Spectrum Test: Developments under Nehru's Leadership - UPSC MCQ

• In 1952, Congress won a huge majority and formed the government at the Centre headed by Jawaharlal Nehru. Rajendra Prasad was elected president by the electoral college of the first Parliament of India. 

• Nehru led the Congress to major election victories in 1957 and 1962, though the winning majority was reduced towards the end. Parliament in this period legislated various noteworthy laws that were directed towards social change and equity.

• At the time of Independence, there were eleven major languages in India, each spoken by more than a million people. In colonial India, English was used as the official language but with the attainment of independence, the question arose about having a 'national' or 'official language, replacing English. 

• Gandhi had recommended using Hindustani as the national language of the country for the sake of national integration. Nehru too acknowledged the potential of Hindustani—not too Sanskritised, not too Persianised-to become the national language. 

• Overall, the idea of Hindi as a national language was not appreciated by the non-Hindi speaking southern and eastern regions of India.

• In the wake of serious resistance, the Language Committee of Constituent Assembly came up with a compromise formula. 

• The Committee decided that the Hindi in the Devanagari script was the 'official language, but the transition to Hindi would be gradual. 

• For the first fifteen years, English would continue to be used for all official purposes. 

• Each province could choose one of the regional languages for official work within the province, which were to be listed in the Constitution's Eighth Schedule.

• Parliament further clarified the language issue in 1963 through the Official Languages Act, which stated that Hindi was to become India's official language from 1965. 

• But as a concession to the non-Hindi speakers, English was accorded 'associate additional official language'.

• Despite this, among non-Hindi speakers, especially in south India, the resentment against Hindi continued, and in late 1964 and early 1965, violent demonstrations erupted over the language issue. 

• The Congress in its 1920's session in Nagpur had made efforts to recognize regional linguistic identities and divided India into 21 linguistic units for its organizational setup. 

• Many provincial Congress committees were set up based on linguistic zones, which often did not coincide with the administrative divisions of British India.

• Due to continuous demands, the Constituent Assembly, in June 1948, appointed the Linguistic Provinces Commission, headed by Justice S.K. Dhar, to enquire into the need of linguistic provinces. 

• The Dhar Commission, however, opposed such a move in the interest of national integration. Consequently, the Constituent Assembly decided not to include the linguistic principle in the constitution.

• The creation of Andhra increased other linguistic groups to intensify their movements. 

• It was created on "1 October 1953" Appointment of the states reorganization commission in December 1953. In 1956 the states reorganization Act was passed.

• In November 1956, the States Reorganisation Act was passed, provided for fourteen states and six centrally administered territories. 

• However, many of these states still contained sizeable linguistic minorities and regional economic disparities. The Telangana region of Hyderabad state was merged into Andhra, Kerala was formed by merging the Malabar district of the old Madras Presidency with Travancore- Cochin. 

• Bombay State was enlarged further by merging Kutch and Saurashtra's states and the Marathi-speaking regions of Hyderabad state. 

• The Mysore State was enlarged by adding Kannada-speaking areas of adjoining states-Bombay, Madras, Hyderabad and Coorg.

• The socialist party was formed in 1934 as Congress socialist party. Bharatiya Jan Sangh was founded on October 21, 1951. 

• Praja socialist party was founded in September 1952 by merging the Praja socialist party and KMPP. The Swatantra Party was founded in August 1959.

During the Nehruvian era, foreign policy of India: 

(i) Disapproval of participation in any military alliance, either bilaterally or multilaterally. 

(ii) An independent foreign policy not tied to any of the two contending power blocs, though this was not a synonym for a neutral foreign policy. (iii) A policy of friendship with every country, whether of the American bloc of the Soviet bloc. 

(iv) An active anti-colonial policy which supported decolonization in Asian-African-Latin American countries. 

(V) Open support to the policy of anti-apartheid. 

(vi) Promotion of disarmament as the key to World peace.