Modern India – CSIR‑NET (General Awareness & Current Affairs)
(Comprehensive, exam‑oriented study notes in Markdown)
1. Overview
| Aspect | Period | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Pre‑1947 | 1857‑1947 | British colonial rule, Indian National Movement, partition plan |
| Post‑1947 | 1947‑present | Republic formation, constitutional development, economic liberalisation, democratic consolidation |
CSIR‑NET expects you to:
- Identify major constitutional milestones.
- Analyse socio‑economic transformations.
- Understand political dynamics & foreign policy.
- Recall key legislation & reforms.
2. Constitutional Milestones
| Year | Amendment / Event | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Constitution adopted | Establishes India as a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic. |
| 1951 | 1st Census | Baseline for demographic & planning data. |
| 1952 | 1st General Elections | First democratic exercise post‑independence. |
| 1962 | 4th Amendment | Repeals Article 370‑372, clarifies parliamentary supremacy. |
| 1971 | 42nd Amendment | Strengthens Parliament, weakens judiciary – “Emergency” era. |
| 1975 | 44th Amendment | Restores judicial review, limits executive power; ends Emergency. |
| 1989 | 42nd & 44th Amendments (repealed) | Restores constitutional balance. |
| 1992 | 73rd & 74th Amendments | Panchayati Raj & Municipalities – decentralisation of governance. |
| 1993 | 71st Amendment | Introduces reservation of 33% for SC/ST in Parliament & assemblies. |
| 1994 | 72nd Amendment | Reserved seats for women in local bodies. |
| 1998 | 75th Amendment | Grants constitutional status to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. |
| 2002 | 84th Amendment | Repeals Article 363, gives Parliament power to create new states. |
| 2007 | 91st Amendment | Repeals Article 368(2) (no amendment on the power of Parliament). |
| 2020 | 104th Amendment | Introduces the 10th schedule (national symbols). |
Tricky Point – “Constitutional amendments are not just procedural; they reflect the political climate.”
E.g., 42nd Amendment during the Emergency, 44th Amendment after its repeal.
3. Economic Evolution
| Period | Key Features | Major Policies / Reforms |
|---|---|---|
| 1947‑1970 | Agrarian & industry driven (Five‑Year Plans) | First Plan (1951–56) – focus on agriculture, irrigation, industrialisation. |
| 1970‑1991 | License Raj, import substitution | Green Revolution (1970s) – increased food grain output. |
| 1991 | Liberalisation, Privatization, Globalisation (LPG) | New Industrial Policy (1991) – removal of import duties, deregulation. |
| 1992‑1997 | Structural adjustment, improved IT/Software sector | Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) Act (1998) – boost IT export. |
| 1998‑present | Economic growth > 7% (average), India’s emergence as a major global player | Make in India (2014) – manufacturing, Digital India (2015) – IT & digital services. |
| 2018‑2024 | Inflation containment, GST, RBI reforms | GST (2017) – unified indirect tax; RBI’s “Financial Inclusion” initiatives. |
3.1 Key Economic Statistics (as of FY 2023)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| GDP (nominal) | ~ $3.5 trillion |
| GDP (real growth) | 5.8 % |
| Inflation (CPI) | 6.5 % |
| Population (2023) | ~ 1.4 billion |
| Urbanisation | 35 % |
| Literacy Rate | 74 % |
| Poverty (2019) | 28 % (below $1.90/day) |
Tricky Point – “Real growth vs. nominal GDP: understand the difference” – nominal includes price changes, real adjusts for inflation.
4. Political Landscape
4.1 Major Parties & Coalitions
| Party | Ideology | Key Leaders |
|---|---|---|
| INC | Centre‑left, secular | Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi |
| BJP | Right‑wing, Hindutva orientation | L.K. Advani, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Narendra Modi |
| CPI(M) | Marxist | P. K. Jwala Kumar |
| Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) | Anti-corruption, populist | Arvind Kejriwal |
| Regional Parties | (e.g., DMK, JD‑U, Shiv Sena) | M. K. S. Ramasamy, Nitish Kumar, Uddhav Thackeray |
4.2 Electoral System
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| System | First‑Past‑The‑Post (FPTP) for Lok Sabha & State Legislative Assemblies |
| Voting Age | 18 years (increased from 21 in 1988) |
| Election Commission | Autonomous body overseeing elections |
| Voter ID (EVM) | EVMs introduced in 1999; Voter‑verified paper audit trail in 2008 |
Tricky Point
*FPTP often leads to “wasted votes”