UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Why Punjab’s Dalits remain divided

Q1. With reference to the demographic profile of Scheduled Castes (SCs) in Punjab as per Census 2011, consider the following: 1. SCs form about 31.94% of the State's population, the highest proportion among all Indian States. 2. Nearly three-fourths of Punjab's SC population is rural. 3. Punjab accounts for about 4.3% of India's total SC population. 4. Mazhabi Sikhs and Balmikis together constitute the smallest social cluster among Punjab's Scheduled Castes. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

  1. SCs form about 31.94% of the State's population, the highest proportion among all Indian States.
  2. Nearly three-fourths of Punjab's SC population is rural.
  3. Punjab accounts for about 4.3% of India's total SC population.
  4. Mazhabi Sikhs and Balmikis together constitute the smallest social cluster among Punjab's Scheduled Castes.
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 3 only
  • C. 4 only
  • D. 2 and 4

Q2. In the caste structure of Punjab's Scheduled Castes, the term 'Mazhabi Sikhs' most accurately refers to:

  • A. Dalit Sikhs drawn from the Chamar leather-working community who revere the saint Guru Ravidas
  • B. Sikhs of the landowning Jat agrarian community who dominate the SGPC and Akali apparatus
  • C. Dalit Sikhs drawn largely from the Chuhra (sweeper/Balmiki) community within Sikhism
  • D. Adherents of the Ad-Dharm religious movement who registered a separate faith in the 1931 Census

Q3. Regarding the political representation of Dalits in Punjab, consider the following: 1. Charanjit Singh Channi was Punjab's first Dalit Chief Minister, sworn in in 2021 under the Congress. 2. Giani Zail Singh, Chief Minister during 1972–77, was the last non-Jat Sikh Chief Minister before Channi. 3. From 1977 until 2021, Punjab had an uninterrupted succession of Jat Sikh Chief Ministers. 4. Modern Punjab in its present form was created in 1966 through a reorganisation on a religious basis. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

  1. Charanjit Singh Channi was Punjab's first Dalit Chief Minister, sworn in in 2021 under the Congress.
  2. Giani Zail Singh, Chief Minister during 1972–77, was the last non-Jat Sikh Chief Minister before Channi.
  3. From 1977 until 2021, Punjab had an uninterrupted succession of Jat Sikh Chief Ministers.
  4. Modern Punjab in its present form was created in 1966 through a reorganisation on a religious basis.
  • A. 4 only
  • B. 1 and 3
  • C. 2 only
  • D. 3 and 4

Q4. The reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes in Punjab's Legislative Assembly and their allocation to specific constituencies is operationalised by which of the following bodies?

  • A. The National Commission for Scheduled Castes constituted under Article 338
  • B. The Delimitation Commission constituted under the relevant Delimitation Act
  • C. The State Election Commission of Punjab under Article 243K
  • D. The Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India

Q5. With reference to the Ad-Dharm movement and Ravidassia identity in Punjab, consider the following: 1. The Ad-Dharm movement was founded in 1926 under the leadership of Mangu Ram Mugowalia. 2. Ad-Dharm was first recorded as a separate religion in the Census of 1921. 3. Mangu Ram Mugowalia had earlier been associated with the Ghadar movement. 4. The Ravidassia identity draws on the teachings of Guru Ravidas, a 15th-century saint of the Chamar community. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. The Ad-Dharm movement was founded in 1926 under the leadership of Mangu Ram Mugowalia.
  2. Ad-Dharm was first recorded as a separate religion in the Census of 1921.
  3. Mangu Ram Mugowalia had earlier been associated with the Ghadar movement.
  4. The Ravidassia identity draws on the teachings of Guru Ravidas, a 15th-century saint of the Chamar community.
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 1, 3 and 4
  • C. 2 and 4
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q6. As per the 1931 Census, approximately how many followers in Punjab registered under the newly recognised 'Ad Dharm' religion?

  • A. About 42,000
  • B. About 1.2 lakh
  • C. About 8.4 lakh
  • D. About 4.2 lakh

Q7. In Punjab, the Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme for Scheduled Caste students is implemented by which of the following departments?

  • A. The Department of Social Security and Development of Women and Children
  • B. The Department of Rural Development and Panchayats
  • C. The Department of Social Justice, Empowerment and Minorities
  • D. The Department of School Education

Q8. The list of Scheduled Castes for Punjab — comprising about 39 castes — is specified for the State by which of the following?

  • A. A resolution passed by the Punjab Legislative Assembly under Article 341
  • B. A public notification issued by the President under Article 341, alterable only by Parliament
  • C. The National Commission for Scheduled Castes exercising its powers under Article 338
  • D. The Registrar General of India during each decennial Census enumeration

Q9. Comparing the two principal Deras influential in Punjab's Dalit politics, consider the following statements: 1. Dera Sachkhand Ballan, associated with the Ravidassia community, is influential mainly in the Doaba region. 2. Dera Sacha Sauda, headquartered near Sirsa in Haryana, wields its main influence in Punjab's Malwa region. 3. The Doaba region, the stronghold of Dera Sachkhand Ballan, accounts for the largest number of Assembly seats among Punjab's three regions. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Dera Sachkhand Ballan, associated with the Ravidassia community, is influential mainly in the Doaba region.
  2. Dera Sacha Sauda, headquartered near Sirsa in Haryana, wields its main influence in Punjab's Malwa region.
  3. The Doaba region, the stronghold of Dera Sachkhand Ballan, accounts for the largest number of Assembly seats among Punjab's three regions.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q10. With reference to the context of the Punjab Assembly election due in 2027, consider the following: 1. All 117 Assembly seats will be contested. 2. Of these, 34 seats are reserved for Scheduled Castes. 3. The Aam Aadmi Party is the incumbent party going into the election. 4. The BJP is contesting in alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal, as it did in earlier elections. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. All 117 Assembly seats will be contested.
  2. Of these, 34 seats are reserved for Scheduled Castes.
  3. The Aam Aadmi Party is the incumbent party going into the election.
  4. The BJP is contesting in alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal, as it did in earlier elections.
  • A. 1 and 4
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 3
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q11. Under the Punjab policy examined in State of Punjab v. Davinder Singh (2024), first preference within the Scheduled Caste reservation quota — reserving 50% of the SC seats — was given to which communities as the most backward?

  • A. Ravidasias and Ad-Dharmis
  • B. Ramdasia Sikhs and Chamars
  • C. Ad-Dharmis and Mazhabi Sikhs
  • D. Balmikis (Valmikis) and Mazhabi Sikhs

Q12. The colonial-era law frequently cited for entrenching landholding among Punjab's dominant agricultural castes while excluding Dalit communities from land ownership was:

  • A. The Punjab Tenancy Act, 1887
  • B. The Punjab Land Revenue Act, 1887
  • C. The Punjab Land Alienation Act, 1900
  • D. The Punjab Alienation of Land (Amendment) Act, 1938