Aspirant Academy

Society, Management and Accounting

Key Points at a Glance

Family, Marriage, Elderly, Disabled in Modern Society; Cyber Crime, Social Media Impact

Paper I · Unit 3 Section 1 of 12 0 PYQs 29 min
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Key Points at a Glance

  1. Nuclear family has become India's dominant household type in urban areas: 54.4% of all households (Census 2011) are nuclear families. The joint family (multigenerational, patriarchal) is declining due to urbanisation, economic independence, and individual aspirations.

  2. Marriage in India: 93% marriages are arranged (IHDS 2011–12); inter-caste marriages remain rare at 5.4% (IHDS). Special Marriage Act, 1954 allows civil marriage irrespective of caste/religion. Child Marriage (Prohibition) Act, 2006 sets minimum age: women 18 years, men 21 years; Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2021 proposes raising women's age to 21.

  3. Elderly in India: 138 million persons aged 60+ (2021); projected 346 million by 2050 (UNFPA India Ageing Report 2023). Elder abuse — NITI Aayog 2020 report found 20% of elderly face some form of abuse. Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 (amended 2019): Children/relatives legally bound to pay maintenance up to ₹10,000/month; abandoned seniors entitled to return to property.

  4. Persons with Disabilities (PwD): 2.68 crore disabled persons (Census 2011) = 2.21% of population. Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 (RPwD): Replaced the Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995; recognises 21 types of disabilities (expanded from 7); mandates 4% reservation in government jobs (raised from 3%); gives legal right to education, employment, accessibility.

  5. Cyber Crime in India: NCRB 2022 data: 65,893 cyber crime cases registered — a 24.4% increase over 2021. Top categories: OTP fraud, online financial fraud, social media crimes, cyberstalking. IT Act, 2000 (amended 2008): Sections 66A (struck down 2015 — Shreya Singhal case), 66C (identity theft), 66D (cheating by impersonation), 67 (obscene content), 70 (hacking).

  6. Social Media in India: 467 million social media users (January 2023); YouTube = 467 mn users, WhatsApp = 487 mn, Facebook = 314 mn, Instagram = 229 mn. IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021: Mandates grievance officer, traceability of first originator of messages, 24-hour takedown of specific content.

  7. Sharda Act (Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929) — the first Indian law restraining child marriage; introduced by Rai Sahib Har Bilas Sarda (Rajasthan legislator from Ajmer). Fixed minimum age: girls 14, boys 18. RPSC 2021 asked a 2-mark Q on this. Significance: First state intervention in a personal/religious matter related to marriage.

  8. Social media and fake news: WhatsApp mob lynching — 2018: at least 33 mob lynching deaths linked to viral fake WhatsApp messages (child kidnapping rumours). The Supreme Court in Tehseen S. Poonawalla v. Union of India (2018) directed the government to create a law against mob lynching — still pending. Digital divide: As of 2022, internet penetration: Urban 67% vs. Rural 34% (TRAI).

  9. Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) and Changing Family Law: The Hindu Succession Act, 1956 (amended 2005) gave daughters equal coparcenary rights in HUF ancestral property — a landmark shift from patrilineal inheritance. The 2005 amendment (effective 2005, confirmed retroactively by SC in Vineeta Sharma v. Rakesh Sharma, 2020) applies even if the father died before 2005. This reform directly challenges the patriarchal joint family model and accelerates women's economic empowerment.

  10. Differently Abled — Inclusion vs. Integration: The RPwD Act, 2016 adopts the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD, 2006) framework — moving from a charity/medical model to a rights-based social model of disability. The Accessible India Campaign (Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan, 2015) targets accessibility in public buildings, transport, and digital resources. The Divyangjan term (coined by PM Modi, 2015) reframes disability as a divine gift, shifting social perception. ADIP Scheme provides assistive devices to BPL PwD free of cost.

  11. Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and Family Law Reform: Article 44 of the Constitution (Directive Principle) mandates a Uniform Civil Code — a single set of family laws (marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption) applicable to all citizens irrespective of religion. Currently India has personal laws for Hindus (Hindu Marriage Act, 1955), Muslims (Muslim Personal Law), Christians (Indian Christian Marriage Act, 1872), etc. Uttarakhand became the first state to enact UCC (2024). RPSC is likely to ask about UCC given its topicality and connection to family law.

  12. Cyber Crime against Women — Legal Framework: Section 354A to 354D IPC (added 2013) — sexual harassment, assault, voyeurism, and stalking (including cyber stalking). Section 66E IT Act — violation of privacy by capturing/transmitting private images. The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 covers online sexual exploitation of minors. National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (cybercrime.gov.in) launched by MHA for online reporting. Rajasthan's Cyber Police Stations in all districts since 2023.