2023 · GS Paper 4 · Q3(b) · 10 marks
What do each of these quotations convey to you in the present context? "To awaken the people, it is the women who must be awakened. Once she is on the move, the family moves, the village moves, the nation moves." — Jawaharlal Nehru
In short
Nehru's quote conveys that women's empowerment multiplies development, as an awakened woman carries change from her family to the village and the nation. The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, reserving one-third of Lok Sabha and assembly seats for women, carries this idea into the Constitution.
Model answer
Ghissu Editorial · Verified 4 Oct 2026 · 269 words
The family moves
An educated mother improves her children's schooling, nutrition and health, which is why girls' education, from Phule's school of 1848 to Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (2015), is an investment in the next generation.
The village moves
Women in panchayats under the 73rd Amendment and self-help groups like Kerala's Kudumbashree have turned local priorities towards water, sanitation and credit.
The nation moves
India's 2023 G20 presidency championed "women-led development", treating women as leaders of growth rather than beneficiaries.
Ethical core
Awakening means agency and dignity, echoing the Preamble's equality of status and Ambedkar's measure of progress by the progress of women.
Work and income
Female labour force participation has risen to 41.7% (PLFS 2023-24), but much of it is unpaid family work.
Proxy leadership
The "sarpanch pati" phenomenon shows reservation without agency does not awaken.
Mindset and shared duty
Patriarchal control over mobility persists, so awakening needs men to share care work and institutions to be gender-sensitive.
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Question from the official UPSC Civil Services (Main) Examination 2023 paper. Answer written by Ghissu's engine and checked against our editorial standards. Found an error? Tell us and we correct it within 48 hours.