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Recent Developments in Indian Politics NCERT Political science CBSE class 12 Notes Humanitas

CBSE Class 12 Political Science NCERT Chapter Notes for Recent Developments in Indian Politics Humanitas
24 April 2025 by
Recent Developments in Indian Politics NCERT Political science CBSE class 12 Notes Humanitas
Humanitas

Recent Developments in Indian Politics NCERT Political science CBSE class 12 Notes Humanitas

CBSE Class 12 Political Science NCERT Chapter Notes for Recent Developments in Indian Politics Humanitas


As India's diverse region demands for greater autonomy, this chapter delves into the heart of the nation's most pressing challenge. From armed insurgencies to negotiated settlements. It navigates the complex landscape of autonomy movements, governmental responses and the delicate balance between national unity and regional identity. Therefore we will try to find out whether India's unique approach prevail or will forces of fragmentation tear the nation into pieces. 

Political Shifts after Indira 

A game-changer for India's political landscape was Indira Gandhi's assassination. Since then, a shift into India's political paradigm can be noticed. These included: 

  • End of Congress Dominance: with the end of 1989 elections, the congress party grip on power began to slip and by 1989, they lost their dominance. This marked the beginning of the new era in Indian politics, where multiple parties would share the stage, thereby giving rise to the multi-party era. 
  • Mandal Issue: the efforts by the V.P Singh government to implement the Mandal Commision recommendations brought caste based politics to the forefront. This caste based reservation was resisted by many which led to heated debates and protest across the country. 
  • Economic Reform: Another significant change in the economic policies was the introduction of Economic reforms in the 1990s, which led to liberalisation of the economy thereby opening the economy and allowing foreign investments to encourage growth. 
  • Babri Masjid Demolition: It was also a time when religious tensions increased. The Babri Masjid in Ayodhya got demolished in 1992, which resulted into interfaith conflict and spiritual strife, which thereby led to rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which branded itself around the ‘Hindutva’ politics. 
  • Assasination of Rajiv Gandhi: Another dramatic turn came with the assasination of the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991. His death created a vacuum in the Congress party in terms of leadership, which had a direct influence on the political landscape. 
  • Era Of Coalition: Since no single party was able to gain a majority in the 1989 elections, it resulted in a rise of coalition governments. No single party was able to secure a clear majority in Lok Sabha, it allowed the regional parties to have more say in how the government functions. 

The Emergence of Coalition politics 

As mentioned earlier, Since no party was able to secure a majority in the Lok Sabha elections, a coalition party emerged in the 1990s. It was also a time when major Dalit and backward groups started to gain Influence in the political landscape. 

  • The regional empowerment focussed parties played a crucial role in the United Front’s 1996 electoral success. This alliance was similar to the national front in 1989, bringing together the Janata Dal and regional parties. What's interesting is how the BJP and congress supported or opposed these governments based on their own interest. 
  • The leading coalitions, which includes National Front, United Front, NDA, (led by BJP) and UPA (led by Congress) highlights the complex nature of India's politics, where coalition governments and regional parties play a significant role. The term ‘congress system’ rooted in diverse interests and socio-economic strata, reflected the congress party's coalition-style approach. 
  • The early 1990s witnessed the end of Congress Dominance and rise of the BJP party. The change was evident in 2004 Lok Sabha elections, where UPA led by the congress defeated the BJP led NDA. Interestingly the left front parties supported the UPA government, contributing to congress partial resurgence. 

Other Backward Classes' Political Rise

This period saw the rise of Other Backward Classes (OBC) that started to make their presence felt in Indian politics. Along with the Schedule tribes (ST) and Schedule caste (SC), the Other Backward Caste also came to be  recognised as  socially and educationally disadvantaged groups, and came to be referred to as “backward caste”. 

  • As the congress party lost support among these communities, the other parties jumped to seize the chance to gain influence over them  
  • The year 1997, marked a shift in Indian politics as the Janata Party government rose to power, thereby leading to the entry of OBC on the national stage. This success of the party was possible because of different groups present within it, like Bhartiya Kranti Dal and Samyukta Socialist party, which were popular among the OBCs. 
  • In the 1980s, Janata Dal formed a coalition with parties that had a strong support from the OBCs. This was a big deal as it solidified OBCs role in Indian politics. 
  • The Mandal Commission's recommendations, which included job reservation for OBCs, sparked a huge controversy and made people aware of OBCs identity. 
  •  The rise of OBCs, resulted in the emergence of various political parties that claimed to support OBCs and provide them better opportunities in education, employment and political reservation. These Parties argued that since OBCs comprise a considerable section of the population, they should be given fair and equitable representation in political power and other areas.
  •  The 1980s marked the rise of Dalit political movement as the group's like BAMCEF pushed for empowerment of bahujans which included SCs, STs, OBCs and minorities.
  • Kanshi Ram started the Dalit Shoshit Samaj Sangharsh Samiti, which later became the Bahujan Samaj Party. Initially, the Bahujan Samaj Party was able to get a lot of support from dalit communities in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab. 
  • Bahujan Samaj Party had a major breakthrough in the 1989 and 1991 elections in Uttar Pradesh. It was the first party with a large Dalit voter base to win a significant number of votes. Kanshi Ram can be held responsible for the success of the party, as he was successful in drawing the numerical strength of the Bahujans in Indian politics. 
  • This development alongside the separate evolution of dalit and OBC politics collectively transformed the Indian political landscape. 



Communalism, Secularism, Democracy

The Birth of Bharatiya Janata Party

  • Emergency marked the pivotal moment in Indian politics, as the Bharatiya Jana Sangh merged with Janata Party, ultimately giving birth to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 1980s. 
  • In the initial years of its existence, BJP advocated ‘Gandhian Socialism’, but after 1986 it started focussing more on Hindu Nationalism or Hindutva. 
  • This shift was all about bringing together India's diverse culture and reflecting this unity in the party's strategies. 

Hindutva

The ideology of Hindutva was propounded by V.D Savarkar. He had a bold vision of making the Hindu identity as the foundation of India's national identity. 

It was based on the idea that the residents of the country should view India not only as a ‘fatherland’ but also a ‘holy country’. The proponent of Hindutva ideology believed that a unified culture will ensure a strong nation which is connected to its heritage and values. 

Key Developments: Shah Bano Case and Ayodhya Dispute

  • Shah Bano Case: In a historic verdict that shook the nation was the Supreme court's ruling in favour of Shah Bano, a divorced muslim woman who was fighting for her right to maintenance payments in 1985. This decision of the Supreme court went against the Islamic shariah law. Therefore the government passed Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, 1986, which went against the supreme court's decision. This act faced a lot of criticism from women groups and scholars because of it being discriminatory against women. BJP criticised the government denouncing this act as an appeasement of a minority community. 
  • Ayodhya Dispute: In a sacred city of Ayodhya, a dispute simmered for centuries. The contentious issue centered around the 16th century mosque called Babri Masjid and the alleged existence of a prior hindu temple at the site. Things got heated in 1986 when the mosque’s gates were unlocked, which led to communal tensions. The involvement of parties like BJP, RSS and VHP politicised the issue, transforming it into a national electoral and political sensation. 


The 2019 Ayodhya Verdict

The Supreme Court final verdict on the Ayodhya dispute came in November 2019, which ended the long standing dispute between Ayodhya Ram Janma Bhoomi and Masjid land. 

Because of possible law and order threats and security concerns, section 144 was implemented across the country prior to the Supreme court's verdict.

The Ayodhya dispute ignited communal tensions exposing the fragile fault lines between communalism, secularism, and democracy in india. The consequences were far reaching, reshaping the nation's political landscape. 

Anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat

  • In the dark months of February and March, Gujarat witnessed horrific communal violence against muslims. The spark that ignited this brutal killings of muslim was the attack on the train carrying Karsevaks, who were coming back from ayodhya. The train was put to fire, taking 57 innocent lives. 
  • The aftermath was chaos, as  riots broke out against Muslim community resulting in the death of around 1100 innocent people, which mostly were muslims. 
  • The government's delayed response was heavily criticised by the National Human Rights Commision showing how sectarian tensions can undermine governance.


More recent developments

The current indian political landscape is focussing on the following: 

  • New Economic Policies: efforts are being made to make India be at par with the rest of the world by constantly adopting new sets of economic policies.
  • Backward Classes’ Claims: Indian politics has witnessed a greater attention towards the political and social demands of the backward classes. 
  • Role of State-Level Parties: Despite BJP enjoying absolute majority, state role in national governance is being respected and accepted in the current political landscape. 

Pragmatic Focus: the focus has now been shifted towards prioritising pragmatism over ideology and incompatible alliances, thereby ensuring effective decision making and strategic flexibility.

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