Structural Change

NCERT Class 12 · Sociology Based on NCERT Class 12 Sociology textbook · Free CBSE study kit

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Chapter Notes

Overview

This chapter explores the profound structural changes brought about by British colonialism in India, focusing on industrialisation and urbanisation. It explains how colonialism was fundamentally different from pre-capitalist conquests because it directly interfered with the economic base to serve British capitalism. The central idea a student must grasp is that colonialism created a paradoxical modernity in India, where industrialisation led to deindustrialisation in some sectors and urbanisation led to the decline of old cities while new colonial cities emerged, all shaped by the needs of the colonial power rather than indigenous development.

Key Concepts (12)

Colonialism

The establishment of rule by one country over another, with western colonialism in the modern period having the greatest impact. It is distinguishable from earlier rules because the changes it brought were far-reaching and deep, directly interfering with the economic base to ensure profit for the colonising power.

e.g. British colonialism in India changed land ownership laws, decided what crops should be grown, altered manufacturing, and brought Forest Acts that prevented pastoralists from entering forests.

Capitalism

An economic system in which the means of production are privately owned and organised to accumulate profits within a market system.

e.g. British capitalism drove colonialism by ensuring every policy in India was geared towards strengthening and expanding British capitalism, such as changing laws to favour British industry.

Industrialisation

The emergence of machine production, based on the use of inanimate power resources like steam or electricity.

e.g. In Britain, industrialisation led to a majority of the population working in factories, offices, or shops rather than agriculture, and over 90% of people living in towns and cities.

Urbanisation

The process by which an increasing proportion of a population lives in towns and cities, often associated with industrialisation but not always occurring together.

e.g. In colonial India, urbanisation saw the decline of old centres like Surat and Dhaka while new colonial cities like Bombay and Madras grew.

Deindustrialisation

The decline of manufacturing in a region or sector, often due to competition from more industrialised areas.

e.g. Traditional exports of cotton and silk manufactures from India declined in the face of Manchester competition, leading to deindustrialisation in some sectors.

Nation State

A particular type of state characteristic of the modern world, where a government has sovereign power within a defined territorial area and the people are citizens of a single nation.

e.g. Before the First World War, passports were not widely used, but today we all live in nation states with national citizenship.

Nationalism

The principle that any set of people have a right to be free and exercise sovereign power, closely associated with the rise of nation states and democratic ideas.

e.g. Indian nationalist leaders declared that freedom or swaraj was their birthright and fought for both political and economic freedom, highlighting the contradiction between colonialism and nationalism.

Paradoxical Modernity

The contradictory experience of exposure to modern ideas like western liberalism and freedom while living under colonial rule that denied those very freedoms.

e.g. Indians in the colonial period read about western liberalism and freedom yet lived under a western colonial rule that denied them liberty.

Colonial City

A city that served as the prime link between the economic centre or core in Britain and the periphery or margins in colonised India, acting as a concrete expression of global capitalism.

e.g. Bombay was planned and re-developed so that by 1900 over three-quarters of India’s raw cotton were shipped through the city.

Swadeshi Movement

A movement that strengthened loyalty to the national economy, emphasising the use of Indian-made goods and opposing British economic exploitation.

e.g. The Swadeshi movement made people realise that poverty was preventable and strengthened the call for rapid industrialisation of the Indian economy.

Urban Impact

The influence of urban centres on surrounding villages, which varies according to the kind of relations a village has with a city or town, as described by sociologist M.S.A. Rao.

e.g. In Madhopur, a village in north central India, 77 out of 298 households have migrants working in far-off cities like Bombay and Calcutta, who send money regularly and visit the village periodically.

Tea Plantations

A colonial industry that began in India in 1851, mostly in Assam, where labour was imported from other provinces through fraud and coercion under penal laws.

e.g. The Transport of Native Labourers Act (No. III) of 1863 of Bengal was used to recruit labourers for tea gardens, often by contractors using unfair means.

How It Works

Colonial Economic Interference

Step 1: British colonialism, based on a capitalist system, directly interfered with the Indian economy to ensure greatest profit for British capitalism.
Step 2: It changed the laws of the land, including land ownership laws and decisions about what crops should be grown.
Step 3: It meddled with the manufacturing sector, altering how production and distribution of goods took place.
Step 4: It entered forests, cleared trees, started tea plantations, and brought in Forest Acts that changed the lives of pastoralists by preventing them from entering forests that had provided forage for their cattle.

💡 Students often forget that colonialism interfered with the economic base directly, unlike pre-capitalist conquerors who only took tribute without changing the economic system.

Movement of People under Colonialism

Step 1: Colonialism led to considerable movement of people from one part of India to another, e.g., people from present-day Jharkhand moved to Assam to work on tea plantations.
Step 2: A newly emerging middle class from British Presidency regions like Bengal and Madras moved as government employees and professionals like doctors and lawyers to different parts of the country.
Step 3: People were taken in ships from India to work on other colonised lands in distant Asia, Africa, and the Americas, with many dying on the way and most never returning.

💡 Students often miss that this movement was not voluntary but often forced or induced by colonial economic policies, and that it created the diaspora known as people of Indian origin.

Deindustrialisation and Decline of Old Urban Centres

Step 1: British industrialisation led to deindustrialisation in some sectors of India, as traditional exports of cotton and silk manufactures declined in the face of Manchester competition.
Step 2: Old urban centres like Surat, Masulipatnam, Thanjavur, Dhaka, and Murshidabad declined as they lost their courts, artisans, and court gentry.
Step 3: With the installation of mechanised factory industries from the end of the 19th century, some towns became much more heavily populated, while village crafts survived longer but were seriously affected with the spread of railways.

💡 Students often think industrialisation always leads to urbanisation, but in colonial India, the initial impact of British industrialisation led to more people moving into agriculture, not cities.

Emergence of Colonial Cities

Step 1: Coastal cities like Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai were favoured because from here primary commodities could be easily exported and manufactured goods cheaply imported.
Step 2: These cities served as the prime link between the economic centre or core in Britain and the periphery or margins in colonised India.
Step 3: Colonial cities were planned with a European town having spacious bungalows, planned streets, clubs, and Western recreational facilities, while the native town had restricted access to amenities like water supply and sewage.

💡 Students often forget that colonial cities were concrete expressions of global capitalism and were designed to serve British economic interests, not Indian development.

Recruitment of Labour for Tea Plantations

Step 1: Tea industry began in India in 1851, mostly in Assam, which was sparsely populated and had uninhabited hillsides.
Step 2: Bulk of the labour had to be imported from other provinces, but planters were unwilling to offer financial incentives.
Step 3: Instead, they used fraud and coercion and persuaded the government to pass penal laws like the Transport of Native Labourers Act (No. III) of 1863 of Bengal.
Step 4: Labourers were recruited by contractors under these provisions, often forcibly kept, and harsh measures were taken against them to benefit the planters.

💡 Students often miss that the colonial government acted on behalf of British planters and used laws that did not have to stick to democratic norms followed in Britain.

Urban Impact on Villages (M.S.A. Rao's Typology)

Step 1: First type: Villages where a sizeable number of people have sought employment in far-off cities, leaving their families behind. Migrants send money regularly and visit the village periodically.
Step 2: Second type: Villages situated near an industrial town like Bhilai, where some villages are totally uprooted while lands of others are partially acquired, leading to an influx of immigrant workers and problems of ordering relationships between native residents and immigrants.
Step 3: Third type: Villages surrounding metropolitan cities, where a few villages are totally absorbed in the process of expansion, while only the land of many others is used for urban development.

💡 Students often think urbanisation only means people moving to cities, but M.S.A. Rao shows that urban impact varies and can affect villages in different ways, including through migration, proximity to industrial towns, or absorption by metropolitan cities.

Exam Traps — Don't Make These Mistakes

⚠ Confusing Colonialism with Pre-Capitalist Conquests

✗ Colonialism is just like any other foreign rule where one country dominates another.

→ Pre-capitalist conquerors did not interfere with the economic base; they only took tribute. British colonialism directly interfered with the economy, changed laws, and altered production systems to benefit British capitalism.

✓ Colonialism under British rule was fundamentally different from pre-capitalist conquests because it directly interfered with the economic base, changing land laws, manufacturing, and agriculture to ensure maximum profit for British capitalism.

⚠ Assuming Industrialisation Always Leads to Urbanisation

✗ Industrialisation always leads to urbanisation, as seen in Britain where more people moved to cities.

→ In colonial India, the initial impact of British industrialisation led to deindustrialisation in some sectors and more people moving into agriculture, not cities. The Census of India Report 1911 shows that village industries were destroyed and artisans abandoned hereditary crafts for agriculture.

✓ While industrialisation and urbanisation often occur together, in colonial India the impact was different: British industrialisation led to deindustrialisation and a shift towards agriculture, not urbanisation, because colonial interests governed the process.

⚠ Overlooking the Paradoxical Nature of Colonial Modernity

✗ Colonialism brought modern ideas and institutions to India, which were all beneficial.

→ The exposure to modern ideas was contradictory: Indians read about western liberalism and freedom but lived under colonial rule that denied them liberty. This paradox shaped structural and cultural changes.

✓ Colonialism introduced modern ideas and institutions, but this exposure was paradoxical because Indians experienced western liberalism while being denied freedom under colonial rule, shaping many structural and cultural changes.

⚠ Misunderstanding the Role of Colonial Cities

✗ Colonial cities like Mumbai and Kolkata grew naturally due to trade and population growth.

→ Colonial cities were deliberately planned and developed as links between the economic core in Britain and the periphery in India. They were concrete expressions of global capitalism, designed to export raw materials and import manufactured goods.

✓ Colonial cities like Mumbai and Kolkata were planned as prime links between the British economic core and the Indian periphery, serving as concrete expressions of global capitalism for exporting raw materials and importing manufactured goods.

⚠ Ignoring the Unintended Consequences of Colonialism

✗ All changes brought by colonialism were deliberate and intended by the British.

→ Some changes were deliberate, but others took place in an unintended fashion. For example, western education was introduced to create Indians who would manage British colonialism, but it instead led to the growth of nationalist and anti-colonial consciousness.

✓ Colonialism had both deliberate and unintended consequences. For instance, western education was introduced to create loyal administrators but unexpectedly led to the growth of nationalist and anti-colonial consciousness.

Compare & Contrast

Nature of economic interference

Pre-Capitalist Conquests

British Colonialism

Pre-capitalist conquerors did not interfere with the economic base; they simply took tribute skimmed off the economic surplus produced traditionally. British colonialism directly interfered with the economic base, changing laws, land ownership, crops, manufacturing, and forests to ensure greatest profit for British capitalism.

Impact on urbanisation and employment

Industrialisation in Britain

Industrialisation in Colonial India

In Britain, industrialisation led to a shift from rural to urban areas, with over 90% of people living in towns and cities by the 20th century. In colonial India, the same British industrialisation led to deindustrialisation in some sectors, decline of old urban centres, and more people moving into agriculture rather than cities.

Exam Focus

Marks pattern: This chapter typically appears with 2 MCQs (1 mark each), 1 Short Answer question (3 marks), and 1 Long Answer question (5 marks), often linked to themes of colonialism, industrialisation, and urbanisation.

Most asked: Colonialism and its impact on Indian economy and society · Industrialisation and urbanisation under colonial rule · Deindustrialisation and decline of old urban centres · Emergence of colonial cities and their characteristics · Paradoxical modernity and unintended consequences of colonialism

Don't skip: Compare and contrast industrialisation in Britain and colonial India (5 marks); Explain the concept of colonialism and how it differed from pre-capitalist conquests (3 marks); Discuss the role of colonial cities in the economic system of the British Empire (5 marks); Describe the impact of colonialism on urbanisation in India (3 marks)

One-Line Revision (read aloud before the exam)

Colonialism means the establishment of rule by one country over another, and British colonialism directly interfered with India's economic base to benefit British capitalism.
Capitalism is an economic system where means of production are privately owned to accumulate profits within a market system.
Industrialisation refers to machine production using inanimate power resources like steam or electricity.
Urbanisation is the process of increasing population in towns and cities, often linked to industrialisation but not always.
In colonial India, British industrialisation led to deindustrialisation in some sectors and decline of old urban centres like Surat and Dhaka.
Colonial cities like Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai were planned as links between the British economic core and the Indian periphery.
The paradox of colonial modernity: Indians read about western liberalism but lived under colonial rule that denied them freedom.
Western education was introduced to create loyal administrators but unexpectedly led to nationalist and anti-colonial consciousness.
The tea industry in India began in 1851 in Assam, and labour was recruited through fraud and coercion under penal laws.
M.S.A. Rao described three types of urban impact on villages: migration to far-off cities, proximity to industrial towns, and absorption by metropolitan cities.
Nation states are a modern political form where a government has sovereign power within a defined territory and people are citizens of a single nation.
Nationalism assumes that any set of people have a right to be free and exercise sovereign power, contradicting colonial rule.
The Swadeshi movement strengthened loyalty to the national economy and pushed for rapid industrialisation.
Colonialism led to movement of people within India and to other colonised lands, creating the Indian diaspora.
The Census of India Report 1911 shows that village industries were destroyed and artisans moved to agriculture due to colonial policies.

MCQs — 10 Questions with Answers

Q1. Which statement best describes British colonialism's economic approach in India?

A. It took tribute without changing the underlying economic base
B. It directly interfered with laws, crops, manufacturing, and forests to extract maximum profit ✓
C. It allowed Indian rulers to maintain control over their traditional economies
D. It focused only on creating new cities without affecting rural production

Answer: B — British colonialism based on capitalism systematically rewired India's entire economy — changing land laws, deciding crops, altering manufacturing, and clearing forests for plantations — unlike pre-capitalist rulers who only took tribute.

Q2. What is the fundamental difference between pre-capitalist and capitalist colonialism according to the chapter?

A. Pre-capitalist colonialism was more peaceful and non-interfering
B. Pre-capitalist rulers took tribute without interfering with economic base; capitalist colonialism systematically rewired production systems ✓
C. Capitalist colonialism only affected cities, not rural areas
D. There was no significant difference in their methods or impact

Answer: B — Pre-capitalist empire-builders extracted tribute while leaving economic structures intact, whereas British capitalist colonialism fundamentally transformed India's economic base to serve British profit accumulation.

Q3. Which of the following was an unintended consequence of British colonialism in India?

A. The creation of tea plantations in Assam
B. The introduction of Western education that sparked nationalist and anti-colonial consciousness ✓
C. The change in land ownership laws
D. The construction of railways for resource extraction

Answer: B — The British introduced Western education to create Indians who would manage colonialism, but instead it led to the growth of nationalist consciousness — an unintended outcome that worked against colonial interests.

Q4. The English language paradox in colonial India demonstrates that:

A. English was equally accessible to all Indians regardless of social status
B. English was purely a tool of oppression with no positive benefits
C. English functioned both as a mark of privilege/exclusion AND as a door opener for historically deprived groups like Dalits ✓
D. English language was rejected by nationalist Indians as anti-Indian

Answer: C — The chapter shows English as paradoxical: it marked privilege and excluded the poor, yet opened opportunities for Dalits and others denied formal education — a contradictory legacy of colonialism.

Q5. Which of the following is NOT an example of direct colonial interference in India's structures?

A. Changing laws related to land ownership
B. Deciding which crops should be grown
C. Introducing Forest Acts that prevented pastoralist access
D. Allowing Indian rulers complete autonomy in manufacturing decisions ✓

Answer: D — The chapter explicitly states colonialism meddled with manufacturing, cleared forests, and controlled crops; allowing Indian rulers autonomy contradicts the text's central argument about systematic colonial interference.

Q6. According to the chapter, what was the intended purpose of introducing Western education in colonial India?

A. To enlighten Indians about universal freedoms and human rights
B. To create Indians who would manage and maintain British colonial rule ✓
C. To prepare Indians for independence after British rule
D. To promote Indian culture and indigenous knowledge systems

Answer: B — The text states Western education was introduced 'to create Indians who would manage British colonialism,' but this backfired by creating nationalist consciousness instead.

Q7. Internal migration during colonialism was primarily driven by: (A) pastoralist movements to preserve traditional grazing (B) traders seeking new markets (C) colonial employment opportunities and structural changes like tea plantation labour (D) voluntary cultural exchanges between regions

A. Pastoralist movements to preserve traditional grazing
B. Traders seeking new markets
C. Colonial employment opportunities and structural changes like tea plantation labour ✓
D. Voluntary cultural exchanges between regions

Answer: C — The chapter cites people from Jharkhand moving to Assam tea plantations and middle-class professionals moving as government employees — both driven by colonial economic restructuring, not trade or tradition.

Q8. Which statement correctly identifies a core distinction between the colonial and pre-colonial periods in India?

A. Pre-colonial rulers were entirely absent from economic affairs
B. Colonial period introduced capitalism directly interfering with production; pre-colonial simply extracted surplus from existing systems ✓
C. Pre-colonial and colonial periods had identical economic impacts
D. Only the pre-colonial period saw significant structural changes

Answer: B — The text contrasts pre-capitalist rulers who took tribute without interference against British capitalism that directly intervened in and restructured India's entire economic and social base.

Q9. Why is understanding colonialism essential for understanding modern India? (HOTS)

A. Only because it provides historical dates and facts
B. Because modern India's institutions, laws, industries, agriculture, cities, and specific experience with modernity were shaped by colonialism's contradictory structural and cultural changes ✓
C. Because colonialism was entirely negative with no lasting legacy
D. Because post-colonial India rejected all colonial influences completely

Answer: B — The chapter argues colonialism's deep, systematic changes (parliamentary system, legal codes, police, cities, industries, agriculture) created lasting paradoxes that still shape India's development trajectory and relationship with modernity.

Q10. According to the chapter, which institutional/cultural influence still visible in contemporary India reflects the 'unintended' yet pervasive nature of colonialism?

A. Only Indian languages and traditional dress
B. Parliamentary system, legal code, left-side driving, English language, school uniforms with ties — systems intended for colonial control that persist ✓
C. Indigenous farming practices unchanged from pre-colonial times
D. Complete rejection of all Western systems and ideas

Answer: B — The chapter's opening section lists how British colonialism persists in modern India through parliamentary systems, driving conventions, language, food, uniforms — showing colonialism's structural depth even after political independence.

Flashcards

What is colonialism in the modern economic sense?

Colonialism based on capitalism directly interfered with the economic base of subjugated territories to extract maximum profit and benefit to the colonising power's capitalist system.

How did pre-capitalist empire-building differ from British colonialism?

Pre-capitalist rulers took tribute without interfering with the economic base, while British colonialism systematically changed laws, crops, manufacturing, forests, and production to serve British capitalism.

Name three areas British colonialism directly interfered with in India.

British colonialism changed land ownership laws, decided which crops should be grown, altered manufacturing and distribution of goods, cleared forests for tea plantations, and introduced Forest Acts.

What is the paradox of western education under colonialism?

Western education was introduced by the British to create Indians to manage colonialism, but instead it led to the growth of nationalist and anti-colonial consciousness.

What does the English language example show about colonialism's paradox?

English is both a mark of privilege that excluded the poor and formerly deprived groups like Dalits, yet it opened doors of opportunity for those historically denied access to formal education.

Which two structural changes does this chapter focus on?

This chapter focuses on industrialisation and urbanisation as the two main structural changes brought by colonialism.

What movements of people did colonialism cause in India?

Colonialism caused internal migration (e.g. Jharkhand people to Assam tea plantations), movement of middle-class professionals to different regions, and overseas indentured labour to Asia, Africa, and Americas.

Define capitalism as a system.

Capitalism is an economic system in which the means of production are privately owned and organised to accumulate profits within a market system.

How did colonialism's scale of change distinguish it from earlier foreign rule?

Colonialism brought changes of unprecedented magnitude and depth — systematic, deliberate, and affecting every sphere (legal, cultural, architectural), unlike earlier rulers who only took tribute.

Give one example of an unintended consequence of colonialism in India.

Western education intended to control Indians instead sparked nationalist and anti-colonial consciousness, turning an intended tool of rule into a weapon against British colonialism.

Important Board Questions

Define colonialism and explain how British colonialism differed from pre-capitalist colonial rule. Give one example from the text. [2 marks]

Distinguish between tribute-taking (pre-capitalist) vs. systematic economic restructuring (capitalist Britain); cite one example such as land laws, crop control, Forest Acts, or plantation labour.

Explain the paradox of colonial modernity in India with reference to Western education and the English language. How did colonial intentions sometimes produce unintended consequences? [4 marks]

Show contradiction: Western education meant to control created nationalist consciousness; English marked both privilege/exclusion AND opportunity for Dalit uplift. Use specific examples from the chapter text.

Analyse how British colonialism's interference with India's economic base (land, crops, manufacturing, forests) led to structural changes in society and migration patterns. Why is understanding colonialism critical for comprehending modern India's development? [6 marks]

Explain three types of colonial interference (land laws, forest clearing, manufacturing control); show impact on migration (Jharkhand→Assam, PIOs); connect to thesis that colonialism shaped modern India's institutions, economy, and relationship with modernity — cannot be separated from post-independence trajectory.

Assertion-Reason Questions for Structural Change

Q1. Assertion (A):

British colonialism directly interfered with economic systems in India by changing land laws, determining crop production, and clearing forests for plantations.

Reason (R):

Capitalist colonialism was geared towards strengthening and expanding British capitalism, unlike pre-capitalist empires that only collected tribute without interfering in the economic base.

Answer: A — Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A — Both statements are true, and the reason directly explains why the assertion occurred—the capitalist motivation drove the interventionist policies. This matches the chapter's core argument about the difference between pre-capitalist and capitalist colonialism.

Q2. Assertion (A):

The introduction of Western education by the British was intended to create educated Indians who would manage British colonialism.

Reason (R):

However, Western education actually led to the growth of nationalist and anti-colonial consciousness among Indians.

Answer: B — Both A and R are true, but R is NOT the correct explanation of A — Both statements are factually correct according to the chapter—the intention was administrative control, but the outcome was nationalism. However, the reason does not explain why the assertion occurred; rather, it contradicts it. The reason shows an unintended consequence, not a cause-effect relationship.

Q3. Assertion (A):

English language knowledge among Indians provides an edge in the global job market in modern times.

Reason (R):

English continues to be a mark of privilege in India, and not knowing English creates disadvantages in employment.

Answer: B — Both A and R are true, but R is NOT the correct explanation of A — Both statements are true. The assertion is supported by the 'virtual housewife' case study showing BPO employment opportunities. The reason is also true—English marks privilege and its absence is a disadvantage. However, the reason does not directly explain the assertion; both are separate observations about English's role in modern India rather than one causing the other.

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Case-Based Questions (CBQ) for Structural Change

Case Study:

The Assam Tea Industry and Labour Migration, 1860s-1920s: During British colonialism, the newly established tea plantations in Assam required massive labour forces. British companies deliberately recruited workers from Bihar, Odisha, and Jharkhand through labour agents called 'sirdars.' These workers, often poor peasants and landless labourers, were transported in crowded conditions to work on plantations owned and controlled by British companies. Many workers faced harsh conditions, debt bondage, and isolation far from their homes. By 1900, over 400,000 workers had migrated to Assam tea estates. This labour system exemplifies how British capitalist colonialism restructured entire regions' economies and created new patterns of human movement across India.

Q1. The recruitment of workers from Jharkhand to Assam primarily demonstrates which aspect of colonialism discussed in the chapter?

A. Colonialism's direct interference in economic systems to benefit capitalist profit ✓
B. The voluntary migration of Indians seeking better opportunities
C. Pre-capitalist empires' method of collecting tribute
D. Traditional caste-based occupational systems

Answer: A

Q2. How does the Assam tea industry example contradict the argument that colonialism preserved traditional economic systems?

A. It shows colonialism creating entirely new economic sectors and labour relations not based on traditional structures ✓
B. It demonstrates that some traditional systems were actually strengthened by colonial rule
C. It proves that workers voluntarily chose to migrate for better wages
D. It indicates that British companies respected local economic practices

Answer: A

Q3. The chapter's distinction between pre-capitalist and capitalist colonialism is best illustrated by comparing Assam tea plantations to:

A. Medieval trade routes along the Silk Road
B. The democratic movement in India that sought freedom
C. Indigenous Indian kingdoms that had no external relations
D. A pre-capitalist empire that would have collected tribute from regional rulers without restructuring production systems ✓

Answer: D

Q4. The harsh conditions and debt bondage faced by Assam tea workers exemplify that British colonialism's interference extended to:

A. Only administrative matters without affecting workers' welfare
B. Not just political rule but also control over labour relations, working conditions, and economic dependencies ✓
C. Traditional systems that workers themselves had established
D. Sectors that had voluntarily requested British management

Answer: B

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Previous Year Questions (PYQ) for Structural Change

Real CBSE board exam questions from past papers — free to attempt.

CBSE 2026 · Set Sociology · 1 mark

Assertion (A): The government sells its shares in several public sector companies as part of the process of disinvestment. Reason (R): Many government workers are scared that they will lose their job after disinvestment.

Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
Assertion (A) is true, but Reason (R) is false.
Assertion (A) is false, but Reason (R) is true.

CBSE 2026 · Set Sociology · 4 marks

The post-independent Indian state inherited and reflected the contradictions of the pre-independent period.

Comment on the given statement with respect to the role of caste in the public sphere.

CBSE 2026 · Set Sociology · 4 marks

Cities played a key role in the economic system of empires.

Elucidate the statement with the help of suitable examples.

CBSE 2026 · Set Sociology · 4 marks

Because the tribal areas were located in mineral-rich and forest-covered parts of the country, tribals have paid a disproportionate price for the development of the rest of Indian society.

How has national development been a challenge for the tribal population of India, post-Independence?

CBSE 2024 · Set 62_Sociology · 1 mark

State action alone cannot ensure social change. What else does it need to be supplemented with to ensure social change?

Civil society organisations only
Contributions to literature only
Mass media only
Civil society organisations, Contributions to literature, Mass media

CBSE 2024 · Set 62_Sociology · 2 marks

Differentiate between social change and social movement.

CBSE 2023 · Set 62_Sociology · 4 marks

Discuss the impact of land reforms during the colonial period.

CBSE 2022 · Set 62 Sociology · 1 mark

Urban luxury manufactures like the high quality silks and cottons of Dacca or Murshidabad must have been hit first by the almost simultaneous collapse of indigeneous court demand and the external market on which these had largely depended. Village crafts in the interior and particularly, in regions other than eastern India where British penetration was earliest and deepest, probably survived much longer, coming to be seriously affected only with the spread of railways.

When British took over states and towns of India, some of them lost their courts, artisans and court gentry. Give any one reason.

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