Previous Year Question
Given below are two statements, one is labelled as Assertion (A) and the other as Reason (R):
Assertion (A): The nature of Indian Political System embodies the elements of ‘continuity and change’.
Reason (R): The Indian Political System contains the elements of the following political system such as the modern style, the traditional style and saint style.
Select the correct answer from the codes given below:
Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A)
Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A)
(A) is true but (R) is false
(A) is false but (R) is true
Correct Answer: A
Detailed Solution
The Indian political system displays both continuity and change. After Independence, modern constitutional institutions such as a written Constitution, Parliament, elections, judiciary and modern administration were established, while several older social and political practices and traditions continued to operate alongside them. This coexistence is reflected in the expression “continuity and change.”
Political scientist W. H. Morris-Jones described Indian politics through three different political idioms or languages—Modern, Traditional and Saintly. Academic literature associates the Modern idiom with the Constitution, courts and higher administration; the Traditional idiom with caste, village and community structures; and the Saintly idiom particularly with the Gandhian moral-political tradition.
The Modern style represents change because it is associated with constitutional institutions, representative government and modern administrative structures. In contrast, the Traditional style represents continuity of older social structures and customary political behaviour. The Saintly style reflects elements such as morality, sacrifice and the Gandhian political tradition. The coexistence of these styles helps explain why Indian politics contains elements of both continuity and change.