Morgan Institute for Human Rights

     


Answer Key

Here are the questions for the Shah Bano case with the correct answers marked with an asterisk.

The multiple choice items allowed more than one answer to be selected. Full credit will be given only for selecting all of the correct choices and none of the incorrect choices.

1. Under Muslim personal law, a divorced woman is entitled to:

  1. no maintenance
  2. maintenance for a limited time*
  3. maintenance for the rest of her life

2. Women’s rights are more restricted than men’s under which Indian laws?

  1. Hindu personal law*
  2. Muslim personal law*
  3. Christian personal law*

3. Which group(s) might be troubled about having a uniform civil code if it is decided upon by majority rule?

  1. Muslims*
  2. Hindus
  3. Christians*
  4. Sikhs*

4. Given Rajiv Gandhi’s personal history, what are some reasonable arguments about the prospects for continued minority religious rights under his rule?

  1. His mother’s good relations with minorities would portend a period of interreligious harmony and cooperation on a uniform civil code.
  2. His family and marriage would give him a cosmopolitan acceptance of different religions and their personal laws.*
  3. His western university education would give him a preference for uniform rights for all.*
  4. His Muslim background would make him stand by the Muslim personal laws.

5. Why has India’s post Independence government been called a democratic dynasty?

a. The Prime Minister rules as a dictator without regard for legislative or judicial branches.

  1. The Prime Ministers have been from the same family for most of the years since Independence.*
  2. The Prime Minister’s religious affiliation determines which personal law will be the law of the land.

True or False

1. Muslim personal law in India means that Muslims can face harsher criminal penalties than Hindus, such as removing the hand of a thief. (F)

2. India has one of the largest populations of Muslims in the world. (T)

3. Getting their own country, Pakistan, ended the insecurity felt by Muslims in South Asia. (F)

4. The Indian Constitution prohibits discrimination on the grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth. (T)

Multiple choice. You can pick more than one answer. Be sure to check all that apply.

5. What is the Special Marriage Act of 1954?

  1. The act that codified and reformed all of the different personal laws.
  2. The act that offered an alternative for couples who elect not to use the personal laws.*
  3. The act that created a uniform civil code for all marriages after 1954.

6. The Shah Bano decision was supported by diverse political groups. Which of the following tended to agree with the Supreme Court ruling?

  1. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)*
  2. Muslim Personal Law Board
  3. Muslim Feminists*

7. What is one of the most contested and debated words in the Indian constitution?

  1. Civil
  2. Secular*
  3. Fundamental

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