Society's Role in Forming Values
RAS Mains, Paper II, Unit I, point 1: "role of family, society and educational institutions in inculcating values"
- Updated for the Jan 2026 syllabus
- Read time: about 10 minutes
Exam weight (our count from the real 2018-2024 papers)
This is the most frequently asked part of point 1. 2018 Part B Q7 (role of society), 2021 Part B Q6 (moral advancement and society), 2018 Part C Q12 (teachings of leaders and reformers) and 2023 Part C Q11 (administration and social reform) all touch it. Point 1 drew 9 questions in all. This is our own count, not an RPSC notice.
30-second summary
Remember
- In socialisation, a person learns a society's customs, roles and expectations.
- Society steers conduct through praise, respect, exclusion and criticism.
- Peers, community, religion and tradition, media, and shared ideals (festivals, folk tales, service) shape values.
- Civil society and reform movements carry values forward, but consumerism, "everything goes" and misinformation are challenges.
- An officer belongs to society and also influences it: open working, public participation and awareness can lift social norms.
Part A box (each line 15 words or fewer)
Remember
- Question (our practice question, not a PYQ): What is socialisation?
- Answer: Socialisation is how a person learns a society's customs, roles and expectations. (12 words)
- Ready line 2: Society steers conduct through praise, respect and censure. (8 words)
- Ready line 3: Reform movements and civil society carry values forward. (8 words)
1. Society's channels
Socialisation: by living in society, a person learns its customs, traditions, roles and expectations.
Approval and censure: society steers conduct through praise, respect, exclusion or criticism.
Community, friends and colleagues: peer pressure and role models influence values.
Religion, tradition and culture: religious and cultural institutions offer moral ideals and models of conduct (though rigid customs can come from the same place).
Media and culture: film, news and social media build or change social beliefs.
Shared ideals: festivals, folk tales and service work reinforce common values.
Civil society: voluntary bodies and social movements carry values forward (reform movements, for example, roused opinion against sati and child marriage).
2. Challenges
Consumerism and a narrow idea of success (money, position) press on morality.
Corruption and shortcuts become normal ("everything goes").
Mob pressure, rumours and misinformation.
3. "Moral advancement depends on the advancement of society" (2021 Q6)
A person's moral growth happens inside society: where justice, opportunity and safety are scarce, it is hard to live by one's morals. But the link runs both ways: individuals and reformers also move society forward. A balanced answer states both directions.
4. Administration and social reform (2023 Q11)
Four tools: (1) fair enforcement of law, (2) awareness and dialogue, (3) opportunity through service delivery (education, health, nutrition), (4) partnership with the community, civil society and the panchayat. A limit: punishment alone does not change a custom; consent and alternatives are needed too.
5. Administrative angle
An officer is part of society and also acts on it: open working, public participation and awareness campaigns can steer social norms in a better direction.
How to use it in an answer
after "civil society and movements carry values forward", add: "as the movement that grew out of a sathin's case in Rajasthan led to the Vishaka guidelines in 1997 and the 2013 Act."
Thinkers and quotes box
| Name | Idea | Usable line |
|---|---|---|
| Aristotle | Humans are social-political beings by nature | "Man is by nature a political animal." (Politics, 1253a; wording varies slightly by translation) |
| Vishaka judgment (13 August 1997) | Defining sexual harassment at work | "unwelcome sexually determined behaviour" (a phrase from the judgment's definition; see the judgment for the full text) |
Diagram: arrows of influence
The individual
Centre
Family
Five arrows pointing in
Peer group
Community
Media and digital platforms
Tradition and religion
Approval and censure
Outward arrows: (on the individual), (on society's norms)
Civil society and reform
Administration: law enforcement, awareness, service delivery, partnership
Band beneath
How the concept was asked before: society's role came as 5 marks in 2018 (Q7) and 2021 (Q6), and social reform as 10 marks in 2018 (Q12) and 2023 (Q11). So this theme has appeared in some form in most papers.
Common mistakes
Remember
- Presenting society only as a force for good; rigid customs, mob pressure and rumours also come from society.
- In 2023 Q11, showing administration only as an enforcer; its role also covers awareness, service delivery and partnership.
- Writing sensitive events (Deorala, the Bhateri sathin case) without year and source, or in a sensational way; stay with facts and the law.
Self-check (5 questions)
Remember
- What is socialisation?
- How does society steer conduct?
- Name three social challenges of today.
- Which law did Deorala (1987) lead towards?
- In which year was the Vishaka judgment given, and how does it relate to the 2013 law?
Worked example (documented, with year)
Case studyDeorala (Rajasthan), 1987: a practice defended as tradition meets the law
On 4 September 1987, at Deorala village in Sikar district, a young widow died on her husband's funeral pyre. Ceremonies glorifying the act followed, and a fierce national debate began. The legal response came in two steps. First the Rajasthan Sati (Prevention) Act, 1987 (Act No. 40 of 1987; Governor's assent 26 November 1987; deemed in force from 1 October 1987, replacing that year's ordinance). Then Parliament's Commission of Sati (Prevention) Act, 1987 (Act No. 3 of 1988; assent 3 January 1988). The central Act bars not only sati but also its glorification (ceremonies, processions, a trust or temple, commemorations).
- Source
- Wikipedia, "Sati (Prevention) Act, 1987"; the texts of both Acts on Indian Kanoon (Rajasthan Act 40 of 1987; central Act 3 of 1988).
Lesson
a social custom collided with constitutional values; public protest and debate steered the law. It also shows that society is not one voice: some glorified the act, others opposed it strongly.
Case studyA sathin's case and Vishaka v State of Rajasthan, 13 August 1997
A sathin (grassroots worker) of the Rajasthan government's Women's Development Programme was sexually assaulted on 22 September 1992 in Bhateri village after trying to stop a child marriage as part of her work. When justice was not served, women's groups and organisations petitioned the Supreme Court. On 13 August 1997 a bench of CJI J.S. Verma and Justices Sujata Manohar and B.N. Kirpal laid down guidelines against sexual harassment at the workplace. They held the field until the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (presidential assent 22 April 2013; in force 9 December 2013).
- Source
- Wikipedia, "Vishakha and Others v. State of Rajasthan"; the judgment text (Indian Kanoon).
Lesson
a civil-society initiative produced a new social norm, first as court guidelines and then as law.
Mini case study
Illustrative exampleHypothetical case (काल्पनिक केस)
Before Akshaya Tritiya (Akha Teej), Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Manisha gets an anonymous call: at a mass-marriage function in a village, several minors are due to be married. Village elders and influential panchayat members say, "This is our tradition; do not interfere." Families say they must "discharge their duty" towards their daughters.
- Stakeholders
- the minor girls and boys, their families, the panchayat and village elders, the organisers and priests, SDM Manisha, the District Collector (under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act the District Magistrate is deemed the Child Marriage Prohibition Officer for mass marriages on days such as Akshaya Tritiya), the police, the Child Marriage Prohibition Officer, the Women and Child Development department, local social organisations.
- Issue and clashing values
- tradition and social pressure against children's rights, justice and law (the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006: minimum marriage age 18 for a girl, 21 for a boy).
- Three options
- (a) Overlook it out of respect for tradition. Pro: no confrontation. Con: law broken, lasting harm to children. (b) Arrive suddenly with the police, stop the weddings and file cases. Pro: strict enforcement. Con: community backlash and bitterness; next time the weddings will be held in secret. (c) Dialogue first, then joint action: talk to the panchayat, elders and priests, check the age proofs, explain to families the legal consequences and the alternatives (the daughters' schooling, scholarships, nutrition schemes); if they still refuse, take legal steps. Pro: the law is served and the community cooperates. Con: time and effort; some risk remains.
- Best option and supporting value
- option (c). Values: children's rights, justice and the rule of law, with sensitive leadership. The administration's role is not only enforcement but also changing how society thinks.
Lesson
Action: Short term: the same day, inform the District Collector and form a joint team under the Collector's direction (police, Child Marriage Prohibition Officer, Women and Child Development), check age proofs, meet the families and the panchayat; if needed, apply to a first-class Judicial Magistrate for an injunction, or prevent the marriages under the Collector's powers with the minimum force required (section 13(1), (4) and (5) of the Act). Long term: awareness through schools and anganwadis, link families to girls' education and nutrition schemes, make the panchayat a partner in monitoring, and watch marriage registration.
Practice Questions
Practice questionabout 50 words
Explain the role of society in inculcating human values.
Model answer
Through socialisation, society teaches a person its customs, roles and expectations. Praise, respect and censure steer conduct; peers, tradition and media shape values. Religion and culture offer moral ideals, though rigid customs also arise there. Reform movements change harmful customs. But consumerism and an "everything goes" attitude are challenges.
Practice questionabout 100 words
Discuss the role of administration in bringing about "social reform".
Model answer
Administration is both an instrument and a partner of social reform. First, fair enforcement of law, as with the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act. Second, awareness and dialogue, so that society itself rethinks customs defended as tradition. Third, opportunity through services such as education, nutrition and health. Fourth, partnership with the panchayat and civil society. In Rajasthan, the anti-sati law after Deorala (1987) and the Vishaka guidelines of 1997, which grew from a sathin's case, show society, courts and administration changing norms together. Punishment alone is not enough; consent and alternatives are needed too. Officers also lead by transparent conduct.
Real PYQs
2018Paper II, Part B, Q75 marks
Explain the role of society in inculcating human values. [point 1]
2021Paper II, Part B, Q65 marks
Men's Moral Advancement depends upon complete advancement of society. Discuss. [point 1]
2018Paper II, Part C, Q1210 marks
Teachings of leaders and reformers never grow old. Bring out their significance in modern context. [point 1] (developed on page 2.1)
2023Paper II, Part C, Q1110 marks
Discuss the role of administration in bringing about 'social reform'. [point 1/8]
How to Write This Answer
Introduction
the channels of society, or what social reform means
Body
- socialisation, approval and censure, peers, media; the four tools of administration
Conclusion
challenges and balance
Value addition
- Deorala 1987, Vishaka 1997, the 2013 Act, open working and public participation
One-page Revision
- Socialisation
- approval and censure
- peers
- religion and tradition
- media
- civil society and reform
- challenges: consumerism, "everything goes", misinformation
- moral advancement and society: a two-way link
- administration in reform: enforcement, awareness, services, partnership
- Deorala 4 September 1987; Rajasthan Sati (Prevention) Act (assent 26 November 1987), central Act (3 January 1988)
- Bhateri sathin case 22 September 1992, Vishaka 13 August 1997, 2013 Act (in force 9 December 2013)
- 2018 Q7, 2021 Q6, 2018 Q12, 2023 Q11
- Case: SDM Manisha, Akha Teej, dialogue and joint action.