Development of Indian Democracy (1964-1977): ISC Class 12 History Notes

What Development of Indian Democracy (1964–1977) is about

Weightage: CISCE publishes no chapter or unit weightage for ISC History. Development of Indian Democracy (1964–1977) is part of Section A: Indian History, 3 of the 2027 syllabus and can be asked anywhere in the 80-mark Paper I (Section A 16 one-mark items, Section B 4-mark short answers, Section C 8-mark long answers).Source: CISCE ISC History (851) syllabus, examination year 2027; ISC 2025 specimen question paper

Key concepts

Lal Bahadur Shastri: contributions as Prime Minister (June 1964-January 1966)

1. Food crisis and agriculture: with severe shortages and dependence on American food aid, Shastri gave the slogan 'Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan', appealed to people to skip a meal a week, and, with C. Subramaniam as Food and Agriculture Minister, began the shift to high-yielding seeds, fertilisers and irrigation that became the Green Revolution. The Food Corporation of India and the Agricultural Prices Commission were set up in 1965.
2. White Revolution: he backed cooperative dairying on the Amul model and the National Dairy Development Board (1965) under Verghese Kurien.
3. Language crisis: when violent anti-Hindi protests broke out in Madras in 1965 as Hindi was due to become the sole official language, he assured that English would continue as an associate language as long as non-Hindi states wanted it.
4. The 1965 war: he gave firm leadership when Pakistan attacked, allowing the army to cross the international border towards Lahore and Sialkot; this raised national morale after 1962.
5. Tashkent Declaration (10 January 1966): with Soviet mediation he signed an agreement with Ayub Khan to withdraw to pre-war positions and settle disputes peacefully. He died at Tashkent on 11 January 1966.
6. Foreign relations: an agreement with Sri Lanka (1964) on the citizenship of people of Indian origin.
7. Style: a simple, honest consensus-builder who held the Congress together after Nehru.

Worked example

[4] State any four contributions of Lal Bahadur Shastri as Prime Minister. (Recall)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. 'Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan'; measures for food self-sufficiency that began the Green Revolution - 1 mark.
2. Support for cooperative dairying and the National Dairy Development Board - 1 mark.
3. Firm leadership in the 1965 war and the Tashkent Declaration - 1 mark.
4. Handling the anti-Hindi agitation by assuring English would continue as an associate language - 1 mark.

Answer: Shastri (1) tackled the food crisis with 'Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan' and new agricultural policies that began the Green Revolution; (2) promoted dairy cooperatives through the National Dairy Development Board; (3) led India firmly in the 1965 war and signed the Tashkent Declaration in 1966; and (4) defused the anti-Hindi agitation by assuring that English would remain an associate official language.

Importance of the 1967 general election

Background: Nehru and Shastri had died, Indira Gandhi had become Prime Minister in 1966, there had been two wars, drought, food shortages, devaluation of the rupee (1966) and rising prices. Opposition parties, following Ram Manohar Lohia's strategy of 'non-Congressism', tried to avoid splitting the anti-Congress vote.

Results

• The Congress kept a narrow majority in the Lok Sabha (283 of 520 seats), its worst performance till then.
• It lost its majority in about half of the states (including Bihar, Kerala, Madras, Orissa, Punjab and West Bengal), and lost power soon after in others through defections.
• The DMK under C. N. Annadurai won a clear majority in Madras, a landmark for regional parties.
• Several senior Congress leaders, including the party president K. Kamaraj, lost their seats.

Importance
1. It ended the 'Congress system' of one-party dominance; observers called it a 'political earthquake'.
2. Coalition governments (Samyukta Vidhayak Dal governments of mixed parties) came to power in many states.
3. Defections became common; the phrase 'Aya Ram, Gaya Ram' came from a Haryana legislator who changed parties several times in a fortnight.
4. Regional parties rose (the DMK, the Akali Dal).
5. Tensions within the Congress grew, leading to its split in 1969.
6. Democracy matured: voters showed they could punish a ruling party.

Worked example

[4] Why is the general election of 1967 regarded as a landmark in Indian politics? (Analysis)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. The Congress majority in the Lok Sabha shrank sharply and it lost power in about half the states - 1 mark.
2. Coalition (SVD) governments of non-Congress parties took office in several states - 1 mark.
3. Regional parties rose, such as the DMK in Madras - 1 mark.
4. Defections ('Aya Ram, Gaya Ram') and instability followed, and tensions led to the Congress split of 1969 - 1 mark.

Answer: It ended one-party dominance: the Congress barely kept its Lok Sabha majority and lost about half the states; coalition governments of opposition parties came to power; regional parties such as the DMK rose to power; and the era of defections and unstable governments began, which deepened divisions in the Congress and led to its split in 1969.

Main opposition parties and their ideologies

Socialist Party (SP)

• Origin: the Congress Socialist Party (1934) left the Congress in 1948. Leaders: Jayaprakash Narayan, Acharya Narendra Dev, Ram Manohar Lohia.
• Ideology: democratic socialism by peaceful means; equality, decentralisation, land to the tiller; opposed both capitalism and communist dictatorship. Lohia stressed caste equality, reservation for backward classes and 'non-Congressism'. The party went through splits and mergers (Praja Socialist Party, Samyukta Socialist Party).

Communist Party of India (CPI)

• Origin: founded in the 1920s; leaders S. A. Dange, A. K. Gopalan, E. M. S. Namboodiripad, Ajoy Ghosh.
• Ideology: Marxism-Leninism; after the Telangana armed struggle (1946-51) it accepted the parliamentary path. In 1957 it won the Kerala assembly election and formed one of the first elected communist governments anywhere. After the split of 1964 it generally supported the Congress's progressive policies.

Communist Party of India (Marxist), CPI(M)

• Origin: split from the CPI in 1964 over the Sino-Soviet dispute, the attitude to China after 1962 and to the Congress. Leaders: E. M. S. Namboodiripad, Jyoti Basu, P. Sundarayya, A. K. Gopalan.
• Ideology: Marxism-Leninism; its ultimate aim is a state in which power is in the hands of the working class led by the communist party ('people's democracy'); strongly anti-Congress; works through elections while building mass movements. Strong in West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura.

Bharatiya Jan Sangh

• Origin: founded in 1951 by Syama Prasad Mookerjee; leaders Deendayal Upadhyaya, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Balraj Madhok.
• Ideology: 'one country, one culture, one nation' based on Bharatiya culture; Deendayal Upadhyaya's 'Integral Humanism'; opposed special status for Jammu and Kashmir; favoured Hindi; a strong, nuclear-armed India; reunion of India and Pakistan (Akhand Bharat). It merged into the Janata Party in 1977.

Shiromani Akali Dal

• Origin: formed in 1920 during the Gurdwara Reform Movement to free gurdwaras from corrupt mahants. Leaders: Master Tara Singh, Sant Fateh Singh, Prakash Singh Badal.
• Ideology: protection of Sikh religious, political and cultural interests; a Punjabi-speaking state (Punjabi Suba, achieved in 1966); later greater autonomy for states (Anandpur Sahib Resolution, 1973). A regional party.

Worked example

[4] Compare the ideologies of the CPI(M) and the Bharatiya Jan Sangh on four points. (Analysis)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Basis: CPI(M) - Marxism-Leninism and class struggle; Jan Sangh - Bharatiya culture and nationalism - 1 mark.
2. Goal: CPI(M) - state power in the hands of the working class; Jan Sangh - 'one country, one culture, one nation', Integral Humanism - 1 mark.
3. Founders/leaders: CPI(M) - Namboodiripad, Jyoti Basu, Sundarayya (1964); Jan Sangh - S. P. Mookerjee, Deendayal Upadhyaya (1951) - 1 mark.
4. Issues: CPI(M) - land reform, workers' rights; Jan Sangh - against special status for Kashmir, for Hindi and a strong defence - 1 mark.

Answer: The CPI(M), formed in 1964 by leaders such as Namboodiripad and Jyoti Basu, follows Marxism-Leninism and aims at a state where power lies with the working class, stressing land reform and workers' rights. The Bharatiya Jan Sangh, founded by Syama Prasad Mookerjee in 1951, stood for cultural nationalism ('one country, one culture, one nation') and Integral Humanism, opposed special status for Kashmir and supported Hindi and a strong defence.

The Naxal Movement

Factors of its rise
1. Agrarian exploitation: land reforms and ceiling laws were not implemented; sharecroppers and landless labourers were evicted and exploited by jotedars (landlords) and moneylenders.
2. Tribal grievances: tribal land was taken by outsiders and forests closed to tribals; constitutional protections for scheduled areas were poorly enforced.
3. A widening gap between rich and poor and frustration with the slow pace of change after 1947.
4. Ideology: radicals in the CPI(M), inspired by Mao Zedong and the Chinese revolution, rejected the parliamentary path. Charu Majumdar's writings, known as the 'Historic Eight Documents', called for armed agrarian revolution.
5. The spark: the uprising at Naxalbari (Darjeeling district, West Bengal) in May 1967, where peasants led by Kanu Sanyal and Jangal Santhal seized land and clashed with police.

Main leaders: Charu Majumdar and Kanu Sanyal. The CPI (Marxist-Leninist) was formed in 1969.

Areas: West Bengal (Naxalbari, Debra-Gopiballavpur, Birbhum) and Andhra Pradesh (Srikakulam tribal struggle, 1967-70).

Struggle by peasants and students

• Peasants seized land, burnt land records and cancelled debts; the line of 'annihilation of class enemies' led to killings of landlords and moneylenders.
• In 1970-71 students in Calcutta (including from leading colleges) joined, attacking schools, statues and police in 'urban guerrilla' actions.

Government measures

• Large-scale police and paramilitary operations, including a joint army-police operation (Operation Steeplechase, 1971) in West Bengal and neighbouring states.
• Mass arrests under preventive detention laws; encounter killings.
• Some land-reform and development measures to address grievances.

Reasons for decline in the 1970s
1. Severe repression and the arrest of the leaders; Charu Majumdar died in police custody in 1972.
2. Splits within the CPI(ML) over the annihilation line and strategy; Kanu Sanyal himself criticised it.
3. Indiscriminate violence alienated ordinary people and the middle class.
4. Land reforms by later governments reduced some grievances.

Impact

• It drew national attention to agrarian and tribal exploitation and pushed governments towards land reform.
• It left a legacy of Left-wing extremism; later Maoist groups traced their roots to it.
• It raised questions about human rights during counter-insurgency.

Worked example

[4] Why did the Naxal Movement arise in the late 1960s? Give four causes. (Understanding)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Failure of land reforms and ceiling laws; exploitation of sharecroppers and landless labourers by landlords - 1 mark.
2. Tribal land alienation and denial of forest rights despite constitutional safeguards - 1 mark.
3. Maoist ideology: Charu Majumdar's 'Historic Eight Documents' called for armed agrarian revolution - 1 mark.
4. The Naxalbari uprising of 1967 under Kanu Sanyal and Jangal Santhal, which spread to Srikakulam - 1 mark.

Answer: The Naxal Movement rose because (1) land reforms were not implemented and sharecroppers and landless labourers were exploited by landlords; (2) tribals lost land and forest rights despite constitutional protection; (3) radical communists, inspired by Mao and Charu Majumdar's 'Historic Eight Documents', rejected parliamentary politics for armed revolution; and (4) the Naxalbari uprising of 1967, led by Kanu Sanyal and Jangal Santhal, gave the movement a model that spread to Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh.

The JP Movement (1974-75)

Origin

• Economic crisis from 1972-73: drought, oil-price rise, inflation of over 20 per cent, unemployment and shortages.
• Corruption in state governments and the Congress.
• In Gujarat the student-led Nav Nirman movement (December 1973-early 1974) against high prices and corruption forced Chief Minister Chimanbhai Patel to resign and the assembly to be dissolved.
• In Bihar students began a movement in March 1974 and invited Jayaprakash Narayan to lead it.

JP's disputes with Mrs Gandhi: JP accused her government of corruption and of concentrating power; he demanded the dissolution of the Bihar assembly; she saw the movement as an attempt to unseat an elected government by street power and accused JP of being backed by the RSS and the Jan Sangh.

Main features of its course
1. On 5 June 1974, at Gandhi Maidan in Patna, JP called for 'Total Revolution' (Sampoorna Kranti): social, economic, political, cultural and educational change.
2. Peaceful methods: rallies, gheraos, a no-tax campaign, boycott of classes, parallel 'people's governments' (Janata Sarkars).
3. The all-India railway strike of May 1974, led by George Fernandes, added to the pressure (it was crushed).
4. Opposition parties (Jan Sangh, Socialists, Congress (O), Bharatiya Lok Dal) joined; JP led a march to Parliament in March 1975.
5. On 12 June 1975 the Allahabad High Court set aside Mrs Gandhi's election from Rae Bareli for electoral malpractice (in a case filed by Raj Narain). The Supreme Court on 24 June gave only a conditional stay.
6. At a rally in Delhi on 25 June 1975 JP called for a nationwide satyagraha for her resignation and asked the army, police and government employees not to obey illegal orders. That night the Emergency was declared.

Assessment of its significance

• It was the first major mass movement since independence against a central government, and it gave students and youth a political role.
• It revived Gandhian non-violent mass action and brought corruption to the centre of politics.
• It united the non-communist opposition, leading to the Janata Party and the defeat of the Congress in 1977.
• Critics said it sought to overthrow elected governments through street pressure, and that JP's appeal to the forces was dangerous; its 'Total Revolution' programme remained vague.

Worked example

[4] Trace four stages by which the JP Movement built up to the proclamation of the Emergency. (Understanding)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Economic crisis from 1973 (inflation, unemployment, shortages) and the Nav Nirman movement that toppled the Gujarat government - 1 mark.
2. JP took over the Bihar students' movement and called for 'Total Revolution' on 5 June 1974 - 1 mark.
3. The Allahabad High Court set aside Indira Gandhi's election on 12 June 1975 - 1 mark.
4. At the Delhi rally of 25 June 1975 JP called for nationwide civil disobedience and asked the army and police not to obey illegal orders; the Emergency followed that night - 1 mark.

Answer: (1) Inflation, unemployment and shortages from 1973 bred discontent, and the Nav Nirman movement brought down the Gujarat government. (2) JP took charge of the Bihar movement and on 5 June 1974 called for 'Total Revolution'. (3) On 12 June 1975 the Allahabad High Court set aside Mrs Gandhi's election, and opposition parties demanded her resignation. (4) On 25 June 1975 JP called for a nationwide satyagraha and urged the forces not to obey illegal orders, and the Emergency was declared that night.

The Emergency (June 1975-March 1977)

Reasons for imposition

• The government's stated reason: a threat to India's security from 'internal disturbance' (Article 352): the JP movement, the call to the army and police to disobey, strikes and economic disorder.
• Critics' view: Mrs Gandhi wished to keep power after the Allahabad verdict.
• President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed proclaimed the Emergency on the night of 25 June 1975 on the Prime Minister's advice; the Cabinet was informed the next morning.

Main features of the suspension of democratic rights
1. Fundamental rights were suspended (the right to move courts to enforce them was suspended), including the right to life and liberty; in the ADM Jabalpur case (1976) the Supreme Court held that detenus could not seek habeas corpus.
2. Mass arrests of opposition leaders (JP, Morarji Desai, Vajpayee, Advani and others) and activists under preventive detention laws such as MISA, without trial.
3. Press censorship: newspapers had to submit news for approval; electricity to newspaper offices in Delhi was cut on the first night.
4. Organisations such as the RSS and some extremist groups were banned.
5. Constitutional amendments: the 39th Amendment placed the Prime Minister's election beyond the courts; the 42nd Amendment (1976) curtailed judicial review, strengthened the Centre and Parliament, extended the term of the Lok Sabha and added Fundamental Duties and the words 'socialist' and 'secular' to the Preamble.
6. The elections due in 1976 were postponed.
7. Excesses: forced sterilisation in the family-planning drive and demolition of slums, associated with Sanjay Gandhi.

Assessment of impact
Positive

• Initial discipline: prices fell, strikes ended, offices worked on time, hoarders and smugglers were arrested.
• The Twenty-Point Programme (land ceilings, abolition of bonded labour, housing sites for the landless).
• Fundamental Duties added to the Constitution.

Negative

• Civil liberties, the press and the judiciary were curtailed; democracy was suspended for 21 months.
• Excesses by officials and the police went unchecked; forced sterilisation created fear.
• Institutions such as Parliament and the courts were weakened.
• Result: in the election of March 1977 the Congress was defeated and the Janata Party came to power; the Shah Commission inquired into excesses, and the 44th Amendment (1978) made a future Emergency harder (replacing 'internal disturbance' with 'armed rebellion').

Worked example

[4] State any four main features of the suspension of democratic rights during the Emergency. (Recall)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Fundamental rights suspended; courts could not enforce them (ADM Jabalpur, 1976) - 1 mark.
2. Opposition leaders and activists detained without trial under MISA - 1 mark.
3. Strict press censorship - 1 mark.
4. Constitutional amendments (39th, 42nd) curtailed judicial review; elections postponed - 1 mark.

Answer: During the Emergency (1) fundamental rights were suspended and courts could not enforce them; (2) opposition leaders such as JP and Morarji Desai were detained without trial under MISA; (3) the press was censored; and (4) the 39th and 42nd Amendments curtailed judicial review and strengthened the executive, while the Lok Sabha elections were postponed.

Development of Indian Democracy (1964–1977) in real life

Each concept, met in an everyday situation. Read the situation, answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Topics in this chapter

• The Emergency, 1975-77
• The JP Movement, 1974-75
• The Naxal Movement

Development of Indian Democracy (1964–1977): key facts

Shastri as Prime Minister

June 1964-11 January 1966

'Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan'; Tashkent Declaration 10 January 1966.

Fourth general election

1967: Congress 283 of 520 Lok Sabha seats

Lost about half the states; SVD governments; 'Aya Ram, Gaya Ram'.

Opposition parties

SP (1948), CPI (1920s), CPI(M) (1964), Jan Sangh (1951), Akali Dal (1920)

Lohia, Dange, Namboodiripad, Mookerjee, Tara Singh.

Naxal Movement

Naxalbari May 1967; CPI(ML) 1969

Charu Majumdar, Kanu Sanyal; West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh (Srikakulam).

JP Movement

Total Revolution, Patna, 5 June 1974

Nav Nirman (Gujarat) 1973-74; railway strike May 1974.

Allahabad verdict

12 June 1975

Indira Gandhi's election set aside (Raj Narain's petition).

Emergency

25 June 1975-21 March 1977 (Article 352)

MISA, censorship, 42nd Amendment (1976); Janata victory March 1977.

How the board asks Development of Indian Democracy (1964–1977)

The question patterns to expect, and the method that works for each.

Tricks to remember Development of Indian Democracy (1964–1977)

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

• Five parties, five signatures

  SP = Socialism by Peaceful means (Lohia); CPI = Parliament after Telangana; CPI(M) = working-class power (1964 split); Jan Sangh = one nation, one culture; Akali = Sikh interests, Punjabi Suba.

  Use it when: Ideology-identification MCQs.

• Naxal 'NS-CK'

  Places: Naxalbari and Srikakulam; leaders: Charu and Kanu.

  Use it when: Leaders and areas, as the syllabus limits them.

• Road to the Emergency: 'G-B-T-A-R'

  Gujarat (Nav Nirman), Bihar (students), Total Revolution, Allahabad verdict, Ramlila rally (25 June).

  Use it when: Developments leading to June 1975 in order.

Development of Indian Democracy (1964–1977): board-level solved questions

Ordered from board level to HOTS. Cover the solution, write your own, then compare step by step.

Case-study practice (Section D style)

Read the situation, then answer every part. In the board paper this is a 8-mark question split into 1 + 2 + 2 + 3 marks.

Where the marks are

How a typical answer is split into step marks. Show every step: a right final answer alone rarely earns full marks.

Where students lose marks in Development of Indian Democracy (1964–1977)

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

• ✗Mistake: Writing 'Naxalbari' when the movement's name is asked

  CISCE examiners' comments, 2024: candidates 'Wrote "Naxalbari" in place of "Naxal Movement"'.

  Wrong working

  The Historic Eight Documents were the basis of the Naxalbari Movement.

  Right working

  They were the ideological foundation of the Naxal (Naxalite) Movement; Naxalbari is the village where it began.

  ✓Do this: Naxalbari = place; Naxal Movement = movement.

  Usually costs: 1 mark.

• ✗Mistake: Vague causes of the Naxal Movement

  CISCE examiners' comments, 2025: candidates 'Gave broad generalisations instead of well-defined, contextualised socio-economic causes' and 'Mentioned Fifth and Ninth Schedules without explaining context.'

  ✓Do this: Name the grievance (unimplemented ceiling laws, eviction of sharecroppers, tribal land loss) and link it to the uprising; if you cite a Schedule, explain what it was meant to protect.

  Usually costs: Up to 2 marks.

• ✗Mistake: Confusing party and ideology

  CISCE examiners' comments, 2025: candidates 'Confused party and its ideology, choosing Socialist Party or Bharatiya Jana Sangh' for a party aiming at working-class rule.

  ✓Do this: Working-class power = CPI(M); democratic socialism = SP; cultural nationalism = Jan Sangh.

  Usually costs: 1 mark.

• ✗Mistake: Listing Emergency features when developments leading to it are asked

  The 2024 question on the JP Movement asked for developments leading to the Emergency; examiners suggested providing 'a list of the main features of the movement'.

  ✓Do this: Stop your answer at 25 June 1975: economic crisis, Nav Nirman, Total Revolution, Allahabad verdict, JP's call.

  Usually costs: Up to 2 marks.

• ✗Mistake: One-sided assessment of the Emergency

  The syllabus asks for an assessment of positive and negative aspects; a list of excesses alone answers only half.

  ✓Do this: Write two headed lists, then a one-line judgement.

  Usually costs: Up to 4 marks of an 8-mark answer.

Practice questions on Development of Indian Democracy (1964–1977)

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

1. Q1 · 1 mark · Very short answerBoard level

   Who gave the slogan 'Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan'?

   Hint

   Prime Minister during the 1965 war.

   Answer

   Lal Bahadur Shastri.

2. Q2 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level

   The 'Historic Eight Documents' were written by:
   (a) Kanu Sanyal
   (b) Charu Majumdar
   (c) Jangal Santhal
   (d) Jyoti Basu

   Hint

   Ideologue of the Naxal Movement.

   Answer

   (b) Charu Majumdar.

3. Q3 · 1 mark · Very short answerBoard level

   Which party was founded by Syama Prasad Mookerjee in 1951?

   Hint

   Predecessor of the BJP.

   Answer

   The Bharatiya Jan Sangh.

4. Q4 · 1 mark · MCQHarder board level

   Arrange in order: (P) Total Revolution call; (Q) Naxalbari uprising; (R) Tashkent Declaration; (S) Allahabad verdict.
   (a) R, Q, P, S
   (b) Q, R, P, S
   (c) R, P, Q, S
   (d) Q, R, S, P

   Hint

   1966, 1967, 1974, 1975.

   Answer

   (a) R (1966), Q (1967), P (1974), S (1975).

5. Q5 · 4 marks · Short answerHarder board level

   [4] Explain four ideas of the Socialist Party and the Shiromani Akali Dal (two each).

   Hint

   Democratic socialism; Sikh interests.

   Answer

   Socialist Party: (1) democratic socialism through peaceful, parliamentary means with decentralisation; (2) social equality, land to the tiller and Lohia's support for backward classes and non-Congressism. Akali Dal: (1) protection of Sikh religious and cultural interests, including management of gurdwaras; (2) a Punjabi-speaking state and, later, greater autonomy for states (Anandpur Sahib Resolution).

6. Q6 · 4 marks · Short answerHarder board level

   [4] Describe the struggle carried out by peasants and students in the Naxal Movement.

   Hint

   Land, records, annihilation, urban guerrilla.

   Answer

   (1) Peasants under Kanu Sanyal and Jangal Santhal seized land at Naxalbari and burnt land records and debt bonds. (2) Tribal peasants in Srikakulam waged armed struggle against landlords and moneylenders. (3) The 'annihilation of class enemies' line led to killings of landlords. (4) Students in Calcutta joined in 1970-71, attacking educational institutions, statues and police in urban guerrilla actions.

7. Q7 · 4 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

   [4] Analyse why the CPI split in 1964.

   Hint

   China, USSR, Congress.

   Answer

   (1) The Sino-Soviet split divided Indian communists into pro-Moscow and pro-Peking groups. (2) After the 1962 war, one section supported the government against China while the other was accused of sympathy for China; many of the latter were arrested. (3) They differed on the attitude to the Congress: the CPI favoured cooperation with its progressive section, the future CPI(M) saw it as a party of the bourgeoisie and landlords. (4) Disagreement over the path of revolution and internal party democracy led to the formation of the CPI(M) in 1964.

8. Q8 · 4 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

   [4] 'The Emergency was a constitutional act with unconstitutional consequences.' Explain.

   Hint

   Article 352; then what was done under it.

   Answer

   It was constitutional in form because Article 352 allowed a proclamation for 'internal disturbance' and the President signed it on the Prime Minister's advice. But its consequences undermined the Constitution's spirit: fundamental rights were suspended and courts could not hear habeas corpus pleas, the press was censored, opponents were detained without trial, elections were postponed, and amendments (39th, 42nd) curtailed judicial review and placed the Prime Minister's election beyond challenge.

9. Q9 · 8 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

   [8] (a) Examine the importance of the 1967 election for Indian democracy. [4]
   (b) Evaluate Shastri's contribution to the nation in his short tenure. [4]

   Hint

   End of dominance; food, war, language.

   Answer

   (a) It ended Congress dominance in the states, brought coalition (SVD) governments and regional parties such as the DMK to power, began the era of defections and instability, and led to the Congress split of 1969; it also showed voters could punish the ruling party, a sign of democratic maturity. (b) In nineteen months Shastri began the agricultural reforms that became the Green Revolution, promoted dairy cooperatives, handled the anti-Hindi crisis with a compromise on English, led the country with resolve in the 1965 war and signed the Tashkent Declaration. His contribution was large for so short a period, though Tashkent's return of territory was criticised.

10. Q10 · 8 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

    [8] Trace the course of the JP Movement and assess its significance.

    Hint

    Gujarat to Ramlila; significance and critique.

    Answer

    Course: (1) economic crisis and the Nav Nirman movement in Gujarat (1973-74); (2) Bihar students' movement, led by JP from 1974; (3) call for Total Revolution on 5 June 1974; peaceful protests, gheraos, Janata Sarkars; (4) opposition parties join; march to Parliament (March 1975); Allahabad verdict (12 June 1975); JP's call for nationwide satyagraha (25 June 1975) and the Emergency. Significance: first nationwide mass challenge to a central government; role of students; corruption as a central issue; it united the opposition into the Janata Party, which won in 1977. Critics: it bypassed elected institutions and JP's call to the forces was risky.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

1. 1.Where did Shastri die?Show answer

   Tashkent, 11 January 1966.

2. 2.What does 'Aya Ram, Gaya Ram' refer to?Show answer

   Frequent defections by legislators after the 1967 election.

3. 3.When was the CPI(ML) formed?Show answer

   1969.

4. 4.Where did JP call for Total Revolution?Show answer

   Gandhi Maidan, Patna, 5 June 1974.

5. 5.Which Article was used to proclaim the 1975 Emergency?Show answer

   Article 352 (internal disturbance).

6. 6.Which amendment added Fundamental Duties?Show answer

   The 42nd Amendment, 1976.

Quick revision checklist

The night before the exam: can you do each of these without looking?

• ☐Shastri 1964-66: Jai Jawan Jai Kisan; Green and White Revolution beginnings; 1965 war; Tashkent; English as associate language.
• ☐1967: Congress 283/520; lost about half the states; SVD coalitions; DMK in Madras; defections; Congress split 1969.
• ☐SP: democratic socialism (JP, Lohia); CPI: parliamentary communism, Kerala 1957; CPI(M) 1964: working-class power; Jan Sangh 1951: one nation one culture; Akali Dal 1920: Sikh interests, Punjabi Suba.
• ☐Naxal: Naxalbari May 1967; Charu Majumdar, Kanu Sanyal; West Bengal and Srikakulam; repression, splits, violence led to decline.
• ☐JP: Nav Nirman (Gujarat), Bihar students; Total Revolution 5 June 1974; Allahabad verdict 12 June 1975; Ramlila rally 25 June 1975.
• ☐Emergency 1975-77: rights suspended, MISA, censorship, 42nd Amendment, forced sterilisation; Janata wins 1977; 44th Amendment.

Development of Indian Democracy (1964–1977): frequently asked questions