NCERT Revision Notes for Chapter 8 Recent Development in Indian Politics Class 12 Political Science

Answer

We will study the decade of 1990s and various activities such as Mandalisation, Ramjanambhoomi movement in this chapter.

Answer

• First, the most crucial development of this period was the defeat of the Congress party in the elections held in 1989.
• Second development was the rise of the ‘Mandal issue’ in national politics. This followed the decision by the new National Front government in 1990, to implement the recommendation of the Mandal Commission that jobs in 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’.
• Third, the initiation of the structural adjustment programme or the new economic reforms. Started by Rajiv Gandhi, these changes first became very visible in 1991. These policies have been widely criticised by various movements and organisations.
• Fourth, a number of events culminated in the demolition of the disputed structure at Ayodhya (known as Babri Masjid) in December 1992. These developments are associated with the rise of the BJP and the politics of ‘Hindutva’.
• Finally, the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi in May 1991 led to a change in leadership of the Congress party. He was assassinated by a Sri Lankan Tamil linked to the LTTE. In the elections of 1991, Congress emerged as the single largest party. Following Rajiv Gandhi’s death, the party chose Narsimha Rao as the Prime Minister.

Answer

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 (which itself was an alliance of Janata Dal and some other regional parties) received support from two diametrically opposite political groups: the BJP and the Left Front. On this basis, the National Front formed a coalition government, but the BJP and the Left Front did not join in this government.

Answer

The defeat of the Congress party marked the end of Congress dominance over the Indian party system.

In the late sixties, the Congress party’s dominance was challenged, but it was restored under the leadership of Indira Gandhi.

In the nineties, the Congress party faced yet another challenge to its predominant position in politics. The emergence of several parties after 1989 led to the beginning of a multi-party system in India.

This meant that no single party secured a clear majority of seats in any Lok Sabha election held since 1989 till 2014.

Answer

The nineties also saw the emergence of powerful parties and movements that represented the Dalit and backward castes (Other Backward Classes or OBCs). These parties played an important role in the United Front government that came to power in 1996.

In 1989, both the Left and the BJP supported the National Front Government because they wanted to keep the Congress out of power.

In 1996, the Left continued to support the non-Congress government but this time the Congress supported it, as both the Congress and the Left wanted to keep the BJP out of power.

The BJP consolidated its position in the 1991 and 1996 elections, emerging as the largest party in 1996 and invited to form the government. But most other parties were opposed to its policies and therefore, the BJP government could not secure a majority in the Lok Sabha.

The BJP finally came to power by leading a coalition government from May 1998 to June 1999 and was re-elected in October 1999.

Atal Behari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister during both these NDA governments, and his government formed in 1999 completed its full term.

With the elections of 1989, a long phase of coalition politics began in India. Since then, there have been eleven governments at the Centre, all of which have either been coalition governments or minority governments supported by other parties.

In earlier times, it was the Congress party itself that was a ‘coalition’ of different interests and different social strata and groups.

The rise of many regional parties in the period after 1977 weakened the Congress party but did not enable any single party to replace it.

The trend of coalition politics changed in 2014.

Answer

Other Backward Classes (OBC) refers to communities other than SC and ST who suffer from educational and social backwardness. They are also known as ‘backward castes’.

The support for the Congress among many sections of the ‘backward castes’ had declined. This created a space for non-Congress parties that drew more support from these communities.

The rise of these parties first found political expression at the national level in the form of the Janata Party government in 1977.

Many of the constituents of the Janata Party, like the Bharatiya Kranti Dal and the Samyukta Socialist Party, had a powerful rural base among some sections of the OBC.

Answer

In the 1980s, the Janata Dal brought together a similar combination of political groups with strong support among the OBCs.

The decision of the National Front government to implement the recommendations of the Mandal Commission further helped in shaping the politics of ‘Other Backward Classes’.

This period saw the emergence of many parties that sought better opportunities for OBCs in education and employment and raised the question of the share of power enjoyed by the OBCs.

These parties claimed that since OBCs constituted a large segment of Indian society, it was only democratic that they should get adequate representation in administration and have their due share of political power.

Answer

The 1980s also saw the rise of political organisation of the Dalits. In 1978 the Backward and Minority Communities Employees Federation (BAMCEF) was formed.

The subsequent Dalit Shoshit Samaj Sangharsh Samiti and later the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) emerged under the leadership of Kanshi Ram. The BSP began as a small party supported largely by Dalit voters in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, but in 1989 and 1991 elections, it achieved a breakthrough in Uttar Pradesh.

The BSP is based on pragmatic politics, deriving confidence from the fact that the Bahujans constitute the majority of the population and are a formidable political force on the strength of their numbers.

In many parts of India, Dalit politics and OBC politics have developed independently and often in competition with each other.

Answer

The period saw the emergence of politics based on religious identity, leading to a debate about secularism and democracy.

The Bharatiya Jana Sangh merged into the Janata Party after the Emergency.

After the fall of the Janata Party and its break-up, supporters of erstwhile Jana Sangh formed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 1980.

After 1986, BJP began to emphasise the Hindu nationalist element in its ideology. The BJP pursued the politics of ‘Hindutva’ and adopted the strategy of mobilising the Hindus.

Hindutva literally means ‘Hinduness’ and was defined by its originator, V. D. Savarkar, as the basis of Indian (in his language also Hindu) nationhood. It basically meant that to be members of the Indian nation, everyone must not only accept India as their ‘fatherland’ (pitrubhu) but also as their holy land (punyabhu).

Believers of ‘Hindutva’ argue that a strong nation can be built only on the basis of a strong and united national culture.

Answer

Two developments around 1986 became central to the politics of BJP as a ‘Hindutva’ party:
• The first was the Shah Bano case in 1985. In this case a 62-year old divorced Muslim woman, had 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 on Divorce) Act, 1986 that nullified the Supreme Court’s judgment.
• The second development was the order by the Faizabad district court in February 1986. The court ordered that the Babri Masjid premises be unlocked so that Hindus could offer prayers at the site which they considered as a temple.

Answer

A three-dome structure (later called Babri Masjid) was built at Ayodhya in 1528, believed to be at the birthplace of Lord Shri Ram.

The structure had traces of Hindu symbols and relics, showing its significance for Hindus.

This created a long-standing conflict between Hindus and Muslims over the ownership of the site.

In 1949, Idols of Shri Ram were placed inside the structure. It was sealed by authorities, and the matter went to court.

In 1986, Faizabad (now Ayodhya) Court ordered the unlocking of the gates, allowing Hindus to worship at the site.

Conflicts escalated as Hindus claimed it was Ram Janmabhoomi (birthplace of Shri Ram), while Muslims claimed it as their mosque land.

Despite Shilaanyas (foundation ceremony) for a Ram temple, further construction was stopped by court orders.

In 6 December 1992, the demolition of the Babri structure took place. A turning point that led to nationwide communal tensions and questions on Indian democracy.

Multiple court cases, mediation attempts, and popular movements continued for decades.

Finally, a 5-judge Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court gave a unanimous verdict (5-0) on 9 November 2019.

Decision

The disputed land to be handed over to Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust for building the Ram temple.

Muslims (Sunni Waqf Board) to be allotted an alternative land for construction of a mosque.

Importance of the Verdict

Based on archaeological evidence, historical records, and legal hearings.

Seen as an example of conflict resolution within a diverse, multi-religious democracy.

Showed maturity of Indian democratic ethos by balancing justice, faith, and inclusivity.

Widely accepted by society, marking closure to a 500-year-old dispute.

Emergence of New Consensus

The period after 1989 is seen sometimes as the period of decline of Congress and rise of BJP.

Answer

2004 Elections
• Congress (INC) formed a coalition called the United Progressive Alliance (UPA).
• BJP-led NDA was defeated.
• Congress got revival after 1991 (more seats than in earlier elections).
• UPA government was supported by Left Front parties.
• Vote difference was very small between BJP-led NDA and Congress-led UPA.

2008 Political Crisis
• Left parties withdrew support from UPA over the Indo-US nuclear deal.
• Still, UPA completed its 5-year term.

2009 Elections (15th Lok Sabha)
• Congress strength increased from 145 seats (2004) to 206 seats (2009).
• UPA came back to power.
• Dr. Manmohan Singh became PM for the second term (2009-2014).

2014 Elections (16th Lok Sabha)
• BJP declared Narendra Modi as PM candidate (Sept 2013).
• BJP won 282 seats alone (first single-party majority in 30 years).
• Formed NDA government, even though it had majority on its own.
• Marked a “watershed moment” in Indian politics.
• New NDA government took bold decisions in social sector, foreign policy, and economic policies.

2019 Elections (17th Lok Sabha)
• BJP won 303 seats on its own.
• NDA government was formed again, under PM Narendra Modi.
• Even with single-party majority, coalition politics remained important.

Answer

• Since 1989 onwards, India has entered an “era of coalitions”.
• After 2014, BJP revived the trend of single-party majority, but coalition system still exists.
• The party system changed dramatically compared to the one-party dominant system (Congress dominance till 1970s).

Answer

On many crucial issues, a broad agreement has emerged among most parties.
1. Agreement on new economic policies – while many groups are opposed to the new economic policies, most political parties are in support of the new economic policies.
2. Acceptance of the political and social claims of the backward castes – political parties have recognised that the social and political claims of the backward castes need to be accepted.
3. Acceptance of the role of State level parties in governance of the country – the distinction between State level and national level parties is fast becoming less important.
4. Emphasis on pragmatic considerations rather than ideological positions and political alliances without ideological agreement – coalition politics has shifted the focus of political parties from ideological differences to power sharing arrangements.

All these are momentous changes and are going to shape politics in the near future.

Issues like poverty, displacement, minimum wages, livelihood and social security are being put on the political agenda by peoples’ movements, reminding the state of its responsibility.

Similarly, issues of justice and democracy are being voiced by the people in terms of class, caste, gender and regions.