The founding mothers cobbled an intersectional alliance with B.R. Ambedkar for the realisation of social revolution. They shared his sceptical attitude towards the romantic celebration of Indian culture which is deeply anchored in the brahmanical patriarchy. Amrit Kaur, a prominent founding mother of the Constitution, asserted in 1932 that the women of India were no longer willing to submit to standards, whether local, political, or ethical, which had been set for them by the male conscience of the community. The founding mothers laboured in and out of the Constituent Assembly to break the patriarchal ecosystem. But the nation has failed them deplorably.

Based on the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:
1. The "romantic celebration of Indian culture" prevalent at the time glossed over deeply entrenched patriarchal and caste-based inequalities.
2. The "male conscience of the community" had, until that point, exclusively and uniformly dictated all standards for women.
3. The nation has failed women deplorably because the efforts of the founding mothers could not directly and fully translate into realization of their goals for social transformation.

How many of the assumptions given above are valid?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None

Question

The founding mothers cobbled an intersectional alliance with B.R. Ambedkar for the realisation of social revolution. They shared his sceptical attitude towards the romantic celebration of Indian culture which is deeply anchored in the brahmanical patriarchy. Amrit Kaur, a prominent founding mother of the Constitution, asserted in 1932 that the women of India were no longer willing to submit to standards, whether local, political, or ethical, which had been set for them by the male conscience of the community. The founding mothers laboured in and out of the Constituent Assembly to break the patriarchal ecosystem. But the nation has failed them deplorably.

Based on the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:
1. The "romantic celebration of Indian culture" prevalent at the time glossed over deeply entrenched patriarchal and caste-based inequalities.
2. The "male conscience of the community" had, until that point, exclusively and uniformly dictated all standards for women.
3. The nation has failed women deplorably because the efforts of the founding mothers could not directly and fully translate into realization of their goals for social transformation.

How many of the assumptions given above are valid?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None

ONLiNE UPSC · Accepted Answer

Statement 1 is correct: The founding mothers and B.R. Ambedkar shared scepticism towards a "romantic celebration of Indian culture". This statement to be meaningful in the context of fighting "brahmanical patriarchy," it must be assumed that this specific form of celebration often ignored, minimized, or even validated the very patriarchal and caste structures they opposed.

Statement 2 is not correct: The passage states that &ldquo;women of India were no longer willing to submit to standards, whether local, political, or ethical, which had been set for them by the male conscience of the community&rdquo;, which implies a past state of submission but doesn't necessarily mean there was zero female input or resistance prior, only that a new assertion of unwillingness was being made.

Statement 3 is correct: To claim the nation "failed them deplorably" implies that the founding mothers' labor established a certain potential or laid the groundwork. The assumption is that if the nation had acted in line with their vision and efforts, a significantly better outcome (less patriarchy, more fraternity) would have been achieved. The efforts of the founding mothers "in and out of the Constituent Assembly" should have, under ideal subsequent national conduct, directly and fully translated into the substantive realization of their goals for social transformation.

Indian Constitution and Social Revolution

Intersectional Alliance with B.R. Ambedkar and Founding Mothers

Website Link

Test Your Knowledge

Student Resources


M Question 1	⏱ 0
The founding mothers cobbled an intersectional alliance with B.R. Ambedkar for the realisation of social revolution. They shared his sceptical attitude towards the romantic celebration of Indian culture which is deeply anchored in the brahmanical patriarchy. Amrit Kaur, a prominent founding mother of the Constitution, asserted in 1932 that the women of India were no longer willing to submit to standards, whether local, political, or ethical, which had been set for them by the male conscience of the community. The founding mothers laboured in and out of the Constituent Assembly to break the patriarchal ecosystem. But the nation has failed them deplorably. Based on the above passage, the following assumptions have been made: 1. The "romantic celebration of Indian culture" prevalent at the time glossed over deeply entrenched patriarchal and caste-based inequalities. 2. The "male conscience of the community" had, until that point, exclusively and uniformly dictated all standards for women. 3. The nation has failed women deplorably because the efforts of the founding mothers could not directly and fully translate into realization of their goals for social transformation. How many of the assumptions given above are valid? (a) Only one (b) Only two (c) All three (d) None