NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Political Science Chapter 1: The End of Bipolarity (NCERT 2026–27)
These Class 12 Political Science Chapter 1 solutions cover The End of Bipolarity from Contemporary World Politics, the NCERT Political Science textbook for the 2026–27 session. The chapter explains the meaning of the Soviet system, the causes and consequences of the disintegration of the USSR, the policies of Mikhail Gorbachev (perestroika and glasnost), the painful transition through Shock Therapy, and how India relates to the post-communist countries, especially Russia. Below you get every NCERT exercise question answered in exam-ready prose, plus key terms, extra practice, MCQs, Assertion–Reason and FAQs.
Class: 12Subject: Political ScienceBook: Contemporary World PoliticsChapter: 1Chapter Name: The End of BipolaritySession: 2026–27
Chapter 1, The End of Bipolarity, traces how the Cold War world order, divided between the capitalist ‘first world’ led by the US and the socialist ‘second world’ led by the USSR, came to an end. The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 symbolised the collapse of the communist bloc; one after another, the East European states replaced their communist governments. Weakened by economic stagnation, an unaffordable arms race, the invasion of Afghanistan, bureaucratic authoritarianism and the rise of nationalism in its republics, the Soviet Union finally disintegrated in December 1991 when Russia, Ukraine and Belarus dissolved it and formed the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The chapter examines Gorbachev’s reforms, the consequences of disintegration (end of the Cold War, the rise of the US as the sole superpower, and the emergence of new countries), the disastrous Shock Therapy transition to capitalism, the tensions and conflicts that followed, and the enduring friendship between India and Russia.
Key Concepts & Terms
Bipolarity: a world order dominated by two roughly equal centres of power — here the US-led capitalist bloc and the USSR-led socialist bloc — with most other countries aligning behind one of them. The ‘end of bipolarity’ means this two-power balance collapsed.
Soviet system (USSR): the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, formed after the 1917 socialist revolution in Russia. It abolished private property, gave primacy to the state and the Communist Party, allowed no opposition, and ran a planned, state-controlled economy that guaranteed a minimum standard of living.
Second World / socialist bloc: the USSR and the East European countries modelled after it, held together by the Warsaw Pact, a military alliance led by the Soviet Union.
Perestroika and Glasnost: Gorbachev’s reform policies — perestroika (restructuring of the economy) and glasnost (openness in government and society) — intended to modernise the USSR but which set off forces that led to its break-up.
Disintegration of the USSR: the formal end of the Soviet Union in December 1991, when fifteen republics became independent states and Gorbachev resigned on 25 December 1991.
Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS): the grouping formed by the former Soviet republics after disintegration; Russia was accepted as the successor state and took the USSR’s seat in the UN Security Council.
Shock Therapy: the model of a sudden, complete transition from a socialist command economy to a capitalist market economy, influenced by the World Bank and the IMF — involving rapid privatisation, free trade, currency convertibility and the break-up of old trade alliances.
Unipolar order: the post-Cold-War situation in which the US emerged as the sole superpower, with capitalism as the dominant economic system and liberal democracy seen as the best way to organise political life.
‘Near Abroad’: the term by which Russia regards the former Soviet states it believes should remain under its influence.
NCERT Exercises — Full Solutions
All questions below are reproduced verbatim from the NCERT textbook’s end-of-chapter Exercises. Answers are original, written in exam-ready style.
1. Which among the following statements that describe the nature of Soviet economy is wrong?
a. Socialism was the dominant ideologyb. State ownership/control existed over the factors of productionc. People enjoyed economic freedomd. Every aspect of the economy was planned and controlled by the State
ANSWERThe wrong statement is (c) People enjoyed economic freedom.In the Soviet economy, the state owned and controlled the factors of production and planned every aspect of economic activity. There was no economic freedom in the capitalist sense — private property was abolished and the market did not decide what was produced. Statements (a), (b) and (d) correctly describe the Soviet economy.
2. Arrange the following in chronological order:
a. Soviet invasion of Afghanistanb. Fall of the Berlin Wallc. Disintegration of the Soviet Uniond. Russian Revolution
ANSWERThe correct chronological order is: d → a → b → c.(d) Russian Revolution — 1917; (a) Soviet invasion of Afghanistan — 1979; (b) Fall of the Berlin Wall — 1989; (c) Disintegration of the Soviet Union — 1991.
3. Which among the following is NOT an outcome of the disintegration of the USSR?
a. End of the ideological war between the US and USSRb. Birth of CISc. Change in the balance of power in the world orderd. Crises in the Middle East
ANSWERThe option that is NOT an outcome is (d) Crises in the Middle East.The disintegration of the USSR ended the ideological war between the US and the USSR, gave birth to the Commonwealth of Independent States, and changed the balance of power so that the US became the sole superpower. The crises in the Middle East were not a result of the Soviet collapse.
4. Match the following:
i. Mikhail Gorbachev — a. Successor of USSRii. Shock Therapy — b. Military pactiii. Russia — c. Introduced reformsiv. Boris Yeltsin — d. Economic modelv. Warsaw — e. President of Russia
ANSWERThe correct matching is:
Column A
Column B
i. Mikhail Gorbachev
c. Introduced reforms
ii. Shock Therapy
d. Economic model
iii. Russia
a. Successor of USSR
iv. Boris Yeltsin
e. President of Russia
v. Warsaw
b. Military pact
5. Fill in the blanks.
a. The Soviet political system was based on ___________________ ideology.b. _________________ was the military alliance started by the USSR.c. ____________________ party dominated the Soviet Union’s political system.d. ______________________ initiated the reforms in the USSR in 1985.e. The fall of the ____________________ symbolised the end of the Cold War.
ANSWERa. The Soviet political system was based on communist (socialist) ideology.b. The Warsaw Pact was the military alliance started by the USSR.c. The Communist Party of the Soviet Union dominated the Soviet Union’s political system.d. Mikhail Gorbachev initiated the reforms in the USSR in 1985.e. The fall of the Berlin Wall symbolised the end of the Cold War.
6. Mention any three features that distinguish the Soviet economy from that of a capitalist country like the US.
ANSWER1. State ownership versus private ownership: In the Soviet economy, land and productive assets were owned and controlled by the state, and private property was virtually abolished; in a capitalist country like the US, private individuals and companies own most of the means of production.2. Central planning versus the market: The Soviet economy was planned and controlled by the state, which decided what to produce and at what price; in capitalism, market forces of demand and supply largely guide production and prices.3. Guaranteed minimum welfare versus competition: The Soviet state ensured a minimum standard of living for all citizens and subsidised basic necessities such as health, education and childcare, but allowed no economic freedom; capitalist economies allow economic freedom and competition but do not guarantee such universal welfare. (A fourth point: the Soviet Union had a domestic consumer industry producing ‘everything from pins to cars’, though of poorer quality than Western goods.)
7. What were the factors that forced Gorbachev to initiate the reforms in the USSR?
ANSWERSeveral pressures forced Gorbachev to launch reforms after becoming General Secretary in 1985:Economic stagnation: The Soviet economy had been faltering since the late 1970s and became stagnant. It lagged behind the West in technology and infrastructure, productivity fell, and there were shortages of all consumer goods, with food imports rising every year.The arms race and the Afghanistan war: Matching the US in the arms race drained huge resources, and the costly invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 weakened the system further.Need to keep pace with the West: Reforms were necessary to keep the USSR abreast of the information and technological revolutions taking place in the West.Political and administrative decay: The one-party rule of the Communist Party had become bureaucratic, authoritarian and unaccountable; rampant corruption, the centralisation of authority and the absence of democracy and freedom of speech had alienated ordinary people, who increasingly questioned the system. Gorbachev therefore sought to reform the economy, catch up with the West, normalise relations with the West and democratise the Soviet Union.
8. What were the major consequences of the disintegration of the Soviet Union for countries like India?
ANSWERThe disintegration of the USSR had several important consequences for countries like India:End of the Cold War and a unipolar world: The ideological confrontation between the two superpowers ended, the arms race slowed, and the US emerged as the sole superpower. India, like other non-aligned nations, had to adjust its foreign policy to a world no longer balanced between two blocs.Dominance of capitalism and liberal democracy: The capitalist free-market model became dominant, and institutions like the World Bank and the IMF became powerful advisors. India responded by adopting economic reforms and liberalising its economy in 1991, opening up to trade and foreign investment.Loss of a reliable partner, but continued friendship with Russia: India lost the USSR, which had supported it on Kashmir, in the 1971 war, and with economic, military and technical assistance. However, India built strong relations with Russia, the successor state, sharing a vision of a multipolar world order; more than 80 bilateral agreements were signed as part of the Indo-Russian Strategic Agreement of 2001.New opportunities: The emergence of many new independent countries, especially the Central Asian republics rich in oil and gas, opened new avenues for trade, energy cooperation and diplomatic engagement for India.
9. What was Shock Therapy? Was this the best way to make a transition from communism to capitalism?
ANSWERWhat Shock Therapy was: Shock Therapy was the model of transition from an authoritarian socialist command economy to a democratic capitalist market economy, adopted in Russia, Central Asia and East Europe in the 1990s under the influence of the World Bank and the IMF. It involved a sudden and complete shift to capitalism: rapid privatisation of state assets and corporate ownership, replacement of collective farms by private farming, a switch to free trade and foreign direct investment, financial deregulation, currency convertibility, and the break-up of the old trade alliances within the Soviet bloc, linking each state directly to the West.Why it was not the best way: Shock Therapy brought ruin to these economies and disaster upon the people. In Russia, about 90 per cent of industries were put up for sale and undervalued in ‘the largest garage sale in history’. The value of the ruble collapsed, inflation was so high that people lost their savings, and the collective farm system disintegrated, forcing Russia to import food; real GDP in 1999 was below that of 1989. The old system of social welfare was destroyed, large sections were pushed into poverty, a mafia emerged, and society was divided between rich and poor. Democratic institutions were neglected, and constitutions were drafted in a hurry with strong executive presidents.Conclusion: Therefore, Shock Therapy was not the best way to make the transition. A more gradual, phased change — protecting welfare, building democratic institutions and reviving industry step by step — would have caused far less hardship to ordinary people. Most of these economies began reviving only around 2000, mainly through the export of natural resources.
10. Write an essay for or against the following proposition: “With the disintegration of the second world, India should change its foreign policy and focus more on friendship with the US rather than with traditional friends like Russia”.
ANSWER (Model essay — against the proposition)Introduction: After the disintegration of the second world, the US emerged as the sole superpower, and it is argued that India should tilt its foreign policy towards the US and away from traditional friends like Russia. This essay argues against that proposition: India should deepen ties with the US without abandoning Russia, because a balanced, independent foreign policy serves its interests best.Why Russia still matters: Indo-Russian relations rest on a long history of trust and common interests. Russia has supported India on Kashmir, shared information on terrorism, and supplied most of India’s military hardware — India is the second-largest arms market for Russia. Russia has helped India during oil crises, is important for India’s nuclear-energy plans, gave the cryogenic rocket for India’s space programme, and shares India’s vision of a multipolar world order. Indian films and culture are popular across the post-Soviet space, adding people-to-people warmth.Why not abandon either: A wise foreign policy keeps options open. India benefits from US ties in trade, technology, investment and counter-terrorism, but a multipolar world — with several centres of power, collective security, regionalism and a strengthened UN — is safer for a developing country than dependence on a single superpower.Conclusion: India should therefore pursue an independent, balanced foreign policy, strengthening its partnership with the US while preserving its strategic friendship with Russia, rather than choosing one at the expense of the other.
Extra Practice Questions
Short Answer Type Questions
Q1. What was the Warsaw Pact?
ANSWERThe Warsaw Pact was a military alliance started by the USSR after the Second World War. It held the Second World or ‘socialist bloc’ of East European communist states together under Soviet leadership, in opposition to the US-led NATO during the Cold War.
Q2. Name the three republics whose leaders declared the Soviet Union disbanded in December 1991.
ANSWERIn December 1991, under the leadership of Boris Yeltsin, three major republics — Russia, Ukraine and Belarus — declared that the Soviet Union was disbanded, annulled the 1922 treaty that created the USSR, and established the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
Q3. Why was Russia accepted as the successor state of the USSR?
ANSWERRussia was accepted as the successor state because it inherited the Soviet seat in the UN Security Council, accepted all the international treaties and commitments of the USSR, and became the only nuclear state of the post-Soviet space, carrying out nuclear-disarmament measures with the US.
Q4. What is meant by Russia’s ‘Near Abroad’?
ANSWER‘Near Abroad’ is the term by which Russia regards the former Soviet states, especially the Central Asian republics, believing that they should remain under Russian influence even after independence.
Q5. Mention any two tensions or conflicts that arose in the former Soviet republics after disintegration.
ANSWERIn Russia, the republics of Chechnya and Dagestan saw violent secessionist movements with many human-rights violations. In Central Asia, Tajikistan witnessed a civil war that lasted until 2001, and in Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh, local Armenians sought to secede. The most severe conflict was in the Balkan republics of Yugoslavia.
Long Answer Type Questions
Q1. Explain the causes of the disintegration of the Soviet Union.
ANSWERThe disintegration of the USSR resulted from several inter-linked causes. Internal economic and political weaknesses: the Soviet economy stagnated for years, using too many resources on the military and on maintaining satellite states, leading to severe consumer shortages while people grew aware of Western prosperity. Administrative and political decay: the Communist Party ruled for over 70 years without accountability; corruption, over-centralisation, lack of democracy and party privileges alienated ordinary citizens. Gorbachev’s reforms: when he loosened the system through perestroika and glasnost, he set in motion forces and expectations he could not control; he lost support on all sides — reformers felt he was too slow, hardliners felt he moved too fast. The rise of nationalism: the most immediate cause was the desire for sovereignty in the more prosperous republics — Russia, the Baltic states, Ukraine and Georgia — whose people felt they were paying too high a price to keep poorer regions within the Union. The failed 1991 coup hastened the end, and in December 1991 the USSR was formally dissolved.
Q2. Discuss the consequences of the disintegration of the Soviet Union for world politics.
ANSWERThe collapse of the second world brought three broad, enduring changes. First, the end of Cold War confrontations: the ideological dispute between socialism and capitalism, the arms race and the existence of rival military blocs ended, opening the way to a possible new peace. Second, a change in power relations and the rise of a unipolar order: the US became the sole superpower, the capitalist economy became dominant worldwide, the World Bank and IMF became powerful advisors guiding transitions to capitalism, and liberal democracy emerged as the preferred way to organise political life. Third, the emergence of many new countries: each with its own aspirations — the Baltic and East European states sought to join the European Union and NATO, while the Central Asian states balanced ties with Russia, the US, China and others. Thus the international system saw many new players emerge, each with its own identity, interests and difficulties.
Q3. Describe the consequences of Shock Therapy in the post-communist regimes.
ANSWERThe Shock Therapy administered in the 1990s did not lead people to the promised utopia of mass consumption; instead it generally brought ruin to the economies and disaster upon the people. In Russia, the large state-controlled industrial complex almost collapsed as about 90 per cent of industries were put up for sale in ‘the largest garage sale in history’, with valuable industries undervalued and sold cheaply. The ruble’s value collapsed, inflation wiped out people’s savings, and the collective-farm system disintegrated, leaving people without food security so that Russia had to import food; real GDP in 1999 was below that of 1989. The social-welfare system was destroyed, the withdrawal of subsidies pushed large sections into poverty, the middle class was pushed to the periphery, intellectuals migrated, and a mafia emerged controlling economic activity. Privatisation created new disparities between rich and poor regions. Democratic institutions were neglected, constitutions were drafted in a hurry with strong executive presidents, and in Central Asia several presidents became very authoritarian. Most economies began reviving only around 2000, mainly through the export of oil, gas and minerals.
MCQs & Assertion–Reason
1. The Berlin Wall, the great symbol of the Cold War, was toppled by the people in:
(a) 1961 (b) 1979 (c) 1989 (d) 1991
2. The USSR came into being after the socialist revolution in Russia in:
(a) 1905 (b) 1917 (c) 1922 (d) 1945
3. The military alliance that held the socialist bloc together was the:
(a) NATO (b) SEATO (c) Warsaw Pact (d) CENTO
4. Mikhail Gorbachev became the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in:
For each Assertion–Reason question, choose: (A) Both true and the Reason correctly explains the Assertion; (B) Both true but the Reason is not the correct explanation; (C) Assertion true, Reason false; (D) Assertion false, Reason true.
A-R 1. Assertion: The fall of the Berlin Wall symbolised the end of the Cold War.
Reason: It marked the unification of Germany and the beginning of the end of the communist bloc.
A-R 2. Assertion: People enjoyed full economic freedom in the Soviet Union.
Reason: The Soviet economy was planned and controlled by the state, which owned the factors of production.
A-R 3. Assertion: Gorbachev’s reforms ultimately contributed to the disintegration of the USSR.
Reason: Loosening the system set in motion forces and expectations, including nationalism, that he could not control.
A-R 4. Assertion: Shock Therapy was a smooth and successful transition to capitalism.
Reason: It brought ruin to the economies, collapsed the ruble, destroyed welfare and pushed people into poverty.
A-R 5. Assertion: India and Russia continued to enjoy strong relations after the disintegration of the USSR.
Reason: The two countries share a vision of a multipolar world order and have signed more than 80 bilateral agreements.
Answer key: 1-(A), 2-(D), 3-(A), 4-(D), 5-(A).
Exam Tips & Common Mistakes
How to score full marks in this chapter
Memorise the timeline of disintegration (1917 revolution, 1979 Afghanistan, 1985 Gorbachev, 1989 Berlin Wall, December 1991 dissolution) so chronology and fill-in-the-blank questions are easy marks. Clearly distinguish perestroika (restructuring) from glasnost (openness). For long answers, structure causes of disintegration under economic, political-administrative and nationalist headings, and structure consequences under the textbook’s three changes (end of Cold War, unipolar order, new countries). Always support Shock-Therapy answers with concrete facts — ‘largest garage sale in history’, collapse of the ruble, 1999 GDP below 1989. For the India question, list the economic, political, military and cultural dimensions of Indo-Russian ties.
Common mistakes to avoid
Saying people enjoyed economic freedom in the USSR — the economy was state-planned and controlled.
Confusing perestroika (restructuring) with glasnost (openness).
Mixing up dates — the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, but the USSR disintegrated in 1991.
Writing that NATO held the socialist bloc together — it was the Warsaw Pact; NATO was the Western alliance.
Calling Shock Therapy a success — it brought economic ruin and hardship to the people.
Forgetting that Russia, not the whole CIS, became the successor state with the UN Security Council seat.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Chapter 1 of Class 12 Political Science (Contemporary World Politics) about?
Chapter 1, The End of Bipolarity, explains the nature of the Soviet system, the causes and consequences of the disintegration of the USSR, Gorbachev’s reforms (perestroika and glasnost), the painful Shock Therapy transition to capitalism, and how India relates to the post-communist countries, especially Russia.
What was Shock Therapy and why did it fail?
Shock Therapy was a sudden, complete transition from a socialist command economy to capitalism, guided by the World Bank and IMF. It failed because it brought economic ruin — about 90% of Russian industries were undervalued and sold, the ruble collapsed, savings were wiped out by inflation, the welfare system was destroyed, and large sections of people were pushed into poverty.
Why did the Soviet Union disintegrate?
The USSR disintegrated due to internal economic stagnation, the heavy cost of the arms race and the Afghanistan war, an unaccountable and corrupt one-party system, Gorbachev’s reforms that he could not control, and most immediately the rise of nationalism and the desire for sovereignty in republics such as Russia, the Baltic states, Ukraine and Georgia. It was formally dissolved in December 1991.
