๐ Class 12 Political Science – Chapter 9
๐ Recent Developments in Indian Politics – Notes
๐น Context of the 1990s
- After the assassination (เคนเคค्เคฏा) of Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi became the Prime Minister and led the Congress to a massive victory in 1984 Lok Sabha elections. ๐ณ️
- The 1980s witnessed five major developments that had a long-lasting impact on Indian politics:
- Defeat (เคชเคฐाเคเคฏ) of the Congress party in 1989 elections. ❌
- Rise of the Mandal Issue in national politics. ๐
- Introduction of Economic Policy / New Economic Policy by various governments. ๐น
- Demolition of the disputed structure at Ayodhya (Babri Masjid) in 1992. ๐๐ฅ
- Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi in 1991 → led to change in Congress leadership. ⚡
๐น Decline of Congress
- Late 1980s: Congress dominance challenged, but Indira Gandhi had earlier re-established its position.
- Post 1989 elections, India entered an era of coalition governments, where regional parties played a crucial role in forming ruling alliances. ๐ค
๐น Alliance Politics
- 1989 elections marked the beginning of coalition era in India. ๐️
- Regional parties played key roles in United Front Government (1996).
- BJP consolidated its position → largest party in 1996 elections, invited to form government. ๐
- Since 1989, nine governments at the Centre have been coalition or minority governments supported by other parties. ๐
๐น Political Rise of Other Backward Classes (OBCs)
- Decline in Congress support among backward castes created space for non-Congress parties.
- Janata Party constituents (Bhartiya Kranti Dal, Samyukta Party) had a strong rural base among OBCs. ๐พ
๐น Mandal Implementation
- 1980s–90s: Rise of parties demanding better opportunities for OBCs in education and employment. ๐๐ผ
- Mandal Commission → studied educational & social backwardness (เคชिเคเคก़ा เคตเคฐ्เค).
- Recommended 27% reservation in educational institutions & government jobs. ๐
- August 1990: National Front Government implemented Mandal recommendations. ✅
๐น Political Fallouts
- Caste-based politics dominated India from 1980s onwards.
- 1989 & 1991: BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party) achieved landmark success with Dalit voter support. ✊
- Across India: Dalit politics and OBC politics grew independently and sometimes in competition. ⚔️
๐ Words That Matter
- Assassination (เคนเคค्เคฏा): Murder of a political leader.
- Mandal Issue: Reservation policy for Other Backward Classes in education & jobs.
- Coalition Government: Government formed with support from multiple political parties. ๐ค
- OBC (Other Backward Classes): Socially & educationally disadvantaged communities.
- BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party): Political party supported by Dalit voters.
๐ Communalism, Secularism & Democracy – Notes
๐น Rise of Communal Politics (เคงाเคฐ्เคฎिเค เคฐाเคเคจीเคคि)
- During 1990s, politics based on religious identity (เคงाเคฐ्เคฎिเค เคชเคนเคाเคจ) emerged in India. ๐๐️
- Debate over secularism (เคงเคฐ्เคฎเคจिเคฐเคชेเค्เคทเคคा) and democracy (เคฒोเคเคคंเคค्เคฐ) became central. ⚖️
- After the Shah Bano case (1985), BJP emerged as a ‘Hindutva Party’. ๐ถ
๐น Babri Masjid Dispute
- Babri Masjid: 16th-century mosque in Ayodhya, built by Mir Baqi, general of Mughal emperor Babur. ๐
- Some Hindus claim it was built after demolishing a temple for Lord Rama. ๐
- Legal dispute continued for decades → Babri Masjid demolished on 6th December 1992. ⚡
- After demolition, clashes between Hindus and Muslims occurred across India. ๐ฅ
- Feb-March 2002: Large-scale violence against Muslims in Gujarat, starting from Godhra.
- Lesson: Using religious sentiments for political purposes is dangerous. ⚠️
๐น Emergence of a New Political Consensus (เคจเค เคฐाเคเคจीเคคिเค เคธเคนเคฎเคคि)
- Post 1989 elections, Congress + BJP votes < 50% → politics became coalition-based. ๐ค
- 1990s: Competition between BJP-led coalition and Congress-led coalition.
- 2004 Lok Sabha elections:
- BJP-led NDA defeated ❌
- Congress-led UPA formed government ✅
๐น Growing Consensus Among Parties (เคธเคนเคฎเคคि เคे เคคเคค्เคต)
Since 1990, most parties agreed on:
- New Economic Policies (เคจเค เคเคฐ्เคฅिเค เคจीเคคिเคฏाँ) ๐น
- Recognition of social & political claims of backward castes (เคชिเคเคก़े เคตเคฐ्เค) ๐ฅ
- Acceptance of state-level parties’ role in governance ๐️
- Pragmatic alliances rather than purely ideological agreements ๐ค
- Regional parties sometimes act as pressure groups, influencing Central government for more budget allocation to their states. ๐ฐ
๐ Words That Matter
- Communalism (เคธाเคฎ्เคช्เคฐเคฆाเคฏिเคเคคा): Politics based on religious identity.
- Secularism (เคงเคฐ्เคฎเคจिเคฐเคชेเค्เคทเคคा): Equal treatment of all religions by the state.
- Hindutva: Ideology promoting Hindu identity in politics.
- Coalition Government (เคธंเค เคธเคฐเคाเคฐ): Government formed with support from multiple parties.
- Pressure Groups (เคฆเคฌाเคต เคธเคฎूเคน): Organizations that influence government decisions.
๐ Recent Developments in Indian Politics (1990s–2025) ๐
Context of the 1990s ๐ฐ️
- Decline of Congress Dominance ❌The Congress party’s dominance began to wane in the late 1980s, culminating in its defeat in the 1989 elections. This marked the end of the Congress system (เคांเค्เคฐेเคธ เคช्เคฐเคฃाเคฒी) and the onset of coalition politics (เคธाเคेเคฆाเคฐी เคตाเคฒी เคฐाเคเคจीเคคि). ๐
- Rise of Regional Parties ๐The 1990s witnessed the emergence of regional parties (เค्เคทेเคค्เคฐीเคฏ เคฆเคฒ), asserting their influence in national politics, forming coalition governments (เคธंเคीเคฏ เคธเคฐเคाเคฐें). ๐️
- Economic Liberalization ๐ฐIn 1991, India adopted the New Economic Policy (เคจเค เคเคฐ्เคฅिเค เคจीเคคि), initiating liberalization (เคเคฆाเคฐीเคเคฐเคฃ), privatization (เคจिเคीเคเคฐเคฃ), and globalization (เคตैเคถ्เคตीเคเคฐเคฃ). ๐
- Communal Tensions ⚡The demolition of the Babri Masjid (เคฌाเคฌเคฐी เคฎเคธ्เคिเคฆ) in 1992 led to communal riots (เคธाเคฎ्เคช्เคฐเคฆाเคฏिเค เคฆंเคे), testing India’s secularism (เคงเคฐ्เคฎเคจिเคฐเคชेเค्เคทเคคा). ✝️☪️
- Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi ๐️In 1991, former PM Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated (เคนเคค्เคฏा), leading to major political changes. ๐
Coalition Politics & Regional Influence ๐ค
- 1990s Coalition Governments ๐️The era saw coalition governments (เคธंเคฏुเค्เคค เคธเคฐเคाเคฐें) with regional parties (เค्เคทेเคค्เคฐीเคฏ เคฆเคฒ) playing pivotal roles. ๐ฏ
- Rise of BJP ๐บThe Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as a significant force, forming the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) (เคฐाเคท्เค्เคฐीเคฏ เคฒोเคเคคांเคค्เคฐिเค เคเค เคฌंเคงเคจ). ๐ฎ๐ณ
- Opposition Alliances ๐นThe Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) (เคธंเคฏुเค्เคค เคช्เคฐเคเคคिเคถीเคฒ เคเค เคฌंเคงเคจ) challenged NDA’s dominance in the 2000s. ๐
Social Justice & Caste-Based Politics ⚖️
- Mandal Commission Recommendations ๐Implemented in 1990, it reserved 27% government jobs for OBCs (เค เคจ्เคฏ เคชिเคเคก़े เคตเคฐ्เค), triggering nationwide protests. ✊
- Dalit & Backward Caste Mobilization ๐ฅParties like BSP (เคฌเคนुเคเคจ เคธเคฎाเค เคชाเคฐ्เคी) gained prominence advocating for Dalits (เคฆเคฒिเคค) and OBCs (เค เคจ्เคฏ เคชिเคเคก़े เคตเคฐ्เค). ๐พ
Secularism & Communalism ๐⛪
- Babri Masjid Demolition ๐️The 1992 demolition highlighted challenges to India’s secular fabric (เคงเคฐ्เคฎเคจिเคฐเคชेเค्เคทเคคा). ⚡
- Gujarat Riots 2002 ๐ฅFollowing the Godhra incident (เคोเคฆเคฐा เคเคเคจा), large-scale violence targeted Muslims (เคฎुเคธ्เคฒिเคฎ เคธเคฎुเคฆाเคฏ). Human Rights Commission criticized state government’s failure. ⚖️
- Recent Communal Trends (2020s) ๐Incidents of religiously motivated violence and debates on minority rights continue to influence politics. ๐️
Democracy & Electoral Dynamics ๐ณ️
- Electoral Reforms ๐️73rd & 74th Constitutional Amendments (เคธंเคตैเคงाเคจिเค เคธंเคถोเคงเคจ) decentralized power to local self-governments (เคธ्เคฅाเคจीเคฏ เคธ्เคตเคถाเคธเคจ). ๐️
- Voter Participation ✅Steady increase in voter turnout shows growing political awareness (เคฐाเคเคจीเคคिเค เคाเคเคฐूเคเคคा). ๐
- Recent Trends 2024–25 ๐ฐCoalition politics continues to dominate, with regional parties (เค्เคทेเคค्เคฐीเคฏ เคฆเคฒ) influencing central policy and fund allocation. ๐ธ
Key Terms (WORDS THAT MATTER) ๐
- OBC (Other Backward Classes): เค เคจ्เคฏ เคชिเคเคก़े เคตเคฐ्เค, suffered from educational, social, and economic backwardness. ๐
- BAMCEF: Backward and Minority Classes Employees Federation (1978), organized political mobilization of Dalits & OBCs. ✊
- Karseva (เคเคฐ्เคฎ เคธेเคตा): Voluntary service by devotees, especially during Ram temple construction (เคฐाเคฎ เคฎंเคฆिเคฐ เคจिเคฐ्เคฎाเคฃ). ๐
- Mandal Commission: Investigated social and educational backwardness (เคถैเค्เคทเคฃिเค เคเคฐ เคธाเคฎाเคिเค เคชिเคเคก़ाเคชเคจ) and recommended OBC reservation. ๐
- Coalition Government (เคธंเคฏुเค्เคค เคธเคฐเคाเคฐ): Government formed when no party secures majority, based on common minimum programme (เคธाเคฎाเคจ्เคฏ เคจ्เคฏूเคจเคคเคฎ เคाเคฐ्เคฏเค्เคฐเคฎ). ๐️
