India after Independence

• India became independent on 15 August 1947 after a long struggle against British Raj
• Independence came at the expense of partition and brought challenges for the founding fathers of the country
• Soon after partition, India and Pakistan experienced communal riots, leading to millions of people being forced to leave their homes
• Approximately 8.5 million people migrated to India, leading to the creation of a rehabilitation ministry to provide relief, shelter, and employment
• The displaced people were gradually assimilated into Indian society
• At the time of independence, there were two special groups of territories in India: princely states and French and Portuguese territories
• New townships and colonies were developed to resettle the refugees, and state governments provided loans for starting businesses and industries
• Princely States:

  • 560 princely states were given the choice of joining either India or Pakistan
  • Junagadh, Kashmir, and Hyderabad initially did not agree to join the Indian Union
  • Junagadh: Initially wanted to join Pakistan, but the people voted in favor of joining India in February 1948
  • Hyderabad: One of the largest princely states, acceded to India after Indian troops helped curb lawlessness in the Nizam's territories
• • Kashmir: Maharaja Hari Singh wanted to remain independent, but post the Indo-Pakistan war in 1948, the United Nations truce froze the battle line as the line of actual control between India and Pakistan
• Lakhs of people were displaced by the Partition of India and Pakistan
• French rule in all territories in India came to an end through an agreement
• Dadra and Nagar Haveli were liberated from the Portuguese in 1945-49
• India became independent and united
• Tryst with Destiny speech by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru emphasized the redemption of a pledge to achieve life and freedom for India
• The speech highlighted the transition from the old to the new, symbolizing the end of an age and the expression of the long-suppressed soul of the nation
• The speech called for dedication to the service of India, its people, and the cause of humanity
• The Constitution of India was framed by the Constituent Assembly under the presidency of Dr. Rajendra Prasad, with Dr. B.R. Ambedkar playing a key role in drafting it
• The Indian Constitution came into force on 26 January 1950
• The Constitution of India adopted the Parliamentary System of government based on Universal Adult Franchise
• All Indians above the age of 18 were allowed to vote in state and national elections
• India faced challenges of development due to its large population being divided by caste, religion, class, and language at the time of independence in 1947
• The Indian Constitution guarantees equality before the law and equality of opportunity for all citizens
• The state is prohibited from discriminating against any citizen based on religion, caste, sex, or place of birth
• The Constitution acknowledges the existence of the poor and marginalised, providing special privileges to ameliorate their condition
• The practice of untouchability has been abolished and is forbidden in any form
• Certain marginalised sections of Indian society have reserved seats in educational institutions, legislature, and government jobs to integrate them into the social mainstream
• The Constituent Assembly of India agreed on a federal form of government
• In a federal government, there are two levels: Central Level and State Level
• Powers are distributed between the two levels through the Union, State, and Concurrent Lists
• Directive Principles of State Policy guide the government to create a socially just order
• The formation of panchayats was set as a government goal to promote grassroots democracy
• A law was passed to make panchayats compulsory in rural areas
• Panchayats serve as local self-government bodies to bring democracy to the grassroots level
• After Independence, demands for reorganisation of states based on language arose
• The State Reorganisation Commission in 1953 recommended dividing India into 14 States and 6 Union Territories based on language
• Provincial boundaries were redrawn to accommodate various language speakers
• Currently, India has 28 States and 8 Union Territories, with regional languages being recognised
• 22 languages have been accepted in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India
• Debate the recognition of only some languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India
• Independence posed the challenge of lifting India and Indians out of poverty and building a modern technical and industrial country