Quick Links
Quick Links
UPSC Exams
Latest Update
Coaching
UPSC Current Affairs
Syllabus
UPSC Notes
Previous Year Papers
UPSC Mains Previous Year Question Papers Last 25 Years UPSC Prelims Question Papers Last 10 Years UPSC Question Papers UPSC CSE Prelims 2025 Question Paper UPSC Mains 2024 Model Answers UPSC 2024 Question Papers UPSC 2023 Question Papers UPSC 2022 Question Papers UPSC 2021 Question Papers UPSC 2020 Question Papers UPSC 2019 Question Papers UPSC 2018 Question Papers UPSC 2017 Question Papers UPSC 2016 Question Papers UPSC 2015 Question Papers UPSC 2014 Question Papers UPSC CSAT Question Papers UPSC IFS Previous Year Paper UPSC Assistant Labour Commissioner Previous Question Year Papers UPSC Combined Geo Scientist Previous Year Paper UPSC APFC Previous Year Question Papers UPSC CMS Previous Year Question Paper UPSC EPFO Previous Year Paper UPSC Air Safety Officer Previous Year Papers UPSC SO Steno Previous Year Paper UPSC IES ISS Previous Year Question Papers
Mock Tests
UPSC Editorial
Bilateral Ties
Albania India Relations India Algeria Relations Andorra India Relations India Angola Relations India Antigua Barbuda Relations India Argentina Relations Austria India Relations India Azerbaijan Relations Bahamas India Relations India Bahrain Relations Barbados India Relations India Belarus Relations Belgium India Relations Belize India Relations Benin India Relations Bolivia India Relations India Bosnia Herzegovina Relations India Botswana Relations Brazil India Relations Brunei India Relations Bulgaria India Relations Burundi India Relations Cabo Verde India Relations India Cambodia Relations India Cameroon Relations Canada India Relations India Cayman Islands Relations India Central African Republic Relations India Chad Relations Chile India Relations India Colombia Relations India Comoros Relations India Democratic Republic Of The Congo Relations India Republic Of The Congo Relations India Cook Islands Relations India Costa Rica Relations India Ivory Coast Relations India Croatia Relations India Cyprus Relations India Czech Republic Relations India Djibouti Relations India Dominica Relations India Dominican Republic Relations India Ecuador Relations India El Salvador Relations India Equatorial Guinea Relations India Eritrea Relations Estonia India Relations India Ethiopia Relations India Fiji Relations India Finland Relations India Gabon Relations India Gambia Relations India Georgia Relations Germany India Relations India Ghana Relations India Greece Relations India Grenada Relations India Guatemala Relations India Guinea Relations India Guinea Bissau Relations India Guyana Relations India Haiti Relations India Holy See Relations India Honduras Relations India Hong Kong Relations India Hungary Relations India Iceland Relations India Indonesia Relations India Iran Relations India Iraq Relations India Ireland Relations India Jamaica Relations India Kazakhstan Relations India Kenya Relations India Kingdom Of Eswatini Relations India Kiribati Relations India Kuwait Relations India Kyrgyzstan Relations India Laos Relations Latvia India Relations India Lebanon Relations India Lesotho Relations India Liberia Relations Libya India Relations Liechtenstein India Relations India Lithuania Relations India Luxembourg Relations India Macao Relations Madagascar India Relations India Malawi Relations India Mali Relations India Malta Relations India Marshall Islands Relations India Mauritania Relations India Micronesia Relations India Moldova Relations Monaco India Relations India Montenegro Relations India Montserrat Relations India Morocco Relations Mozambique India Relations India Namibia Relations India Nauru Relations Netherlands India Relations India Nicaragua Relations India Niger Relations India Nigeria Relations India Niue Relations India North Macedonia Relations Norway India Relations India Palau Relations India Panama Relations India Papua New Guinea Relations India Paraguay Relations Peru India Relations India Philippines Relations Qatar India Relations India Romania Relations Rwanda India Relations India Saint Kitts And Nevis Relations India Saint Lucia Relations India Saint Vincent And Grenadines Relations India Samoa Relations India Sao Tome And Principe Relations Saudi Arabia India Relations India Senegal Relations Serbia India Relations India Sierra Leone Relations India Singapore Relations India Slovak Republic Relations India Slovenia Relations India Solomon Islands Relations Somalia India Relations India South Sudan Relations India Spain Relations India Sudan Relations Suriname India Relations India Sweden Relations India Syria Relations India Tajikistan Relations Tanzania India Relations India Togo Relations India Tonga Islands Relations India Trinidad And Tobago Relations India Tunisia Relations India Turkmenistan Relations India Turks And Caicos Islands Relations India Tuvalu Relations India Uganda Relations India Ukraine Relations India Uae Relations India Uruguay Relations India Uzbekistan Relations India Vanuatu Relations India Venezuela Relations India British Virgin Islands Relations Yemen India Relations India Zambia Relations India Zimbabwe Relations
Books
Government Schemes
Production Linked Incentive Scheme Integrated Processing Development Scheme Rodtep Scheme Amended Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme Saathi Scheme Uday Scheme Hriday Scheme Samagra Shiksha Scheme India Nishta Scheme Stand Up India Scheme Sahakar Mitra Scheme Mdms Mid Day Meal Scheme Integrated Child Protection Scheme Vatsalya Scheme Operation Green Scheme Nai Roshni Scheme Nutrient Based Subsidy Scheme Kalia Scheme Ayushman Sahakar Scheme Nirvik Scheme Fame India Scheme Kusum Scheme Pm Svanidhi Scheme Pmvvy Scheme Pm Aasha Scheme Pradhan Mantri Mahila Shakti Kendra Scheme Pradhan Mantri Lpg Panjayat Scheme Mplads Scheme Svamitva Scheme Pat Scheme Udan Scheme Ek Bharat Shresth Bharat Scheme National Pension Scheme Ujala Scheme Operation Greens Scheme Gold Monetisation Scheme Family Planning Insurance Scheme Target Olympic Podium Scheme
Topics
NASA Space Missions
NASA Mercury-Redstone 3 (Freedom 7) Mission NASA Mercury-Redstone 4 (Liberty Bell 7) Mission NASA Mercury-Atlas 6 (Friendship 7) Mission NASA Mercury-Atlas 7 (Aurora 7) Mission NASA Mercury-Atlas 8 (Sigma 7) Mission NASA Mercury-Atlas 9 (Faith 7) Mission NASA Gemini 3 Mission NASA Gemini 4 Mission NASA Gemini 5 Mission NASA Gemini 7 Mission NASA Gemini 8 Mission NASA Gemini 9 Mission NASA Gemini 10 Mission NASA Gemini 11 Mission NASA Gemini 12 Mission NASA Apollo 1 (AS‑204) Mission NASA Apollo 7 Mission NASA Apollo 8 Mission NASA Apollo 9 Mission NASA Apollo 10 Mission NASA Apollo 11 Mission NASA Apollo 12 Mission NASA Apollo 13 Mission NASA Apollo 14 Mission NASA Apollo 15 Mission NASA Apollo 16 Mission NASA Apollo 17 Mission NASA Skylab Orbital Workshop Mission NASA Skylab 2 Mission NASA Skylab 3 Mission NASA Skylab 4 Mission NASA Apollo–Soyuz Test Project Mission NASA STS‑1 Columbia Mission NASA STS‑3 Columbia Mission NASA STS‑7 Challenger Mission NASA STS‑8 Challenger Mission NASA STS‑41B Challenger Mission NASA STS‑41G Discovery (1st female EVA) Mission NASA STS‑51L Challenger (accident) Mission NASA STS‑26 Discovery (Return‑to‑Flight) Mission NASA STS‑31 Discovery (Hubble Launch) Mission NASA STS‑49 Endeavour (first capture EVA) Mission NASA STS‑61 Endeavour (Hubble Servicing 1) Mission NASA STS‑73 Columbia (microgravity) Mission NASA STS‑95 Discovery (John Glenn returns) Mission NASA STS‑107 Columbia (accident) Mission NASA STS‑114 Discovery (RTF‑2) Mission NASA STS‑120 Discovery (Node 2) Mission NASA STS‑125 Atlantis (Final Hubble Service) Mission NASA STS‑132 Atlantis Mission NASA STS‑135 Atlantis (Final Shuttle flight) Mission NASA Artemis I (Orion/ SLS‑1) Mission NASA Artemis II (Planned) Mission NASA Artemis III (Planned lunar landing) Mission NASA Mariner 4 Mission NASA Mariner 6 Mission NASA Mariner 7 Mission NASA Mariner 9 Mission NASA Viking 1 Orbiter/Lander Mission NASA Viking 2 Orbiter/Lander Mission NASA Mars Pathfinder & Sojourner Mission NASA Mars Global Surveyor Mission NASA 2001 Mars Odyssey Mission NASA Mars Exploration Rover – Spirit Mission NASA Mars Exploration Rover – Opportunity Mission NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mission NASA Phoenix Mars Lander Mission NASA InSight Mars Lander Mission NASA Mars 2020 (Perseverance & Ingenuity) Mission NASA Mars Sample Return – SRL (planned) Mission NASA Pioneer 10 Mission NASA Pioneer 11 Mission NASA Voyager 1 Mission NASA Voyager 2 Mission NASA Galileo Jupiter Orbiter/Probe Mission NASA Cassini–Huygens Mission NASA New Horizons (Pluto & KBO) Mission NASA Juno Mission NASA Europa Clipper (planned) Mission NASA Parker Solar Probe Mission NASA Solar Orbiter (ESA/NASA) Mission NASA Surveyor 1 Mission NASA Lunar Orbiter 1 Mission NASA Lunar Prospector Mission NASA LCROSS Mission NASA LADEE Mission NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Mission NASA CAPSTONE Mission NASA VIPER Rover (planned) Mission NASA NEAR Shoemaker Mission NASA Deep Space 1 Mission NASA Stardust Mission NASA Genesis Mission NASA Deep Impact Mission NASA Dawn (Vesta/Ceres) Mission NASA OSIRIS‑REx Mission NASA Lucy Mission NASA DART Mission NASA Landsat‑1 (ERTS‑1) Mission NASA Landsat‑5 Mission NASA Landsat‑9 Mission NASA Terra Mission NASA Aqua Mission NASA Aura Mission NASA Suomi NPP Mission NASA Sentinel‑6 Michael Freilich Mission NASA ICESat‑2 Mission NASA GRACE‑FO Mission NASA SMAP Mission NASA GPM Core Observatory Mission NASA CALIPSO Mission NASA CloudSat Mission NASA NISAR (NASA‑ISRO) Mission NASA Explorer 1 Mission NASA COBE Mission NASA Compton Gamma Ray Observatory Mission NASA Hubble Space Telescope Mission NASA Chandra X‑ray Observatory Mission NASA Spitzer Space Telescope Mission NASA WISE Mission NASA Kepler Mission NASA TESS Mission NASA Fermi Gamma‑ray Space Telescope Mission NASA NICER Mission NASA IXPE Mission NASA Roman Space Telescope (planned) Mission NASA NuSTAR Mission NASA GALEX Mission NASA Swift Mission NASA SOHO (ESA/NASA) Mission NASA Cluster II (ESA/NASA) Mission NASA TIMED Mission NASA STEREO‑A/B Mission NASA MMS Mission NASA IRIS Mission NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory Mission NASA X‑37B OTV‑1 (USAF/NASA liaison) Mission NASA X‑59 QueSST Mission NASA Mars Helicopter Ingenuity Mission NASA Valkyrie R5 Robot Mission NASA Low‑Boom Flight Demo Mission NASA CRS‑1 Dragon Mission NASA CRS‑1 Cygnus Mission NASA Crew Dragon Demo‑2 Mission NASA Starliner OFT‑2 Mission NASA STS-2 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-4 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-5 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-6 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-41C (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-41D (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-51A (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-61C (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-26 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-27 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-29 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-30 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-32 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-34 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-38 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-45 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-60 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-70 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-71 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-73 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-88 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-92 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-97 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-99 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-100 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-104 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-106 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-110 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-112 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-115 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-116 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-117 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-118 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-120 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-122 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-123 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-126 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-130 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA Vanguard 1 Mission NASA Transit 1B Mission NASA Echo 1 Mission NASA Telstar 1 Mission NASA Syncom 3 Mission NASA ATS‑6 Mission NASA Skynet Mission NASA Nimbus‑1 Mission NASA Nimbus‑7 Mission NASA ERS-1 Mission NASA SeaSat Mission NASA QuikSCAT Mission NASA Jason‑1 Mission NASA Jason‑3 Mission NASA ICESat Mission NASA Earth Observing‑1 Mission NASA Orbiting Carbon Observatory‑2 Mission NASA CYGNSS Mission NASA PACE Mission NASA TRMM Mission NASA Terrestrial Planet Finder (cxl) Mission NASA Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) Mission NASA Explorer 33 Mission NASA Voyager Interstellar Mission Mission NASA Helios‑A Mission NASA Helios‑B Mission NASA ISEE‑3 (ICE) Mission NASA ACE Mission NASA DSCOVR Mission NASA IBEX Mission NASA Solar Orbiter Heliospheric Imager Mission NASA SAGE‑III ISS Mission NASA SPACE Telescope Imaging Spectrograph Mission NASA ARIEL (ESA/NASA) Mission NASA OSAM‑1 (Restore‑L) Mission NASA Dragonfly (Titan rotorcraft) Mission NASA VERITAS (Venus orbiter) Mission NASA DAVINCI (Venus probe) Mission NASA SPHEREx Mission NASA MAGGIE (Mars Geophysical) Mission NASA CLPS – Peregrine Mission NASA CLPS – VIPER Delivery Mission NASA CAPSTONE Mission NASA Gateway (HALO / PPE) Mission NASA Mars Telecommunication Orbiter (cxl) Mission NASA Mars Polar Lander (MPL) Mission NASA Mars Climate Orbiter Mission NASA Pathfinder Mission Mission NASA SLS Block 1B (Exploration Upper Stage) Mission NASA Orion Crew Module Mission NASA Commercial LEO Destinations – Axiom Station Mission NASA ISS Expedition 1 Mission NASA ISS Expedition 70 Mission NASA CRS‑11 (Dragon) Mission NASA CRS‑21 (Dragon 2) Mission NASA Snoopy CubeSat Mission
ISRO Space Missions
NVS-02 ISRO Space Mission SPADEX-A ISRO Space Mission SPADEX-B ISRO Space Mission Proba-3 ISRO Space Mission GSAT-N2 ISRO Space Mission EOS-08 ISRO Space Mission INSAT-3DS ISRO Space Mission XPoSat ISRO Space Mission Aditya-L1 ISRO Space Mission Chandrayaan-3 ISRO Space Mission NVS-01 ISRO Space Mission EOS-07 ISRO Space Mission INS-2B ISRO Space Mission EOS-06 ISRO Space Mission EOS-02 ISRO Space Mission GSAT-24 ISRO Space Mission INS-2TD ISRO Space Mission EOS-04 ISRO Space Mission EOS-03 ISRO Space Mission CMS-01 ISRO Space Mission EOS-01 ISRO Space Mission GSAT-30 ISRO Space Mission RISAT-2BR1 ISRO Space Mission Chandrayaan 2 ISRO Space Mission RISAT-2B ISRO Space Mission EMISAT ISRO Space Mission GSAT-31 ISRO Space Mission Microsat-R ISRO Space Mission GSAT-7A ISRO Space Mission GSAT-11 ISRO Space Mission HysIS ISRO Space Mission GSAT-29 ISRO Space Mission IRNSS-1I ISRO Space Mission GSAT-6A ISRO Space Mission INS-1C ISRO Space Mission Microsat ISRO Space Mission IRNSS-1H ISRO Space Mission GSAT-17 ISRO Space Mission GSAT-19 ISRO Space Mission GSAT-9 ISRO Space Mission Cartosat-2 Series Satellite INS-1A ISRO Space Mission INS-1B ISRO Space Mission RESOURCESAT-2A ISRO Space Mission GSAT-18 ISRO Space Mission INSAT-3DR ISRO Space Mission IRNSS-1G ISRO Space Mission IRNSS-1F ISRO Space Mission IRNSS-1E ISRO Space Mission GSAT-15 ISRO Space Mission GSAT-6 ISRO Space Mission IRNSS-1D ISRO Space Mission Crew module Atmospheric Re-entry Experiment (CARE) ISRO Space Mission GSAT-16 ISRO Space Mission IRNSS-1C ISRO Space Mission IRNSS-1B ISRO Space Mission GSAT-14 ISRO Space Mission Mars Orbiter Mission Spacecraft GSAT-7 ISRO Space Mission INSAT-3D ISRO Space Mission IRNSS-1A ISRO Space Mission SARAL ISRO Space Mission GSAT-10 ISRO Space Mission RISAT-1 ISRO Space Mission Megha-Tropiques ISRO Space Mission GSAT-12 ISRO Space Mission GSAT-8 ISRO Space Mission RESOURCESAT-2 ISRO Space Mission YOUTHSAT ISRO Space Mission GSAT-5P ISRO Space Mission GSAT-4 ISRO Space Mission Oceansat-2 ISRO Space Mission RISAT-2 ISRO Space Mission Chandrayaan-1 ISRO Space Mission IMS-1 ISRO Space Mission INSAT-4CR ISRO Space Mission INSAT-4B ISRO Space Mission SRE-1 ISRO Space Mission INSAT-4C ISRO Space Mission INSAT-4A ISRO Space Mission HAMSAT ISRO Space Mission EDUSAT ISRO Space Mission IRS-P6 / RESOURCESAT-1 ISRO Space Mission INSAT-3E ISRO Space Mission GSAT-2 ISRO Space Mission INSAT-3A ISRO Space Mission KALPANA-1 ISRO Space Mission INSAT-3C ISRO Space Mission GSAT-1 ISRO Space Mission INSAT-3B ISRO Space Mission Oceansat(IRS-P4) ISRO Space Mission INSAT-2E ISRO Space Mission IRS-1D ISRO Space Mission INSAT-2D ISRO Space Mission IRS-P3 ISRO Space Mission IRS-1C ISRO Space Mission INSAT-2C ISRO Space Mission IRS-P2 ISRO Space Mission SROSS-C2 ISRO Space Mission IRS-1E ISRO Space Mission INSAT-2B ISRO Space Mission INSAT-2A ISRO Space Mission SROSS-C ISRO Space Mission IRS-1B ISRO Space Mission INSAT-1D ISRO Space Mission INSAT-1C ISRO Space Mission SROSS-2 ISRO Space Mission IRS-1A ISRO Space Mission SROSS-1 ISRO Space Mission INSAT-1B ISRO Space Mission Rohini Satellite RS-D2 ISRO Space Mission INSAT-1A ISRO Space Mission Bhaskara-II ISRO Space Mission Ariane Passenger Payload Experiment (APPLE) ISRO Rohini Satellite RS-D1 ISRO Space Mission Rohini Satellite RS-1 ISRO Space Mission Rohini Technology Payload (RTP) ISRO Space Mission Bhaskara-I ISRO Space Mission Aryabhata ISRO Space Mission
Home / IAS Preparation / Multiculturalism

Multiculturalism: Types, Effects and More

Download As PDF
IMPORTANT LINKS
Agriculture Notes For UPSC Public Administration UPSC Notes Modern History Books For UPSC Overseas Citizen Of India Caste System & Panchayati Raj Godavari River Federalism In India Indira Point New Development Bank Battle Of Sinhagad Sankalp And Strive Schemes Digital India High Yielding Varieties Economic Growth Development League Of Nations Ease Of Doing Business Mid Day Meal Scheme Wildlife Protection Act 1972 UPSC Notes International Union Conservation Nature

Culture is a broad term that incorporates people belonging to different races, ethnicities, nationalities, languages, religions, classes, genders etc and manifests the same in their values and behavior pattern.

Multiculturalism is a view in which all the different cultural or racial groups in a society have equal rights. This article aims at providing you multiculturalism definition, aspects of multiculturalism in India, relevant constitutional provisions and more. Multiculturalism is an important topic for UPSC, IAS and SSC exams.

Different Aspects of Multiculturalism
  1. Liberal Multiculturalism: Individuals are free to express their language, religious identities, and other personal characteristics in their private lives. It views liberal democracy as the only legitimate political system which ensures freedom.
  2. Pluralist Multiculturalism: It is based on the value of ‘pluralism’ which means to be aware of various values, as a result pluralist multiculturalism believes that all cultures’ values should be respected, regardless of how different they are.
  3. Cosmopolitan Multiculturalism:It reflects the cultural impact of globalisation. It considers culture to be dynamic as globalization has resulted in the blending of different cultures.

Read more about Gender Issues in India, here.

FREEMentorship Program by
Ravi Kapoor, Ex-IRS
UPSC Exam-Hacker, Author, Super Mentor, MA
100+ Success Stories
Key Highlights
Achieve your Goal with our mentorship program, offering regular guidance and effective exam strategies.
Cultivate a focused mindset for exam success through our mentorship program.
2 Lakh+ Students Mentored Get
Get Free Mentorship Now
UPSC Beginners Program

Get UPSC Beginners Program SuperCoaching @ just

₹50000

Claim for free
Want to know more about this pass ?
Explore SuperCoaching

Communalism, Secularism and The Nation-State

Communalism

In our country, communalism is defined as blind devotion to one’s own religious group. It is described as a tool for mobilising people for or against a cause by making a communal appeal. Religious fundamentalism and dogmatism are associated with communalism.

  1. A communalist may or may not be a devout person similarly,a devout believer may or may not be communalist.
  2. One of communalism’s defining characteristics is its claim that religious identity takes precedence over all else.
  3. Communalism is a significant issue in India because it has been a source of tension and violence on several occasions.
  4. Communalism is a threat to a multicultural society

Types of Communalism:

  1. Political Communalism: Leaders often promote the idea of community divisions to survive in the political sphere. As a result, political communalism emerges, in which various groups of people are divided along political ideologies.
  2. Social Communalism: Social communalism emerges when people’s beliefs divide them into different groups and cause them to compete with one another.
  3. Economic Communalism: Economic Communalism is defined as a difference in economic interests between communities that leads to further clashes in society.

Learn more about Social Structure in India, here.

Secularism

Secularism in India means equal treatment of all religions by the state. With the 42nd amendment of the constitution of India enacted in 1976 the preamble asserted that India is a secular nation. Secularism preserves the multicultural meaning of our society.

Article 25 of the Indian Constitution is most important in regards with secularism as it gives the citizens following fundamental rights:

  1. Freedom of conscience
  2. Freedom to practice any religion
  3. Freedom to propagate any religion
  4. Freedom to profess any religion

Sometimes the protection of minorities is criticized on the ground of favoritism but despite some fallout, it is still true that India’s Constitution and its legal structure has proved to be reasonably effective in tackling problems created by communalism.

Read more about Indian States,their culture and history from here.

State and Civil Society:

  1. When it comes to managing multicultural diversity of Indian society, the state becomes an essential institution.
  2. The state is a system of order and control, and it has the legal authority to use compulsion and coercion to achieve its goals.
  3. A civil society is a public sphere in which people come together for a variety of reasons, including their own self-interest and the protection of their society.
  4. The two concepts, state and civil society, are not mutually exclusive.
  5. Democracy reconciles the two. Civil society strengthens the state’s claims, and the state makes civil society more stable. They give social diversity a meaning.
  6. The state structure has the potential of turning into an authoritarian state and limits the civil rights of its people like the freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of political activity,etc.
  7. There is also a risk that state institutions may become unable or unwilling to respond to people’s needs due to corruption, inefficiency or lack of resources.
  8. Non-state institutions become significant in this case because they can keep an eye on the state, protest its injustice or reinforce its efforts.

Cultural Diversity in India

If anyone looks for cultural diversity meaning , they will always find India in context. India is one of the most diverse countries in the world, both socially and culturally. Some statistics to support the claim are:

  1. India has about 1,632 different languages and dialects
  2. The 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution lists 22 official languages.
  3. According to Census 2011, about 79.80% of the population is Hindus, 14.23% Muslims, Christians (2.3%), Sikhs (1.72%), Buddhists (0.7%), Jains (0.37%) and 0.66% of other religions.
  4. Despite the fact that the Indian Constitution declares the state to be secular, religion, language and other such factors persist in the public sphere.
  5. Rather than laws or principles, India’s problems have primarily been in the area of implementation and practise.

Know more about Indian art and culture in detail.

Salad Bowl Theory

The salad bowl theory states that, unlike the melting pot model (the melting together of several cultures to produce a new, refined and stronger compound), newly arrived immigrants do not lose the unique characteristics of their cultures but rather keep them. Within the large Indian society, each culture’s distinct characteristics are still recognisable just like the ingredients in a salad bowl are recognisable but contribute to the overall composition of the salad bowl.

Regionalism in the Indian Context

Regionalism is the expression of a shared sense of identity and purpose by people who are living in a specific geographical region and are united by their shared languages, cultures, tribes, and religions.

Respecting regional sentiments requires more than just the creation of states, it also requires an institutional structure that ensures their viability as relatively autonomous units within a larger federal structure.

The reasons behind growth of regionalism in India can be factors such as:

  1. Insider-outsider complex that feeds nativism
  2. Regions that remain socially and economically underdeveloped.
  3. Continual disregard for a region
  4. Persistence of cultural diversity and society

Impact of Regionalism:

Positive Negative
  • Refocus on regional concerns
  • Increases participation of diverse set of people
  • Helps people be more tolerant towards diverse culture
  • Preserves local culture
  • Gives rise to the feeling of separatism
  • Increases inter-state rivalries
  • Demand of separate states
  • Used as a political tool

Here’s a list of famous sites in India important for exams.

Minority Rights and Nation-building

For the protection and encouragement of multiculturalism, special constitutional provisions are required for a strong and democratic nation to ensure that the rights of all groups, particularly minority groups, are protected. The peaceful coexistence of minorities with majorities is how Indians define multiculturalism.

Because of the nation’s demographic dominance, religious or cultural minorities require special protection as it is possible in democratic politics to convert a numerical majority into political power through elections.

Hence the constitution provides provisions to ensure multiculturalism in India

  1. Protection of interests of minorities (Article 29):
    1. Any section of the citizens residing in the territory of India or any part thereof having a distinct language, script, or culture of its own shall have the right to conserve the same.
    2. No citizen shall be denied admission into any educational institution maintained by the State or received out of State funds on grounds only of religion, race, caste, language or any of them.
  2. Rights of minorities to establish and administer educational institutions (Article 30):
    1. All minorities, whether based on religion or language, shall have the right to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice.
    2. The State shall not, in granting aid to educational institutions, discriminate against any educational institution on the ground that it is under the management of a minority, whether based on religion or language.
    3. Other Constitutional Safeguards provided by the Constitution are:
    4. Freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion (Article 25)
    5. Freedom to manage religious affairs (Article 26)
    6. Freedom to payment of tax for promotion of any particular religion (Article 27)
    7. Freedom as to attendance at religious instruction or religious worship in certain educational institutions (Article 28)
    8. Special officer for linguistic minorities (Article 350B)

Also, check out the article on Types of Political System in India, here.

Challenges to Multiculturalism

Here are the two main arguments against characteristics of multiculturalism.

  1. One is that multiculturalism prioritises the good of specific groups over the good of the whole, potentially undermining the common good in favour of a minority interest.
  2. The second is that multiculturalism undermines the concept of equal individual rights, undermining the political value of equal treatment.

Read more about Social Issues for competitive exams, here.

We hope that this note on Multiculturalism was helpfulf to you. Attempt free mock tests and prepare for competitive exams on the Testbook App. Stay updated with us on different topics.

More Articles for IAS Preparation

Multiculturalism in India FAQs

A system that recognises and respects the existence and presence of distinct groups of individuals within a community is known as cultural diversity.

Multiculturalism is a view in which all the different cultural or racial groups in a society have equal rights and no one is ignored or regarded as unimportant.

Salad bowl theory suggests that immigrants keep their basic beliefs and way of life while adapting to general characteristics of culture.

India is one of the most diverse countries in the world, both socially and culturally. India has more than 6 religions,1,632 different languages and constitutional provisions for their protection.

Communalism has three types, Political Communalism,Social Communalism and Economic Communalism.
Report An Error
Exams Tests Super Practice