India After Independence

CLASS 8th HISTORY - CHAPTER - INDIA AFTER INDEPENDENCE
Introduction:
Struggle for Freedom Independence Struggle for ______
Read the chapter in continuation with previous chapter.
What we are going to study in this chapter?
➔ A new and divided nation

➔ A constitution is written
➔ How were states to be formed?
➔ Planning for development
➔ The search for an independent foreign policy
➔ The nation, seventy years on
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A New and Divided Nation:
New and Divided?
When India became independent it faced a series of very great challenges.
What?
Partition Integration of Political System And many more ___

Princely states
- Almost 500 states - Adopting a political
- 8 million refugees
ruled by Maharaja or system that would
had come into the
a Nawab. best serve the hopes
country.
and expectations of
● Homes
● Integration its population.
● Jobs
Diversity
➔ Diversity of language, religion, culture and practices. Division
There were divisions between high castes and low castes, between the
majority Hindu community and Indians who practised other faiths.
Problem of development
➔ Rural economy Challenges

➔ Low level of development in cities. Slums, health facility.
∴ New nation had to lift its masses out of poverty by
increasing the productivity of agriculture and by promoting
new, job-creating industries.
Unity and development had to go hand in hand.
Division between different Fruits of economic development

sections of India to be healed. should reach the broad masses
Challenges
A Constitution is Written:
Understand the heading
[December 1946 - November 1949] Constituent Assembly
Had series of meetings on the country’s political future.
These discussions resulted in the framing of the Indian

Constitution, which came into effect on 26 January 1950.
What is great in our constitution?
Features
Constituent Assembly of India
Adoption of Universal Adult Franchise
All Indians above the age of 21 would be allowed to vote in state and national elections. 18 Years
Revolutionary step How?
Equality before the law to all citizens
➔ Pakistan A country created explicitly to protect and further the interests of a particular
religious community - the Muslims.
∴ Some Indians claimed that the political system of new
nation be based on Hindu ideals. [Hindu States]
Jawaharlal Nehru : Was of the opinion that India could not and must not become a “Hindu Pakistan”.
The practice of untouchability was abolished
The Constitution was that it offered special privileges for the poorest and
most disadvantaged Indians.
Untouchability : Describe as a “slur and a blot” on the “Fair name of India”
Advantages of abolishing untouchability.
● Entry into the Temples.

Debates
● Reservation of seats in legislatures, government jobs and educational
institution.
➔ Along with the former Untouchables, the adivasis or Scheduled Tribes

were also granted reservation in seats and jobs. Why?
➔ Debate on power of government.
Central V/S State
Some members thought that the Centre’s Other members felt that the
interests should be foremost. Only a strong provinces should have greater
Centre, it was argued, “would be in a position autonomy and freedom.
to think and plan for the well-being of the
country as a whole”.
Arguments
➔ “Democracy is centred in Delhi and it is not allowed to work in the same sense and spirit in the
rest of the country”.
➔ “The initial responsibility for the well-being of the people of the provinces should rest with the
Provincial Governments”.
Debate on the power of Centre and State
∴ The Constitution sought to balance these competing claims by providing three lists of subjects.
Union List State List Concurrent List
With subjects such as Subjects such as Subjects such as forests

taxes, defence and education and health, and agriculture, in which
foreign affairs, which which would be taken the Centre and the states
would be the exclusive care of principally by would have joint
responsibility of the the states. responsibility.
Centre.
➔ Debate over the issue of languages.
Explain
Many members believed that the English language should leave India with the British rulers.
Alternatives
Hindi
However, those who did not speak Hindi were of a different opinion.
How?
➔ T.T. Krishnamachari conveyed “a warning on behalf of people of
the South”, some of whom threatened to separate from India if
Hindi was imposed on them.
Solution
Compromise was made that Hindi would be the “official

language” of India, English would be used in the courts, the
services, and communications between one state and another. T.T. Krishnamachari
➔ Role of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in farming of the constitution.
● The chairman of the Drafting Committee.

● Dr Ambedkar pointed out that political democracy had to be
accompanied by economic and social democracy.
Giving the right to vote would not automatically lead to the

removal of other inequalities such as between rich and poor,
or between upper and lower castes. Dr B.R. Ambedkar
How were States to be Formed?
Promise of Congress
Then
● Once the country won independence, each major linguistic group would
have its own province.
However, after independence the congress did not take any steps to
honour this promise. Why?
Fear of partition
This country could not afford further division on the basis of language.
Decision of not farming linguists states
Created great disappointment
● The Kannada speakers, Malayalam speakers, the Marathi speakers, had

all looked forward to having their own state.
Demand for Andhra
● The strongest protests, however, came from the Telugu-speaking

Potti Sriramulu
districts of what was the Madras Presidency.
● In October of that year, a veteran Gandhian named Potti Sriramulu went

on a hunger strike demanding the formation of Andhra state. Why?
On 15 December 1952
➔ Potti Sriramulu died after a fast of fifty eight days.
Protest intensified
The protests were so widespread and intense that the central

government was forced to give in to the demand.
∴ On 1 October 1953, the new state
of Andhra Pradesh came into being
Other states also demanded the same.
To address the demand of states.
State Recognition Commission was set up [Gave its report in 1956]
Recommendation
● Redrawing of district and provincial boundaries to form compact provinces of

Fazal Ali
Assamese, Bengali, Oriya, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu speakers
respectively.
● The large Hindi-speaking region of north India was also to be broken up into
several states.
➔ In 1960
● Bilingual state of Bombay was divided into separate
states for Marathi and Gujarati.
➔ In 1966
● The states of Punjab was also divided into Punjab
and Haryana.
➔ etc...
Planning for Development:
Independence Objective of the new nation.
● Lifting India and Indians out of poverty.

● Building a modern technical and industrial base.
∴ In 1950, Government set up a planning commission. Why?
To help design and execute suitable policies for economic development
Mixed economy model
Both the State and the private sector would play important and complementary roles in increasing
production and generating jobs.
❖ Concept of five year plan.
In 1956, the seconds five year plan was formulated.
This focused strongly on the development of heavy industries

such as steel, and on the building of large dams.
This approach had many strong supporters, but also some vocal critics.
The bridge on the Mahanadi river constructed to control Work going on at the Gandhi Sagar bandh
the flow of water
Critics of Second Five Year Plan
● Some felt that it had put inadequate emphasis on agriculture.

● Others argued that it had neglected primary education.
● Others believed that it had not taken account of the environmental
implications of economic policies.
In the words of Mira Behn
“Science and machinery he [mankind] may get huge returns for a

time, but ultimately will come desolation. We have got to study
Nature’s balance, and develop our lives within her laws, if we are
to survive as a physically healthy and morally decent species.”
The Search for an Independent Foreign Policy:
Foreign Policy
Second World War Independence Scenario
Period of cold war
Power rivalries and

World was divided into two blocks.
ideological conflicts
U.S.A. VS USSR
In this situation of power rivalries and Ideological conflicts.
Both the countries were creating military alliances.
During the same time, colonial empires were collapsing

and many countries were attaining independence.
India joined which military alliances?
Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, who was also the foreign minister of newly independent India,
developed free India’s foreign policy in this context.
Non-Alignment
What was the Non-Alignment Movement?
● A movement led by statesmen from Egypt, Yugoslavia, Indonesia, Ghana and India.
● NAM movement urged countries not to join either of the major alliances.
Isolated or Neutral
NO
Isolation and neutrality means remaining aloof from world affairs whereas non-aligned countries
such as India played an active role in mediating between the American and Soviet alliances.
How?
NAM leaders
NAM countries had done following things:
● Tried to prevent war.

● Took humanitarian and moral stand against war.
● By the 1970s, a large number of countries had joined the non-aligned movement.
Leaders of Asian and African

countries meet at Bandung,
Indonesia 1955
The Nation, Seventy Years On:
Independence Today
Questions
● How well has the country done in this time?

● What extent has it fulfilled the ideals set out in its Constitution?
India is still united, and that it is still democratic, are achievements that we might just be proud of.
Foreign observers
➔ India could not survive as a single country. Why?

➔ Some believed that it would comes under military rule.
Achievement
● As many as seventeen general elections have been held since Independence.

● As well as hundreds of state and local elections.
● There is a free press.
● An independent judiciary.
● Practise of different faiths has not come in the way of national unity.
Challenges
Deep division persist : Untouchability violence and discrimination they face.
In many parts of rural India they are not allowed access to

water sources, temples, parks and other public places.
➔ Despite the secular ideals enshrined in the Constitution, there have
been clashes between different religious groups in many states.
➔ The gulf between the rich and the poor has grown over the years.
Fruits of economic development

are distributed unequally.
How?
Conclusion The Republic of India has not been a great

success. But it has not been a failure either.
NCERT Solution:
Que 1. Name three problems that the newly independent nation of India faced.
Ans. India faced many problems after it got independence.

These problems are -
I. The major problem was that of the refugees. 8 million refugees entered India from Pakistan
and they needed shelter and livelihood.
II. At the time of independence, there were almost 500 Princely States, each of whom had to be
persuaded to join the new nation.
III. India's population was almost 345 million. This vast population was into different castes,
religion, languages, dresses, foods and profession.
NCERT Solution:
Que 2. What was the role of the Planning Commission?
Ans. In 1950, the Indian Government set-up a Planning Commission to help design and
execute suitable policies for economic development. It had to achieve a balance between
the different regions and states.
The First Five Year Plan was launched in 1951 which mainly focused in development of the
primary sector like irrigation and energy, agriculture and community development,
transport and communications industry, social services, land rehabilitation etc.
The most important feature of this phase was active role of state in all economic sectors.
The Second Five Year Plan followed the Mahalanobis model and tried to develop the
Public Sector.
This plan (1956) focused strongly on the building of large dams, which came under the
control of the State.
NCERT Solution:
Que 3. Fill in the blanks:
a. Subjects that were placed on the Union List were _________, _________ and _________.
b. Subjects on the Concurrent List were _________ and _________.
c. Economic planning by which both the state and the private sector played a role in
development was called a _________ _________ model.
d. The death of _________ sparked off such violent protests that the government was
forced to give in to the demand for the linguistic state of Andhra.
NCERT Solution:
Que 4. State whether true or false
a. At independence, the majority of Indians lived in villages.
b. The Constituent Assembly was made up of members of the Congress party.
c. In the first national election, only men were allowed to vote.
d. The Second Five Year Plan focused on the development of heavy industry.
NCERT Solution:
Que 5. What did Dr Ambedkar mean when he said that “In politics we will have equality,
and in social and economic life we will have inequality”?
Ans. Dr. BR Ambedkar played an important role in drafting the Indian Constitution. He felt
that political democracy had to be accompanied by economic and social democracy.
He felt that giving all the people the right to vote did not make them equal socially or
economically. In politics we have recognised the principle of one man one vote and one
value.
But in our social and economic structure, we continue to deny the principle of one man
one value. Dr. Ambedkar said that the division between the upper caste and the lower
caste has to be wiped out four India to be a true democracy.
NCERT Solution:
Que 6. After Independence, why was there a reluctance to divide the country on linguistic lines?
Ans. Mahatma Gandhi dream of one nation was shattered due to the partition of India, into
India and Pakistan. The Congress leaders were sceptical about a further division of states on the
basis of language.
The partition of India resulted in the death of millions of people who were killed in the riots
between the Hindus and the Muslims.
They feared that this may happen if the country was further divided on linguistic lines.
Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Deputy Prime Minister Vallabhbhai Patel were against the
creation of linguistic states.
NCERT Solution:
Que 7. Give one reason why English continued to be used in India after Independence.
Ans. Many members of the Constituent Assembly believed that the English language should
be replaced by Hindi. But this idea was opposed by the leaders from non-Hindi areas.
They did not want an imposition of Hindi on the people of these areas. They even
threatened to separate themselves from India if Hindi was imposed on them.
Finally it was decided that while Hindi would be the official language, English would be
used for communication among various states.
NCERT Solution:
Que 8. How was the economic development of India visualised in the early decades
after Independence?
Ans. The major objectives of India after Independence were lifting India and Indians
out of poverty and building a modern technical and industrial base for the country.
In 1950, the government set-up a Planning Commission to help design and execute
suitable policies for economic development.
There was a broad agreement on what was called a `mixed economy' model. Here
both the State and the Private sector would play important and complementary roles
in increasing production and generating jobs.

India After Independence

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CLASS 8th HISTORY - CHAPTER - INDIA AFTER INDEPENDENCE

Read the chapter in continuation with previous chapter.

What we are going to study in this chapter?

➔ A new and divided nation

When India became independent it faced a series of very great challenges.

Partition Integration of Political System And many more ___

➔ Diversity of language, religion, culture and practices. Division

➔ Rural economy Challenges

Unity and development had to go hand in hand.

Division between different Fruits of economic development

[December 1946 - November 1949] Constituent Assembly

Had series of meetings on the country’s political future.

These discussions resulted in the framing of the Indian

What is great in our constitution?

Constituent Assembly of India

Revolutionary step How?

Equality before the law to all citizens

Advantages of abolishing untouchability.

● Entry into the Temples.

➔ Along with the former Untouchables, the adivasis or Scheduled Tribes

Union List State List Concurrent List

With subjects such as Subjects such as Subjects such as forests

Compromise was made that Hindi would be the “official

● The chairman of the Drafting Committee.

Giving the right to vote would not automatically lead to the

Created great disappointment

● The Kannada speakers, Malayalam speakers, the Marathi speakers, had

Demand for Andhra

● The strongest protests, however, came from the Telugu-speaking

● In October of that year, a veteran Gandhian named Potti Sriramulu went

➔ Potti Sriramulu died after a fast of fifty eight days.

The protests were so widespread and intense that the central

Other states also demanded the same.

State Recognition Commission was set up [Gave its report in 1956]

● Redrawing of district and provincial boundaries to form compact provinces of

● Lifting India and Indians out of poverty.

∴ In 1950, Government set up a planning commission. Why?

To help design and execute suitable policies for economic development

Mixed economy model

In 1956, the seconds five year plan was formulated.

This focused strongly on the development of heavy industries

● Some felt that it had put inadequate emphasis on agriculture.

In the words of Mira Behn

“Science and machinery he [mankind] may get huge returns for a

Second World War Independence Scenario

Period of cold war

Power rivalries and

Both the countries were creating military alliances.

During the same time, colonial empires were collapsing

India joined which military alliances?

● Tried to prevent war.

Leaders of Asian and African

● How well has the country done in this time?

➔ India could not survive as a single country. Why?

● As many as seventeen general elections have been held since Independence.

Deep division persist : Untouchability violence and discrimination they face.

In many parts of rural India they are not allowed access to

Fruits of economic development

Conclusion The Republic of India has not been a great

Ans. India faced many problems after it got independence.

b. Subjects on the Concurrent List were _________ and _________.

a. At independence, the majority of Indians lived in villages.

b. The Constituent Assembly was made up of members of the Congress party.

b. Subjects on the Concurrent List were _ and _.