Reading Comprehension – Test 79

Read the following passage carefully and choose the most appropriate answer to the questions out of five alternatives. <br><br> The sheer horror of the death of Tushara, a 27-year-old woman in Karunagappally near Kollam district in Kerala, who was allegedly starved to death by her husband and mother-in-law for dowry, has left the nation shamed. Reports say Tushara weighed only 20 kg and was reduced to a bag of bones before her demise at a government hospital. The continuing oppression of women is shocking in a state like Kerala that scores high on social development, with its historical lead in education, and progressive gender attitudes. The incident is a grim reminder that more than seven decades after Independence, Indian women remain oppressed and unfree.<br><br> The ground reality has not changed for many, despite laws including the anti-dowry law enacted in 1961, followed later by making the offence of dowry harassment both cognizable and non-bailable under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code. Crime against women is largely due to the outdated and discriminatory social norms that legitimise male power. That must change. Distressingly, a 2018 UN study revealed that dowry deaths continue to account for a significant share of all female homicides in India, despite anti-dowry laws. Data from the National Crime Records Bureau showed that dowry deaths account for 40-50% of all female homicides recorded annually in the country, representing a stable trend over the period 1999-2016. This is simply unacceptable. The need is to address the basic problem of enhancing women's place in society and releasing her from male control. <br><br> Gender justice varies in the country depending on the location. In some places, it is ending female foeticide, sending girls to schools and providing better sanitation. Removing the bias rooted in personal law is the need in some religions, while it is bringing tradition and practice in sync with reformed laws, in others. Overall, better education, making it easy for women to enter the workforce and giving access to credit will make them tap economic opportunities. It is time for political parties to make women's empowerment a major electoral plank for mobilising votes.

Why was Tushara starved to death?

Read the following passage carefully and choose the most appropriate answer to the questions out of five alternatives. <br><br> The sheer horror of the death of Tushara, a 27-year-old woman in Karunagappally near Kollam district in Kerala, who was allegedly starved to death by her husband and mother-in-law for dowry, has left the nation shamed. Reports say Tushara weighed only 20 kg and was reduced to a bag of bones before her demise at a government hospital. The continuing oppression of women is shocking in a state like Kerala that scores high on social development, with its historical lead in education, and progressive gender attitudes. The incident is a grim reminder that more than seven decades after Independence, Indian women remain oppressed and unfree.<br><br> The ground reality has not changed for many, despite laws including the anti-dowry law enacted in 1961, followed later by making the offence of dowry harassment both cognizable and non-bailable under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code. Crime against women is largely due to the outdated and discriminatory social norms that legitimise male power. That must change. Distressingly, a 2018 UN study revealed that dowry deaths continue to account for a significant share of all female homicides in India, despite anti-dowry laws. Data from the National Crime Records Bureau showed that dowry deaths account for 40-50% of all female homicides recorded annually in the country, representing a stable trend over the period 1999-2016. This is simply unacceptable. The need is to address the basic problem of enhancing women's place in society and releasing her from male control. <br><br> Gender justice varies in the country depending on the location. In some places, it is ending female foeticide, sending girls to schools and providing better sanitation. Removing the bias rooted in personal law is the need in some religions, while it is bringing tradition and practice in sync with reformed laws, in others. Overall, better education, making it easy for women to enter the workforce and giving access to credit will make them tap economic opportunities. It is time for political parties to make women's empowerment a major electoral plank for mobilising votes.

Why the continuing oppression of women is shocking in Kerala specifically?

Read the following passage carefully and choose the most appropriate answer to the questions out of five alternatives. <br><br> The sheer horror of the death of Tushara, a 27-year-old woman in Karunagappally near Kollam district in Kerala, who was allegedly starved to death by her husband and mother-in-law for dowry, has left the nation shamed. Reports say Tushara weighed only 20 kg and was reduced to a bag of bones before her demise at a government hospital. The continuing oppression of women is shocking in a state like Kerala that scores high on social development, with its historical lead in education, and progressive gender attitudes. The incident is a grim reminder that more than seven decades after Independence, Indian women remain oppressed and unfree.<br><br> The ground reality has not changed for many, despite laws including the anti-dowry law enacted in 1961, followed later by making the offence of dowry harassment both cognizable and non-bailable under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code. Crime against women is largely due to the outdated and discriminatory social norms that legitimise male power. That must change. Distressingly, a 2018 UN study revealed that dowry deaths continue to account for a significant share of all female homicides in India, despite anti-dowry laws. Data from the National Crime Records Bureau showed that dowry deaths account for 40-50% of all female homicides recorded annually in the country, representing a stable trend over the period 1999-2016. This is simply unacceptable. The need is to address the basic problem of enhancing women's place in society and releasing her from male control. <br><br> Gender justice varies in the country depending on the location. In some places, it is ending female foeticide, sending girls to schools and providing better sanitation. Removing the bias rooted in personal law is the need in some religions, while it is bringing tradition and practice in sync with reformed laws, in others. Overall, better education, making it easy for women to enter the workforce and giving access to credit will make them tap economic opportunities. It is time for political parties to make women's empowerment a major electoral plank for mobilising votes.

When was the anti-dowry law enacted?