UGC NET/JRF EXAM, JUNE-2025 WOMEN’S STUDIES

Total Questions: 100

21. What is the role of critical thinking in feminist pedagogy?

Correct Answer: 2. To challenge dominant narratives and promote critical consciousness
Solution:

In feminist pedagogy, critical thinking plays a central role in challenging dominant narratives and promoting critical consciousness.

It encourages learners to question systems of power, privilege, and oppression embedded in traditional knowledge structures.

Instead of passive learning, feminist pedagogy fosters active engagement, reflection, and transformation toward social justice and equality.

22. SHISHU Loan under Mudra Yojana Scheme provides loan upto:

Correct Answer: 2. ₹50,000 (for startup and new business)
Solution:

Under the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY), the SHISHU loan category supports startup and early-stage businesses by providing loans of up to₹ 50,000.

This scheme aims to promote entrepreneurship among micro and small enterprises by offering financial assistance with minimal formalities.

23. According to feminists, what is the key factor in shaping an individual's gender identity?

Correct Answer: 3. Social and cultural norms
Solution:

Feminists argue that an individual's gender identity is primarily shaped by social and cultural norms, not just biological factors.

Gender is understood as a social construct, influenced by societal expectations, upbringing, media, and cultural conditioning, which define what behaviors are considered "masculine" or "feminine."

24. The encoding and decoding model of communication was developed by cultural theorist:

Correct Answer: 1. Stuart Hall
Solution:

The encoding and decoding model of communication was developed by Stuart Hall, a leading cultural theorist.

In this model, Hall explains that media messages are "encoded" with intended meanings by producers but can be "decoded" differently by audiences, depending on their social and cultural context-creating dominant, negotiated, or oppositional readings.

25. The popular article "Dalit women talk differently" has been authored by:

Correct Answer: 4. Gopal Guru
Solution:

The article "Dalit Women Talk Differently" was originally authored by Gopal Guru. This seminal piece emphasized how Dalit women's lived experiences and voices differ from both mainstream feminist movements and Dalit male narratives, highlighting the intersection of caste and gender.

The article initiated an important academic and political dialogue within feminist and Dalit studies. Later, Sharmila Rege responded with a critical essay titled "Dalit Women Talk Differently: A Critique of 'Difference' and Towards a Dalit Feminist Standpoint Position."

26. What is the relationship between Queer Theory and Feminism?

Correct Answer: 3. Queer Theory shares with feminism an interest in deconstructing traditional gender roles and hierarchies.
Solution:

Queer Theory and Feminism share a close intellectual relationship as both seek to deconstruct traditional gender roles, hierarchies, and binaries.

While feminism critiques patriarchal structures and the subordination of women, queer theory expands this critique to challenge the rigid binaries of sex, gender, and sexuality itselfemphasizing fluidity and inclusivity beyond heteronormativity.

Both aim to expose and dismantle systems that produce inequality based on gender and sexuality.

27. What is a hybrid of organism/nature and machine/culture as a creature of "permanently partial identities"?

Correct Answer: 2. Cyborg
Solution:

The term "Cyborg" was popularized by Donna Haraway in her essay "A Cyborg Manifesto" (1985).

She described the cyborg as a hybrid of organism/nature and machine/culture, representing "permanently partial identities" that transcend traditional boundaries of gender, species, and technology.

The cyborg symbolizes a feminist and post-human vision of identity that resists fixed categories and embraces hybridity.

28. Who was the Warrior Queen of Nagaland, who emerged as a symbol of resistance against British Colonial rule?

Correct Answer: 2. Rani Gaidinliu
Solution:

Rani Gaidinliu, the warrior queen of Nagaland, was a prominent freedom fighter and spiritual leader who led an armed resistance against British colonial rule.

Joining the Heraka movement at a young age, she fought fo: the political and cultural rights of the Naga people and became a symbol of indigenous resistance. She was later honored with titles like Rani and recognized as a national heroine by India.

29. Who among the following was involved in a landmark legal case involving her marriage as a child bride. The case influenced the enactment of the "Age of Consent Act" in 1891?

Correct Answer: 4. Rukhma Bai
Solution:

Rukhma Bai was involved in a landmark legal case (Rukhma Bai vs. Dadaji Bhikaji, 1884-1888) concerning her marriage as a child bride. She refused to live with her husband, asserting her right to consent in marriage.

The case stirred public debate on women's rights and child marriage, leading to the Age of Consent Act of 1891, which raised the minimum age for consent to 12 years. Rukhma Bai later became one of India's first practicing women doctors.

30. How does hegemonic masculinity affect men who do not fit its ideal?

Correct Answer: 2. It results in social marginalization and pressure to conform to dominant masculine norms.
Solution:

Hegemonic masculinity refers to the culturally dominant ideal of male behavior that emphasizes traits such as strength, control, and emotional restraint. Men who do not conform to these ideals often face social marginalization, ridicule, or pressure to conform.

This system not only subordinates women but also other men who exhibit non-hegemonic masculinities, such as being gentle, emotional, or queer.