Class 12 Recent Developments in Indian Politics Mock Test (CBSE)

Topics in Recent Developments in Indian Politics

• Context of the 1990s
• Era of coalitions
• Political rise of the Other Backward Classes
• Mandal implemented
• Communalism, secularism and democracy
• Emergence of new consensus
• Lok Sabha elections 2004 to 2019
• Growing consensus

Recent Developments in Indian Politics practice questions with answers

1. Q1Multiple choice·1 mark
   In which year was the Mandal Commission report's recommendation regarding job reservations implemented by the National Front government led by V.P. Singh?

   1. (a)1989
   2. (b)1990
   3. (c)1992
   4. (d)1995
   Show answer and step marks

   1. Correct option: (b)+1

   Answer: (b)
2. Q2Multiple choice·1 mark
   Which of the following recommendations of the Mandal Commission significantly shaped the political rise of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in Indian politics during the 1990s?

   1. (a)Full exemption of land revenue for marginal OBC farmers.
   2. (b)Establishment of a dedicated financial bank for backward classes.
   3. (c)Creation of a separate statehood for backward regions.
   4. (d)Reservation of 27 per cent of seats in educational institutions and central government jobs for OBCs.
   Show answer and step marks

   1. Correct option: (d)+1

   Answer: (d)
3. Q3Short answer·3 marks
   Describe the major shift observed in the outcome of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections as compared to the coalition era of the preceding two decades.
   Show answer and step marks

   1. Return of a single-party majority: the BJP alone won 282 of 543 seats, the first time since 1984 that one party won a Lok Sabha majority on its own, ending the era of coalition and minority governments that began in 1989.+1
   2. Decline of the Congress: it fell to 44 seats, its lowest ever tally and too few to claim the post of Leader of the Opposition.+1
   3. Change in alliance dynamics: coalitions continued in form, with the BJP-led NDA winning 336 seats, but the ruling party no longer depended on its allies for a majority, so their bargaining power fell.+1

   Answer: In 2014 the BJP won 282 of 543 seats, the first single-party majority since 1984, ending the coalition era of 1989-2014; the Congress fell to 44 seats, its lowest ever; the NDA (336 seats) remained a coalition, but its leading party no longer depended on allies.
4. Q4Short answer·3 marks
   Explain any three elements of the 'new consensus' that emerged among major political parties in India during the post-1990s period.
   Show answer and step marks

   1. First element explained, any one of: agreement on the new economic policies of liberalisation and globalisation; acceptance of the political and social claims of the backward castes, including reservations in education and jobs; acceptance of the role of state-level parties in the governance of the country through coalitions; emphasis on pragmatic considerations rather than ideological positions, with alliances formed without ideological agreement; or any other valid element.+1
   2. Second element explained, a different one from the same list.+1
   3. Third element explained, a different one from the same list.+1

   Answer: Any three of: agreement on the new economic policies; acceptance of the political and social claims of the backward castes; acceptance of the role of state-level parties in national governance; pragmatic politics and alliances without ideological agreement; or any other valid element.

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