • The British Census reinforced caste divisions by formalizing hierarchical classifications.
  • Herbert Risley’s work led to the idea of caste as a rigid, unchanging structure.
• Tribes vs. Castes
  • Unlike caste groups, tribes have fluid social structures and kinship-based organization.
  • They often have animistic religious beliefs and are governed by local traditions rather than religious texts.

The correct answer is - (i)-(b), (ii)-(c), (iii)-(a), (iv)-(d)

Key Points

• Varna - (b) A broad, four-fold division of society based on 'colour'
  • The concept of Varna divides society into four main categories: Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras.
  • It is an ancient classification mentioned in the Vedic texts and is based on occupational and ritual purity.
• Jati - (c) A regional or local sub-classification within the caste system
  • Jati refers to the thousands of sub-castes within the broader Varna system.
  • Unlike Varna, which is a broad category, Jatis are more localized and occupationally specialized.
• Endogamy - (a) Marriage restricted to members of one's own group
  • Endogamy means marrying within one's caste or community to maintain social boundaries.
  • It is a key feature of the caste system in India.
• Sanskritisation - (d) Process of a lower caste attempting to raise status by adopting higher caste practices
  • The term was introduced by M.N. Srinivas in his study of caste mobility.
  • Lower castes try to imitate upper-caste customs (e.g., vegetarianism, wearing sacred threads) to elevate their social status.

Additional Information

• Jati vs. Varna
  • Varna is a broad, religiously sanctioned system, whereas Jati is a more specific, occupation-based classification.
  • Jati distinctions are regionally varied and are not strictly aligned with the Varna system.
• Endogamy and Caste System
  • Endogamy helps maintain social hierarchy and purity within castes.
  • Violating endogamous rules has historically led to social ostracism or punishments.
• Impact of Sanskritisation
  • Sanskritisation has helped certain lower castes gain social mobility over time.
  • However, it does not challenge the caste hierarchy itself but rather reinforces it by adopting upper-caste norms.

The correct answer is - Pure breed.

Key Points

• Origin of the Term "Caste"
  • The word "caste" is derived from the Portuguese term "casta", which means "pure breed" or "lineage".
  • Portuguese travelers and colonizers in the 16th century used the term to describe the rigid social divisions they observed in India.
• Portuguese Influence
  • During their rule in parts of India, the Portuguese classified Indian society using the term "casta".
  • They noted that Indian society was structured into hereditary groups based on occupation, status, and ritual purity.

Additional Information

• Caste in Indian Society
  • Indian society has traditionally been divided into varna (broad social categories) and jati (specific sub-castes).
  • The Portuguese used "caste" as a blanket term for these divisions.
• Key Colonial Contributions
  • British colonial rulers later institutionalized caste divisions through the Census of India (from 1871 onwards).
  • This led to the formalization of caste-based identities in legal and administrative records.

The correct answer is - They would live with the man's parents.

Key Points

• Patrilineal Inheritance
  • A system in which property and family name pass through the male lineage.
  • Sons, rather than daughters, usually inherit property and status.
• Patrilocal Residence
  • A newly married couple resides with or near the husband’s family.
  • This arrangement ensures continuity of male inheritance and familial authority.
• Application to the Question
  • Since both patrilineal inheritance and patrilocal residence are in place:
  • The couple will reside with the husband’s parents after marriage.

Additional Information

• Comparison with Other Systems
  • Matrilineal Societies: Inheritance and lineage follow the mother’s side, often with a matrilocal residence.
  • Neolocal Residence: The couple sets up an independent household, common in modern nuclear families.
• Examples of Patrilocal and Patrilineal Societies
  • India: Many Hindu communities follow this system.
  • China: The traditional Confucian system also emphasizes patrilineal inheritance and patrilocal residence.

The correct answer is - Government of India Act of 1935

Key Points

• Government of India Act, 1935
  • The Government of India Act, 1935 gave legal recognition to the lists of Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) for the first time.
  • It provided for separate representation for Scheduled Castes in provincial legislatures.
  • The Act also laid the foundation for future affirmative action policies in independent India.

Additional Information

• Background and Impact
  • Before 1935, Dalits and tribal groups were referred to as Depressed Classes without formal legal status.
  • The Act of 1935 formalized their recognition as a distinct category requiring state protection.
• Other Important Provisions of the Act
  • Introduced the concept of Provincial Autonomy, granting more power to elected Indian representatives.
  • Established the Federation of India (which never came into effect).
  • Laid the groundwork for India’s post-independence reservation policies.
• Comparison with Other Acts
  • Indian Councils Act of 1909: Introduced separate electorates for Muslims but did not address Scheduled Castes or Tribes.
  • Government of India Act of 1919: Expanded separate electorates but did not formally recognize SCs/STs.
  • Indian Independence Act of 1947: Led to India’s independence but did not introduce any caste-based legal framework.

The correct answer is Caste groups are exogamous.

Key Points

• The features of the caste system in India are:
  •  Hereditary 
    • The caste status of an individual is determined strictly by his heredity, i.e. the caste into which one is born. 
  • Endogamous
    • Its endogamous character strictly prohibits inter-caste marriages. Hence, caste groups are exogamous is not a feature of caste system in India.
  •  Restricted Food Habits
    • ​Higher castes try maintaining their traditional purity by different food habits.
      • Brahmins will only take ‘Satwil’ or ‘Pure’ food.
      • Kshtriya and Vaishya will take ‘Royal’ food.
      • A Shudra takes ‘Tamsi’ food.
  • Each individual caste has its own laws which govern food habits.

 Important Points

• The other features of the caste system in India are:
  • Hierarchal:
    • The caste system has a hierarchy of superiors and inferiors.
    • Hindu caste hierarchy states, The highest position is held by Brahmin, followed by Kshatriya, Vaishya, and Shudra.
  • Fixed Occupations:
    • The occupation in the caste system, which evolved from the Varna system, is definite.
    • A son of a blacksmith pursues the occupation of his trade, a son of a carpenter becomes a carpenter, and so forth.
    • People from many castes have lost their jobs due to the expansion of industries and have switched to farming or other occupations.

• Untouchability:
  • Shudra and outcasts are regarded as untouchables in the Indian caste system.
• Reinforcement by Religious Beliefs:
  • Religious beliefs have played an important role in making the caste system inevitable.
• Absence of Vertical Mobility:
  • In a caste system, there is no mobility movement of its members, up or down, the social status ladder. A person’s status at birth is his life time status.

The correct answer is Hocart and Senart.Key Points

• Hocart and Senart are the two main advocates of religious theory.
• According to Hocart, social stratification originated on account of religious principles and customs. 
• In ancient India religion had a prominent place. The king was considered the image of God.
•  Those who believed in the same deity considered themselves as different from those who believed in some other deity. holds that on account of different family duties there grew up certain prohibitions regarding sacramental food offered to deities.

The correct answer is Occupational Theory

Key Points

• Some of the main theories regarding the origin of caste system in India are:
  1. Racial theory
  2. Political theory
  3. Occupational theory
  4. Traditional theory
  5. Guild theory
  6. Religious theory
  7. Evolutionary theory
  8. Brahmanical Theory
• Occupational theory:
  • Nesfield regarded Caste system as the natural product of the occupational division of Hindu Society. 
  • In his own words “Function and function alone is responsible for the origin of caste system”. 
  • He holds the view that in the beginning when there was no rigidity, each individual was free to have occupation of his choice. 
  • But gradually with the rigidity in the system, occupational changes came to a halt.
  • Castes were identified on the basis of fixed occupation.
  • Persons in noble occupations, such as educating the people, fighting in the battle field, trade etc. was considered as members of superior castes. 
  • The others were treated as persons belonging to inferior castes, such as the Shudras.

  • In support of his theory, Nesfield cited the example that the occupation of artisans working in metals is ranked higher than basket makers or some other primitive occupations which do not involve the use of metals.

Exogamy is not a feature of caste system

Important Points

•  The following are the features of the caste system:
  • Segmentary division: The social structure of society is segmented into a number of little social groups known as castes. Each of these castes has an established social structure, and birth determines who belongs to each caste.
  • Hierarchy: A ladder of authority where the lower rungs are consistently encircled by the upper ones is called a hierarchy. We learn a key social principle of hierarchy from the caste system.
  • Endogamy: Endogamy is the most fundamental aspect of the caste system. The main characteristic of a caste is endogamy, or the requirement that members of a caste or sub-caste only ever marry other members of that caste or sub-caste.
  • Hereditary Status: Generally speaking, a man acquires the status of the caste to which he is born. Caste membership is decided by birth.
  • Hereditary Occupation: The hereditary occupation aspect of the old caste system.
  • Food and drink restrictions: There are laws governing what kinds of food and drinks people can consume and from which castes. The cooking taboo establishes who is allowed to prepare the food. The eating taboo may specify the mealtime routine to be followed.
  • The idea of pollution: through physical proximity, food sharing customs, etc., it plays a significant role in preserving the necessary distance between various castes. The distance from pollution varies from caste to caste and location to location.
• We are referring to the cultural side of castes since it has been regarded as both a ritual and an idea.

Thus we know that Exogamy is not a feature of caste system.

Key Points After getting married the couple needs to live somewhere. And where the couple ends up varies, depending on their culture. There are four major residence patterns-

• Neolocal
• Patrilocal
• Matrilocal
• and Avunculocal

1. Neolocal Residence: When a married couple lives together in a new residence instead of with the husband’s family (patrilocal residence) or the wife’s family (matrilocal residence) and the couple finds their own house, independent from all family members.
2. Patrilocal Residence: This is most commonly used in herding and farming societies. It’s where the married couple lives with the husband’s father’s family. By living with the husband’s family, it lets all the men, (the father, brothers, and sons) continue to work together on the land. The patrilocal residence occurs when a newly married couple establishes their home near or in the groom's father's house.  This makes sense in a society that follows patrilineal descent. 
3. Matrilocal Residence: This is most familiar among horticultural groups. It’s where the couple moves to live where the wife grew up; usually found with matrilineal kinship systems. The matrilocal residence occurs when a newly married couple establishes their home near or in the bride's mother's house
4. Avunculocal Residence: Is also related in matrilineal societies however in this case the couple moves to live with the husband’s mother’s brother. They live with the most significant man, his uncle because it’s who they will later inherit everything. Aunculocal residence occurs when a newly married couple establishes their home near or in the groom's maternal uncle's house.

Important Points Avunculate, a relationship that exists in many societies between a man and his sister's children, particularly her sons. The term comes from the Latin 'avunculus', which means "uncle." It usually entails the maternal uncle having some authority over his nephews (and sometimes nieces), as well as specific responsibilities in their upbringing, initiation, and marriage. In turn, these children frequently have special rights to their uncle's property, frequently taking precedence in inheritance over the uncle's children.

Therefore, the correct answer is Aunculocal residence.

The correct answer is i - b; ii - a; iii - d & iv - c.

Key PointsGaros

• The Garos constitute the majority in the East Garo Hills district of Meghalaya as is evident from the name of the district.
• The Garos are the second largest tribe after the Khasis in Meghalaya.
• The Garos refer to themselves as A'chik or Mande and their language belongs to the Bodo branch of the Bodo-Naga-Kachin family of the Sino Tibetan phylum.
• The Garos are distributed over the five Garo Hills districts of Meghalaya, the Mymensingh district of Bangladesh, and the Kamrup, Goalpara, and Karbi-Anglong districts of Assam.
• They are also scattered in a few numbers in Tripura and Nagaland. 
• The various dialect groups that comprise the Garos are the Ambeng, Atong, Akawe (or Awe), Duals, Matchi, Matabengs, Chibok, Chisak Megam, or Lyngngam, Ruga, Gara-Ganching.
• The Garos of the hills practice slash-and-burn agriculture or jhum-cultivation while the Garo of the plains practice wet-rice agriculture and live in a cultural and ecological environment entirely different from that of the Garo of the hills.

Gond

• Gond is one of the largest tribes in India.
• Gonds are found in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, and Odisha.
• Gonds worship a high god known as Baradeo, whose alternate names are Budha Dev, Thakur Dev, Dulha Dev, Sri Shambu Mahadeo, etc.
• Gond women from Chattisgarh perform the Sua dance which is performed after Diwali to honor Shiva and Parvati.

Garasia

• The Dungri Garasia are a clan of the Bhil ethnic community found in the states of  Gujarat and Rajasthan in India. They have scheduled tribe status.
• They celebrate Uttarayan, Holi, Akhatrij, Diwali, Janmashtami, Navratri, and Diwali, and various other festivals during the year.

Jawas

• The Jarawas are inhabiting presently the Western coast of Middle Andaman and South Andaman Islands.
• Jarawas continue to be hunting and gathering nomadic tribe.
• They hunt wild pigs, monitor lizard with bows and arrows.
• Tips of the arrow is made of Iron. Unlike Onges and Andamanese, Jarawas do not use dogs for hunting.
• Men fish with bows and arrows in the coastal waters while women catch fish with basket. Molluscus constitute major part of their Pisces food.
• Jarawas collect fruits and roots including honey from the forest.
• They build temporary huts in their camps. They use crude rafts to cross creeks and streams.

A tribe is a group of people who share a common geographic area and live and work there. A tribe shares a common language, religion, and culture. Additionally, they feel very united. A chief is typically in charge of the tribe. A collection of tribes arranged around kinships makes up a tribal society.

Key Points

• The word tribe is derived from Tribus, a Latin word meaning “a group”.
• The tribal communities are distinguished from other communities by relative isolation, cultural distinctiveness, and low level of production and subsistence. They are the native inhabitants. There are several terms used for them like ‘Adivasi’ (first settler), ‘vanvasi’ (inhabitants of forests), ‘vanyajati’ (primitive people), and ‘Janjati’ (folk people), and ‘anusuchit jati’ (ST).
• According to the demographical distribution of tribes:
  • In 1950 there were 212 and in the year 2003, there are 533 tribes as per notified schedule under Article 342 with the largest of them being in Orissa (62).​
• ​Approximately 2-3 million tribal communities speak their own languages, with some exceptions. The most well-known tribal languages are Chakma, Garo, Khasia, Magh, Manipuri, Munda, Oraon, and Santali.

Hence, we can conclude that the I, II, and III statements are correct. 

The correct answer is K. Gough.Key Points

• The jajmani system or yajman system was an economic system most notably found in villages of the Indian subcontinent in which lower castes performed various functions for upper castes and received grain or other goods in return.
• Oscar Lewis relied on Wiser's study for his 1958 definition of the jajmani system, saying that "Under this system, each caste group within a village is expected to give certain standardized services to the families of another caste."
• A very important feature of traditional village life in India is the ‘jajmani’ system. It has been studied by various sociologists, viz., Willian Wiser (1936), S.C. Dube (1955), Opler and Singh (1986), K. Ishwaran (1967), and Lewis and Barnouw (1956).
• In fact, the jajmani system is a system of economic, social, and ritual ties among different caste groups in a village. Under this system some castes are patrons and others are serving castes. The serving castes offer their services to the landowning upper and intermediate castes and in turn, are paid both in cash and kind.
• The patron castes are the landowning dominant castes, e.g., Rajput, Bhumihar, Jat in the North, Kamma, Lingayat, and Reddi in Andhra Pradesh, and Patel in Gujarat.
• The service castes comprise Brahmin (priests), barbers, carpenters, blacksmiths, water-carrier, leatherworkers, etc. 
• But the jajmani system also possesses the elements of dominance, exploitation, and conflict (Beidelman, 1959 Lewis and Barnouw, 1956).
• There is a vast difference in the exercise of power between landowning dominant patrons and poor artisans and landless laborers who serve them. The rich and powerful jamjars exploit and coerce the poor ‘kamins’ (clients) to maintain their dominance. In fact, there is reciprocity as well as dominance in the jajmani system.

Additional Information

• Eleanor Kathleen Gough Aberle was a British anthropologist and feminist who was known for her work in South Asia and South-East Asia. As a part of her doctorate work, she did field research in the Malabar district from 1947 to 1949.
• Kathleen Gough studied the Nayars of Kerala in great depth and said that Nayars seem to have treated marriage apart from sex and economic relations between men and women. The basic household unit is called the taravad which is matrilineal. The term enangar is applied to a matrilineal lineage.
• Marvin Opler is best known for his work as a principal investigator in the Midtown Community Mental Health Research Study (New York).
• William Henricks Wiser, also spelled as Hendricks, was an American anthropologist, and a Fourth Presbyterian Church, Chicago IL Presbyterian rural missionary sent to North India - Uttar Pradesh. He authored several books, notably, Behind Mud Walls, The Hindu Jajmani System, and many more.
• Shyama Charan Dube was an Indian anthropologist, sociologist, and former president of the Indian Sociological Society from 1975 to 1976

Thus, K. Gough has not worked on the functioning of the Jajmani system as a binding force among castes.

The literary definition of language is a system of communication through speech, a collection of sounds that a group of people understand to have the same meaning.

• A language family: A group of languages related by a common ancestor existed before recorded history.
• Dialect: A local language spoken in a specific geographic area. It should be noted that a common language can give rise to several dialects.

Key Points

 The people of India speak a large number of languages which are broadly divided into the following families-

1. Indo-European Family (Arya)
2. Dravidian Family (Dravida)
3. Austric Family (Nishada)
4. Sino Tibetan Family (Kirata)
5. Negroid
6. Others

Indo-Aryan Group of Languages: It is a branch of the larger Indo-European group of languages which came to India with the advent of Aryans. It is India's largest language group, and approximately 74% of Indians speak languages from this group. This group is divided into three sections:

• Old Indo-Aryan: This language developed around 1500 BC, and Sanskrit was born around this time. This is when the ancient form of Sanskrit found in the Vedas, Puranas, and Upanishads emerged. It is an official classical language. One of the 22 Indian languages. It is also known as the mother of Indian languages.
• Middle Indo-Aryan Group: Prakrit was developed during the Middle Indo-Aryan Group (600 BC to 1000 AD). Prakrit was also the mother tongue of many other languages, including Pali, Apabhramsha, and Ardha Magadhi. Pali was a major language used in Buddhist scripts.
• Modern Indo-Aryan Group: Languages in this group include Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Marathi, Punjabi, Odia, Urdu, and others. This group's languages are primarily spoken in India's northern, western, and eastern regions.

Dravidian Group: This group consists primarily of languages spoken in southern India. This group includes approximately 25% of the Indian population. Proto-Dravidian spawned 21 Dravidian languages. These are divided into three groups. Telugu is the most populous Dravidian language, followed by Malayalam.

Sino Tibetan group: Languages in this family are Mongoloid and spread across North Bihar, North Bengal, Assam, and the North East. These languages are thought to be older than Indo-Aryan languages and are referred to as Kiratas in the oldest Sanskrit literature.

Tibeto Burman: The most common languages spoken in this category are Tibetan, North Assamese, Burman, and Manipuri.

Siamese Chinese: Ahom, a Siamese Chinese dialect, is one of the languages spoken in this category, but it is now extinct.

Austric: These are the Munda or Kol languages spoken in central, eastern, and north-eastern India. Santhali is an important language spoken by the tribe and is widely spoken in Jharkhand, Bihar, and Bengal.

Important Points

Oraon is one of the largest tribal communities in India. They are Dravidian tribe. Oraons are believed to have settled in the Chotanagpur plateau centuries ago. They are also known as Kurukh tribe. Traditionally, Oraon depended on forest for their livelihood. Oraon, differently known as Uraon, Oran or Oram, is an aborigine who inhabits in various states across in India as well as in Bangladesh. Majority of them living in Chhotonagpur region of Jharkhand are known as Kurukh. Kurukh speaks Dravidian language which is akin to Gond and other tribal languages.

The Munda are an Austroasiatic-speaking Indian ethnic group. They are primarily bilingual in the Mundari language, which is part of the Munda subgroup of Austroasiatic languages. The Munda are primarily found in the Chhotanagpur Plateau region, which encompasses the majority of Jharkhand, as well as neighbouring states Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and West Bengal.

Additional InformationWestern Brachycephals: This group is characterized by populations with a light brown skin colour, brachycephalic head form, long nose and tall stature. Populations representing these groups are Nagar Brahmans of Gujarat to people from Coorg and people inhabiting the western coastal region.

The Negrito: They are considered to be the first settlers in the Indian subcontinent. The characteristic features of Negrito are: a dark pigmy strain having spirally curved hair; the head is small, medium or broad with a bulbous forehead, the nose is flat and broad, and the lips are everted and thick. Examples of these types of populations are: the Kadars, the Irulas, the Paniyans, etc., of the southern region. Such type of characteristics is also seen among the tribes of the Rajmahal hills. With respect to the head and hair forms, the Indian Negrito strain resembles the Melanesian pygmies than the Andamanese or African pygmies.

Therefore, the correct answer is Austric and Dravidian speech group.

The correct answer is Social networks.

Key Points

• A social network is a social structure made up of a set of social actors (such as individuals or organizations), sets of dyadic ties, and other social interactions between actors.
• Each connection, or relationship, between actors, is known as a network tie. The connection between actors., while each actor, or point on the network, is referred to as a node.
• The point, often another individual or actor, where two other actors are connected.
•  A social network indicates the way that people and organizations are connected through various social familiarities, ranging from casual acquaintances to close familial bonds.

Additional Information

• In sociology, a social organization is a pattern of relationships between and among individuals and social groups. Characteristics of social organization can include qualities such as sexual composition, spatiotemporal cohesion, leadership, structure, division of labor, communication systems, and so on.
• Social development is about improving the well-being of every individual in society so they can reach their full potential. The success of a society is linked to the well-being of each and every citizen. Social development means investing in people.
• A social institution is a group or organization that has specific roles, norms, and expectations, which functions to meet to social needs of society. The family, government, religion, education, and media are all examples of social institutions.

Thus, A structure of relationships linking social actors, or the set of actors and the ties among them is Social networks.