HSC Continuity and Change Evidence

Gloria Steinem’s quote about resistance to social change

“The first resistance to social change is to say ‘it’s not necessary’.”

Ogburn’s Theory of Cultural Lag

The attitudes and traditions of persons are a strong resistant to change, despite technological advancements enabling progress.

Raymond Kurzweil’s Theory of Accelerating Change

All barriers that present themselves are overcome with developing a new technology, and the progress of technological advancement is thus increasing at an increasing pace.

Child sex ratios in India

2011: 919 girls per 1000 boys
2025: 947 girls per 1000 boys

Crimes against women

47% increase in 2000-2010

Delhi gang rape case year

2012

India’s STEM graduates

43% women (globally leading)

Board seats in companies

7-17% female between 2015-2020

FLFPR in 2021 vs 2024

20.3% (International Labour Organisation) to ~35% (Bain & Company)

COVID frontline Health Workers

Over 70% were women

India’s Global Gender Gap Index 2025

131/148

Women’s Reservation Bill

After being rejected 6 times, passed in 2022. Reserves 33% of parliamentary seats for women. Only comes into effect 2029 and only applies to the Lok Sabha, not the Rajya Sabha

Pre-conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act

Enforced in 1994, banned testing the sex of the fetus

Indian girls married before 18

27%

Illiteracy by gender

38% of women, 21% of menN

Rural areas’ sex ratios

Better, due to less access to technologies (National Family Health Survey)

Hindu prevalence

78.9%

Caste system operation

Living a righteous life lets you reincarnate into a higher caste (i.e. suggesting lower castes are a result of immorality)

Dalit numbers

180 million

Jogini

Dalit girls forced into prostitution in the name of religion

Dalit President

K R Narayanan elected 1997

What proportion of Dalits live in poverty?

1/3

Judicial overrepresentation

36% of Supreme Court Judges are Brahmins

Cases against Dalits

52,866 in 2022, increase

Beena Pallical @ Ted Talk

“It is like an amoeba that changes its shape based on the current situation.” (2021)