Elaborate the salient features and the role of middle class in India’s democracy and development. - UPSC OWL (2024)

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Elaborate the salient features and the role of middle class in India’s democracy and development. - UPSC OWL? ›

Salient Features of Middle Class in India:

The new middle class in India is characterized by a complex and fluid social identity, which is shaped by factors such as caste, religion, region, and language. While they may retain some traditional values and practices, they are also open to embracing modernity and experimenting with new ideas and lifestyles.

From driving economic growth to reshaping political discourse, this segment has the potential to emerge as a powerful catalyst for change. India is the world's fastest-growing large economy, with its middle class expanding rapidly, driving economic and political change.

The middle class in India is significant due to their influential role in the economy, their voting power in politics, and their consumption patterns that drive market trends. They are often seen as the "drivers" of economic growth and political change in India.

Since liberalization in India, the new emerging middle class has been projected as an important agent for economic development. It is clear from the present analysis that states having a larger middle class have higher GDP per capita.

The middle class includes: professionals, managers, and senior civil servants. The chief defining characteristic of membership in the middle-class is control of significant human capital while still being under the dominion of the elite upper class, who control much of the financial and legal capital in the world.

Politicians typically see the middle class as something to create with the gains of economic growth. But in fact, the opposite is the case: The middle class is the source of economic growth. A strong middle class provides a stable consumer base that drives productive investment.

Overview. During the Gilded Age, male and female office workers expanded the ranks of the middle class. Larger incomes and increased leisure time among middle- class workers fostered a culture of consumption and popular amusem*nts in American cities.

They are typically employed in white-collar jobs and have access to a range of amenities and opportunities. In India, the middle class is defined as households with an annual income between INR 6 lakh and INR 18 lakh.

What are the struggles of middle class family in India? ›

Financial problem — This is one of the most common problems for middle class families. With rising inflation and limited salary , it is difficult for a middle class man to survive with his family. With the rising prices of groceries, petrol-diesel and other household expenses, he cannot expect anything else.

At the end of the 19th century the educated Hindu Middle Class of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh launched a series of agitations for the removal of Urdu and for its replacement by Hindi in the Devnagri script. Muslim intellectuals also launched a counter agitation in defense of Urdu.

The rapid growth and expansion of India's middle class: The Indian middle class is the fastest-growing significant segment of the population, growing at 6.3% annually between 1995 and 2021. The middle class is expected to grow from 31% of the population in 2020-21 to 61% by 2046-47, reaching over 1 billion people.

How Did the Middle-Class Concept Develop in India? The middle-class concept was developed due to the change in the political and social system against capitalism. The capitalist society of the early 19th century also hindered the growth of the community and produced the concept of the middle class.

This group in India grew 6.3% per year between 1995 and 2021, according to a report by the People Research on India's Consumer Economy (PRICE). The middle class now represents 31% of India's population. It is projected to hit 38% by 2031 and 60% by 2047.

They were against the system of privileges given to the Clergy and the Nobility. They had more deepen ideas on equality and democracy. They created a mass movement and spread awareness about stopping this. Also,the social writers and novelists introduced the idea of liberation and freedom in their books.

Structurally, the Indian joint family includes three to four living generations, including grandparents, parents, uncles, aunts, nieces and nephews, all living together in the same household, utilizing a common kitchen and often spending from a common purse, contributed by all.

The key features of the national education system in India include free and compulsory education for children, emphasis on universal literacy, and policies for primary and elementary education.

The new middle class had plenty of food, clothing and shelter to keep their basic needs satisfied. Not only that, they also obtain a lot of lands that left by people who are died during the black death plague, which improve their wealth significantly, making them could afford more luxurious things.

Features of New Economic Policy 1991

It featured liberalised trade and investment policies that focused on exports, industrial deregulation, disinvestment, public sector changes, and capital and financial sector reforms.