Q.4 You are a young officer posted as a Sub-Divisional Magistrate in a backward district. You receive a complaint against the appointment of a Dalit woman in a village school for cooking food under the Mid-Day Meal scheme by parents of some students. The parents are putting immense pressure on the school management to discontinue the services of the woman concerned on the basis of long-standing social norms of caste impurity. They also say that if the management fails to take a favourable decision, keeping in mind the prevailing social customs, they will convene a village assembly and take action against the woman and her family members, including boycotting them socially. Based on the above information, address the following: (a) Identify the issues involved in the given case study. (b) Highlighting the reasons behind continuing caste discrimination, discuss the steps which you will take to resolve the present issue. (20 Marks)

Mentor’s Comments- Introduce by giving the gist of the case study. Write about the various issues and associated stakeholders in the given case. Mention the reasons behind the continuation of caste discrimination. Write down the steps that you will take in this situation. Conclude accordingly.