Q.Based on the following passage, answer Q.No. 6 and 7. Social inequality and exclusion are facts of life. Social inequality and exclusion are social because they are not about individuals but about groups. In every society, some people have a greater share of valued resources – money, property, education, health and power – than others. People often face discrimination and exclusion because of their gender, religion, ethnicity, language, caste and disability. Which of the following statements is not true related to Exclusion of Dalits ? (A) The institution of untouchability does not refer to the avoidance or prohibition of physical contact. (B) Untouchability refers to a much broader set of social sanctions. (C) Untouchable castes are outside the caste hierarchy. (D) They are considered to be so impure that their mere touch severely pollutes members of all other castes.

Untouchability Definition

Untouchability is a deeply entrenched form of social exclusion that goes far beyond simple physical avoidance. The institution encompasses a comprehensive system of social sanctions that restrict where Dalits can live, what occupations they can pursue, which public spaces they can access, and how they interact with members of other castes. Physical contact is indeed prohibited, but this prohibition is merely one visible manifestation of a much wider structure of discrimination.

The untouchable castes occupy a position outside the traditional four-tier caste hierarchy. They are regarded as so ritually impure that even their touch is believed to pollute members of all other castes, leading to elaborate rules governing social distance and interaction. …

Untouchability was one of the most oppressive features of the traditional caste system in India. To understand which statement is false, we need to grasp what untouchability actually meant in practice.

The term "untouchability" might suggest that it was simply about avoiding physical contact with certain groups. But this interpretation drastically understates the reality. Untouchability was a comprehensive system of social exclusion that went far beyond the prohibition of touch. It dictated where people could live, what occupations they could pursue, which wells they could draw water from, which temples they could enter, and even which roads they could walk on. Dalits were forced to live on the outskirts of villages, denied access to public spaces, barred from education, and compelled into degrading occupations like manual scavenging and disposal of dead animals. The system created invisible boundaries that structured every interaction in daily life.

The logic behind untouchability rested on the notion of ritual pollution. Certain castes were deemed so impure that their very presence – not just their touch – was thought to contaminate members of higher castes. This belief justified extreme forms of social distancing and discrimination that persisted for centuries.

Looking at each statement:

• Statement A claims that untouchability does not refer to avoidance of physical contact. This is false because physical contact was indeed a central concern – though not the only one. …