QUESTION 20
GS1
15 marks
Discuss the impact of post-liberal economy on ethnic identity and communalism.
WRITE IN
11 min
250 words
What the examiner wants
Discuss how the post-1991 market economy has sharpened or softened ethnic identities and communal divisions.
DiscussExplain the different sides of the issue, use evidence, and finish with a balanced view.
Demand-wise check
- 1Sharpening: competition for jobs, 'sons of the soil' demands, uneven regional growth, migration conflicts, land acquisition and tribal identity≈50 words
- 2Communalism: economic insecurity used for mobilisation, ghettoisation, digital spread of hate≈50 words
- 3Softening: urban mixed workplaces, consumer culture, aspiration across groups≈50 words
- 4Policy responses≈50 words
Open in about 30 words and close in about 30.
Answer plan
Intro (link economy and identity)Ways liberalisation sharpened ethnic identityEffect on communalismCounter-trendsConclusion
Where marks usually go
- Writing on the economy only, with no link to identity
- Treating ethnic identity and communalism as the same thing
Draw this
- Flow chart: uneven growth → competition → identity mobilisation → ethnic or communal conflict
Value addition
- ExampleDomicile job quota laws (e.g. Haryana's 75% private sector quota of 2020, struck down by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2023) show 'sons of the soil' politics.Haryana State Employment of Local Candidates Act, 2020
- ScholarshipAshutosh Varshney found that cities with strong inter-community civic and business links saw less communal violence.Ashutosh Varshney, Ethnic Conflict and Civic Life
Mapped topper copies
Reviewed public-source references related to this PYQ. Same-syllabus references are labelled separately.
- Shakti Dubey · AIR 1 · Page 35 ↗Reviewed PYQ reference
- Akansh Dhull · AIR 3 · Page 41 ↗Reviewed PYQ reference
- Ajay R Raj · AIR 109 · Page 11 ↗Same syllabus reference
Links open original public sources. MainsBuddy does not host these answer sheets.
Next: plan for one minute, write it in 11 minutes, then get it checked.