NCERT Book Class 12 Political Science (Politics In India Since Independence) Chapter 8 Recent Developments in Indian Politics

In this chapter…
In this last chapter we take a synoptic view of the last two decades of
politics in India. These developments are complex, for various kinds of
factors came together to produce unanticipated outcomes in this period.
The new era in politics was impossible to foresee; it is still very difficult to
understand. These developments are also controversial, for these involve
deep conflicts and we are still too close to the events. Yet we can ask
some questions central to the political change in this period.
• What are the implications of the rise of coalition politics for our
democracy?
• What is Mandalisation all about? In which ways will it change the
nature of political representation?
Ups and downs of
various political parties • What is the legacy of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement?
in the 1990s appeared • What does the rise of a new policy consensus do to the nature of
to many, like this
cartoon drawn in 1990,
political choices?
as a roller coaster ride. The chapter does not answer these questions. It simply gives you the
Riding the roller coaster
necessary information and some tools so that you can ask and answer
are Rajiv Gandhi, V.
P. Singh, L. K. Advani, these questions when you are through with this book. We cannot avoid
Chandrashekhar, Jyoti asking these questions just because they are politically sensitive, for the
Basu, N. T. Rama Rao, whole point of studying the history of politics in India since Independence
Devi Lal, P. K. Mahanta is to make sense of our present.
and K. Karunanidhi.