- Opening of Markets: Liberalisation ended licensing and restrictions, allowing private and foreign entry into sectors like telecom, aviation, and retail.
- Growth of MNCs: Foreign firms entered India, and Indian companies expanded globally, increasing competition.
- Privatisation and Disinvestment: The government reduced its role by selling PSU shares, creating job insecurity.
- Employment Changes: Permanent jobs declined; contract work and outsourcing increased.
- Rising Inequality: Middle class grew, but income inequality widened and small businesses faced strong competition.
Topics
Indian Society
Introducing Indian Society
Social Change and Development in India
The Demographic Structure of the Indian Society
- Introduction to the Demographic Structure of the Indian Society
- Some Theories and Concepts in Demography
- Size and Growth of India’s Population
- Age Structure of the Indian Population
- The Declining Sex-ratio in India
- Literacy
- Rural-urban Differences
- Population Policy in India
- Overview of Demographic Structure and Indian Society
Social Institutions : Continuity and Change
- Introduction to Social Institutions - Continuity and Change
- Caste and the Caste System
- The Tribal Community in India
- Family and Kinship
- Overview of Social Institutions - Continuity and Change
The Story of Indian Democracy
- Introduction to the Story of Indian Democracy
- The Indian Constitution
- The Panchayati Raj and the Challenges of Rural Social Transformation
- Political Parties, Pressure Groups and Democratic Politics
Market as a Social Institution
- Introduction to the Market as a Social Institution
- Sociological Perspectives on Markets and the Economy
- Understanding Capitalism as a Social System
- Globalisation – Interlinking of Local, Regional, National and International Markets
- Overview of Market as a Social Institution
Patterns of Social Inequality and Exclusion
- Introduction to Pattern of Social Inquality and Exclusion
- What is Social About Social Inequality and Exclusion?
- Caste and Tribe – Systems Justifying and Perpetuating Inequality
- Struggle for Women’s Equality and Rights
- The Struggles of the Disabled
- Overview of Pattern of Social Inequality and Exclusion
The Challenges of Cultural Diversity
- Introduction to the Challenges of Cultural Diversity
- Cultural Communities and the Nation-state
- Regionalism in the Indian Context
- The Nation-state and Religion-related Issues and Identities
- State and Civil Society
- Overview of The Challenges of Cultural Diversity
Suggestions for Project Work
- Variety of Methods
- Possible Themes and Subjects for Small Research Projects
Globalisation and Social Change
- Introduction to Globalisation and Social Change
- Are Global Interconnections New to World and to India
- Overview of Globalisation and Social Change
Mass Media and Communication Process
- Introduction to Mass Media and Communication Process
- The Beginnings of Modern Mass Media
- Mass Media in Independent India
- Globalisation and the Media
- Overview of Mass Media and Communication Process
Structural Change
- Introduction to Structural Change
- Understanding Colonialism
- Urbanisation and Industrialisation
- Overview of Structural Change
Cultural Change
- Effects of Colonialisation in India
- Social Reform Movements in the 19th and Early 20th Century
- How Do We Approach the Study of Sanskritisation, Modernisation, Secularisation and Westernisation
- Different Kinds of Social Change
- Overview of Cultural Change
Change and Development in Rural Society
- Agrarian Structure: Caste and Class in Rural India
- The Impact of Land Reforms
- The Green Revolution and Its Social Consequences
- Rural Development in India (Sociological Perspective)
- Circulation of Labour
- Globalisation, Liberalisation, and Rural Society
- Overview of Change and Development in Rural Society
Change and Development in Industrial Society
- Introduction to Change and Development in Industrial Society
- Images of Industrial Society
- Industrialisation in India
- How People Find Jobs
- How is Work Carried Out?
- Working Conditions
- Home-based Work
- Strikes and Unions
- Overview of Change and Development in Industrial Society
Social Movements
- Introduction to Social Movements
- Features of a Social Movement
- Sociology and Social Movements
- Types of Social Movements
- Ecological Movements
- Class Based Movements
- Caste Based Movements
- The Tribal Movements
- Womens’ Movement in India
- Overview of Social Movements
Estimated time: 37 minutes
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: Industrial Society
- Industrialisation replaces face-to-face relations with impersonal and anonymous relationships in factories and workplaces.
- Division of labour increases, where workers perform only small, repetitive tasks and do not see the final product.
- Work often becomes exhausting and alienating, a condition described by Karl Marx as alienation, where people work only to survive.
- Industrial society creates some equality, such as reduced caste distinctions in public spaces like trains, buses, and workplaces.
- New inequalities emerge, especially income and gender inequality, with upper castes dominating high-paying professions and women often receiving lower wages than men.
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: The Specificity of Indian Industrialisation
- Indian industrialisation is different from Western countries because a large part of the population is still employed in agriculture, not industry.
- In India, agriculture employs the maximum number of workers but contributes much less to economic growth compared to services.
- A major feature of Indian industrialisation is the dominance of the unorganised (informal) sector, where most workers lack job security and benefits.
- Regular salaried employment is limited in India; many workers are self-employed or work as casual labourers.
- Industrialisation in India has not reduced inequality significantly, as caste, region, and informal employment continue to shape work opportunities.
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: Globalisation, Liberalisation and Changes in Indian Industry
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: How People Find Jobs
- Most people find jobs through personal contacts, not advertisements or employment exchanges.
- A large number of people are self-employed (plumbers, electricians, tutors, freelancers, etc.).
- In factories, earlier recruitment happened through jobbers/mistris, but their role has reduced now.
- Many workers today are employed as contract or casual labourers, especially in construction and factories.
- Government schemes like MUDRA, Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India promote employment and self-employment.
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: How is work carried out?
- Control of Work – Managers try to increase production by extending working hours or increasing output using machines.
- Mechanisation – Machines increase productivity but reduce the need for workers and create fear of unemployment.
- Alienation of Workers – Factory workers often feel like extensions of machines, doing repetitive and exhausting work.
- Outsourcing & Contract Work – Companies outsource work to cut costs, leading to job insecurity and work pressure for workers.
- Service Sector Work – Even IT and service jobs follow strict time control, long hours, and pressure, showing modern forms of exploitation.
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: Working Conditions
- Harsh and Unsafe Conditions – Many workers, especially in mining, work in dangerous environments like underground mines with risk of accidents, flooding, fires and gas leaks.
- Health Problems – Workers often suffer from diseases such as tuberculosis, silicosis and breathing problems due to dust, gases and poor ventilation.
- Weak Implementation of Laws – Although labour laws exist, they are mostly followed only in big companies; small mines and contractors often ignore safety rules.
- Migrant Workers – Many industries depend on migrant workers who live in crowded rooms, work long hours and have little job security.
- Social Impact – Migration and poor working conditions lead to loneliness, vulnerability and family separation, though for some women it brings economic independence.
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: Home-based work
- Part of the Economy – Home-based work is an important part of the economy and includes making lace, zari, bidis, carpets, agarbattis, etc.
- Who Does It – It is mainly done by women and children inside homes.
- Role of Contractors – Contractors provide raw materials, collect finished goods, and sell them in the market.
- Low Wages – Workers are paid on a piece-rate basis, so earnings are very low and irregular.
- Lack of Protection – Home-based workers have no job security, no fixed wages, and no labour law protection.
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: Strikes and Unions
- Reason for Strikes – Workers go on strike to protest against harsh working conditions, low wages, and denial of rights.
- Meaning of Strike & Lockout – In a strike, workers stop working; in a lockout, management shuts the workplace.
- Role of Trade Unions – Trade unions organise workers and fight for better wages, job security, and the right to form unions.
- Bombay Textile Strike (1982) – Led by Dr. Datta Samant, it involved nearly 2.5 lakh workers and lasted about two years.
- Impact of the Strike – Many workers lost jobs, mills closed, and workers shifted to casual labour or other cities.
