Topics
Contemporary World Politics
Cold War Era
- Introduction to the Cold War Era
- The Berlin Blockade (1948-1949)
- Cold War (1945-1991)
- Emergence of Two Power Blocs After the Second World War
- Arenas of the Cold War
- Challenges to Bipolarity
- New International Economic Order
- India and the Cold War
- Disintegration of the Soviet Union and Its Impact Or Consequences on the World Order
The End of Bipolarity
- Introduction to the End of Bipolarity
- What Was the Soviet System?
- Gorbachev and Disintegration
- Why Did the Soviet Union Disintegrate?
- Consequences of Disintegration
- Shock Therapy in Post-communist Regimes
- Shock Therapy and Its Consequenes
- Tensions and Conflicts
- India and Post-communist Countries
- New Entities in World Politics: Russia, Balkan States and Central Asian States
- Introduction of Democratic Politics and Capitalism in Post-communist Regimes
- Overview of The End of Bipolarity
US Hegemony in World Politics
- Introduction of US Hegemony in World Politics
- Ayesha, Jabu and Andrei
- Beginning of the ‘New World Order’
- The Clinton Years
- 9/11 and the ‘Global War on Terror’
- The Iraq Invasion
- Hegemony
- Constraints on American Power
- India's Relationship with the Us
- How Can Hegemony Be Overcome?
- Growth of Unilateralism - Afghanistan, First Gulf War, Response to 9/11 and Attack on Iraq
- Dominance and Challenge to the Us in Economy and Ideology
Alternative Centres of Power
- Introduction to Alternative Centres of Power
- European Union
- Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN)
- The Rise of the Chinese Economy
- India-China Relations
- Overview of Contemporary Centres of Power
Contemporary South Asia in the Post Cold War Era
- Introduction to Contemporary South Asia
- What is South Asia?
- The Military and Democracy in Pakistan
- Democracy in Bangladesh
- Monarchy and Democracy in Nepal
- Ethnic Conflict and Democracy in Sri Lanka
- India-Pakistan Conflicts
- India's Relations with Its Neighbours
- Peace and Cooperation
- Impact of Economic Globalization on the Region
- Conflicts and Efforts for Peace in South Asia
- Overview of Contemporary South Asia
International Organizations
- Introduction to International Organisations
- Why International Organisations?
- Evolution of the UN
- Reform of the UN After the Cold War
- Reform of Structures and Processes
- Jurisdiction of the UN
- India and the UN Reforms
- The UN in a Unipolar World
- Restructuring and the Future of the UN
- India'S Position in the Restructured UN
- Rise of New International Actors - New International Economic Organisations, Ngos
- How Democratic and Accountable Are the New Institutions of Global Governance
- Overview of International Organizations
Security in Contemporary World
- Introduction to Security in the Contemporary World
- What is Security?
- Traditional Notions: External
- Traditional Security and Cooperation
- Non-traditional Notions
- New Sources of Threats
- Cooperative Security
- India’s Security Strategy
- Traditional Concerns of Security and Politics of Disarmament
- Non-traditional Or Human Security - Global Poverty, Health and Education
- Issues of Human Rights and Migration
- Overview of Security in Contemporary World
Environment and Natural Resources
- Introduction to Environment and Natural Resources
- Environmental Concerns in Global Politics
- The Protection of Global Commons
- Common but Differentiated Responsibilities
- Common Property Resources
- India's Stand on Environmental Issues
- Environment Movements: One Or Many?
- Resource Geopolitics
- The Indigenous Peoples and Their Rights
- Rights of Indigenous People
- Overview of Environment and Natural Resources
Globalisation
- Political Consequences
- Economic Consequences
- Cultural Consequences
- India and Resistance to Globalisation
- Economic, Cultural and Political Manifestations
- Debates on the Nature of Consequences of Globalisation
- Anti-globalisation Movements
- India as an Arena of Globalization and Struggle Against It
- Name Or Description
- Overview of Globalisation
- Opportunities and Threats of Globalization
Politics in India since Independence
Challenges of Nation-building
- Nehru's Approach to Nation-building
- Legacy of Partition - Challenge of 'Refugee' Resettlement, the Kashmir Problem
- Organisation and Reorganization of States
- Political Conflicts Overlanguage
- Challenges for the New Nation
- Partition: Displacement and Rehabilitation
- Integration of Princely States
- Overview of Challenges of Nation-building
Era of One-party Dominance
- Introduction of Era of One-party Dominance
- Congress Dominance in the First Three General Elections
- Nature of Congress Dominance at the National Level
- Uneven Dominance at the State Level
- Coalitional Nature of Congress
- Emergence of Opposition Parties
- Challenge of Building Democracy
- Overview of Era of One-party Dominance
Politics of Planned Development
- 12th Five Year Plan (2012-2017)
- Expansion of State Sector and the Rise of New Economic Interests
- Famine and Suspension of Five Year Plans
- Green Revolution and Its Political Fallouts
- Introduction of Politics of Planned Development
- The Early Initiatives
- Key Controversies
- Major Outcome
- Overview of Politics of Planned Development
India's External Relations
- Nehru's Foreign Policy
- Sino-Indian War
- Pakistan (1948–49, 1965, 1971)
- India'S Nuclear Programme
- Shifting Alliance in World Politics
- International Context
- The Policy of Non-alignment
- Peace and Conflict with China
- Wars and Peace with Pakistan
- India's Nuclear Policy
- Overview of India's External Relations
Challenges to the Congress System
- Political Succession After Nehru
- Non-congressism and Electoral Upset of 1967
- Congress Split and Reconstitution
- Congress Victory in 1971 Elections
- Politics of Garibi Hatao
- Fourth General Elections, 1967
- Split in the Congress
- The 1971 Election and Restoration of Congress
- Overview of Challenges to the Congress System
Crisis of the Democratic Order
- Search for Committed Bureaucracy and Judiciary
- Navnirman Movement in Gujarat and the Bihar Movement
- Emergency - Context, Constitutional and Extra-constitutional Dimensions, Resistance to Emergency
- 1977 Elections and the Formation of Janata Party
- Rise of Civil Liberties Organisations
- Background to Emergency
- Declaration of Emergency
- Controversies Regarding Emergency
- Politics After Emergency
- Overview of Crisis of the Democratic Order
Rise of Popular Movements
- Farmer's Movements
- Womens’ Movement in India
- Environment and Development - Affected People'S Movements
- Implementation of Mandal Commission Report and Its Aftermath
- Nature of Popular Movements
- Dalit Panthers
- Bharatiya Kisan Union
- Anti Arrack Movement
- Narmada Bachao Aandolan
- Lesson from Popular Movements
Regional Aspirations
- Rise of Regional Parties
- Punjab Crisis and the Anti Sikh Riots of 1984
- The Kashmir Situation
- Challenges and Responses in the North East
- Region and the Nation
- Accommodation and National Integration
- Dravidian Movement
- Overview of Regional Aspirations
Recent Developments in Indian Politics
- Participatory Upsurge in 1990s
- Rise of the JD and the BJP
- Increasing Role of Regional Parties and Coalition Politics
- Coalition Governments - NDA (1998 - 2004) UPA (2004 - 2014) NDA (2014 Onwards)
- Context of the 1990s
- Era of Coalitions
- Political Rise of Other Backward Classes
- Communalism, Secularism, Democracy
- Emergence of a New Consensus
- Overview of Recent Developments in Indian Politics
Estimated time: 53 minutes
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: Challenge of Political Succession
- Nehru’s death created uncertainty (1964).
- Fear for the survival of democracy.
- Risk of military intervention.
- Multiple crises facing the nation.
- 1960s seen as a ‘dangerous decade’.
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: Lal Bahadur Shastri
- Prime Minister of India (1964–1966).
- Participated in the freedom movement since 1930.
- He served as Union Minister from 1951 to 1956.
- General Secretary of the Congress.
- He gave the slogan “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan”.
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: From Nehru to Shastri
- Smooth succession after Nehru (1964).
- K. Kamraj consulted party leaders and MPs, leading to a peaceful and democratic transition of power.
- Shastri was known for simplicity, integrity and commitment to principles.
- As Prime Minister (1964–66), Shastri faced economic crisis, drought, food shortage, and the 1965 war with Pakistan.
- Shastri died suddenly in Tashkent in January 1966.
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: From Shastri to Indira Gandhi
- Second succession challenge for Congress.
- Contest between Morarji Desai and Indira Gandhi.
- Decision through secret ballot.
- Despite intense competition, power shifted peacefully, reflecting the maturity of Indian democracy.
- Senior leaders expected Indira Gandhi to rely on them due to her limited.
- Administrative experience Consolidation of leadership.
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: Indira Gandhi (1917-1984)
- Prime Minister of India (1966–77, 1980–84).
- Active in the freedom struggle.
- Led Congress to major electoral victories in 1967, 1971 and 1980.
- Known for strong policy initiatives.
- Assassinated on 31 October 1984.
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: Context of the Elections
- Two Prime Ministers died in quick succession, creating uncertainty before the fourth general elections.
- Consecutive monsoon failures caused drought, fall in agricultural production, food shortages and rising unemployment.
- Devaluation of the rupee (1966).
- Widespread protests and unrest.
- Communist and socialist parties led struggles for equality, while communal tensions also increased.
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: Election in a Rajasthan Village
- 1967 Assembly elections in Chomu constituency.
- Local leadership mattered more than party labels.
- Emergence of Bhim Singh as a new leader.
- Alliance of Rajputs and non-Rajputs.
- Strategic political networking.
- Factional village politics.
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: Non-Congressism
- Opposition parties realised that fighting separately helped the Congress stay in power.
- Parties with different ideologies came together to oppose the Congress.
- Opposition parties entered into electoral adjustments.
- Socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia gave this strategy the name Non-Congressism and defended it ideologically.
- Supporters argued that Congress dominance was undemocratic and uniting against it was necessary to protect democracy.
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: C. Natarajan Annadurai
- He was Chief Minister of Madras (Tamil Nadu) from 1967.
- He was a journalist, writer and powerful orator.
- Initially associated with the Justice Party.
- He founded the DMK in 1949.
- He opposed imposition of Hindi.
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: Ram Manohar Lohia
- He was a socialist leader, thinker and freedom fighter.
- One of the founders of the Congress Socialist Party.
- Member of Lok Sabha (1963–67).
- Known for sharp criticism of Nehru.
- Advocated social justice.
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: Electoral Verdict (1967)
- Context of discontent and polarisation.
- Congress faced the electorate for the first time after Nehru’s death.
- Congress won a majority in the Lok Sabha but with its lowest seat and vote share since 1952.
- Many prominent ministers, including K. Kamraj, S. K. Patil and Atulya Ghosh, lost their seats.
- Loss of Congress dominance in states.
- Rise of non-Congress and coalition governments.
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: Coalitions
- No single party got a clear majority, leading to the rise of coalition governments.
- Several non-Congress parties came together to form joint governments called Samyukta Vidhayak Dal (SVD).
- Ideologically diverse partners.
- In Bihar, socialists, communists and Jana Sangh joined together; in Punjab, the Popular United Front was formed.
- Coalition governments marked the end of Congress’s one-party dominance.
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: Defection
- Key feature after the 1967 elections.
- Defection occurs when an elected representative leaves the party on whose symbol they were elected and joins another party.
- Weakening of Congress governments.
- Unstable governments and realignments.
- ‘Aya Ram, Gaya Ram’ phenomenon.
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: The story of ‘Aya Ram, Gaya Ram’
- “Aya Ram, Gaya Ram” literally means Ram came, Ram went, referring to frequent party switching by legislators.
- The phrase originated in Haryana.
- Gaya Lal, an MLA from Haryana, changed parties several times in a single day—Congress → United Front → Congress → United Front.
- Congress leader Rao Birendra Singh publicly announced Gaya Lal’s return, coining the phrase that became famous nationwide.
- The episode highlighted the problem of defections and later led to constitutional measures to curb defection.
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: K. Kamaraj
- Freedom Fighter & Leader
- Chief Minister of Madras
- Education Reforms
- Mid-Day Meal Scheme
- Kamaraj Plan – In 1963
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: Indira Gandhi vs. the ‘Syndicate’
- Indira Gandhi’s main challenge was from the Congress Syndicate (senior leaders).
- The Syndicate helped her become PM and wanted to control her decisions.
- Indira Gandhi slowly asserted her independence and relied on her own advisers.
- Her goal was to reduce Syndicate power and rebuild Congress after the 1967 defeat.
- She adopted a Left-oriented policy and introduced the Ten-Point Programme (1967) (bank nationalisation, land reforms, food distribution, rural housing, etc.).
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: The Congress ‘Syndicate’
- The Syndicate was an informal group of powerful leaders.
- led by K. Kamaraj, former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.
- Members included senior leaders like S. K. Patil, S. Nijalingappa, N. Sanjiva Reddy, and Atulya Ghosh.
- Syndicate played a key role in selecting Prime Ministers.
- After the Congress split and Indira Gandhi’s victory in 1971, the Syndicate lost its power and influence.
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: S. Nijalingappa
- Senior leader of the Indian National Congress.
- Member of the Constituent Assembly also served as a Lok Sabha member.
- Served as the Chief Minister of Mysore (Karnataka).
- He is regarded as the maker of modern Karnataka.
- President of the Indian National Congress from 1968 to 1971.
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: Karpoori Thakur
- Freedom fighter, socialist leader, and follower of Ram Manohar Lohia.
- Served as Chief Minister of Bihar twice: 1970–71 and 1977–79.
- He was actively involved in labour and peasant movements.
- Participated in the JP Movement against authoritarian rule.
- He is known for introducing reservations for backward classes in Bihar.
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: V. V. Giri
- Congress worker and a prominent labour leader from Andhra Pradesh.
- He served as President of India from 1969 to 1974.
- Vice-President (1967–69) and became acting President.
- He resigned and contested the 1969 Presidential election as an independent candidate.
- He won the election with the support of Indira Gandhi.
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: Presidential Election of 1969
- 1969 Presidential election exposed the open rivalry between Indira Gandhi and the Congress Syndicate.
- After President Zakir Hussain’s death, the post fell vacant and elections were held.
- Syndicate nominated N. Sanjeeva Reddy as the official Congress candidate.
- Indira Gandhi supported V. V. Giri.
- Major policy differences arose over bank nationalisation and the abolition of privy purses.
- Indira Gandhi called for a “conscience vote”.
- V. V. Giri won the election, leading to the formal split of the Congress.
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: Abolition of Privy Purse
- Privy purse was a government allowance given to former princely families after integration of princely states.
- Hereditary privileges were seen as against equality and social justice.
- After 1967, Indira Gandhi strongly supported the abolition of privy purses.
- A 1970 Constitutional Amendment and later an ordinance failed.
- After her 1971 election victory, the Constitution was amended and privy purses were finally abolished.
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: Abolition of Privy Purse
- Privy purse was an allowance given to former princely rulers after integration.
- It was criticised as against equality and social justice.
- Indira Gandhi strongly supported its abolition after 1967.
- Attempts in 1970 failed due to Rajya Sabha opposition and court judgment.
- After the 1971 election victory, privy purses were finally abolished.
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: The 1971 Election and Restoration of Congress> The outcome and after
- The 1971 Lok Sabha elections gave a massive victory to Indira Gandhi’s Congress (R).
- Congress (R) won 352 seats, while the Congress (O) and Grand Alliance suffered a heavy defeat.
- East Pakistan crisis and Indo-Pak war (1971) led to the creation of Bangladesh.
- These events greatly increased Indira Gandhi’s popularity.
- Congress won almost all State Assembly elections in 1972.
- Within four years, Indira Gandhi defeated all political challenges.
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: Restoration
- Indira Gandhi did not revive the old Congress, but re-invented it in a new form.
- Congress depended more on the popularity of a supreme leader.
- It drew support mainly from the poor, women, Dalits, Adivasis, and minorities.
- Congress had weak internal structures and fewer factions.
- As power became centralised, democratic spaces shrank, leading to unrest and future political crisis.
