NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Political Science Chapter 7: Globalisation (NCERT 2026–27)
These Class 12 Political Science Chapter 7 solutions cover Globalisation, the final chapter of Contemporary World Politics (NCERT, 2026–27 session). The chapter analyses the concept of globalisation as a flow of ideas, capital, commodities and people creating ‘worldwide interconnectedness’, examines its causes (especially technology), and discusses its political, economic and cultural consequences. It then studies the impact of globalisation on India and India’s impact on globalisation, and ends with the various forms of resistance to globalisation in the world and in India. Below you get step-by-step answers to all NCERT Exercises questions, clear notes on key concepts, extra practice, MCQs, Assertion–Reason and FAQs.
Class: 12Subject: Political ScienceBook: Contemporary World PoliticsChapter: 7Title: GlobalisationSession: 2026–27
Chapter 7, Globalisation, explains that globalisation is fundamentally about flows — of ideas, capital, commodities and people moving across the world — and that the crucial element is the worldwide interconnectedness created and sustained by these flows. It is a multi-dimensional concept with political, economic and cultural manifestations, and its impact is vastly uneven. The chapter argues that while globalisation is not caused by any single factor, technology (the telegraph, telephone, microchip and the internet) is a critical cause. Politically, globalisation can both erode and enhance state capacity. Economically, it increases trade and capital flows but divides opinion over who gains and who loses, prompting demands for ‘social safety nets’. Culturally, it produces both cultural homogenisation (the spread of a uniform, often Western, culture — ‘McDonaldisation’) and cultural heterogenisation. The chapter then traces globalisation in India’s history, the 1991 economic reforms, and resistance to globalisation from both the left and the right, including the WSF and movements within India.
Key Concepts & Terms
Globalisation: a concept that fundamentally deals with flows — of ideas, capital, commodities and people across the world. Its crucial element is the ‘worldwide interconnectedness’ created and sustained by these constant flows. It is multi-dimensional (political, economic and cultural) and not purely economic.
Worldwide interconnectedness: the web of links that ties different parts of the world together, so that events in one part (a financial crisis, bird flu, a tsunami) affect other parts. Its components are the flows of ideas, capital, commodities and people.
Causes of globalisation: globalisation is not caused by any single factor, but technology is a critical element — the telegraph, telephone, microchip and internet have revolutionised communication. It also requires people to recognise their interconnections with the rest of the world.
Political consequences: globalisation results in an erosion of state capacity (the welfare state gives way to a minimalist state; MNCs reduce governments’ decision-making power), yet it does not always reduce state capacity — the state remains the primary political community and can even become more powerful through new surveillance technology.
Economic globalisation: greater economic flows (commodities, capital, people, ideas) among countries, with reduced restrictions on trade and capital movement. International institutions like the IMF and the WTO play a role. Its key question is the distribution of gains — who gains the most and who loses.
Social safety nets: institutional safeguards demanded by those concerned with social justice to protect the economically weak from the negative effects of globalisation and state withdrawal.
Cultural homogenisation: the rise of a uniform culture — in practice the imposition of Western (especially American) culture on the rest of the world (the ‘soft power’ of US hegemony, ‘McDonaldisation’), which shrinks the world’s rich cultural heritage.
Cultural heterogenisation: the opposite effect of the same process, by which each culture becomes more distinctive and unique through selective borrowing (e.g. a khadi kurta worn over jeans). Cultural exchange is rarely one-way.
India and globalisation: flows of capital, commodities, ideas and people go back centuries in Indian history; under colonialism India exported raw materials and imported finished goods. After 1947 India followed ‘protectionism’; in 1991, responding to a financial crisis, India began economic reforms that de-regulated trade and foreign investment.
Resistance to globalisation: criticism from the left (globalisation makes the rich richer and the poor poorer) and the right (weakening of the state, threat to traditional culture, demand for self-reliance). Platforms include the 1999 WTO Seattle protests and the World Social Forum (WSF), first held in Porto Alegre, Brazil (2001) and in Mumbai (2004).
NCERT “Exercises” — Full Solutions
All questions below are reproduced verbatim from the NCERT textbook’s end-of-chapter Exercises section. Answers are original, written in exam-ready style.
1. Which of the statements are TRUE about globalisation?
a. Globalisation is purely an economic phenomenon.b. Globalisation began in 1991.c. Globalisation is the same thing as westernisation.d. Globalisation is a multi-dimensional phenomenon.
ANSWER(d) Globalisation is a multi-dimensional phenomenon is TRUE.Statement (a) is false because globalisation has political and cultural dimensions, not only economic ones. (b) is false because globalisation, in terms of flows of ideas, capital, commodities and people, has taken place through much of human history — 1991 only marks India’s economic reforms. (c) is false because globalisation is not the same as westernisation; the direction of influence is not always from the West, and a uniform culture is not the same as a global culture.
2. Which of the statements are TRUE about the impact of globalisation?
a. Globalisation has been uneven in its impact on states and societies.b. Globalisation has had a uniform impact on all states and societies.c. The impact of globalisation has been confined to the political sphere.d. Globalisation inevitably results in cultural homogeneity.
ANSWER(a) Globalisation has been uneven in its impact on states and societies is TRUE.(b) is false because the impact of globalisation is vastly uneven — it affects some societies, and some parts of some societies, more than others. (c) is false because the impact is political, economic and cultural, not confined to politics. (d) is false because the same process also produces cultural heterogenisation, so homogeneity is not inevitable.
3. Which of the statements are TRUE about the causes of globalisation?
a. Technology is an important cause of globalisation.b. Globalisation is caused by a particular community of people.c. Globalisation originated in the US.d. Economic interdependence alone causes globalisation.
ANSWER(a) Technology is an important cause of globalisation is TRUE.(b) is false because globalisation is not caused by any particular community of people. (c) is false because globalisation did not originate in any single country such as the US. (d) is false because globalisation is not caused by economic interdependence alone — it is not caused by any single factor, although technology remains a critical element.
4. Which of the statements are TRUE about globalisation?
a. Globalisation is only about movement of commoditiesb. Globalisation does not involve a conflict of values.c. Services are an insignificant part of globalisation.d. Globalisation is about worldwide interconnectedness.
ANSWER(d) Globalisation is about worldwide interconnectedness is TRUE.(a) is false because globalisation involves flows of ideas, capital and people too, not only commodities. (b) is false because globalisation can involve a conflict of values (as in Sarika’s example). (c) is false because services (such as call centres) are a significant part of globalisation.
5. Which of the statements are FALSE about globalisation?
a. Advocates of globalisation argue that it will result in greater economic growth.b. Critics of globalisation argue that it will result in greater economic disparity.c. Advocates of globalisation argue that it will result in cultural homogenisation.d. Critics of globalisation argue that it will result in cultural homogenisation.
ANSWER(c) Advocates of globalisation argue that it will result in cultural homogenisation is FALSE.Cultural homogenisation is a fear raised by the critics of globalisation, not a claim made by its advocates. Statements (a), (b) and (d) are all TRUE: advocates do argue that globalisation generates greater economic growth and well-being, while critics argue that it leads to greater economic disparity and to cultural homogenisation.
6. What is worldwide interconnectedness? What are its components?
ANSWERWorldwide interconnectedness is the central element of globalisation. It refers to the web of links created and sustained by the constant flows that move across the world, so that distant parts of the globe become connected and dependent on one another. Because of this interconnectedness, events taking place in one part of the world can have an impact on another part — a financial crisis, the bird flu or a tsunami does not respect national boundaries.Components: the four flows that make up this interconnectedness are — (i) ideas moving from one part of the world to another; (ii) capital shunted between two or more places; (iii) commodities being traded across borders; and (iv) people moving in search of better livelihoods to different parts of the world.
7. How has technology contributed to globalisation?
ANSWERWhile globalisation is not caused by any single factor, technology remains a critical element. The invention of the telegraph, the telephone and, more recently, the microchip has revolutionised communication between different parts of the world. (Earlier, the coming of printing laid the basis for the creation of nationalism; so too today, technology affects the way we think of our personal and collective lives.)The ability of ideas, capital, commodities and people to move more easily from one part of the world to another has been made possible largely by technological advances. Technology also allows the movement of capital and commodities to be quicker and wider than the movement of people. The spread of the internet and computer-related services is a clear example of the flow of ideas across national boundaries.However, globalisation does not emerge merely from improved communications. What is equally important is that people in different parts of the world recognise these interconnections with the rest of the world and become aware that events elsewhere can affect them.
8. Critically evaluate the impact of the changing role of the state in the developing countries in the light of globalisation.
ANSWERGlobalisation has had a complex, two-sided impact on the role of the state, and its effects must be evaluated carefully rather than generalised.Erosion of state capacity: At the simplest level, globalisation results in an erosion of state capacity — the ability of governments to do what they do. The old ‘welfare state’ is giving way to a more minimalist state that performs only core functions such as maintaining law and order and ensuring the security of its citizens, while withdrawing from many welfare functions directed at economic and social well-being. The market becomes the prime determinant of priorities, and the entry of multinational companies reduces the capacity of governments to take decisions on their own. For developing countries, this can be harmful because the weakening of the state reduces its ability to protect the interests of the poor who depend on it for jobs and welfare.State capacity is not always reduced: At the same time, globalisation does not always reduce state capacity. The primacy of the state continues to be the unchallenged basis of political community; old rivalries between countries still matter; and the state continues to discharge its essential functions and consciously withdraws only from domains it chooses. In some respects state capacity has even received a boost, as enhanced technologies give the state greater ability to collect information about its citizens, making it better able to rule. Thus, states can become more powerful than before as an outcome of new technology.Critical evaluation: For developing countries, therefore, the picture is mixed. Globalisation can shrink welfare provision and increase dependence on the market and MNCs, harming the vulnerable; yet the state remains central and may grow stronger in security and surveillance. The wise response is not to assume the state is disappearing, but to ensure social safety nets and use the state’s continuing capacity to protect the weak.
9. What are the economic implications of globalisation? How has globalisation impacted on India with regard to this particular dimension?
ANSWEREconomic implications of globalisation: Economic globalisation involves greater economic flows among different countries — some voluntary and some forced by international institutions and powerful countries. It increases trade in commodities as countries reduce restrictions on imports; it eases restrictions on the movement of capital, so investors in rich countries can invest in developing countries for better returns; and it spreads ideas across borders (for example, the internet and computer-related services). However, it has not led to the same increase in the movement of people, because developed countries guard their borders with visa policies to protect their citizens’ jobs.Economic globalisation draws attention to international institutions like the IMF and the WTO, but it involves many other actors as well. A central concern is the distribution of gains — who gets the most and who loses. It has created an intense division of opinion: critics fear that it benefits only a small section while impoverishing those dependent on the state for welfare, and they demand ‘social safety nets’; advocates argue it generates greater growth and well-being through de-regulation, letting each economy do what it does best. The same policies do not produce the same results everywhere, so context matters.Impact on India: Flows of capital, commodities, ideas and people go back several centuries in Indian history. During the colonial period India became an exporter of primary goods and raw materials and an importer of finished goods. After independence, because of this experience with the British, India chose ‘protectionism’ — making things itself and restricting imports so its own producers could learn. This generated its own problems: critical sectors such as health, housing and primary education were neglected, and India had a fairly sluggish rate of economic growth. In 1991, responding to a financial crisis and a desire for higher growth, India embarked on economic reforms that increasingly de-regulated various sectors, including trade and foreign investment. While it may be too early to judge how good this has been for India, the ultimate test is not high growth rates but ensuring that the benefits of growth are shared so that everyone is better off.
10. Do you agree with the argument that globalisation leads to cultural heterogeneity?
ANSWERYes, to a large extent globalisation does lead to cultural heterogeneity, though it also produces homogenisation at the same time.One side of the argument is cultural homogenisation — globalisation leads to the rise of a uniform culture, which in practice is the imposition of Western, especially American, culture on the rest of the world (the ‘soft power’ of US hegemony, seen in the popularity of the burger and blue jeans, and described as the ‘McDonaldisation’ of the world). This is dangerous because it shrinks the rich cultural heritage of the entire globe.However, it would be a mistake to assume that the cultural consequences of globalisation are only negative. Cultures are not static; they accept outside influences all the time. Some external influences enlarge our choices and modify culture without overwhelming the traditional — a burger is no substitute for a masala dosa but is simply added to our food choices, and blue jeans can go well with a homespun khadi kurta. The result is a new, unique combination — a khadi kurta worn over jeans — which has even been exported back to the West, so young Americans wear a kurta and jeans.This shows that the same process which produces homogenisation also produces cultural heterogenisation, by which each culture becomes more different and distinctive. Cultural exchange is rarely one-way. I therefore agree that globalisation leads to cultural heterogeneity, while recognising that homogenisation is a real accompanying danger.
11. How has globalisation impacted on India and how is India in turn impacting on globalisation?
ANSWERGlobalisation’s impact on India: Flows of capital, commodities, ideas and people go back several centuries in Indian history. Under colonialism, India was made an exporter of primary goods and raw materials and a consumer of finished goods. After independence India adopted ‘protectionism’, making things itself and restricting imports; this had mixed results, neglecting sectors like health, housing and primary education and producing sluggish growth. Since the 1991 economic reforms, India has de-regulated trade and foreign investment, leading to greater trade, foreign investment, a boom in services such as call centres and IT, and wider cultural exchange — affecting what Indians eat, drink, wear and think.India’s impact on globalisation: India is not only a recipient of globalisation but also a contributor to it. India participates in the globalisation of services — for example, Janardhan working in a call centre rendering services to overseas clients, and the global spread of Indian software, IT and outsourcing. Indian companies invest abroad and even buy major rival companies based in Europe. Culturally, Indian influences flow outward too — the khadi-kurta-over-jeans combination has been exported back to the West. India thus both shapes and is shaped by globalisation.India and resistance to globalisation: India has also resisted globalisation. There have been left-wing protests against economic liberalisation through political parties and forums like the Indian Social Forum; trade unions and farmers’ organisations have protested against the entry of multinationals; the patenting of plants like Neem by foreign firms has generated opposition; and the political right has objected to cultural influences such as foreign TV channels and the celebration of Valentine’s Day. The WSF’s fourth meeting was held in Mumbai in 2004.
Extra Practice Questions
Short Answer Type Questions
Q1. Define globalisation in terms of flows.
ANSWERGlobalisation is a concept that fundamentally deals with flows — of ideas, capital, commodities and people moving from one part of the world to another. Its crucial element is the ‘worldwide interconnectedness’ that is created and sustained as a consequence of these constant flows.
Q2. Why is globalisation called a multi-dimensional concept?
ANSWERGlobalisation is called multi-dimensional because it has political, economic and cultural manifestations that must be distinguished from one another. It is wrong to assume that globalisation is purely economic, just as it is mistaken to treat it as purely cultural.
Q3. What is meant by ‘McDonaldisation’ of the world?
ANSWER‘McDonaldisation’ refers to the spread of a uniform, dominant American culture across the world, where cultures seek to buy into the dominant American dream. It is used as an example of cultural homogenisation and the soft power of US hegemony, and is seen as dangerous because it shrinks the world’s rich cultural heritage.
Q4. What are ‘social safety nets’?
ANSWERSocial safety nets are institutional safeguards demanded by those concerned with social justice to minimise the negative effects of globalisation on people who are economically weak. They are meant to protect those who fall behind because of state withdrawal and economic globalisation.
Q5. What was significant about the year 1991 for India and globalisation?
ANSWERIn 1991, responding to a financial crisis and a desire for higher rates of economic growth, India embarked on a programme of economic reforms that increasingly de-regulated various sectors, including trade and foreign investment. This marked India’s decisive turn away from protectionism towards greater economic openness.
Long Answer Type Questions
Q1. Examine the political consequences of globalisation.
ANSWERGlobalisation has generated an important debate about its impact on traditional conceptions of state sovereignty, and there are at least three aspects to consider. First, at the simplest level globalisation results in an erosion of state capacity: the old welfare state gives way to a minimalist state that performs only core functions such as law and order and security, while withdrawing from welfare functions; the market becomes the prime determinant of priorities, and the increased role of multinational companies reduces governments’ capacity to take independent decisions. Second, globalisation does not always reduce state capacity: the primacy of the state remains the unchallenged basis of political community, old rivalries between countries still matter, and the state continues to discharge its essential functions, withdrawing only from domains it chooses. Third, in some respects state capacity has even received a boost, because enhanced technologies give the state greater ability to collect information about its citizens, making it better able to rule. Thus states can become more powerful than before as an outcome of new technology. The political consequences of globalisation are therefore mixed, not simply a weakening of the state.
Q2. “The cultural consequences of globalisation are not only negative.” Discuss.
ANSWERIt is true that globalisation raises the fear of a threat to the world’s cultures through cultural homogenisation — the rise of a uniform culture which, in practice, is the imposition of Western, especially American, culture (the soft power of US hegemony, the popularity of the burger and blue jeans, the ‘McDonaldisation’ of the world). This is dangerous because it shrinks the rich cultural heritage of the entire globe. However, it would be a mistake to assume the cultural consequences are only negative. Cultures are not static; all cultures accept outside influences all the time. Some external influences are negative because they reduce our choices, but sometimes they simply enlarge our choices and modify culture without overwhelming the traditional — the burger is no substitute for a masala dosa and is merely added to our food choices, and blue jeans can go well with a khadi kurta. The outcome is a new, unique combination (a khadi kurta worn over jeans), exported back to the West so that young Americans wear a kurta and jeans. The same process that produces homogenisation thus also produces cultural heterogenisation, making each culture more distinctive, because cultural exchange is rarely one-way.
Q3. Describe the various forms of resistance to globalisation in the world and in India.
ANSWERGlobalisation is a contentious subject that has invited strong criticism from different directions. Critics on the left argue that contemporary globalisation represents a phase of global capitalism that makes the rich richer (and fewer) and the poor poorer, and that the weakening of the state reduces its capacity to protect the poor. Critics on the right express anxiety over its political, economic and cultural effects: they fear the weakening of the state, want a return to self-reliance and protectionism in certain areas, and worry that traditional culture and age-old values will be harmed. Importantly, anti-globalisation movements themselves participate in global networks; many are not opposed to globalisation as such but to a specific programme of globalisation they see as imperialism. Globally, there were widespread protests at the 1999 WTO Seattle ministerial meeting against unfair trading practices, and the World Social Forum (WSF) — a coalition of human-rights activists, environmentalists, labour, youth and women activists — was first held in Porto Alegre, Brazil (2001), with later meetings in Mumbai (2004). In India, resistance has come from the left through parties and forums like the Indian Social Forum, from trade unions and farmers’ organisations protesting the entry of multinationals, from opposition to the patenting of plants like Neem, and from the political right objecting to foreign TV channels, Valentine’s Day and the westernisation of dress.
MCQs & Assertion–Reason
1. The crucial element of globalisation is:
(a) westernisation (b) worldwide interconnectedness (c) state sovereignty (d) protectionism
2. Which of the following is NOT one of the four flows that make up globalisation?
(a) Ideas (b) Capital (c) Commodities (d) Sovereignty
3. According to the chapter, which is a critical cause of globalisation?
(a) Technology (b) A particular community of people (c) The US alone (d) Economic interdependence alone
4. The replacement of the old welfare state by a minimalist state is a __ consequence of globalisation.
(a) cultural (b) political (c) technological (d) demographic
5. Which international institutions are associated with economic globalisation?
(a) IMF and WTO (b) UNESCO and WHO (c) NATO and Warsaw Pact (d) ASEAN and SAARC
6. The imposition of a uniform, often Western, culture on the rest of the world is called:
(a) cultural heterogenisation (b) cultural homogenisation (c) protectionism (d) de-regulation
7. A khadi kurta worn over jeans is given as an example of:
(a) cultural homogenisation (b) cultural heterogenisation (c) westernisation (d) imperialism
8. In which year did India begin its programme of economic reforms?
(a) 1947 (b) 1971 (c) 1991 (d) 2001
9. The first World Social Forum (WSF) meeting was held in:
(a) Seattle, USA (b) Mumbai, India (c) Porto Alegre, Brazil (d) Nairobi, Kenya
10. The widespread protests against unfair trading practices in 1999 took place at the WTO ministerial meeting 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: Globalisation is not purely an economic phenomenon.
Reason: Globalisation is multi-dimensional, having political, economic and cultural manifestations.
A-R 2. Assertion: Globalisation always reduces the capacity of the state.
Reason: Enhanced technology can give the state a greater ability to collect information about its citizens and rule more effectively.
A-R 3. Assertion: The cultural consequences of globalisation are only negative.
Reason: External influences sometimes enlarge our choices and produce new, distinctive cultural combinations.
A-R 4. Assertion: Technology is a critical element in causing globalisation.
Reason: Inventions like the telegraph, telephone, microchip and internet have revolutionised communication between different parts of the world.
A-R 5. Assertion: Many anti-globalisation movements participate in global networks.
Reason: Such movements ally with those who feel like them in other countries, opposing a specific programme of globalisation rather than the idea itself.
Answer key: 1-(A), 2-(D), 3-(D), 4-(A), 5-(A).
Exam Tips & Common Mistakes
How to score full marks in this chapter
Define globalisation precisely as flows (ideas, capital, commodities, people) creating worldwide interconnectedness, and always present it as a multi-dimensional concept. For consequence questions, structure your answer under three heads — political, economic and cultural — and give the two-sided argument (erosion vs boost of state capacity; advocates vs critics; homogenisation vs heterogenisation). Memorise the key examples: the call centre and the China-made cycle (services and commodities), McDonaldisation and blue jeans/khadi kurta (culture), the IMF and WTO, 1991 reforms, the 1999 Seattle protests and the WSF (Porto Alegre 2001, Mumbai 2004). Use these to show you have studied the chapter.
Common mistakes to avoid
Treating globalisation as purely economic — it is also political and cultural.
Saying globalisation began in 1991 — that is only when India’s economic reforms began; globalisation goes back through much of history.
Confusing globalisation with westernisation — they are not the same thing.
Claiming globalisation always weakens the state — it can also strengthen state capacity through new technology.
Mixing up cultural homogenisation (uniform culture) with cultural heterogenisation (more distinctive cultures).
Forgetting that the fear of cultural homogenisation is raised by critics, not advocates, of globalisation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Chapter 7 of Class 12 Political Science (Contemporary World Politics) about?
Chapter 7, Globalisation, analyses globalisation as a flow of ideas, capital, commodities and people creating worldwide interconnectedness. It examines the causes of globalisation (especially technology), its political, economic and cultural consequences, its impact on India and India’s impact on it, and the various forms of resistance to globalisation.
What is the difference between cultural homogenisation and cultural heterogenisation?
Cultural homogenisation is the rise of a uniform culture — in practice the imposition of Western, especially American, culture on the rest of the world (‘McDonaldisation’). Cultural heterogenisation is the opposite effect of the same process, by which each culture becomes more distinctive and unique through selective borrowing, such as a khadi kurta worn over jeans.
How many questions are there in the NCERT exercise of this chapter?
The end-of-chapter Exercises in Contemporary World Politics Chapter 7 contains 11 questions — the first five are statement-selection (TRUE/FALSE) questions and the last six are descriptive questions — all answered step by step on this page.
