Q5(e) · UPSC Civil Services Mains 2021 · Anthropology GS 2 · 10 marks · 1 min read

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Politics of recognition and deprivation.

Topic: Evolution of the Indian Culture and Civilization. Syllabus: 1.1 Evolution of the Indian Culture and Civilization—Prehistoric (Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic and Neolithic-Chalcolithic), Protohistoric (Indus Civilization). Pre-Harappan, Harappan and post-Harappan cultures. Contributions of the tribal cultures to Indian civilization. Same official PYQ from year-wise 2021 and Evolution of the Indian Culture and Civilization.

Revision summary

Recognition is the demand to be named with dignity and rights. Deprivation is the claim of material exclusion. ST lists, minority articles, and new states are recognition tools. Land and school gaps are the deprivation file. A name without a share is an incomplete politics.

Model answer

Introduction

Politics of recognition is the demand to be named as a people with dignity and rights. Politics of deprivation is the claim that the same people are materially shut out. In India the two usually travel together.

Body

Recognition

  • ST, SC, linguistic minority, and religious minority are names that unlock Articles 15, 16, 29, and 30.
  • Movements for a new state, a Sixth Schedule council, or a language in the Eighth Schedule are recognition fights.
  • Charles Taylor’s language of recognition fits, but Indian cases are also census and list politics, not only cultural honour.

Deprivation

  • Land alienation, poor schools, and job queues are the material file. Recognition without land is a flag without a field.
  • Ambedkar treated caste as graded inequality, which is deprivation built into recognition of a ranked name.

The twist

  • Groups already recognised still claim deprivation. Groups demanding recognition may already hold local dominance.
  • Policy has to test both: is the name missing, or is the share missing?

Flow diagram

flowchart TD
  R[Recognition name] --> L[ST minority list]
  D[Deprivation share] --> M[Land school job]
  R --> P[Politics]
  D --> P

Conclusion

Recognition names the group. Deprivation measures the share. Indian ethnic politics works when the two are joined, and it sours when a name is won without a livelihood.

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