This exercise provides a series of worksheets which aim to provide a deeper understanding of religion, personal laws and gender justice through the lens of constitutional history and the contemporary Shayara Bano case.
Curriculum: NCERT
Subject: Social Studies
Textbook: Democratic Politics — II
In India, matters related to marriage, divorce, maintenance, inheritance, succession and adoption are regulated by personal laws. These are largely influenced by religious customs of different communities. However, they are often criticised for perpetuating gender inequality and discriminatory attitudes. While Muslim personal laws receive the most flak for being discriminatory, some argue that Hindu laws are no different.
The core controversy surrounding this issue has been the conflict between personal laws and gender justice. In this context, there has been continued demand for a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) – a standardized law regulating all aspects of personal law.
Shayara Bano v. Union of India, a case in which the Supreme Court invalidated divorces resulting from Triple Talaq, reignited this issue. Though the case did not touch upon UCC, it delved into issues regarding personal laws and gender justice.
These worksheets supplement the chapters titled Democracy and Diversity and Gender, Religion and Caste in the grade 10 NCERT textbook. Students can solve the worksheets using the SCOberver and CoI.net websites. Educators can guide students on how to navigate the websites and access the relevant material including the case summary and the Assembly Debates. The exercise aims to familiarise the students with diverse viewpoints and help develop a nuanced approach to a critical issue that impacts lives of gender and religious minorities.
