Full Chapter Summary & Detailed Notes - The Crisis of Democratic Order Class 12 NCERT

Overview & Key Concepts

• Chapter Goal: Analyze the 1975 Emergency, its background, imposition, consequences, and lessons for Indian democracy. Exam Focus: Economic unrest, movements, judicial conflicts, 1977 elections, Janata Party; 2025 Updates: Links to current debates on federalism, civil liberties, and emergency provisions. Fun Fact: Emergency lasted 21 months; first non-Congress central government in 1977. Core Idea: Tension between institutional democracy and mass protests; interlinks to party system changes in later chapters. Real-World: Parallels to global authoritarian backslides. Expanded: All subtopics point-wise with evidence (e.g., cartoons, quotes, slogans), examples (e.g., JP movement, Shah Commission), debates (e.g., necessity of Emergency vs. abuse of power).
• Wider Scope: 1973-80 political crisis; sources: Cartoons (Laxman), quotes (JP slogans), maps (1977 election results).
• Expanded Content: Include socio-economic triggers, role of opposition, constitutional amendments; multi-disciplinary (e.g., economics in inflation, sociology in caste shifts).

Background to Emergency

• Political Changes Post-1967: Indira Gandhi's rise as popular leader; bitter party polarization; government-judiciary tensions over constitutional violations.
• Congress Position: Supreme Court seen as anti-democratic, conservative obstacle to pro-poor programs; opposition viewed politics as personalized authority.
• Congress Split Impact: Sharpened divisions between Indira and rivals like Morarji Desai.
• Expanded: Evidence: Kesavananda Bharati case (1973) on basic structure; debates: Parliamentary supremacy vs. judicial review; real ex: Indira's 1971 slogan "Garibi Hatao" unmet.

Economic Context

• 1971 Slogan Failure: "Garibi Hatao" unfulfilled; Bangladesh crisis strained economy with 8 million refugees.
• War and Global Shocks: 1971 Indo-Pak war; US aid cut; oil prices quadrupled, causing 23% inflation (1973) and 30% (1974).
• Domestic Issues: Low industrial growth, high rural unemployment; salary freezes; 1972-73 monsoon failure reduced food output by 8%.
• Expanded: Evidence: General dissatisfaction fueled protests; debates: Economic mismanagement vs. external factors; real: Hardship for poor, contradicting welfare promises.

Gujarat and Bihar Movements

• Gujarat (Navnirman Andolan, 1974): Students protested price rises, corruption; joined by opposition; President's rule imposed; Morarji Desai fasted for elections; Congress defeated in June 1975 polls.
• Bihar (JP Movement, 1974): Students invited Jayaprakash Narayan (JP) for non-violent "Total Revolution" against prices, scarcity, corruption; demanded Bihar CM dismissal; national appeal with bandhs, gheraos.
• JP's Role: Symbol of opposition; supported by BJS, Congress(O), BLD; seen as anti-Indira personally.
• Expanded: Evidence: Slogan "Sampoorna Kranti ab nara hai, bhavi itihas hamara hai"; debates: Mass agitation vs. institutional politics; real: Influenced national mood against Congress.

Railway Strike of 1974

• Scale and Impact: Nationwide strike by 1 million employees led by George Fernandes; demanded bonus, better conditions; paralyzed economy for 20 days.
• Government Response: Declared illegal; arrested leaders; deployed army; no settlement, added to labor unrest.
• Issues Raised: Workers' rights vs. essential services strikes.
• Expanded: Evidence: Threatened national paralysis; debates: Strike legitimacy in public sector; real: Heightened anti-Congress sentiment.

Conflict with Judiciary

• Key Issues: Parliament's power to abridge Fundamental Rights, amend for property rights, link to Directive Principles; Supreme Court rejected in Golaknath, Kesavananda cases.
• 1973 Supersession: A.N. Ray appointed CJI over seniors who ruled against government; mixed constitutional and political ideologies.
• "Committed" Institutions: Calls for judiciary/bureaucracy loyal to executive vision.
• Expanded: Evidence: Basic structure doctrine; debates: Judicial independence vs. elected supremacy; real: Culminated in Indira's election invalidation.

Declaration of Emergency

• Allahabad HC Verdict (12 June 1975): Justice Jagmohan Lal Sinha invalidated Indira's 1971 Rae Bareli election for using government officials; partial SC stay on 24 June.
• Crisis Buildup: Opposition (JP-led) demanded resignation; massive Ramlila rally (25 June); calls for satyagraha, army/police disobedience.
• Imposition (25 June 1975): Under Article 352 for "internal disturbance"; President's approval on PM advice; post-midnight arrests, power cuts to press.
• Expanded: Evidence: Cabinet informed after fact at 6 a.m.; debates: Legal but undemocratic; real: Threatened government standstill.

Consequences

• Immediate Effects: Agitations stopped; strikes banned; opposition leaders jailed; press censored (prior approval).
• Bans and Arrests: RSS, Jamaat-e-Islami banned; preventive detention used widely; Fundamental Rights suspended, including habeas corpus.
• Judicial Rulings: High Courts allowed writs initially; SC (ADM Jabalpur case, 1976) denied, controversial for allowing rights suspension.
• Resistance: Underground protests; blank spaces in papers (Indian Express); magazines closed (Seminar); awards returned (Karanth, Renu).
• Constitutional Changes: 39th Amendment barred PM/President election challenges; 42nd Amendment extended terms to 6 years, postponed elections.
• Expanded: Evidence: Shah Commission later exposed abuses; debates: Civil liberties erosion; real: Rare open defiance due to fear.

Lessons of the Emergency

• Democratic Resilience: Resumed quickly post-1977; hard to abolish democracy in India.
• Constitutional Fixes: 44th Amendment: Internal emergency only for "armed rebellion"; written Cabinet advice required.
• Civil Liberties Awareness: Courts more protective post-Emergency; rise of organizations like PUCL.
• Unresolved Tensions: Balance between routine governance and protests; police/admin as political tools (Shah Report).
• Expanded: Evidence: Voters punish anti-democratic regimes; debates: Protest limits; real: Strengthened federalism vigilance.

Politics after Emergency

• 1977 Elections: Referendum on Emergency; Janata Party (BJS, Congress(O), BLD, SP) formed under JP; won 295/542 seats; Congress 154 (35% votes); swept north, lost south.
• Janata Government: Morarji Desai PM; internal rivalries (Desai, Charan Singh, Jagjivan Ram); split after 28 months; Charan Singh brief PM (1979).
• 1980 Elections: Congress (I) won 353 seats; punished unstable Janata.
• Expanded: Evidence: Northern wave due to sterilizations; debates: Regional divides; real: Lesson on instability punishment.

Janata Government Challenges

• Internal Strife: Faction fights among leaders; no cohesive program; policy continuity with Congress.
• Short Tenure: Lost majority; 1980 mid-term; Congress resurgence.
• Expanded: Evidence: Cartoons on "faction fight"; debates: United only against Emergency; real: Precursor to multi-party era.

Legacy

• Party System Shift: Congress from umbrella to ideological (socialist, pro-poor); opposition "non-Congressism" unified votes.
• Backward Castes Rise: 1977 northern shift; Mandal Commission (1979) on OBC reservations.
• Constitutional-Political Crisis: Origins in Parliament-judiciary battle; trust in democratic norms abused.
• Mass Protests Role: Tension with parliamentary democracy; party system's failure to incorporate aspirations.
• Expanded: Evidence: 42nd Amendment changes; debates: Emergency as "vaccination" against dictatorship; real: Set stage for regionalism in Ch7.

Key Themes & Tips

• Aspects: Economic unrest, Emergency imposition, electoral verdict, legacy.
• Tip: Memorize dates (25 June 1975, March 1977); analyze cartoons; debate Emergency necessity.

Project & Group Ideas

• Timeline of Emergency events.
• Debate: Was Emergency inevitable?
• Map 1977 results analysis.

Key Definitions & Terms - Complete Glossary

All terms from chapter; detailed with examples, relevance. Expanded: 40+ terms grouped by subtopic; added advanced like "Total Revolution", "Preventive Detention" for depth/easy flashcards.

Tip: Group by phase (background/emergency/aftermath); examples for recall. Depth: Debates (e.g., Art 352 ethics). Errors: Confuse 42nd/44th Amendments. Historical: JP role. Interlinks: To Ch7 regionalism. Advanced: Inflation calcs. Real-Life: Current emergency fears. Graphs: Election timelines. Coherent: Evidence → Interpretation. For easy learning: Flashcard per term with example.

60+ Questions & Answers - NCERT Based (Class 12) - From Exercises & Variations

Based on chapter + expansions. Part A: 10 (1 mark, one line), Part B: 10 (4 marks, five lines), Part C: 10 (6 marks, eight lines). Answers point-wise in black text.

Part A: 1 Mark Questions (10 Qs - Short)

Part B: 4 Marks Questions (10 Qs - Medium, Exactly 5 Lines Each)

Part C: 6 Marks Questions (10 Qs - Long, Exactly 8 Lines Each)

Tip: Diagrams for maps; practice lines. Additional 30 Qs: Variations on movements, amendments.

Key Concepts - In-Depth Exploration

Core ideas with examples, pitfalls, interlinks. Expanded: All concepts with steps/examples/pitfalls for easy learning. Depth: Debates, analysis.

Advanced: Amendment timelines, protest maps. Pitfalls: Static view. Interlinks: Ch5 dominance end. Real: Current Art 356 uses. Depth: 12 concepts details. Examples: Real events. Graphs: Inflation charts. Errors: Confuse movements. Tips: Steps evidence; compare tables (pre/post Emergency).

Historical Perspectives - Detailed Guide

Timeline of concepts/evolutions; expanded with points; links to leaders/debates. Added Indira, JP focus.

Tip: Link Indira to amendments, JP to resistance. Depth: Cartoons as sources. Examples: 1975 events. Graphs: Election timelines. Advanced: Post-2022 updates. Easy: Bullets impacts.

Solved Examples - From Text with Simple Explanations

Expanded with evidence, calcs; focus on applications, analysis. Added Emergency timeline, 1977 results.

Tip: Practice timelines; troubleshoot (e.g., why south held?). Added for amendments, movements.

Quick Revision Notes & Mnemonics

Concise for all subtopics; mnemonics. Covers overview, background, movements, Emergency, consequences, lessons, aftermath, legacy. Expanded all.

Overall Mnemonic: "Background Movements Emergency Consequences Lessons Aftermath Legacy" (BMEC LAL). Flashcards: One per subtopic. Easy: Bullets, bold keys; steps acronyms.

Key Terms & Processes - All Key

Expanded table 40+ rows; quick ref. Added advanced (e.g., Total Revolution, Shah Commission).

Tip: Examples memory; sort phase. Easy: Table scan. Added 20 rows depth.

Key Processes & Diagrams - Solved Step-by-Step

Expanded all major; desc for diags; steps visual. Added Emergency process, 1977 coalition.

Tip: Draw flows; label parts. Easy: Numbered with analogies (Emergency as storm clampdown).