← GPSC syllabus
GPSC (Gujarat)Stage 2: Main Examination
Globalisation and Its Impact on Indian Society
What the official syllabus says
GPSC Main Examination, Paper IV: General Studies-I, (C) Indian Society.
- Globalization and its impact: Influence of globalization on cultural, economic, and social life. Changing lifestyles, consumerism, and changing value system in a globalized world.
Topics in detail
Treat globalisation as a social process, not only an economic one. Balance the gains and the costs, and use examples from everyday life.
Understanding globalisation
- Meaning; the economic reforms of 1991 (liberalisation, privatisation, globalisation)
- Drivers: trade, investment, technology, the internet, migration, media
- Homogenisation, hybridisation and 'glocalisation'
Economic and social life
- New jobs in IT, services and exports; growth of the middle class
- Informal work, insecurity and the gig economy
- Effects on farmers, artisans and small industry
- Women and globalisation: new opportunities and new vulnerabilities
- Urbanisation and migration
Cultural life
- Spread of global media, food, fashion and English
- Revival and commercialisation of local culture (handicrafts, festivals, cuisine)
- The diaspora as a channel of cultural exchange
Changing lifestyles and consumerism
- Malls, e-commerce, credit and debt
- Health effects: sedentary living, lifestyle diseases
- Environmental cost of consumption; waste
Changing value system
- Individualism and the family; marriage choices
- Materialism and its critiques; Gandhian simplicity as a counterpoint
- Inter-generational gaps; the elderly
- Social media and identity
Globalisation and Gujarat
- Ports such as Kandla and Mundra and their place in global trade
- Industries tied to world markets: diamonds, textiles, chemicals, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals
- Special Economic Zones and industrial corridors
- Migrant workers in Surat and other industrial centres
- Diaspora links and the flow of capital and ideas
Responses and policy
- Social security for informal workers; labour codes
- Skilling and education for a global economy
- Protection of traditional knowledge and Geographical Indication tags
- Cultural policy and support to local crafts
Gains and costs
| Gains | Costs |
|---|---|
| Jobs, incomes and choice | Insecure work and inequality |
| Access to ideas and technology | Loss of local crafts and languages |
| Women's mobility and earning | New forms of exploitation |
Glocalisation in everyday life
- Global food chains adapting menus to vegetarian and local tastes
- Indian festivals, yoga and cuisine spreading worldwide
- Local music and films reaching global audiences through streaming
- Handicrafts sold to world markets through e-commerce
Overlaps
- Economic reforms and growth: General Studies-III.
- A common Essay theme.