Social Evils — REET EVS Notes

What Is a Social Evil?

Practices, customs, or behaviours prevalent in society that cause physical, mental, or economic harm to a person or group, and that go against equality and human dignity, are called social evils. These practices usually arise from tradition, superstition, illiteracy, and gender discrimination, and continue from one generation to the next — unless awareness, education, and law work together to stop them.

The Indian Constitution sets the direction for eliminating social evils through provisions like equality (Article 14), the abolition of untouchability (Article 17), and protection against exploitation of children (Articles 23-24). Specific laws have been made from time to time on this basis, and their names and years come up repeatedly in REET and other competitive exams.

Major Social Evils and the Related Laws

In REET and other Rajasthan exams, matching an evil to its correct law is the most frequently asked question format on this topic.

In the Rajasthan Context

Child marriage has historically been a bigger problem in Rajasthan, and the tradition of mass child marriages, especially around Akshaya Tritiya (Aakha Teej), is still seen in some areas even today — the administration runs an awareness campaign every year to try to stop it. After a widely reported sati incident in Sikar district in 1987, both the state and central governments passed strict laws against the practice of sati.

Education plays a central role in ending these evils — rising literacy, more girls attending school, and economic self-reliance have all steadily brought down practices like dowry, child marriage, and untouchability. This is exactly why promoting equality, rational thinking, and scientific temper in the classroom is such an important goal of the curriculum for a teacher.

The state's Women and Child Development Department and the Education Department together organise anti-child-marriage and anti-dowry pledges, prabhat pheris (morning awareness marches), and parent meetings in schools from time to time, so that awareness reaches families as well as students.

Common Causes of Social Evils and Ways to Prevent Them

Illiteracy

Without education, superstitions and old customs get accepted without question; spreading education is the most effective long-term solution.

Economic dependence

Economic dependence makes women and poor families more vulnerable to practices like dowry and child marriage; employment and self-reliance reduce this.

Social pressure and tradition

The mindset that 'everyone does it, so it must be right' keeps an evil going; collective awareness campaigns help break this thinking.

Lack of fear of the law

Even after laws are made, practices continue because of a lack of awareness and enforcement — which is why legal awareness at the school level is essential.

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao

This central government scheme (since 2015) works to prevent female foeticide and promote girls' education.

Community participation

A shared effort by the sarpanch, anganwadi workers, teachers and voluntary organisations in a village or neighbourhood proves more effective than any law alone, because lasting change comes from local acceptance.

Why This Matters in the Classroom

From a REET perspective, this topic falls under the social studies section of EVS, so questions are usually either factual (matching a law to its year, a definition) or situational (what a teacher would do in a given situation). Both types of preparation matter — memorising laws alone isn't enough; you also need to understand how a teacher should sensitively raise these issues in class.

Keep in mind that in REET, the 'correct answer' is usually the option that aligns with a child's dignity, equality, and constitutional values — if an option seems to promote discrimination or punishment, it's more likely to be the wrong one. This strategy helps you quickly pick the right answer in situational questions.

How to Teach This to Children

Practice Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Read Next