structural changes

Question 1

Why is India’s colonial experience significant for comprehending modern india?

Answer 1

1. Modern ideas and institutions reached India through colonialism.
2. Such an exposure to modern ideas was contradictory. For eg. Indians in the colonial period learned sbout western liberalism and freedom. Yet they lived under a western, colonial rule that denied them this freedom and liberalism.

Question 2

Give instances of how British colonialism still lives on in contemporary India.

Answer 2

1. Parliamentary & legal system, a police and education system built on the British model.
2. Drive on left side.
3. Bread omlette and cutlets
4. Britania biscuit
5. Neck tie uniforms
6. Often admire the west and as often resent it.

Question 3

How has the impact of english language been on Indian society?

Answer 3

• Its impact has been many sided and paradoxical.
• Knowledge of english has given Indians an edge in the global market.
• Yet it remains a mark of privelege.
• Not knowing english can prove to be a disadvantage which tells in the job market.
• At the same time, those who were traditionally excluded from formal education can now reap the opportunities that were formally closed.