Modern India Research Articles

Economic Challenges in modern India: Issues Impacts and Policy Implications

Economic Challenges in modern India: Issues Impacts and Policy Implications

Disparate Remedies: Making Medicines in Modern India by Nandini Bhattacharya (review)

Disparate Remedies: Making Medicines in Modern India by Nandini Bhattacharya (review)

Schopenhauer socialmente engajado na Índia?: sobre a possível interpretação de Vivekananda do tat tvam asi schopenhaueriano

Abstract: This article explores philosophical elements of an unprecedented case in the reception of Arthur Schopenhauer’s metaphysics: its use in regard to the social and spiritual transformation in modern India through the German thinker’s interpretation by Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902). The Indian spiritual leader was a reader of Schopenhauerian philosophy and used the Sanskrit formula tat tvam asi (that thou art) not only as the basis of morality, as Schopenhauer did, but also as an imperative for social commitment and engagement. Among the many philosophical questions opened by this influence, we can highlight the following: how was it possible for a prescriptive connotation of an ethics that Schopenhauer conceived only descriptively? Which of Schopenhauer’s concepts were involved in this unusual appropriation? In order to present possible foundations for such “Schopenhauerian engagement”, we draw on some contemporary readings of his theory of action, especially the proposal of differentiation between small and great ethics.

Book review: Samuel Wright, A Time of Novelty: Logic, Emotion, and Intellectual Life in Early Modern India 1500–1700 CE

Samuel Wright, A Time of Novelty: Logic, Emotion, and Intellectual Life in Early Modern India 1500–1700 CE (New York: Oxford University Press, 2021), 278 pp.

The Architects of Modern Indian Legal System: Warren Hastings and Charles Cornwallis

The Architects of Modern Indian Legal System: Warren Hastings and Charles Cornwallis

Project Udbhav: Integrating Ancient Wisdom with Modern Indian Military Pedagogy

Throughout history, humanity has seen many destructive wars, especially in India. Early wars in India were fought by the people of the Indus Valley civilization, who were skilled in building forts for defense. Hindu civilization had a rich knowledge of warfare, military strategies, and martial arts. Ancient political thinkers considered War as an extension of politics, a fallout of interstate relations. Strategies were both offensive and defensive. The ancient Indian thinkers instated war as a means of increasing royal glory and outright conquest. The battles depicted in the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata provide valuable information about the warfare mechanism of the ancient period. 'Project UDBHAV,' a collaborative effort between the Indian Army and the United Services Institution of India (USI), and the government of India, emphasized the project's significance, aiming to revisit India's ancient military thoughts. The initiative seeks to synthesize ancient knowledge, particularly from texts like Chanakya's Arthashastra and Thirukkural, with modern military practices. Examining historical campaigns, leaders, and examples like the Naval Battle of Saraighat, the paper highlights the enduring relevance of ancient Indian military strategies. The paper will also focus on contemporary military practices addressing modern challenges and the importance of Indian historical strategies in tackling diplomatic complexities.

Hindu Legal Traditions and Conceptions of State Mechanisms and their impact on the Modern Indian Constitutionalism

Hindu Legal Traditions and Conceptions of State Mechanisms and their impact on the Modern Indian Constitutionalism

Women Empowerment Through Education in India after Independence: A Review

Women’s issues gained importance as a middle class with immense power and restrictions emerged. A new woman who aspired to the dignity of equality and freedom of spirit arose thanks to the power of education and employment. The evaluation of women’s lives’ quality is the most crucial. Women’s status and society’s level of development may both be clearly seen by looking at factors including women’s participation in decision-making institutions, employment rates, and family and societal roles. Modern India faces fresh obstacles to the growth of women. Concerns include the girl child’s survival, women’s health, their role in caste and communal conflicts, women in the media, and the rise in violence against women. Access to status and power are both denied when people are denied access to education. Although the right to an education is upheld in India, the rigid caste, class, and gender systems have a significant impact on this right. Boys have easier access to school than girls, higher caste has easier access than scheduled caste and scheduled tribe, and upper and middle class has easier access than the destitute. The dropout rate follows a similar pattern. One of the ironies of women’s education has been the depressing perception of women in higher education, despite the fact that literacy and primary education affect the majority of women. Only 5% of all girls enrolled in basic education eventually move on to higher education. The percentage of women overall and enrolled rose from 10.9% in 1950–51 to 52% in 1996–97. Nearly 52% of girls in the 16 to 14 age range do not attend school. For states like Uttar Pradesh (68.36), Bihar (70.90), Rajasthan (72.17), and Madhya Pradesh (57.46), the situation is exceedingly bleak. Kerala (7.63), Tamil Nadu (27.4), Maharashtra (32.93), Gujarat (41.08), and Karnataka (42.71), however, have substantially better situations. There are certain new problems in Indian society related to gender issues, Vidya, which are unsettling the minds of the intellectual elite. Concerns include the rising costs of communalism and community violence, which have gotten worse over the past few decades.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN UNEMPLOYMENT AND INFLATION: IMPACT OF UNEMPLOYMENT AND INFLATION ON INDIA'S ECONOMIC GROWTH

Unemployment is a significant issue in modern India, as it is in many other countries around the world. The issue of joblessness in India is explored in this paper. This studys information is secondary data collected between 2010 and 2020. Unemployment (UNEMP) serves as the dependent variable, with Gross Domestic Product (MKTP) and Inflation (INF) serving as the independent variables. The findings show that due to increased uncertainty, inflation significantly negatively impacts economic performance in India. The use of a log of real GDP, the nature of the regression model applied, and the fact that the impact of human capital and physical capital has been controlled explain why unemployment has not significantly affected Indias real GDP. Indias economic performance has been dramatically boosted by the countrys physical and human capital investments. Human capital investment boosts labour force productivity, which in turn boosts output. In contrast, physical capital investment increases the amount of capital per unit of labour, which in turn can boost productivity per worker. As a result, productivity rises and the economy benefits. The leading causes of unemployment are the rapid increase in the worlds population, the dearth of available jobs, and the inefficiency of the public sector. Through its strategies and resources, the Indian government may seek to attract foreign investors to facilitate the modernization of Indias agriculture sector and the creation of new jobs in the private sector. KEYWORDS: GDP (MKTP), Inflation, Unemployment, Regression Analysis, Descriptive Statistics

A Study on Representation of Women’s Supremacy in Contemporary Tamil Movies

Women’s Supremacy, women's liberation, the empowerment of women, and gender equality are frequently discussed concepts in modern India. The film industry, among other stakeholders, is taking steps to contribute to women’s empowerment. In India, the film industry is seeking to change society by touching on topics that are rarely discussed in public. Present-day directors have begun to give greater visibility to the difficulties women face. There is a new wave of women-centric movies that is bringing about a quiet rebellion in India. This article reveals how women’s supremacy is portrayed in select Tamil movies.

Идеологическая и структурная трансформация индусской националистической организации Раштрия сваямсевак сангх в конце XX – начале XXI в.

The article examines the ideology of Hindu nationalism in the domestic politics of modern India through the prism of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh socio-political activities. The author determines the relations of the organization with its branches and mechanisms for regulating internal conflicts between them. The purpose of the article is to consider and analyze the ideological and structural transformation of the organization at the end of the XX and the beginning of XXI centuries, in particular, the strategy for the inclusion of Indian Muslims in the Hindu nationalist mainstream. The article uses descriptive, historical-genetic, chronological, comparative and structural-functional methods. The author analyses the development of Hindutva ideology in the works of V. D. Savarkar and M. S. Golvalkar; the campaigns for the rapprochement of the Hindu and Muslim communities conducted by the organization and its branches, as well as the structural and ideological transformations of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Sangh Parivar. The article pays particular attention to the attitude of Hindutva ideologues towards minorities, specifically Indian Muslims. At the end of the XX century significant political and economic changes in India contributed to the complication of Indian society, which affected both the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Sangh Parivar’s membership and ideological orientation. New branches have emerged to defend the interests of groups that were not previously in the orbit of the organization’s interests. At the same time, the successes of the Bharatiya Janata Party, the main political asset of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, and the desire to consolidate them prompted the search for additional electoral support from the Muslim part of the country’s population. The changes demonstrate the organization’s willingness to change both structurally and ideologically in order to gain mass support in changing India. However, despite the changes, some bias towards Indian Muslims and concerns about inclusion of new Muslim branches remain.

Navigating Apropos Midst Kautilya’s Mandala’s Ploy and Contemporary India’s International Relations Plays: An Analysis

The foremost objective of the study is to provide pragmatic in-depth analysis of India’s contemporary offensive as well as hegemonic backed-strategies regarding dealing with neighbors by following kautliya "Arthashastra” wisdom which reciprocate is the main pillar of India’s foreign policy since inception. The study examines the relationship between Kautilya's Mandala theory, a cornerstone of ancient Indian foreign policy expertise, and how it informs modern India's approaches to international relations. Kautilya's Mandala theory is presented in the "Arthashastra," which highlights the intricate interconnection of surrounding states by visualizing a circle of alliances and conflicts influencing a central authority. In India's current foreign policy endeavors, the Mandala concept remains vital. India's policy of 'Neighborhood First' towards its neighbors is a reflection of the Mandala's focus on fostering relationships with neighboring governments to uphold regional peace and safeguard national interests as well as aligns India's with multilateral forums, bilateral partnerships, and strategic alliances. The applicability of Kautilya's Mandala theory to the challenges and opportunities of India's current global engagement is thoroughly examined in this essay. It looks at how India strikes a balance between the ideals of the Mandala and the challenges of contemporary international relations, taking into account the varied players, interests, and shifting dynamics of the global scene? It also takes into account how India's objectives of strategic autonomy, regional dominance, and worldwide leadership are aided by this adaptability? This study is qualitative in nature and follows analytical, descriptive methods along with content and desk analysis.

The Poona Pact, Indian National Congress and the descriptive and substantive representation of Dalits in colonial India

AbstractWithin the prevailing historiographical tradition of modern India, critics see the Poona Pact as having “disenfranchised” Dalits, which they attribute to the fact that, due to the numerical superiority of caste Hindus, the implementation of joint electorates resulted in the consolidation of power within the Indian National Congress: the party that, critics allege, protected the interests of the caste Hindu community. Critics further argue that Dalit candidates who successfully ran for office under the Congress party’s banner, garnering support mostly from caste Hindu voters, failed to speak for the interests of the Dalit community effectively. This article examines the returns of the provincial assembly elections held in 1936–1937 and 1945–1946, as well as the functioning of the Congress ministries in the provinces of British India between 1937 and 1939 and 1946 and 1947 to challenge the criticisms mentioned above and to argue that the inclusion of reserved seats, primary elections, and cumulative voting mechanisms had a significant role in enhancing the potential of the Poona Pact to ensure genuine descriptive representation of Dalits. The article also finds that the affiliation of Dalit legislators with the Congress party had a beneficial impact on their substantive representation in the provincial legislatures where the Congress formed ministries because Dalit interests and the ideological and programmatic dynamics of the Congress party were congruent. In this context, Gandhi, a member of the caste Hindu community, played the role of a “critical actor” who encouraged the Congress party to undertake measures to advance the interests of the Dalit community. Moreover, a powerful and autonomous anti-untouchability movement led by the Harijan Sevak Sangh played a crucial role in enhancing the institutional capabilities of the Congress governments, enabling them to effectively address the concerns and challenges faced by the Dalit community, which further bolstered the substantive representation of Dalits.

Aravind Adiga’s Last Man in Tower: The Locus of Ambivalence in Modern India

The social institutions are dying from the morbid nature of capitalism. Capitalism proliferates the surreptitious credo and consumes the pillar of the whole nation. Furthermore, at present, many institutions are used to perpetuate capitalist ideology among the youth of a nation. The rise of the neoliberal agenda keeps propagating the belief that it is not that hard to find success if one works hard enough, normalizing the notion that the youth should blame themselves for their failures. However, the consequences are totally opposite and cruel. This leads to an ambivalent state of mind. In addition, academic institutions attempt to resist such a juggernaut. But it seems to be losing credibility by succumbing to the individualized rise. Similarly, Last Man In Tower by Aravind Adiga documents the rivalry of two men who are interested in owning the same flat in Mumbai. The novel sees neighbour turn against neighbour as their determination to secure the flat, each for his own purposes, causes them to participate in increasingly dastardly schemes. The novel revolves around the theme of greed and how it has the power to drive us to do things of which we never dreamed we were capable. The core essence of this paper is to focus upon the factors that led to the ambiguous state of mind among the people of the "Vishram Society" and what types of solutions have been offered to the so-called "Vishramites" by the capitalist and ambiguous Dharmen Shah. Not only that, Masterji, the representative of academia, persists in the socialistic norms but gets murdered by his own society members. Things become more horrible when all the members get what they were willing to give but yet everyone is suffering from guilt. It exposes the sense of self in a globalised world that either forces assassination, murder, or suicide. Although slower economic growth, widening inequality, societal divisions, amending laws, "individual happiness” raise disturbing questions about contemporary ideas of national development, Maybe this is an era of indiscriminate capitalism. Here Adiga leaves us with an ambiguous question. "Who is right—the champions of idealism or the practical developers of glittering cities that promise to take India out of centuries of backwardness?"

Women Empowerment: Identity of Women in Ancient India and Modern Indian Globalized Society

India's history and culture have earned itself a unique place on the global orb. In the world's top ten, our nation excels in terms of culture, politics, economy, military might, and other areas. Even if there were attempts to ameliorate these circumstances in the nation following independence, these measures have been more intense recently. Given that women comprise 50% of the population, they should be given ample deliberation. Consequently, to empower the human resources of the society, efforts are being initiated to strengthen, empower, and develop their innate qualities. Dr. Ambedkar had once stated that understanding a society's women's status is crucial to understanding its advancement. Just how robust can a civilization get? The idea of women's empowerment has gained traction in recent years and is now a hotly debated subject in today's culture. Women have historically been disadvantaged and mistreated in countries like India, thus empowering them is now essential to societal advancement. Globalization has brought about a paradigm shift in the Indian women's identity, presenting them with new opportunities as well as challenges in the contemporary world. Women in ancient India had a distinct identity that was moulded by cultural customs, religious beliefs, and social conventions. The purpose of this paper is to examine women's identities in Ancient India and Globalised Modern Indian scenario, with emphatic emphasis on their rights, roles, and difficulties. Patriarchal core value is the persistent perception of women as second-class citizens.

From an ‘Imagined Landscape’ to Iconic Destination: Bollywood Film and Its Impact on Tourism

Tourism destinations are a product of the ‘brand personality’ of the space and depend on the cultural influence and collective consciousness. The tourists look for the emotional connection with the destination and re-imagine the self as part of larger community. Thus people’s choice of travelling gets influenced by the representation of the landscape on the screen enveloped in symbolic connotation, narrative emotion and cultural nostalgia. Being one of the biggest film industries all over the world Bollywood, has its own impact over the audience of India and also cater to the global market with specific agenda. The constant construction, reconstruction and representation of space in Bollywood films through its production promote ideology of consumption. With its ever growing market Bollywood film makes an impact over Indian Diaspora. The search for root and identity inspire the NRIs to travel back to the ‘Homeland’. Their journey back to new modern India is a voyage from West to East, Modern to Tradition, ‘Others’ to ‘Self’. Each space on screen put forward interpretations, specific to the character, local and identity. Travelling to a geographical landscape gets attached with the process of self discovery. The onscreen emotion engages in a conversation with the off screen domain as tourist destination. The Bollywood stars become the face of tourism industry. This paper critically examines the impact of film on tourism. How the Bollywood promotes tourism, plays a huge role in constructing the collective identity and influence the economic and social development.

Innovative Banking: A Requirement of Modern Indian Public Sector Banks

Abstract- In 21st century’s global competitive scenario, many public and private sector banks across India have been compelled to reframe their banking strategy due to market forces such as the national recession, changing customer needs, and intense competition. In the banking industry, restructuring business strategy often demands significant structural changes in the service operations. Hence, innovative strategy like Business Process Reengineering (BPL) acts as a fundamental change process to competitive advantage and growth sustainability in banking sector. This work directed on the impact of BPR strategy in banking operations. The study highlights on the following aspects of BPR such as: (a) Customer Satisfaction after BPR used (b)How BPR created the USP (Unique Selling Point) in Banking Sector,(c)Problem facing during the implementation of BPR in banking industry. Furthermore, the research looked into radical changes such as: faster service delivery, shorter transaction period, lower transaction costs, and so on. The study may be utilised by professionals and scholars to gain a better grasp of the features of BPR, which can assist to contribute to the establishment of successful services in the banking industry in India through BPR practices.

The Disillusion of the Family (Family Matters)

Rohinton Mistry's Family Matters (2002) capturing the essence of close knit Parsee community has come close to being the Great Parsee novel. Epic in its proportion and length the novel centralizes on the domestic trials and instability that plague a Parsee family in Mumbai, India. Set in modern India, from the implication of the title, the novel tells the story of a family at odds. The question that the novel posits is who will care for their aged (but astute) parents as they succumb to incurable diseases of the old age. Set in overcrowded Bombay, the novel defuses the dilemma's of the contemporary generations. After the physical fall in the old age that incapacitates every one, English Professor Nariman Vakeel is bedridden. His stepdaughter Coomy and her downtrodden brother Jal, forcefully oust him when the care becomes too onerous. Nariman moves into the smaller apartment purchased for his daughter Roxana and her husband Yezad and their two sons. Nariman reminisces, along with the progression of Illness, about Lucie the love of his life. He recalls the performed marriage to a Parsee widow, instead Lucy at his parent's requests. It is his reminisces that recalls the incidents of his request and unfolds the tragedy of the novel.

Indo-Islamicate Perfumes in Early Modern India: Textualisation, Transmissions and Assimilations

This article brings to focus the material life of early modern perfumes in the Indian subcontinent. It offers a ‘documentary archaeology’ by foregrounding texts that recorded perfumes in their stage of production and preparation. By studying this corpus, it presents perfumes as a locale where craft, technology and labour interacted with each other in blending scientific knowledge with the natural landscape. With a focus on textualised perfume recipes, listed aromatic ingredients and distillation methods, it examines the various shifts, transitions, cross-cultural material borrowings and finally the assimilations that occurred in the olfactory landscape of an Indo-Islamicate political empire, especially during the Mughal rule in India. A rich perfume-repository, where divergences and acculturations took place could be best understood by identifying the various methods and processes in which material practices and literary traditions were shaping each other. In understanding this, it goes beyond the ephemerality of perfumes and argues in favour of a craft that was labour-intensive, skill-based, technologically innovative and culturally adaptive. Finally, it explores the diversification of its forms, significance of receptacles and amplification of its production, both in texts and in practice, to highlight the pervasive materiality of Indo-Islamicate perfumes in early modern India.

Religious Conversion and Emancipation of Untouchables: Gandhi’s View, Ambedkar’s Action and Beyond

Dr B.R. Ambedkar led the mass conversion of the Mahar population from Hinduism to Navayana Buddhism in the year 1956, aiming at the emancipation of the Mahar community, who were treated as untouchables. Dr Ambedkar believed that since untouchability was a part of Hindu tradition, Mahars could not be freed from it until they remained within the Hindu tradition. Contrarily, M.K. Gandhi maintained religious conversion as the purification and change of heart and attaining a higher level of spirituality. Every great religion has the capability for reform within it. He believed that a change of heart being within own religious tradition might eradicate social evils like untouchability, and for that, one should not change his religion. The article thus discusses the various perspectives of religious conversions and analyses the views of these two great thinkers of modern India, situating the Mahar conversion as the primary focus. Based on secondary literature sources, the author tries to situate the views of Gandhi and Ambedkar in the broader discourse on religious conversion and show that the Mahar conversion had a socio-political necessity and Gandhi’s views and appeal for eradication of untouchability did not have a practical value given the socio-religious context in India.