GS-I · Microtheme Deep DiveSociety10 PYQs linked

Globalisation and Indian Society

'Globalisation' in UPSC is never just economic — the paper wants a sociological reading. The winning answer separates the four faces of globalisation (economic, cultural, political, technological) and traces how each reshapes family, work, gender and identity in India after 1991.

Four faces, one process

  • Economic: liberalisation, GVCs, services-led growth.
  • Cultural: hybridisation, 'glocal' consumption, K-wave, OTT.
  • Political: sovereignty debates, WTO, climate diplomacy.
  • Technological: platform economy, algorithmic labour, data flows.

Impact on Indian society

Nuclearisation of families and rising female workforce entry in services, but also greater elder-care deficits. Cultural anxieties feed reactive traditionalism; urban India shows 'sanskritisation-in-reverse'. Gig work (Code on Social Security 2020 first recognised it) creates a new precariat — India is the world's 5th largest gig market (NITI Aayog 2022).

Inequality & the 'K-shape'

  • Top 10% hold ~57% of income (World Inequality Report 2022).
  • Regional divergence: coastal & southern states benefit disproportionately.
  • Digital divide overlaps caste, gender, geography — a new axis of exclusion.

Way forward

  • Skilling for tradable services (GCCs, semiconductors).
  • Portable social security for gig workers (e-Shram scale-up).
  • Cultural policy that funds regional languages and IP, not just protects.
  • Trade posture: strategic autonomy, not autarky.

Common Pitfalls

  • Do not treat globalisation as post-1991 alone — Silk Road, indentured labour, colonial trade are legitimate precedents.
  • Avoid the 'good vs bad' binary; examiners want a dialectical answer.

FAQs

Is globalisation reversing after COVID?
'Slowbalisation' is the accurate term — trade-to-GDP has plateaued but services and data flows keep rising. Cite UNCTAD's Trade and Development Report.

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