Class 12 political science chapter 9 recent developments in indian politics notes

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12 Class Political Science – II Chapter 9 Recent developments in Indian politics Notes

TextbookNCERT
ClassClass 12
SubjectPolitical Science 2nd book
ChapterChapter 9
Chapter NameRecent developments in Indian politics
CategoryPolitical Science
MediumEnglish

Class 12 political science chapter 9 recent developments in indian politics notes here we will be learn about Era of Coalitions, National Front, United Front, United Progressive Alliance (UPA)– I & II, National Democratic Alliance (NDA) I, II, III & IV, Issues of Development and Governance etc.

Development in Indian Politics ( Context of 1990’s ) : –

🔹 The trends and developments in Indian politics were complex at different stages. After the assassination of Indira Gandhi in 1984 , Rajiv Gandhi became the Prime Minister through a massive victory of Congress Party in the 1984 Lok Sabha elections. Some of the developments visible during the end of 1980’s which made long – lasting impact on Indian politics are discussed below.

Major changes after 1990 : –

🔹When the decade of the eighties came to a close , the country witnessed five developments that were to make a long lasting impact on our politics.

🔸 End of Congress system : – Defeat the Congress Party in the elections held in 1989. Congress won 415 seats in the LokSabha in 1984 and only 197 in 1989. The elections of 1989 marked the end of what political scientists have called the ‘ Congress system ‘. The Congress improved its performance and came back to power soon after the midterm elections held in 1991.

🔸 Rise of Mandal issue : – The Rise of the Mandal issue in national politics. The National Front government in 1990 implemented the recommendations of The ‘ Mandal Commission ‘ that jobs in the Central government should be reserved for the other backward classes. This led to violent ‘ anti Mandal ‘ protests in different parts of the country. This dispute between the supporters and opponents of OBC reservations was known as the ‘ Mandal issue ‘.

🔸 Change in lendership of the Congress party : – Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi in May 1991 led to a change in lendership of the Congress party.

🔸 New economic policy : – The economic policy followed by the various governments was a radically different turn. This is known as the initiation of the structural adjustment program of the new economic reforms.

🔸 Ayodhya dispute  : – Demolition of the disputed structure at Ayodhya in December 1992.

End of Congress System : –

🔹 This period witnessed the defeat of the Congress party in the elections of 1989. The party that had won 415 seats in the Lok Sabha in 1984 was reduced to only 197 in this election . The elections of 1989 marked the end of the ‘ Congress System ‘.

Bahujan Samaj Party ( BSP ) : –

🔹 In 1978 the Backward and Minority Classes Employees Federation ( BAMCEF ) was formed. It took a strong position in favour of political power to the Bahujan – the SC , ST , OBC and minorities. It was out of this that the subsequent the Dalit Shoshit Samaj Sangharsh Samiti and later the Bahujan Samaj party ( BSP ) emerged under the leadership of Kanshi Ram.

Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP ) : –

🔹 Jan Sangh formed the Bharatlya Janata Party in 1980. BJP embraced Gandhian Socialism as its ideology . It did not get much success in the elections held in 1980 and 1984. After 1986 the BJP pursued the polltics of Hindutva.

Shah Bano Case in 1985 : –

🔹 A 62 year old divorced Muslim women filed a case for maintenance from her former husband. The Supreme Court ruled in her favour. On the demand of some Muslim leaders , the government passed the Muslim Women ( Protection of Rights and Divorced ) Act , 1986 that nullified the Supreme Court judgement. This action of the government was opposed by many women’s organisations , many Muslim groups and most of the intellectuals.

Other Backward Classes ( OBC ) : –

🔹 These are communities other than SC and ST who suffer from educational and social backwardness.

Mandal Commission : –

🔹 Reservations for the OBC were in existence in Southern States since the 1960s , But this policy was not operative in North Indian states. Central government appointed a commission in 1978 to look into and recommend ways to improve the conditions of the backward classes.

🔹 This was the second time since independence that the government had appointed such a Commission. Therefore , this Commission was officially known as the Second Backward Classes Commission. It is also known as the ‘ Mandal Commission ‘ , after the name of its chairperson , Bindeshwari prasad Mandal. 

🔸 Main Recommendations of Mandal Commission : –

  • Mandal Commission recommended 27 % reservation of seats in educational institutions and government jobs for OBC. 
  • It also made many other recommendations like , land reforms , to improve the conditions of the OBCs.

🔹 In August 1990 , the National Front government decided to implement one of the recommendations of Mandal Commission – reservtions for OBC in jobs in the Central government and its undertakings.

New Economic Pollcy : –

🔹 The Narasimha Rao Government , in 1991 , started the New Economic Pollcy. The essential features of the economic reforms are – Liberalisation , Privatisation and Globalisation , commonly known as LPG.

Ayodhya Dispute : –

🔹 Hindus believe that the 16th century mosque was built after demolishing a temple for Lord Rama. The dispute took the form of a court case and had continued for many decades. 

🔹 On 6th December 1992 , thousands of people gathered from all over the country in Ayodhya and demolished the mosque. This news led to clashes between the Hindus and Muslim in many parts of countries.

🔹 The violence in Mumbai erupted again in January 1993 and continued over two weeks. On 9 November 2019 , the Supreme Court delivered its judgment. It awarded the title to deity , Shri Ram virajman and directed the State to grant the Sunni Waqf Board an alternate site at Ayodhya for the construction of a mosque.

Change in Congress Leadership : –

🔹 The last development was the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi in May 1991 led to change in the leadership of the Congress party. The Congress emerged as the single largest party in the elections of 1991 and Narsimha Rao was chosen as Prime Minister after the death of Rajiv Gandhi.

Meaning of Coalition government : –

🔹 A Coalition government means that some polltical parties contest elections together by compromise or after concluding the results of the elections together by compromise , they form a government.

Merits of Coalition government : –

  • Representation of regional and local parties in the Lok Sabha.
  • Government policies can be more flexible. 
  • Better reflects public opinion.
  • Consensus – based politics rules out the possibilities of majority.

Demerits of Coalition government : –

  • Unstable governments 
  • Emergence of culture of defections 
  • Conflicts between centre and state 
  • An arrangement to remain in power 
  • Government cannot make bold decisions because of a lack of majority.

Era of coalitions : –

🔹 Elections in 1989 led to the defeat of the Congress party but did not result in a majority for any other party. The National Front received support from two diametrically opposite political groups ( BJP and the Left Front ) formed a coalition government , but BJP and the Left Front did not join in this government.

Prime Minister of India since 1989 till now : –

  • V. P. Singh , 
  • Chandra Shekhar, 
  • P. V. Narasimha Rao, 
  • Atal Bihari Vajpayee, 
  • H. D. Deve Gowda, 
  • Inder Kumar Gujral , 
  • Atal Bihari Vajpayee, 
  • Manmohan Singh , 
  • Narendra Modi.

Coalititon Politics : –

🔹 After 1989 the Regional parties played a crucial role in forming ruling alliances. In 1996 the United Front government come to power. The United front of 1996 was similar to the National Front of 1989. The United Front government was supported by Congress and Left Front as both the Cogress and the Left wanted to keep the BJP out of power in 1996. 

🔹 In the 1996 election , the BJP emerged as the largest party and was invited to form the government , but the BJP government could not secure a majority in the LokSabha. BJP finally came to power by leading a coalition government ( NDA – I ) from May 1998 to June 1999 and was re – elected in October 1999. 

🔹 Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the prime minister during both the NDA ( National Deemocratic Alliance ) government and his government ( NDA – II ) formed in 1999 completed its full term. 

  • The first coalition government that successfully completed the five year tenure was the NDA government , headed by the BJP leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee. 
  • Another coalition , the United Progressive Alliance ( UPA ) ruled for two terms successfully , headed by the Congress leader Manmohan Singh . ( 2004, 2009, 2014 )

Lok Sabha Election 2014 and NDA III : –

🔹 The Bharatiya Janata Party led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi got an absolute majority in the Lok Sabha elections held in May 2014.

🔹 The NDA coalition was not only steered by a national party BJP , it was also dominated by BJP with an absolute majority of its own in Lok Sabha. It was called a ‘ surplus majority coalition ‘. The goal of NDA III government was ‘ Sabka Saath , Sabka Vikas ‘.

Lok Sabha Election 2019 and NDA IV : –

🔹 The Lok Sabha elections , 17th since independence held in 2019 , once again brought back BJP led NDA 4 in the centre. The BJP won 303 seats in Lok Sabha.

🔹 Social Scientists have started equating the contemporary party system with the ‘ BJP system ‘ where an era of one party dominance , like the Congress system ‘ has once again started appearing in the democratic politice of India. 

🔹 A major change in Indian politics after 2014 is the shift from caste and religion based politics to development and governance oriented politics.

Development and Governance : –

🔹 NDA III government started several social economic welfare schemes to make development and governance accessible to the masses such as : –

  • Pradhanmantri Ujjwala Yojana
  • Swachh Bhart Abhiyan 
  • Jan Dhan Yojana 
  • Deendayal Upadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojana 
  • Kisan Fasal Bima Yojana 
  • Beti Padhao , Desh Bachao 
  • Asyushman Bharat Yojana etc. 

🔹 All these schemes intended to take administration to the doorstep of the common man by making the rural households , particularly the women , real beneficiaries of the central government schemes.

Issues related to the development of social welfare and participation of the people in Indian Poltites : –

  • Right to Information.
  • Pradhanmantri Ujjwala Yojana 
  • Swachh Bharat Abhiyan 
  • Jan Dhan Yojona
  • Deendayal Upadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojana 
  • Kisan Fasal Bima Yojana 
  • Beti Padhao , Desh Bachao 
  • Aayushman Bharat Yojana etc. 

Growing Consensus : –

🔹 In the midst of severe competition and many conflicts , a consensus appears to have emerged among most parties consisting of four elements : – 

  • Agreement of new economic policy.
  • Acceptance of the political and social claims of the backward castes.
  • Acceptance of the role of state level parties in governance of the country.
  • Emphasis on pragmatic considerations rather than ideological positions and political alliances without Ideological agreement.

Elements of consensus that have emerged among most political parties in India : –

🔹 The consensus emerged among most political parties in India in spite of severe competition and conflicts : –

🔸 Agreement on new economic policies : – Most political parties are in support of the new economic policies. They believe these policies would lead the country to prosperity and a status of economic power in the world. 

🔸 Acceptance of the political and social claims of the backward castes : – All political parties now support reservation of seats for the backward classes in education and employment. Political parties are also willing to ensure that the OBCs get adequate share of power.

🔸 Acceptance of the role of state level parties in Governance of the country : – Distinction between the state level and national level parties is fast becoming less important. State level parties are sharing power at the national level and have played a central role in the country’s politics of the last twenty years or so.


Related Chapters

Challenges of nation building
Era of one party Dominance
Politics of Planned Development
India’s External Relations
Challenges to and restoration of the congress system
The Crisis of Democratic Order
Rise of Popular Movements ( Deleted )
Regional Aspirations
Recent Developments in Indian Politics

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