KSLU Solved Question Papers
Indian Society: Continuity and Change
Previous Year Question Paper with Solution
B.A. LL.B. (Five Years) · Sem 2
2017 Dec Examination
munotes.in
Mumbai
B.A. LL.B. (Five Years) Sem 2 Indian Society: Continuity and Change 2017 Dec Question Paper with Solutions
First published on munotes.in on 21 October 2026.
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Contents
The questions below are the paper as Karnataka State Law University set it at the 2017 Dec examination, in the order it was set.
MarksPage
The Paper as Set
The questions in this volume are the questions asked at the 2017 Dec examination, reproduced as Karnataka State Law University set them, in the order it set them. Long reading passages are shortened to their first and last lines and our summary; the original paper prints them in full. Only the answers are ours. See the original question paper.
Duration 3 hours · Total marks 100 · 13 questions answered
How to use this volume
Solve the paper first, under exam conditions and against the clock. Then read the answers here and mark your own. Reading a solution before attempting the question feels productive and teaches very little, because recognising an answer is not the same as being able to write one.
Q1What is Regionalism ? Explain its causes and measures to curb regionalism.[16]
Answer
For full marks, cover: the meaning of region, regional identity and regionalism, and where healthy regional feeling ends and harmful regionalism begins; the growth of regionalism in India since Independence (linguistic states, the 1956 reorganisation, language politics, sons of the soil, autonomy, new States); its forms, with examples; its causes grouped as cultural, economic, political, geographical and psychological; its effects; the measures to curb it, grouped by who acts (Constitution, federal institutions, planning, culture and education, law, politics and citizens), including Article 371J for Karnataka; a conclusion.
Meaning
A region is an area whose people share a language, culture, history or geography that sets them apart from neighbouring areas. Regional identity is the sense of belonging to such an area: a Kannadiga's pride in Kannada, or a Malayali's attachment to Kerala. Regionalism is the political expression of that identity. It demands that the region's interests, language and people be given priority, sometimes against other regions or against the nation.
Regional feeling is not harmful in itself. The munotes Sociology book draws the line clearly. A region's claim on resources and recognition is ordinary democratic politics. Regionalism becomes destructive when it turns into hostility towards people from other regions, or into a threat to national unity.
Regionalism in India since Independence
- Language and the linguistic States. After Independence, Jawaharlal Nehru at first opposed reorganising States on the basis of language. In 1952 Potti Sriramulu died after a fast of 58 days for a Telugu-speaking State. The unrest that followed led to the creation of Andhra State in 1953, the first State formed on linguistic lines.
- The 1956 reorganisation. The States Reorganisation Commission, appointed in December 1953 under Fazal Ali, recommended redrawing State boundaries largely by language. The States Reorganisation Act 1956 gave India most of its present linguistic map, including a unified Mysore State for Kannada speakers.
- Language politics. In 1965 the DMK led strong resistance in what is now Tamil Nadu to the imposition of Hindi. The episode showed that language could unite a region against the Centre.
- Sons of the soil. The Shiv Sena, founded in Mumbai on 19 June 1966, demanded jobs for Marathi speakers ahead of migrants from other States.
- Demands for autonomy. The Anandpur Sahib Resolution of 1973 in Punjab asked for greater powers for the States.
- New States. Long movements led to the creation of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand in 2000 and Telangana in 2014. These were based more on backwardness, tribal identity and regional neglect than on language alone.
Forms of regionalism
- Demand for a separate State within the Indian Union, as in the movements for Jharkhand and Telangana.
- Demand for autonomy and more financial power for an existing State.
- Inter-State disputes over boundaries and river waters.
- Sons-of-the-soil movements against migrants in jobs, trade and housing.
- Regional parties that make the State's interest the centre of politics.
- Separatism, the extreme and dangerous form, which demands secession from India.
Causes of regionalism
A. Cultural causes
- Language. Language is the deepest root of regional identity in India. It carries literature, history and pride, and the fear that a dominant language will swamp one's own creates strong reactions.
- History. Many regions were once separate kingdoms with their own rulers and heroes. Memories of that past keep a separate identity alive.
- Ethnicity and tribe. In central India and the North East, tribal identity and distinct ways of life feed demands for self-rule.
B. Economic causes
- Uneven development. Some regions have industry, irrigation, roads and colleges, while others lag behind. People in backward areas feel neglected and exploited.
- Competition for jobs. When migrants take jobs in a growing city, local young people may treat them as rivals.
- Disputes over resources. River waters, minerals and the location of projects become sources of conflict between regions.
C. Political causes
- Regional parties and leaders. It is easier to win votes by appealing to regional pride than by building support on other issues.
- Centre-State tensions. A feeling that the Centre interferes in a State's affairs or treats it unfairly in allocating funds strengthens regional feeling.
D. Geographical and administrative causes
- Distance and isolation. Hills, forests and remoteness cut some regions off from the rest of the country. The North East is linked to the rest of India by a narrow corridor and cannot be reorganised on linguistic lines.
- Very large States. Where a State is too large to govern well, its distant regions feel ignored by the capital.
E. Psychological causes
- Fear of losing identity. Rapid migration and cultural change make people anxious that their language and way of life are under threat.
Effects
Regionalism has a positive side. It has protected regional languages and cultures, pressed governments to develop neglected areas and kept the federal balance alive. Linguistic States made administration and education possible in the people's own language. Smaller States can bring government closer to the people.
Its harmful side is serious. It breeds hostility and sometimes violence against migrants. It turns disputes over water and boundaries into bitter quarrels between States. It narrows politics to local interests, and in its extreme form it threatens the unity and integrity of the nation.
Measures to curb harmful regionalism
1. Constitutional safeguards. Article 15(1) forbids the State to discriminate against any citizen on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth. Article 19(1)(d) and (e) give every citizen the right to move freely throughout India and to settle in any part of it. Article 29(1) protects the right of any section of citizens to conserve its distinct language, script or culture. Article 350A asks every State to provide instruction in the mother tongue at the primary stage for children of linguistic minorities.
2. Federal institutions. Five Zonal Councils, created under the States Reorganisation Act 1956 and chaired by the Union Home Minister, bring neighbouring States together. Article 263 provides for an Inter-State Council, first set up in 1990 on the recommendation of the Sarkaria Commission. Article 262 allows Parliament to provide for settling disputes over inter-State rivers.
3. Balanced development. The most lasting cure is to remove the grievance itself. Fair sharing of central revenue, special plans for backward areas and investment in neglected regions reduce the sense of injustice.
4. Special provisions for backward regions. Article 371J, inserted by the Constitution (Ninety-eighth Amendment) Act 2012, applies to Karnataka. It allows the President to give the Governor special responsibility for a development board for the Hyderabad-Karnataka region. It also covers the equitable allocation of development funds there. Seats in education and posts in government can be reserved for people of the region. This shows how a regional grievance can be met within the Constitution.
5. Respect for regional languages and cultures. Recognising languages in the Eighth Schedule and using them in schools and administration removes the fear that a region's culture will be lost. The Fifth and Sixth Schedules protect the land and customs of tribal areas.
6. Law against hatred. Section 196 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023 punishes promoting enmity between groups on grounds that include place of birth, residence and language.
7. Education, media and contact. School syllabuses can teach the history and culture of every region. Student exchanges, national events and responsible media help people from different regions know and respect one another.
8. Responsible politics. No party should seek votes by turning local people against settlers from other States. Regional demands should be settled through dialogue, commissions and the courts rather than agitation.
Regionalism at a glance
| Aspect | Healthy regional feeling | Harmful regionalism |
|---|---|---|
| Attitude | Pride in one's language and culture | Hostility to other regions and migrants |
| Demand | Fair share of development and recognition | Exclusion of outsiders, or secession |
| Method | Elections, negotiation, commissions | Agitation, violence, blockades |
| Effect on unity | Strengthens a federal India | Weakens national unity |
Conclusion. Regionalism is the political assertion of regional identity, which becomes harmful when it turns into hostility towards others or a threat to unity. In India it grew through the linguistic States movement, the 1956 reorganisation, language politics, sons-of-the-soil movements, autonomy demands and the creation of new States. Its causes are cultural, economic, political, geographical and psychological. It can be curbed through constitutional rights, federal institutions, balanced development and special provisions such as Article 371J. Respect for regional cultures, law, education and responsible politics complete the remedy. The aim is not to erase regional identity but to keep it within a shared national loyalty.
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