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Sociology Optional PYQ Solutions · Model answer

Describe the main features of the Indian new middle class. How is it different from the old middle class?

  • UPSC 2025
  • Social Classes in India

The new middle class is the segment that liberalisation after 1991 lifted into cultural and political dominance — salaried, credentialled, English-educated, defined by consumption rather than property. Leela Fernandes (India's New Middle Class, 2006) argues that its "newness" lies in a new ideology and self-representation rather than a new social base. The contrast with the…

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What the full answer covers

  • Main features of the new middle class
  • How it differs from the old middle class
  • What the comparison reveals
  • Conclusion

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