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Ch 08 - Recent Developments in Indian Politics12th Politics in India since Independence
Five Major Developments of the 1990s
What were the five major political and economic developments in India towards the end of the 1980s and the early 1990s?
What were the five major political and economic developments in India towards the end of the 1980s and the early 1990s?
CONCEPT
The Five Transformative Shifts
- End of the Congress System: The decisive defeat of the Congress party in the 1989 general elections.
- The Mandal Era: The political upheaval following the implementation of OBC reservations.
- New Economic Policy: The initiation of the Structural Adjustment Program and economic liberalization (1991).
- The Ayodhya Issue: The rise of Hindutva politics culminating in the demolition of the Babri Masjid (1992).
- Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi: His death in 1991, which led to a major leadership transition within the Congress party.
Prism Memory Hook
CMEAR: Congress, Mandal, Economy, Ayodhya, Rajiv.
The 1989 Election Verdict
What was the statistical and political significance of the 1989 Lok Sabha election verdict for the Congress party?
What was the statistical and political significance of the 1989 Lok Sabha election verdict for the Congress party?
DATA
The End of Single-Party Dominance
- Electoral Decline: The Congress party's seats plummeted from a historic high of 415 (in 1984) to just 197 seats.
- Political Stance: Although it remained the single largest party in the Lok Sabha, it lacked a clear majority and chose to sit in the opposition rather than form a minority government.
- Significance: This verdict officially marked the end of the 'Congress System' and inaugurated the era of multi-party coalition politics at the Centre.
Prism Memory Hook
From 415 to 197: Congress chose to sit out.
The National Front Government (1989)
Which two diametrically opposed political entities provided crucial 'outside support' to the National Front government in 1989?
Which two diametrically opposed political entities provided crucial 'outside support' to the National Front government in 1989?
PROCEDURAL
The Unlikely Coalition
- The Government: The National Front was a coalition primarily formed by the Janata Dal and several regional parties, with V.P. Singh as Prime Minister.
- Outside Support: To reach a majority and keep the Congress out of power, it relied on external parliamentary support from two ideological extremes: the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the left-wing Left Front.
- Significance: It highlighted the era's deep anti-Congressism, where ideological rivals united purely for strategic political containment.
Prism Memory Hook
BJP and the Left pushed V.P. Singh to the front.
Also in this chapter
38 more cards to study in Prism
- 4Appointment of Mandal Commission
- 5The Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi (1991)
- 6Mandal Commission Recommendation
- 7Biographical Profile: Karpoori Thakur
- 8Implementation of the Mandal Commission Report
- 9BAMCEF
- 10The Indira Sawhney Case (1992)
- 11Founder of BSP
- 12The 'Silent Revolution' in Indian Politics
- 13The New Economic Policy (1991)
- 14Shah Bano Case (1985)
- 15The Ideology of Hindutva
- 16Historical Context: Nihang Sikhs at Ayodhya (1858)
- 17The Opening of the Babri Masjid Locks (1986)
- 18United Front Government (1996)
- 19L.K. Advani's Rath Yatra (1990)
- 20The Demolition of the Babri Masjid (1992)
- 21The Liberhan Commission of Inquiry
- 22The Final Ayodhya Verdict (2019)
- 23The Godhra Incident (2002)
- 24The NHRC Critique of the Gujarat Riots
- 25Visual Analysis: 'The Roller Coaster' of the 1990s
- 26The 13-Day Government of 1996
- 27Visual Analysis: The 'Puppet Government'
- 28The Stabilization of Coalition Politics (1999-2004)
- 29Visual Analysis: The Shift from 1971 to 1999
- 30The Formation of the UPA (2004)
- 31The Watershed Election of 2014
- 32United Front Prime Ministers
- 33The 2019 Lok Sabha Verdict
- 34The Abrogation of Article 370 (2019)
- 35Contemporary Coalition Politics (2024 Context)
- 36Element 1: Consensus on New Economic Policies
- 37Element 2: Consensus on Backward Castes
- 38Element 3: Consensus on State-Level Parties
- 39Element 4: Pragmatism over Ideology
- 40Chronology of Crises (1984-2002)
- 41Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, 1986
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12th Politics in India since Independence
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